Also, may I suggest freelancing? If you have any interesting story angles to propose, send them to local papers, and see if they’re interested. The pay can be complete shit, but usually it’s a couple hundred bucks. Thanks to companies like Gannet and Knight-Ridder, plenty of newspapers overwork and underpay journalists to the point that only someone supremely dedicated to the craft (or complete morons) get into actual staff writing work anymore, and being overworked (or a moron) shows in the copy they produce (at least around here). So, anything reasonably intelligent is bound to get some notice.
Caveat…only do this if you can write well, and have some understanding of AP style guidelines, otherwise you’re likely to go into the trash.
Another vote for the beardless face. Acid Lamp, you’re not bad-looking at all, the main difference between the bearded and the shaved look is your attitude-- at least in the bearded picture with the pumpkin, we can see that you have a beautiful smile.
nashiitashii and you have had a really rough patch. I hope you find a job soon and that things look up in the New Year for you both.
I hope the OP is using the Pit to bitch & moan and that he avoids that bitching & moaning in real life. Either when he’s interacting with any possible employers–or with casual contacts who just might have leads on possible jobs.
He’s given a pretty good impression of being a xenophobic asshole. He probably isn’t, really; but bitching about creeping Latino-ness does give that impression.
Getting rid of the beard was a positive move. And spending a bit of each day working on Spanish will help.
Cent #1: You do look far more employable without the big crazy beard. That beard says “nonconformist,” loud and clear. Being labeled a nonconformist severely disadvantages one from being hired for many jobs.
Cent #2: Broadly, the Latino thing falls into the category of “blaming others for my own problems.” Narrowly, it sounds bigoted. Either way, not good. Worry about your own butt, not what everyone else is doing.
Good luck. Also, online job applications are BULLSHIT. If that is your primary job hunting tool, I strongly suggest exploring other options.
I have to disagree about the online applications being bullshit. They are how I got my last few jobs. How else do you apply for jobs? I can’t even remember the last time I actually mailed a resume’ to someone. It was probably at least ten years ago.
I did get one good job (and a couple shitty ones) completely online, but I’ve applied to some large, triple-digit number of them, so in my experience online job hunting is indeed bullshit. Almost every job I’ve ever had worth having, I got through networking with real life people.
I realize this thread is about much deeper and more significant issues than the beard itself, but I’ll just stick with a quick comment on that … thanks for the before and after pictures, Acid Lamp. You look fine either way (of course, for job-seeking purposes a beard needs to be neatly trimmed). I like the bearded look better, but I’m a beard lady (as opposed to a bearded lady) myself. There’s absolutely NOTHING wrong with the way you look beardless, though.
This might work if the people involved were the type to actually, you know, STFU about it after being told this or something like it. IME, anything more strongly worded than this doesn’t do the trick either because it turns into an emotional blackmail session of “how could you be so mean to me?” instead of a rational conversation of “listen, I get the point, so you don’t need to bring it up several times a day”-- “Okay, I understand.”
Acid Lamp, you could try watching Spanish language television/listening to Spanish radio to improve your proficiency. Or maybe there’s a regular Spanish-speaking meeting nearby you could join in on.
I usually prefer clean shaven, but I do like the beard. You kind of give off a “tortured 19th century Russian author” vibe with it. You look fine without it, though, and definitely keep it off while job hunting. You want to remove any possible obstacles to employment, and a funky beard is unfortunately one of them.
You know, I’m a supervisor at a hospital, and I was going to point you towards our non-clinical job vacancies, but I’m also Latina and your attitude sucks balls.
I could always find a job, because I didn’t care what kind of job it was. I’m sure you can do the same.
You look fine without it, though, and definitely keep it off while job hunting. You want to remove any possible obstacles to employment, and a funky beard is unfortunately one of them.