Wow. Finding a job in this economy is like trying to find the hay in a needle stack. It's hard work. Seriously, it's a job in itself just looking for a job, and applying to various companies, going to different websites, filling out a profile for staffing agency, only to never be called in for an interview, and then if you do get called in you do your best and get passed over. People are competitive, jobs want more from their employees while paying less. People who may be good for a particular position are being passed over because they get nervous in an interview, while people who ace the interview get a job, then do a lousy one, lose it and the employer is back at the starting line looking for someone to fill in the position yet again. Then they get tougher and tougher in the interview, have stricter guidelines regarding what they want. And still the person who has more life experience, and hands on experience will be looked over because of lack of education, or a nervous interview.
I've put in application after application with various companies, with either no reply at all, or a simple automated email telling me that they found someone with "better qualifications". I've even put in at fast food places, where they tell me (since I have NO experience in this area, considering my first job was an administrative one) that I am overqualified. So here I am, over-qualified for fast food, and under-qualified for apparently everything else I've applied for. I've a background in trucking admin, child care, optometry, and general and extensive administrative duties. This leaves me baffled, and frustrated. I rewrote my resume several times, changed formats, from professional, to a timeline format, to a general basic resume, and still nothing. I have several gaps in my employment where I either moved or was taking care of my children, as it was economically more feasible to do so because of the rising cost of child care, and the low wages.
I have no criminal background, can pass a drug test, and have a good work ethic I believe. But still nothing pans out. Here child care wants you to pay out the butt for child care, and pay their employee's minimum wage. No one can survive on minimum wage unless they are living rent free with their parents and have no children to take care of. No one can work part time and survive. Sure you could have 2 part time jobs to equal one full time one, but then the stress factor goes up by more then 50%.
I know other people have this issue, of trying to find a job, and coming up empty handed, and leaving an interview feeling great only to find you just didn't fit the bill. But what really annoys the hell out of me, is to hear someone complain about their job constantly. All I think, and have said, is that they better be lucky and feel blessed that they even have their job, because if they hate it that much, quit and give it to someone who would actually know what a blessing it is to have a job in this economy.
I have 6 children to take care of, and while my husband does a great job providing financially, I would really like to contribute to our finances. I would really like to take some of the burden off of him. But with jobs being 30 minutes to an hour away, and paying $8.00-$10.00 an hour, there is no point. Because when you add gas at $3.30 a gallon, on a 17 gallon tank, add the cost of child care for 2 children, ages 1, and 2, while you make about $400 a week, it doesn't do any good.
Say you make $10.00 an hour, work a 40 hour week, so gross pay is $400 a month, net pay would be probably around $320 or less a week. But, you have to drive 45 minutes to get to work, and you have a 17 gallon gas tank, not a hybrid or anything like that. It takes $56.00 to fill up your tank, and you have to fill it up twice a week, so that cost is around $115.00 a week.
Then the cheapest child care you could find was $120 a week per child, which adds up to $240 a week, so you take that add it to the gas and you have $355 a week. So all in all you are going to work to put gas in your car and your children in child care. Doesn't pay right?
This is the problem I am facing. There are NO admin jobs in Baytown, that are hiring day shift, and pay more then minimum wage. All the positions available are in Houston, and have a long drive, and aren't worth the pay in the long run.
So you tell me, how do I find a job, after re-writing my resume, applying just about everywhere, and trying to stay close enough to make enough money to pay bills, and still have money to help with finances at home?
Quite the dilemma I have. I'm hoping soon I will have a solution to this conundrum I face.
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