JULIE, the one who went for passion

“An employee in a big store earns 1500€ per month. With my university diploma, I can only ask for as much as 1300€ per month. 

Gets me sick thinking that I can earn more working a 9 to 5 job in a supermarket than with my masters degree.

In a way, I feel like everything I did so far was pointless. I have been working my ass off ever since I was 15 every summer to help around and pay for my studies after. I bet it all on entering a PhD, but I didn’t get accepted. All because I didn’t network enough.

I guess I just expected I’d have something in return someday

What did I do for my studies? I chose a field based on my aspirations, not opportunities. I wasn’t that much of a good student when I was younger. But once I found my way, I gave it all for 5 years. I never expected to have such good grades someday, but the difference was: I truly cared and liked what I did. The thing is…

I did go for passion, but now I’m 25, living at my mother’s. I’ve throw my health down the drain from working day and night on my masters thesis for the last 3 months.

Thank gosh my mother was here to care for me. I genuinely don’t know where I’d be without her around.

Now that I’m officially done, I can’t stay like this. I mean, I have to find a job ASAP to support my life. Maybe I should go for public function’s exams to be sure of locking a job down the road whatever may happen. But there’s no information to be seen on the matter. 

I signed at Pôle-Emploi* a week ago. I’m not expecting much but I’ll see. They already told me they didn’t really see how they could help me given the level of my diploma, but that I should come anyways. For f*ck sakes! 5 years of studies for nothing. I don’t understand why they still let us go for the field if they know we won’t have anything afterwards. *laughs* when I think that back in the days, archeologists were applauded. Today we’re lucky if we manage to find a job in the field. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not the work that’s missing… it’s the budget.

I want to start my own business, and move away from the French system. Right now, I just want to open my 2nd hand store. It’s always been a dream of mine; I’m sure I can make it. I want to base my shop in England, I already have some heads up. The least I can do now is try.

If you think of it, all is possible. At 25, I’m at the crossroads of my life”