find a better job

The state of TX has a sucky website for finding jobs. So does every other state agency I’ve looked at. There’s nothing like entering 10 years of work history and then getting the charming message

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Good times, man, good times.

I am so annoyed and frustrated. I just want to barf. or cry. or both. The more postings I see, the more I realize I don’t have crap for job skills, experience, or qualifications.

Debt, Starvation & Bankruptcy here I come.

Oh, and I’ve started getting sick to my stomach (or worse) on days I’ve scheduled to go sell plasma, so even though I realize it’s psychosomatic, there doesnt’ seem to be a damn thing I can do about it. So I’m not going to do it anymore. Nobody is worth bleeding and puking for.

OK…job hunting. There’s my priorities in life. There’s what I like to do, what I would like to learn, what I believe in, and what I do now & have done for money in the past.

I can’t find an interface that will make an optimal situation.

Material Priorities:

roof over my head/bills paid/food/clothing (stability). I have to have a comfortable, stable home. I have to know where my next meal is coming from. I have to know my job will be there tomorrow. (I know, on some level, there’s no guarantees in life and life is fatal, but I like the illusion of security, OK?)

Spiritual/emotional/life Priorities:

TIME. Free time, time for self, friends, interests, hobbies, travel, reading, etc. There is only so much time I am willing to give up in order to secure material priorities. This includes time outside of wage-earning time that I’m willing to spend in educating myself to fit into a new career.

Things I LIKE to do:

sleep, read, write, travel, hug, cuddle, kiss, have sex, cook, plan parties, have parties, shop, beadwork, stained glass, spend time with friends, listen to music, play music (was a DJ in college—not paid, but very fun & people say I was good at it.)

Causes I believe in:

• domestic abuse, especially in the much-overlooked area of abuse of adult men & older male children—yes, I understand that preteens and teenagers are a pain in the butt and are often as big as or taller than their parents, but parents still have no business beating them up. And, of course, most men are larger than their female SO, but that does not give the female SO permission to strike at them in anger. Even if it doesn’t hurt, it still HURTS, you know? It’s disrespectful and a violation.

• EVERY child a WANTED child (educating people on how to parent, educating people on effective birth control methods, affordable and legal healthcare to provide birth control & abortions if necessary)

• animals (no kill shelters, spay & neuter, animal rescue)

• the environment (biodiesel! solar power! minimal use of pesticides, fertilizers, and other chemicals in the home, yard, farming, industry, Permaculture, green building, sustainable living, etc.)

Things I would like to learn:

masonry, roofing, flooring, electrical, painting, concrete pouring, concrete staining – home improvement kind of stuff.

sewing, quilting, gardening, canning, etc. – old fashioned pioneer homesteader kind of stuff

raising and butchering animals. – crazy survivalist kind of stuff (possible sideline into vet assistant, or farrier?)

Things I have done for money:

data entry, paper shuffling, typing, phone answering, customer service, dispatching, inside sales, retail sales, makin’ copies, working in a kitchen, washing dishes, fast food (never again), telemarketing (never again), office management kinds of stuff—mail, payables, receivables, general spread-sheety goodness, event planning (once)

I think I did OK. It was a ‘gang bang’ style interview where the candidate sits in a room with a bunch of people asking questions & scrutinizing them heavily.

Got some bad vibes from the main supervisor (to give benefit of the doubt, perhaps because she seemed uncomfortable interviewing, not necessarily because she is evil), but I liked the person who seems to be her right hand woman; she seems to have a good sense of humor about the job. The main supervisor asked if I’d read the job description and blabla & “So do you think you’d like to do this job?” and I answered “I think I CAN do this job very well,” and the 2nd in command almost laughed out loud at me making the distinction. I think, but don’t want to say out loud, that work is called work because it’s not ‘play’ or ‘fun’ it’s WORK. You just have to pick something that pays you the most for your time, that you’re good at, and that perhaps you can even feel GOOD about doing. Rather than one of those ‘trafficking in human misery’ type jobs.

The job has some negative elements: It’s a call center. I’d be taking anywhere from 90-150 calls a day. Work hours & schedules are absolutely inflexible (but at least they don’t take calls 24/7/365, they’re open 8-5). The boss lady indicated that often people are asked & expected to cut breaks short in order to work the phones if they get too busy. Cutting a lunch break short, you get the time back “eventually” but breaks don’t get returned to you.

But…in general, I like structure. I don’t think living by the clock is all that bad, assuming there’s a REASON for it (unlike here). Staying busy means the work day passes quickly. I like helping people. And, even though I hate it, I am REALLY good on the phone. I’ve worked for an answering service. I’ve worked as a service dispatcher. I have a great voice. I have VERY strong phone skills. Not my favorite thing to do, but I’m damn good at it.

The money isn’t ideal. At the top of the pay range for that position, it’s $200 more per month than I make now, but about $300 less than my “ideal” salary.

But, it’s a level II, so there’s room to move (theoretically) OTOH, it is the State. So maybe not. (gah, another question I should have asked)

I feel like I babbled too much and didn’t ask enough questions about the job, the work environment, advancement, etc….but that’s all in the past now. I either got it or I didn’t.

OH! And the office is about 3 miles from my house & right up the street from the Curves I’ve been avoiding since November. (I need to get back to a regular Curves schedule, too…dammit)

Anyway, they said they’d make a decision Tuesday afternoon and send paperwork to their Human Resources department, and then HR will call the applicants with an offer. I am hoping I’ll hear something by Friday.

I have a skills test today at 4, when I pass that & then the next one, I will get an interview. And then hopefully I’ll get an offer and a new job very soon.

fingers crossed

1 state app off to the Attorney General’s office

3 apps off to Capital Metro – 1 part time job and 2 full time jobs.

In the meantime: started selling plasma at Bio Med. $200/month.

apply for part time jobs:

Target
Spec’s