tempted by the dark side

I've had high standards for my job hunt, I won't lie.

I know what I want: I want to work for a magazine.

I know what jobs will help me get there: fact-checking, copyediting, copywriting, online work, and so on.

And I know what I refuse to do: waitress, bartend, retail, slave labor, etc.

It might seem silly, but it's about my dignity and my own happiness. I won't work for anyone or anything that isn't going to benefit me in the long run or propel me into a better position. I won't take a job for the sake of taking a job. I'll find other ways to pay the rent. Thank goodness for steady freelance work.

Despite being so stubborn, I've lowered the bar from top publishing companies to independent magazines to celebrity rags. I'll work for anything that can be in some way, shape, or form, be considered a magazine, whether it be 3x3 inches large or a national glossy. I don't care. Just give me some edit work and an opportunity to write every now and then.

But how far can I keep stretching the possibilities before things become too abstract, too unrelated? What about jobs in PR or advertising? They sound fun, and they're interested in me, and they'll use my writing skills. My head wants the stability; my heart wants glossy paper. For now, I'll let them keep debating.

And interviewing, and sending resumes, and pitching stories. And keeping my fingers crossed.