The Temps

I’m a student worker at a housing office for a university (the one i am attending) and my office, having gone through a few months of turmoil and turnover has finally settled for hiring two temps to fill the three vacant positions (in a seven-person office). I cannot express how frustrating it is to work with these temps who have been there for three weeks now (full-time) and still don’t do anything right. I have worked there for almost seven months now (part-time) and I have to do more work now to correct their mistakes. I don’t even want to discuss how little I get paid, and yet it is obvious how much the office relies on my correction of their behavior (when I’m not in class, of course) because three three of us man the front desk, the hub of all paperwork and phones.

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Preference, and the Luck of the Draw

I still have not heard back from my potential employer in Colorado. I am not worried about it though. The longer it takes for him to contact me, the better chance I have of getting offered a better or longer seasonal job. I know that he really wants me to accept the job. I know this, because a friend of mine works in the same office. I also know a lot about his position in offering this job to me.
When I first heard about this job, I had already applied for a permanent job working in the same office for the same person. Since I was in the area visiting my friend, I went into the office and introduced myself to him. He explained that getting the job I had just applied to, might be close to impossible because of preferences going to different applicants. He then told me that he was going to have a seasonal job opening up in the summer, and that he did not have anyone in mind for the position. After I told him about my background in OHV (Off Highway Vehicle) work, he insisted that I apply for the job and keep him posted about my availability.
Let me touch on a few key issues about this particular hiring process. If an applicant has done a certain service, they will be offered the job before me. It does not matter if they have any experience or training for the job at question, they might have none at all. Preference will be given to those who have done this service, and there name will be put at the top of the list. I may not even get a phone call, until these individuals decline the job offer.
From what my friend tells me, the coast is clear. I believe that my name is at the top of the list. The job has changed a little since I was first told about the position. The pay grade has been lowered a level and the duration of the job has shortened, because of funding problems. It still sounds like a fun job in a fun place, and since nothing better has presented itself I am leaning toward accepting the position if it is offered to me. I am expecting to hear from him next week. I may even learn a little bit more about the situation, from my friend in the next few days.

The Begining of Seasonal Job Offers

Well it is about that time of the year. During the next month or two, I bet I will get offered anywhere from 4-10 jobs. Seasonal jobs. I have already received a few different calls regarding seasonal work for this upcoming summer. In fact, I have already turned down one firefighting job that will last two months up in Minnesota. There is a lot to consider when accepting or declining a seasonal job.
The reason I did not accept the Minnesota job is for a few various reasons. The main reason is that if I accepted the Minnesota job, I may be unavailable for work that would last three times as long. Another reason is that I could probably save more money by not spending the money to travel up to Minnesota and working for the 7 weeks.
Last week I received a call from a potential employer in Colorado. He would like me to start at the end of April and work for 5 months as a motorcycle ranger. Like I have said before about seasonal recreation work, they do have their perks. Being able to earn a decent wage for riding around on a motorcycle and talking to people is a job I have always dreamed of. After awhile though this job, just like any other turns into work. Plus just because he would like me to have the job, sometimes getting hired is a different question because of priorities given to other applicants.
I have quite a few “real” job applications out, but I have not heard a lot back from them. I believe that I do not have enough experience, or preference to land a full time job in the field I am looking in. This is where thoughts of graduate school and being a full time student sounds appealing again. That or joining the Military or Peace Corp to get some Veteran’s Preference.

GRE, Transcripts and the Chaos of Graduate School Applications

A few months ago, I realized that I had totally forgotten about applying for graduate school. During my undergraduate career, I was so anxious to be finished with college and get on with life that the thought of graduate School seemed a far off task. I saw graduate school and all that comes with it, something that would all come in good time. That good time caught up with me; in fact it is right around the impeding corner. Just the other day a friend of mine showed me an assistantship that I would be well qualified for. Further to the point, the Forestry program at that particular University looked enticing. It’s been three years since I graduated with my Bachelor degree.
Now to the task at hand. All I have to do to apply for Graduate School is a few key steps.
1. Take and pass the GRE with 1000 or better.
2. Ask for, and make sure that three letters of recommendation get mailed to the right place before the wrong time.
3. Apply for the graduate programs, and assistantships.
4. Find out if the professors are even accepting new Graduate students.
5. Get official transcripts from both colleges I attended mailed to the Graduate school (30 days before the application deadline).
No small task, since many of these steps will take multiple days. The most important step for me right now is the step one. I need to study and get a decent score on the GRE. I have taken a practice test and received an 800 before studying. So hopefully if all goes according to plan I will do well enough to meet the admission requirements for a few different schools after cramming for a few days. Most registration deadlines for fall semester are in the beginning of April, so cramming is not an option it is a necessity. In fact all of the steps mentioned above are highly important, but I have to have a GRE score before I can even submit my application for graduate school.
One of the other steps that is pretty important right now is having the transcripts sent to the University in question. To have official transcripts mailed from one college to the next costs anywhere between 2-5 dollars. Since I went to a junior college first, this will be doubled. The application fee is 25 dollars. The GRE test fee is 100 dollars. The cost of calling up a previous professor or employer and asking for a letter of recommendation, priceless? No, In fact they will have to pay postage to send the letters of recommendation.
After a few years of applying for permanent jobs and settling for seasonal jobs, academia does not seem too bad anymore. I feel it is definitely worth pursuing, even with all of the chaos I have to get through just to have a chance at attending graduate school. Right now it seems really appealing. Knowing me, I will probably change my mind after a few semesters in.

Will Work for Gear

I spent about a year after college working for an outdoor gear distributor. A few years back this would have been a dream job back in that small junior college town. I promised myself that I would work there just for a little bit. Buy all the tents, backpacks, water bottles, knifes and climbing gear that I needed. After a few months, I fell into the groove of waking up going to work, and hardly ever applying for better jobs when I got home.
It was easy to stay though; after all I was spending all my money on these really cool toys.
Trying to live on $8.00 dollars and hour is hard enough without having all of the temptation to spend it right there at work. Payment for this discounted gear could come straight out of the paycheck if I wanted it to, just like one of my good friends child support payments comes out of his paycheck. In the end I probably brought back enough money for gas and the occasional road trip. I had a truck full of gear that would last me more than a long time, but I learned quickly that buying gear soon turns into an addiction. The collection begins to grow into enormous proportions. Some deals are too hard to pass up, and you would be a fool not to buy at the lowest price. Enough to keep me busy, not enough to keep me interested. Eventually, I got to the position in the company where the wanted to get me out of the warehouse and onto the sales floor. About this same time, I was interviewing for a good job with another agency.
In the end I ended up leaving the company for a more interesting summer job. They were even gracious enough to let me keep the employee discount. I still find myself spending quite a bit of money buying things from their company. While picking up an order today, they asked me if I would come in and work the next day. There is something a little humiliating about working at a company you left. Then again I feel a little grateful for the work while I am in need. Something should be said for leaving a job on good terms.

The Pros and Cons of Recreational Work

After Getting a Bachelors Degree from an accredited university and working a few seasonal jobs in the recreation field I was surprised when I found out how hard it can be to land a decent full-time job. There are lots of recreation jobs out there. They may be in places that I find unappealing, or require more experience than I have, but they are there. Seasonal Recreation work is fun and has its benefits. I am not talking about health or dental benefits, but more about the benefits of working outside and playing for work.
Seasonal work is also always easier to land, even if you don’t see them coming. During January and February, I take my time to rummage though the job posting, looking for summer employment. By the time the employers call in April and May, I sometimes do not remember applying for the job. I have had the experience of working in quite a few glorious corners of our country though, and traveled to many of the places I have always wanted to. It even gets interesting when employers are fighting to have me come work in their neck of the woods for three, four or five months at a time. Let them haggle it out against each other. Which of the locations will have the better housing, experience, recreational opportunities? All of these are really important issues, after all the employment might last 6 months, maybe a little more with luck and funding.
Some of the problems that come with seasonal employment are very apparent. For one, it will be harder to have any sort of permanent relationship. For another, it will be harder to stay close to home and help out with the family. Many seasonal jobs will only give you enough experience to land another seasonal job the next year. After getting in the routine of seasonal employment, it can be difficult to get out.