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Job Hunt 2008: Long, exhausting day pounding the pavement
So, I got up this morning, showered and dressed in my suit and tie, and prepared to go to my weekly meeting with my DVR counselor.
And just as I was ready to head out the door, I got an email from her office, saying she was unexpectedly out today.
Oh well. I'm already up and dressed to the nines anyway, so I might as well make the best of it!
Before heading out, though, I discovered a new announcement on the WWU job listing web page for a temporary, half-time office assistant in the College of Fine and Performing Arts. I'll take it! I quickly tailored a cover letter to the job, and assembled a resume package (I do NICE resume packages, very slick, very professional), which I had planned to drop off when I was on campus in the afternoon.
So I take the bus downtown. First stop: The shirt laundry, to drop off one of my two dress shirts to be laundered and starched, and one of my pairs of dress slacks repaired, which had split up the seat seam. Ack! My ass is so fat...
Next, it was on to Manpower, and as I limped down the sidewalk, I ran into David Brunnemer, my disAbility counselor from WWU. We had a short, pleasant chat about job hunting, then I continued on to the temp agency.
I went into Manpower with the express purpose of showing my face. I figured, even though I religiously call them every week, it would be nice for a change to pop in and remind them in person that I was available for clerical/office temp work, and I was getting kind of desperate. They said there was still not much available, because of the economy... *sigh*
Then I went to WorkSource, the state's unemployment offices, and used their computer to print out fresh copies of my resume, dependable strength reports, letters of recommendation, etc. I have a printer at home, but I'm running low on ink and am broke, so I figured I'd use the state's dime for these.
Next, I stopped by Ted's, to drop off the video he wanted to borrow from me ("The God Who Wasn't There"), and then headed over to the downtown bus depot. Along the way, I saw Catherine, my former DVR caseworker (the one before Debbie). We were on opposite sides of the street, so it was just a wave and shouted "Hi!" but it was good for her to see me dressed up and out looking for work. Especially since she's the one who approves my work clothing purchase vouchers.
I hopped on the bus, and went all the way over to the Guide Meridian (which doesn't have good bus service on it -- the busiest street in Bellingham, and there's almost no bus service! Go figure.), and hobbled over to Express Employment Professionals, another temp agency that I registered with three months ago, but had never heard a word from. The one time I had called them, they had essentially told me, "don't call us, we'll call you," which is really strange for an employment agency.
This time, I asked to meet with the supervisor who handles office/clerical jobs (I can't handle the industrial/general labour jobs, because of my knees and feet). She came out an met me -- the first time we've actually met face-to-face. It was Debbie's idea that I do that, to prod them, because otherwise, I was just a resume and application to her. At least now, she knows my face! So she looked over my resume and portfolio, and tried to find me on the computer system... and couldn't. She said she knew I was in there somewhere, but she couldn't find my record! Is that why they haven't been calling? *sigh* I swear I think my application got put into File 13 when I submitted it right after I graduated.
In any case, she said she'd see what she could do. It's hard for me to aggressively sell myself like that, but I desperately need a job.
Then I limped back to the bus station (several blocks away), and hopped a bus to the University. As the day went on, it kept getting darker and grayer and yuckier. Ugh, I hate Bellingham in December. According to the Old Farmer's Almanac, by the time the solstice gets here later this month, the sun will be setting at 4:17 pm. Bleah. The Light Box is getting a lot of use now, and it's time to put up the Yule lights!
Anyway, I was intending to go to the food bank next -- I even brought my bags with me -- but the bus service to Meridian was so sloooooow (I wish WTA had an express bus from downtown to Cordata Station) that I wasn't able to make it to the food bank before they closed. I'll have to do that Wednesday, and eat potatoes between now and then. Fortunately I'll be getting food stamps later this week, also. I'm gonna splurge!
When I got to WWU, I went to the Career Services Center, and explained that I graduated in August, and had been trying to find a job on my own (with no success), and asked for an appointment with a counselor. I'm meeting with her tomorrow at 11 am.
And I hopped the bus home, forgetting to drop the application for the part-time office assistant job in campus mail. AAAAAGH! I'll have to do that when I go back on campus in the morning.
Finally, at 4:30, I hobbled home, exhausted from all the pavement pounding, and my foot hurting from all the walking. It was a long day, but at least it felt productive.
And just as I was ready to head out the door, I got an email from her office, saying she was unexpectedly out today.
Oh well. I'm already up and dressed to the nines anyway, so I might as well make the best of it!
Before heading out, though, I discovered a new announcement on the WWU job listing web page for a temporary, half-time office assistant in the College of Fine and Performing Arts. I'll take it! I quickly tailored a cover letter to the job, and assembled a resume package (I do NICE resume packages, very slick, very professional), which I had planned to drop off when I was on campus in the afternoon.
So I take the bus downtown. First stop: The shirt laundry, to drop off one of my two dress shirts to be laundered and starched, and one of my pairs of dress slacks repaired, which had split up the seat seam. Ack! My ass is so fat...
Next, it was on to Manpower, and as I limped down the sidewalk, I ran into David Brunnemer, my disAbility counselor from WWU. We had a short, pleasant chat about job hunting, then I continued on to the temp agency.
I went into Manpower with the express purpose of showing my face. I figured, even though I religiously call them every week, it would be nice for a change to pop in and remind them in person that I was available for clerical/office temp work, and I was getting kind of desperate. They said there was still not much available, because of the economy... *sigh*
Then I went to WorkSource, the state's unemployment offices, and used their computer to print out fresh copies of my resume, dependable strength reports, letters of recommendation, etc. I have a printer at home, but I'm running low on ink and am broke, so I figured I'd use the state's dime for these.
Next, I stopped by Ted's, to drop off the video he wanted to borrow from me ("The God Who Wasn't There"), and then headed over to the downtown bus depot. Along the way, I saw Catherine, my former DVR caseworker (the one before Debbie). We were on opposite sides of the street, so it was just a wave and shouted "Hi!" but it was good for her to see me dressed up and out looking for work. Especially since she's the one who approves my work clothing purchase vouchers.
I hopped on the bus, and went all the way over to the Guide Meridian (which doesn't have good bus service on it -- the busiest street in Bellingham, and there's almost no bus service! Go figure.), and hobbled over to Express Employment Professionals, another temp agency that I registered with three months ago, but had never heard a word from. The one time I had called them, they had essentially told me, "don't call us, we'll call you," which is really strange for an employment agency.
This time, I asked to meet with the supervisor who handles office/clerical jobs (I can't handle the industrial/general labour jobs, because of my knees and feet). She came out an met me -- the first time we've actually met face-to-face. It was Debbie's idea that I do that, to prod them, because otherwise, I was just a resume and application to her. At least now, she knows my face! So she looked over my resume and portfolio, and tried to find me on the computer system... and couldn't. She said she knew I was in there somewhere, but she couldn't find my record! Is that why they haven't been calling? *sigh* I swear I think my application got put into File 13 when I submitted it right after I graduated.
In any case, she said she'd see what she could do. It's hard for me to aggressively sell myself like that, but I desperately need a job.
Then I limped back to the bus station (several blocks away), and hopped a bus to the University. As the day went on, it kept getting darker and grayer and yuckier. Ugh, I hate Bellingham in December. According to the Old Farmer's Almanac, by the time the solstice gets here later this month, the sun will be setting at 4:17 pm. Bleah. The Light Box is getting a lot of use now, and it's time to put up the Yule lights!
Anyway, I was intending to go to the food bank next -- I even brought my bags with me -- but the bus service to Meridian was so sloooooow (I wish WTA had an express bus from downtown to Cordata Station) that I wasn't able to make it to the food bank before they closed. I'll have to do that Wednesday, and eat potatoes between now and then. Fortunately I'll be getting food stamps later this week, also. I'm gonna splurge!
When I got to WWU, I went to the Career Services Center, and explained that I graduated in August, and had been trying to find a job on my own (with no success), and asked for an appointment with a counselor. I'm meeting with her tomorrow at 11 am.
And I hopped the bus home, forgetting to drop the application for the part-time office assistant job in campus mail. AAAAAGH! I'll have to do that when I go back on campus in the morning.
Finally, at 4:30, I hobbled home, exhausted from all the pavement pounding, and my foot hurting from all the walking. It was a long day, but at least it felt productive.