Recent college graduate seeking employment help (apartments, to rent, find a job)

[countrygirl25]

Hi everyone,

I'm new here and I'm hoping you can provide me with some helpful advice or suggestions regarding my current job situation. I'm a recent college graduate who is looking to move to the Williamson County area (most likely) in the future. I live about 2 hours outside of Nashville, but have visited Nashville a countless number of times my whole life. The area where I live is very small with an extremely low econcomy, forcing a high percentage of people to seek work outside the area. Because of this, I haven't been able to find a job.

To give you a little background information, I have been very limited in the job opportunities I've had so far, and all of them have been short, temporary positions. Therefore, I unfortunately have not been able to build the desired experience many companies seek. Additionally, with the high job competition rate, I am most of the time automatically disqualified simply for the reason I do not have the official experience. Of the times I have been fortunate to land an interview, I was also disqualified for the same reason, as the managers preferred to hire someone with experience. But of course that makes me curious where you can find someone these days who will let you get that foot in the door.

This has brought me to the decision that I need to become more creative in my job search. I came up with the idea that if I could find a position that would offer a wage that would be worth the driving costs, I could visit Nashville once a week (possibly more often once I have enough travel funds), or something along those lines. I began to start thinking of positions that would allow me to do this without being in the healthcare field (since many weekly travel jobs are health related), and was only able to come up with one thing---an assistant.

One idea could be to help out a retired or elderly person with projects they are not able to/do not have time to complete on their own, such as errands, organization projects, event planning and preparation, and things of that nature. I would also be interested in helping out at events that need staff for the day, etc. Another idea could be to assist with computer related projects, as I am proficient with computer operation and most Microsoft Office software. Maybe a website that allows you to place a job wanted ad of this type? I'm not sure where to find one, as many classified sites cater to businesses, and I am not comfortable using craigslist.

With a recent close family member death and other situations, I am trying to be more creative with the job hunt, as I have realized that I need to be making faster progress in the moving stages. For a person who doesn't enjoy change, it has taken a lot for me to realize it is time for one sooner rather than later. So any advice or suggestions that you could provide would mean a lot to me. I really appreciate all of your help.

Thank you.

Also, feel free to PM me, and I can give you an e-mail address if you prefer to speak with me that way.

Thanks again.

[mcredux]

Just being realistic here.

You should save up a financial safety cushion first, even if it means working unglamorous jobs in off-hours. Maybe a thousand bucks.

After doing this, you should immediately begin lining up a place to live in Nashville. Find roommates through Craigslist or other websites. Doing this, you can find a reasonably safe place to live for <300 per month. Also, look for homeowners renting out rooms.

You can also find minimal efficiency apartments/studios throughout the Nashville area for <400. This may be difficult as it often takes a job to rent in a decent area. But it's worth a shot if you can't find roommates.

The goal in finding roommates is not to find future bff's. Find people who you can tolerate and who won't steal your stuff. The living situation will be temporary, so tough it out.

Once you've done that. Make the move. Then secure part-time job doing anything (waiting tables, boxing groceries, bank lobby job, etc) so you can cover basic expenses and any sort of emergency. Once you've done that, start trying to find jobs in your preferred field. Another approach would be to find a temping job, and hope it turns into something permanent. Either way, you should get the ball rolling now, as opposed to later.

Employers are typically sympathetic to a young person who has moved from the country to the city. If someone waits until their 30's or later to move, most employers will likely view them as clueless. The main thing is get the ball moving NOW, and not get dissuaded by any clueless family/boyfriend/whatever.

Good luck.

[Edmund_Burke]

Also, considering volunteering to gain additional job skills and marketable experience. Hands on Nashville is good for this.

[countrygirl25]

Originally Posted by mcredux

Just being realistic here.

You should save up a financial safety cushion first, even if it means working unglamorous jobs in off-hours. Maybe a thousand bucks.

After doing this, you should immediately begin lining up a place to live in Nashville. Find roommates through Craigslist or other websites. Doing this, you can find a reasonably safe place to live for <300 per month. Also, look for homeowners renting out rooms.

You can also find minimal efficiency apartments/studios throughout the Nashville area for <400. This may be difficult as it often takes a job to rent in a decent area. But it's worth a shot if you can't find roommates.

The goal in finding roommates is not to find future bff's. Find people who you can tolerate and who won't steal your stuff. The living situation will be temporary, so tough it out.

Once you've done that. Make the move. Then secure part-time job doing anything (waiting tables, boxing groceries, bank lobby job, etc) so you can cover basic expenses and any sort of emergency. Once you've done that, start trying to find jobs in your preferred field. Another approach would be to find a temping job, and hope it turns into something permanent. Either way, you should get the ball rolling now, as opposed to later.

Employers are typically sympathetic to a young person who has moved from the country to the city. If someone waits until their 30's or later to move, most employers will likely view them as clueless. The main thing is get the ball moving NOW, and not get dissuaded by any clueless family/boyfriend/whatever.

Good luck.

Fortunately, I do have a friend that said she would be my roomate, but she's sort of in the same boat with me, so she likely won't be able to move until I am. But at least we'll both be working toward the same goal. Actually I have considered the room renting, and I'm still open to that idea.

Thank you for all those suggestions, I appreciate your help, time, and honesty.

[countrygirl25]

Originally Posted by Edmund_Burke

Also, considering volunteering to gain additional job skills and marketable experience. Hands on Nashville is good for this.

I do some volunteering at the moment, but I do want to expand it, yes. I actually get regular updates from HON to see if there's a good opportunity, so I'm glad you mentioned that.Thanks for your reply.

[Edmund_Burke]

One thing about Nashville, they can't hire enough night auditors.