How I've Mastered the "Fake" Job

By Karolyn Castaldo on June 20, 2012

Before I get started, I would like to say that not one of these jobs is truly fake, nor should anyone who succeeds in making a career out of them be considered unprofessional. What my intent is by calling them fake is that they are unconventional means for making a living as a student.

That being said, I have never had a “real” job. When you look at my resume, it is filled with volunteer lacrosse coaching, unpaid freelance writing gigs, editing this blog, which has been a truly wonderful experience, and more recently added, a counselor at a Girl Scout camp. Each of these jobs is unconventional in its own right. Whether it is for the way it is paid or the lack of pay, or simply the job description, I have found a way of making this lifestyle work for me without ever becoming a cashier, waitress or retail sales girl.

Photo from Flickr.com by rachellynnae©

With volunteering, I never expected to be able to make a profit, nor did I want to. I did it because I loved lacrosse and could no longer play due to medical problems. However, because my co-coach, another college student, and I were so dedicated, making it to those extremely early Saturday morning games and rarely missing a practice, at the end of the season, the parents and head coaches wanted to thank us. They gave us Visa gift cards that were far too generous and could be spent almost anywhere, which was as good as cash or a check in my book. What I learned from this was not to expect the money because then it wouldn’t come. When parents saw that you were truly enjoying your time with their kids and putting a lot of effort in for the love of the game, they were willing to reward you.

With writing, it’s a little different. I wrote for 3 unpaid positions before I was promoted to editor for the Uloop Student News Network at University of Denver. Though this was time consuming and seemed to be giving me nothing in return, it got my work out into the world for everyone to see and eventually paid off into something that I love to do. Even editing for this site works in a funny way because of the pay break down. Trying to explain it to others makes me sound crazy, but it’s something that I find to be worth the time and effort. I am given a chance every day to read new and exciting stories from my brilliant peers before anyone else, give my input and then see those be published and appreciated by a general public.

Finally, onto my new job as a counselor at the Girl Scout camp in town. Honestly, I’m getting paid crap and you know what? That’s fine. I am essentially getting to play all summer in the sun while keeping the kids safe and teaching them skills that they might not learn elsewhere. The schedule is perfect, the hours are great and I will be working with some truly inspiring women, young and old. I get to change many young girls lives a week at a time. How many people get to say that? The answer is: not a whole lot.

So, while many choose the path of the conventional job with the regular wages and hours, and sometimes, I pull my hair out wishing I had one of those jobs instead, on most days, I’d much rather have my kinds of jobs because of the self-satisfaction I get from them. Even though I’m not making the big bucks, I believe that I’m just a tiny bit happier with what I do than most people. Do what makes you happy because while you have bills to pay and things to do, you can’t enjoy them unless you are happy first.

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