Paid Unemployment

I got my first unemployment check on Friday! It's a pretty decent amount, given the salary I had at my last job, so it'll keep me housed and fed for a while. I'm still looking at jobs, but I'm focusing my efforts on turning my internship into a real, paid gig.

In other news, I've started another blog: One Nerdy Thing. It's a bunch of musings on a range of nerdy topics (politics, literature, geography, etc.). Check it out, please!

Didn't want it, didn't get it; however…

Wednesday, interview day, was more than a little ridiculous. The interview was out of the city, quite a ways away for someone without a car, and it took me almost three hours just to get there using four different means of transportation (bus to underground metro to train to cab). The bus and metro are covered by my monthly pass, but the train was $6 each way and the cab (which the interviewer had told me to take from the train station) was $13 for a single ride. Therefore, I arrived at the interview out of sorts, short $25 (I had to pay upfront for both train tickets), and not really wanting the job. Therefore, my interview (two, actually), was pretty bad. I couldn't feign enough interest in the job nor could I explain why I was really there in the first place.

Determined not to pay another $13 cab fare, I decided to try to take the bus to the train station. Despite having printed directions from one of my interviewers, I couldn't figure out which side of the street to wait on. Then I realized that I only had a $20, which I couldn't use on the bus. After a number of phone calls with my dad (thanks again, Dad!), some directions from someone on the street, and well over an hour of walking, I finally made it back to the train station. The only good thing about this was that I ended up on the same train that I would have taken had I been able to catch the bus.

Late this afternoon I found out that I didn't get the job. No big surprise. I really didn't want it and it showed. However, hours after I wrote my previous post, my boss at my internship told me that she wants to make my position paid. She couldn't promise anything, nor could she promise a full-time job, but it seems promising. I plan on talking to her about it again next week and perhaps we can get the ball rolling on that.

Job Interview!

I had one yesterday. It was just an initial phone interview, but it was about 15 minutes long and it seemed to go well. That was confirmed when I got an invite for an in person interview tomorrow. This isn't necessarily my ideal job, plus it's a contract position, but at this point I need something. Plus, I'd be working for an awesome company, though, because it's a contract position, I'd actually be getting my pay and benefits from a different company.

This is exciting because I could get a job offer, but also because if that happened, I'd have some leverage at my internship, where I really want to work. I feel that my work at the internship should be a real job, one they pay me for; if I get a job offer elsewhere, I can go in and say, "Look, you keep telling me what a great job I'm doing and you don't want me to leave. I've got a job offer elsewhere, but if you can give me a an equal or better offer, I'll stay here." (I won't say that exactly, but that's the gist.)

In other news, I'm keeping grad school as an option, so I'm going to a grad school fair next week. I want to see what's out there so I can make an informed decision. We'll see how this all shakes out.

I have filed for unemployment benefits

What with my last paycheck having arrived two weeks ago and my immediate prospects looking slim, I decided to go ahead and apply for unemployment benefits today. It was a pretty simple process, all things considered, and with any luck, I should start receiving benefits in a couple of weeks. When one signs up for benefits, California requires one to register with CalJobs. So I did. There wasn't much, but I saw a position for a concierge post at one of the top hotels in the city and decided to apply. They have an extensive online application, which I began on right away; when I got about half of the way through, I decided to break for lunch and fill out the rest later.

Fast forward a couple of hours: I just got an e-mail from the hotel saying:

Thank you for your interest in [Name Hidden] Hotels and Resorts. We have received your application for the position of Concierge (Job ########) at The [Name of Hotel] and regret to inform you that we are not able to offer you a position at this time.

What the heck? I hadn't even completed the application. I thought that meant that it hadn't been submitted and that, therefore, no one would look at it. I don't understand. Do you?

What do you make of this?

I saw this job posting on Craigslist today and I'm really curious about the part I bolded. I have no idea what this company does, so it could mean a lot of different things.


Immediate opening for an Operations / Administrative Assistant.

Join a fast paced, online network of media related web properties, including a top 300 global image host. Your role will be to take ownership over a wide range of tasks, including but not limited to:

- Content Review (Please note: Must be comfortable with "not safe for work" content.)
- Time Sensitive Requests
- Website Support Emails


Requirements:

- Ability to follow instructions, be pro-active with a "can-do" attitude
- Strong common sense and the ability to work independently
- Detail-oriented (a must!)
- Must be able to multi-task and be a team player
- Positive and flexible attitude and the ability to shift gears quickly
- Excellent computer skills including Microsoft Word, Excel, Email, etc.
- Professional and strong communication skills

To be considered for this position, please send your resume and cover letter in Word format with "Operations / Administrative Assistant" in the subject line. Please no attachments.

No Mo' FSO

First off, I want to apologize to *Ily and Lanafactrix who have both left some great comments on my blog. You see, blogger is supposed to e-mail me when somebody comments on a post and it didn't. I just discovered your wonderful bits of advice and wish that I'd read them earlier.

Now, I have one potentially big piece of bad news: my current application to the Foreign Service will go no further. I got an e-mail today from the State Department saying that I will not be interviewing with them for a job. The reason I say potentially bad news is that I'm not sure I'm upset about it. Sure, I would have loved to have the honor of having a job with the State Department, but I don't want to do something for which I'm unprepared.

In other news, I applied for a completely different kind of job: a sales associate position at a national chain of cooking stores. It's part-time, so even if I did get it, it wouldn't be ideal; however, with the holiday season coming up, there's probably the potential for a significant number of hours.

Also, I saw my manager from my last retail job on Friday. After telling her my current situation, she told me that if I'm still looking for a job come October/November, she might hire me for extra help during the holiday season. She and I both hope that I have a "real" job before then, but if I need it, it's nice to know that's a possibility.

Off to apply for more jobs!

Didn't get that one either

Almost two months ago, I found a job posting for an assistant director of admissions opening at my high school. It was an ideal job, so I applied immediately and kept my fingers crossed. Aside from hearing that they'd received my application, I got nothing from them. The curious part was that the ad said they wanted to hire by August 15; however, for weeks after that date, the job was still on their website.

Until today. Oh well. Another one bites the dust.

I did get a bit of hope today, though: I overheard my boss at my internship and a co-worker talking about how they're going to need to hire someone else soon, as there's simply too much work for the current staff to do. Maybe I'll be able to get a job there…

No Regrets

Three years ago this weekend, at a friend's Labor Day Weekend/Burning Man party, I promised myself that I would do whatever I could to eliminate the word 'regret' from my vocabulary. I had spent too many months, years perhaps, regretting my choice of major in college (theater) and the fact that I had gone to Europe for a month, leaving behind many open job applications.

Since that party, I've been doing a pretty good job at staying positive and living in the present. I got a great job that lasted for two years, found a wonderful boyfriend, made some wonderful new friends, and a position in an excellent women's vocal ensemble. However, my roommate moving out unexpectedly, the economy tanking, and my job ending have brought me closer to my mental state of three years ago than I care to be. Sure, I still have all of the aforementioned positive changes, but I don't have the direction/purpose that I wish I had.

I realize that there are probably millions of people like me out there. I know lots of people of all ages who still don't know what to do with their lives. Unfortunately, those things don't give me any solace. I'm finding myself once more wondering what my life would be like now had I majored in politics or history or created some combination major in college. Would I still be in San Francisco? What would I be doing? Would I have gone to grad school? If so, what would I have studied?

The first two weeks of my internship have given me more motivation than ever to go to graduate school—for international studies, demography, geography, or something of the sort—than I've ever had, and yet I still have the Foreign Service to consider. If I make it through the process, I won't be able to go to grad school, at least not yet. If I get an interview, it'll be in the next six months or so, the same time I would need to apply for schools, were I to start in Fall 2010. However, I'm not going to know if I've made it that far for at least another month, which is valuable time when one considers that I don't have any letters of recommendation, nor have I taken the GRE.

As anyone who's spent more than a few minutes around me probably knows, I like to have a plan. As I said to my roommate (the new one, who's great, by the way) last night, I like to have a plan even if all I'm going to be doing is sitting at home all evening. Therefore, this whole not having a plan for the next month let alone the next year and beyond is rather daunting. I'm trying to take it one day at a time, but now that I am officially without a paycheck and health insurance, I'm becoming more angsty by the minute. Why else would I be posting on my blog at 1:12 in the morning?

If you've read this far and have any advice, please do pass it on. Thanks.

Nope, nada, no, who knows, and an internship

This has been an odd month. I had an interview for one of the high school admissions jobs, but I didn't get it, ultimately, because there was an applicant who knew their database much better than I do (I don't know it at all, though I'm sure I would have caught on quickly enough). I've heard nothing from the other job besides the original receipt of my application. I e-mailed them two weeks after I initially sent in my materials, just to re-express my interest, but I still never heard anything. Urg. I would really, really like that job.

The job doing community organizing received over one hundred applications. Needless to say, I'm not in the running, as I have no real experience in that area. I think I could do it really well, but there are tens more who they can get to do it even better.

I've been urged by a certain someone to pursue my interest in botany. As it happened, there was an entry level, albeit part-time, position at the local science museum that would have been perfect for going down the botany path. The museum uses an online job application that many of the local museums and cultural organizations use, and so I filled it out to the best of my ability and sent it in. I never heard anything and I discovered today the the position is no longer posted on their website.

However, after all of this, there is a bit of good news: I have an internship at the World Affairs Council of San Francisco! I called upon a connection I had there—what good are connections if you don't make something of them?—and she put my resume in the hands of the right people. I started on Monday, and have been doing all of the social media marketing for them. It's great experience and I'm going to be even more knowledgeable about world affairs to boot! Now, if only I could convince them to turn my position into paying job…

Statistics

I may have just posted (something like 20 minutes ago), but I just read this highly interesting and intriguing article in the New York Times. In "For Today's Graduate, Just One Word: Statistics" reporter Steve Lohr writes about how statistics is fast becoming a highly desirable occupation. In the Internet age, many companies are doing whatever they can to increase site hits, search speed, and so much more.

I've always been a bit obsessed with statistics, specifically population and weather, but anything will do. I took classes in statistics in both high school and college, though I never went any further with it. What I liked about studying this particular branch of math is that it is applicable to just about everything. I'm interested in so many different things. Perhaps this is the way to link to everything I enjoy while still being focused on one particular subject? Time to investigate statistics programs.

Community Organizing

Another possible avenue? I found a job posting yesterday afternoon on Craigslist for a local organization that is responsible for the greenification (is that a word?) of San Francisco. I've known about them for a long, long time and it would be great to work with them. Basically, the job would entail finding people who want to plant trees and people to help plant. Good cause. Great group. We'll see.

I think I have to go see this

I've watched the trailer for Post Grad a couple of times now. I'm interested because it stars Alexis Bledel, aka Rory from Gilmore Girls, but also because I think her character might keep a blog such as this. I sincerely doubt this movie's going to be nominated for any Oscars, but I plan on seeing it anyway.

Must Be Willing to Travel

I found a job posting today for a job I would love—recruiting students to study abroad; however, the ad says, "The ideal candidate must be a road warrior and willing to travel both daily and overnight for up 75%​ of the time." I have a few problems with this: a) I have a weekly commitment nine to ten months of the year that cannot be missed; b) I've watched a few friends of mine try to make jobs that require a lot of travel work with their non-work lives, and it usually ends up with tension, tears, and tiredness; c) I can't imagine being away from home and those I love for that much time; and d) I can't drive.

I would love to have a job that involved a little bit of travel—say one or two week-long (or shorter, ideally) trips a year—but I don't think I'm cut out for a job that requires one spend 75% of the time on the road.

Have any of you had jobs that required you to travel? If not, would you want one? If you have, would you do it again?

High School Admissions?

I don't know if anyone's still reading this, seeing as I haven't posted in three weeks; however, I just saw a commercial for Julia & Julia (which I can't wait to see), and it inspired me to blog again.

I have turned in my short essay answers that comprise phase two of the Foreign Service Officer application, so now I have to wait until October to find out if I make it to stage three (the interview). Keep your fingers crossed for me.

In the mean time, I've applied for two more jobs, both with high school admissions offices. The first is at my own high school, but I've not heard anything from them in almost two weeks. I'm not sure if anything is going to come of it. Fortunately, I have a couple of connections at the other job, and I only applied for it last Friday, so maybe something will happen there.

I posted my resume on Monster and Career Builder, but I don't think those sites are going to get me anywhere. I've been contacted a few times by people who've seen my resume, but they have only offered insurance positions. If I wanted to make a lot of money and I didn't care how, I would have jumped on these opportunities, but I don't. It's that simple.

The clock's ticking. The last of my pay from my old job—as well as my benefits—come on August 31st. I really need to find something soon.

Two Weeks of Serious Indecisiveness

First off, I never heard back about the editing job. Oh well. Given that it was the first job for which I applied in this job search, I'm really not that surprised.

Second, I haven't written anything in the last two weeks because I haven't been able to decide on the topic for a post—that's how bad it is. Sure, I'm blessed to have the option of this indecision. I'm still being paid by my old job, I've got the support of my family if I need it, and I've got some money saved; however, it would be so nice to just wake up one morning and think, "I know! I'll be a ________!"

Recent jobs that I've considered are:
• pastry chef
I think I would really enjoy being a pastry chef or a baker, but that would involve going back to school. Then again, once I came out, I could probably find a job pretty darn easily. Everyday there are pastry chef positions being advertised on Craigslist.

• botanist
I'm really interested in plants, but how would I make this a viable career option? I do have a former botany professor on whom I could call, so if this keeps seeming like something I might want to do, I'll ask her for advice.

• museum docent/conservator
Living in San Francisco, there is no shortage of museums to attend. I have memberships to a number of them, and enjoy going as often as I can. I have bookmarked the job sites of all the museums at which I'd like to work, and will apply for anything for which I'm qualified.

• photo journalist
This because of an extremely interesting exhibit I saw at the Museum of Modern Art. It's called "The Americans" and it's a collection of all the photos used in a landmark book by photographer Robert Frank that was published exactly 50 years ago. Looking at all of his photos of ordinary Americans doing, by in large, very ordinary things, made me want to create my own study, but of San Francisco. Would someone want to pay me for this? I guess it's worth finding out.

I PASSED!

Even though I still need to find a job to start before the end of August (when I stop getting paychecks (and benefits) from my current job), I learned this morning that I passed the Foreign Service Officer Test! There are still more hoops to jump through, but I'm going to take them one at a time and do my best for each. If I make it all the way, I'll be super excited and ready for whatever they want to throw at me. If I don't, I'll find something else to do with my life.

Editing

As the daughter of two editors, you could say that editing is in my blood. I've worked on many newspapers, newsletters, and other publications over the years, but I never planned to go into journalism (as they did) or any other profession that would require me to be an editor as my primary job.

However, a job post on Craigslist made me reconsider this position. Today I'm applying for a job as a "publications assistant" at a science journal. I actually really want this job, so wish me luck!

I Like Maps

A lot. I always have. When I was a little kid and my friends were drawing puppies and kitties, I was sitting with my dad in front of an atlas copying national flags (to the best of my ability). When I got to middle school, I loved International Night and all the mapping activities we did to prepare for it; I also (unintentionally) tortured my French teacher by asking her to tell me the French name of every country in Europe. In seventh grade, I was the only one excited about the prospect of memorizing the location of every country in Africa and the only one who wasn't distressed when Zaire became The Democratic Republic of the Congo two days before the test. By high school I had learned to channel this interest into learning world history. A special topics course in South Asian History determined my college choices, as I decided that I needed to major in anthropology and minor in history at a school that had a study abroad program in Sri Lanka.

I've been searching for a way to apply this interest and knowledge for a long time. I thought the Foreign Service might be a way to channel it—and it may be—but it's going to be a few more weeks before I find out whether I even passed the test, let alone make it through all of the interviews and training to work abroad. Yesterday I decided to look through City College's course catalog and see what they had to offer in the way of geography. Sadly, the class I am most interested in taking is at exactly the same time as my weekly Musae rehearsal; however, there is an Introduction to GIS class at a much better time. I didn't know what GIS was, so I looked it up. It stands for Geographic Information Systems. Rather than ramble on about it here, check out the GIS website if you want to know more.

I did some further research to determine what careers could come from this training and found that GIS can be applied to just about anything. Perhaps I could combine my interests in demography and statistics with GIS…

Typeface-nerd seeks layout job

What does one do with a love of typefaces (fonts) and layout? I always wanted to design my own, but I'm not sure I have the creativity to make one on my own. Instead, I must content myself with those made by more talented people. I'm partial to serif typefaces, though I've come to realize that anything meant to be viewed online looks better in sans-serif. Really though, as long as I avoid Comic Sans and Helvetica, I'm fine. (Oh, and Papyrus too.)

I think I would enjoy working at a magazine or newspaper doing layout—as I used to do in school—but the newspaper industry is dying* and many magazines have their own troubles. A book publisher would be nice, but where does one begin to find a job laying out books? Would I need to go back to school in order to be deemed worthy of such a position?

Another thing to consider is the purpose of the magazine/book on which I might be working. As cool as it would be to have a job like this, I don't know if I could stomach working at Seventeen or Us Weekly. Would I eliminate too many potential positions if I had content standards for the material being published?

Classic Liberal Arts Grad

I'm the classic liberal arts college graduate: I've plenty of things in which I'm interested, but no idea which one I should pursue as a career. I majored in theatre (yes, I like to spell it the British way) and minored in anthropology, education, and history. I sang in Chorale and Chamber Singers and held three different positions on the school newspaper staff (copy-editor, news editor, and editor-in-chief). I worked in the theatre scene shop, the alumnae office, and the study abroad office.

In addition, I'm a geography nerd, I love board games, and I can't make it through the day without doing a crossword or some sort of Japanese logic puzzle. I took French for seven years (though I don't remember a whole lot of it, save the pronunciation) and Russian for one (I was bored the year after college).

So what am I to do with my life? I just spent the last two years as a second grade teacher and have determined that being a classroom teacher is not right for me. I took the Foreign Service Officer Test last week, but who knows if I'll pass (the test is really hard). I worked retail for a while right after college and that didn't fit my personality. All that I do know is that I'm interested in a wide variety of things and that there must be some job out there that would make me happy.

Starting tomorrow, I will be posting my job idea of the day. Some will be more practical than others. Some may be real jobs I've found on Craigslist. If you know of a job opening in San Francisco or have background information about any of the jobs I post, please let me know.