<p>Don’t feel bad about taking a job in retail, while continuing to look for jobs that interest you more. I have a friend who started with Filene’s which then was taken over by Macy’s, and years later she is a big-wig with Macys in the Atlanta area doing amazingly well. She just kept working her way up, meeting people in the company and letting them know what she was really capable of and looking to do, and kept being advanced. The company knew that they were investing in and training/promoting a person who would take the opportunities and stick with the company. You never know…and a job is better than no job when it comes to paying off student loans, etc. Just be a great employee, but also continue looking. Maybe even try to find an internship with a company you would like to be with during your off hours from the retail thing.
Texas seems to be another state having a job boom instead of a dip like the rest of the country…</p>