Oh man, I am so sick of the daily job search.
I wake up to a rejection e-mail or two... hastily delete them... and then the search begins...
I started with Indeed, then Monster, then freelance writing gigs, and then whatever other site I want to explore. I look for customer service jobs, administrative assistant jobs, jobs at banks, jobs at insurance companies, writing jobs, editing jobs, jobs at newspapers, marketing jobs.
Sometimes, when I get desperate, I pull up the yellow pages... get the local advertising or marketing agencies, the publishers, or some other industry that I could deal with, and look at each individual website, go to the About or Contact Us page and see if they're hiring. Even if they aren't hiring, I sometimes send an inquiry letter and resume.
When that's done, I usually do the dishes, fold some laundry, shower, get dressed... come back and check my e-mail. Then, my family comes home and I hang out with them for awhile. I check my e-mail probably every hour... I check Indeed about three times a day.
After dinner, I check my e-mail again... and then I finally decide to look at Craigslist. I really never find anything there... it's mostly all spam anyways. Then, I type whatever articles I have piled up that are due to my clients... watch my shows... search more... go to bed.
Sometimes I catch a cool break. Like the other day Geico called for a phone interview. I did extensive research about what it was like to work there, how to get hired, blah blah blah. I had it solid. I was ready.
I nailed the phone interview, which wasn't an interview... it was mostly me saying I would do anything to work there. This morning at 7 a.m. I got an e-mail saying I was no longer being considered for a position...
I can't describe to you the feeling... I thought I would at least get an interview. Everyone tries to make you feel better... "Well, it wasn't meant to be... you didn't want that job anyway." Yes, I did want that job, or else I wouldn't have applied for it.
Here's the other thing. People are always trying to give me advice about where to work... "work as a secretary for a medical office..." (usually this requires prior experience or medical knowledge) "work at a retail store and just say you don't have a degree" (wtf? dumbest thing I've ever heard... get underpaid on purpose and lie on applications... I'm sorry I would rather be unemployed and maintain dignity and morals). People have their perfect idea of how to get me employed, but they don't realize that I've already been there. Sorry. And then if I tell them I've already tried that in my job search, they look at me like I'm a failure or lazy.
I have a more rejections than I can count. A lot have come in the form of e-mails that I delete quickly. I got a postcard rejection from a local newspaper, and a letter from a local SEO company. I had one job interview before I graduated at a commission only position, which I received and worked for three weeks before I realized that "average of 900 dollars a week" was a hoax and the joke was on me. I had two other job interviews... one where I wasn't taken seriously at all, even though I spent hours on their written tests. The other was actually very nice and really professional, but they decided to go with someone with a more specific background.
Most of my rejections have come in the form of no answer. I found a job on Craigslist that I was super excited about... I called the office number at 2 a.m. to see if it was legit, and some tired man answered... :( Again, the joke was on me.
I like writing. I like poetry, but I understand that isn't a career. People say that what's meant to happen will happen, but I don't know if I believe that anymore, because I've tried everything aside from going back to school. I don't have the money to go back to school... I'm just waiting for my break... It's been 6 months since I started looking, my stamina and soul are wearing thin. I lied in bed almost all day today, because each new rejection feels like 100 more. With every rejection, I feel I'll never get there... I'll never realize what I'm supposed to do or where I'm supposed to be.
I understand the economy is bad. But I'm a smart and qualified girl. I am well-spoken, polite, a fast learner, and I work damn hard. Any employer would be LUCKY to have me. At least I haven't lost sight of that part of things.
