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Are there NO greenhouses in your city? Right now they're hiring and an able bodied young man is sought after for lifting and stuff. Seasonal work is still work. Lot's of big chains have greenhouses. You get to enjoy summer weather, possibly get some good exercise, maybe you'll even learn something. e: I suggest this because it's what has worked for me right now. I've been doing contract work for my city for the past three years in my field and the pay has been great, but these are jobs that have required me to be a student returning to school in the fall. So that means my bell now tolls since I graduate in August, and I know that finding a job in my field, even (or maybe even especially) with a Masters isn't going to be an easy task. I wrestled a lot with trying to find a job, I was picky because I didn't want to work somewhere if someone saw me and I would feel embarrassed. I think it's normal to feel that way but you need to be realistic. Being an English major of all things is really unemployable in the real world. I know this because just about every English grad I was in teachers college with was there because that's all their degree was good for, and English teachers are a dime a dozen. More so when their second teachable subject is history. 54 40 or fuck fucked around with this message at 04:25 on Apr 2, 2013 |
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Apr 2, 2013 04:17
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Toriori posted:Are there NO greenhouses in your city? Right now they're hiring and an able bodied young man is sought after for lifting and stuff. Seasonal work is still work. Lot's of big chains have greenhouses. You get to enjoy summer weather, possibly get some good exercise, maybe you'll even learn something.
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Apr 2, 2013 04:40
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Benny the Snake posted:I remember how hard it was to breathe inside of the humidifiers. I know working inside a gardencenter makes it ridiculously hard to breathe, but just for a second, let me tell you about coal miners and black lung.
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Apr 2, 2013 04:44
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Benny the Snake posted:You know this is going to sound ridiculous, but I actually have an aunt who used to own a greenhouse in the area and I think she's leasing it. I actually worked there for a month when I was in grade school as a kid. I remember how hard it was to breathe inside of the humidifiers. But hey, that's a really good idea. I'd love to work in a gardening area. I just gave her a call to find out if it's still in business and if whoever's leasing it is hiring. Thanks for the idea! You were a kid, you're an adult now. Do you have severe asthma? C'mon son, not to toot my own horn but I think I've given you some solid resources in this thread. If you now as a healthy adult just simply can't breathe inside a garden centre/greenhouse, I have bad news for you. Furthermore, how about looking outside of your family? I bet there's more than one in your city, stop being so dependant on everyone around you just handing you a job, do you realize that is exactly what you're doing? You're dipping your big toe in the water everywhere and just hoping that a family member or something will just ascend from the heavens and give you a solid job- stop it.
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Apr 2, 2013 05:11
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Can you post a quick summary every day of how many leads you've followed up on, their status, and how many new leads you've tried?
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Apr 2, 2013 05:33
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Toriori posted:You were a kid, you're an adult now. Do you have severe asthma? C'mon son, not to toot my own horn but I think I've given you some solid resources in this thread. If you now as a healthy adult just simply can't breathe inside a garden centre/greenhouse, I have bad news for you. Furthermore, how about looking outside of your family? I bet there's more than one in your city, stop being so dependant on everyone around you just handing you a job, do you realize that is exactly what you're doing? You're dipping your big toe in the water everywhere and just hoping that a family member or something will just ascend from the heavens and give you a solid job- stop it.
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Apr 2, 2013 06:50
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Benny the Snake posted:I've only used family once so far: the police department clerk position which was taken by somebody in-house. So with this in mind, when you said this earlier: Benny the Snake posted:Well there's a hospital up the street and I have an aunt who works there as a nurse. Would I need first aid training to work so much as a receptionist at a hospital right? I'm just making sure what kind of training I'd need for this kind of thing. And besides, a hosptial job would be great. I'm gonna call her today and ask. You really meant "not going to ever bother looking for a job because I don't want to move out of mom's house," right?
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Apr 2, 2013 08:03
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You ought to get a job waiting tables, after the training its cash in pocket every day. Take a cab back and forth and sock the rest of the money away until you have enough to buy a couple hundred dollar beater car. Personally, I think you should join the Air Force. Basic is easy, they'll pay for your graduate school, and you'll get some much needed structure in your life. I think you could use some structure.
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Apr 2, 2013 12:52
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Benny the Snake posted:Well of course not. I didn't mean that my work as a kid would work as a CV, I meant that I know what a greenhouse is like. Not only that but it wouldn't hurt to check if my aunt's greenhouse is at least still in business, regardless if she owns it or not. And hey, I've only used family once so far: the police department clerk position which was taken by somebody in-house. It's just that she was the first person I thought of when you said "greenhouse". Anyway, I'll look into greenhouses tomorrow. No no, I'm addressing the part where you were talking about how hard it was to breathe in a greenhouse. You'll be fine. Are you in good shape? How well do you present yourself? Do you iron your clothes? Have you been wearing clean, ironed clothes to interviews?
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Apr 2, 2013 13:37
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Benny the Snake posted:I remember how hard it was to breathe inside of the humidifiers.  . You're already giving yourself excuses why you can't work there. Sometimes it's a little uncomfortable to be an adult. Get over it. Resolving yourself to leave behind all these child-like excuses is scarier than actually leaving them behind. It's not a big deal. Maybe one day you'll finally do it, look back, and realize what a dumbass you're being.e: I still don't get it. Can you please explain to me why you think you shouldn't have to deal with a job that isn't perfect in every single way for your masterful writing skills? What have you done that permits you to jump paying your dues? reflex fucked around with this message at 15:10 on Apr 2, 2013 |
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Apr 2, 2013 15:05
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What you should take away from the thing with the freelance writing gig for the car magazine isn't "I am a worthless failure"; you're not, and don't listen to anyone who says you are. And it's not "I should totally lie during interviews"; Seriously, don't do this, and don't listen to anyone who tells you that you should. It's kind of expected that people will stretch their qualifications a bit, but flat-out pretending you know things that you do not will bite you in the rear end something terrible, especially if you end up getting the job on the basis of a pack of lies. It's "I should have done some research before the interview." You might still not have gotten the job, and it's probably for the best that you didn't, if it didn't fit with your knowledge and skills, but having the barest minimum of a clue about the industry you're applying into, and being able to show that to an interviewer, can only be good for your chances. Also, while many folks in this thread are wrong about a lot of things, the people who are saying that you need to quit with the self-defeating bullshit are dead on the money. You lose nothing but time, the one resource you have a surplus of, by trying things, even if you're not sure if they're a good fit, even if you're not sure you can do them, even if you're not sure that you'll enjoy them. The only way, the only way to find out the answers to any of those questions is to try. Your attitude, believe it or not, should not be "I AM DESPERATE ENOUGH TO TAKE ANY JOB" or "MY HAPPINESS AND WELL-BEING ARE NOT IMPORTANT" but it should absolutely be "WHAT THE HELL, I'LL GIVE IT A SHOT" to any opportunity that comes along, no matter what it is. Life has ways of surprising you.
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Apr 2, 2013 15:53
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Greenhouses are always hiring. ALWAYS. I have no idea why but they are. I called a greenhouse one time just to ask if they had any job openings and they literally told me to come on on Monday, no interview or nothing. I also got two of my friends jobs that way. Call other ones, not just the one your Aunt used to own or whatever.
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Apr 2, 2013 16:36
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kimbo305 posted:Can you post a quick summary every day of how many leads you've followed up on, their status, and how many new leads you've tried? He already is. 
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Apr 2, 2013 16:41
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Benny the Snake posted:Well I applied the same drat day Devyl sent me the link. Also right next to "detailing", the editor asked me if I had any automotive experience too...which I don't have to the level of what a car magazine editor wants. I could've BS'd him, but the way I figure, I would've been called out eventually so I told him the truth. You're really, really, really bad at interviews. How did you graduate with a liberal arts major and not know how to bullshit? For god's sake, read autoblog and jalopnik, 75% of the writers there don't know poo poo about cars either. Go watch some top gear on netflix.
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Apr 2, 2013 17:11
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Can you post a picture of yourself and what you usually wear while job hunting?
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Apr 2, 2013 17:17
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SchrodingersFish posted:Lots of people hire Technical Writers. Many Tech Writers spend their time writing instruction manuals, help guides, faqs, etc. for Technical products. The number two skill is writing, and OP is NOT up to snuff. Nobody can afford to hire editors any more; what you write is what goes up on the site, with (if you're lucky) a peer edit. You have to be able to write clear, concise, grammatical prose on the first pass. So, back to the interview. Here are some good truthful answers to "Do you know anything about car detailing?" 1. "I've passed the shops that do it a lot of times, and I've always wondered about it. I'll go interview one of the guys who works there this afternoon." (Shows actual interest in the topic AND commitment to learn more whether or not you get the job.) 2. [you've read the sign in front of the shop down the street, right?] "It's cleaning up the car so that it looks really sharp; gives you back that new-car feel." 3. "No, but in five minutes I can give you a good answer. I'm really good at self-educating, I [insert story about you doing just that]" A one-syllable "No" is a terrible answer because (A) it brings the conversation to a dead stop (B) it shows lack of interest (C) it shows lack of ability to think on your feet. In a job interview, you should always find a way to say "No, but" unless the question is "Would you kill your mother with a hacksaw to get this job?" e: Any time you criticize somebody else's writing online you are guaranteed to make three errors. So far I've spotted and fixed two in this post.
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Apr 2, 2013 17:24
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OP is too good to for welfare. Cool story.
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Apr 3, 2013 02:15
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Great Horny Toads! posted:OP is too good to for welfare. Cool story. Benny the Snake fucked around with this message at 02:54 on Apr 3, 2013 |
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Apr 3, 2013 02:52
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What was your job hunting activity like for today?
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Apr 3, 2013 07:44
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What? I didn't say unemployment. I said welfare. The dole. Social Services benefits. Half-starved in the ghetto is better than a full stomach under batshit crazy's roof.
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Apr 3, 2013 08:19
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Great Horny Toads! posted:What? I didn't say unemployment. I said welfare. The dole. Social Services benefits. Half-starved in the ghetto is better than a full stomach under batshit crazy's roof. Operating under the assumption that this was a serious post and not just a jab at Benny being "too good" for a potential source of income. It doesn't seem like he would qualify for much of anything if he's still living with and being provided for by his parents. Food stamps, maybe, but paying for food isn't his problem right now. He needs to save up some money so he can get a car, move out (or at LEAST start sharing responsibility for household expenses), and start living like an independent adult. Based on the information we have, Social Security disability benefits would be a BIG stretch, regardless of how incapable the E/N crowd seems to believe he is. If his parents are still claiming him as a dependent for tax purposes (which would clearly be justified) that makes government handouts even less likely. Was there a particular program you had in mind that might help him?
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Apr 3, 2013 14:28
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kimbo305 posted:What was your job hunting activity like for today?  Today I'm off to school. On the itinerary is teaching abroad, the career center, and following up with my advisor. Yesterday was the first day of spring quarter, but I looked it up and found out he teaches Monday/Wednesday, so it worked out.
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Apr 3, 2013 14:46
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Benny the Snake posted:Today I'm off to school. On the itinerary is teaching abroad, the career center, and following up with my advisor.
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Apr 3, 2013 14:53
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You should get a Fmeale Goon to do a Ride Along and come with you to one of these times that you talk to a hiring manager. Seems they all pull the 'don't worry, I'll call you!' brush-off and you just simply accept it. This is a tactic that I use when I'm uncomfortable or creeped out and I'd be willing to bet Dollars to Donuts that the managers are as well. Bring along some body who is more in tuned with social cues and what's hosed up to say and what's weird, etc. And you can start working on acing these things, IMO.
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Apr 3, 2013 15:07
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PurePerfection posted:(or at LEAST start sharing responsibility for household expenses) Not to derail the comfortable narrative of all unemployed people being lazy sponges, but he's said repeatedly in this thread that he's been contributing from his savings toward household expenses (and was at one point freaking out because he felt he had to cover some credit card expenses his brother ran up or something). You're right, though, he probably wouldn't qualify for most social services of that type (though his family as a whole might) while he's living at home, and moving out to go straight onto welfare is probably the dumbest idea I've seen in this thread yet.
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Apr 3, 2013 15:08
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reflex posted:So what will you be doing for the other 6 hours of the work day? What most people at work do, piss about with people they are nearby and plan meals? I mean just from experience I can say that most people finish their set tasks at work in a shorter amount of time, or at the very least can, and then spend the rest of the time either talking with colleagues or looking busy. After all you don't want to keep bothering the boss with something to do because they probably don't want to find you some mundane task that doesn't really need doing. I mean who here, honestly, works flat out for a full 8 hour day? Josef bugman fucked around with this message at 15:24 on Apr 3, 2013 |
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Apr 3, 2013 15:10
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OP, are you really taking this thread seriously? I mean, are you really trying to help us, help you? If this is your best effort, god help you. You've squandered away this resource. This thread/the Something Awful forums are no longer a resource, beyond moral support. I suppose you could drop another $10 to come up with a new username/new alias and do it right, but your "Benny the Snake" account is ultimately ruined as far as using the SA Forums as a job search tool is concerned. I'm not trying to go all "internet-street cred" on you, but just think about it for a second. The Business/Finance forum trades jobs/applications between goons, all the time. E/N has even helped other goons find jobs. You never know where you might find a job. Even on a non-credible comedy forum, there could be people who have postings up for grabs. So now, here you are looking for a job. Let's say someone out there has a position that any monkey could fill. Pays alright, menial tasks, etc. Why should they hire you over the thousands of "monkeys" looking for menial/entry-level work? Other goons are trying. They're posting in depth about their skills, experience, work history, application efforts, etc. Well written, spell checked and formatted. People are reading their posts, thinking "Man, that goon is really doing anything/everything they can to find a job! Even taking the time to fill out a detailed job search history report on a non-credible comedy forum! If they're willing to do all this for the dregs of the internet, I wonder how much they would be willing to do for a company that pays them. So then there's that and this \/ is you, Benny. kimbo305 posted:Can you post a quick summary every day of how many leads you've followed up on, their status, and how many new leads you've tried? Benny the Snake posted:Yesterday I made the rounds one more time around town and applied at several other places and followed up on a few other places. This is why I hate you and why you cannot obtain/do not deserve a job. Seriously, who the gently caress wants to work with this? Benny the Snake posted:The hiring manager at McDonald's still can't find my application so he took my name and number for an umpteenth time. Places that are hiring include a Christian bookstore and a Mexican grill that opened up last year. After applying to the grill, the manager talked to me and told me he'd get back to me at the end of the week. So I'm feeling better now. It's really only a matter of time until I find something Here's the rest of the post. The entire post boils your "fruitful day" down to... -Bothered McDonalds manager. -Applied for job at Mexican grill. That's two things! You did two things, which is apparently enough for your day to be considered "fruitful." waste of internet fucked around with this message at 15:47 on Apr 3, 2013 |
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Apr 3, 2013 15:15
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Josef bugman posted:What most people at work do, piss about with people they are nearby and plan meals? The difference being the people dicking around are getting paid whereas if the OP is pretending to be busy, he isn't making bank.
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Apr 3, 2013 15:32
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I'd say my company gets 8 hours of work from me, per day. It's certainly not consistent, but the averages pan out. Some days are busier than others and sometimes there's an influx of work one moment then completely dead, for the rest of the day. On Friday, I worked (actually worked) from 9:30am till 9:30pm. Today I've spent the first hour and a half, slacking off here.
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Apr 3, 2013 15:44
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The job stuff is getting a little dull. Can we get an update on your crazy parents and brother.
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Apr 3, 2013 15:52
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Benny, I think you're just an unemployable. I mean, the guy asked you about detailing cars (i.e. washing and cleaning vehicles) and you said you didn't know anything about it.
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Apr 3, 2013 16:07
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docbeard posted:Not to derail the comfortable narrative of all unemployed people being lazy sponges, but he's said repeatedly in this thread that he's been contributing from his savings toward household expenses (and was at one point freaking out because he felt he had to cover some credit card expenses his brother ran up or something). You're right, I do remember that. What I actually meant was contributing in a more significant way, on a regular basis. I can't imagine that, considering the length of his unemployment and the fact that he's a recent college graduate drawing on his savings, he's shouldering anything close to the financial burden that his parents are. I got the impression that he's pitching in sporadically / putting out fires as they arise, like with the brother and the credit card. He shouldn't have to bail out his brother - it'd be more appropriate if he contributed a fixed amount each month, like a rent payment. Some posters may not fully realize that in America, welfare in the form of a no-strings cash handout for child-free adults doesn't really exist anymore. The people we think of as "on welfare" are usually recipients of some form of Social Security (like disability benefits), unemployment benefits (which are for people who were previously employed), food stamps (not a cash benefit), Medicaid (not a cash benefit), TANF (cash, but only for those with dependent children), or Section 8 housing (again, no cash). Unless Benny has health problems he hasn't disclosed, he's not qualified for the dole.
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Apr 3, 2013 16:17
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Ok so are you showering and looking presentable, do you show up wearing a comic book t-shirt or something, are you friendly and upbeat and energetic when you go to talk to people or are you kind of passive-aggressively shufflin' and slouchin' around? I kind of want hidden camera footage of you applying for a job. Or a pre-application youtube diary, even. Something.
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Apr 3, 2013 16:58
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trollby posted:Ok so are you showering and looking presentable, do you show up wearing a comic book t-shirt or something, are you friendly and upbeat and energetic when you go to talk to people or are you kind of passive-aggressively shufflin' and slouchin' around? I'm curious about this, too. OP, can you post a picture of what you wear to these interviews? I don't mean this as a way to ridicule you. I'm genuinely curious as to how you present yourself.
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Apr 3, 2013 17:40
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CravingSolace posted:I'm curious about this, too. OP, can you post a picture of what you wear to these interviews? I don't mean this as a way to ridicule you. I'm genuinely curious as to how you present yourself. I'd like to see that, and I'd also like to see some rough transcriptions of the conversations you're having in interviews, OP. Particularly from cases where there was a confirmed job opening and it seemed promising but then fell through after your interview. If you can't put that together from memory, it'd still be helpful to hear what your responses have been to common questions like the ones listed below (and any other recurring topics from your interviews). Tell me about yourself. Why do you want this job? What are your strengths/weaknesses? What makes you the best candidate for this job? Where do you see yourself in 5/10/15 years? How do you explain the gap between jobs / lack of recent work experience? Tell me about a time that you [solved a problem, worked in a team, made a mistake, accomplished something that made you proud, failed at something, mediated a conflict between peers, disagreed with your boss...]. What questions do you have about the position? The fact that you're getting at least a few interviews/callbacks makes me think something is going wrong in person, rather than in your resume or cover letter, and the story about the car detailing question kind of reinforces my view.
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Apr 3, 2013 18:26
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I'm here on campus right now. I'm waiting on my advisor to show up today. In the meanwhile, I'm making calls to find work. I got some information about teaching abroad. I confirmed with the dean that a Bachelor's is all that's required to teach abroad. The department's main program is China and the professor who's the contact should be here later on. The biggest demand right now is Taiwan, China, and Korea. I'm doing research right now on La META (Mexico), TaLK (Korea), and the JET programs. The career fair is scheduled here for the 23rd and a week before that is the Peace Corps presentation. And because people are asking, I dress to the nines for an interview or a career fair. Since I used to go to church every week as a kid, I've learned to dress nice and how to iron my own clothes. My outfit is a long sleeve dress shirt, tie, slacks, and dress shoes. I always iron my clothes the day before and hang them up so that I'm ready for the next day. That's for a career position/fair. For a part-time job interview, I show up in either a polo shirt or a nice button-up short sleeve and I make sure to iron the shirt before showing up. And yes, I've learned to tie a tie. Thank you, Youtube.
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Apr 3, 2013 19:19
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Blogging/freelance writing jobs can be well paid, but you really have to work hard to make a decent wage, and you have to spend time invoicing, sorting out taxes, dealing with clients etc. I make a fairly decent wage doing content and SEO work part-time. Can't say I'd recommend it to anyone with motivational issues, and it's not exactly creative writing you'll be doing. I only do it because it allows me to spend the days with my toddler, but it's not the casual, coffee sipping job that it sounds like. I'm also interested in how you present yourself. Do you have long hair or a scruffy beard? Are you certain that you smell ok? What do you wear when you go to drop of CVs?
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Apr 3, 2013 19:23
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I think his problem is he says things like "dress to the nines."
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Apr 3, 2013 19:24
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So no jacket?
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Apr 3, 2013 19:29
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Benny the Snake posted:And yes, I've learned to tie a tie. Thank you, Youtube. Make sure it's not a full Windsor, that's the mark of a cad.
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Apr 3, 2013 19:43
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