Seeking employment, job-hunting, answering ad’s, hitting the pavement. Many people, including myself are unemployed, seeking work. I had once scoffed at the process, but since I have been looking to no avail, I wonder to myself, ” who’s laughing now?”   I had decided to utilize the many job sites strewn all over the web. Now before i signed up for all the job sites i spent a good two hours on that god forsaken windows program tweaking my resume and correcting my contact information. I saved it finally and began the registration process for all the sites I had saved to my favorites. The registration includes about twenty boxes. You have to fill in your name, your address, phone number, e-mail, a user name, a password, am I a veteran, am I a student, did I eat breakfast…and at the end is an option to upload your resume. Jackpot! I browse into my files and click “download”. It takes a minute but there in the largest box of all is my resume. My resume but all jacked up, lines everywhere, huge spaces. Well so much for Windows and I fix the copy. I save my new profile settings and begin registering for the next one. Same steps, and yes, i did this ten times before i began the search. Also, yes. I did have to fix my resume each time.

Some websites had very general search engines, asking what job title you want, and a location. Others had quite extensive engines asking shift preference, hours desired, or within what distance from your home you wanted. In general all the sites had work. Some had  more or less, but they all had some. I saw many jobs I could do and I honestly have no idea how many times I hit “apply now”.I do know that the worst ones had yet the same questionnaire I had already filled in to join the job sites. The days became blurs, the hours counted in applications and jacked up resume copies. I mean honestly, why even have uploading an option if it reformats what you spent hours formatting??? grrr… I eventually ended up cutting and pasting tiny sections (because you can’t just copy all of it for some messed up reason..)of my resume to notebook, I am successful. I have now an inbox full of messages reading, “application received.” I then commence waiting, waiting and anxiously checking my e-mail. But nothing, not a damn thing. I bet it was a few days, despite the way time seemed to drag before I had a glimmer of hope. An inbox message, subject “your resume”. Jackpot! I clicked on the message. My eyes flew down the message taking it in…. Guaranteed Success, Free Training, Start Immediately!! But wait, what job was this? I wonder, scrolling back up… ahh here we go.. “Your resume was selected because of your lack of experience in sales. Recent openings in a nationwide company are now available. This isn’t a cold call sales job, our customers have been established through us for years.” Wait, what, MY LACK OF WHAT? Twice, and it still said lack of experience… I was curious. I totally googled it. It was a for real insurance company I had heard of, and they had a nice website. I called the number from the job offer e-mail, spoke to a nice lady who scheduled me an interview.

Now I looked really professional when I went, I wanted to look the part, and I waited twenty minutes before the interviewer came out for me. I won’t bore you with the details of this interview, I can’t, I was letting my mind wander freely. My minds eye version of the interview involved surfing and the beach. What it boiled down to was I would have to get licensed to do this job. If i did that, I was hired. This seemed like a good money making opportunity, except that I am job hunting to pay for college already and I have some college done, why pay instead to start something else, something new? I turned down the job offer. What a total waste of make up. Trying to stay encouraged, I filled in even more online tiny boxes of information, and submitted my applications. I ended up getting a call for an interview at a Taco Bell. I did really well at the interview, but when they ran a background check, they found something. Turns out a ticket I got and fought and won, I might add, was still on my public record. It took me four phone calls to get a copy of the deposition sent to me. It did not matter I had had the ticket dismissed, and could prove it. I had checked the “no” box stating I had no record. No exceptions. What amazed me is that Taco Bell doesn’t wish to employ me due to a driving ticket. Last time I ate at Taco Bell, I hadn’t noticed the workers doing any driving in there. Maybe in the back, by the dish-tank, they have a racetrack or something. I can’t see whatever other reason there could be for a pristine driving record. So by now I am disgruntled, and ready to give up on electronic applications. I had doubt now about the net,  in fact it seemed the net had failed me. I found the job I had before online, and then it had been so simple. I reflected on that, and recalled I had responded to an ad on Craigslist. I hadn’t used it since it became such a prostitution problem, and it was like ehhh Craigslist, ew. But, I rationalize with my self, I did once, find work there. Like a fiend, I was on their site searching. The trouble with Craigslist is that each day new ads get placed and bump the others down, so you have to look back a bit. I got lucky, the first ad I saw was for a job identical to one I had up north. So I inquire as to whether my qualifications and credentials are applicable for this position. My licence is from Michigan, I now live in North Carolina.

It was just the next day I had an answer. Applications were being accepted at this location, directions are as follows. So this seems promising, and it pays really well. I have a good feeling, and decide to go get an application. After following the wrong directions we find the place, and in I walk. I ask the receptionist for an application and she says, “No.”  I totally gape at her. “No applications after 3:30 pm.” Okay, I can have it back when they open in the morning. “No applications given out, they have to be filled out in here.” Ahhh crap. I can only imagine the reason behind this policy. Perhaps someone had been illiterate and wound up with the job? Or really hard on the eyes? Might even be that companies want to see how many hoops you will jump through to get the job. Turns out I am more than willing to jump through hoops. Maybe the circus is my calling…and my high school counselor would be appaled. I distinctly remember her telling me not to join a circus, I was much too smart for that. I am doing a few part time gigs, none of them high paying, and I still have not landed a full time position that would give Mom bragging rites at her bridge game. I am also all done with internet job sites, Back to the good ol fashioned “hitting the streets”, with resumes printed up neatly in a folder, ready to be dispersed.

I start local, hopeful for no major commute. Keep in mind I live in a tiny town. It honestly has one stop light, one grocery store, one subway, one (new) pizza place, two dollar stores, and oddly enough, four gas stations. The next larger city is about twenty minutes away. No where up town was hiring, so I ventured out. I looked for hiring signs, and walked in to fill out applications. More little boxes ot be filled in. damnit. I actually missed the cut and paste option on my laptop, ahh the good old days… Hey snap out of it, you are in a place filling out applications. It is getting to the point I can recall even the addresses to every job i ever had. I applied even to places without signs, asking them to keep my application on file. Any time I am out, wherever I go for the next week I fill out applications. Something has got to happen, anyday now. I can not help but feel frustrated and angry. This is a right to work state, I have an outstanding work history, I have credentials, I had no troubles finding work when I first moved down, what the hell?????

One Saturday morning Mel knocks at my door. “Phone call for Diane,” we laugh, (my name is not Diane) and I take the phone. Turns out a month ago I answered an ad online. (APPLY NOW) remember? The company was getting ready to open soon and wanted to offer me a position. I had an interview today, it was one of those good ones, where the hiring person is saying things like, “If you accept our job offer, or you would have these benifits. It all sounded real good. I think I will take this offer. Then call my mom.  I wonder, who is laughing now….

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