Why pride sucks, or "I should be happy to have a job at all."

[Mercule]

Well, I was unemployed for a year, and now I have a cool job.

Ditto. Thirteen months to the day, including two Christmases. Barely scraped by for that year, but I ended up getting about a 30% raise out of the deal.

 

[S'mon]

Ditto. Thirteen months to the day, including two Christmases. Barely scraped by for that year, but I ended up getting about a 30% raise out of the deal.

Yeah, I went from a bit over £24K pre-redundancy (in a job I didn't much like) to £32K in the new job (which I do like). The bit in between sucked though, esp for my wife who was supporting us both. Hundreds of applications, couldn't even get temping work.

 

[Ao the Overkitty]

I'm in pretty much the same situation, Ryan, cept I work stock at nights. Pride sucks. There are days when I hate myself and my job so much I want to just stay home and ignore the world. But, that doesn't pay the bills and I'm too reliable to pull that crap.

It isn't a terrible job, since the people I work with are okay. And I don't really have to deal with customers, which is a plus. But the scheduling of plans is indeed really hard and, while I can request days off, they often ignore them and I have to fight tooth and nail if I actually want those days off. They've taken to a new game of reducing my hours and shortchanging my paycheck. Since I'm night crew, it is really hard for me to get in while the store manager is there to correct the paycheck problem.

But, at least I've got money coming in, no matter how much i look down upon my own situation.

 

[Angcuru]

Out of curiosity, RW, what level of college degree do you have? Associates? BA?

'Cause I've noticed in my job searches that to get a decent job outside of being highly skilled a particular trade (at least in my area), one has to have at least one Bachelor's Degree. :\

 

[coffeeswiller]

Typically it is a good idea to call them back a few days after an interview to ask how things are progressing. If nothing else it shows your interest in the position.

One thing I was told by a person working in the employment department here (Oregon) said that it's a good idea to send a Thank You card after receiving an interview. This supposedly lets them know you want the job, you're 'professional', gives them an additional point of reference to differentiate yourself from others and makes it more likely that they'll contact you afterwards. I don't know how well it works from personal experience, but I've told friends who have seemed to have luck with it.

Randy

 

[WayneLigon]

Now that is true.

Typically it is a good idea to call them back a few days after an interview to ask how things are progressing. If nothing else it shows your interest in the position.

I am convinced this is the reason that I've gotten the jobs I've applied for. I would call them back after a week to inquire. Every single time I did that, I was offered the job.

 

[The_lurkeR]

I am convinced this is the reason that I've gotten the jobs I've applied for. I would call them back after a week to inquire. Every single time I did that, I was offered the job.

This has worked out well for me as well.

 

[BiggusGeekus]

RW,

You're doing the smart thing and taking the grocery store job. This frees you up to look. I have known plenty of people who felt that their degree means they are automatically entitled to a $15+/hour job. It doesn't and that's a hard thing to get over especially when you have a boss who lucked into his job during the 90s bubble.

I had to tend bar while guys who literally knew nothing about computer programming were filling up the slots I was trying for. What got me through it was trying to be the best bartender I could, keep looking for work, and studying programming so I could retain my skills and do well in interviews. Any other strategy was self defeating.

It can be hard to stay positive. But over the years I've noticed that physically working out and keeping a postitive mental attiude served me every bit as well in life as my technical skills. All three are vital.

Just my two cents.

 

[barsoomcore]

Lessee... yeah, there was that time I got promised a forestry job (tree spacing) in central BC and ended up stuck in Prince George without a penny to my name, not even enough for bus fare home.

I took a job as a telephone sales person -- selling (no kidding) SIDES OF BEEF to backwoodspeople OVER THE TELEPHONE. It was a nightmare. I mean, it was utter madness and the people were crazy people and the place stank and it was truly, truly foul.

In three weeks I'd made three hundred dollars and got my ticket the heck outa PG. Man...

Or there was the dishwasher job at a greasy Italian restaurant where the cooks smoked -- at the counter! It was so gross I don't know how to describe it.

Or there was security guard work -- $5/hour to sit at a postal plant beseiged by striking postal workers from midnight to nine AM. I didn't have enough money for bus fare (are we sensing a pattern?) so I had to walk back and forth. In Calgary winter, that's seven kinds of fun, no kidding.

Ryan, you've got a job you don't like. And is paying you crap. And it'll drive you crazy. But you know what? It's just one more piece in the big puzzle that is you. Bad jobs are good stories.

Read some Henry Miller about his life in Paris. He had a pretty crappy job, too, and he wrote Tropic of Cancer. While having wild sex with Anais Nin. It could happen to you.

Well, I think Anais is dead now. But you know what I mean.

 

[Wycen]

I feel your pain though I guess I'm luckier. I took a job at a place I don't like. I interviewed with them last year and after the interview I didn't bother to follow up cause the 2 people in the interview besides myself just rubbed me the wrong way, along with it being a bait and switch setup, "oh we don't have that position, but..."

Low and behold 7 months later I get a call from them and an offer for a temp job. The manager called only because my dad bumped into her somewhere and heard her complain about needing somebody and he suggested me.

So I swallowed my pride and took the job. A month later they offered a permanent position. I felt I pretty much had no choice but to accept, despite the fact during that month I knew what I was getting myself into and even my coworkers all openly complained and did their best to convince me to stay away, (whenever the boss was gone).

Hell, one of the girls even quit a few weeks ago, so I'm now 3rd most senior!