Wednesday, June 29, 2011

It's not real huntin' no more

The job hunt used to be about a person with a certain marketable set of skills taking those skills and offering them to an employer for a fee. There was certain amount of equality involved, I have something you want let's find a situation we're both comfortable with. At least that's what I've read about in history books.

I came into the job market during the beginning of the recession. It wasn't that bad yet, it hadn't really hit the insular college community so on-campus jobs weren't that hard to get, you just had to know someone. Then the budget cuts hit and I went from 20 hours a week  plus commission (I was an office assistant, book keeper for off campus accounts, and a sales representative for student publications) to about 5 hours a week with no commission. I had to quit and find something else.

So I went to work for the Census Bureau, that was a good job, no one wanted to hike through the boon-docks alone so they were desperate for people (as long as I could prove I could read and kinda follow a map I had it). But that ended earlier than planned (I should have been less efficient) and I was out of a job. I was unemployed for about a month after  that but it wasn't so bad because I had a decent savings account from working summers at a hometown bank as a teller. I eventually ended up working retail in a tourist trap (a nice trap, but a trap) that I ended up quitting for lack of  pay and lack of hours, which brings us to my current state of desperation.

During my current state of desperation things have gotten bad. There are four help wanted ads in the classifieds and most of those are continuous runners (an employer pays to run the ad until the money runs out not until an employee is found) so that when you call to ask about it they're PISSED they're still getting calls (DUH, I should just KNOW that the job is filled, my physic abilities are failing me). But my favorite is when I'm treated with disdain and irritation when I walk into a store and ask if they're hiring or if I can submit an application.

I don't feel powerful like I'm on the hunt I feel pathetic and like I'm begging for jobs. Like I'm asking for pity I know that I'm asking someone to take a calculated risk on me and invest time and money in me, but I am a GOOD worker and not only that but I can SALE, I mean I can unload merchandise like it's my job (hehe). Uh, someone stop me, this rambling rant of emo is getting out of hand.






3 comments:

  1. You say you feel pathetic, but when I read of your hunt, I feel you are so much of a powerful person. Wishing you the best on finding a job that suits you and that is worthy of having you.

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  2. It sounds like you've had a real hard time, and I wish you best of luck for the future. Don't worry, I believe you are a good worker. You'll get a job soon!
    My account is totally messed up, this is actually Listening @ centralusa.blospot.com
    Ugh, my computer is probably still mad at me for spilling coffee on its keyboard. But I'll fix my account sooner or later...or I hope I will.

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