Jaded about job hunt

[CroMagna]

I've been jobhunting for months now and no luck. I'm getting sick of the process. I'm tired of looking over my resume and writing cover letters. I find it monotonous and boring. But I need a job.

I want to go back to school to get a Masters but for that I need money. I still owe my college money so they won't release my transcripts until I pay it off. So I still need to find a job so that I can pay off my undergrad tuition and then get the transcripts so that I can apply to grad school. Also because of my past history of depression, my grades aren't that great, so I'm not sure if I will be accepted into grad school.

I could go back to dancing but I'm supernervous about auditioning because my body has changed since I last danced.

[Clint Cora]

Job hunting is not just about submitting resumes and writing cover letters. It's also about networking with new contacts and doing information interviews with industry people. I'm sure you heard that quite often, it's who you know that can really help you. Meeting new people all the time as well as attending meetings, conferences and events in the fields that you are interested in will make the entire process less boring. Don't do what 95% of the people out there are doing which is basically just applying blindly to HR departments. Actively get out there instead.

As for physical stuff, if you have the time, you can also get back into training if that's an activity (dance) that you enjoy doing.

[Andras]

Do not look for work as an employee, look for work as an independent contractor. Work for yourself. Offer your services in the field that you excel and if need be, do a few jobs for free. On other entrepreneurial ideas you can check my blog out. Most of the new jobs in the 21st century are independent contracts. I've made an excellent living as an IT contract engineer for 17 years and now I work for myself as a publisher. Stop begging for a "job", work for yourself, most companies are very open to contract employment but shun the full time hiring because of the commitment and benefit issues. HR is totally unaware of these, but departments heads and managers know these jobs, they also work with agencies to weed out and hire some of these gigs. Many freelance gigs can turn into full-time if they like you and all of the sudden they need a person there. (happens all the time...)
I have compiled a list of businesses one can do from home (no MLM, scams).

Originally Posted by CroMagna

I've been jobhunting for months now and no luck. I'm getting sick of the process. I'm tired of looking over my resume and writing cover letters. I find it monotonous and boring. But I need a job.

I want to go back to school to get a Masters but for that I need money. I still owe my college money so they won't release my transcripts until I pay it off. So I still need to find a job so that I can pay off my undergrad tuition and then get the transcripts so that I can apply to grad school. Also because of my past history of depression, my grades aren't that great, so I'm not sure if I will be accepted into grad school.

I could go back to dancing but I'm supernervous about auditioning because my body has changed since I last danced.

[nzmegs]

I completely agree with Andras. Stop pigeon-holing yourself as a worker - you can be almost anything you want to be. Think about the skills you have and work out how you are going to make money from them.

Now, you are/have been a university student? So you have writing skills, research skills, dancing skills, social skills, computer skills? All of these lend themselves to freelance or contract work.

Start offering your skills to others on a one-off basis without the committment of being a full time employee. you will be surprised how often this works.

Try online freelance sites or set up and market your own website to sell the skills you have.

Think outisde the box and be your own boss. What have you got to lose?

[James Fletcher]

I think the previous two posters are both on the money on this one.

Job hunting is like some antiquated, arbitrary game composed of tedious rituals such as applying online (with disparaging ratios such as 2000 applicants for every vacancy), the painfully superficial ceremony that is the interview, and, more often than not, rejections (e.g. "TRY AGAIN.").

I suggest giving Company Men a watch. The way Ben Affleck's egotistical character deals with the influx of setbacks is sure to lighten your mood.

Other than that, yeah. The old empire economy is a tired, rusty old machine. The world is crying out for innovation.

[CroMagna]

Originally Posted by Andras

Do not look for work as an employee, look for work as an independent contractor. Work for yourself. Offer your services in the field that you excel and if need be, do a few jobs for free. On other entrepreneurial ideas you can check my blog out. Most of the new jobs in the 21st century are independent contracts. I've made an excellent living as an IT contract engineer for 17 years and now I work for myself as a publisher. Stop begging for a "job", work for yourself, most companies are very open to contract employment but shun the full time hiring because of the commitment and benefit issues. HR is totally unaware of these, but departments heads and managers know these jobs, they also work with agencies to weed out and hire some of these gigs. Many freelance gigs can turn into full-time if they like you and all of the sudden they need a person there. (happens all the time...)
I have compiled a list of businesses one can do from home (no MLM, scams).

I want to be an independent contractor but I have no idea how to go about starting this. How do I go about it?

[CroMagna]

Originally Posted by nzmegs

I completely agree with Andras. Stop pigeon-holing yourself as a worker - you can be almost anything you want to be. Think about the skills you have and work out how you are going to make money from them.

Now, you are/have been a university student? So you have writing skills, research skills, dancing skills, social skills, computer skills? All of these lend themselves to freelance or contract work.

Start offering your skills to others on a one-off basis without the committment of being a full time employee. you will be surprised how often this works.

Try online freelance sites or set up and market your own website to sell the skills you have.

Think outisde the box and be your own boss. What have you got to lose?

How do I start working for myself/doing freelance or contract work?

[CroMagna]

Originally Posted by James Fletcher

Job hunting is like some antiquated, arbitrary game composed of tedious rituals such as applying online (with disparaging ratios such as 2000 applicants for every vacancy), the painfully superficial ceremony that is the interview, and, more often than not, rejections (e.g. "TRY AGAIN.").

This.

[falcan]

Depends what you want to do - which job are you looking for exactly? Then take a look if you can offer that or something similar with your skillset. What helps a bit is turning your mind around..instead of "where can I find a job", it should be more like "what problems do people have out there(look around) and will they pay me if I solve them(and do I have the right skills to solve them+do I enjoy it?)". People often say they need to "get a job" , but what they really mean is they need money. Job is the only known thing that should work. But economy is not about getting a job, its about identifying and solving problems/needs which people want to pay money for (thats the magical "opportunity", if you identify the situation). It's not too well known, because the paradigm is go to school, get the job etc., which doesn't force you to think about all the ways to get money. Of course what I'm talking here is more like setting up a business. Maybe it's better to start with contract work, its almost like a "job". You should probably first know where to get customers for whatever you wanted to do as a job(which I don't know). Internet, your local community etc.? You should introduce yourself to the market, offer your skills etc. instead of writing resumes you would advertise yourself a bit, or trying to get a one-time contract work as others point out, just to start out.

[Andras]

There are two ways;
...either you try direct contact with the user/company or the easier one, you go through agencies who cater to the line of freelancing talent you perceive yourself to be. For example if you freelance as accounting/office job (know excel, word, other pertinent software) "accounttemps" and other companies will find you freelance gigs. Not all jobs are accommodating to freelancing but design/graphics, accounting, Web, Customer service, IT and a bunch of others do.
Most(ALL) agencies will test you in a bunch of software skills, this you avoid if you go direct.
Set up a website in your expertise or target skill but that alone will not give you gigs. Also network and make some contacts. Most who are just start out are using agencies and later only go direct as agencies take a cut from your hourly rate.

Originally Posted by CroMagna

How do I start working for myself/doing freelance or contract work?

[CroMagna]

Originally Posted by Andras

There are two ways;
...either you try direct contact with the user/company or the easier one, you go through agencies who cater to the line of freelancing talent you perceive yourself to be. For example if you freelance as accounting/office job (know excel, word, other pertinent software) "accounttemps" and other companies will find you freelance gigs. Not all jobs are accommodating to freelancing but design/graphics, accounting, Web, Customer service, IT and a bunch of others do.
Most(ALL) agencies will test you in a bunch of software skills, this you avoid if you go direct.
Set up a website in your expertise or target skill but that alone will not give you gigs. Also network and make some contacts. Most who are just start out are using agencies and later only go direct as agencies take a cut from your hourly rate.

I ultimately want to be a therapist (social worker or psychologist).

But in the meantime I am interested in working for myself. I have good research and editting skills, and some writing skills.

So what's my first step?

[arlenemariedaniels]

In order to do great at a jobhunt or job interview for that matter, there are only to words that you have to remember: BE PREPARED. This is the only way to land that coveted job. Do your research and do it well. If you need to practice on how to talk to people and carry yourself, by all means do so!

[CroMagna]

Right now I'm motivated to look for a job. I haven't job hunted in almost a week. I want a sex-positive job, because that's my passion and that's more interesting to me, so that I'm more motivated to look for a job in that area.

Any suggestions or insight would be highly appreciated.