It’s instructive to look at the language she used. Sorry, but its the language that 80% of the population uses. We call them “average” or worse.

• After four years of college I expected my life would magically come together– Comment: like in The Secret, where just by thinking of something it happens? Nope, that’s not the way it works. You provide something that someone else determines is of value to them. They trade you dollars for what you are providing. There is no magic out there there that says oh, a graduate…lets pay her.

• As a philosophy major, I thought that the critical thinking and analytical skills I acquired would be more desirable to prospective employers–Comment: they are if you can show an employer how they will profit by your skills. But smart thinking people are a dime a dozen and you are competing with folks just like you from around the world. It’s got to be something more–what makes you different?

• I have heard that there are stimulus jobs and I have applied for probably a dozen jobs with the federal government alone. Comment: You and millions others…The government’s job is to protect your right to use your gifts and talents to provide value for others, not provide you a job. One of the major flaws in the whole stimulus economy is that it encourages people to sit back and wait…thus becoming even more dependent on the other (this time the government) for survival.

• I fell as if I am being enterprising in my search, using Craigslist, Indeed, CareerBuilder and The Post: Comment: Enterprising would be tracking down the the CEO of a company you want to work with and sending her a shock and awe package that markets yourself, causes her to pay attention to you and makes her say I’d be an idiot to not at least interview Meredith.

• I went to college with the dreams of working on government policy, writing for a newspaper or serving a on a bioethics committee. Who knew that the economy would go into crisis when I was in college. Comment: sure, its tougher out there than it was a few years ago but there are lots of kids graduating from college who did get good jobs. Probably better to figure out what they are doing and model that.

• After sending what seems to be my millionth resume and cover letter, I am realizing that I might need to go back to school sooner than expected: Comment: first, every employer is getting resumes and cover letters. How are you making yours stand out? Why would you expect that an employer would choose you over the others or over the choice of doing nothing at all? Second, why in the world do you think that more school and more debt is going to fix your problem? That sounds like running away. Frankly, spending some time hanging out with winners/entrepreneurs in order that you can see first hand what successful people were doing would be far more valuable. I know lots of people who have no college degree, let alone any advanced degree, who are enormously successful.

• GWU’s online jobs site used to be a great place to look for paid positions but with the economic situation, jobs have been scarce: Comment–don’t blame the economy.. that just gives you an excuse. Take full responsibility for your success or failure. Winners don’t blame others or the economy or the government or anything…they figure out how to get things done.

• I’ve been checking my email, hoping for a job offer….I thought once college ended, all my dreams would come through. Comment: the four years you just spent are just the beginning. But no one promised that all your dreams would come true just by hanging out GWU’s writing center for four years. Life is not about hoping– its about planning out what, exactly, its going to take to be successful…setting goals….never leaving it up to the other.

Let me make a few book recommendations for you:

Think and Grow Rich–Napoleon Hill– a little hard to read the first time. Many, many successful people read this book once a year for its timeless principles of success

The Millionaire Next Door– what to the financially successful people in America really do…not just theory, but survey results…how do they think and act?? Who do they hang out with.

No B.S. Wealth Attraction: Dan Kennedy…more timeless advice about how really successful people really act and think.

You don’t need to reinvent the wheel…you only need to look around at what made others successful and model that.

Get started.

Today’s Washington Post headline blasts the news that 600,000 more people lost jobs in January. The
Wall Street Journal has a picture of a roomful of white collar workers in a hotel room in McLean, Virginia,
waiting for a job interview.

There has never been a better time in most of our lifetimes to find highly qualified people who are ready, willing and able to help you keep moving. If you are standing still, waiting to be “rescued” from
this recession, you are a fool.

Keep moving.

I came back from my ownconference (the only legal conference, of any sort, that is selling out all of its events) so revved up with ideas I could hardly think. I immediately went on the search to find the quality folks I needed to “get things done.” I’m not sitting still, waiting for rescue.

I hired three new people this week.

Great, smart people. Tired of the corporate world. Looking to use THEIR GIFTS and TALENTS in a
productive way. Not waiting for a bailout.

What are you waiting for?