Can't find job during gap year

[unleash500]

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I feel like a failure zzz. I have been on several medical school interviews, but can't even land a job interview. ahhh

Anyone else in the same boat?

 

[addo]

Same here. I was hoping I could find a science related job, but nothing so far.

 

[StudyShy]

That does stink. Good luck.

 

[Ursa]

Do AmeriCorps. It looks awesome on applications so if you plan to try again next year, it is sure to help. They even have a health division of AmeriCorps called HealthCorps. That's what I'm doing right now (this is my gap year) and interviewers are eating it up. It's the only thing I've changed between last year's application and this year's and there have been great results. Last year = 0 MD interviews. This year = 6 MD interviews (including one acceptance so far).

 

[CardiacIntensivist]

Well I think the things that impress medical schools might not impress a potential employer. But I feel for your situation, have you updated your resume?

 

[mastamind518]

Do AmeriCorps. It looks awesome on applications so if you plan to try again next year, it is sure to help. They even have a health division of AmeriCorps called HealthCorps. That's what I'm doing right now (this is my gap year) and interviewers are eating it up. It's the only thing I've changed between last year's application and this year's and there have been great results. Last year = 0 MD interviews. This year = 6 MD interviews (including one acceptance so far).

wish i knew about healthcorps earlier. seems like they only interview in the fall and spring and start work in the summer.

 

[iusesharpies]

Go work at Target 👍

 

[dragon529]

I second AmeriCorp. Go National Service!! 😀

 

[tomh98]

I took a science job for my gap year-turned-gap years. Since then I've sorted through a ton of student/technician applications and done a lot of interviewing of candidates. I may not be a PI but nonetheless I'm sure I can offer job search advice if anyone needs it. PM me. I've been in the academic setting, BTW.

 

[texahn]

yeah i just kind of gave up trying to find a full time job after a while.. applied to home depot, best buy, as well as a lot of the research positions
i just got assigned to teach a lot more mcat and i tutor and couple things on the side

 

[acb88]

How are you applying for the jobs? Going through HR of some large company? I applied to ~60 positions last year through recruiting websites/HR and got absolutely nothing. Then I e-mailed the PIs directly (with cover letter and resume) of labs I was interested in at the research institute near me and received a response back from every single one, including a job offer the next day.

 

[Ursa]

wish i knew about healthcorps earlier. seems like they only interview in the fall and spring and start work in the summer.

Where I live, AmeriCorps interviews in the Spring semester. Plus, in your post you said "fall and spring"...isn't it just January right now? You should take a look into it; I would venture to say that they will still be interviewing.

 

[tiedyeddog]

I guess I just got lucky? I applied to three "science jobs" on craigslist and got a one year temp. position in almost two weeks. The temp position soon turned into a $13/hr job with no benefits into a full time $40k+ with free gym membership, more than two weeks paid time off, and amazing health benefits at job that I am currently doing. The job is at a large pharma company and when I was interviewing they said my 3+ years of academic research and my 1 year specifically in a chemistry lab helped.

I don't have much advice, other than if you can't find a "good" job then get a burger-flipping job and keep looking for a good job. Look everywhere, craigslist, monster. Call old PI's, often they have connections to biotec companies or startups. Don't expect too much, a job is a job in this economy if you ask me.

 

[hopefuldoc97239]

Don't feel like a failure. The economy is horrible right now. Right now you're lucky to get any job.

I know you didn't ask, but here are some suggestions:

Apply at Target, Walmart, RadioShack, and anywhere else you can think of. Don't treat your job like you're practically a physician already and too good for the job because they will get tired of it and if they don't fire you, they'll at least be happy to see you go when you quit!

Put up posters at local colleges offering to tutor for anything you think you can reasonably help people with. Make different posters for the different subjects and be very strategic where you post them. I tutor chemistry, and even though I was a top 5% student (in 250+ classes) my policy is that I only tutor people who are getting a C or B in the class. If they're already getting an A- I don't think I can teach enough to make their money worth it.

Post on craigslist that you tutor for high school kids. Tutoring rich high school kids sucks because they're brats but their parents pay well. They worse part is that these kids don't usually improve as much as their parents want, so they won't always keep you working for them for very long.

 

[MedIsInMyBlood]

I'm also in the same position as the OP (I can't find much to do in my gap year right now), so any more advice would be appreciated. And thanks to those who have responded so far with good advice.

 

[Lijia4]

Check out different nursing homes, rehab facilities, etc. Getting a job in direct care is great clinical exposure and at least in Michigan starts at 9.50 or more an hour.

Oh and at least in MI you don't need more than a clean background and HS diploma for most of the entry level stuff either 🙂 good luck