It's too darn hot
Friday, 17 July 2009 11:56![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
earthbelowWell, it had to be summer eventually. It's only 87 degrees outside, but the humidity is near 60%, thus making it really unbearable. I'm holed up in the bedroom with our old AC window unit on. Andrew was kind enough to put it in for me since I had a migraine and was hot last night (still headache-y actually) and we haven't used the air conditioning all summer. We haven't even put the big one in the living room window yet, and looking at the weather, if August is reasonable, we may not have to.
I'm a bit frustrate-y right now with the job thing. I swear I'm going to write a list of the 10 Things Not To Say To Someone Who Is Unemployed.
Staring with: Do not give vague-ass advice and then expect that person to thank you for being helpful. Do not suggest "going back to school". Because unless your next sentence includes the words "I'll pay for it!", you can just shut the fuck up. More education =/= job. Ask all the people who have masters and doctorates and are out of work right now. Not to mention that going back for another degree doesn't guarantee that it won't be as useless as the first one you got.
The problem most job seekers face, especially younger ones, is that they don't have experience. It's not more education you need, it's more damn experience. I don't need a classroom, I need a job.
Furthermore, do not suggest teaching. Teaching is not a gig you pick up like bartending or waiting tables, okay? First, it requires certification and extra education - which requires money and time you may not have. Second, it really doesn't work unless you WANT to be a teacher. Doing it just for the money is going to make you miserable.
I wish people would understand that advice needs to come with some specifics. Telling someone to "network some more" is pointless. Network with who? Where? When?
Do not just pick a random profession and tell me I should go do that. Do not say, "you should be a substitute teacher" or "you should go work for an advertiser" or "you should go work at a newspaper". Do you think I haven't been searching high and low for ANY opening in ANY line of work that I am remotely qualified for? You think I haven't applied to everyone from the CVS down the road to major publishers? I've even been sending my resume in for clerical positions in industrial sectors.
Okay, unless you can point to a specific opening somewhere, please don't just pick a job for me and then act like I'm being difficult for not having that job instantly in hand.
When you give advice to someone who is unemployed, please, think about whether it's something they can actually do. Going to a website, sending a resume in, making a phone call to a specific person - these are helpful. Telling people to just "call around and see who's hiring" is not.
I'm a bit frustrate-y right now with the job thing. I swear I'm going to write a list of the 10 Things Not To Say To Someone Who Is Unemployed.
Staring with: Do not give vague-ass advice and then expect that person to thank you for being helpful. Do not suggest "going back to school". Because unless your next sentence includes the words "I'll pay for it!", you can just shut the fuck up. More education =/= job. Ask all the people who have masters and doctorates and are out of work right now. Not to mention that going back for another degree doesn't guarantee that it won't be as useless as the first one you got.
The problem most job seekers face, especially younger ones, is that they don't have experience. It's not more education you need, it's more damn experience. I don't need a classroom, I need a job.
Furthermore, do not suggest teaching. Teaching is not a gig you pick up like bartending or waiting tables, okay? First, it requires certification and extra education - which requires money and time you may not have. Second, it really doesn't work unless you WANT to be a teacher. Doing it just for the money is going to make you miserable.
I wish people would understand that advice needs to come with some specifics. Telling someone to "network some more" is pointless. Network with who? Where? When?
Do not just pick a random profession and tell me I should go do that. Do not say, "you should be a substitute teacher" or "you should go work for an advertiser" or "you should go work at a newspaper". Do you think I haven't been searching high and low for ANY opening in ANY line of work that I am remotely qualified for? You think I haven't applied to everyone from the CVS down the road to major publishers? I've even been sending my resume in for clerical positions in industrial sectors.
Okay, unless you can point to a specific opening somewhere, please don't just pick a job for me and then act like I'm being difficult for not having that job instantly in hand.
When you give advice to someone who is unemployed, please, think about whether it's something they can actually do. Going to a website, sending a resume in, making a phone call to a specific person - these are helpful. Telling people to just "call around and see who's hiring" is not.
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no subject
Date: 17 Jul 2009 16:31 (UTC)Jenn's mom is now starting in on me. "I heard the CIA is hiring!" WTF? "You should be a wine taster!" Wut?
"You should be a nurse! Being a CNA is easy!" O_o
My mom suggested getting out the phone book and cold calling every business until I find one that's hiring. Can you imagine doing that in a city?
no subject
Date: 17 Jul 2009 16:36 (UTC)My grandmother suggested that I take the train to somewhere in Rockefeller Center, sit in a cafe somewhere and try to "meet people". Uh, what?
They don't get that so much of this is now done online and not face to face. I think that's my problem here in NYC. I'm not sure where to go, and online sites aren't all that helpful. I can't remember the last time I actually handed someone my resume physically besides at an interview.
no subject
Date: 17 Jul 2009 16:42 (UTC)There needs to be an unemployment community specifically for New Yorkers, I think. Addressing specific places and challenges.
And companies need to hire some people. Srsly.
no subject
Date: 17 Jul 2009 17:24 (UTC)no subject
Date: 17 Jul 2009 18:14 (UTC)no subject
Date: 17 Jul 2009 20:49 (UTC)My !sister-in-law did this. She's a licensed massage therapist (and an extrovert), and she has landed jobs by calling all the massage places listed in the phone book and asking if they're hiring massage therapists. Which is a good strategy.
Calling EVERY SINGLE BUSINESS IN THE PHONE BOOK and asking if they are hiring an unskilled receptionist-type person? Less effective not to mention horrifyingly daunting.
I am also SO SICK of people telling me how smart and gifted I am and how I shouldn't "settle" for a job that doesn't use all my squishy brains and expensive education.