all play and no work makes mari a broke girl
December 6th, 2010 | author: mari | filed under: dollars and sense, life | 13 comments »hi, new readers! or as charlotte would say: salutations!
thank you to everyone who found my blog via door sixteen (thanks, anna baby!) and left a thoughtful comment on the post i wrote about my kissless existence. while i’m not very shy at all when it comes to sharing my innermost thoughts and feelings, it’s always nice to read the thoughts and stories of other people who can relate to what i have to say. it’s comforting and encouraging.
can you see the ‘coon circles around my eyes?! that’s how exhausted job-hunting has made me! grrrr.
anyway… heavens to betsy, do i need a J-O-B. “pounding the pavement” is a total joke these days. nearly every establishment demands for their application to be filled out online and/or your résumé to be emailed or uploaded to their company’s website. the whole job-hunting process between prospective employer and prospective employee seems so disconnected. and craigslist is nothing but a tease. it seems that all of the jobs i would really like (aka jobs that are related to the industries i aspire to have a career in) are unpaid internships. don’t get me wrong, internships are definitely valuable, but i’m not in the position to take on anything unpaid at the moment outside of school and volunteering. i need bread. dough. clams. lettuce. bones. CASH MONEY.
anderson cooper wasn’t joking around when he said it’s an “employer’s market” out there. the credentials that some employers require for jobs are getting more and more ridiculous by the day. bachelor’s degrees for entry-level receptionist positions. years’ worth of previous experience for general crew positions at chain movie theaters. unbelievable. i’ve been on several interviews over the past few weeks (group interviews, no less, which are horrible and lame — apparently they save the companies time and money, whatever…) and i can’t even make it past the first cut because the employers have the option of choosing people with degrees and boatloads of experience who are super desperate for work due to the economy. ugh! i miss the days where i could troll craigslist for a few hours, land a gig as a production assistant without much hassle, and be done with it.
maybe the next time i go in for an interview i’ll wear my wingtips. that should convince them. imo, they scream “good hire material.”
what do you all do for a living? did you work or intern (or, good heavens, both) during school? how did you get your start?
How I hate job hunting… I think I became freelance just to never have to do it again. Sure, I still have to search for gigs, but now I’m shopping “clients”, not “employers”. To me, it changes everything: the way I present myself, the way I interact with companies… Much less degrading ;)
I’d never survive a group interview, it’s an evil invention. It gives all the power to the employer and it makes participants look desperate :(
I’ve never done internship, but I did unpaid or poorly paid design/web design contracts when I was in college to build my portfolio (and pay my bills). The hard thing is to shift business in first gear when you graduate… Your clients are used to have you for cheap, and they refer you cheap clients. That part was hell and that’s when I decided to change profession and went to university. I was lucky enough to find a big client in this new field that would provide full time work, so I could complete school by night.
I wish you luck in your search! People with good sense are not that many, employers should recognize that and give them a chance…
Okay, first: (a) You have perfect eyebrows, (b) You are so cute, (c) Your hair is looking really long!!
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I worked at Borders (full time) while I was in college. It wasn’t an intentional choice in so far as my future career as a book designer was concerned—I started out working in the cafe, and eventually wound up doing merchandising for new books in the front of the store. It wound up being one of the best things I could have done for my career, though, because it gave me really in-depth knowledge about how books are actually sold, and what attracts customers to pick up one thing over another. Even though it was a retail job and didn’t involve graphic design, my time at Borders was almost as important as my BFA in landing my job as a cover designer within weeks of graduating.
I did not intern. I never made a conscious choice against interning, but it wasn’t really an option. I was already going to school full-time, working full-time, and living on my own…there just wasn’t any space left for anything else. I needed to have income, and I needed stability. I know there are some paid internships out there, but they are few and far between these days, sadly.
I can’t even imagine trying to look for a job these days. You really have my sympathies. The thought of being herded through a group interview (!) just seems so demoralizing. Imagine how it must feel for people with degrees and career history who are having to fight for jobs they’re completely overqualified for…and, of course, those beginning jobs are now unavailable for people like you, which is really unfortunate.
Whatever you wind up doing to bring home the bones, try to figure out a way to make it apply somehow to what you want to do in the future—even if you’re selling sofas or making coffee. The term “life experience” is overused, but you never know what you’re going to learn or who you’re going to meet…just as long as you’re out there doing something.
Ah, I feel your pain!! I am a Graphic Design senior at the Columbus College of Art and Design and well shoot, I’m dead scared about finding a job after I graduate! Times are really hard and stuff is cut throat. It’s a requirement here at my school to take an internship before you graduate, paid or unpaid, I have taken both. Funny thing was the unpaid internship was infinitely more valuable than the paid one but the paid one sure did bring in the monies, whereas the unpaid job kind of threw me into credit debt due to lack of any kind of money flow.
I guess I have no words of wisdom to impart because I’m right there with you, maybe it just helps you to know we’re all going to be broke together? Hah (I’m sure that doesn’t help!)
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Anna Dorfman, Anna Dorfman. Anna Dorfman said: Did you work during college? Did you intern? http://www.oneinkpin.com/?p=217 [...]
I have gone to college, which is a different thing in the uk, and university, which is what you call college.
For the first bit while studying Graphic Design, I worked as a cleaner and care assistant. For the second bit (i trained to be a teacher), I worked as a shop assistant in a book shop.
Having gotten both qualifications, I now have a career as a nanny (there are NO permanent teaching jobs in Scotland), and i think both jobs and both courses have prepared me for it and added to my skills.
Of course the ideal would be to have a job that relates to your career aims, but remember that most jobs will help you develop transferable skills. Even really crappy shop jobs give you determination and patience!
Right now, I’m the head server at a restaurant near me. It’s all right. When we’re busy, it’s ridiculously good money for easy work. Well, it’s not necessarily easy, but to me it seems that way.
I’m sick of having ‘too much’ responsibility at work, being at fault for things that are out of my control and the job is just getting tired. The majority of our clientele are older folks and it’s frustrating / lifeless. It’s time for a new one. And so, I applied to the local Apple store (which I’d kill to work at) and had a friend who works for Apple refer me. A company I love, whose products I use, in a fun, young atmosphere, perfect right?! Haven’t heard anything from them yet, and it’s looking doubtful, especially since they probably just stocked up on holiday employees.
As for the future, I don’t know what I want to do with my life. I have a bachelors of fine art degree in graphic and advertising design, but have no interest in being stuck behind a computer for 40 hours a week. I completed an internship at a boring design firm who did mostly gimmicky work for local companies/townships and I hated it. I know not all jobs are like that, but it’s left a terrible taste in my mouth for sure.
I’ve also been trying for years to somehow push my way into Anthropologie to develop a career in window/display design/merchandising. I’ve applied for internships as window display design interns numerous times and have either been declined for being too far away, or (later on, after graduating) not being a current student. I don’t know how to get into the business if being a current student is a requirement (unless I go to grad school). I’ll continue to harass them with self-promotion packages and letters until I finally get through. Or maybe I’m just screwed. Working on their windows is literally my dream job.
What is your dream job?
Where do you live? If you were near me, I’d hire you in a heartbeat. You’re just downright fantastic.
thanks for all your comments, guys!
maryse: thank you! i’d love to be a freelance… well, anything! i was a freelance production assistant for films when i first started college. i’d work during summer/winter and holiday breaks. i didn’t need much money to live off of back then, though, since my parents footed 99% of my bills. there’s not enough time in the day for me to be a full-time production assistant now, though. :\ the work days can go up to 12-16 hours and i have school. i’m glad you found a profession that works for you!
anna: thanks, anna. :)
i would love to work at borders/barnes & noble (i heard they’re going to merge soon. noooo!), and i’ve applied at least a dozen times to each company since high school, but i never get a call back.
you’re right, group interviews are completely demoralizing and oftentimes i feel worse for the people with degrees and decades worth of experience who have to endure these interviews alongside recent high school grads. i mean, i’ve only been out of high school for 4 years, and even i hate being asked questions in the same group as recent high school grads.
anyway, thanks for the advice, bb! :)
justine: lol, it does help knowing that i’m not alone! times are definitely hard, and it seems like it’s 10x harder in the “arts/design” realm. dramatic sigh. crossing my fingers in hopes of a financial miracle for the both of us!
lisa-marie: thank you! i’ll definitely keep an open mind when job-hunting.
josh: i wish i could be a server! so many restaurants are hiring in the area, but i’m just way too clumsy/anxious for that type of gig, i think. my friend is a server at lucille’s and she makes a killing in tips.
apple nevers gets back to me, either! and i’ve applied i dunno how many times, even when they advertise that they’re looking to hire new employees. i swear the employment gods are smiting me. maybe i have bad karma or some shit.
I LOVE ANTHROPOLOGIE AND I WOULD LOVE TO DRESS THEIR WINDOWS, TOO (i dunno if you read my first “mission: organized chaos” post, but i am obsessed with rebecca purcell because of anthro)! omg, i swear you are my male counterpart, josh.
true story: when i first began my career at fidm back in ’06, anthropologie participated in the school’s “career fair.” i ended up applying for a position as a “junior window dresser” (i believe that’s what the position was called), because i was a set design major. they wanted to hire me for the job, but fml, i had to be legal and i wouldn’t turn 18 for 4 mos! i applied time and time again after that, but only got so far as the first interview. i don’t know what it takes to get in outside of crashing a job fair. :\ if i figure it out, i’ll let you know. oh, and i dunno if you read apartment therapy, but the la edition did a piece about anthro yesterday. check ittt.
as for my future… well, i’ve wanted to be a filmmaker (writer & director) since i was about 12 or 13. after i graduated high school, i was unsure whether film direction was a good fit for me, so i went to a design school to study visual communications (which is basically a double major in costume design and set design & decoration), but i dropped out after a year because i really loathed the environment. after that, i took a year off and pretty much did p.a. work on and off during that time, trying to figure out what i wanted to do (at that point, i was still really insecure about whether or not i was fit for film directing). then i decided to enroll at a community college with plans to transfer to a university to study film and that’s where i’m at now.
i have plenty of aspirations involving film and fashion, but i think set decoration may be where i ultimately end up.
thanks for the sweet compliment. i live in los angeles. if you’re out here, too, hire me plz! i’m really clumsy and would make a crap server, but i’ve got enthusiasm if that counts for anything!
I know this is supposed to be a serious post, but I think it’s waaaaay cute! Lol.
Josh I worked at Urban Outfitters (parent company of Anthro), for two years and would have loved nothing more than to be a merchandiser. Practically anything other than a sales associate. I’m in school so really even just full time would have been grand. I can’t speak for anthro but urban is terrible if you’re part time sales. Once you crack the upper levels though it is amazing. You can go anywhere with them literally. New markets, different positions. Too bad i had to leave. =(
Ah! I wish I had found a profession that works for me… but except for the “freelance” part that I’ve got figured out, I’m still on the quest ;)
I think I’m one of the cursed one who needs constant change. A year doing the same kind of job and I want to die. I’ve been an editor for 3 years. I want to pluck my eyes.
So when my big contract finishes, it’s back to the drawing board and brainstorming businesses ideas again ;)
I’d love to hear more about what you study and your plans…
(Oh and… I’m a fashion school dropout too. There should be a song for us… like, with Frankie Avalon and all…)
I stumbled upon your blog, and this is the first post I read. But I know EXACTLY where you’re coming from, and I thought that’d I offer the super awesome tip I picked up recently: temping. I wish we could go for coffee, because I can relate so much to your story, and I bet we’d have a lot to talk about.
No, temping is not glamorous or even necessarily interesting. But a) you might be able to stop the demoralizing process of job hunting, b) you get a paid gig that might ultimately lead you to your full time job, and c) you make connections along the way. It’s a win-win-win.
I graduated from college in September. The main reason I went to school was so I could have more career options, and land a better-paid gig. HA! Not in this job market. In 2008, I moved 2,000 miles away from all of my friends and family, as well as my dream job (in television production no less), to get a degree and live in a city I love. Unfortunately, in the process, I lost a lot of my job connections. I’ve done myself a GREAT disservice when it comes to my career.
I started temping last month, because that’s how most of the college grads I know got their start at a career. It is the best thing I’ve ever done for myself. I get paid SIGNIFICANTLY more than I would working in retail. I’m making lots of connections, I’m paying the bills, and I’ve basically stopped sending out job applications (because there are few things I hate more job hunting). The staffing agency that I’m working with offers health insurance, paid vacation, and retirement. I don’t know if all companies are so generous, but mine certainly is. Like I said, I’ve only been temping for a month, and just yesterday they (ALREADY!) called me with a potential permanent position.
One of the career advisers at my college told me a ridiculous statistic once: something like 98% of all the job openings that exist in the world are never listed anywhere. I figured out why. A lot of them hire temp agencies. Everyone in my current workplace was hired through the temp agency–and I think only one of them has a college degree. Most of the employees previously had careers in retail, and since taking on their current positions, they have sworn they would never go back to retail.
I just did a Google search for temp agencies near my apartment. A lot of them have specialized niches, so you might be able to find one for your industry.
I hope that helps! Thank you being brave enough to tell your story. And from one job hunter to another, good luck!
(P.S. Sorry about the ridiculously long comment. It’s the first time in my life I’ve done this. I swear).
maryse: i’m the same way! i have such a hard time working the same job for an extended period of time, unless the job is one that involves vastly different situations on a day-to-day basis. :\ i have so much to say about my future goals, so maybe i’ll make a post about my studies and potential future career(s).
maybe we can commission the beach boys or frankie valli to sing a fashion school rendition of “beauty school dropout”? :D
callista: not sure if you’ll ever come back to read this, but thanks for the thoughtful comment! believe it or not, i’ve tried staffing agencies and the few i’ve tried are horrible at getting back to me about jobs. even when i take the initiative to contact them regularly about prospects, they give me the runaround. >:(
anyway, congrats on finding some sort of gainful employment (good luck with landing the potential permanent gig!) and if you’re in or around los angeles, lemme know what agency you use! i’d be ever so obliged. :)
[...] a few posts ago, maryse asked me about my studies and my future plans. [...]
[...] you haven’t noticed, this post marked the first and only time i posted a photo of myself on this blog (an adult photo, anyway). [...]