The Alpha and his Omega

Growing Up [Work/Life 1]

Eren sighed, putting down the phone after another heart-to-heart with Mikasa. She had called him about his plans and it only made him worried about what he was doing with his life. In the last couple of weeks, he had gone filled out dozens of job applications and been interviewed by at least half, but he had yet to hear back from them. Some of them had informed him that they would contact him sometime this or next week, but it was already Wednesday and his hopes were gradually slipping away.

Levi had assured him that in the worst-case scenario, an opening could be found at his workplace. Eren was thankful for knowing that, but the idea of leeching off his boyfriend, given how much he already relied on the man, sat ill with him. It reminded him of Jean's joke that Levi was his sugar daddy.

He probably should have been more vigilant about job hunting before graduation, since he was competing against others who were just like him: recent grads looking for a job.

In the end, he got a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology, simply because the requirements and courses were easy and somewhat interesting, with a minor in Media and Communication. It wasn't until the summer after his third year at the internship that he realized what he was interested in. The odd tasks here and there weren't much fun, but Eren found himself enjoying the hustle and bustle. It wasn't so much the department itself or the deskwork that he enjoyed, but he had been tasked with grunt work in helping organize a company fundraiser and it was all hands on deck. From website management, social media promotions, planning, scoping out the venue, onsite tweeting and post-event evaluations, no stone was left unturned.

What he enjoyed most about the experience was seeing the successful final product, the fundraiser, and having been a part of the process in its creation from start to finish. Although he had joined midway through the process – some of the administrative things and invites having been sent before he was hired – the things he had done were still worthwhile to experience. The fundraiser itself wasn't very interesting, but he could potentially envision himself doing something similar, except for different events. Eren still wasn't sure which role or tasks he preferred, but at least instead of floundering around aimlessly, he had a goal in mind.

Unfortunately, the best suited degrees for that were in business, human resources (which was affiliated with the business school), or something related to communications, and he was already too far along his program to switch. This left several options. First, he could stay an additional two to three years, possibly transferring degrees, which he was vehemently opposed to. Second, Armin had brought up the option of doing a Master's degree, which would also take a few more years, and studying for an MBA and MA program, which he might not get accepted into, wasn't very appealing. Third, he could take as many related courses as possible while finishing his Bachelor's and chance the job market. Eren chose the third option. Everyone else he talked to supported him taking longer in school, but he couldn't envision himself doing that.

Thankfully, because of some of the random courses, like computer science and upper level economics, he had about half the requirements for the Media and Communication minor. It wasn't the best option, but he hoped his work experience and references – he had one from Hange for all the grunt work he had done at Levi's workplace before – would overshadow the fact he didn't really have the appropriate degree. His part-time job cashiering at the candy place hadn't amounted to much, but a little pocket money and another line on his résumé, but at least he could say he had worked in the service industry and knew what it was like.

The advising people at the University had helped him write up his résumé and sent him emails about career fairs and such, but he was a little behind schedule. Most employers hiring for summer or fall positions weren't seeking anyone this late in the game. Levi had helped polish up his interview skills – it was slightly unnerving being mock interviewed by the man, but definitely helped prep him for the real deal – but the whole process was disheartening.