Friday, December 16, 2011

Unemployment

What have I been doing for last 2 weeks, you ask? Let's see, visiting with old friends and colleagues, watching hours of TV and movies on Hulu and Netflix, organizing my entire iTunes music library, and applying for jobs. In the last 3 days I have picked up the pace, in fact, and applied to 12 positions at museums, colleges, and non-profits around the city. I have tweaked my resume and cover letter so many times that my brain is about to explode from the amount of B.S. I had to conjure up and store in there while figuring out how to sell myself. I stopped the V.I.S.T.A. search after being offered a position in Arizona that, upon careful consideration, I turned down. And I'm just realizing that if I really want to get serious this year and figure out a career game plan, do some traveling, AND pay off my debt, I'm going to need a full time job with better pay than AmeriCorps can offer. But it's freaking me out that, being the holiday season and all, people are not exactly rushing to review resumes and set up interviews. Even the temp company I signed up with is not having any luck finding me a gig. Hopefully I will start to get some interest in my applications after the new year, because at some point my limited funds are going to run out. The thought did occur to me recently to apply to a sleep study, but the problem there is, that while in the study you don't have access to your phone to see if real jobs are trying to contact you. haha You laugh, but signing up to be a research subject has actually helped me to make a few extra bucks in the past. During one study I learned I am allergic to dust mites. During another study, I laid in an MRI machine while scientists put acupuncture needles in my hand and watched my brain waves. Desperate? Maybe. Weird? Definitely. But an interesting way to make money for sure. and there is only so long I can sit around in Kate and Nick's spare bedroom watching Hulu before unemployment loses its allure. To mix it up yesterday, I went on a tour of the Massachusetts State House. I think I will try to figure out when certain museums in the city have free visitor nights. Then maybe if I hang around at the Museum of Fine Arts enough, they will offer me a job. Fingers crossed.

3 comments:

  1. Dude I feel your pain!!! I am bored out of my mind at the moment and soooo sick of job applications! Congrats on getting the Vista job offer even though you did turn it down. We need to actually talk on the phone at some point in the near future! I've got an interview with a vista position here in AK but it is a last resort as you are correct they don't pay nearly enough to do, well, anything.....

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  2. Hey! VISTA is more about the money! lol..but yeah it's tough on the VISTA salary! I thought I was making bank once I got a TL check..well they paid about the same..but no room and board as a TL! Don't worry, something will turn up soon, and it will be perfec! BUT once you do get employed and start to travel you should come visit ME in SEATTLE!

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  3. Oh, AmeriFriends. I know you feel my pain. haha Thanks for the comments. I think all will pan out soon, just need to keep chugging away at applications. Miss you!

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