Trouble finding a job...

[onthetown]

I graduated from college almost four months ago now, and I flat-out just cannot get a job. The program I was in (medical office assistant) advertised needing all sorts of people, but I just found out that there isn't any demand for new grads and I won't be able to get through the whole government process until the fall or later. So, I set out to find a non-government job.

Non-government clinics already have medical secretaries and don't need anymore. That's fine. I somewhat enjoy retail.

I've passed out and e-mailed about 50 resumes so far and nobody is biting. I had two interviews: one for a pet food store and one for an athletics canteen. The pet food store went well but I never heard back from them, and I lost the canteen job to the only other candidate (a peppy, bubbly, athletic teenager). The feedback I got from both interviews was that, with all my training, they didn't think I would stay with them for long; I was, as they put it, overqualified. This is despite the fact that I made clear to them that I was looking for a permanent, reliable job even when I got through the government to supplement my income because the secretary shifts wouldn't necessarily be steady.

I've started putting out cover letters with my resume so I have a chance the give the impression that I really am looking for a permanent job. Still, nobody is taking me. Not even gas stations will call me back.

I'm not advocating skipping out on college, but the training I got there has definitely made it harder for me to find a "normal" job. I do enjoy office settings, but I like retail, too; I have shining references from my previous retail jobs who are saying nothing but good about me. I'm friendly and warm during interviews and I like meeting new people. I personalize the cover letters to each business, highlighting skills I have that their ads have specifically asked for and using their company and contact names (rather than just To Whom It May Concern). People seem to like me. It's a small province and town, but I don't have any bad rumours flying around about me that I know of. I know I'm professional. At my previous jobs, my managers would fight over me to try to claim me for their departments every morning because I was one of the few employees that worked for the entire 8 hours. I am literally available to work at any time of the day or night, during weekends and holidays as well. I'm happy to settle for minimum wage.

So what the heck am I doing wrong?!

[Rawhide]

Tailor your resume for the place where you are seeking employment. You've indicated that you sent out over 50 resumes, was it the same exact resume to each business or did you research and target each individual business?

If you're overqualified for a particular place, you don't need to list all of your qualifications. Modify the wording to suit the style of business and personalise the cover letters and career goals.


Edit: Some of the above is redundant due to your edit. But all is still applicable.

[valadil]

Took me 6 months after finishing college before I got my job. It happens.


Can you get a recommendation from a current employee? Those help a lot.
Are you sure you're interviewing well? I thought I was. Then I got a recruiter. She gave me a practice interview and told me what I was doing wrong.
Apply every day. You said you've sent out 50 resumes, which sounds like a lot. But that's over four months. Aim for sending out 3-5 resumes a day.

[Winter_Wolf]

I'm sure you're well aware of this, but "overqualified" means "we think you're a flight risk: you're going to bail on us the second you get a better offer, and we believe you to be lying if you try to say any different." Welcome to the wonderful world of post-college life. I haven't managed a permanent job in over two years. Try getting on with a temp agency in the meanwhile to pay the bills. Not glamorous, not steady, not sure, but better than nothing. I was very sad when my latest temp job ended, it was probably the highest paying menial job I ever had (pulling computers and monitors out of packages then setting the hardware up in people's cubicles for over $13 USD an hour). Hell it paid better than most of the permanent jobs I've ever held, and it was hourly, so if it came down to working long hours, I got paid more than the salary slaves.

Or you could turn to stand-up comedy.

[onthetown]

Thanks guys.

Both of the interviews said I did really well, but I was incredibly nervous. I'm working on it and I'm getting more comfortable. They said they would have hired me anyway if it wasn't for the flight risk.

For the three months I was just waiting for the government to get back to me because they were running me in circles, but I've started this full-time now and I'm going out every day. I'm forcing myself to do at least one resume every day, but I bring extras so I find places along the way and I get about 4 out now.

The problem is that it's a small town, so there aren't many jobs right now. There are touristy summer ones that I'm going to try today, and I'm fine doing temp work.

It's just so bloody frustrating. :smallmad:

Edit: My mom and I live together and she's pretty chill about me not having to help out with the bills when I'm unemployed as long as I help out around the house, but I have an old car and an older horse that need the money (which is why I'm so desperate). I try not to sound desperate when I'm looking for them, but inside I'm just going crazy. My dad's been helping me out a bit, but I'm bored out of my mind and I just want a job.

[Ormagoden]

<snip>

So what the heck am I doing wrong?!

Although it's been said already I feel it is important to stress that your resume should be different for almost every place you send it.

EX: If (with your skills) you apply for an administrative assistant job you'd want to put all the information about your school and experience since it is similar. If (with your skills) you were applying to a record store you'd want to put the relevant interests and experiences you have with music.

Something else you're doing wrong is not looking to a friend. If you have alot of friends and family look to them for jobs or job information. A large majority of people get jobs because of contacts. It's all about who you know.

Did you buddy up with any professors while you were in school? Professors usually work in the field they teach and can usually provide their students with sound advice or job information.

Networking is important!

[onthetown]

Something else you're doing wrong is not looking to a friend. If you have alot of friends and family look to them for jobs or job information. A large majority of people get jobs because of contacts. It's all about who you know.

Did you buddy up with any professors while you were in school? Professors usually work in the field they teach and can usually provide their students with sound advice or job information.

Networking is important!

I actually got my last two jobs because my mom knew the managers, but she doesn't know anybody else in other stores that she can think of. And, naturally, my professor quit her job and moved out of province after our class graduated.

Edit: Another problem in this is actually my mom. She doesn't want me to do it on my own because she thinks I'm incapable and has printed out countless resumes and cover letters for me and wants to tote me around to all the places. I don't let her come with me when I'm applying, but the ink she's using up makes me feel really bad because I'm not using the things she printed out. Why? She spells my course, college, and previous jobs wrong, the grammar is terrible, the formatting is hideous, and it's all in the same, monotonous tone. I do my own stuff, I just wish she would stop trying to print off things that I can't use. Not to mention that I'm 20 years old, jeez.

Luckily, she's scared of my car so she won't come with me to interviews and job offers as long as I take it. :smallamused:

[Telonius]

She ... wants to tote me around to all the places. I don't let her come with me when I'm applying,

You're absolutely, absolutely right in that. I'm in low/mid management, and most of our hires come right out of college. If any candidate came in with their mom hovering over, that would be a pretty big strike against them. We're not a daycare business! I can assure you (and your mom) that most places want a candidate who's capable of tying their own shoes without supervision, and who are confident in their own competence. Having a parent there undercuts both of those.

As for the printing, that's a separate issue. It sounds like she really does want to help, she's just really bad at helping in that way. Printing out a whole bunch of identical resume's is not the most helpful thing she can be doing right now. I'd suggest delegating some other job hunt-related task that's better suited to her skills. Ask her to do something you actually want her to do, and that she's good at doing. If she still keeps printing out the resume's after you've asked her not to, put them directly in the recycle bin and don't feel a single bit bad about it. It's her ink, and wasting it is her problem.

[onthetown]

You're absolutely, absolutely right in that. I'm in low/mid management, and most of our hires come right out of college. If any candidate came in with their mom hovering over, that would be a pretty big strike against them. We're not a daycare business! I can assure you (and your mom) that most places want a candidate who's capable of tying their own shoes without supervision, and who are confident in their own competence. Having a parent there undercuts both of those.

As for the printing, that's a separate issue. It sounds like she really does want to help, she's just really bad at helping in that way. Printing out a whole bunch of identical resume's is not the most helpful thing she can be doing right now. I'd suggest delegating some other job hunt-related task that's better suited to her skills. Ask her to do something you actually want her to do, and that she's good at doing. If she still keeps printing out the resume's after you've asked her not to, put them directly in the recycle bin and don't feel a single bit bad about it. It's her ink, and wasting it is her problem.

This is exactly what I keep trying to tell her. She's convinced that showing that I love my parents is going to get me a job, or something. I can ask her to just keep checking some job web sites for me, which she already does and lists everywhere that's looking that I'm eligible for. The resume thing is partly my fault, as I asked her four years ago for help on it and now she thinks that I don't know how to do one (despite a huge part of my course being on how to do resumes and cover letters).

[purple gelatinous cube o' Doom]

You've only been looking for 4 months, lucky you. I've been looking for four years now and still don't have a job. That's not to say I haven't had work in my field during that time (turfgrass science), but all I seem to be able to get are seasonal positions, and being employed for 6-9 months just doesn't cut it. It's real catch 22 for me too, as just about everywhere I apply and get turned down from hint at turning me down due to not having the on-field experience managing a crew (I specialized in sports turf), yet I really can't get said experience if I don't get a chance to actually gain it. Although, I feel you with the retail thing. Not quite because of what you're experiencing, but seeing as I haven't had a retail job in 6 years, most of the places I apply don't think I know what to do apparently. Although I do have an interview at target today for a position paying next to nothing, but at least it will be something.

[Aedilred]

Yeah, I'm in the four years camp too. I've had jobs, albeit not continuously and with long gaps, but none of them have been anything I'd have wanted to do long-term. I've got stuck in some of them (I've been in my current one for nearly a year, despite hating it) simply because I need the income and it's easier to find a new job when you're in one. The flip side is that you have much less free time in which to find a new job, and you don't feel like spending it job-hunting.

It sucks. It's difficult to appreciate quite how much it sucks unless you've been in that situation yourself. People think it's just a case of pulling yourself together and sending out sufficient applications, and obviously that is a part of it, but it's almost impossible to get across quite how soul-crushingly awful the process is, and how demoralising it is to get knocked back from job after job after job over the space of several months/years. It ruined my relationship with the woman I love, nearly destroyed my relationship with one of my oldest and best friends, it's exasperated my parents, it's seen me move into, and stay in, a horrible hovel which now feels more like a prison than a home... it's been dire.

I appreciate that this isn't very encouraging, but rest assured I have sympathy for your situation. One thing I would suggest, as someone's said above, is going to see a recruitment agency. Even if you've got your CV and covering letters down to a fine art, they can at least point you in the direction of decent jobs, and possibly even secure you interviews without your input. They can also find you temporary roles which might turn into something more promising, or at least tide you over until something more promising comes along. The important thing, which is easy to say, but difficult to achieve, is not to let it get you down. And try not to be too nervous in interview. Don't be brash and arrogant, just remember that they wouldn't be talking to you unless they were genuinely interested in you, and take that as a confidence boost.

[Helanna]

Oh yeah, looking for jobs is fantastic . . . I've been trying to find a job for two years now. But I was in high school, and my access to a car was intermittent, so I was never really successful.

The first time I ever got a call from someplace I applied to was a few days ago. They called to tell me that they weren't going to hire me because I'm going to college in the fall, so . . . this is probably going to be a problem.

I guess right now my best hope is getting a job on-campus in the fall.

[Mr. Moon]

Yeah, I feel your pain.
I just got out of highschool, been looking for a job, and despite the fact that I've got a decent amount of volunteer hours under my belt, no one seems to be interested. It's... very frustrating. I need money for college, darnit... v.v
Fortunately, I'm an artist, so hopefully I can supplement my income with commissions until I can find a job.
Anyway, good luck, man. Let us know how it goes.

[Cristo Meyers]

Welcome to the club. I've been searching/working on and off since last October when I was laid off. Believe me when I say that you're not alone in pretty much any kind of aggravation you're feeling. I can only provide a few more tidbits of wisdom:

-Get used to hearing the word "overqualified." If you're applying for hourly/part-time sort of work, you're probably going to hear it. Just use a shotgun approach and put as many applications for these kinds of jobs out as possible.

-Most recruiting agencies are your friend. At the very least, it's another person that's looking for a job for you. The jobs can be a mixed bag, but they often pay fairly well and, at the least, you're getting out of the house and getting job experience. However, in this economy, there are a lot of people that are looking for temp workers to permanently fill full-time positions. My last assignment was one of these: they didn't want a temp, they wanted someone they could pay/treat like a temp rather than actually hiring a full-time worker (needless to say, when they found out I was looking for an actual job I was quickly released from the contract). But, the general rule is "money is money."

-You probably already know this, but it bears repeating: just e-mailing a resume or submitting through careerbuilder, etc is next to worthless. Keep track of where you've applied, and a day or so afterwards call them up and ask about the position, mention that you've put in a resume. It calls attention to your resume (and consider that your resume is probably one of over a hundred, if not a thousand) and might just get you noticed when otherwise you would have been passed over.

-Another thing that's been said before, but still: tailor your resume/cover letter. If the job is data entry, put your typing speed/etc on there and play up the relevant experience. Same thing with the cover letter: emphasize your relevant experience and how your skills will make you the best candidate. I've got four different basic resumes that I tweak for each individual job.

The after-college job search is probably one of the worst things ever. I didn't get my first after-college job until over 3 months after graduation (and, in between, I was hustled into selling crap door-to-door for a scheme) and my first actual office job didn't come until another 3 months after that. It's a hard process, and don't be afraid to take a day or so if things get too harsh to vent/unwind/etc (I still go to my local Games Workshop store to game every Saturday). Don't feel guilty because you're not spending every waking hour searching for a job and don't let it get you down.

[Thajocoth]

Is there any group for the position you want?

When I graduated, I went to an IGDA meeting a month later and was hired pretty much instantly. The IGDA is the International Game Developer's Association. Does the industry you're applying to have an equivalent to that?

[fknm]

I graduated from college almost four months ago now, and I flat-out just cannot get a job. The program I was in (medical office assistant) advertised needing all sorts of people, but I just found out that there isn't any demand for new grads and I won't be able to get through the whole government process until the fall or later. So, I set out to find a non-government job.

Non-government clinics already have medical secretaries and don't need anymore. That's fine. I somewhat enjoy retail.

I've passed out and e-mailed about 50 resumes so far and nobody is biting. I had two interviews: one for a pet food store and one for an athletics canteen. The pet food store went well but I never heard back from them, and I lost the canteen job to the only other candidate (a peppy, bubbly, athletic teenager). The feedback I got from both interviews was that, with all my training, they didn't think I would stay with them for long; I was, as they put it, overqualified. This is despite the fact that I made clear to them that I was looking for a permanent, reliable job even when I got through the government to supplement my income because the secretary shifts wouldn't necessarily be steady.

I've started putting out cover letters with my resume so I have a chance the give the impression that I really am looking for a permanent job. Still, nobody is taking me. Not even gas stations will call me back.

I'm not advocating skipping out on college, but the training I got there has definitely made it harder for me to find a "normal" job. I do enjoy office settings, but I like retail, too; I have shining references from my previous retail jobs who are saying nothing but good about me. I'm friendly and warm during interviews and I like meeting new people. I personalize the cover letters to each business, highlighting skills I have that their ads have specifically asked for and using their company and contact names (rather than just To Whom It May Concern). People seem to like me. It's a small province and town, but I don't have any bad rumours flying around about me that I know of. I know I'm professional. At my previous jobs, my managers would fight over me to try to claim me for their departments every morning because I was one of the few employees that worked for the entire 8 hours. I am literally available to work at any time of the day or night, during weekends and holidays as well. I'm happy to settle for minimum wage.

So what the heck am I doing wrong?!
1. College, for a medical office assistant? Was this a four-year program? I ask because the U.S. Government Bureau of Labor Statistics claims that it's usually a 2-year trade school certification: http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos164.htm . Of course, that may be different in Canada, but the U.S. stats are easier to find with Google. Anyways, hopefully you're accredited by one of the boards which handles these things; if not, then your college experience may not be worth much.

2. That said, getting a job in your chosen field, even if it takes longer, should take priority over getting a job in general. Skills get rusty, and it will be much harder to justify not having in-field experience to a potential employer in a couple of years than it will be now.

3. Be willing to relocate. Even from one end of a city to another, or to a neighboring city, can make a HUGE difference.

4. Network. Network. Network. There are two good reasons for this- one is that you already have a foot in the door if you know someone, the other is that it's a whole lot easier to find out about openings this way. Have any friends or family that work for the Government? Ask them how to get in on that. If not, who did you go to college with who was in your program? Are you in touch with them? If not, this is the time to catch up, and see what they're up to professionally. You've already waited a bit late (colleges, at least in the U.S., have offices to help with this, making it much easier if you're still an undergrad), unfortunately, and this will harm your chances.

[snoopy13a]

This sounds awful but if you're applying for a really low-level job, don't list that you are college educated. If they are rejecting you for being over-qualified then don't mention your qualifications.

[onthetown]

1. College, for a medical office assistant? Was this a four-year program? I ask because the U.S. Government Bureau of Labor Statistics claims that it's usually a 2-year trade school certification: http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos164.htm . Of course, that may be different in Canada, but the U.S. stats are easier to find with Google. Anyways, hopefully you're accredited by one of the boards which handles these things; if not, then your college experience may not be worth much.

*snip*

This is what I hate hearing from people so, so much. It was a year and a half course by a private school that is, in fact, a college. It cost me thousands and thousands more dollars than going to community college, but I was willing to spend the extra money because it got me out more quickly and had an excellent reputation of placing students -- upwards of 98% of students at the college I went to are placed within a month of finishing the course -- and just generally had a better reputation than the other colleges that offered the same course.

I guess in the US the college would be considered a trade school, as it specializes in those short courses. I was MOA, one of my friends did youth worker, there were paralegals... etc.

I finished the course with 89% average and 96% attendance (many of the days I missed honestly couldn't be helped), so it's not like I'm lower level than the others.

I got a diploma. Yes, a real diploma. I am certified. The college I went to is certified. There's a 4-year course in a neighbouring college for nurses, and our several-months-long anatomy portion is actually reputed to be better than the 2-year-long one for nurses at that other college -- one of the girls in my class tried that course and she can attest to it, as she had to drop out because they weren't teaching her anything that she was learning where I went.

I'm just not one of the students that placed easily because, pretty much as soon as my OJT was finished, there was no demand for new grads. My OJT place wants to hire me, but the government lady I have to deal with says that she can't let me work there until I get an interview with her and she's not willing to give me one until there's more demand. When I get the interview, I'll be part of a union.

In other words, my college experience was well worth it. It's the lack of demand that prevents me from getting a job in the field right now, which is why I'm falling back on my old friend, retail.

As for the rest of it... I can't relocate. I have no money to relocate. I can work across the province, sure, but moving away isn't possible right now. The problem with networking for the government job is that the lady doesn't care how many people I know that work or have contacts there; she flat-out will not give me an interview until there's demand for new grads.

I'm just getting frustrated by this, particularly at the government lady. I try calling her and she runs me in circles because she doesn't want to talk to me anymore. Gee, sorry I want a job so badly.

More resumes went out today. More uninterested people.

[fknm]

As for the rest of it... I can't relocate. I have no money to relocate.
I can't speak as to how it works in Canada, but in the U.S., nearly any skilled job will pay reimburse you for relocation as long as you ask, and will also reimburse you for travel expenses when you interview.

The problem with networking for the government job is that the lady doesn't care how many people I know that work or have contacts there; she flat-out will not give me an interview until there's demand for new grads.
Then talk to your friends who were also in your program. See what they're up to professionally. They'll lead you to work in the private sector.


I'm just getting frustrated by this, particularly at the government lady. I try calling her and she runs me in circles because she doesn't want to talk to me anymore. Gee, sorry I want a job so badly.
There's almost always a way around blockading bureaucrats, and learning how to get around them is a good skill to know. I'd be willing to bet that there's someone there that, if you know them, can speed this process up. But you won't be going through the one person that you're stuck at now (at least not directly, that is).

[onthetown]

I can't speak as to how it works in Canada, but in the U.S., nearly any skilled job will pay reimburse you for relocation as long as you ask, and will also reimburse you for travel expenses when you interview.

Then talk to your friends who were also in your program. See what they're up to professionally. They'll lead you to work in the private sector.

There's almost always a way around blockading bureaucrats, and learning how to get around them is a good skill to know. I'd be willing to bet that there's someone there that, if you know them, can speed this process up. But you won't be going through the one person that you're stuck at now (at least not directly, that is).

The good thing about "relocating", actually, is that I live in a small enough province that I can work anywhere here. They won't reimburse me for the gas, but it only really takes about two hours to get to the farthest clinic outside of the city. For my OJT I was going about 20 - 40 minutes out into the country each day, and I didn't mind it. But no, they won't reimburse me to move out of province. Since we're so small, they want to keep me here. :smalltongue:

My friends all hated the field after their OJT and refuse to work in it. In a graduating class of 8 people (we started with like 30 at the first of the course), I'm literally the only one who actually loved being in the field and wants to do it.

I called Government Lady again today. I got her voicemail so I tried something other than just, "When am I going to get an interview?" Instead I tried asking her if she could get me an interview whenever she had the time just to get me on the casual list of the hospital and the clinic that wants me; even if they're not calling me in for shifts because there's no demand, I'd just like to be on their list for when demand picks up. We'll see what she has to say about that.

Printer ran out of ink and I don't have any money for more, so no resumes today unless I find companies that want me to apply online or by email. I'm searching like crazy for them to at least have done something today.

Edit: Okay, the local pretzel shop is desperate for somebody and I have a good chance of getting a job there because nobody seems to want to work there (it has a bad reputation). I've done Subway, I can do this. The problem is that the printer ran out of ink. I need to pass it in in person, so I need a cover letter for them that explains I'm not just going to run off at the next opportunity. I have it typed up, but no ink. This is crazy... I would get it done at the library but I have about $80 worth of overdue fees that I have to pay there before I can do anything there again. I looked all over the pretzel place's web site and there's nothing for careers, so I really do have to hand it in in person... Do I just bring one of my generic resumes that I use as a base, or do I wait for the ink?

[Ranna]

Do you not have recruitment agencies where you are? A qualified medical admin assistant will be up there on the people they very much want even if it just means getting temporary medical administration posts you can build upon your experiences make contacts within the offices they place you at and work it from there.

its not what you know its who you know

[fknm]

I called Government Lady again today. I got her voicemail so I tried something other than just, "When am I going to get an interview?" Instead I tried asking her if she could get me an interview whenever she had the time just to get me on the casual list of the hospital and the clinic that wants me; even if they're not calling me in for shifts because there's no demand, I'd just like to be on their list for when demand picks up. We'll see what she has to say about that.
You probably need to stop calling Government Lady, at least for now. It would be a good idea to call those at the hospital/clinic who have said that they want you working there, let them know that you're trying, and let them know about this "roadblock".

[Cyrion]

Strike while the iron is hot- take them the resume you have if that's all you can get.

Another idea to keep you occupied and work on the network side of things- volunteer. Find out what your favorite community organization(s) are doing in the area and volunteer to participate. True, this doesn't bring in money, but you did claim that you were dreadfully bored. Volunteering gets you out of the house, and gets you networking with all kinds of people. As has been said before, the more people you know, the more people you know who know of a job that needs someone...

[onthetown]

You probably need to stop calling Government Lady, at least for now. It would be a good idea to call those at the hospital/clinic who have said that they want you working there, let them know that you're trying, and let them know about this "roadblock".

I've actually held off calling her for a month or two because she was getting annoyed with me, but the people at work told me that they got their interviews by keeping calling her. I did call my old manager and asked her if she still wanted me and mentioned that Government Lady couldn't find any demand; Manager Lady called Government Lady, but it was to no avail. I've also kept in touch with some of the employees I worked closely with and I bring the whole thing up while we're chatting. They've talked to Manager Lady a few times and I think one of them even went to Government Lady, but again.. no luck. Since I haven't called her in awhile, I figured I could try this new approach.


Do you not have recruitment agencies where you are? A qualified medical admin assistant will be up there on the people they very much want even if it just means getting temporary medical administration posts you can build upon your experiences make contacts within the offices they place you at and work it from there.

its not what you know its who you know

I originally didn't think there were any, but a Google search just showed me tons. Huh. Ironically, my college is listed there... I didn't know they did that sort of stuff. I guess I could start by e-mailing the guy who helped me with my resume and gave the crash-course on applying for jobs. How would I set myself up with the other ones? Do they usually cost money?


Strike while the iron is hot- take them the resume you have if that's all you can get.

Another idea to keep you occupied and work on the network side of things- volunteer. Find out what your favorite community organization(s) are doing in the area and volunteer to participate. True, this doesn't bring in money, but you did claim that you were dreadfully bored. Volunteering gets you out of the house, and gets you networking with all kinds of people. As has been said before, the more people you know, the more people you know who know of a job that needs someone...

I didn't even think of this. :smalleek: You're genius. There's a big festival week coming up next month that they're always looking for volunteers for, and everybody who's anybody goes to it... and I think the aforementioned mother unit might even know some of the people who organize it and look for volunteers! Apart from that... I guess off to the humane society I go.

[purple gelatinous cube o' Doom]

Oh yeah, looking for jobs is fantastic . . . I've been trying to find a job for two years now. But I was in high school, and my access to a car was intermittent, so I was never really successful.

The first time I ever got a call from someplace I applied to was a few days ago. They called to tell me that they weren't going to hire me because I'm going to college in the fall, so . . . this is probably going to be a problem.

I guess right now my best hope is getting a job on-campus in the fall.

I"m surprised that you can't even get a summer job. It would seem to me that most retail jobs and the like know about students/college kids looking for jobs in the summer and understand the situation. As for getting a job on campus, I would think you would have no problems finding a job there. It may be working in a caf somewhere, but most colleges, even small ones, have a whole ton of jobs for students.

[onthetown]

Finally... I got a job!

It's actually at that canteen. I thought I lost out to the peppy athletic girl, but it turns out they just had a hard time getting a hold of her references. They were able to call mine quite easily and said that mine did nothing but say good things about me, and apparently in the interview (even though I'm "overqualified") they understood that I'll need a summer job until demand for MOAs picks up in the fall. Therefore... Job!

I actually turned it down at first. I was just waking up and not really thinking straight, so when she offered me the job five days after she said she would I just thought, "Wow, so am I their second choice?" and I told her I was looking for other work. Then I called back right away and explained that I was just sort of spinning in circles and she said I was actually their first choice. :smallbiggrin: No hard feelings, thank god. I know a lot of people would lose a chance with a moment like that.

I start tomorrow. She asked me if today was good to start (like in four hours) but it was too short notice to get people to take care of things that I was supposed to be taking care of, but she was totally okay with tomorrow.

Thank god she's so easy going, I'm like the worst person ever to offer a job to from this whole thing. :smallamused:

Should I keep apologizing for the confusion or just let bygones be bygones? I've already apologized twice.

Edit: Oh my god... You guys are never going to believe this... Awhile ago, Government Lady said she was going to pass my file over to another government lady to take care of me and gave me her contact information. My new manager called from the government today to hire me, which I found sort of odd... Until I realized what her name was and it clicked... My new manager is the new government lady that's going to be doing my interview!! I have to do really really well in this job and I could potentially get an interview more quickly, as far as I figure it. Talk about networking! :smallbiggrin: I still want original Government Lady to call me back from my voicemail yesterday (as I asked for confirmation the contact info) to be sure, but holy heck.

[Cristo Meyers]

Edit: Oh my god... You guys are never going to believe this... Awhile ago, Government Lady said she was going to pass my file over to another government lady to take care of me and gave me her contact information. My new manager called from the government today to hire me, which I found sort of odd... Until I realized what her name was and it clicked... My new manager is the new government lady that's going to be doing my interview!! I have to do really really well in this job and I could potentially get an interview more quickly, as far as I figure it. Talk about networking! :smallbiggrin: I still want original Government Lady to call me back from my voicemail yesterday (as I asked for confirmation the contact info) to be sure, but holy heck.

Second rule of job-seeking: once one place offers you a job, everyone else is going to want to get a hold of you as well. :smalltongue:

[onthetown]

Second rule of job-seeking: once one place offers you a job, everyone else is going to want to get a hold of you as well. :smalltongue:

I know that the other 50 places I gave resumes to are going to magically call tomorrow or something, because I have luck like that. :smallamused:

[rakkoon]

Just make sure that you've signed the new contract before you quit your job at the old place. It's not just in the movies/comics that this stuff happens.
And congrats!