Recap of Fireworks Gig- No Bueno
Everything is a learning experience, right? Well my job at the fireworks shit shack is now over. Unfortunately for me and the whole company, it poured ALL DAY on the 4th of July, so sales were basically ruined. Funny how one bad day of weather can ruin an entire job’s profit. I am walking away with $2,000. For 45 days of 10-15 hours a day, no air conditioning, porta potty, bullshit bosses. I would have NEVER done this job for $2k. But that is the risk you take with a comission only job. I have calmed down a little since the initial blow of defeat, so I am not so upset as I was a few days ago. However, this was the worst work experience I’ve had to date. More to come later, too tired and annoyed to write more on the subject. I’d love to hear from anyone else who has worked at a fireworks store, or any other comission job.
Porta-potty when I am working 12 hour days. Great.
So, I am working at a fireworks store until the middle of July. What they told me was the basic details of the job. Got it. What they didn’t tell me was that I would be using a Porta-potty that they are going to put out back of the store. Can you believe that?!? Apparently it would cost too much to get the water working for the bathroom this shit shack has, so they have ordered me a lovely porta-potty to be put outside. Lovely. Juuuust lovely. And I did say ordered… ie I haven’t gotten it yet. And since I am the only one there, I have to lock up the store when I go to the bathroom at the grocery store nearby. So ghetto.
And they are also not fixing the air conditioning, so I had to beg them for a fan… and they brought in one of those fans you put on the floor to dry the carpet after a flood. I told him that was not going to work, and my manager finally gave me 20 bucks to go buy a normal one. Such an interesting job, right?
I can’t work like this! (Store Manager Job… for 45 days)
So today was Day 3 of working at the fireworks store. Let’s just say it is going to be a long 45 days. This place looks like a shack, but I have tried to decorate it alittle bit. But that’s not even the worst of it. There is no AC, no bathroom (so upsetting, i know!!), no cable, no internet. And I am the manager, so I am the only one there All. Day. Long. Very boring… about 4 people came in today. So I brought my computer and watched some DVD’s. And I brought in a fridge so I can have sodas and waters. Unfortunately, I try to not drink so much because then I have to close the store and go use a bathroom in a nearby grocery store. Talk about slumming it. There is a bathroom here, but the water is not turned on. And apparently it won’t get turned on, so every time I have to go to the bathroom, I have to close the store and go to a nearby grocery store. I also learned today that the air conditioning will not be fixed the whole time I am here. I mean, not to sound like a diva, but come on, I can’t work like this!
The things I do for money… Working commission makes me nervous. I am getting 8% commission on the total sales of the store. The average store brings in sales of $50,000. So, hopefully mine does well and brings in at least that! And they don’t even take out taxes for that. That final paycheck will be so nice, and will buy me some time before I have to get another shit job. I would love to just not work until I can get a real office job doing what it is I am supposed to do. Read: what I went to college for.
I think this shows what kind of a person I am. I would rather do something a little out of the norm like this, with the potential of making a nice chunk of change, rather than getting a job at Target or the mall or something. Not to mention, jobs like those make you feel like there is no end in sight. And when I start to feel like that, along with when the height of my hatred for the job comes in, I just quit. I know that’s bad and shows a bad work ethic, but those jobs are not real jobs in my mind. I would never do that in a real, marketing type job. So until then I just need to make some money so I can avoid such “I hate my life” experiences.
Jobless College Grads Article!!
Check out my article about jobless college graduates (like my sad self!) at http://www.collegeaffairmagazine.com!
I met someone from College Affair Magazine on Twitter, and asked if I could write an article for their website, and they said yes! I used things that I have written here, and turned it into a pretty good article about what college graduates are going through right now, and what they can do about it. It got posted today with the title, Is it the economy, or it is me?
Not only does this article show that I can relate to unemployed college grads, but there are good ideas for things to do to keep pushing yourself forward, even if you are not working. Check it out and tell me what you think!
Freedom of not having a job is the only perk of not having a job
Well, not having a job is making it easy for me to drive up and see my family more often, like this weekend. It’s Memorial Day weekend and I left to come here on Wednesday and will head home on Monday. I suppose if I had a job, I would be complaining that I had to drive up Friday after work or Saturday morning only to get 3 days off… things are always greener on the other side, right? My boyfriend works in health care, and he works four 10 hour shifts and week, and gets Sunday, Monday, Tuesdays off, so that is also nice that we get to have a 3 day weekend together every week. Because, let’s face it, my life is a big weekend these days with nothing really specific to do. Having the freedom to do whatever I want, any day of the week, is awesome. But that freedom is really the only perk of not having a job. Is this a big DUH to everyone reading this? Probably… But as much as I love not punching a clock, the perks of actually having a job far outweigh those of not having one.
I went to the dentist and another doctor this week because I have been sick- each of which I had to pay for out of pocket. And I am a person who gets cold sores like twice a year, especially after I have had a bad cold, but my doctor prescribes me Valtrex for herpes basically and that takes care of it. Well, I got one yesterday, and called to get a prescription, and then went to Walgreens to go pick up 4 pills (2 today and 2 tomorrow)… and they cost me $60! That is $15 a pill. With insurance they are like $1-5 each. I couldn’t believe it. So health insurance is a big freaking perk of having a job.
Oh yeah, then there’s the paycheck, the 401k, the being able to buy yourself things and not be on a rediculously tight budget, etc. And the feeling of your life actually having purpose. That’s a good one too.
Online Job Search Engines; Worth it, or not?
Every day I log on to my computer and go through the same job search websites in hopes of finding some perfect position open that I might qualify for. For the basics, I go to Monster.com, CareerBuilder.com, Indeed.com, craigslist.org. Most of the jobs I wouldn’t normally want, and many I do not qualify for, but still I go on these sites every damn day.
And then there’s the scams. There are so many freaking scams on those job search sites, especially craigslist. I have actually gotten a job off craigslist, so I can’t be completely against it, but the number of people trying to scam others is astounding. You see a job you are interested in, so you send your resume, along with a personalized cover letter, and then you immediately get an email back from them asking you to apply on their credit check website or whatever. It’s all just a way to get your information or get you to apply for a credit check. It’s so infuriating to spend time applying to jobs that aren’t even real. And not even CareerBuilder is completely legit either. I have seen companies posted on there that are MLM’s or companies that have changed their names every couple of years to avoid the bad reputation they inevitably get.
Yes, these job search engines are a great way for companies to post their jobs and get thousands of people (especially in this economy) to apply, and I’m sure that makes the hiring process pretty easy. But for the job searcher, I wonder if it really is the best way to get a job? Is there other, better ways to look for a job that I am missing?
Congratulations College Graduates!
I know I spend a lot of time complaining on here about the worries I have about not being able to find a job and how it has affected my life, yada yada. (It is called SadCollegeGrad after all!) BUT… graduating college is an awesome thing! Many people don’t go to college, many don’t make it all the way through, and it is a lot of work!
So no matter what is going on with the economic crisis, regardless if you have a job lined up for yourself after graduation, just the fact that you made it through all those years of hard work is something to feel proud of.
So, congratulations, college graduates! You did it!
Apartment Hunting on a Budget
Where I am going to live next year has been on my mind for a while now. Since not having a job has put a damper on things that include money, the choice has been a little difficult. I have been tossing around the idea of moving home with my parents who live about 3 hours away, but my boyfriend’s job is here and I want to stay with him. Also moving home feels like giving up a little. My boyfriend and I have been together for awhile now and are moving in together, which is nice for many reasons including the money we both will be saving. Right now we both pay a rent of $700, and are looking at places with a rent of about $1,000-1,200. And around here we can even get a townhome at that price, with a garage and washer/dryer and other good stuff.
It is hard apartment hunting though! And I am a little stressed about the fact that I don’t have a job and will need to prove to some apartment complex that I am somewhat capable of paying rent on time. My boyfriend has a good job that pays well, but he also has student loans and a new car loan. How do people typically calculate what they can afford to pay in rent? My rent right now is $700, like I said, and I have done ok paying that without a regular job since October, but what should I do now? We will be splitting it in half, so would $500 still be too much? They say to pay no more than 30% of your take home pay. I think $500-600 is doable, but I will need to be getting some kind of job soon, at a store or something. (That’s another issue all together!)
Many college seniors will be graduating this month and are making or have made a decision on where they will be living next year. What are all the other college grads going to be doing? Moving in with the parents? Living with friends? First apartment on their own? Whats the norm these days?
Mother’s Day on a Budget!
Since not having a job has put me into a personal spending freeze, and subsequently put a little damper on Mother’s Day and what I can afford to get my mom. Other Mother’s Day gifts have included gift certificates for massages, manicures, pedicures, a new dish set my mom wanted, and whatever she wanted at the time. Even flowers are rediculously priced right now- even worse than usual, so I am giving that a miss unfortunately. Since I can’t afford that right now, this Mother’s Day will be done on a budget this year, but it will still be great! My mom loves the homemade stuff that takes more thought anyway. This year I am making my mom a video of old photos put to a song about mothers and daughters; actually the new Taylor Swift song, “The Best Day” which she wrote about her mom. And I made all the pictures go with the lyrics, so it is pretty cool, I must say! She is going to love it. She’ll cry… that’s when you know it’s a hit! But seriously, gifts that someone thinks about, puts effort into and does especially because someone else will love it are the best. And they mean way more than handing over a gift certificate.
So what are some more creative, thoughtful and cheap things to do for your mom?
A Homemade Video: On most PC’s there is a program called Windows Movie Maker. It’s so easy to use. You just upload your pictures, your music, your videos, etc. and can easily place them in the timeline of your movie. You can even put your own text in there for personal messages.
Your picture in a frame, or a picture of you and mom together: So easy! Frames are super cheap and there are so many to choose from. You can pick a recent photo or an old one from when you were a kid!
Coupons for services: Let’s steer clear of the “One free hug” idea, but other things you are good at or can do are good, such as teaching mom how to use a computer program, update her ipod, clean the house or other chores, help with the gardening, or any other project she would like.
Poem: Either a funny “roses are red, violets are blue” poem that will make her laugh or a sentimental one is a great cheap, yet thoughtful gift. Make it pretty with stickers or computerized borders and it might even look professional.
Cooking: Maybe there should be slightly more than just cooking, but mom does not need to be cooking on Mother’s Day. My sister and I always make a fancy breakfast on Mother’s Day and dad usually barbeques.
A mix of some low cost things every woman loves: Candles, bath salts, bubble bath, lotions, etc. Shop at places like Walmart or Target for the best deals rather than shopping at Bath and Body Works or other mall stores.
The thought is what counts, so the more thought you put into the gift, the more it will mean regardless of how much money you put down for it. Just make mama feel special on her day and your golden!
What now? Jobless, hopeless
Last week was awesome because I actually had a job and was doing something productive. My days had purpose! But unfortunately that was only a one week assignment and now I am back to sqaure one. I have no idea what to do next. I know I need to find some kind of bullshit job (and by bullshit job, I just mean that it will be minimum wage, probably not fun and probably something that requires no brain cells). But what do I want to do? What is the best option out of all the crappy options? What kinds of jobs does everyone else do when in this situation?
Here are the options I might be weighing at the moment:
Nanny- This option is an easy one because I have done it before, it’s easy and the money is not bad. It’s also a toss up because you don’t really know what the family is going to be like until you are already hired. It can be fun, but it also can be horrible, like the last nanny job I had.
Target, or some other store- This would suck. I am assuming I would be a cashier or stock shelves, and I would probably hate it. I would get paid minimum wage I bet, which here is $5.55. But I would also get a discount on groceries and all the other stuff I normall buy anyway. And Target is sure better than Walmart. Plus if I work almost full time I could make $200 a week at least. Woop-di-doo.
Waitress: Been there, done that, and so not doing it again. In this state, servers make $2.13/hr plus tips, which is hardly worth the work they do.
Freelance Writing: I would really like to do this, and have in the past using craigslist, but it is hard to get people to trust that you are a good writer when they know I just recently graduated. There are also freelance sites like elance.com, but everyone else on there has tons of experience, so yet again I am coming in last. The hardest thing right now is to just get a foot in the door. Once I do that, I know I can impress people. It’s just the getting there that is hard.
Any opinions? What should I do? What have you been doing if you haven’t been able to find the job you want?
