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[Bradley Guire]

/

 

[imjustagirl]

Re: When did you give up on a job search and deliver pizza?

I've contemplated it many a time over the past six months. But where I live, it's not really safe to deliver pizzas, and driving 40 minutes north to do it kind of takes the profit out of it.

 

[jr/shotglass]

Re: When did you give up on a job search and deliver pizza?

If things fall apart, my fallback, I think, would be the seafood counter at Wegmann's. I think I could do that without clubbing myself in the head every morning.

 

[imjustagirl]

Re: When did you give up on a job search and deliver pizza?

If things fall apart, my fallback, I think, would be the seafood counter at Wegmann's. I think I could do that without clubbing myself in the head every morning.

Problem, as I'm learning, is you probably couldn't get that job. Pizza delivery, they don't care. But Wegmann's, they're not going to hire someone overqualified for it.

I've applied for the past three Christmas seasons to work part-time at Target, Walmart, Kohl's, all of them. Never even a phone call.

 

[Stitch]

Re: When did you give up on a job search and deliver pizza?

I tried driving a cab one night, but after searching the newspaper website for stories involving the company, most involved drivers getting beat up and stabbed.

Sorry to hear your struggles. I had my own health problems 10 years ago that kept me from working anything besides contract jobs for about 18 months.

Even now, I'm starting the job hunt for when I get my master's in December. After hearing nothing for three months, have had three phone interviews in the past two weeks.

 

[KYSportsWriter]

Re: When did you give up on a job search and deliver pizza?

If things fall apart, my fallback, I think, would be the seafood counter at Wegmann's. I think I could do that without clubbing myself in the head every morning.

I've applied for the past three Christmas seasons to work part-time at Target, Walmart, Kohl's, all of them. Never even a phone call.

I've applied at those places, too. Like you, I never heard back. And I applied the second they started taking applications for those positions.

 

[KJIM]

Re: When did you give up on a job search and deliver pizza?

After a year of hunting after Peace Corps, I was set to go at Target. Did the drug test and all, then a newspaper job came through. Didn't want news at all -- desperately wanted out of the industry -- but there was nothing else available. The newspaper job -- international -- paid only marginally better than Target, but my position was eliminated after the 12-month contract finished.

I am now doing an AmeriCorps gig -- 12 months at the poverty level, but hopefully in a year things will improve. I'm doing communications and PR' I hope never to set foot in a newsroom again.

I would have worked at Target, though.

 

[farmerjerome]

Re: When did you give up on a job search and deliver pizza?

I've been very lucky. I have a steady job in retail with great benefits while I search. The problem is, I've been searching for two solid years without so much as a nibble.

Out of the blue, I have my first interview Thursday. It's the first job interview I've gone on in over six years. I'm basically trying to get into a 9-5 job so I can freelance when I want to. I've started taking classes at the community college in office stuff to shore up my resume (and gain the confidence to stand behind it) and there is a local job center that offers career counseling.

It's not like I'm shooting for the stars here. I'd like a job that I can pay my bills and have enough left over to go on a decent vacation once a year. Maybe a concert or and overnight here and there. Just above poverty level works for me.

 

[Stitch]

Re: When did you give up on a job search and deliver pizza?

I interviewed for a part-time job with Target last year, but the interviewer told me I wouldn't get hired because I had a degree and would jump ship for something better.

 

[Stitch]

Re: When did you give up on a job search and deliver pizza?

I started looking for something new in March 2011, around the time I had the surgery. I lost out on a promtion the following July after spending seven years at the same paper, and I was close to walking out. But I stuck it out and kept looking. I had one interview a month later, selling water softeners. Didn't get it. In January, I was in the hospital again and lost my job.

I haven't had a interview since August. These days, with so many companies not bothering to even acknowledge the application, I consider a rejection notice a success.

I'm considering the grad school route, but it's going to take a lot of work. I'm studying for the GRE, but I'm barely getting 50 percent of the questions right now. One of the admitting professors I met with a few months ago told me I'd really have to convince him and the others that I could do graduate-level work. After all, I've spent nearly 10 years writing at a sixth-grade level, which is looked down upon by graduate admissions, I guess.

If none of this works, I have applied for disability because of the spine and nerve issues. Still waiting on word if I qualify.

Anyway, that's my sob story.

Funny about graduate school since my professors think I'm one of the better writers in the program, and I don't think I'm that great. But writing clearly is a skill that good professors look for and my GPA has been stellar in grad school after managing a GPA above 3.0 for my undergrad work after failing most of my classes freshman year.

 

[TigerVols]

Re: When did you give up on a job search and deliver pizza?

Presumably, at least 80 percent of the people reading, much less posting, on this thread are college graduates. Yet we are reading that "just above poverty level" is acceptable, or "I hope to work at Target."

Not to get all political and all, but is there any doubt that society has completely changed since our parents entered the job market? And is it not clear that the American standard of living that we've all grown accustomed to since 1960 or so is bound to be falling apart?

 

[jr/shotglass]

Re: When did you give up on a job search and deliver pizza?

If things fall apart, my fallback, I think, would be the seafood counter at Wegmann's. I think I could do that without clubbing myself in the head every morning.

Problem, as I'm learning, is you probably couldn't get that job. Pizza delivery, they don't care. But Wegmann's, they're not going to hire someone overqualified for it.

I've applied for the past three Christmas seasons to work part-time at Target, Walmart, Kohl's, all of them. Never even a phone call.

IJAG, I think the one thing you're missing there is that I'm 54 years old. Big difference. I am not in a position where I can pick and choose positions. I think if a chain sees a 54-year-old looking for work, they're not thinking he's waiting for the next big thing, because at that age, the next big thing isn't coming.

 

[imjustagirl]

Re: When did you give up on a job search and deliver pizza?

If things fall apart, my fallback, I think, would be the seafood counter at Wegmann's. I think I could do that without clubbing myself in the head every morning.

Problem, as I'm learning, is you probably couldn't get that job. Pizza delivery, they don't care. But Wegmann's, they're not going to hire someone overqualified for it.

I've applied for the past three Christmas seasons to work part-time at Target, Walmart, Kohl's, all of them. Never even a phone call.

IJAG, I think the one thing you're missing there is that I'm 54 years old. Big difference. I am not in a position where I can pick and choose positions. I think if a chain sees a 54-year-old looking for work, they're not thinking he's waiting for the next big thing, because at that age, the next big thing isn't coming.

I don't know. My dad's 65. He's been applying for greeter/part-time gigs at Kroger and Walmart for two years to help he and my mom financially. Not even a phone call. And this is a veteran of the Vietnam War who has worked in four different professions.

 

[TigerVols]

Re: When did you give up on a job search and deliver pizza?

If things fall apart, my fallback, I think, would be the seafood counter at Wegmann's. I think I could do that without clubbing myself in the head every morning.

Problem, as I'm learning, is you probably couldn't get that job. Pizza delivery, they don't care. But Wegmann's, they're not going to hire someone overqualified for it.

I've applied for the past three Christmas seasons to work part-time at Target, Walmart, Kohl's, all of them. Never even a phone call.

IJAG, I think the one thing you're missing there is that I'm 54 years old. Big difference. I am not in a position where I can pick and choose positions. I think if a chain sees a 54-year-old looking for work, they're not thinking he's waiting for the next big thing, because at that age, the next big thing isn't coming.

Keep telling yourself that, sweetheart.

 

[jr/shotglass]

Re: When did you give up on a job search and deliver pizza?

Huh?

 

[Lieslntx]

Re: When did you give up on a job search and deliver pizza?

I spent a year picking up ****-covered clothes out of dressing rooms at Kohl's until something better came along. I figured if they were willing to put up with my then 43 year old self, I could put up with them. Everything about that job sucked. But I was able to finish my Associates degree and wait it out until something else came along.

At least once a week for an entire year, someone pissed on the clothes in the dressing rooms.

Sometimes you have to take what you can get, I guess, even if it is delivering pizzas.

 

[PCLoadLetter]

Re: When did you give up on a job search and deliver pizza?

I spent a year picking up ****-covered clothes out of dressing rooms at Kohl's until something better came along. I figured if they were willing to put up with my then 43 year old self, I could put up with them. Everything about that job sucked. But I was able to finish my Associates degree and wait it out until something else came along.

At least once a week for an entire year, someone pissed on the clothes in the dressing rooms.

Sometimes you have to take what you can get, I guess, even if it is delivering pizzas.

Seriously?

People suck. That's crazy.

 

[Lieslntx]

Re: When did you give up on a job search and deliver pizza?

I wish I was kidding.

People think it is more common to find people having sex in the dressing rooms. Not so. Only came across that once.

 

[Brooklyn Bridge]

Re: When did you give up on a job search and deliver pizza?

It took me a solid year to finally get out of the industry. I was working part time in the restaurant industry and would make more money in three days than in a full week at the news gig. Seriously thought about jumping ship then, but it would be nearly impossible to find a "regular" job after that.

Brad,If you have been looking for as long as you say, have you changed or edited your resume? I went through many iterations of my resume and basically had to change the language specific for each employer. Good luck in your search.

 

[imjustagirl]

Re: When did you give up on a job search and deliver pizza?

My wife and I went over my resume, but not much to change. I worked at the same newspaper for nearly eight years after graduating college becase we had family close by. We didn't want to job hop every few years. She had a good job, and I was fairly content with the work.

Other than the six months I spent as the assistant manager of a pizza joint back in 2000, I have no experience outside of journalism.

Right, but it depends on the job. I'm applying for some jobs that are playing up social media, so I play up my role in that at the top of my job responsibilities. The communications/marketing jobs, my first notes for each job have to do with my dealings with outside agencies/other departments.

It's not about adding jobs. It's about focusing your experience to what the new job is looking for. If you're applying for a writing gig with the same resume you're applying for an editing gig with the same resume you're applying for a communications gig ... you're doing it wrong.