This is an e-mail I just sent. I don’t think I’ll be able to blink, let alone sleep, till I get an answer.
Dear Jenia,
Rita told me she spoke with you yesterday. While I love her for doing that and I know she worries about me, I am still contemplating if it wasn’t a bit premature since I am still pretty confused on how to move forward.
The seed of my discontent was planted early last year, when I discovered my grad-school program had a lot I wasn’t happy with, a lot of theoretical class that didn’t interest me. I was ready to put up with them only because I was happy working at the lab, and I knew that only enrolled students are eligible and employable lab researchers. As you might imagine, this isn’t stable ground to stand on, and things got worse little by little. My school-work started to suffer, since I hated the classes I was forced to take, and when things at the lab started to wind down I knew I had to make a change.
And so, I’m writing now after having already quit my job at the University, and I probably won’t finish the semester since I’ve practically stopped going to classes.
I’m 29 now, and I am seriously confused. I’ve tried looking for jobs here in Israel, but my B.Sc. in Chemistry isn’t something I can easily take to the bank here. To tell you the truth I’m not even sure I would like a job where an education in Chemistry is a necessary one. And so I spent the past month or two mostly thinking. Obviously the first logical step would be to figure out where, then, should I work? What do I want to do with the rest of my life?
I always start with my fantasy job – it’s kind of a dream of mine to become a professional reviewer of computer hardware and consumer electronics and gadgets. I know it’s not the most original dream, but I can’t help it, it’s something I frequently thought of growing up. I’ve been reading those kind of magazines since I was 10 years old… I tried of course writing to the most prominent guys in the business, but I obviously didn’t hear from them – the internet is too busy a medium to successfully be heard by the right people.
I hope I’m getting the picture through. I’m really not sure how to move forward – if I have to be more practical, I would love to start with a job that is remotely connected to my hobbies. I’m not only talking about computer hardware and consumer electronics, but also the web in general and social media. My main problem is that my background doesn’t give me any sort of clout or even relevant professional experience in these areas, and although I am highly passionate about them, on my own I can’t seem to find anything that suits me or anyone to believe in me.
I’d been thinking for a while now that trying my luck in America is the next logical step, but I’m a little afraid to make the move without finding something to start with. I refuse to fly out just to find myself sitting and thinking in a different room. I want to work. I want to be productive again.
I always knew I would eventually come to you for advise, I just hoped I’d have a clearer outlook when that happened. As I said, I’m still confused, and I’m afraid I haven’t given you enough to work with…
Thank you, Jenia. I really admire you and what you made of yourself, I’m sure I can count on you for some insight.
Roy
P.S. I”m attaching my C.V. just for good measure
I’m still keeping comments closed for now, since I’ve been getting a lot of spam lately. If YOU have any insight, please, send me an e-mail.