BohemianLikeYou Posted July 18, 2010 Share Posted July 18, 2010 I hope I've chosen the right forum for this. I'm basically frustrated with my current job seeking situation. I live in a rural area and I've been looking for work steadily since my ex-husband left in Sept 2008. I'm a smart person, I love learning, and when someone is paying me to do a job I take it seriously. I have a problem though. I left high school in 9th grade, and I got my GED right after my 17th birthday. It was not because I was lazy or because I didn't want to learn. It was partially due to severe social conflicts (I.E. bullying) and partially due to not feeling challenged. I didn't feel I had room to learn the way I learned best. Once I left, I kept absorbing information and learning from practically everything I did. I just didn't have a GPA or SAT scores. I did not go to college. I took a lot of adult education courses, primarily revolving around creative writing and improvisational theater. I even served in a teaching capacity for improvisational acting workshops my theater troupe hosted. I had a 'formal' job working medical records from the time I was 17 to the time I was 20. I got promoted quickly and they had enough confidence in me that they trained me for work that was usually reserved for managers. I left on good terms. I did a lot of traveling after that, both inside and outside of the states. I started building my 'creative resume' in my 20s. I was a member of a fairly successful improv comedy troupe for 3 years. I did work on tons of short films in all different capacities from script doctor, to craft service, to prop master, to set design, to casting and basically all the jobs of a co-producer. I did pro-bono work for a local public radio show numerous times. Problem is, out of all this work I have ONE person whom can serve as a reference from those years. I got into a long distance relationship at 26, and hence I was going back and forth to the UK for months at a time. My ex was supporting us, and I used up the last of my savings. We got married, and after a year of 'settling in', I started going back to creative work (namely writing). Then he left me after a four year relationship and I've been looking for work since Sept 2008. Obviously, the market is so bad right now and doubly for the area I live in. It's rural and there is barely anything around (most common want-ads are for nurses, nurses assistants, surgical assistants, and paralegals). There are jobs I qualify for in the city, but half my paycheck would be sucked away in gas costs (not to mention not wanting to commute an hour & a half for a waitress job if I don't have to). I'm getting by on food stamps and living with my mom. It's so bad we keep the hot water heater off, we don't even have cable, we keep the air conditioner off until we're sweating to death, and we simply don't buy anything that is not a necessity. I'm not complaining because it can always be worse, I just want it to get better. Competition is fierce for jobs right now, I've met people with 2 or 3 college degrees competing with me for cashier jobs at Target. I have been going into commercial locations cold, meaning I fill out applications at the big retailers and such every 90 days like clockwork to keep my apps up to date even if they're not outright saying they need people. I apply for every job I'm qualified for in the paper; I've applied as car wash attendant, zoo gift shop cashier, flower delivery person. I mean, back in Nov 2008 I delivered phone books for 3 days for a whopping $85 paycheck. I apply for EVERYTHING. In almost two years now, I've gotten a total of three interviews. On those interviews, I feel like they never gave me much of a chance to shine past "So you only have a GED?" and "You've been formally unemployed since 2000?". I'm having trouble with interviewing, and I'm having trouble believing I'm going to be considered for anything right now since I don't have a traditional employment/education background. Anyone else navigated the employment waters with a similar background? I admit, I am totally uninitiated with getting jobs because with the creative stuff, there was always some job open without a formal hiring process but I keep reading tips and instructional things online and trying to teach myself. I'm getting sort of lethargic and depressed about this now. I don't qualify for any unemployment benefits and when looking into the career training programs our career center has available, it's been stuff that will wind up leaving me $20,000+ in debt at 6%+ percentage rate on loans by the time I'm done at age 33-34. Not to mention these programs are targeted to increase growth in specific areas they want to develop in my community, medical and construction, which I don't see as a long term career choice for me as much as just some way to get employed and paid. This turned into more of a rant than I initially intended. I guess because right now I feel like I'm capable, smart, hard working, and have so many valuable skills but feeling like I have no way of 'proving' this on an application, in a resume, or in an interview if all they do is rush me out (Only one interviewer gave me the "Is there anything you'd like to add?" option at the end). I've been thinking crazy stuff like producing a DVD (Kind of like Elle Woods in 'Legally Blonde') all about myself, making snazzy copies, and dropping them off at the reception desk of companies I'd like to work for with a note that reads "For your consideration the next time you're hiring". I mean, is that nuts or is that what people who are really determined do? I don't know!!! Thanks in advance for reading and any feedback. Link to post Share on other sites
carhill Posted July 18, 2010 Share Posted July 18, 2010 'It's not what you know, it's who you know' Pick your strengths and sell them. Be unconventional. I live in a rural area. I just let the cat out. No cars, only the owls and coyotes. This time of year, I need to take the ice chest when going into town for groceries. It was 105 today. I've been 'unemployed' for 25 years. No college degree. Everyone is getting their parts made in China now so the lathes and mills have been gathering a bit of dust. However, nothing stops us from trying new things. I network with friends, volunteer my time and skills and barter for things I need, all the while meeting new people and selling my skill sets, diverse as they are. Just like with dating, it's a numbers game, except I think the odds are better than cold-calling employers because there's a rapport and respect already in place. Besides, no employer in their right mind would have me anyway Here's some examples: I designed a bottle cap catcher for RV'ers who like to have a bottle opener outside. My best friend is out 'demonstrating' and 'tweeking' it right now on their cross-country RV trip. I'm currently working on a collapseable kitty castle that also mounts to an RV so RV-bound cats can room outside safely, and not for the hundreds of dollars current models cost. I buy and sell car parts and used computer stuff on Ebay, along with selling antiques and collectibles (mostly bric-a-brac from my mother's estate). I trade travel expertise for free hotel rooms or flights as 'payment'. I fix most anything, and generally for less than a contractor will do it for. What are your strengths? Write them down. Get passionate about *you*. Yes, it can be nice collecting a paycheck. It's been so long for me I don't remember what that's like. Is there another way? Can you see yourself on a different path, doing perhaps similar things but in a different way? What compels you to get up in the morning and face another day? Me, my divorce is almost over, I have great friends, a cat who keeps me humble, and another 30 good years left in this body, so I'm going to make the most of it. I'll die broke with a smile on my face, hopefully breathing the clean mountain air around the cabin I designed before detouring into marriage. Life is good Link to post Share on other sites
candymoon Posted July 21, 2010 Share Posted July 21, 2010 Carhill is right about it's not the what, but who you know. I've stayed employed these past 10 years because of only 3 good contacts in my field. Networking is probably the only way you'll get an 'in' right now into anywhere because the economic situation is so bad, and competition is fierce. My company, as many many companies, are horrendously nepotistic and incestuous. Meaning they only hire friends and family of current employees/officers or their friends of friends. They advertise openings because it is the law but always give job seekers the runaround--and yet there's always someone new in the office every couple of months, who is,of course, Joe's friend who he worked with 5 years ago at X Company:rolleyes:. It sucks, it's not fair, but it is the way it is. Look for trade shows, social events, meetups, conventions, anything in your area geared towards meeting professionals, whether unemployed or employed. You never know who is doing what and who knows who, etc. Make nice and make friends. Someone might know someone, you know? Or you might be able to help someone else. Like CH said, find your strengths and advertise those. You might have to make work for yourself. I had to do that before. I edited documents for the small business in my area to build up my portfolio post-college. I'm sure there's still work like that out there, you'll just have to use your creative background to find the opportunities. Good luck. Link to post Share on other sites
jamesum Posted July 21, 2010 Share Posted July 21, 2010 Getting a job is indeed most of the times about knowing the right person not having the right qualification. Skills are important, but they mean nothing if you know nobody who can get you a job. Link to post Share on other sites
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