Acting on my difficult decision to look for local part-time work while seeking a real job somewhere out there in the real world, I went to a job interview yesterday at a retail store. I’m not going to lie, with my experience with retail and considering how cute I looked, I really thought I had it in the bag. Turns out the interview was a group interview, the part-time job was only four to ten hours per week, the pay was really lousy, and I won’t hear back from the manager of the store for another two weeks. What a bust.
I certainly wasn’t dying for that job – I’m dying for ANY job – and to hear that I’ll have to wait for two weeks to see if I got the crappy job is not what I want, so I’m giving that one up and continuing my search for both part-time and full-time jobs. Since I’ve stopped applying to jobs via Craigslist I’ve been getting even fewer emails than normal as I no longer get replies from scam artists trying to rip off my information, but the lack of emails is making me lonely, which in turn is making me really sad.
One part-time job that I really want as a Circulation Clerk at the public library has me waiting on tenterhooks for a call-back. I have to remind myself that I’ve applied for this position before, two years ago, when I was looking for summer work between school years. I didn’t get a call back then, either. The only difference now is that I have three years experience working in a college library and a college degree, all of which should make me look super smart and valuable. Another reason I’m freaking out about this particular job is because I applied online, which I immediately regretted when I realized that I wasn’t able to attach a cover letter (bane of my existence).
What is it about applying online that gives me a hopeless feeling? I suppose something makes me think that online applications are not given as much regard as applications that are filled out in person or sent, along with resume, cover letter, and three letters of recommendation, in the mail in a nice manila envelope. Maybe it’s just that I would rather receive something tangible if I were an employer – the fact that someone takes the time to print out all the information makes them look more professional and hard working. So why don’t I follow my gut?
I may not apply in person, but I follow up like crazy. There may be a possibility that I drive potential employers nuts with my call-backs and emails, but I can’t help it if I really want a job. I know that it’s important to get my name out there on the off-chance that they’ll remember me, but so far it hasn’t worked. I’ll just have to keep trying.
In the spirit of not-succumbing-to-my-jobless-depression, I’ve decided that I will broaden my job search criteria. I might be surprised by what I find, right?
[...] got that part-time job near home that I decided to get last week. Remember when I said that I had a job interview? How I said that it wouldn’t be worth it because the pay was lousy and they weren’t [...]