Why I’m thinking about pulling an Olberman

As anyone reading this probably knows already I moved out to DC in January looking to get in on the political jobs that were supposed to open up after the new administration took control. I figured I would come here and find some work while waiting to see which law schools accepted me. I was planning on being here for eight months and then going wherever I got in. That plan hasn’t worked out for a couple of reasons.

The job market in DC for young liberals with a little campaign experience, a good degree, and a tiny bit of real world experience was flooded. It turned into a gold rush for people like me. No congressman seems to be taking anyone from outside of their constituency (because they can fill with them), and even my own congressional rep. decided not to take me as an unpaid intern. I have tried everything to get a job in the local market. I’ve cold called, shown up in person, and emailed everyone I am aware of or can find on the internet. Nobody was willing to take me, even in an unpaid position.

More importantly than that though; is the fact that I have not gotten in to any of the law schools that I applied to. I am wait listed at two schools; and so there is a chance that I could still get in, but I am thinking that I will not be going to law school next year. This has forced me to reevaluate the direction of my life; and may just have pushed me into the direction I should have been heading all along.

While I have sent out over 100 resumes to people looking for political or legal work; I have barely been able to register a noticeable blip of interest. But a funny thing happened when I decided to throw a couple of applications at sports statistics jobs; I registered a degree of interest. I have had 2 separate responses from major companies that are interested in talking to me. I don’t want to get too specific about all of it; but this is the first time I have actually felt like anyone was seriously considering me in more than a month and a half.

Those of you who know me know that I have been flirting with the idea of working in sports for years. However, I’ve always been of the belief that I wanted my life to amount to more than just counting base hits. But I have come to a revelation lately:

I’ve been thinking about the “what I want to do with my life” aspect of this decision. And really; there is nothing mutually exclusive between working in sports as a job and being involved politically. Really; I already did the political involvement thing once, and found it incredibly rewarding. I’m not sure this isn’t the better model for me. I know that I want to be very involved politically; but there’s no reason I can’t do that as a volunteer. That allows me much more freedom to work on the things I want to, and to get really involved around those things and at times that I choose. I’m going to be involved in the election in 4 years; but there were plenty of people who were involved this time who had full-time jobs. I’m given a lot more freedom under this model.

Anyway; more thoughts soon. But for those of you who wondered what’s going on in my mind recently, there it is.