School?

I spent a fair amount of the summer trying to calm myself into believing that when friends started going back to school I would bite my tounge and not whirl into some sort of sorrow filled abyss. I think that I reached this point in the past few days. Instead of dwelling on everyone leaving, I’ve found myself thinking about the next two weeks, in which I will need to finally find a job. I’m thinking it might be nice to have some time off before I start something new, but I’m also battling the awkward limbo of waiting around for interviews or breaking down and heading towards an Employment Agency.
On that note, why do employment Agencies have such a bad rep? They’re always portrayed as a last option, like the people who go there go fired from one poorly paying labor job and need to find another one quick before their power gets shut off. Why do I think this? I’m an intelligent person, plus I know of companies that only use employment agencies. Is this something I can shift onto the media? Maybe. I’m also starting to wonder if it’s appropriate for me to walk into one and ask them to find me something that won’t shove me in an office for eight hours a day, forcing me into high heels and a sore backside. I may also have to add that I can under no curcumstances be a receptionist due to my small bladder and coffee intake.
I’m kind of worried and kind of thinking something will pop up; the feeling is new and old.

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Coffee Breaks

This is what it has come to.
There are five of us young professionals looking for a job to take the place of the ones we hold at our seasonal concert venue near the city. We love it. It loves us (mostly). However, love is fleeting, especially in the live music industry, or so it appears, and we are begging our seperate but equal ways around the problem.
This is how things happen.
We convene in the morning, with coffee, and discuss who has found what job, how interviews went, how interviews are found, and what we all might do in order to make a living if nothing on the backburner pans out. One would think this would turn into some sort of competition, but it has yet to do that, and I don’t see any future meetings turning violent. The thing is, looking for jobs in the concert production industry is simple because there are none.
But we are getting creative in our intrepretation of “concert production” and even better at talking ourselves into applying for jobs that aren’t what we want, but interesting, workable, and advancing.
I feel the post-graduate idealism wearing off. Slowly.

Continue Reading

The Wait is Over.

I’m happy to report that I’ve finally come out of a dreadful dry spell in the job department. After a long stretch of time without a peep from potential employers, I’ve receieved an overload of opportunities within a matter of a couple weeks. Two companies that I interviewed with weeks ago have asked me to come in for a second interview. This gives me the sense of professional validation that I’d been lacking for so long. Despite whether or not I actually get a job offer, the companies were impressed enough to invite me back. This small fact makes a world of difference for my morale which will hopefully carry over to my second interviews.
A third opportunity came to me by way of a good friend. His boss asked if he knew of anyone who could write, edit, and research. My name was mentioned and his boss provided me with several topics on which I should write articles on. His boss was very impressed with the end result and asked if he could publish my articles on one of their blogs. I also did some research work which he was equally impressed with. He’s offered me a part-time position writing for/managing the blog on which my articles were published. In a few months he thinks my position will be extended to full time in which I will also be placed in charge of the site’s Arts & Entertainment section. The pay is tremendous, even for part-time, and I am simply ecstatic. I want to hold out on making a decision until I have the two other interviews, however.
I know this has been mentioned on every networking entry prior to mine, but networking is truly the potential ticket to the job of your dreams. It may take a while, but it’s worth the patience. Because of my direct connection, I didn’t have to find the position – the position found me. I also was treated to an interview process that was more relaxed and honed towards me as an individual, valued resource instead of just another faceless candidate.
I’ve also taken on a volunteer copy editor position for a non-profit organization. I love helping out, and the people there are awesome. It lets me practice my editing skills while making a difference at the same time.
To sum up:

Things are Settled…For Now

On Monday, after I was told that I either had to work register or they would have to let me go, the dollar store called me later that night and asked if I could come in just to unpack tomorrow from 10-3. So, I did that and the manager addressed what happened on Monday but she talked about it like it was far in the past. It seems, at least for now, that they’re going to let me unpack, shelve, and move things around the store. As for now, I won’t bring up anything about the Americans with Disabilities Act unless they officially decide that they will let me go because I can’t work register.

And the Sun Goes Down Again…

Hi, all. The last time you heard from me I had started my job at the dollar store. It was easy, low-stress, and things were working out well. That was then. Saturday they told me that I will be trained for register on Sunday. I was worried, but not too much. I figured that I can handle register. I’d worked it before and I could again.
However, when I actually got there and they put me in front of the register, there was a line of people waiting in the other register line and many people in the store. The assistant store manager told me that I had to count the money, make sure there was a hundred there, and then I could open the register for business. So many things were happening around me that the numbers were all jumbled in my head and I couldn’ t even count. When I say ” so many things were happening” I mean that I have no filter for the information coming in around me. I felt the child screaming at his mom because he wants a toy. I felt the old man who had already waited in line for 20 minutes and was anxious about getting out of the store. I felt the woman who was trying to help her mother find what they were looking for. I think you get it. I was taking in everything that was happening and I couldn’t focus on the money.
So, they took me off of register after I told them what was going on. They told me to keep unpacking stuff in the back. Then they had to call in another worker during her only day off in the week to fill in at register because I couldn’t handle it. Of course, when she came in, she wasn’t pleasant at all because she’s a full time worker there who gets one day off and because I couldn’t handle my job, she had to come in. I felt so bad. It took me the rest of the shift to calm down.
When I woke up for work today, I figured that it was a new day and I could handle work today. When I came in, the manager told me that they don’t want to let me go, but if I can’t work register then they will have to because everyone in the store needs to work register. I got really depressed about that bit of information. So depressed that I couldn’t even continue working. My body just shut down and I had to leave. I couldn’t finish out the day.
After I left work, I went immediately to my doctor’s office and made an appointment. I need to get back on my Attention Deficit Disorder medication and I need a higher dosage of the Anxiety/Depression medication. I really hate living off of medications but it seems to be what I have to do. Now, I’ll have to pay for them monthly again and without any income. I’ll be living off of my mom and grandparents AGAIN. When grad school starts in June who knows where the money will come from for my supplies. I don’t even want to think about it right now. I just need to drop off the face of the Earth for a few days to regain myself. I feel so lost right now. Can I contribute to society? Can I function? I’d like to think that teaching college will be completely different after I get my Masters, and hopefully it will be. But how can I be sure?
…

A Really Long Awkward Moment…

A college friend of mine, who we’ll call Rebecca, came to me with a terrible dilemma. She was in her third round of interviews for a job that matched her career goals rather well. She had interviewed successfully over the phone and then with the primary team she would be working with. The third interview consisted of spending half a day in the office interacting with the rest of her co-workers and meeting with the ‘big boss’. Rebecca said she was confident going into the final phase of the interview because she had already advanced this far and had gotten along well with the team members she had previously met. However, within the first ten minutes of arriving at the office, she saw that one of her ‘least favorite people’ in the world held a position in the company. This ‘least favorite person’ was the current girlfriend of Rebecca’s ex-boyfriend.
Although the heated confrontation amongst the love triangle occurred several years earlier, Rebecca still harbored ill feelings towards this woman. And given the icy stare the woman awarded her, Rebecca assumed the feelings were mutual. She remained flustered and uncomfortable for the remainder of the day, and felt that the meeting with the ‘big boss’ was average at best. She returned home feeling defeated. Although Rebecca felt as though she had given a poor performance in her final interview, she told me that the company just called today to offer her the position.
Now, given the obvious dilemma, I’m asking on Rebecca’s behalf for some input on what she should do.
She told me that if she decided to take the position, she would see the woman every day and have to interact several times a day. However, because the woman is not on her primary team, Rebecca would not have to work closely with this woman on high priority projects. She is ecstatic about every aspect of the job except the threat of a sour relationship with a co-worker.
She is hesitant to discuss this situation with her boss or team members in fear that she will be judged. She doesn’t want them to think that she will be distracted from her duties or produce poor quality work because of this. She is afraid that the company may not want to deal with the conflicted history and may retract her job offer given that the other woman has seniority.
So what should she do? Suck it up and take the job by storm, ignorning the woman completely? Should she confront the woman and try to make things civil? Should she discuss this situation with her boss? Or should she simply start looking for another job?
Your advice is greatly appreciated!

Expanding Horizons.

With three years of technical editing and a BA in Psychology under my belt, I have been struggling to combine these areas into a recognizable job title. I’d worked closely with computer programmer types in my IT job, but had never become skilled at coding myself.
I had a lengthy discussion with a recruiter for a large software corporation. She generously shed light on possibly expanding my IT skills into a career in usability. The field seems encompassing of all the skills I would like to incorporate into my career goals. While directly involved with IT, certain levels only require research and data experience, not coding language fluency. A knack for writing and editing also comes in handy. The recruiter commented that hiring managers are eager to hire recent college grads because of their malleable minds and willingness to train. This information made me more optimistic about being able to enter into a job that meets a majority of my criteria.
There is a local chapter for usability people that meets every month. Informative presentations and lectures are open to the public and cover the most up-to-date happenings within the field. It’s also a great way to gain insight from those already in the field and network with various companies.
I’m excited about this new option and the opportunity that may come with it!

Cross Your T’s

For the past few months, I’ve been assisting in the editing/marketing operations of a newsletter distributed in the Pacific Northwest. While I make considerable contributions to the design and content of the newsletter itself, much of my time is spent proofreading each and every letter waiting to go into print.
I’m very detail oriented, so honing in on synonyms and syntax isn’t as irritating as one may believe. However, after countless hours of staring at words, the text from rough drafts and outlines are no longer letters and numbers. They are a militia of cryptographic characters that render me illiterate.
3′s blur into 8′s. Columns merge into thick, dark blobs.
When speaking to friends and co-workers, I find myself sounding out logograms and punctuations marks:
“Go ask the editor hyphen in hyphen chief”
“I had a peanut butter ampersand jelly sandwich”
“Look exclamation point It’s Brad Pitt exclamation point exclamation point exclamation point”
Other than the occasional blurring of vision and extended verbal communication, my proofreading duties have proven rewarding. I’ve gained insight into the operations of how to stay afloat amongst the hectic operations of meeting deadlines under strict guidelines. Because producing quality work under time pressure takes both talent and practice, I am sure this experience will prove beneficial down the road period

Arts and Crafts.

My friend had an interview for a production/marketing position the other day. After a series of classic, run of the mill questions the interviewer pulled out a small bag and dumped its contents out on the table. What now lay before my bewildered friend included buttons, yarn, scissors, felt, and two tubs of Play-Doh. The interviewer asked her to make two models: one representing herself as an employee for the company and one representing the company itself. Then she was to explain each and ‘sell’ the interaction between the two. After an eyebrow raise and calming her shaking hands, my friend set to work and produced models which she said the interviewer seemed pleased with.
While a bit unconventional, this interview exercise facilitates candidates by allowing them to show their creative side and knack for thinking on their feet. The company gains insight into how the candidate may work under pressure and the candidate has the opportunity to set themselves apart from other applicants.
The bottom line? Be prepared for anything, let your creative side shine, and bring a travel-size bottle of Elmer’s glue.

A Staticky Line of Communication

Not too long ago, I was working with a staffing agency that contracts out to larger companies in the area. The recruiter seemed excited about my resume and was confident there were a number of positions that matched my competencies. She forwarded me some editing tests which consisted of a number of writings and documentations which I had to make corrections to. I invested herculean time and effort making sure I left no semicolon unturned and credited each and every trademark and copyright. I returned the completed tests with self-assurance that I was submitting something that reflected my best work.
After showing my hand at the waiting game table, the recruiter told me a couple days later that the hiring manager was looking over the tests. My anxiety quickly turned into disappointment when I heard from the recruiter that the position had been filled prior to me even taking the tests. Apparently there had been some miscommunication and managers were still considering applications for a week after the candidate had received an offer.
“Well, snap…” I murmured and stared open-mouthed at the e-mail informing me of this. The semi-brighter side of the picture was that the manager complimented my test saying I had found errors that even he had missed. All in all, I did get experience with editing tests which will be an inevitable part of my interview process. I also got my name and skills out to hiring managers which may prove to be helpful later on down the line.
Here’s to unclogged communication in the future.