Employment Struggles

Today I hit up the job bank for the first time in awhile. My computer was down for about a month, and my resume was on it, and I hadn't emailed the most recent version to myself. For some reason, I can't access my resume at 2ndchance anymore, and both the 2ndchance and library computers refuse my attempts to download it into their word processors.

The job bank really hasn't changed much. I went through the entire archive of Guelph job listings and the very vast majority of positions I was qualified for were positions I've been seeing on it consistently for almost half a year, and which have never gotten me a result.

I haven't been applying as much as I'd like. I did have some recent-enough resumes printed out, and I passed some around, but I still fell below my own expectations.

I've been searching for over a year, and I've basically lost faith in my ability to land a job. The reason I continue to apply is more out of pride than anything. I want to be able to tell the world that I'm doing my part, and it's up to someone else to meet me halfway.

Actually, I've managed to build my resume up okay. I've had some short-term work in factories, gathered a few clients that I do light landscaping and general labour for, I've attended a pre-employment program, graduated and got 4 certificates, I've done a few articles for an acting school website in Vancouver, I've been editing a sociology textbook for a professor at York University, and I was called back by my pre-employment program to do a guest-speaking role for a Ways2Work information session, and to give feedback to authorities on youth employment resources at a focus group.

So my resume is looking pretty fine, but since everyone in my family is unemployed, I can't rake in enough to support us, and the result is that my resume has, to me, become more a source of vanity than as a key to survival. Most of the opportunities I've hit up, with the only exception being one of my short-term factory gigs, was through networking. Not anything to do with the quality of my resume.

And that source of vanity just took a hit. I had been offered a scholarship for an online writing program for the acting school I'd written articles for, but the course was postponed, and my future as a paid writer was also postponed indefinitely, so I was forced to take a section in my education off my resume, and I had to put an end date on my employment there.

The course would have gotten me six certificates, one per month, and I would have had another place to say that I'd graduated from. I was already in the process of bragging about it... *Sigh*.

And since one of my factory working experiences totally swindled me, pretending like I never worked there and never paid me for the hours I put in, I'm sure they would tell any inquiring employer that I'd never worked there, and so I might have to take that off, too.

And two of my certificates have expiry dates....

However, I've been offered another employment opportunity. Probably nothing to live on, but another thing to put on my resume, for sure.

See, one of the people I've been doing general labour for is opening a small business making earrings marketed toward lesbians and gays. My mom got a job working as a partner in the project. They were going to open a co-op, but some official thing says that co-ops need to include at least five people, so I've been offered the position as fifth. I'm straight and don't have any piercings.

It's kind of funny, since three of my friends joined the army as a way of coping with the recession. When they come back as fierce militants, I'll be able to tell them I'm a jeweller for gay people.

I think I'll go ahead and take the position. My adolescent machismo and fear of emasculation in the eyes of others seems to have passed me by.

Beyond this opportunity, I've been thinking of offering to work for free doing software for someone else I know who runs a business. Just a little more experience for the resume.

I was also thinking of taking driving lessons. I've got my G1, and I've got a trust fund set up from a quarter of the money that was got when a house that I lived in when I was 3 was sold. I can only use it for educational purposes until I turn 30.

I was also thinking of going on this cultural exploration project called Katimavik, where I would travel across Canada doing volunteer opportunities. It would add another slot in education and it would buff out my volunteer history.

Of course, it would probably be best just to do traditional post-secondary. It seems that, employment-wise, the tiers of education requirements go: not necessary; some college, university, or technical training; or completion of college, university, or technical training. Or there's specified education requirements. Anyway, if I do Katimavik, I'm probably just perpetuating my pathlessness, and it would be a better use to even flunk out of post-secondary, but what can I say? I failed to get into university, and college seems to funnel you into a specific direction enough to make my uncertain character very uneasy.

I can keep building my resume, and go as a mature student... I know I'm on a time limit, like, lifespan-wise, but... what can I say? I'm a deer in the headlights.