Well it's been a roller coaster few last days. I am deep in the trenches looking for a job. It is SO FRUSTRATING!! It's hard not to take it personally when you don't get called in for an interview for a job you want. Or worse, a job you think you are way overqualified for.
It's hard not to get discouraged when you spend so much time answering job ads online and the jobs are all FAKE and creative ways to fill your inbox with spam and get you to fill out their phishing pages.
I don't know if its recent but a popular ad on craigslist is advertising great sounding jobs, then when you apply, they send you an email saying that "After reviewing your resume, you have fit the qualifications for the job, but due to the economy/viruses/company policy- they want you to present your credit score to them before they interview you, a free credit check can be found at XXX site." That SOUNDS legitimate! I learned about the scam by responding to their email with a request to do a credit check after the interview and the reply to sender was a fraud account. Since then over 50% of the jobs I apply for send me the same request for a credit check. Ugh. So frustrating that you cant tell legitimate jobs from Spam until after you have applied.
Anyways, I had one legit job offer for a low low wage, but the guy kept commenting on the way I looked and talked about how employees thought he was sleeping with his former assistant-so I declined the offer.
A lot of Work from home jobs that are cleverly disguised on craigslist too.
I have been inundated with commission only jobs selling insurance of some sort. A friend of mine decided to start selling life insurance and he has made about 3k this month...but hes working a lot and has been spouting "living the dream, if I can then I will" motivational stuff that his company is feeding him. He is sounding a bit cultish. Always trying to sell it to me or get me to sell under him.
I was called in yesterday to interview for a retail job. Retail is an industry I have ALWAYS fallen back on and its an industry I excel. It also drives me bat s***crazy. I can only tolerate retail for about a year and then must find a non retail job. I thought my previous retail management experience and degrees would at least get me head manager job, but no. I must complete a corporate mandatory 90 day "manager trainee" program earning MINIMUM WAGE for the 90 days then I am promoted to assistant manager and then can graduate to manager.
I am thinking about actually taking this job, because:
*I MUST wear jeans and flip flops at the store. (yes! I hate professional wardrobes!)
*I can stop looking for a job. (I mentioned looking for a job is ego crushing and awful- right?)
*I do like retail. I am good at it. I can excel at this job very quickly.
* Its fun working with younger college kids, music blaring, and talking about boys and other teenager angst type stuff. I admit I am not so keen on working with
adults who have real problems to deal with.
BUT:
* it pays minimum wage for 90 DAYS. I don't know what it pays after that. (I would guess in the $9-10 hr range). I was hoping to get into this job for maybe a year tops and get out when an office job becomes available.
*I have not worked for $10 hr since 2004. Is it really a huge regression for me to work for pay I earned 5 years ago or is it a sign of the times?
*I am working with teeny boppers. This is a big name brand clothing store that you wish your teenager didn't shop at because the clothes are so incredibly expensive (and they are sold wrinkled!). I think it might be REALLY ego crushing to be working alongside other managers who are 5 years younger than me.
Should I take it? It am so torn. And I just don't know what I am worth right now.
Looking for a job
April 29th, 2009 at 03:08 pm
April 29th, 2009 at 03:37 pm 1241019435
So long and short of it, I say, "take it"!!
Good luck and keep us posted!
April 29th, 2009 at 03:50 pm 1241020222
April 29th, 2009 at 04:05 pm 1241021104
April 29th, 2009 at 04:25 pm 1241022352
As for the job ... well the job I'm working right now is min. wage. Until this job, I had never worked for min wage (other than when I was in high-school.) But nothing was turning up at all on CL or other sources, so when full-time hours became available, I took them. Of course, this is with the hope that in less than two-years i'll have my Masters and a *good* paying job in a library.
So, I think I agree with the others. Take the job. Min wage for only 90 days and then you can fly through the levels showing them how good you are.
April 29th, 2009 at 05:05 pm 1241024716
Minimum wage sounds a heck of a lot better than nothing! It sounds like an environment you would enjoy if you can deal with the teeny boppers. Job experience would look good on your resume anyways, especially if you live past the training. 90 days doesn't sound too bad for training. Good luck!
April 29th, 2009 at 05:49 pm 1241027394
April 29th, 2009 at 06:12 pm 1241028752
I'd take it.... and keep looking!
April 29th, 2009 at 10:45 pm 1241045140
As for the job being a reflection of you - not at all. I take each person as an individual human being, or try to, whether they are Bill Gates or sweeping the streets.
Your job/career is only one, albeit big, aspect of who you are.
April 30th, 2009 at 05:13 am 1241068403
April 30th, 2009 at 10:24 am 1241087065
can i just ask, HOW MUCH is minimum wage over there??? if you get $9-$10 after the 90 day period? i know that everything is different from here, but i earn a little over minimum wage and its twice that! :O
April 30th, 2009 at 03:47 pm 1241106454