What glide year job are you working in?

[Tofurkey]

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For everyone applying for '05 and who is not in school right now, what glide year job are you working in?

I have been looking since the August MCAT--nothing. LAst week I applied for waitress, dept. store clerk, etc.--at first I wanted just in the med field but I've lowered my standards since I couldn't get anything at all in the medical field. I have a BA and a JD and I'm having so much trouble! It's so frustrating. I'm in Chicago, by the way, if anyone has any ideas. I've got 4 interviews at temp agencies this week. 🙁

 

[wxl31]

I am struggling too. Last week I got called for a research associate interview. They wanted to get my references and ask me a few questions first. They were no longer interested when I told them that I was applying for school and I would only be available for 1 year. ARGH!

Have you thought of working as a tutor? Teach for a test prep company. You could teach the LSAT, MCAT, SAT...That's temporary until you find full-time work. That's what I'm doing right now...

Can you go on unemployment for a while? You need to have worked for 6 months first. This is an option that I might have to take if things continue in this direction.

 

[mdsadler]

I am still in school but I had problems once finding a fill-in job while I waited for another job to begin. My only advice at this time is to LIE!!! FLAT OUT LIE!! They don't need to know anything about applying to school. As far as they are concerned you are there to stay and later you can "decide to apply."

good luck.

 

[wxl31]

I am still in school but I had problems once finding a fill-in job while I waited for another job to begin. My only advice at this time is to LIE!!! FLAT OUT LIE!! They don't need to know anything about applying to school. As far as they are concerned you are there to stay and later you can "decide to apply."

good luck.

I've thought about lying...seriously, I have...even my parents told me to do this. Heck, my dad got his first job by lying and it launched a successful career in engineering....BUT I have 4 interviews! What the heck am I going to say when after a few wks into the job, I tell them I need time off to fly here and there.

Tofurkey, are you up to your eyeballs in debt yet? I can't afford my interviews right now and I dont know what to do.

 

[Jeffy]

I've thought about lying...seriously, I have...even my parents told me to do this. Heck, my dad got his first job by lying and it launched a successful career in engineering....BUT I have 4 interviews! What the heck am I going to say when after a few wks into the job, I tell them I need time off to fly here and there.

Tofurkey, are you up to your eyeballs in debt yet? I can't afford my interviews right now and I dont know what to do.

Some of my secondaries and now interviews are gonna have to go on plastic. I'm just hoping that the job appears in the nick of time

 

[Tofurkey]

I've sent out about 60 resumes in two months. My main problem is the JD--employers take one look at that and throw my resume into the trash, saying I'm overqualified (I'm applying for some jobs that only require a high school diploma.)

From this point on, the JD is being removed from my resume.

Has anyone thought about freelancing full time? I am a professional artist, and thought about just going 100% freelance at this point, as I did here and there in college and law school.

Would this be a good idea? Prob. is, I'm married and I kinda need a stable job. Right now I'm living off my wedding gift $.

 

[ambaduchi]

i'm working as a research associate in a health research institute abroad but it's a short term thing, through december. i was honest with them about my apps (it's academically affiliated with a school i'm applying to). BUT i'm coming back to the US at the end of december and i plan on lying left rigth and center to get someone to hire me for a few months so i can make some cash (probably finance/wall street related, that's my background). and am planning on employing the same strategy to take time off for interviews (ie, "i'm really really sick"). it sucks to do things that way and back when i first graduated from college i would have hesitated but now i'm five years and 3 jobs out of school, it's plainly obvious that you gotta be shady sometimes in the working world. stand the moral highground and run up the credit card or do what you gotta do to make ends...

tofurkey, you said you have a JD -- why not do temp legal work or something like that? aren't there agencies that will track down contract-basis legal work for people like you?

 

[leechy]

It's a tough balancing act. Choosing not to disclose your imminent departure will help you get the job, but it could get frustrating to have to continue the "I'm not going anywhere" act while you're interviewing, because then every other week (depending on how many interviews you get) you'll have to come up with an excuse for why you need to take one or more days off. For some personalities, this is no problem, but for others, it can be nerve-wracking, especially when superiors probe deeper into your reasons for absence. But not lying may keep you unemployed, so it's a tough decision.

Tofurkey, have you thought about a mish-mosh of part-time work? Perhaps you could freelance as an artist and also do temp legal work for a couple hours a week.

 

[acl3623]

im with you guys on the unemployed boat. more importantly, what are you telling schools on your secondaries that you're doing?? i feel like such a slacker being like, well im looking for a job...that's my plan!

Tofurkey, you should try the freelance thing...my boyfriend does it, and when he does get a job, it pays well...really well for a couple of hours of work. its very competitive though, you gotta be good!

im going to try to find something part time just so i dont have to plunk down my plastic for these apps anymore...

 

[longhorndoc]

I'm also out of school for this year. You think it would be easy to find a job when you have a degree!!! I gave up on working in the medical field thing; I'm just going to volunteer at a hospital instead. As far as employment goes, I went the substitute teaching route. If you have a degree it can pay anywhere from $60-70/day in my area. It's very easy to get the job. In some districts you don't even have to interview! What I like about it is the wonderful flexibility--especially during a time when you don't know what the hell is going on w/ interviews and stuff when you need a few days off. You can make some decent money b/c subs are needed every day!! Just a suggestion. Good luck to everyone!

 

[Smyle4Jenn]

I would suggest contacting academic insitutions for a research position. A lot of them have 1-year positions because they understand that numerous college grads are looking to conduct research for a year while they are applying and interviewing for medical school. You can also apply to health care research and consulting firms who tend to be a bit more understanding. I'm currently working for a health care consulting firm. My boss was extrememly supportive when I asked to reduce my hours to fulfill my remaining premed requirements. I'm still with the company even though he knows that I will be leaving for medical school.

 

[Stendek]

I'll be teaching- but research is the way to go if you can't get/aren't intersested in teaching assistantship/tutoring jobs. So many of the research positions I've seen have been 9-12 month positions. Tofurky- if you are in Chicago you should really hit the campuses and check out postings. You are bound to find something.

 

[Geronimo]

teaching ESL at a public elementary school

 

[Smyle4Jenn]

Teach for America is a great program that only requires a one-year committment. My friend worked for them before going to Hopkins.

 

[wxl31]

I'll be teaching- but research is the way to go if you can't get/aren't intersested in teaching assistantship/tutoring jobs. So many of the research positions I've seen have been 9-12 month positions. Tofurky- if you are in Chicago you should really hit the campuses and check out postings. You are bound to find something.

really? where have you been seeing these? i'm in the bay area, california.

 

[Smyle4Jenn]

really? where have you been seeing these? i'm in the bay area, california.

Check out Standford's professor's research page. You can also try UCSF, depending on how far you are from SF.

 

[wxl31]

They're either posted on message boards around campus (student union, etc) or you can go to the university webpages and just do a job search. They are out there. In the past 3 months I've had two research position offers that only wanted someone for 12 months.

i spent all of last year in San Francisco and decided that city life is not for me. been trying stanford's site with no luck. the site doesn't mention short term vs. long term requirements. are you guys telling me i need to drive my butt to stanford's campus and look around?

 

[Kazema]

I'm doing Americorps. Part of the reason was that I didn't want to get a job and leave after just one year, and another part was that it would let me do something really different that I might never have the chance to do in the future.

The first day of training was today and everyone I've met seems really great, so I'm looking forward to the rest of the year.

There's two other people in the program applying this cycle, I was considering telling them about SDN but I started wondering if that would really be doing them a favor or killing their sanity

 

[wxl31]

I'm doing Americorps. Part of the reason was that I didn't want to get a job and leave after just one year, and another part was that it would let me do something really different that I might never have the chance to do in the future.

The first day of training was today and everyone I've met seems really great, so I'm looking forward to the rest of the year.

There's two other people in the program applying this cycle, I was considering telling them about SDN but I started wondering if that would really be doing them a favor or killing their sanity

You rock! I did AmeriCorps last year in SF. Loved it. Just You're going to have so much fun.

 

[deleted50541]

I applied to about 25 jobs right around the time I graduated. I had been hoping to work in a hospital setting or at a commercial ambulance company. After about a month, I had an interview at one ambulance company that had 12 applicants and 6 slots to fill. Needless to say, I only had a year of experience as an EMT compared to the other applicants.

Finally, I landed a job at the end of June working customer service. That only lasted about 6 weeks though. The pay was alright, but I couldn't stand being on the phone for 8 hours straight and hearing the same thing over and over.

So cut to the present. I have sent out 15 more resumes and have one volunteer position. Thankfully, I have not yet reached the point where working as an emcee at the local strip joint becomes an appealing notion. Yet...

 

[Uegis]

really? where have you been seeing these? i'm in the bay area, california.

Check out UCSF. I had two interviews there, and got one job. But they wanted a two year commitment, so I had to turn it down. Good job too, on viral hepatitis research. What is dumb is that I took another research job at UC Davis and I am on my second year working here. Decided to hold off on the med school apps until this year.

 

[chocolate-e]

I'm working in a lab. I didn't tell them that I was applying to medical school when I got the job because I honestly wasn't sure yet if I *was* applying this year.

Now I've applied late in hopes that I'll interview late ... ie, after the 1st of the year when I have some vacation days. I have exactly one vacation day this year that I'll use for my first-choice school, if invited, then schedule the other interviews late and pray like mad. ::sigh:: Anyone else in the same position?

 

[Tofurkey]

What I said on my secondaries was, "I am currently in the process of interviewing for jobs." I'm also taking one night class (cell bio) and volunteering on the weekend. Today I applied to Ann Taylor, Borders, and Marshall Field's. I just want to find something!!!!! I don't want to do legal work because I hate the law and would rather work at a grocery store bagging groceries for minimum wage than have to work with lawyers! (You can see how glad I was to get out of it.)

Anyhow, I think that often the larger the city, the harder it is to find a job. I have appplied to the universities here, but I think it's still hard to find a job--i.e. unless your qualifications are right on, your app gets filed somewhere, never to see the light of day. I think I will start freelancing, just to get some $ coming in. I was married three weeks ago, so luckily I still have some wedding gift $ to tide me over another week or two.

So besides taking a night class, looking for a job, and doing my secondaries, I'm not doing much else.

Thanks,

T

 

[Fed Meat]

Let me reiterate what has been said. I'm normally a proponent of telling the truth without exception, but when it comes to job interviews, lie through your teeth and smile about it.

Most of you are going to be applying for entry level work. A lot of these positions are going to be filled with schlubs who are just going to quit after a few months because they're bored/can't party like they used to. Go ahead and fill the position, put in good work, and let them celebrate with you when you decide to leave.

Don't mention a thing about it until you're two weeks from quitting. Hand in your letter of notice and declare your last day the day after a paid holiday.

Seriously, most job interviews are all about

1) job experience
2) looks
3) personality
4) who can lie the best.
5) academic pedigree

Usually in that order, though a looker can at times make the leap over the more experienced applicant and pedigree can carry you in some buisness settings and most legal settings (if you're a lawyer).