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In Debt, And Can't Find A jarb!
I lost my job, and now I can't find a job anywhere at all. Even mcdonlands, pizza hut wouldn't hire me.
I have debt, need to go to school, and now I'm on the last of my money.
My girlfriend has to pay all the bills.
What the fuck? How the fuck? Can I do anything to unfuck myself?
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Want to answer more questions in the Health & Fitness category?
Maybe give some free advice about: Mental health?
It's the recession, bro. I'm stuck in the same
mess. I'm on the brink of getting fired, and no
one is even calling back from my apps.
Remember, that it's better to starve on the streets
in serenity, undisturbed by the world's systems
that cause poverty to be so-- than to be rich and
constantly worried, stressed, and angry.
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If you honestly can't get a job at McDonalds or pizza hut, its how you're presenting yourself.
Talking to managers
Lets say you want to get hired at Best Buy. Go in, grab an application, and ask if the manager in charge of the hiring process is there. If so, fill out the application, hand it to him/her on the spot, and introduce yourself with a friendly smile and a firm handshake.
If not, ask when you could come back and speak with them. Bring your application in then, and introduce yourself as above.
An application is just a piece of paper, you want to be a face, and hopefully a name to them.
Dressing
Whenever you go in looking for a job, you should be dressed as closely to the job's dress code as you can. If the job's attire is casual (jeans and T Shirts) dress a little above that, jeans, nice shoes, and a nice button up shirt.
Cleanliness goes without saying. Make sure your fingernails are trimmed, many people will use specific aspects of your physical appearance to determine if you pay attention to yourself.
Punctuality
Doing exactly what you say you will do is important. I had an interview today. I was told to be there at 2:30. I walked in the door at 2:28. Getting there excessively early shows that you're nervous, possibly that you don't always get there on time and wanted to make sure. Getting there late... well you obviously don't want to set a precedent before you've even gotten a job.
By being there exactly when I say I will and not a minute after, I show that I have shit to do, but am perfectly capable of doing what I say I will. I show that I am completely confident in my ability to keep my word. I showed up at 2:30 and they didn't get to me until 25 minutes later.
But if they ask the hostess, she will know I got there at 2:30, exactly when I said I would.
Interviewing
Practice stories in your head. I've got two amusing stories and two serious stories for every single job I've worked previous.
Before the interview, come up with two or three neutral questions about safe topics. Examples would be things like "What's the process of promotion here?" or "What opportunities would there be if I thought I might fit in better in another area of the company"
Avoid anything about money, anything about employee benefits, or anything negative. I'll give you an example of a crash and burn a friend had. He got to the third interview with Best Buy, the "Pass and you get hired". Everything was going well, until he asked "At alot of previous jobs, I've experienced hostile customers. Whats your policy on dealing with hostile and combattive customers?"
That one question tanked his entire hiring process. He didn't get the job.
Attitude
When you walk into that store, you are not depressed, your family is fine, your life is fine, leave each and every personal problem in the car in the parking lot. Employers want a "can do" attitude and don't give a flying fuck about whats going on in your home.
Interviewing managers have two questions they ask themselves. "Can this person do the job?" and "Do I want to work with this person on a daily basis"
You've got to give them a yes to both.
Lying
Thats right. Lying. I have lied in every single job interview I have ever had. Ever taken a personality test?
"I am a very neat person in my personal life" Strongly agree to strongly disagree.
My apartment is in shambles right now, but I answer that one "Strongly agree"
Why? Because again, they don't give a shit about what your home life is like. What they care about, is can you give them exactly what they want when they want it. As long as you can show them that, they don't care, and they won't go looking.
I got a perfect score on a personality test for my last job. They asked me bluntly if I lied, because a perfect score is just... well its too perfect. My reply was simply a confident smile, and saying "I know what's expected of me, and I can deliver it on demand or request" They didn't press the issue further.
So when you're in an interview, and they ask you "so tell us about one of your faults" don't tell them how you're in AA, or how you can't keep a relationship going, or how you sometimes lose your temper and go off on people.
Tell them about how you get bored easily and like a job with alot to do, because it drives you nuts to have zero to do. Tell them how you're overly chatty sometimes and have in the past been too friendly to people who weren't in the mood to chat. Hell, tell them that you think you're too nice to people sometimes, and that your friends tell you that you shouldn't be willing to bend over backwards for complete strangers.
Its a bullshit question anyway, they don't care about whats wrong with you, they just want to see if you're damaged goods, or if you can smile and give a bullshit answer right back without it being completely apparent that you're lying.
And never, ever, EVER give a negative reason for quitting a previous job. The job before last I walked up to my boss and told him to go fuck himself (he was a complete douchebag) and said that I quit. I told the job I just got that I quit because I was moving, but the decision to move came after I quit. Remember that in general most employers cannot call a previous employer and ask them anything except "Did he work here?", "When did he work here?" and "Can he be re-hired?"
Because of this, most places won't ever bother calling a previous employer. In 10 years I have not had a single job denied to me because of what a previous employer said, and I have not left every job I've had on good terms.
The only things you don't want to lie about
- References. I've made up references before, but if you can't give a "yes my previous boss would give me a glowing review because of x, y, and z" answer then just say that they would say you're a decent employee.
- Job experiences you've never had. The one thing that will get a prospective employer calling your previous jobs is if you get caught pretending to have had a job. Especially if they seem to know more about said job than you do. Don't claim to have forklift experience if you've never driven one. Don't claim to know excel if you can't make a spreadsheet. Don't pretend to have been a manager if you have zero management experience. Etc.
Remember this. NEVER shoot yourself down. If you aren't going to get the job, you aren't going to get it, but it should NEVER be because of something you said.
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Man do I know how you feel! I'm in the same boat as are a lot of other people with all the lay offs going on so first it will help to realize that you are not alone so maybe you can calm down and not stress while looking for a job.
i am 20 living with my dad and about to go sign up for food stamps. there you get about 150 dollars in food stamps and 200 dollars just for spending money. i mean it's something while you don't have to live off your girlfriend and help with food and stuff.
i also go on craigs list and apply for every single job once a day and send my resume there. so set up a resume and email if you don't have one and just do that. i get at least one response a day. hope i helped and good luck!
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