Last week I was cut from the basketball team for the fourth year in a row. Maybe it was my lack of height and skill, or maybe it was the fact that I hadn't filled out my intramural signup sheet correctly. Either way, I realized then that my aspirations of becoming a collegiate basketball star were finished. The only number I will ever see retired at U.Va. is my University ID number, and I'm pretty sure they don't hang those from the rafters.
Just as I was getting over that heartbreaking disappointment, I had to confront an even greater problem: picking a career. As a fourth-year, lately I've noticed a lot of my friends talking about their post-graduation plans, whereas I'm typically talking about my post-lunch plans.
The truth is I still have no idea what I want to do for a living. One of my teachers recommended I try UCS, but I told her I couldn't really picture myself as a bus driver. She then informed me that she was referring to University Career Services, something completely different from the buses of the University Transit Service (UTS). She said UCS could help me devise strategies for seeking employment and hone my interests. She also mentioned that she actually could picture me as a bus driver. I wasn't sure how to take that.
Nevertheless, I decided to take her up on her suggestion and one Saturday afternoon headed down to the UCS office at Bryant Hall. As I approached the building, I was startled by how many people were lined up outside. The crowd seemed to spill out across the entire parking lot. It relieved me to find that I was not alone in the job hunt, but I also made it a point to size up the competition as I passed by. They were all in good spirits, most were grilling meat and some had rather peculiarly brought their kids along.
It turned out that only about half of the people were tailgating for UCS appointments, while the others were there to see a football game at Scott Stadium, a modest structure tucked away behind Bryant.
When I got to the UCS reception desk, a cheerful staff member started taking down my personal information. The exchange was going smoothly until one simple question threatened to ruin everything.
"Your major?" inquired the secretary innocently.
"Classics," I replied.
Her eyes fixed on my all-too-serious face and froze. After regaining her composure, she entered swiftly into panic mode. First, she snatched up the phone and frantically punched in an extension with her trembling fingers. "Hello? Tina? Tina, thank God! Tina, we've got a crisis situation on our hands. An unhirable just came in. We're talking category nine here."
"Oh Lord, a Classics major!" I heard Tina's voice blaring through the phone receiver. "What do we do now?"
"Dammit, Tina, get a hold of yourself! Remember your training. Now, first things first, you've gotta get Joe in here right away."
"But Joe's at that conference in Delaw --"
"Just do it, Tina!" The secretary hung up abruptly and began filling a bucket with water.
Moments later a very winded Joe burst in and sprang for a case mounted on the back wall. He smashed through the shield of protective glass to reach the oversized push button that lay within. Strangely, the button was labeled with the date "September 8, 2007." Joe looked at the secretary and said, "I always knew this day would come. I just didn't know when." Then he pushed the button ...
When the smoke finally cleared and everyone had calmed down, I politely handed my damp résumé to a counselor and received in exchange some neat informational pamphlets regarding graduate school. I was content, but my mood was spoiled again after I took the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator examination, which was supposed to help me determine my personality and prepare for my future career. I thought I had done really well (I had stayed up the whole previous night to study), but when the test was scored, the results showed that I had failed.
Dismayed, I walked outside and hopped on a bus. That's when I finally caught my break. The driver was trying to eat a sandwich and asked me to steer for awhile. I don't know how to explain it, but something about gripping that wheel while the on-duty bus driver operated the pedals felt incredibly right. So it looks like I may have a career lined up after all. Thanks, UTS! And UCS, too, sorta!
Dan is a Cavalier Daily Life columnist. His column runs weekly on Wednesdays. He can be reached at dooley@cavalierdaily.com.
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