Into the Unknown

At the end of the year, I’ll be getting my Masters in Information and Library Science. (Pause while I panic, hyperventilating into a paper bag). Life didn’t go quite the way I planned… who am I kidding?– nothing went according to plan! So I’m faced with that question- Now what? I have a very obscured road map in front of me.

I feel I’ve been in school forever. Each year brought new challenges but, for the most part, I knew what to expect. Right now, I’m groping around in the dark (semi-darkness actually). Funny thing is… I’m not really frightened- at least not yet anyway. I’m pretty sure I’ll start freaking out the last day of class but right now, I’m looking forward to this new adventure. It’s stressing me out, of course, but what in life doesn’t?
 
This isn’t the first time I’ve trekked towards the unknown with a plan that could hardly be called one. When I moved to NY nearly 2 years ago I was beyond terrified. A week before the trip- all excitement was gone. All I thought was- I have clearly lost my mind. I mean seriously people I was freaking out and I’ve always been a pretty calm person. I didn’t know anyone there, didn’t have a job lined up and nothing was going according to plan. I don’t regret the decision though despite it being a lot harder than I thought.

A couple of years before that I decided to study abroad in England- going to a strange (strange to me) place where I didn’t know anyone. Talk about jumping clear out of your comfort zone. I was terrified. It was hard but so worth it. It is still the most fun I’ve ever had. Maybe that’s why I’m not freaking out just yet. I’ve learned if it’s hard it’ll be worth it in the end and that traveling through the unknown may be the most terrifying experience ever but it can lead me to more fun than I’ve ever had.

What’s interesting and a little distressing is people are no longer getting jobs through the traditional means- you know, find a job posting and apply for it. Job hunting was stressful enough, now we have to get creative. There are no hard and fast rules about getting a job in publishing or in any place for that matter. It’s pretty much find a path that works for you. I’ve come up with a plan of attack and a goal in mind, several goals actually. Let’s see how it all works out. It’s a good thing I like a challenge (most of the time).