I do want to say that I feel fairly disillusioned after the whole process. You know how they always warn that when the real world hits people lose their idealism? I'd put a twist on that and say I feel disillusioned because of how important credentials are to have creative oversight (the higher you climb, the more you can get) and how, even if you work to deserve a break, there's still that variable of unfairness as the real world standard. A vague comment, but there it is. As my friend put it, we have to make that choice between selfishness and selflessness, each with its own consequences.