Letters to the Editor

• A sell out's response

  [Read the article: "The Trap"]
  [Read more letters about this article: Here]

  What if selling out means gaining an ounce of control over your life.

  Here's another snapshot of a 20-something that could easily fit into The Trap's compilation of sad tales of my colleagues into the working world: I started working in journalism my junior year of college. Five years later, I've gotten a $.20 raise.

  I attended a private Catholic college, an thought I graduated early and received academic scholarships, will still be paying it off into my 30's.

  After graduation, I bar tended for two years until a golden chance to "sell out" fell into my lap. So I tossed the apron for a suit and headed toward a pasture of dollar-bill green.

  I still work in journalism part time, but feel that a full-time opportunity will never happen. As a part-time writer, the newspaper can deny me heath care, benefits, retirement options, assignments, and can have absolute control over the bottom line - wages. They know that my passion for writing will keep me coming back.

  Many younger professionals have a passion for not-for-profits or more liberal arts arena pursuits, but cannot control those organizations' stinginess - whether deliberate or not.

  So I guess I took the only type of control of my life I could think of by selling out.

  In conclusion, I very much agree with Brook's thesis. I feel that not only are 20-somethings forced into these career decisions, but the decision in turn becomes one of deciding between having control or not over their lifestyle.

  Permalink Thursday, August 16, 2007 08:48 AM