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I got downsized from my last job and I’m in my 30’s. I work hard and use my brain as well. I am just having a real hard time finding work and a job with a livable wage too at least $14 an hr. My unemployment dried up last month. I am with a temp place for almost a month but they haven't found me any assignments yet. I have job counselors’ one sucked ass and the other is a real stand up person. It’s just hard I feel like I’m letting everybody down. I apply on line to jobs but with little follow up or real interest from the employers. I have been on about a handful of interviews in person &over the phone with little follow up or real interest from the employers. I have no priors with the law. I depend on public transportation to get around mainly. My education is I graduated from high school & and I have some college experience but no degree. I am so tired of job scams on line, in the paper, TV and job fairs too. I am running out of options here find a job or go back to school or both. I really want to find a job first because it would be easier to go to school. Honestly, everything so impersonal to get hired it’s all on line or if you do get a phone interview we’ll call you by next Tuesday if we want to hire you and next Tuesday comes and no phone call. I believe a lot of temp places you just walk in person you have apply on line and wait for them. I am face to face person but that seems to be a lost art. I just need some real feedback on what to do?
I got downsized from my last job and I’m in my 30’s. I work hard and use my brain as well. I am just having a real hard time finding work and a job with a livable wage too at least $14 an hr. My unemployment dried up last month. I am with a temp place for almost a month but they haven't found me any assignments yet. I have job counselors’ one sucked ass and the other is a real stand up person. It’s just hard I feel like I’m letting everybody down. I apply on line to jobs but with little follow up or real interest from the employers. I have been on about a handful of interviews in person &over the phone with little follow up or real interest from the employers. I have no priors with the law. I depend on public transportation to get around mainly. My education is I graduated from high school & and I have some college experience but no degree. I am so tired of job scams on line, in the paper, TV and job fairs too. I am running out of options here find a job or go back to school or both. I really want to find a job first because it would be easier to go to school. Honestly, everything so impersonal to get hired it’s all on line or if you do get a phone interview we’ll call you by next Tuesday if we want to hire you and next Tuesday comes and no phone call. I believe a lot of temp places you just walk in person you have apply on line and wait for them. I am face to face person but that seems to be a lost art. I just need some real feedback on what to do?
Let me be blunt and to the point. If you just graduated from HS and have minimal college experience DC is not the right city to live in. You are not likely to make more than $14 an hour without a specialized skill. This is not a kind city to be in if you lack a bachelors degree.
You could try to get some certifications, or you can get yourself in a skilled trade (HVAC, Plumbing). These are alternatives. Truth be told the skilled trade is the better idea than the certs, even with the certs you will find yourself on the losing end. The skilled trade...they limit people entering and you are a good candidate. The skilled trade may require classes while you work, but the pay is decent while that is happening.
Ultimately, I suggest moving to another city, maybe Omaha with it's 2.6% unemployment. They have massive labor shortages across the board and really need workers. They are more likely to look past you have not finished college, but want too. Not DC where there is an overysupply of low skilled labor and where most good paying jobs require a bachelors or higher. I am going to be blunt, you are in the low skill group right now, and there is just too many people in that group. So either get a bachelors, or go into the skilled trades.
While I agree with the 2nd poster, you do have a few options. First, I imagine you have had other jobs so working in that/those field(s) will likely offer you the best chance at a higher wage. Next you will want to check with the local community college (CC) and see what credits you can transfer over from your previous 'college experience' . This will cost you $15 and a 1-3 meeting with student counslors. Regardless of your GPA if you took more than 2 semesters there is a chance you may be eligible for or be only a couple classes from a certificate or an associates degree. That will help you stand out against all the other applicants with just a HS degree. Also since it would be recently issued and from a local CC employers may give it more value than a out of state CC.
You want to look at Federal jobs (usajobs.gov) grade (gs) 1 (10.80/hr) through 4 (14.89/hr). Don't worry about the low pay it is A LOT easier to move around/get promotions once you have a federal job and have a good work reputation. Please note if you cant answer EVERY question of the job posting with "expert" you might as well pass on the job. That is what it takes to be eligible for an interview. Also until you have the perfectly crafted resume you have to expect 1-2 interviews per 100 application you put in. So it is a numbers game. The are federal workers with solely a HS diploma that make 50k
+/year. So persistence is definitely worth it.
Non-Federal. To my knowledge the picking are pretty slim unless you have some specialized skills.
1) If you are good at sales there is always car dealerships, they are always looking. Your pay could be $30/hr first month but it could be $0/hr if you don't sell.
2) You could try Home Depot or Lowes anyone that negotiates can start out at $11.00 - $13.50/hr. Provided you work at their service desk, appliance sales, millwork (doors and windows) vault/book keeping, flooring or pro-sales department, all other positions (besides kitchen designer) pay $1-$2/hr less. Work hard and put in 6-12 months you could become a supervisor and make $13.50 - $15.50.
3) Aldi's grocery store starts their staff out at 13/hr
4) Costco. They start pretty high for limited skills 13-15/hr and I read their average experienced staff pulls in 45k/year but as a result they have a long list of people that want to work with them. You will want to google to see if anyone has listed tips on getting an interview.
Hope this helps and good luck!
L
Last edited by ljgray; 05-14-2015 at 05:00 PM..
Reason: grammar
Also, from the other posters, let's not be too misleading here. This idea of running out quickly to get a bachelor then all of a sudden things will be fine is pure nonsense (for most job seekers in DC). In my opinion, the BA is 40% of the pie when dealing with this area- still a big chunk but it doesn't make up for the professional aptitude and perseverance (networking/communication skills) one needs to get a "good paying" job. Just showing up with a BA is going to put you in the same position you are in now unless you know how to navigate.
Op, I am reading your pain and I really don't think you have a goal or any kind of path as your post reads. You are simply drowning and splashing water seeking for that last breath of fresh air. Just relax and stop panicking. What you need to do is get yourself a job- PERIOD. Don't worry about the number. The reason for a job is because it will get your mind in "working" mode. You will be better conditioned to address potential employers during interviews. It will allow you to meet people and strike up conversations that may give you leads to better opportunities. Although it may not come overnight, you will be able to better assess and navigate through the harsh patches of work life. If you are not productive, your mind will go stale. So get a job, get exposed to people, learn new techniques, keep your mind sharp. While doing so, you will have some peace of mind to then collect and assess what you really want out of your search for employment.
Here are some options- restaurant, Walmart, hotel banquets (on call) but you can make up to $2-300 per event. Get into retail where you will deal with numbers and people to keep your mind sharp.
CVS pays $10 per hour in the DC area which is not $14 but pretty close to it.
What you need to do is simply stay afloat by being productive then you can worry about swimming back to sea.
You are depending too much on the system and I can tell you that as an interviewer or potential employer, they are reading your desperateness. You need to relax. Once you are in a less than desired but stable job, you will be a bit more confident in your pursuit during these interviews. Plus, you will be adding more experience and sharpening your mind.
P.S. - it looks better when you have a job while applying for others because then you can get better character and job performance references.
Where did I say BA. It actually should be a BS, not BA. The best starter degrees are Bachelors of Science in Engineering, Computer Science, Economics, Political Science, etc in terms of marketability in DC. A BA in english is not going to get you very far.
Networking and communication skills alone are not as important as being good at math. Technical expertise can take you pretty far out here, and you can be pretty awful at communicating. If you want a career in PR communicating is important, but for most jobs, it is how you can hack a technical interview.
hey theres always mikkey d's. get a job and stop complaining. its hard for me to. but your way older than me i expect all 30 year old to be working and have kids mabie. here in this area, you need to get a education. but before that get some dollars from a job. just posting this and making everybody feel bad for your ass won’t get you far. applying online with no results? well that is nothing new. join a workers union or something for job placement. how do even live here?? u probly live off somebody else. really get a job. and get a drivers lisense btw mabie that is your key to a job as a cab driver or schools bus driver. you already lived half ur life lol.
btw you have to earn a job. you don’t even want to earn anything u just expect it to fall into you hands. entitlement issues.
Again...I think moving to a place where there is a labor shortage and where educational credentials are not highly beneficial to getting a good job may be this persons best option. Omaha may seem boring but it is a far more friendly labor market to somebody like the OP than DC is. The cost of living is also far lower. Sometimes the best solution is packing up your bags to live somewhere else, especially if one has no obligations tieing oneself down.
You always get this wrong don't you. There is NO unskilled labor shortage in places like Omaha, Nebraska. Businesses are looking for skilled, experienced, college educated professionals just like in every other major city in the US. Omaha probably has 10 people for 1 unskilled position that does not require a college degree or professional certification. Omaha does not need another fast-food worker...employers need accountants, software engineers, financial investment managers and so forth.
The DC area has plenty of jobs for workers without college degrees and skilled technical training. Unfortunately, the cost of living here is unbearable for hourly-wage workers. But at least they have better odds of landing a job here than in some decaying, post-industrial Midwestern city. I would rather be working poor under a roof in the DC region than be unemployed and living on the street in Omaha if I were a lower-skilled service worker. Wouldn't you agree?
This is why hourly-waged service workers are not leaving Washington, DC in droves. Not a whole lot of "Help Wanted" signs appearing in smaller communities once you travel farther away from the Capital Beltway.
Quote:
Originally Posted by DistrictSonic
Again...I think moving to a place where there is a labor shortage and where educational credentials are not highly beneficial to getting a good job may be this persons best option. Omaha may seem boring but it is a far more friendly labor market to somebody like the OP than DC is. The cost of living is also far lower. Sometimes the best solution is packing up your bags to live somewhere else, especially if one has no obligations tieing oneself down.
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