Ahh Graduation Day. The day before I woke up and said, "Now what?" Look how happy my friend Sarah is (right side, waving frantically). I knew I should have been a business major like her! That picture was taken in June. Today I am starting a blog, and I can't think of a better time. Last week I almost started a blog about implementing a vegetarian diet in my household, I was going to call it "the Meatless Murray's". I think my carnivorous parents are flipping cartwheels that one fell through. Instead I decided to make it about this awkward jobless phase in my post-grad life. At least once a day something will occur and I will sigh and think, "ahh, post grad problems" (PGP for short).
- Little Caesar's finds my job profile and tries to hire me, PGP.
- I have become a sought after house and dog sitter, PGP.
- My monthly Cosmopolitan magazine arrives in the mail with the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics monthly abstracts and I read the abstracts before I crack open the Cosmo, PGP.
- I've had 4 cups of coffee; don't need it, just still addicted to it from college, PGP.
- I am Pinterest obsessed and will make crafts and try new recipes. Unlike job hunting I know that I will get an immediate result after working hard, PGP.
So here I am world. I want to become a Registered Dietitian, sometime in this decade. I have a Bachelor of Science in nutrition and will apply to Dietetic Internships this upcoming February. Programs in California are extremely competitive so this past week I have been looking at schools in those Fly Over States (thank you Jason Aldean for glamorizing my possible future residence). But more on that another day. Today and for the past two months I have been politely pestering and exhausting any and all resources: a family friend working in HR at a local branch of hospitals, an LDR (long distance relationship) with my Grandpa's friend who works for the Academy in D.C., anyone I can get my carpal tunnel-ed typing fingered hands on via LinkedIn, and a handful of various contacts from SNAP-Ed, WIC, and the ementoring system on eatright.
No current employment for me, however I have gotten the ball rolling on a volunteer opportunity with WIC. Without an RD certification or much experience I can't find many/any jobs. Any nutrition grad probably knows the irony that many experience opportunities want previous experience; it's a vicious cycle I can't seem to break into. I did apply for a dishwasher position at a hospital yesterday because I will do anything to gain clinical experience and get back into the grind (work, not coffee that is). My HR friend (he is a saint!) got coffee with me today to explore and create more options. He actually encouraged me to start this blog. We both agreed that A) I had the time for it and B) It could be helpful to others in my position. Here is some advice he shared with me (over coffee, of course)
1. Reach out to various organizations such as schools, the county health department, church diocese, charities, philanthropic foundations such as PADRE*, nursing homes.
2. Not only reach out but figure out what I am capable of offering to them. It should be specific, creative, and unique. Use the phrase, "Have you thought of...? I can offer you..." Without an RD license, I need to be careful and know my limitations. Therefore I think I will stick to developing and offering broad-based education and wellness programs. I love this quote I found on Pinterest: Your dream job does not exist. You must create it. Tangent, but I also really like There is nothing peanut butter and a spoon can't fix. Yum.
3. Be persistent with job opportunities but not a pest. Follow up but know when you've exhausted an opportunity.
4. I am more likely to find employment success by getting to know people and not by solely applying to positions online. This means networking. For example I will be attending a conference on Exercise put on by the Orange district of the CDA. Not only will it be a learning opportunity, but there will be numerous local professionals attending.
I hope you got something out of this post, if not anything at least the fact that I mentioned coffee four times or maybe you discovered the song Fly Over States. If you're in my position and geographically positioned in the Orange County area, here are some links for the various opportunities I listed.
WIC locations (there are so many in socal) http://www.phfewic.org/ClinicLocator.aspx
CDA Orange District http://www.dietitian.org/d_orange/orange_index.html
PADRE foundation http://www.padrefoundation.org/
Fly Over States by Jason Aldean http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkEvLjj_rqc
Little Caesar's nutrition info should you have a mean bread stick craving (but don't expect to see me working for and supporting the production of greasy hot-n-ready $5 pizzas anytime soon) http://www.littlecaesars.com/menu/nutrition.asp
* PADRE stands for Pediatric Adolescent Diabetes Research Education Foundation and will always hold a special place in my heart. My HR family friend is the father of my very best childhood friend. My friend was diagnosed with type I diabetes around Halloween when we were in 6th grade. I will never forget watching her mother inject insulin into her stomach so she could eat a mini sized piece of candy. I realized this would always be a part of her life and bravely allowed her to teach me how to prick my own finger to test my blood sugar. I learned so much from her and have the utmost respect for all people with diabetes. I think it is because of her that I became so interested in nutrition.
No comments:
Post a Comment