Looking for a job

Kim says:

I'm looking for a job right now. It seems that the only available jobs right now are ones that you see advertised in the paper, the ones that don't say what the position actually entails. They shout out "CIRCLE THIS," or "CALL NOW," or make promises like, "Make $1000 weekly." Then you know that it is selling knives or vacuums door to door. These kinds of jobs are seen as economically productive? According to Paul Hawken, 1 billion people cannot find meaningful work. There is obviously something wrong with the way the economy is functioning.

I feel intimidated as I search for a job; there are so many options. I find that most of the positions that I, as an 18 year old female, are eligible for are ones in the service industry. Even then, I don't get hired on the basis of not having enough experience. How am I to acquire experience if I cannot find a job that is suitable for me that wants to hire me? If growth of the economy is considered to be a beneficial thing, then why does it seem that with economic growth comes an erosion of meaningful jobs and an increase of menial work? How is that beneficial for people within a society?

I have become lost in this vast machine that we call the economy. I am just seen as a consumer, not as a valuable asset to society. I think that others must feel the same, those who work in the fast food industry for example. The growth of this industry is calculated by the GDP as being valuable and contributing to growth, but in reality fast food is responsible for obesity and unhealthiness, as well as environmental degradation in our society. This is the kind of job open to a student.

I don't want to work in a fast food restaurant, I don't want to sell products door to door, and I don't want to be a telemarketer. Are there other jobs that are open to me? Do I have a choice?