What do you think of as better, and what are you bringing to the table that makes you qualified for those positions? Simply having a degree will get you past some keyword filters, but your chances of getting any particular job depend on your skillset rather than your status as a college graduate.
ETA: Be aware that in this economy, competition for jobs is incredibly fierce, and most recent graduates are finding that the job market is extremely unkind to them.
Depends on where in NH, but there are enough people who commute from NH to the Boston (we have 3 here, and we’re in Waltham, but I’ve seen people go as far as Westwood). 30 minutes seems like a really short commute to me as well, it can be hard to get from 128 to Boston in that time, let alone going from 495.
ETA, the market around here is very voiltile right now. The best bet would be to find some on-line art communities centered on the area and talk to people.
Well, I’ve stated a lot of my skills already in this thread. I’m probably not good enough for any of it, though, and will be looking for food service work as I originally had planned, before my husband filled my head with lofty ideas of qualifying for a real job.
Nevermind and pretend I didn’t start this thread.
At least you gave it a two hour and five minute shot. :dubious:
It feels like deja-vu, all over again. And over again. And again!
The toxic atmosphere of this board just saps everything out of me. I’ll have a much better chance if I don’t come around here. (And no, it’s not this thread, it’s just a bunch of stuff I’ve read recently that reminds me that people on the SDMB in general just tend to be mean and that I tend to come away feeling disillusioned, depressed, and valueless after spending time here. While there are plenty of really nice people, it’s not enough to overcome that other feeling when I’m already stressed out.)
:rolleyes:
Oh, I aboslutely agree. I commute from NH, in fact! But, the truth is with 400+ resumes to screen through, you don’t have the time to figure out why someone is applying from so far away. It’s just a tip, though – I’m sure you could get a job with an NH address.
Opal, there are plenty of jobs other than food service that you would be qualified for. My company in Wakefield, MA is currently hiring for Customer Service, for example.
Can one be more put upon in Customer Service hell than in Food Service hell? If so, we might have this thread’s first useful contribution!
Don’t discount the administrative professional roles as an entry into employment that suits you better. I started in my current company with an admin assistant title, but I was hired for my web skills and attitude, and moved up pretty quickly to a more challenging and more career-oriented position. And we weren’t starving on the streets, which was a particular bonus.
Same thing in New York. You shouldn’t even bother submitting resumes until you are physically here. It sucks, but, from the employer perspective, there’s too many people who ARE ready to come in the next day to bother with people who can’t.
I think teaching art at a rec/community center, museum or local art school (the kind of place where they teach drawing, pottery, stained glass and such on a purely hobbyist basis) would be cool if you’d enjoy that sort of thing.
There are also graphic design jobs on www.mediabistro.com.
Does your college or university offer resume review services? Can you ask your professors or people you know working in the field to give you feedback on a resume?
I am sorry to say, the employment situation is fucking brutal right now. It will not be easy, but I’m certain you can find something that, at the minimum, won’t make you miserable. Best of luck!
Opal, are you familiar with What Color Is Your Parachute? Oil painting and sculpture have some skills that can transfer to other areas. OTTOMH, it means you have an artistic eye that I will never have, so anything that requires visual appeal on my project I’d farm out to someone like you.
Also, some Boston Doper surely knows someone who needs an artist…
Good luck with the job hunt, Opal.
And here I was expecting a “thank you.” I guess I see what you mean.
When I moved from TX to NYC I talked to several people and found that my mom had a coworker who had a daughter that moved to NYC. I arranged to go to dinner with her and she advised that I could use her address on my resume while I was applying from out of state. I got a lot of interviews from companies that would have otherwise ignored me because I had a local address on my resume. Absolutely list a local Boston address on a resume to avoid having it thrown out.
I also tried not to limit myself to one field. Especially if you are thinking you are going back to school in a few years and what you are going to do upon moving won’t be your career there is no reason not to work customer service or graphic design or insurance or banking or whatever if the pay is acceptable. Anything that gets you back in the workforce after a 10 year gap is a stepping stone towards your dream job.
Try temping. Companies use temps with skills in Illustrator and Photoshop. If the company likes you as a person and worker they might hire you full time.
Good point, Caricci, The Creative Group (for one) does graphic design temping. Pay’s not great ($15 - 25/hr) but better than data input I imagine.
I think temping is a great way to go for anyone moving to a new city with no job. I got my job that way! It’s going on 12 years now and I never in 100 years would have dreamed of getting a job in a place like this any other way.
I agree with Caricci, too. When I moved from Maryland to Ohio nine years ago, I found a new IT job before I moved by hiring on with a consulting firm. I had no desire to be a consultant long-term, but doing so for a little while allowed me to scope out the job market while getting paid, and I was also able to get the consulting firm to pay for my move. Consulting in IT is pretty much high-priced temping.
Get your hands on a business-to-business yellow pages and see if there are temp or contracting agencies which supply designers and artists on a contract or temp basis. Also look at firms which offer the kinds of services you are qualified to perform and call them to see if they use temp or contract workers.
When I was looking for jobs in Ohio, I scheduled interviews on Fridays only, twice a month. That didn’t seem to be a show-stopping limitation.
Hahaha, from Opal? Her shtick has always been to start a thread asking for help with something, discount, ignore & refute all suggestions without ever a word of thanks, and then disappearing for a while and starting the whole thing over again with a new topic.
Whatever you decide to look for, I would suggest using Massachusetts’ Division of Employment and Training website for a search. www.detma.org This will also help you find a One-Stop Career Center close to you (or, close to where you will be), where you can get free services such as resume help, career counseling, interview skills, etc.