Of all the jobs I've been offered in Manhattan, they all have one thing in common. I met the person in charge of hiring when I turned in the application. I don't get called for interviews if I merely turn in my application or resume. I realized this problem so I started to make an effort to call certain businesses to double check about the hiring process. Sometimes I'd even ask if I could talk to the manager when I handed in the application. But to no avail. (The people who hire are always conveniently busy or not there at the time. As if talking to one applicant for one minute would completely disrupt their day). My application, no matter how neatly I print, gets thrown by the wayside.
I've decided that I must not look good on paper. I only wish I knew what these people were looking for when they read applications.
If it is a retail position, they usually want at least one year of experience. I have 10 months. Are they not giving me the chance to prove my competency because I'm two months short of their preference? Customer service jobs usually want one to three years of experience. Honestly, all my jobs have been customer service in some sense. (telephone surveying, handing out tubes at a pool, front desk at a dorm) But maybe they are looking for key words like "Customer service rep" and are afraid to take ten extra seconds to consider the fact that every job I've had includes "serving the customer".
I'm sure my friends think I screwed myself because I did have a job but quit after one day of training. You're correct. I have no right to complain that I do not have a job now. I decided to hold out for a job that I was comfortable with rather than choosing to have a panic attack. And because I made that decision, I have to constantly deal with the rejection emails and confused employees.
If you have any words of wisdom about how to spice up my applications (without lying)- feel free to comment below. Encouragement is always greatly appreciated too. Just something to consider. But then again, these are just words on a page. Apparently, they never say enough.
Ok, Leanne, here are your much needed (and richly deserved, I might add) words of encouragement. You are an extremely intelligent and talented woman--one with many excellent qualities to offer to any employer with any brains. Now, having said that, I'll explain the truth to you, cynical as it may be... Finding people with brains is like hunting for morels. Even if you knew where they were last year doesn't mean they're going to be there now. And, just because you know all the places that they SHOULD be, doesn't mean that you'll ever find them in those places. In reality, there is no rational way to predict where you're going to find them and that's why it's always such a joy when you do happen to accidentally look down and find one.
ReplyDeleteI love you and I don't think I've ever known anyone with as much promise and potential as you have, but here is what you must do -- stop expecting yourself to be perfect. Your panic attacks (I believe) are based on your fear that you won't live up to other people's expectations. Well, F*ck that! Open your eyes girl! This world is full of lazy, no-good, worthless, stupid people and without even having to make an effort, you will rise to the top like cream on a milk pail. Get it into your head that there is nothing you can't do because the truth of the matter is that, without even trying, you're in the top 5% of EVERYTHING! What you can do WITHOUT TRYING is what most of the world considers to be 150% effort -- and most of them will never achieve it because they don't have IT in them. You do.
Now, having said all that, and even though I know you already know this, this is an incredibly difficult time to look for a job -- it's not you, it's that there are LOTS of people looking for work right now. Don't give up and think outside of the box. Ask everyone you meet and have your friends ask everyone they know. Something will come along, I promise.
PS: call me sometime and we'll talk. (Ok maybe I'll give you lots of advice and you won't be able to get a word in edgewise, but you know what I mean!)
Love you, Auntie C