unemployed

Being unemployed is boring.

Filling out job applications is boring. Drafting cover letters is SUPER boring. Especially since I can't use the same one over and over again. All the job descriptions are just different enough that I have to revise my cover letter each time and emphasize a different job experience or skill or whatever. I actually sort of like trolling the job sites for new postings (and a day spent on craigslist is NEVER boring), but for the most part I'm getting stir-crazy.

Worst of all? Getting rejections for jobs that I KNOW I could do. And the rejections are coming in pretty quickly. They come via email, and through regular mail (I totally thought my Nordstrom job rejection letter was going to be a sale announcement or even a credit card offer. Burn.). Or through SILENCE, which is probably the worst. You can send automated application receipt notices but not an automated rejection letter? I need closure, people.

But, at least real-job searching in a real city is not boring. There are scads of interesting jobs out there, and of course tons of tons of tons of qualified people (who are willing to settle for less-than-stellar pay more now than ever before). My list of pending applications so far includes (but is not limited to): universities (SEVERAL), children's hospitals, cancer hospitals, vet clinics, churches, appliance repair centers, the red cross, museums, software companies, video game companies, weight loss consultants (ahem) and a few corporations and real estate agencies doing everything from administrative assistance work, academic research, program assistanceships, greeting, data entry, and phone duty. I know I've just got to keep my mind open, keep my optimism up, and resist the urge to go back to school for another degree because no matter how tempting that is, it won't solve my problem.

But I'm not going to lie, it's starting to get scary.

I considered applying for unemployment, but haven't yet. I did download all the forms and gather all my info though. So if nothing comes through by July 1 I might go for it. It was actually my mom's idea, and since I've been paying taxes here for two years I don't feel too bad.

Seth has been pimping my resume at work, too. Ok, well sort of. I don't ask him too, but apparently I come up in his conversations with clients all the time (since they ask why he moved here, and he mentions me and my grad school program, and how I've graduated). It's already sort of paid off so far and he's brought home a few business cards for me. I wish one of them would offer him a new job, instead :).