Status

So...where to start? Been a Cornell grad for 8 months now, and it feels surreal. I have been all over the place; finally ended up living in Manhattan, New York. Ironically enough, I am working in Brooklyn. How did I end up there? Well.

It has been a struggle trying to land a job in New York City, a feat which took me six months. It was one relentless roller coaster ride - the wild joy and hope when I landed interviews, and the disappointment when I inevitably get that phone call or e-mail with standard rejection wording. You know, the one ending with "...but we wish you the best of luck in all of your other endeavors." Bah. Anyway, after the months of ups and downs so to speak, I found an employer through a staffing service, who was looking for a college grad to work in his small self-started energy management company (think 4 employees, single room office) and was willing to pay somewhat to the competitive standard to obtain a Cornell grad to add to his list of accomplishments. Sounds good, right? Here's the catch: he lives in Brooklyn, an outer borough south of Manhattan. Not Brooklyn Heights, which is just a couple of stops from Wall Street, where I live, but Marine Park, where even the subways don't go. I would have to take the subway from Wall Street to its very last stop in Flatbush, Brooklyn and from there catch the very unreliable MTA B41 Bus to my destination. Which means I am very frequently late for work despite my best efforts. Meanwhile, my co-workers just roll out of bed ten minutes before 8 and drive to work by 8, managing to sleep more and still be in earlier than me. Grr.

And the thing is, I don't have any other options. The reason why it is especially hard for me to land a job despite landing so many interviews, is because as an international (therefore I am evil), I have the H-1B work visa hanging over my head, meaning any potential employer has to be willing to expand about 5 grand to sponsor me to stay in the States to work for them. And that has most to all of them running for cover with their tails between their legs, claiming to "have their hands tied by upper management, as there is a budget quota." or "we don't offer sponsorships to entry-level college grads". So it is a very narrow road for me.