Hello, I am 26 and I am looking for a job for the first time!

Yes, I know, this isn't the first time I have looked for a job, and whatever job I get will not be my first job ever - however this time period marks a seminal moment in my development as a professional and as a person since it is the first time I have applied to more than two or three places, and I am trying to figure out 'what I want to be when I grow up'. I started working 10 years ago when I was in high school, as an IT consultant of all things. However I was not looking for a job, it just fell in my lap and I loved it. However being a high school student, I could only work in the summer.

When I started college I started working on campus, but again the position fell in my lap as there are always workstudy jobs available on campus. Then, it wasn't a big leap to go from workstudy to full time employee - sort of a promotion really. Moving laterally within departments (for increase in pay of course) was the next move. In the mean time, I got my BA in computer science, my MBA, a couple of certifications and I am finishing up an MS in information technology. Education-wise I truly believe that I have out-grown my current job. This is not to say that the job I have is beneath me, to claim that would be arrogant and untrue - a job is a job.

However, there comes a time in a person's life where just going from job to job because it is convenient, or pays the right salary is no longer an option. Looking for a job that fulfills you emotionally, and fills your wallet with cash (to pay all of life's expenses) is quite a daunting task. Looking for a job - or rather a career, is like looking for love. It is a relationship, companies and the people that work for them have personalities, and those personalities must match and complement yours. They also have skills, wants and needs, and those must also complement what you bring to the table. A bad match can spell disaster both for the person applying and for the company (Enron anyone?).

So where am I looking? Monster, HotJobs, Craigslist, HigherEdJobs and LinkedIn. I've sent out a number of resumes and cover letters, and I am still continuing to do so. It is not an easy task, and it's time consuming - but the rewards promise to be great. -- this is quite a learning experience! I am 26 - and looking for a job for the first time.