This is not my job! :@

In my previous post, I had mentioned that I graduated with a marketing emphasis, but working in risk management.  I have a friend who studied finance, but is working in marketing, and another one who studied interior architecture, but is working in civil architecture.

Why?

Because there are too many university graduates filling a jobless market, a matter of imbalanced supply and demand.

  

I know that Seth Godin would severely criticize me for this (my Lizard Brain), but there are just not enough marketing or advertising jobs around here.  Lebanon is known, among other Middle Eastern and Arab countries, to be the hub of advertising.  In such a small country, there are a large number of local and international advertising agencies (about 60 according to the Advertising Agencies Association, www.aaa.org.lb)

Not the case at all!  These mentioned agencies form a mafia. Like any other sector in Lebanon, you need to be very well connected to get the desired job.  Education, social background, experience, and extra curricular activities all play a vital role in getting you selected for the job, but not as much as being “connected” does.  Let’s say that two candidates were applying to the same job; both are 22, both graduated from the same university, both have the same GPA, both have interesting experiences, but one of them knows politician “X”, and can get word in.  Naturally, they go with Mr. Connected.

This all feeds into the corruption surrounding us!

In an attempt to break free from the “This is not my job” situation, I have been applying (again) to some of the ad agencies that are hiring.  Optimistic.  I got a call back from one of the top agencies for a copywriter position…let’s just say I have my fingers crossed.