Job Search: The Third Interview

Well the interview went like an interview. I didn't get a good feeling nor a bad feeling from it so I can't even start to say if I have a chance. I should know either way within a week to ten days. It took about 30 minutes, and that was because I had to do a mock memo. The position has changed a bit, but it's still something I want to go after. Instead of being in the IT department I would work part of my time in the outreach community center and the other part I would be a floater between branches. It's still part time but I get benefits because it's an upgrade in titles.

Speaking of benefits, here's theirs: I would get Vacation and Sick leave (48 hours/year), holiday pay if the holiday falls on a day I'm scheduled to work. Retirement plan, I would make a 6% pre-tax contribution, and they make a contribution also (it doesn't say how much though). Health Insurance through Blue Care HMO, with a premium of $136.09 biweekly. Also a deferred compensation program that allows employees to supplement retirement income by deferring a portion of current salary before it's taxed. They have other benefits too that aren't explained in the brochure, saving bonds, direct deposit, a credit union, employee assistance program, pre-tax health insurance premiums, internal promotion policy.

All in all I'm slightly disappointed because it's not the position I originally wanted but it's still a good deal.

Job Related News: And yet another interview!

This time I'm really excited about this interview. Why? Because it's something I would want to do. It's a position in the IT department of our main library. I would have a supervisor but it would be minimal surpevision. I really want it but if I didn't get it I would be happy to know that I at least got an interview for it. It's tomorrow so keep me in your prayers!

Am I the Only One Who Thinks Some THings Happen for a Reason?

I know I'm not, but I can't help to think sometimes I am. This morning I talked about the lows and highs I went through these past couple of days. I'm sure you might recall me posting about how I turned down the Edward Jones job. Well after I did I sort of regretted it, but I didn't pay it no mind. Because I often regret choices I make. I'm use to it right about now. Well this one wouldn't go away and something about just kept nagging me. Well this morning when I went to check my many emails, I found a email from Edward Jones asking me to reconsider the possibility, adn you know what I am?

I'm not positive on what I'll do but I'm going to take a closer look at it this time around for sure.

Vacationing from The Edge: Mood Swings

It's amazing how one can go from a high to a low in space of a day. Well maybe in the space of a weekend. Last week I wrote how I had gotten a part time job, well I still have it, she just pushed back my start date. I was suppose to start this morning, but she wasn't quite ready for me. Hopefully I can start next week. Then my dad did my taxes, I was slated to get almost $300 back from Federal and just over $200 from state. Which I was glad to get, since I had only worked technically part time the whole year. Well they rejected both state and federal and my dad had to re-file for me, the problem? There had been a tax update within the week he had did my mom's and sisters and mines. That update affected me and the tax limit bracket I guess I was in, thus I get nothing from federal and only $54 from state, that's a big difference. Although I wasn't that upset because taxes are something you should never count on having. The government is to fickle to rely on, so oh well.

So I was bit bummed about that, I was going to use half of the money to pay off some debt, but oh well. I'll just use half of that to start the high yield savings accounts. Later that day the post came, and I must admit I love getting mail, even if it's just junk mail. I like it to see my name on it, it's weird I know. I don't necessarily like to get bills, but it is mail so I'm torn on it. Well yesterday there were several things for me, I felt so special. There was a first class envelope with no returned address, some samples I had sent off for, a coupon for free kid's yogurt, and a letter from my student loans provider.

Of course I was curious over the first class mail, no one ever sends me something so important it has to come in a priority mail envelope, not even my college degree was sent in one. So I tore it open, and it was a letter from some government agency conducting a survey. The survey was about how American students pay for secondary education. In gratitude they send you a $30 check after you finish it, since it was a web survey I logged on and completed the survey in about 25 mins. So in about four weeks I should be getting a $30 check. That of course lifted my spirits.

The samples and the coupon lifted my spirits even more, another thing I love is free stuff. I'm really excited to try the kid's yogurt. Even though I'm no where near a kid, the things they put out for kids tend to be more nutritious than the things they put out for grown ups. This one has less sugar than normal yogurt and plus its free.

But the biggest boost was the letter from the student loaner, I thought it was just my monthly statement that they send. But no it was a letter say that two of my loans were being dropped because of no disbursal. For some reason when you graduate in December they still give you financial aid for the spring semester. I had to wait for my alma matter to say I was no longer enrolled before they took away the loans. So a total of $2,751 was dropped from my total debt. Bringing my total to $15,190.98 in student loans and $17,904.00 in total debt. That's not bad, compared to some other's (got to stay positive.)

Well with all that good news coming back to back how could I get into a low? Well I received an email from one of the jobs I applied to and they decided to go with some one else, oh well. Then I sent an email to my mom asking what's the hold up on that job. Apparently they too went with someone else but that person declined the offer. So I'm just going to go ahead a say I didn't get that one. My mom thinks I should send an email to the head inquiring about the job and how I would really love to work for them, but I'm like I wasn't there first choice and they aren't my first choice, I'm not going to "beg" them for the job when I don't really want it. So back to the hardcore grind of applying for non-existent jobs.

I think the good and the bad have just even me out, I'm bummed but not to bummed. I would really like to get started some where in a job, just to give myself something else to think about.

Job Search: Part time job

Well the interview went well, better than expected (sort of). She offered me the job right there, and as I thought low pay and no benefits. But it's okay. Because know there will be some kind of income coming in, which means I will have some personal finances, not much but some. I'm excited, can you tell? So what's the job? It's an office assistant for a beauty consultant firm. I get to do all the things I love to do. I'll be an assistant, web designing, marketing, organizing, PR(ing), inventory, customer relations, accounting, product buying and more. And a few things I don't like answering phones, not one of my favorite things to do but I'll do it. Right now it's only two days a week, it might increase to more days if I'm needed.

It's going to take an initial large sum of hours to get started, mainly because they have been with out an assistant and the head admitted that she had no system so she's opened to suggestions (yay!) and you can totally tell. The first thing is to do an overhaul inventory, it's suppose to be done every January but that didn't happened. She's willing to work with me once I find a full time job to adjust my hours, which is a good thing. I would hate to leave her in a lurch if I were to get a position soon.

So right now I'm probably looking at about $400 a month from this position, like I said not a lot but it's something. I still haven't heard something from my mom's job, hopefully I'll hear something next week. I honestly don't know why they are lagging. It's almost not worth it, but right now that pay is to much to pass up. The next thing to happen is me making a action plan to get the most out of the pay for this part time job.

Job Search: Another Interview

Today I have another interview, for an office assistant. I don't know how much it's for and I don't even know if there are any benefits. Somehow I doubt it. Why am I pursuing this position? Well the lady who I would be working for is a contact of my mom's. She told my mom she was looking for an office assistant and my mom suggested me. So there is a rather good chance that I will get, but the real question is for how long will I keep it. I'm still going to be looking for a better job, I know this just isn't the one for me.

I'm meeting with her this afternoon to discuss the position, I'll let you guys know how everything turns out.

In other news, I've kinda come at a stall point for things to write in this blog. It's not easy to keep an PF blog, when you don't have PFs. I've actually stopped hardcore reading the many PF blogs I fav. Mainly cause I haven't found blogs that are really talking to me. It might be where I'm looking, but I'm not finding any PF blogs for single recent college grads, especially women. What does that mean? That there aren't any other single female recent grads that take an interest in the pfs? Or does it mean that these people just don't write about it? Like I said it could be where I'm looking. I would like to find some blogs that really are aimed at a person such as me. I'm sorry I can't really get into a blog that talks about family life with a husband/wife/significant other and their kids/lack there of. I'm 23 I'm not looking for a family life just yet.

I would also like to find blogs that don't force their opinions onto their readers. Not that there is wrong with having opinions but some bloggers have strong opinions and they don't take the time to address the other side. I guess that's what I'm suppose to do but if your going to tell me your opinion it would be nice to see your take on the other side to show that you aware of it.

Sorry about that rant, it's just something I've been thinking about.

Job Related News: The Interview

Well I went to the interview. I was a bit early, but no harm in that right? Once they were ready for me, I was given a tour. Although it was a quick tour cause I've been there times before. Then I observed one of the teachers with a kid. This one kid was one of the aggressive kids, there are a total of four of these kids. He wasn't that aggressive and he didn't have a "tantrum", so it wasn't that bad. After about twenty minutes of that I had my interview with two of consultants. I think it went fine, I was asked about my ability to be silly in front of others...I held back a sarcastic look...I think there's a bit dramaticization (is that a word) to me that I can be silly in front of others...Although it's not like I'm use to being such a way in front of others. I only had one question to ask of them, and that was the training process...there's a probationary time of one month before I would be by myself on the schedule. As I walked around I got second thoughts, I was still doubting myself. But then I came home and saw a comment from my friend on my personal blog about the interview and that made me smile. I didn't ask about the salary but my mom told me later.

The base pay of $22,000 (I think the last time I said this was the highest well that's for assistant teachers, but because I have a four degree I can be a teacher) a year (before taxes), is still less then what I want to making (which is probably what I would get yet is still much better than the $18,000 base for the assistant teacher), roughly $1,833.33 a month.

The highest is $26,000 a year before taxes, which is roughly $2,166.67 pre-tax. That's almost $200 surplus and also a no need for a part time job. Which would be a good thing to cover some of the unknowns that I wasn't able to accurately depict in my preliminary budget.

(Just for kicks, the median would be $24,000 a year, $2,000 a month, a $19.20 surplus...it's a surplus not much but it's something. I would probably still get a part-time job but probably after a few months...like a summer job or something.)

So if they gave me the job at the base pay I would still need to get a part time job that would net me just short of $200 a month. Which isn't that bad...I mean if I got a job at say for instance Walgreens at minimum wage, $6.15/hr (NC's minimum) and work for two days a week Saturday and Sunday (although I've always been told not to work on Sunday that whole Christian thing *shrugs her shoulders* I needs the money to get out of here...I'll do it.) a total of 16 hours a weekend. That's just short of $400 a month (that's $200 more than what I've guessed I would need.), and $4,723.20 annually pre-tax, that's a good chunk of extra cash. So if I chose to do the job as a summer job (starting in May and going to the end of July), I could still make $1,771.20 pre-tax, and only have to make up another $228 (perhaps in non-salary ways).

But this is all contingent on me actually getting the job. This is as much planning have done concerning this job and as much as I'm going to do until I get a job offer (which wouldn't be sometime in the next week or so). I'm trying to be positive, but I swear it's the waiting that kills me. I wish they would just tell you right there if you got it or not. All my other jobs were like that...although for all my other jobs I didn't really have an interview either. I just put in an application and it was a "When an you start" deal. Oh I miss those days.

Well I'm off to watch something on the telly. Has anyone tried the Thule trail game yet?

Job related news...

Well I got an interview tomorrow for the school thingy. As of now I'm not nervous, I've been trying to keep my mind off it. Which meant listening to music and sleeping all day. Which is why I'm just now posting something. My mom was able to give me some pointer of the questions they might ask tomorrow, there's only one or two that I might have to tell a slight half-truth on...like why I want to work there...I can't tell the whole truth which would be cause I want a job and this is the currently only option right now. That might not go over so well. I'm kinda ready to get it over with. My mom said that they are looking to hire two or three people, they had an interview today, I'm tomorrow, another one is after me and then two more next week. So I probably won't hear anything until next week at the earliest.

Wish me luck!

Goals: February

Well as promise here are my February goals. Since it's a short month, I have to be very selective of what I want to accomplish.

1. Look for more places to apply: This month I want to apply for at least one job a week. I don't want to over do it and have too many resumes out there. There's four weeks in this month so that's another four places I have to find to apply.

2. Gain full time employment: I still haven't heard from my mom's boss. I'm not relying on getting that position, since they can be so iffy. However I would like to have a job before March 1st.

3. Find more ways to bring in non-salary income:I've place ads on the blog from Adsense and the Amazon Associates, but until this blog starts gaining more views I don't plan on seeing any revenue from them in who know's when. I have applied for an online tutoring job, which I need to finish the subject test for. I've also signed up with Linkworth, another advertising deal. And the other day I created an account with CashCrate.com. I'm going to look into survey sites, any suggestions?

4. Post more articles on Helium: This kinda goes with #3 and I'm dedicating a separate post for this one with more details about what Helium is.

Along with my personal goals and writings goals, these are my February goals. Not much but enough to at least keep me busy. Anyone else have February goals?

The Job Search: an Update

Although yesterday's post could be seen as an update of search for my job search, but it was more like a post for posing an question for this subject. I decided to go for the job. After posting a similar post on a more friend's only post, a friend of mines gave this advice:

There's something that both Nana and Momma have told me over the years that may apply here: If you really want a job, some things just won't matter.
When it comes to dealing with potty issues, I'm pretty sure you'd be fine after you got used to it.
You're resiliant and I think you'd probably get into the swing of things after a few weeks. Also, you have your mom. She's been doing this for I dunno how long, so at least you aren't going in completely new to the whole thing and you have someone to go to when you get nervous. I've heard you talk passionately about some of these kids- about them as people and about the way they're treated at home. You care. That right there makes you more qualified than some people I've seen in a similar job posistion.
I've got faith you can do this.

I really took this to heart. Sometimes I don't always have self-confidence in my own skills and capabilities. It's always great to have a love one say I know you can do it. Last night I wrote up a cover letter (which was a bit of a hard thing, because I wasn't quite sure what she wanted they are so lax and not all that professional so I was afraid of over doing or not doing it good enough.) This afternoon I sent it alone with my resume to her. I haven't heard anything but I figure they are waiting for others to apply to. Now that I have it in my mind I really want this job. It's less then what I want to making, the highest would be $22,000 a year (before taxes), roughly $1,833.33 a month. When I started my job searching I did a preliminary budget, and all though there were a good amount of unknowns, I have figured I would need at least $23,769.60 (after taxes), breaking it down to about $1,980.80 (after taxes) a month. That means if I got this job I would have to find a part-time job that would net me roughly less than $2,000 extra a year ($147.74 extra a month). That's not that much more of a gap. But that's going with the idea that they would give the highest. I highly doubt that, since I don't have any experience per se.

I've already started thinking of some ways to try to earn the extra $200 a month. I would hope that the revenues from this site would help, but I'm still too new on the scene. Plus I haven't done any advertising for the blog, I'm waiting to I can regular post about personal finances (which means I need to get a job to have finances in which to talk about) But until then, I have to look to other means. In this post I gave some ways I was trying to earn some money. One of them was the selling of my paperbacks online. Yeah that didn't work out so well. I did a price check on the ones I have and saw that people were selling them for pennies. Granted I hadn't spent a lot on some of them, but I wasn't willing to let them go for pennies. So I've rethought the idea, there is a used bookstore, Edward McKays, (which when I was looking for the link for them I saw they were hiring...I applied for 20 hours, unfortunately it doesn't say how much the pay but I think that would be a good part time job.) I could sell back some books there. Although I think I would get cash and book credit, which is good that way I could use the credits to buy more books and not spend any more money. New books, without spending any money...works for me!

I could also try and find some seasonal work, which means I would have to temporarily cut back on some of the budgetary items, savings, until I found such a job and then put all the earnings from that job to it's respective areas. This would be a last resort scenario sense I need the money right now.

Tomorrow I'll give an general goal update.

And yet another Job Decision needs to be made.

My mom works at a school for autism kids. Well they are hiring, and at first the job they were offering was for a part-time teacher for 1 to 4.5 yr kids. It was 30 hours a week, at $13 a hr. plus benefits, the kids would be both "normal" and autistic. Many of my friends know I have a slight unnatural fear of kids. I like them okay I just can't handle them for long periods of time. But I was willing to take this job, cause one it would be easy to get to work. If my mom goes I go, which is a big thing because I don't have a car to provide my own transportation. Plus it was a job which meant money would be coming in. And at this junction I need money. I wanted to have a job before February...but since that's tomorrow...I need to kick things into an higher gear.

So I sent my resume to my mom so that she could give it to the head boss. Well today my mom sent me an email saying that the teacher who I would be working with has decided that they don't want another person in there. Which doesn't make sense to me, why didn't they say something before and just not have the job offered. So the boss has decided to do another job offering, instead of being just in one class I would be doing 1:1 with some students plus work in several different classrooms. I would basically be a private tutor for autistic kids. I believe that the pay is slightly higher and I think it might even be full time, not sure. And while the aspect of working with autistic children might be admirable I'm not sure about the whole idea of it. I mean I loved working with my mom when we worked with two of her kids especially the one little girl. But what if I got saddled with one that was destructive to themselves and others, I couldn't handle that. And what if I had to help them learn how to use the potty, or if they had a bathroom accident? Its different when it's a toddler then when it's a kid that's 10. Not only that but the working condition isn't all that great. The people there, especially some of the management are basically not cut out to be in the positions they have. And I don't handle poor management well, I run right over them I can't help it I just do.

So if there is anyone out there actually reading this I would like your thoughts on this conundrum. There doesn't seem to be another option in the horizon and I have bills to pay and a sanity to keep. But just at the same time is this not a similar problem that I found in the Edward Jones job offer?

Job Search: Hard Decision Made and Back to the Grind

Well after much debate with myself and some discussion with my mom. I opted to not take the job with Edward Jones. This was a major decision for me and I'm one of those people who always like to think of all the pros and cons before I make a decision. I thought I would share them with you all...so you can see what I was thinking.

The Pros:

1. It was a job which there would income coming in

2. The work entailed some interest for me...basically it would be a continuation of the things I want to eventually do with this blog, financial advising.

3. They were willing to train me to become a financial advisor and pay me for my training.

4. I would basically starting my own business and they would hire me an assistant to help maintain the office.

5. The pay was more than I was looking for...just over $30,000 plus bonuses. Their benefits packages was pretty good to... the basic included basic life insurance, basic accidental death and dismemberment insurance, income continuation plan for short-term disability, profit sharing and tuition reimbursement. (They also have optional medical and dental insurance, long-term disability, supplemental life insurance, supplemental accidental death and dismemberment insurance, dependent life insurance, long-term care insurance, health care reimbursement account, dependent day care reimbursement account, 401(k) plan, after-tax plan and investment savings plan.)

So those are some good pros...but what made me decide to go the other way

The Cons:

1. Ultimately this is a sales job...something I don't really want my whole job to be about. I know that almost all jobs has some sort of sales to it. But in order to be successful in this job you had to be a successful salesperson.

2. It's a career oriented job. I'm not looking for a career just yet. I want to go back to school in a year or two and I don't think I could just walk away from this in that time frame.

3. I would be responsible for my paycheck. They only pay you the salary for the first month, after that it's really up to you to have built a sizable business to start making a income.

4. I can't really see myself doing this for long, it seems very stressful and I wouldn't be able to do that and school, plus continue on working on my writing.

5. I'm just too young to start to settle into such a career path.

So five cons and five pros...you can see how I was in a bit of a fix. But I realized that it wasn't really about how many was in each list but how much they each weighed in my life. This is where it really pays to know your life dreams and goals. Granted one of my life dreams is to become financially stable but I don't want to sacrifice other dreams to be financially stable. In my life the Cons weighed more than the Pros. While I feel a little disappoint that I'm not posting about a new job, I'm comforted by the fact that I hadn't sold my soul for money. It's a good feeling.

Job Search: Potential Job?

I finally got up the nerve to call the lady back from Edward Jones. Unfortunately she wasn't there so I left her a message. She then called me back and I didn't hear the phone ring so I missed it. But she did leave a message and I'm suppose to call her back tomorrow morning and we are to have a discussion. I'm thinking they have some sort of entry level position. I don't really know how I feel about it.

On the one had I'm excited about a potential job, on the other hand I'm nervous that I'm getting my hopes up for nothing. So I've been trying my best not to think about it. I told my mom about the other day, and my sister. My mom was like okay well maybe they have a entry level position, just call her back and see what she has to say. My sister was less supportive, saying that I wasn't qualified. I don't know what they are looking for so I don't know if I'm qualified or not.

I'm really ready for a job cause I'm ready to start anew. I know I'm kinda asking for a lot, everyone's saying it's gonna take a while before I can actually get something. My dad has been looking for work for five years. I don't know what all he's applied for but I'm hoping my luck will be different.

On a side note, my mom *suggested* that I think about just going back to school...possibly in another state. I've been thinking about it, but it might not be as easy as everyone seems to think. It's much harder to get into grad school plus find money to do it. Besides I haven't a clue really what I want to go back for. That's why I took the year off to try and figure it out.

The Job Search

As you know I am currently unemployed. Which is a major bummer. After having a solid job for fours years straight I got use to having one. It's weird I always thought I would prefer not to have to have a job but now that I don't I want one. It sucks not having money. Not because I want to buy stuff, cause I don't. I've had plenty of chances to spend the little bit of money I have on frivolous things but just haven't been in the mood to be a consumer.

But I have been proactive, as much as I can be without a car to go searching for work. I have actively applied for four different positions in the last three days. All at local colleges and one at a bank for a financial advisor (on the job training). I have a phone call coming in for the bank to talk about a interview set up so let's keep our fingers crossed. I would like to have some sort of employment before the first of February.

In the mean time I have been looking around for other ways I can make some cash while I wait. I've signed up for Google Adsense and Amazon Associates for this blog, and I'm thinking about put my other blog and website on the account. I have a website for my fictional writing and I get a pretty steady stream of business on there. I have some diehard readers that come by on the regular. Speaking of writing I've been looking for competitions to enter to gain some revenue plus get my name out there. Anything and everything (that's legal of course) I'm looking into.

I have a massive paperback collection. About five or so boxes worth of books in my parents storage. They have been in there over a year now. I figured since I haven't really missed them I can start selling them on Amazon, they are all in excellent order. I was taught how to maintain a paperback collection and how to repair said paperbacks for commercial resale. So my paperbacks are practically like new. At least they were before going into storage, there is no telling how they are now. But I have some books that I kept out of storage that I can start with.

I'll keep you all posted about how this all works out.