Hello, I figured I'd give this a shot and see what happens.  My name is Mark and I'm a graduate of Pittsburg State University in Kansas.  I received my BST degree in Automotive Technology in December 2006.  I'm originally from the KC Metro area and decided to move back up here after graduation a couple of years ago.  Unfortunately, the majority of good and exciting jobs in my chosen field are in either L.A. or Detroit.  I have former classmates that took jobs in both locations.  I wanted to stay in the KC area to be close to family and friends so this greatly limited my opportunities.  After graduation, I took odd jobs and looked for any full time employment before landing a customer service job with a major insurance company in Olathe, KS in June 2007.  I knew in the first few days that this was definitely not the job for me.  This was not what I went to school for, nor did I have any passion for the career field itself.  I decided to try and stick it out for as long as I could and try to get promoted to something more my speed.  I had several interviews within the company during the first year or so for higher positions.  Unfortunately, all of the jobs fell through for me for one reason or another.  I became depressed at work and at home and withdrew from activities that I’ve always loved, especially mechanical/automotive things.  Several of my work colleagues felt the same way I did and decided to leave the company during the summer of 2008.  This only worsened my situation at work and I dreaded going every single day.  I’ve worked several different types of jobs over the years and this was the highest paying job (though not that high in the industry) that I’d had and I absolutely hated it.  I got to the point where I felt as if I were the main character in “Office Space”.  I wore jeans and tennis shoes to work instead of the business casual attire dress code.   I continually butted heads with my direct supervisor over petty issues (though not my attire) frequently.  I felt as if I was doing a good job with my workload and that the intangible items that customers cared about didn’t seem to be taken into consideration by upper management.  I decided to leave the company with a month’s notice in advance, knowing all along it was a bad idea since the economy is terrible.  My last paid day was 10/31/08.  Since leaving, I’ve tried my best to build back my confidence and self esteem and leave depression behind me.  I’ve applied for several jobs and interviewed for a few.  I’ve even emailed prospective employers about positions in the future that may come available.  This tactic has not even warranted a return phone call or email however.  I seem to be at wits end I guess.  I feel that I have skills and abilities that are very uncommon in someone my age and I’m just looking for the right opportunity to showcase them in a job position that I’ll enjoy.  I’m not looking for my dream job right away, just something to get me headed in the right direction to eventually attain my dream job someday.  I’m just looking for a job where the pros outweigh the cons for me.  I’m looking for something that I can tolerate everyday while being able to live comfortably financially.  Something hands on where I can use my technical and analytical abilities that have been passed down to me from my father and his father.  I realize that most of America may hate their jobs, but I feel as if I’m meant for more than that.  Besides, all of my immediate family members hold advanced degrees and enjoy their jobs and careers, so it’s possible.  I guess in a nutshell, I’m a hard working, old school, get your hands dirty, blue collar kind of guy who happened to get a 4 year degree.  If anyone has any ideas or advice for me I would love to hear from them.  If anyone has a job opportunity in a technical field, I would love to speak with them.  I can be reached by email at bristow_mark@yahoo.com  Thanks in advance to everyone for their help and ideas!