find a job

Couldn’t concentrate. Kept getting distracted.

Moved across the room, cleared off my (underutilized) desk and set up shop here. I’m right next to the plants and the window (fresh air). Clear desk. Cup of coffee.

Now to start again.

UPDATE: Finished another cover letter. 17 hours ago

Had a list of 3 jobs that I wanted to apply for this week.

As it turns out, the deadline for one of them was May 17th. I sent an e-mail to my career advisor. Not sure what the etiquette is involving late applications.

Went to my alma mater (I graduated 2 days ago) to work on my cover letters. I sat in the lobby of the business school for a few hours. A few of my favorite profs/admins wandered past and stopped to chat. They were all positive and hopeful and willing to help. One of them specifically offered herself as a recommendation. Recommendations are difficult, I’ve found, because many of the places I apply to require the references with the resume. So I need to: a) have lots of people willing to stand in as references, b) ask the same people again and again, or c) only apply to ones that I’m really interested in. Anyways, it was a good morale boost and helpful to talk to these folks. I’m glad I made the trek to school.

One of the things I did today was… to go through all my old cover letters and copy lines and phrases about my self, interests, education, experiences, work ethics, etc… and pasted them into one word document. That way I can easily grab things as I craft new cover letters. I applying to jobs in a couple different fields, but many want similar things (if not in education, then in work ethic, etc). I think that will prove quite helpful. I’ve got another 5 or so cover letters to work on next week as well…...

Something I’ve found easy enough is to take the job requirements and copy them into a word document. Then clearly write out how I meet each. I’ve actually had to group the job requirements by general themes. Sometimes I use examples. It is hard to give detail and still have a cover letter that is under a page…..
One of the jobs I am applying to is really quite annoying… not the job, but the application process itself. The org requires a cover letter, a resume, a plaintext resume, references, a formal application (with most of the things that the two resumes include, as well as silly questions on data entry kph and wpm….both of which I had to do research and take an online test to get something that I suppose is accurate enough?). And then for each job, they ask for my monthly salary. First, I’m not even sure what constitutes a job. In the past 5 years I’ve had 4 internships, 4 part time jobs, 3 consultancies, 1 full time volunteer position, and then a variety of small gigs. I’m not sure they want information on each of these. My “monthly salaries” for the PT jobs look pretty sad on the app though.

My progress today?
1 recommendation
1 e-mail to career counselor
1 complete cover letter (due the 24th, so I’ll review it again in a day or so for more changes)
1 partly completed application* 1 day ago

okay to apply for a job after the application deadline has passed?

Thoughts? 1 day ago

I’ll be graduating in a few days with a BA and a Massachusetts License to teach Pre-K through 2nd grade. I’m currently looking for work out by Boston. 1 week ago

it (the cover letter). Only took an hour and a half. I’m taking a break for dinner, etc. and then I’ll review it one last time before e-mailing it.

EDIT: Reviewed…. and e-mailed. Yahoo! 1 week ago

getting into gear. Speed-writing a cover letter today. There’s a paid summer internship opportunity available in my community (which could possibly lead to a job??) that I am well suited for…. It is due today. (back to working on it) 1 week ago

I’m just afraid of things…
-of settling for something less than what I can do
-and on the other hand of getting job and not being able to perform it
-of not being happy at a job

The thought of getting a permanent full-time job actually makes me nervous. Here I am, nearly 30, and somehow I’ve never had a FT permanent job. I’ve had FT time-delimited jobs. More commonly, I’ve held many PT jobs at once. The thought of sitting at a desk all day is not particularly exciting either.

Well, here goes anyways…. 1 week ago

My current part time job is not enough to pay the bills. 1 month ago

I have made a rather bold (read: potentially foolish) decision to leave teaching. In the middle of my induction year. Without a job to go to.

Yes, I’m an idiot. But marginally less of an idiot than I would be if I continued.

It’s not the kids. I adore my kids. They’re smart. They’re funny. They’ve made me work hard to gain their trust and acceptance and they’ve challenged my view of myself. I’m a better person as a result.

But teaching is not what I was led to believe. Somewhere, in the sea of targets and league tables and Ofsted, the individual child has got lost- and it breaks my heart on a daily basis. My priority is, and will always be, the individual.

I am a poor teacher. I cannot keep up with the marking, or spreadsheets. Depression has kicked in and this has become a vicious circle. But I will always have time to talk through a problem, however trivial, and the kids know this.

My school and I have decided it is best I leave. Yes, I will miss my students, but I am no good as a teacher and the role that teaching now is leaves me precious little time to do what I am good at.

I’ll do supply for a while, to keep the wolf from the door. Ideally, I’d like a pastoral role- mentoring and support. Like the American guidance counsellor role, which is sadly lacking in England.

There are a few roles I am quite excited about- just keeping fingers crossed that the companies will be equally excited about me! 2 months ago

Today after staying up all night writing the cover letter. It didn’t help that I’m fighting a cold right now. : ( Guess I’ll wait and see if it scores me an interview. 3 months ago