Learning to love the job search

In honor of Labor Day I spent the day gearing up for the big full-time job search. Morning was a flurry of non-finance searches, checking postings on the New York Foundation for the Arts, dreaming of a more beautiful and interesting life than spreadsheets and CNBC, and trying to figure out how much arts administrators make anyway. Afternoon was a return to reality - when you're used to finance industry pay, it's too hard to do anything else, especially given my "no job is utopia" philosophy. And one reason I decided not to pursue a career as an artist in the first place was that I found too many in the field to be obnoxious, faddish and ill-educated.

I'm trying to keep a positive outlook and feel excited about carving my post-MBA path but really I'm pretty anxious. I can't think of a career or employer that I feel unequivocally passionate about. The full-time corporate conversation calendar looks a bit slim. Little comes up in my GSB job listing queries. The economy appears to be crumbling around us. And my belly grows a little larger with each passing day. With 80,000 ibankers prowling the streets of New York and assorted financial capitals in search of a good hedge fund job, who is going to hire the obviously pregnant lady sans pedigreed resume? No one. Time for an investment in some serious foundation undergarments.

Meanwhile, my mom let me know that she will be absolutely devastated if I don't move to Seattle after graduation. Y's mom seconds this. Guilt and angst, the best combination! (My fantasy life is Seattle in the summers, New York fall through spring.)

I cannot wait to get back to the GSB and into the reassuring arms of career services! Let's get this week over with already! There's job hunting to be done.