You call that a job fair?

I went to another job fair today. It was worse than the last one. The line to get in took longer than visiting all the booths. I gave out one resume.

But, there is good news. I received an email from one of the agencies that I am registered with asking to submit my resume for some government contract jobs. The contracts are six months long and take place in downtown Nashville.

There's also graduate school. Tomorrow I take my GMAT. For the first time in my life I'm panicking over a test. It's just a test, just a test.

Oh hi there

I didn't forget about this blog. I just got a bit sidetracked. So for the past month, here's what's happened on the career front:

* I attended a seminar about grad school.
* I interviewed for a position as an accounting assistant with a great company.
* I applied for grad school, figuring it was now or never.

I haven't heard back about the interview yet. I'm hopeful, the longer it takes, the more the hope diminishes. It hasn't been that long if you factor in Thanksgiving. It just feels like ages ago.

I was speaking with my FIL, who is a bit of an optimist when it comes to those close to him. He said that it's funny how things work out. I'm considering graduate school because of the horrible job market and having a hard time getting a good job. And while it's going to be hard for a year or two, I'm going to come out of it all in a much better position than I was when I started.

In the meantime I'm still searching. I'm also staying busy with my position as the online chair for Relay for Life (boy did I not realize what I was getting myself in to). I'm coming to terms with being back in Tennessee, quite possibly for the rest of my life. I also get to stay home with my boys for another year. It's going to be an interesting year or two.

Let's talk some more about frustration

I was never given a response at the daycare. A few days later a new person was teaching Thing 1's class. I was not highly impressed with her either. Every time I went to pick the boys up, she was raising her voice to one of the kids.

Then there was the working interview I was supposed to have. The day before I got a call saying that they decided not to hire for that position. One of their sales crew wasn't doing so well at the job, so they were trying her out in the position I was supposed to interview for.

Now the boys are back to staying home again. I get to end my name with SAHM rather than being a step closer to ending it with CPA. At this point I'm just feeling fully discouraged and wondering what I'm doing wrong.

But on the good news, nepotism might work in my favor. I submitted my resume and cover letter to my mother's company. They've known me since I was 16. Crossing fingers.

I got another call from the local employment agency that I'm working with. This time it was for a job as an office assistant with accounting knowledge. This sounds closer to what I'm looking for. I have what they called a working interview next Wednesday. This gives me enough time to recover from the plague that I currently have.

Please let this work out.

Nope

I called this morning. The job would barely cover childcare costs and was another receptionist job that was only going to last until maybe mid-December.

I turned it down. I'm not sure if that was the right thing to do.

I got an email from an agent at the employment agency in town asking me to contact her about a job opportunity. The agent I was assigned to pretty much just dropped me. I don't think she ever got a sense of what I was looking for. It was quite frustrating to be presented with all sorts of different reception jobs when I had two bachelors degrees. I know we all have to start somewhere, but answering phones is probably not the best use of my abilities.

Here's hoping that this is something promising.

More school?

In yet another confused move, I registered for an information seminar at one of the universities in Nashville. It's not exactly where I was wanting to go, but if I wait until I can get into a position to go to a school that I really want, I'll accomplish nothing. Or at least whatever I do accomplish will be put off by another who knows how many years.

It's probably better to go on with school right now. Maybe work at the daycare during the day, classes at night. I get to see my kids and continue on with what I want to do in life. This is a good thing, right? Will I change my mind again tomorrow?

I guess it's time to start studying for the GMAT.

Detour

Yesterday I went to put in notice to the boys' daycare. They're doing so well there and they love it. I just can't afford it any more. Instead I came out with an application to work there. It's not the direction I was looking to go in, but it's something.

I asked Thing One what he thought about me being a teacher at his school. His eyes lit up. I guess that makes the decision for me.

In the past week I have

-interviewed with yet another staffing firm. This one is just as promising as the others. Everyone tells me the same thing. It's not a market that wants some one with no official experience. They'll try to find some way to get me in.

-had my father-in-law networking for me. He passed on my resume to some of his old friends in Nashville. Hopefully they can help.

-started my training for Relay for Life's online chair. I got to send out a mass email introducing myself. I really have no idea what I'm doing, but it's going on my resume.

-still not gotten a job.

A little more frustration

Last night I updated my resume on Careerbuilder.com. Within the hour I started receiving "responses". Within twelve hours I have gotten about a half dozen of these that say they are impressed with my resume and are looking for eager sales representatives. One of the form letters was so badly done that it started Dear ;.

I'm not even sure I'd know what a real offer would look like.

A new start

A few days ago I completed my last exam. I sent off my graduation application which has been approved. Now I am patiently awaiting the paper in which my accounting degree is written. It will sit neatly next to my previous bachelors that has been collecting dust for the past five or so years.

I guess first a little bit about myself. I'm a twenty something (I can still claim that) stay at home mother and former Navy wife trying to get out and start working for the first time. That is doing "real work". For some reason gestating, birthing, nursing, wiping noses and behinds, and all the other joys of motherhood don't really amount to much on a resume. Mix that in to an economy where unemployment is over 10%, well, things are very slow going right now.

I'm trying to keep my chin up. I've been quite frustrated, to say the least. My family is depending on me to support them and so far I'm coming up with nothing.

Yesterday I went to my first job fair. I drove the hour into Nashville, canceling previous plans that I had made. What I found there was less than impressive. For $399 I could purchase a starter kit for Proactive and run my own business- money back guarantee! There was also the opportunity to sell insurance which quickly turned into a sales pitch to sell me insurance. I can afford $20 a month, right? I mean, what would happen to my children if something were to happen to me?

Of the legitimate jobs there, one was more interested in knowing about my husband. Another told me that the accounting department was just streamlined last year and the two ladies in front of me were what was left. One kept a smile on her face as she talked of being overworked.

There was one place looking for a staff accountant. Perfect! I'll just go submit my resume. I mean, job fairs are looking for resumes, right? It was refused and I was told to go to their website to submit an application. No personality, no networking, no speaking with the people who work there. How is anyone starting out supposed to get a chance?

I left feeling so deflated. I came home, picked up my boys from the daycare that I have no idea how I'm going to afford, and went to the store and spent more than I probably should have on things that we needed. Just another day on my journey into accountancy.