I just graduated from college and have been offered a full-time
job with a great salary, but it’s not in the field that I spent the last four years preparing to work in. I applied for a full-time job
in my field, but was later told the position was downgraded to a
part-time internship because of the economy. There is a chance, come
January, that if enough contracts are signed I might be hired, but it
would still be part-time. I called the company that I want to work for
and let the person who interviewed me know that I received a full-time
job offer. She congratulated me, but did not fight to hire me as I had
hoped. I really want to work in this industry. Do you think I should be
willing to take an internship? Or should I take the job doing work I
find satisfying but that I’m not passionate about?

Oh, honey! Always go where people know your worth. The internship
guarantees “elf”-esteem. You will feel overworked,
underestimated and invisible. That’s a formula for resentment and passive aggression. (Yes, Santa would rather eat than give those elves
performance evaluations). Take the full-time paycheck with health
benefits and add some cred to your résumé. After hours or
on weekends, volunteer for a nonprofit in a job slot that relates to
your dream career. After two years, apply for jobs in your career of
choice. In the meantime, save as much cash as possible. If your
preferred profession is so volatile that employers downsize full-time
jobs into internships, you will need financial freedom to ride future
career waves.

That said, I must admit that your expectations are fascinating. What
inspired the idea that the interviewer would fight to hire you? If you
possess a strong sense of your capabilities, well, great. But
it’s possible that you don’t have a realistic view of your
training or work history. Unfortunately, junior high and high-school
students are indoctrinated to believe that if they get into a good
university, they are guaranteed success in their chosen field. The
reality is, some employers are impressed by the names of certain
universities, but actual work experience trumps a degree from a fancy
U. If you and your future boss share the same alma mater, your
résumé might be shuffled into the stack of top candidates
for interviews. But in today’s job market, it’s the
well-rounded candidate with actual work experience who nabs the
cubicle.

I am heartbroken over losing a job that I poured everything into.
I was the first person at my desk and the last to leave. I took pride
in my work and loved my job more than anything else in my life. I am
despondent and do not know where to go or what to do. I have plenty of
savings, but I am not at all interested in traveling. I just want my
old job back. Please help me.

People who love their jobs to the detriment of all else in their
lives have made work their idol. Remember, an idol is not really divine
or holy, it’s an illusion that is worshipped as God. So although
your job loss is as devastating as a death, it is also necessary for
your spiritual evolution. Of course, that thought is probably too
painful to consider right now because you are mourning the loss of your
self-image and facing fears about your self-worth. Once this period
passes, you will see that this radical change is an invitation to new
life. Get yourself into therapy immediately. You deserve strong support
while you become acquainted with the person that is being born among
the ashes of your past.