I've essentially spent about 6 years failing to find work.  During this time, I have managed to hold two actual jobs.  The first lasted a span of 2 months: I didn't apply there (must have been forwarded through a student job board), started literally within half an hour of the call, got no training, and then got placed on call and never called again.

The second was in a call centre where I'm fairly sure they would have hired a spambot if the application were done online.

During this time, starting from mid-highschool, I obviously graduated high school (83% average, Principle's Award for honours every year), then graduated college in web application development (GPA 3.4) in April of 2008.  I've gone through half a dozen resume formats, gone through a job search course in college, gone through a government job search program.  I've gotten nowhere.

From that time, I haven't had a single interview in the field.  I am presently at University for Computer Science, not really out of any specific aspiration, but with the sense of having nowhere else to go.

My whole life I've managed to be a realist.  I can't say I've ever really believed in anything ridiculous along the lines of Santa, Tooth Fairy, God.  Despite loving baseball, I never had the aspiration to be professional as many children allegedly do, as there was no way that was a reasonable expectation or practical career path.

The same can be said for pretty much all the favourites.  I've been preparing myself for one, rather specific dream: To live alone in a small city apartment, with a lower-middle class position and wage pertaining to the field of computers.  There's no concern to be rich or even just relatively highly salaried; no expectations or drive to fame; no delusions of ever finding love.

I've set the bar as low as I can, and I've failed miserably.
Posted by Ellyoda Wed, 27 Jan 2010 05:14:15 (comments: 16)
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Thu, 28 Jan 2010 17:40:23


Just checking in to see how my main man Yoda is doing.

At least you can pummel Steel and Vader at chess when you feel down.

PUMMEL THEM

(Cheer up boss)

 
Fri, 29 Jan 2010 03:20:57
Yup, nothing better than coming home after a long day's work and pummeling Steel! Happy
 
Fri, 29 Jan 2010 03:52:10
Thanks...everyone.  A lot to comment on.

Dvader said:
Living a middle class life and having your own place is not that bad, there is worse.

I think you've missed the idea a bit.  This is all I want.  The problem is seeing no sight of it.



aspro said:

Does the Com Sci lab have any job openings?  Usually they need new people for help desk type chores each year.

This is going to be difficult to find -- a quick search yields only a phone number for IT support.  This is a very good idea, though, and I'll pursue it further.



phantom_leo said:
If you are walking around looking for work, wanting a job, looking for love, seeking happiness, you are going to appear to be a person who is WANTING in something. People will always be attracted to someone who has something to offer, not someone who needs something from them.  Without even realizing it, THAT is going to be the impression that you give to people whether intending to, or not.

..


One more piece of advice: Stop being a REALIST.


I read the whole post, and the following is going to come across negative, but I do appreciate the post.  I would like to see an example of one versus the other, wanting versus offering.  An interview, for example, they of course interview; this is where I respond honestly.  There's no part of the process where there is an option of saying "I'll make you millions!" versus saying "I need a job" from what I can tell.

And on the latter, I'd merely disagree, albeit you seem to be using an abused version of the term "realist."  If you're suggesting being unrealistic, that would require more than mere choice.  That would require an entirely different person, and I can't do that, nor would I want to.  I will act on ideals -- the concept of acting in a way that should everybody else do the same, the world would be better.



Yarcofin said:
What was that one online job bank website for our city?

Don't take this as anything more than constructive criticism from a friend, but your weak point is definitely social skills. Once you start getting calls on your resumes, I think you will still have a lot of trouble with interviews.

jobbank.gc.ca

I am self aware (I'm meta like that).  It's difficult, though, for any one person to say much on my personal interactions, because I'm also aware of how hugely varied I am from situation to situation.  The more I'm needed, the more vocal I am.  My problem with interviews, as I see it (as well as I can), is more in line with the questions as opposed to my delivery (though that in turn affects delivery).  Without experience, there's almost no good answers at all to the stock questions, and I do have a habit of getting caught up on semantics because people are so often so entirely ambiguous.



bugsonglass said:
in your personal time, do things you enjoy.  listen to music you love, enjoy some great books and go out as much as you can.  also spend time with friends.  and don't forget, online friends are friends no less.  hang in there bro.  there is this line in Demon's Souls which Stockpile Thomas an NPC keeps repeating to you every time you speak to him, which i found strangely moving and affecting ... "You have a heart of gold.  Don't let them take it from you."

As I've said before, you guys do keep me going.  And your quote reminds me of a scene from Searching for Bobby Fischer (scene starts at 76:00)



gamingeek said:
Keep your spirits up, its all you got at the end. My advice it to get the most hilarious thing you know on DVD and watch it whenever you are down. Do the same for the music you love.

It helps, to diminishing returns.  Reality creates a poor aftertaste.



Dvader said:
I am not exactly lighting the world on fire, I am now studing for boards to be a licensed sonographer, I have no clue if I will even find a job
darthhomer said:

I'm kinda going through the same thing myself. I really want a full time job. I really want a girlfriend. At the moment nothing is happening with my life, which infuriates me, because I need to do something.

Yarcofin said:
I'm having trouble finding anything related to business/accounting at the moment either.

Go Team!

 
Fri, 29 Jan 2010 05:29:57
Go team indeed.  And get your ass down to the IT help desk in person, it'll get you much more mileage than a phone call.  The positions do pay, and it's not just IT help desk, usually the com. sci. staff are in charge of the university's website as well, and you can work on that.
 
Fri, 29 Jan 2010 05:41:55
aspro said:
Go team indeed.  And get your ass down to the IT help desk in person, it'll get you much more mileage than a phone call.  The positions do pay, and it's not just IT help desk, usually the com. sci. staff are in charge of the university's website as well, and you can work on that.

That's what I'm looking for, a physical location.  This place isn't too big on usable navigation.

 
Fri, 29 Jan 2010 06:48:14
Duly noted.
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