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Old 10-16-2010, 09:05 AM
 
Location: Austin, TX
2 posts, read 4,890 times
Reputation: 10

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Hello all! Just registered. I'm a 19 year old Student in East Austin and am extremely naive about the world, you could say. I've been looking for a job for almost 2 months straight now and am currently staring at my bank account, which shows $-60.00 for my savings and $220 for my Credit Card. Am I doomed? :/

I really don't want to sell my vehicle, but will if it means keeping my Apartment lease and not ruining my credit score. I just got my A+ Certification 6 days ago, in hopes of increasing my job prospects. That was a waste of $300. I've had online friends look over my resume, fixed up my Facebook (so I won't get fired, I've heard the stories) and all that I can to get a job. Craigslist, Monster, Hotjobs, LinkedIn, Facebook (adding random people, asking if they can put in a good name, got a few people to do it), and Walk-Ins. Nothing is working. I've tried McDonalds, Dairy Queen, Gattis, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, Dominoes, Golds Gym, pretty much every minimum wage job you can imagine. I filled out about 12 applications from the Barton Creek Mall, with no call back. What exactly am I doing wrong? I asked the GM of McDonalds politely, why I wouldn't be considered and she told me they were over-staffed as it was.

What happens when I run out of money? Do I just die on the street? I know friends would let me live with them, but what a horrible lifestyle. Where can I look for more jobs? Should I just take out as many Student loans as I possibly can? I'm perfectly fine living off ramen, peanut butter sandwiches and water, I've done it before. When I do get back on my feet, I'm continuing with my choice of majoring in some field of Engineering, because I refuse to struggle financially. I do not care if the job is menial. A worryful life is menial.
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Old 10-16-2010, 09:12 AM
 
5,546 posts, read 9,972,910 times
Reputation: 2799
Oh, my dear. I feel for you. Do you have family you can stay with for awhile? It sounds to me like you're doing everything you can to find a job. Have you thought about applying for other types of jobs other than fast food and retail? Do you speak a second language? There might be customer service or call center jobs where you live. Have you thought about going to any hotels and applying as a maid? Looked on Craig's List for any nanny positions? If that might be your cup of tea, some of them are live-in. Well, those are just a few of my thoughts. Best wishes.
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Old 10-16-2010, 09:16 AM
 
Location: Austin, TX
2 posts, read 4,890 times
Reputation: 10
Quote:
Originally Posted by mistygrl092 View Post
Oh, my dear. I feel for you. Do you have family you can stay with for awhile? It sounds to me like you're doing everything you can to find a job. Have you thought about applying for other types of jobs other than fast food and retail? Do you speak a second language? There might be customer service or call center jobs where you live. Have you thought about going to any hotels and applying as a maid? Looked on Craig's List for any nanny positions? If that might be your cup of tea, some of them are live-in. Well, those are just a few of my thoughts. Best wishes.
Yeah, it sucks majorly. I applied to a couple maid cleaning services (I actually would enjoy that, considering I love cleaning my own Apartment, the chemical smells of clean ), but to no avail. I even asked if I had to be a woman (because I understand they can't discriminate, but I just figured they wouldn't hire me because I was male).

I COULD move back to my country town with my Grandma. I'm 100% sure every single job there is taken, that's the only reason people move out of that dirt town. Only two restaurants there. I tried the nanny and the tutoring route. No dice.
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Old 10-16-2010, 09:29 AM
 
5,546 posts, read 9,972,910 times
Reputation: 2799
Oops, didn't realize you were a guy. No coffee yet and didn't read your name. Well, I have more ideas for you then. Can you fix things, can you move things, can you do yard work? I have a handyman who is a Godsend to me and he's done everything from drill a hole to lay down laminate. If you can do these things, you could advertise your services on Craig's list. There are so many single women out there who need help but don't have the money to hire a licensed contractor. I'm not talking major repairs here, even things like hanging up a curtain rod. Can you change oil? Well, advertise that too.

I can think of far more things a guy could do to bring in extra cash than a woman, unfortunately.
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Old 10-16-2010, 03:14 PM
 
17,815 posts, read 25,539,611 times
Reputation: 36262
How are you dressing when you go into these stores and restaurants looking for work? Don't take this the wrong way but I notice a lot of young people don't dress properly when looking for work.

You don't have to put on a suit, but for a male a shirt with a collar and a pair of slacks makes an impression.
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Old 12-04-2010, 07:49 PM
 
935 posts, read 2,406,592 times
Reputation: 470
Wow, I've always heard that Austin was the best place to go to if you want to find work. However, I understand what you mean about being young and having trouble finding work. I moved back home after I graduated with my B.A. and started on my Masters degree in hopes of increasing my chances of getting hired. Here are a few ideas that come to mind:

1. Network- It's not just about what you know it's who you know. Try to connect with people who are in the industry you want to work in and ask them for some tips. Stay on their good side and they may lead you to some potential job openings.

2. Classifieds- The way I managed to find work in this economy was through the classifieds in the newspaper. I found my current job by looking at a newspaper from a place that was 1 1/2 hours away. My job is in my current town, but they advertised in a city newspaper because they did not believe that someone with my qualifications lived in a small town. I mention this b/c a lot of people try online websites but they sometimes shun newspaper classifieds b/c they think it's pointless.

3. Freelancing/consulting- Have you thought about contracting yourself to companies? I know some people are going into freelancing and consulting work when they cannot find full-time work. If you have true faith in your skills then you can try to submit a portfolio to companies which may be interested in utilizing your skills and do contractual work.

Those are a few ideas that come to mind. I wish you the best of luck!
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Old 12-04-2010, 07:57 PM
 
4,796 posts, read 22,854,652 times
Reputation: 5046
I don't know what to do about your financial situation, but 2 months of looking is nothing, in this economy, unfortunately. Perhaps you've heard or seen the headlines this past week about what will happen to the "99-weekers"? That's people who've been looking for a job for 99 weeks. You've been looking for eight.

Since you are a student, the first thing I would suggest is talking to your school about additional financial aid. There is aid available, if you aren't available to pay the rent--even if you've 'maxed out' the federal allotment. Schools have emergency funds, and you can always borrow above the maximum, although the interest and terms are steep. If they aren't able to help, the city or state government may be able to offer some assistance.

Beyond that, I suggest relying less on internet connections and get out there and start making some personal contacts. Go to industry events, join meetups for your future occupation. Don't rule out being your own boss either--offer to wash cars, rake leaves, put up people's christmas lights, run their errands, paint their house, clean etc. Stuff you can do as a cash business. Start with the people you know, build up a reputation. It could be something that starts out as a matter of necessity and grows into something much more!

As someone who lived for fourteen months on a generous person's sofa, I can tell you: there are far, far, FAR worse things in this world!

Best of luck to you.
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Old 12-04-2010, 08:08 PM
 
1,995 posts, read 3,367,719 times
Reputation: 15838
Have you considered working as a certified nursing assistant (CNA) at a nursing home or pool agency? Often they provide certification training and you get paid while you are trained and then have a job after completing the training. There is a shortage of CNAs in many states. Also, especially working for a pool agency would give you flexibility in work hours which you might want if you are a student.
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Old 01-18-2011, 03:02 AM
 
1 posts, read 2,182 times
Reputation: 10
Hi im looking for a job but when it comes to questions i need to answer on a application form i get stuck please can u help me?? x
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