TESC Living Expense Loans

[Derek]

Derek,

I agree with what has already said, but want to add a few more comments. I'm sorry that you're so young to see how difficult life is, but it is TOUGH. There are a few things to keep in mind. If you're applying to so many places and not getting a job, you may be doing something wrong. Yes the economy is tough right now, but you should be getting some sort of response. Most communities have non-profit organizations that will offer career coaching and resume advice. My personal advice would be to have people that you know and trust look over your resume. I've even seen a resume posted here on the forum for review.

When you apply for a job, don't just fill out an application and hand it to whoever happens to be around. Ask for the store manager. Make sure that you're wearing the nicest outfit you have. Wear a suit.. even if you're applying to wash dishes or clean toilets. Shake the manager's hand and ask if he/she has a moment to talk. If not, see if they'll set up an appointment with you or ask for their name and their permission to call them back in a few days to follow up. Make an impression. They will see a bunch of other applicants, but you should stand out and be the very most professional person they should see all month. If you don't have the money for nice clothing or a suit, you can check at your local goodwill, non-profit career center, or even the local church. If you speak to a pastor at a church in a nicer part of town, I bet you can find someone who is willing to donate an old suit.

If you still can't find work like this, you can go to companies that you want to work for and offer to work for free or intern until you can prove your skills. If you still can't find anything, then at the very least get a one-night-a-week volunteer job so that at least you have SOMETHING on your resume. Yes it is harder to get a job when you don't already have one. That's not fair, but it's true, however, there are tons of really interesting volunteer jobs that will look amazing on your resume. Go to VolunteerMatch - Where Volunteering Begins and find something really cool. Once you've got some great experience under your belt, even if it's working for free, getting a real job will be much easier.

Also please PLEASE don't make the mistake of thinking that a degree will ease all of your troubles. A degree won't do much for you other than check off the "degree required" box on the job description. Most decent jobs, even entry-level positions want to see that you have real experience in a related field before they'll hire you. Again, this is where volunteering comes in. I feel so strongly about this that I have done it myself and my older kids are also doing it. My year as a volunteer in a hospital ended up getting me a substantial raise because it set me apart from other people at my old company. No it wasn't glamorous or fun. I did it every single Friday night and believe me, I had a million other things to be doing, but it paid off and then some.

So... sorry for the "mom" type lecture. I do have 5 kids and tend to spend a fair amount of time trying to prepare them for the real world. It's hard for me to lose the mom hat Life seriously is tough as you know and it doesn't get much easier with a degree, so you'll need to prepare.

burbuja

P.S. Have you looked into telemarketing or cold-calling B2B jobs? There are tons of jobs out there where you have a product that businesses want. You may not even make an hourly wage, but you usually get decent commission. These jobs really suck, but it you get a B2B sales job, it's actually not bad for your resume if you're going to end up in business. Look for keywords like "hunter","new business development", "appointment setter," "cold calling," etc.. trust me, you will get hung up on a bunch and it's not fun, but as long as you're selling something that's halfway decent, you'll end up making money.

Didn't see this until just after I posted!

I have performed all of said while applying. I even spoke with store managers and had a great conversation with them. I've had managerial experience since I was 17, too. 3-years of it, until my other job I had at that point began scattering my schedule to make that job difficult to maintain. After that job had ended, I looked to raise myself higher and became a sales specialist position that was offered to me. I was there since March 2010, when the General Manager recognized me in his store from my other job and we had a conversation. I was rather ecstatic.

I do not think a degree will change everything, no. I want to pursue a degree for my future, and for my future family (when the time comes and we are financially secure.) Retail is ok, I suppose. Hours aren't great, but pay CAN potentially be good.

However, I prefer to do something I enjoy. Something I have a passion for (and always have.) That would be computers. I took computer science through high-school as well. Through that and reading of books, like Digital Fortress by Dan Brown, I've loved every second of it. I even took the time to teach myself to program rather fluently.

But as of right now, I just need to know that I'm secure for the time being to further my life track.