Hello There!
Whether you accidentally stumbled upon this page, or I begged you on my hands and knees to stop by, I’m glad you’re here and hope you’ll stay with me for this brief moment in time. I never saw myself as the type of person who would be starting a blog and the more I say the word in my head the more made-up it sounds. So Why Now?
If you are reading this, chances are you know a college student or recent graduate searching for Full-Time Employment. In a study published by the Statista Research Department, in June 2024 “around 40.5 percent of recent college graduates were underemployed in the United States.” In this context, underemployment is defined as a job not requiring a Bachelor’s degree.
Additionally, in an article aptly titled “Congratulations on getting your degree. Now Welcome to a Tricky Job Market”, NBC News reporter J.J. McCorvey explores the increased difficulty in navigating today’s job market compared to May 2023. The article also cites a survey conducted by the career platform Handshake on the Class of 2024 that found that “more than 40% of college seniors said they planned to pursue freelance or gig work after walking across the stage.” (NBC News)
I’m sure you are starting to put together the pieces, but before I lose any of you I want to emphasize that this is not to complain about struggling to find a job or to fish for pity. Anyone applying for jobs recently knows how soul-crushing and draining the process can be, and that’s simply the reality for many of us.
Social media (especially the absolute hellscape that LinkedIn has become) contributes to these feelings, leaving you with the idea you somehow missed the secret to success. (Was it in an email? Is there a massive group chat I am not a part of? Perhaps revealed at the end of a Marvel Movie? Please let me know!)
The further you get into this stage of life the more it feels like your life is no longer in your control. To quote a book that I have strong opinions about and will likely return to in a future blog:
“Marianne had the sense that her real life was happening somewhere very far away, happening without her, and she didn’t know if she would ever find out where it was or become part of it.” – Sally Rooney, Normal People
Begging for jobs every day for weeks will leave anyone feeling as if their ability to support themselves or live the life they dream for themselves depends on whether or not their one-page resume stands out in a pool of hundreds of applicants. But what if that wasn’t the case?
Enter Freelancing.
I could continue mindlessly applying for jobs, waiting to hear back from the dream job I spent countless hours of blood, sweat, and tears crafting the perfect resume and cover letter rivaling that of the Declaration of Independence (my application was immediately trashed by the company’s AI). But what if I started taking matters into my own hands?
I recently picked up a copy of Freelance Your Way To Freedom, by Alexandra Fasulo. I remember being so excited about all the potential pathways I could take if I were to pursue freelancing, blogging being one of them. I haven’t been this excited about anything in a while (a major red flag for all my mental health nerds, but stick with me) and if I started now, what do I have to lose?
Thus, here we are. If you’ve read this far you’ve more than earned a formal introduction. So here’s a watered-down cover letter to get an idea of the person you’ve unfortunately crossed paths with:
My name is Jalen and I am 22 years old as of writing this blog. I recently graduated from UC Berkeley majoring in Cognitive Science and Psychology, while minoring in Journalism and Data Science. I live in Southern California with my 2-year-old cat Jasper (full name Jasper Morbius Marx Megamind).
I’m sure you will learn more about me than you would like in the future, but I wanted this to be a place where we all could laugh, cry, and experience our quarter-life crisis and the complexity of life in your 20s together. I have ideas for content ranging from college-specific to general lifestyle, and more philosophical discussions. I hope you’ll stop by every so often to see what silly little dance this court jester is performing.
If you’ve read this far you deserve an Olympic Gold Medal, but I won’t keep you here any longer. Who knows what the future holds, so here’s to a new adventure.
Cheers,
Jalen
References
Fasulo, A. (n.d.). Alex’s Book. Alex Fasulo. https://www.alexfasulo.com/freelanceyourwaytofreedom
McCorvey, J. J. (2024, May 3). The class of 2024 faces a tougher job market than last year’s, but it could be worse. NBCNews.com. https://www.nbcnews.com/business/economy/class-2024-faces-tougher-job-market-last-years-worse-rcna150192
Rooney, S. (2022). Normal people. Faber.
Statista Research Department. (2024, August 27). Underemployment recent college graduates U.S. 2024. Statista. https://www.statista.com/statistics/642037/share-of-recent-us-college-graduates-underemployed/#:~:text=In%20June%202024%2C%20about%2040.5%20percent%20of%20recent,college%20graduates%20were%20underemployed%20in%20the%20United%20States.
Jalen Gooch 
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