Broken Dreams

By Christopher A. Hayes, On-line Forty-Niner

MAY 13,1998

I walked the aisles of broken dreams. I felt the pain of the poor, unfortunate souls who were stationed there. I regretted I was unable to help them with their misery.

 

You guessed it. I went to last week's Job Faire.

 

It was disheartening to see so many of the employees touting the merits of their companies, knowing their hearts were not in their sales pitch.

 

Many of the workers sat silently watching potential recruits walk by. The curious faces of passers-by were not enough to jump start the recruiters' enthusiasm to entice the students to become part of their corporate team.

 

Instead, those stuck behind the booths continued to sit there with hopeless looks on their faces wishing they were outside smoking a cigarette instead. The corporate representatives seemed to exude an attitude of "we really don't want to be here, but there is nothing meaningful waiting for us back at the office, either."

 

Eventually they were shocked from hiding and were forced to speak to someone who dared to ask a question. As they delivered their pitch, their eyes told a story of a mild-mannered marsupial caught in a snare.

 

Only there was no quick death given to those creatures. That would have been too humane. Instead, they became performing beasts in a circus of lost ways.

 

The menagerie called the Job Faire gave little hope to those of us who dare to dream of a meaningful job. Sitting behind a desk and pushing pencils for a salary that will never make one rich is not that appealing.

 

Sure, it all looks good on paper. X-Corp. offers so much for a starting salary. Y-Corp. offers so much in benefits. And Z-Corp. bestows $10 titles on anyone who signs with them.

 

It is what wasn't said at the fair that speaks volumes.

 

Many of us are graduating this semester, myself included. There will be the temptation to settle for less in the job market. But everything comes at a price. To get ahead in one area, we may sacrifice something in another.

 

And remember, we will have to live with the consequences of the choices we make.

 

Good luck!

 

Christopher A. Hayes is the opinion editor of the Daily Forty-Niner.