[woopdidoodoo]

hi all geez its been awhile since I've been here! anyways life got in the way (I have bipolar and had to deal with meds and stuff and doctors and well yeah that stuff) anyways I'm back and this issue thread is about looking for work.

Sad things but true I'm 29 years old without any relevant qualifications or recent experience. My last job was... 7 years ago. My partner has been my carer for awhile but now I'm back on my feet health wise I'm looking for work... or trying to.

What would be the best way to get experience? and how hard is it for a nearly 30 year old to get a job? I am studying part time at the moment. I'm doing an animal tech course. Hopefully that will help in the long run but that's a year off yet.

Sigh
any ideas?
thanks all

[Coda]

I feel for you. I got fired because the CEO of the company I worked for is an entitled rockstar (literally -- I worked in Hollywood) with no skill at managing employees and no technical background with which to judge the performance of said employees. (He's successful because he DOES have skill at managing products and working with other businesses.)

I got fired because the senior developer was looking for every reason possible to complain about me. He sent the CEO an e-mail about a two-word bug... a bug I knew about and had already fixed but hadn't yet checked in. Instead of seeing the blatantly obvious "oh, I just need to make this tiny change and it works" fix in his own copy, he went over my head. And the CEO's response was to revoke my ability to check in changes, forcing me to send all of my work to the senior developer for review.

This had three ways it could have ended: (1) The senior developer's own work gets put behind schedule. (2) The senior developer checks in my work without reviewing it, wasting my time and increasing the risk of bugs compared to me being able to check it in myself. Or (3) The senior developer rejects my work without reviewing it, resulting in nothing getting done. Either case 2 or 3 (and a decent chance of case 1) would have resulted in me getting fired anyway for not getting my work done fast enough, so I just refused to comply.

So now I've got four and a half years of working for a company with an ugly termination on the record doing stuff that sold well and made a lot of money but doesn't look impressive on a resume.

Looking for work DOES suck, and I've made myself sick the last two weeks trying to find jobs and push through the application and interview processes.

But keep at it! Both of us are going to be fine in the long run. This is just a rocky stretch.

[woopdidoodoo]

Oh Coda! thank you for replying kinda makes me feel a bit better knowing I'm not the only one out there but kinda sucky at the same time because you are in a similar position.

That is terrible. I hate it how people can manipulate the system just to have it their own way. If it were me and I didn't get on with someone for whatever reason I would a: either ignore it b: talk it out with them face to face like the proverbial grown up.

I say proverbial because many grown ups aren't adult yet lol.

I do hope with my new qualifications by next year will help get me a job but I still worry about my age being a problem. Being 29, 30 next year people only want to hire the young ones for cheap labor.

I'm thinking of volunteering somewhere, at least then I'll get a reference hopefully out of it. Just its hard my dream is to be a vet nurse one day which will happen just a very long road lol.

Coda I hope you can find work too, I take it you work in the IT industry like a friend of mine. He fixed computers from home for about 5 years and got a job 30 hours a week at a computer store near him repairing computers and xbox consoles.

Its tough out there
hugs

[Umaeril]

Woop, I agree, volunteer at your local veterinarian. Otherwise, if you are taking classes part time and you do well in a course get your teacher to write you a recommendation on, say, writing skills, etc. Anything that might help you out. Being a vet nurse sounds like it would be very rewarding.

Gosh Coda that just sounds so brutal the way you were treated. Idk what the world is coming to. People are so cut throat and nasty...maybe especially in that industry. I wish you all the best and I will think good thoughts for your success (and Woop's too)!!

[Twigg]

I know how you feel. Granted, I'm still pretty young, I still can't find anything. I'm a student, living with my bf, and my only experience is a telemarketing job. I've applied almost everywhere in town, had maybe 2 interviews, and no call backs. Rent is due in like 4 days, and my bf is gonna have to pay it for both of us. Which... sucks. :/

So anyway, good luck! I hope you find something soon!

[Yokuutsu]

I know exactly how you feel. I have a degree in Business Administration. I can't find a job anywhere, in my degree (because they want experience), or in general (so there's no chance for experience)....my only chance is to move, but I need money to move .-.

[Coda]

I'm 31, so I know how you feel in terms of ageism. I'm not old enough to have the super experience needed for the high-paying jobs, and I'm too old (and therefore want too much money) to get entry-level jobs.

[Nexess]

:I I have several Degrees and I work in retail. I know this feeling well.

I generally just Woo the living hell out of the interviewer by being a charismatic shit. This is legit how I have managed to get any job, my degrees do absolutely nothing for me because where I live the Bio Lab doesn't have any openings and the comic book industry just doesn't exist here, otherwise I'd be an illustrator.

So I'd suggest just putting yourself out there for whatever you can get at the moment and in your off time do alot of volunteer work, with the course your taking try farms, stables, Zoos, places that cater to animals in some way.


Coda - Are you just trying companies in the states? I know there is alot of gaming companies in Montreal that would probably be interested, I mean you can do most, if not all, of your work from home yes?

[Coda]

I'm really trying to avoid relocating, so I'm sticking to Greater Los Angeles and telecommuting.

[Lauv Keiko]

Employees: "We need people with experience, and you don't"
Me/You: "Uhm... I just graduated, that's why I'm applying here to get experience."

...and that's a cycle that will never end.

And I would give some tips, but ;3; I live in a different country with a different set of rules. >_< I'm so sorry...

[Quiet Man Cometh]

I know this well. I've been having a hard time finding jobs when I've been well enough to look. The easiest thing to do for me is to move back up to where they actually need people and getting work is easy (I know this, too) but I'd rather not, and my health wouldn't allow it right now anyway. This will likely be a future consideration though. The only advantage I have right now is that I have experience in retail and customer service, which is always good for more retail and customer service.

[littl3chocobo]

i suppose it is unfair to say maybe you guys should consider lowering your expectations, it is not grand but low-pay entry-level retail and food jobs, at least in the us, are a lot easier to come by in november, it is not much but it is employment

[Twigg]

I don't know about them, choco, but at least for me that's all I've been applying for. The lower entry, minimum wage jobs are even starting to be picky.

[littl3chocobo]

oh.... well i went ahead and just aimed low and i have a second interview friday and they already want to hire me

[Coda]

I can't afford to aim low. I am, as I said, 31 years old. I'm married and I have a disabled child, and I live in Los Angeles. Both my wife and I have student loans to pay off, and being underpaid for several years has caused us a lot of debt -- it's been a vicious cycle; something bad will happen and we have to draw on credit to pay for it (e.g. having my car totaled by a driver that wasn't paying attention, having to pay for medical bills because my employer didn't offer me health insurance, having my laptop break and need replaced because it was my sole source of income (and having a job that required that it be a Mac laptop), getting bloody ripped off because my employer didn't pay enough for relocation when I MOVED to LA) and when we finally start getting enough money to start paying down the debt... something else bad will happen and we'll have to draw on more credit because we just used the money we had to try to pay down the old debt.

The end result is that I have a certain cost of living, and I CAN'T compromise below that cost or else some bill won't be getting paid.

[Coda]

In better news, though, I have three very promising opportunities right now. I've got two interviews tomorrow -- one with NBC Universal, one with a consulting company -- and another in a couple weeks with Google, and all three opportunities are looking pretty likely... if all three say "yes", though, I'm probably going to have to pick the consulting company because I like the work better.

If all three say "no"... well, I keep looking.