The Job Hunt

First and foremost, I'd like to apologize for not posting the past day or so. My computer has been attacked by some sort of noro super virus and I have to pray my Dad will fix it this evening. It runs about one task an hour, won't let me run an anti-virus scan, and won't let me access safe mode. I'm screwed, essentially.

So, let's back up a few days. Let's see, the day after my Cedar Island adventures I woke up, did laundry, baked a cake, and went job hunting all over the greater Eastern Shore with my friend, Beth. She is going to be working in Richmond, but I'll be stuck here for awhile. So we went to all the major plazas, a few hotels and a few restaurants on the Shore.

I'm losing hope. Ace Hardware and Peebles are not hiring and are cutting back hours, the ABC store might be hiring but you have to apply on-line, no one is hiring up north on the Shore, the hotels are using the employment commission to hire people (and what are the chances of the employment commission trying to find a two month stint for a single, childless, white female with a college education?) Exactly. Fresh Pride needs a stock person, just finished my application for that. There is a new restaurant opening at an old Burger King off the highway. I went in there to apply to be a waitress and instead got spot interviewed. I blew the interview hard core. I was so nervous and I forgot to take my nose ring out and I stumbled all over my words and I felt awkward. The owner kept asking me questions like "are you from the Shore?" "have you lived here your whole life?" "who are your parents?" It was kind of intimidating. I didn't have my Eastern Shore families to vouch for me that day. So I'm pretty sure she thinks I'm crazy and incompetent. I forgot to mention I recently graduated from William and Mary, instead I said I just graduated college. She made me list my last three jobs...which had nothing to do with waitressing until I go to job four which was the nursing home. She said she'd be in touch. I'm not expecting a call.

I went to Sunrise Bar and Grill and had much better luck there. The owner seemed interested at least. I told him I could work nights, weekends, wash his car, clean the windows of the restaurant with my spit, change diapers, landscape and...yeah I just told him I'd work nights, weekends, full days, half days and mornings. haha

I went home feeling really defeated. No one is hiring and if they are I am way over qualified for the position. I can't stay at home much longer though...I'll go crazy.

Today I scored an interview with All Shores Appraisals for the data entry position. I aced the interview, got compliments on my resume, and really pleased the owner. Until she asked about grad school. This was the point in the interview where I had to admit to her that I was planning on volunteering for a year and would be leaving in mid to end August if I got the volunteer position. That put a damper on things. She needed a full time assistant, I was perfect for the job (at least it felt like it) and I blew it by only being able to work for two months.

I'm not going to lie. I'm starting to have doubts, about everything. I know I'm supposed to volunteer for a year and I want more than anything to do it. I already bought my Greyhound tickets for my interview. I'm so excited for this experience and it feels so right!

On the flip side, I've just screwed myself out of two full time paying jobs. TWO. I'm counting JCC police...they sounded like they were going to offer me a position. ASA has more interviews but I was very qualified for this position. I could have been an appraisal assistant. REAL ESTATE. BUSINESS EXPERIENCE EVEN THOUGH I DIDN'T GO TO MASON SCHOOL OF BUSINESS. It would be such a gateway job if hired...I could mark down experience in the business field on my resume. But no...I am going to work for free for a year, shoving myself further into debt and poverty. It just doesn't seem logical. My heart is telling me to stick to the volunteering, that something else is going to come out of that year that is very important to my life. My mind is telling me that I'm crazy and if I don't get a job this summer I can't go volunteer anyway. Wouldn't that be a kick in the rear...no volunteering, no part time job, no full time job and stuck on the shore. I can't imagine and I'd prefer not to.

It doesn't help matters that both my computer and my car on on the fritz. My car is in desperate need of auto repair attention. My dad and I changed the fuel filter, oil, oil filter and put in coolant yesterday. Seems like my car got worse. It stalled out twice yesterday and one of those times was in the middle of its state inspection! I really can't deal with driving all over, looking for jobs, and praying I don't stall out on Rt. 13. So I'm going to take it to the repair shop tomorrow. I'm already about $75 deep in repairs and the inspection. (It failed because the headlights were too dim so I had to pay $10 to get them buffered). That is a huge problem. Then my computer is being so stupid. I'm on my mom's computer right now because I didn't realize how this blog made me feel better. Its good to vent and write. Anyway, with no computer I can't keep in touch with my friends and discuss my doubts. So I'm alone. My friends from high school went back to their respective towns. My cell phone doesn't get service in my town. We don't have a long distance plan on our landlines. My computer doesn't work and I have to try to get on my mom's for short bouts at a time just to keep up with my e-mail. I'm ALONE. I'd talk to my parents about my thoughts about the future but all I'm getting is resistance. They're not to pleased that I'm pulling myself out of the running for full time paid jobs, that pay well, because I might be leaving in August...their support for my decision to serve with RMC for a year dwindles with each passing day. That isn't helping my outlook either.

So here I sit, alone, cut off from the world, jobless, and I feel kind of friendless. Not to sound depressing. I guess I'm taking the whole college transition thing kind of hard. Going from independence and an infinite social circle to confinement and no social circle in a matter of two weeks is well...a shock to the system.

Until next time....*sigh*