Yeah..so…you know what happens when you over-book yourself and don’t say no? You get asked to work a little less on projects. Yup. One of the things I am working on got a little nuts (and they committed me to WAY more than I signed up for…just to not) and they asked me to take a step back.I was sort of feeling the pressure so luckily we were on the same page- but geeze! Never really had to step back from something before. Still deciding how I feel about it.
This just came on my Fleetwood Mac station on iHeartRadio…good timing?
I have also realized that since I’ve been working 60+ hours a week that I have pretty much 100% stopped applying for jobs. Yes, there is the possibility of me staying where I am, but that isn’t set in stone. I am not sure why I’ve stopped, but I think that it is SO SO SO important to still apply for jobs while temping. I will definitely be looking for jobs this upcoming week, and applying!
I also want to mention involvement in your community. I have been waiting for a full-time job to become more integrated in where I live. I want to not have to worry about working so that I can really relax and focus on the things I am invested in. For example, I was thinking about becoming a member of the MFA as they have various benefits and events for members only. I will also become more involved in my Jewish community as it is VERY large here in Boston and I am looking to add that into my life.
What I’m getting at is that there is MORE to do than just to work. It’s SO very important to do things that you love, besides working (though hopefully you’re enjoying that too!!
Well- it’s just about my bedtime. I hope you’ve taken something away from this post. Sometimes I feel like maybe I’m just ranting, but I secretly hope someone learns something! Haha.
HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEKEND!!! DO SOMETHING FUN. YOU DESERVE IT!
A large percentage of the frustration of finding a job has been getting my hopes up. I hear about something or see a posting for a fantastic job. I will apply for this ‘amazing’ job, many a time with a nudge from a connection, get very VERY excited and then learn the job has been filled. I think I feel a Taylor Swift song coming up….
I am trying with all my might to NOT get my hopes up right now, as I type this. I have been temping at a community college and the atmosphere is the best I have EVER worked in. And I don’t say that lightly. I have worked in many colleges and other work environments, yet none can even begin to compare to this place! The way I have been treated by the people I work with and the students whom I deal with on a daily basis has not only been warm and welcoming, but the students and staff have been very vocal about my work. I am constantly asked by the students to stay after my ‘temp’ time is completed, and I of course tell them it’s not up to me!
*I know it’s random but this is a cool video circulating..it’s OK GO and they always do cool stuff!
I was told by my ‘boss’ that there is a positioning opening up and he said he would like for me to apply for it. I learned today that he did not hire me and anticipate keeping me on for this position. I have yet to see the detailed job description but I know it includes some events/logistical work as well as administrative. I am very excited to see it but also a bit hesitant. While I’ve already been told an idea of the pay, I’m waiting to see what kind (if any) of benefits I could receive. I believe my decision will be based on my pay weighed with the benefits etc. I would be offered.
So- as you can plainly see, it’s hard NOT to get my hopes up! But, there are other jobs I am STILL applying for. You really cannot put all of your eggs in one basket. I am sure there will always be a certain part of me really hoping for a job, but I’m so used to disappointment at this point that it does make it a bit easier. I know I am absolutely-without-a-doubt-in-my-mind not the only person who has such high hopes, so please friends- keep yourself occupied so you’re not thinking about it, by any means necessary or it will drive you crazy!
I have a very difficult time saying no to people so it rarely happens. Even if my schedule is 100% packed, I will find a way to help you with your task, no matter the madness.Of course, if you are asking something over-the-top or for me to do something I am uncomfortable doing, I will still not say no- but rather; “I would love to help you, but can I do it next week?” or ” I will help you find someone to do that for you.” So far, without saying no all the time, people entrust a lot of work to me, knowing I will get it done.
Why do I bring this up? I, as you probably know by now, am temping through a temp agency. When they call me to do work, I don’t ever say no. Why? Because #1 I need the money and #2 I have been told that temp agencies hate nay-sayers and that they’d give me less work if I said no.
It’s been wonderful having work, but recently I became overly-nervous about accepting a 5-week job. Why would I be nervous about 5-weeks of guaranteed work? Well, the thought of still being without a job in 5 weeks was incredibly overwhelming. I mean, seriously? STILL no job in over a month? GAHHHH!!!
Short break to a cute/informational video…
Needless to say, I’ve taken the job and am actually somewhat enjoying it. But I think that there must be a TON, no…MILLION other temps who are taking jobs that they hate just for the work. I mean, is there better work ethic? I think if you ever see that you have the opportunity to hire a temp you have GOT to take it! After an interview of course…but come on! We work tons of odd-jobs, are able to adapt to multiple work cultures at the drop of a hat, and work HARD to do the work given to us.
Well, I guess I should just be speaking for myself..gd knows how other people work…
People, we need to talk about you and your opinions.
Lately, or actually…ever since I’ve graduated, friends, family, and strangers have been giving me their “oh-I-know-how-you-can-find-a-job!!!” advice.
Exactly.
Firstly, I am SO thankful for the incredible help and advice of many of those people. When times are tough and I feel down on my luck, their encouragement is what gets me through the day. BUT, what about all these random people I am meeting at my temp jobs and restaurant?
When they hear I have my degree in Event Management the first word out of their mouth is usually, “cool”, or they say something to the effect of…”that is a great degree!” AND THEN THEY BEGIN TO TELL ME HOW I CAN FIND A JOB. I mean, who the hell are you? Who do you think you are? I have known you for about 2 minutes, if that. I understand you are being helpful and yes, maybe you DO know some incredible people, but do you KNOW if they are hiring? Do you, know for an absolute fact, that they can truly, really help me? NO. You don’t.
Mmmm....nope! I will not pay 5c for any advice!
Part of this frustration is due to the fact that I have MULTIPLE TIMES taken advice, numbers, e-mails and names from these random people I am meeting. I get in touch with their “contact” and don’t even start off sending my resume. After the first introductory e-mail they ask for my experience, and THEN I send my resume. And as you know, my new resume is amazing, so I LOVE LOVE LOVE sending it out.
-Wow, I have some great experience too, according to them.
AND THEN THEY TELL ME THEY DO NOT HAVE ANY WORK BUT THEY WILL FORWARD IT ON TO “EVERYONE THEY KNOW” TO SEE IF THEY CAN HELP ME OUT.
I know right now I seen VERY ungrateful. I seem selfish and just generally horrible. But, I have been dealing with this for 3 months. Everyone giving me their little tips. I am not an idiot. YES- I thought about and have applied for work at hotels. YES- I have applied and met people who work at the convention center. YES- I use Indeed.com to apply and not Monster.com. YES- I have applied for MANY jobs at university’s for different opportunities. And YES- I have spent HOURS online looking for jobs and networking opportunities. And you know what happens? I HAVE NEVER HEARD BACK FROM A SINGLE JOB I HAVE APPLIED TO. NOT. A. SINGLE. ONE.
These kids are truly ungrateful by the way…and funny.
I apologize for the caps, but can you understand how frustrated I am? Advice is wonderful. But unless it goes anywhere, it’s just another dead end for me. And that’s all I’ve had for the past few months. Dead Ends.
I also felt it necessary to bring this up because being jobless is a very touchy subject. I think people do not really know how to deal with all of these ‘kids’ looking for work, so they generously offer their help and advice, not knowing how degrading it is. I think that when you meet someone and somehow begin talking about how they are looking for work, it does NOT mean they are asking you for help. If you ask what I do, I will tell you I am looking for a job. That does not mean I am asking you for your help, it means I am literally telling you what I “do.” Now, if you think you may know people who could help me, shoot me an e-mail or text about who they are how and you think they could help me. I know there is no etiquette class for this kind of stuff, but there should be a general consensus about how to deal with it. I mean, if you tell me you are a farmer, I will not start telling you about how to harvest your crops. If I’ve read about a cool new method, I may say,” Hey- I found an article about a new method, I’ll e-mail it to you.”
To my friends and family reading this- I trust you know me well enough to not take this post to heart. It was not intended for YOU, and YOU know who you are! It’s just overly frustrating getting all this “advice” and I have a blog now so I can say whatever I want. So there. Hahaha
Alright- so I think I’ve made my point. In conclusion….
GENERAL PUBLIC:
If someone tells you they are seeking work, please do not tell them what they should do. If you have anything to offer, gently offer to send them an e-mail about it. Do not go off about how your wife’s sister owns an Event Management company and maybe she needs help, unless you know with 150% certainty that she has money to hire them. We have all already cried enough times about not finding work, and we don’t need another denial e-mail to make us cry again.
Totally unoriginal, I know. But hey- I thought it was cute! Anyways, I wanted to talk about the 85,472,940,389 jobs that I always have my hands in, even though I’m out of a 40-hour work week. I’ve always needed to be busy. 40 hours of stuff to do isn’t enough for me. Whether it’s a side job, volunteering, or culturing myself at a museum, I always have something happening.I even have a friend who coined the term, “Pulling a Jenn” whenever she’d add something new to her life.
Multitasking: The new 'cool'.
Currently, besides temping and serving, I will be serving as the co-volunteer coordinator for the JP Music festival. I volunteered last year and they asked me to partake in a bit more challenging spot this year (but mostly because they saw my potential as a coordinating ROCKSTAR). I will start research to book comedians for another friend of mine’s concierge service. I am also helping a producer find a location in Boston for a shoot. As of tonight, I will be working with a company on their monthly newsletter- everything from content to design.
Hey Rosen Alumni- remember learning about this? It definitely just came in handy for a consult!
Having my hands in a multitude of projects keeps me sane, and reminds me that I am a hard worker and I’m good at what I do. Give me a project- I’ll organize the entire thing in a few hours. Ask me to meet a deadline- I’ll be done with time to spare.
What I’m getting at here (yes I DO have a point!) is that even though we may be jobless, it’s important to still do things that are fun and make you use your noggin’. Yes going out to a bar or dinner is nice, but I mean DOING things that you not only enjoy, but will enable you to…*gasp*…meet new people!
Short. Sweet. To the point. Now go out and DO something,
The following is a letter to my current temp job. But just to get you in the mood…..
Dear Current Temp Job,
I feel it is necessary to talk about a few issues I’ve been having with you lately. I understand that you have certainexpectations of me, but I have some of you as well.
I understand that you will ask of me the following:
-Be on time, and if I am going to be late, call. -Dress professionally. -Ask questions when unsure. -Do tasks with a smile- I’m earning $$! -Have a professional demeanor but easily adapt to different work cultures.
I believe I engage in each of the aforementioned expectations. But listen… I KNOW I am only working for you for a few days or weeks, but I am college-educated and feel the need to be treated like a contributing member of society, because if I wasn’t here, it’d be YOU filing those 58,098 forms and YOU stuffing the 480,923 envelopes. I know you have to deal with new people all the time, seriously, I get it. But if you are my supervisor is it really that much to ask for you to show up on time and introduce yourself so I know who I can approach? Not to mention that it would be GREAT if you would explain what you want me to do, instead of waiting for me to meander sheepishly over to your desk to ask about lunch, just to have you tell me that I am supposed to be working the front desk around lunchtime so the operator can take a break. SERIOUSLY?! Were you told I had telepathy?
I ain't no Sookie Stackhouse!
I know it’s easy to treat people like crap, but do you really want me to go back to the agency and tell them how unclear and unhelpful and unfriendly you were? Fine, I don’t care if you’re friendly. But how can you expect me to act and perform a certain way if you don’t have the decency to let me know you’ve arrived?!
I know we can have a great working relationship, but if you would work on your timeliness and clarity it’d be much appreciated.
First, I need to give props to Duran for the idea for this post. This is a topic that is WAY easier said than done. I am going to try to explain my thoughts, so bear with me here…this is pretty important.
I turned 25 just over 2 weeks ago. Now to me, a 25-year old should be just at the beginning of their career, having a grand-ol’-time beginning life. But see- there’s the problem…beginning life. That can translate in a multitude of definitions for each person. We, as young adults, need to each have our own definition of beginning life.
It is important to not compare what you are doing with your life to others. I’ll bite my tongue as I write this because yes, I fantasize about where I ‘could’ or ‘should’ be just like anyone else. According to the goings-on of my peers, at 25, I should be married. I should have at least 1 child, if not there should be one on the way. If I am not already married I should be engaged, and at the VERY least dating someone, who will probably marry me. I should have a full-time job that I love and still have time for hobbies or other extracurricular activities I enjoy. I should have a ton of friends whom I hang out with all the time, and still find time to stay in shape.
I am currently none of the aforementioned. I’m not going to lie and say I’ve never cried about it and that I don’t care. I DO care. I do wonder why certain things haven’t happened to me yet, why haven’t I expereinced things that “everyone else” has?! I feel like a 5-year old asking WHY WHY WHY all the time.
(Louis C.K. is always hilarious…if you don’t want to watch all 9 minutes of it…fast forward to 7:25 for all the ‘why’s'…enjoy!
Moving to Boston has opened my eyes to life. Life is…learning, trying, exploring. It isn’t what everyone else is doing…it’s what YOU are doing. It is what YOU are doing for YOUR future for YOURSELF. It is not shameful or conceided to think about YOU. Notice how I keep capitalizing YOU?! That’s because YOU are the one who makes the decisions about what YOU do with YOUR life. YOU get to decide if YOU are where YOU want to be, doing what YOU want to do.
It has taken me 25 years to understand that I am doing what I should be doing. At this exact moment in time. RIGHT NOW. I should be here. I should not be married. If I should have been, I would be. At this moment I should be jobless. If I wasn’t supposed to be- I wouldn’t be. So, I wake up every morning, knowing I am exactly where I should be..and get hoppin’ on my day. I know I will get everything I want eventually, so I try to chill out and tell myself it will come in time.
Someone just needed to give this guy a chill pill.
People- all of our parents and grandparents tell us to slow down. They tell us to enjoy being young and treasure life. They tell us these things because they’ve seen it all. They know it will happen and don’t want us to rush. I’m not saying my friends are wrong for marrying young, or having babies young…The pressure we receive from society (tv, radio, music, peers) makes us believe if we aren’t where everyone else is we’re weird. Everyone does what they believe is right when they believe it is right to do so. All i’m saying is that if you compare yourself to your peers, it could lower your self-esteem, make you depressed, or end up like a Kardashian. So stop worrying about how people perceive you and know, KNOW, that you will get everything you want exactly when you’re supposed to get it.
