This economy is terrible for qualified college graduates looking for jobs. But one upside is that young professionals can really follow their passions without feeling like they made a mistake by not taking the safe, beaten path.
Take Constantino Rago for example. The 24-year-old from Bethel dreams of establishing sustainable development in impoverished countries. He has a bachelors degree in international relations and masters in political economy. Were we in better times, I have a feeling he would have a comfortable job in some NGO in D.C., or something equally impressive and staid.
But because of this economic downturn that we are spiraling down, Rago can’t find a job. And then the earthquake in Haiti happens. And he decides, because he has nothing to lose anyway, he is going to go down there with no definite return date, and attack the problem at its very root. If he had an actual job, would he have been able to just get up and leave on such short notice? Probably not.
You can read the full story I wrote about Rago here.
We are a lucky generation. Our parents usually had to wait until retirement to follow their passions. We get to do it now.
