Five years ago, I started a website project and never finished it. This is what I wrote in 2012. Much has changed. I have a great job that gives me purpose. Patience paid off.

Let’s go back in time and read what I started in February 2012.

Start with the positives

That’s what I told myself before I started writing this introductory post. It seems that’s what most people do. I want people to read what I write, and starting with the positives probably creates the best-possible first impression.

However, that doesn’t feel quite right this time. I’m reminded of a tremendous quote from David Letterman as he paid tribute to Johnny Carson after Carson died several years ago.

To sum it up, Letterman said that he and Jay Leno and Conan O’Brien and countless other late-night talk show hosts try to follow the Johnny Carson show template.

“The reason we’re all kind of doing Johnny’s Tonight Show is because you think, ‘If I do Johnny’s Tonight Show, maybe I’ll be a little like Johnny, and people will like me more,’ Letterman said.

“But it sadly doesn’t work that way. If you’re not Johnny, you’re wasting your time.”

That’s how I feel about this blog. I’m trying a new approach. I intend for this page to focus on my professional activities, but to do so with a very human flair. I’ll promote myself when I can, but not to an unrealistic degree.

I’ve struggled, learned, and become better. That’s the cycle. So here we go with some facts about where I am today and what I’ve learned lately.

Commencement 2011

I graduated from Missouri State University last December 2011 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism.

That was a great day, save for the commencement speaker who stood before our group of wide-eyed twenty-something graduates and bluntly told us we were heading into a “no-win” job market with all sorts of horrible roadblocks in our way.

I remember he described it as us standing on the edge of a cliff, staring into a dark, empty abyss. He was descriptive.

College does not prepare you for rejection

Our speaker was right. I’d heard stories of The Economy while in college, but hey, I was in college and never felt the effects.

I searched high and low for a job of my choosing. I interviewed for high-paying corporate jobs. I interviewed for medium-paying jobs. I interviewed for internships that would’ve paid me next to nothing.

I thought I was qualified for all of them, but in every case, the answer was “No.”

“No” was hard to hear

I got good grades and stayed involved as an editor and reporter for our student-produced newspaper, The Standard, and as an executive board member for the student spirit organization, Maroon Madness.

On top of that, I worked two part-time jobs most years and still found time to do fun things with friends.

And all the while, almost everyone seemed to love me and my work. Succeeding in college is pretty simple. I don’t think it’s any different than any other task: Show up on time, do what you’re supposed to do, keep your head down, be nice, and good things will happen.

That worked for me. I graduated with honors and, for some reason, thought my degree worked as some sort of coupon that was redeemable for a decent job.

But I quickly learned that it doesn’t work that way, which came as a shock. Nobody really seemed to care about this piece of thick-stock paper with my name on it.

A college degree is like a nice puzzle piece that depicts a beautiful part of the Grand Canyon, but is worthless if the puzzle you’re trying to put together forms the Mona Lisa. All the pieces have to work together and line up to reach the final goal.