Help Please (Knoxville, Oak Ridge: job market, salary, living)

[inave]

I don't know if I'm allowed to do this. If not, will the admnistrator please delete. Normally, I would NOT post this but I am desparate.

I live in the Oak Ridge area and am looking for an administrative/clerical/secretarial position in a corporate/office environment.

Background: Moved to TN in February of this year. Applied through several staffing agencies and responded to at least 100 ads in the newspaper. I have an excellent resume (their words, not mine) and I find it hard to believe there are no suitable jobs out there. Is the job market that tight in Knoxville?

I held the same position for 15 years prior to moving here as assistant to a chairman so I am not lacking in skills! If you can make any recommendations, I would greatly appreciate it. Please respond here or email me. Thanks. I am working now but it is NOT a suitable job and I think I will go crazy if I stay much longer.

[hiknapster]

Yes. I had the same problem. I was looking for an office job because I couldn't work Saturdays. What a nightmare! I was convinced that the area does not hire outsiders. I'm not sure. I met a woman in a waiting room at one of those temp agencies. She was a local and couldn't find a job either. She had just got a certificate as a medical transcriptionist, or something like that. I found dealing with with the staffing agencies to be an absolute nightmare. It just may be hard to find a job, and it may be across the country, not just this area.

Anyway, I ended up at a call center where I work Sunday through Thursday. Not ideal, but workable.

My husband was out of work for a few weeks, took a job for ridiculous pay, just to have something coming in, and then finally got hired for what he is worth. But he started there at a low wage and they promised to give him his asking rate after a month. Instead, they gave him that rate after three weeks. He's an auto mechanic.

He applied at every shop in the area, I think, and dealt with a lot of nasty people.

I just don't know what to tell you, other than it is not you.

[inave]

Thanks so much for replying. My husband has been telling me basically the same thing. But you know, I've never had to actually look for a job. They've just always sort of just come my way. Plus I was on my last job for 15 years and was making very good money. I'm now working as a receptionist for literally HALF of what I was making before. And not getting many replies to the resumes I've been sending has all but destroyed my "professional esteem"! Oh well, attitude is everything so I guess I'll just have to change my attitude about this job. At least it"s a JOB!! Again, thanks for letting me know it's not just me. That helps. I'm glad things worked out for your hubby and hope they'll get better for you.

[hiknapster]

Thanks! Actually, I love the job that I have now. I just wanted Saturday and Sunday off, but it will be okay. The huge cut in pay can be normal, especially if you are coming from up North.

I say to don't give up. It all worked out for us and it will for you, too.

Once again, it may not be this area, either. Right now, I think there are more low-paying service jobs than anything across the country.

[insanesmooch]

Since money was mentioned, I was wondering if you are putting salary requirements in? If so, are you putting them in for what would be the standard in the Oak Ridge area or what you would make where you are from? Could be you are putting an amount too high.
I'm not sure how it is in your line of work, but some times places like 'fresh' people who they can train to do things their way. Maybe some places are thinking that having 15 years at the same company you will be set in your ways about how to do the work. I'm not sure how different secretarial/administrative type work can be from company to company. If that's part of the problem, I'm not sure how you could 'fix' it. To me it looks like it would be an asset to have someone with so much expereince.
I was in Knoxville for about 6 months of the year and it took me a month to get a job. Of all the places I applied, I interviewed for about 90%. I had two job offers at the same time. I tried temp agencies because I knew I was only staying for a certain length of time, but they did not find anything for me. I know of one place that did hire several people who wanted temp to hire positions though. Maybe you could find a recruiter.

[inave]

The only time I put in salary requirements is when the ad says to but then I put in what seems to be competitive for this area. You may be right about the length of my last job. There was a time when long-term employment was considered a plus but maybe not so anymore in the new "microwave" world! I really am thinking the job market is tight here and that going thru employment agencies is a waste of time and the responses I've gotten seem to confirm that. Thanks for writing. I feel better just knowing I'm not alone in this. Like I told my husband last night, I have calmed down enough to realize there is NOT a gigantic east TN conspiracy to keep me from getting a decent job!!!

[hiknapster]

Originally Posted by insanesmooch

I was in Knoxville for about 6 months of the year and it took me a month to get a job. Of all the places I applied, I interviewed for about 90%. I had two job offers at the same time. I tried temp agencies because I knew I was only staying for a certain length of time, but they did not find anything for me. I know of one place that did hire several people who wanted temp to hire positions though. Maybe you could find a recruiter.

I have GOT to ask...what kind of job did you get?

I also found the temp agencies to be completely useless.

[insanesmooch]

Originally Posted by hiknapster

I have GOT to ask...what kind of job did you get?

I also found the temp agencies to be completely useless.

You mean the two job offers I had? One was for the First Tennessee call center on Chapman Hwy. I had previously worked in a bank so I was applying at banks. The other job I was offered and ended up actually taking was at an assisted living place, Homewood (behind Kohl's/Food City) off Dean Hill. I'm in a graduate program for Gerontology so I took the job working with seniors.

When I started signing up with the temp agencies, one I signed up with via careerbuilder (I think, I know it was one of those online). I signed up for a specific job. It was going to be working in a post office for two weeks counting mail and it was through Manpower located downtown. That would have been my only real sucess with a temp place, but I had to have emergency/major surgery about a week before that job was to begin.
Later I checked my messages and on the day of surgery Express Personel had left me a message saying they might have something for me. I never did check back with them about it. I has signed up with others and never heard anything.

[s74jst]

Hi, I see that this message is pretty old, just wondering if you found a better job.

I have been here a year and the only job I was able to get were retail positions. I have over 10 years in administrative work myself and I'm getting worried. Going back to retail is not what I want but its something. I had a good job (pay wise) around here but wanted to get back into the office atmosphere and went into the temp agencies again. One agency had a great job for me, made me quit my retail position then the company didn't need me because they hired someone else, so I have been working temp positions since the beginning of June. My boyfriend got sick and has been out of work since April and now things are really getting tight. I have applied and even got an interview but of course they didn't pick me. I have a temp position somepoint this month working at a call center myself which will probably be my night job. If things don't pick up in the next 2 weeks I'll have to go back to retail. I've been feeling the same as all of you guys, being the outsider and not a local. Even my boyfriend who was an assistant mgr for Walmart couldn't even get a job back with them!