find a job that doesn't suck

I know this’ll probably have to wait until after uni, but…

I’m tired of retail T_T

I did send an application for the Currency exchange job, heard nothing back from the employment agency.

Anyway, I’ve decided that the best way to avoid a job that sucks is to not get a job, ha ha!

Well at least not until January (when I won’t be studying anymore).

Well, it’s the Saturday of a long weekend,so I’m kind of stuck right now. Last night I found a couple jobs that are worth applying for.

1) Student Services Assistant in the Counselling Department of a community college. It’s a term job – full time until next January.

2) Part time (mornings) at a Currency Exchange company. I think this would be really interesting. The only drawback is that I’d have to withdraw from my French class, because the hours conflict. But I need money more than French (at the moment), and this job would be cool.

That’s all I’m inspired by, so far. There’s a travel agent opening within biking distance of my place – but from what I’ve heard, I wouldn’t have much time for my night classes if I did that. Heavy training schedule, low pay, and full time hours, including some evenings.

I think the Currency Exchange is my best bet for now.

Since it’s the weekend, all I can do is keep shopping for a suit (though I’m getting bored of that already).

I know that my chances of finding an office job that doesn’t suck are not very good.

Since I’m just looking part time, maybe retail would be okay. Not just any retail, but perhaps something interesting which provided an opportunity to learn something new. But what?

Maybe I can find a job where I actually produce something – that would be more satisfying than office work. In uni, I had a job at a photocopy/document centre – that was good because we worked on little projects all day.

Maybe a temp agency is the way to go. Sure seems easier.

Unfortunately, it looks like I’ll be taking 2 night classes from September. Haven’t been in school for a long time, and I’m not especially interested in the classes, so it’s hard for me to guess how much time I’d be available to work.

I feel stuck in limbo. It’s too soon to apply for jobs, but I’ll already be so busy when I first get back.

One thing I could do now is try to research temp agencies, I guess. Lord knows, there are a ton of them. How should I pick one (or two)?

That’s one application down, so far. Now at least I can forget about that job until/ unless they contact me!

I found another job that would be great, especially since it’s at a college only 5 blocks from where I’ll be living. I think I have experience in all the areas they’re looking for, except I can’t type 50wpm – especially after spending 3 years in Japan (where the keyboard layout is slightly different).

Also I expect they’re looking for someone to start right away (didn’t specify a start date), and I won’t be there until almost 2 months later. It’s probably not worth the effort of applying.

Perhaps I’ll send an email and ask when they want someone to start. It’s better than just giving up. If they don’t even answer, then… oh well!

Must – write – this – cover – letter!

Why is it such a drag to apply for jobs? Even cool jobs.

:-(

I have a busy work week coming up, and this job app is due mid-week as well. Still teaching alongside the student teachers, which is going smoother now than in the beginning. My boss will apparently be coming to observe some of my classes on Wednesday too (and there will be something unusual about Friday, but for the life of me I can’t remember what!)

So I need to get the cover letter well under way TODAY.

I’m really slow at such things.

Well, a few hours after my last entry… I have located what appears to be THE PERFECT JOB. It’s perfect in so many ways I can hardly believe it.

The only downside is that the job closes on June 8. Although the position actually starts August 15, I imagine they’ll want to do the interviews (in Vancouver) in June or July… and I’m in Japan until August 1 :-(

Here are the good things:

+ it’s a teaching job
+ at the college I will already be attending part time next fall
+ it’s fulltime for 1 year
+ this job ends 15 days before my teaching program will start in 2008
+ the pay is very good

The position is titled Geography Laboratory Technician.

Now:
Guess who has a Bachelor of Science _{with distinction!} in Geography?
Guess who plans to become a geography teacher?
Guess who has recent _current teaching experience?
Guess who even has _{a little} field experience?
Guess who’s extremely charming and perfect for this job?

Well, I know YOU lovely people would hire me in a snap, but I’m not sure if my merits will outweigh the fact that I’m unavailable for an interview.

There’s always technology…

So I’m going to apply anyway :-D

I think I could be at least moderately happy in any position where I was learning something useful/building a particular skill.

I like to have some autonomy, and a variety of things to do.

I can work with others well enough, but only if I have a unique role. I like to be a “specialist” in some way.

I’d really like to do something that is partly stationary, partly active.

I like to interact with people some of the time (the public, students, clients, etc.) but I can’t be in “interactive mode” for 8 hours a day.

I like to deliver information, but I couldn’t be a tour guide, saying the same things over and over again.

I don’t like driving.

my current job… and I think I’m fairly good at it. But I can’t be a teacher right away when I get back to Canada.

I’ll need to find another job for a year or two first. The problem is – all the jobs I’ve had in Canada were “not for me” (I especially want to avoid sales, marketing, and administration). _{I guess I could do administration if it was in an interesting industry.}

Having the wrong kind of job can be so demoralising. Whenever I have a boring job, I feel like I’m not being very effective – it’s hard to put sincere effort into mind-numbing, routine tasks.

The problem is, reading a job advert or even attending an interview, it’s tough to decipher where a job will fall in the [too-boring / too-overwhelming] continuum.

I believe (hope?!) I am a very competent person in general, but in the wrong type of job I feel incompetent, and I can’t stand that feeling.