For the unemployed, the under-employed and the wish-I-were-better-employed, how is the job search going?
Anybody newly employed?
I’ve had a really good week. Some really good networking meetings, two interviews, and one organization reach out to me with a job opportunity (to apply for - not an offer). My interview today was a gigantic surprise when I found out last week - it was very much a long shot application for an extremely well-respected group in the field, and they actually sounded excited to talk to me.
Yesterday’s interview was in a brand new field/career which I’m not exactly thrilled at, but I need to be productive again.
I’m unemployed, but fortunate enough to be able to afford to be, at least for a while. I’ve just graduated at the beginning of June, and will be spending a few weeks abroad with my husband in July, so the plan is to start looking for a job once I come back. I hope to have something lined up by September or so. I have worked at the company I want to return to for the past 3 summers as a student, and have a lot of connections there. They are also hiring in my field (mechanical engineering) and will be for a while yet, which is good. I don’t anticipate many problems, but then again, I’m sure a lot of people start out saying that. I hope it goes well!
Good luck to everyone else looking for a job!
Oh! I also secured a part time contract doing work that will eventually lead to 3-4 more contracts. That was huge.
Sucktacular, but looking up at the moment. By this moment I mean I am waiting for a phone interview for a temp-to-hire position in expense account auditing. Sounds promising, but I’ve had my hopes up too many times to allow myself to get excited.
I’ve been out of work for over a year. I don’t even give a crap any more, but I have to sound like I do for this one phone call. I’ll be summoning up my Oscar-worthy acting talents for the next hour or so until they call.
I have had a lot of opportunities that I have passed up because right now I can afford to be picky. The opportunity I want has been slow in coming. *My *client has not yet signed *their *client.
I had a guy last week call on Wed and ask if I could start Monday - but it is an hour drive one way and I am still hoping this other job will come in. I told him I would make a choice on July 1. He called back on Friday and said that they couldn’t wait, I had to choose. I wished him luck and told him I would not be rushed. He backed off some and said he would wait until this Friday.
The job I want? Just got an email (literally less than 5 minutes ago) saying it went to the next phase. So I’m still waiting.
I currently have an internship, but this is my last week before I go home to live with my family for the summer before going back to school. Over the past few months, I’ve made an effort to secure employment for the summer, and it has been quite successful. I’ll be the Associate Technical Director for a theater production at my old high school, plus I’ll be doing some online consulting work for an education technology startup. I was offered a position as a camp counselor, but I turned it down since the place is far away and children are annoying.
Poor Too Many Cats. Please update us on how the phone call went.
I’ve been unemployed for more than two years now. My landlord owns a restaurant that lets me pick up two shifts a week answering phones.
I’ve registered with four different temp agencies. In these two years, only one has placed me in a position for three months earlier this year. About a month ago, one agency called me and a new guy told me he had been assigned to my case and if I could send him an updated resume.
Haven’t heard jack from him since. Sheesh.
Glad to hear everyone sucks almost as much as me. I had a good time a month ago not getting hired to be a parking lot attendant for some extra cash. Always good for the ego.
I’m employed - but I can feel it slipping away.
We’re getting really slow. Projects are stalled in the “money” phase. Our largest customer is moving to Mexico, and for some reason we are still bending over backwards to placate them rather than develop new customers.
And I haven’t had much to do in the last few weeks.
I can NOT believe how poorly people communicate. And why the “management” of a 9 person company would feel the need to put ANYTHING on a need-to-know basis. Who doesn’t need to know? Unless it’s a personal issue, it definitely affects EVERYBODY. There’s only as many of us as would sit around a dinner table. If there wasn’t gonna be any food at the dinner table, or if the food was all burnt, you’d tell those people right? Well WTF!?!?
I so badly can’t wait until the “non-compete” agreement with my previous employer runs out in a year and 8 months. I know that industry well…well enough to know there’s enough money that it’s worth it to wait for it. Just not working for that guy. No way, no how. Some people…just don’t get it.
The past five days or so for me:
Thursday - my company announces publicly that they are doing layoffs.
Friday - my sister, who isn’t even in the same company or field, gets laid off. She applies for a job elsewhere and lands an interview for Monday.
<insert weekend here>
Monday - My sister has a good interview. Meanwhile, they tap people on the shoulder at my office and walk them out. I survive.
Tuesday - They tell us at work that there will be more coming…but we don’t know when, where, or how many. My sister gets an offer from the company she interviewed with, and accepts it. They want her to start Wednesday.
I know my sister get very lucky…hopefully some of you guys will too.
-D/a
I’m working again, so officially back to underemployed, which is still better than unemployed.
Things look extremely iffy on so many fronts right now, but I force myself to be optimistic.
Slow. I want a part-time temp position close to home, so it is taking a while for it to show up. I had a position that was damned near perfect - only problem was that it was destroying my body. There’s always some little thing. 
I’ve been “about to be hired back” for 5 months now. Even paid licensing fees and haven’t heard a peep from them since.
In keeping with the cosmos’ intention of driving me insane, the agency called to say that something came up, and the company will be calling me for my interview tomorrow.
At least the agency called to tell me that the company wouldn’t be calling me today. That’s more than some agencies do.
Well, here’s to tomorrow.
Okay, against my better judgement, I’m gonna allow myself a little excitement here:
I-GOT-IT-I-GOT-IT-I-GOT-IT-I-GOT-IT-I-GOT-IT-I-GOT-IT!!!
A month’s worth of temp work, and if I impress, a chance at a permanent A/P job!!!
I start Tuesday.
Yeah, I know, it’s not a sure thing yet I’ll go permanent, but GODAMMIT I FEEL GOOD RIGHT NOW!!!
Being unemployed sucks. So I’m excited about this. So what if it doesn’t work out…AGAIN! At least…well, at least I’ve got a chance!
Those are usually completely unenforceable you know especially for positions you don’t have anymore. You could find a job now in the field if you wanted to. The most people usually get for disregarding a do not compete agreement is a letter from a lawyer and you can just disregard it because they can’t actually do anything with it.
Yeah! Congratulations!
I got a temporary job that I was recently told ws going to be permanent… so it can happen.
throws confetti Hurrah!