Job hunting blues...

SSOE is looking for a Marketing Coordinator. I'm in Marketing, so I notice things like that. LOL!

Business marketing? Too bad you aren't the Mayor's niece.

http://toledotalk.com/cgi-bin/tt.pl/article/99401/31Oct2011/What_a_lucky_girl

The right-wingers on this board would tell you you're not looking hard enough and you're not willing to move to where the jobs are and so on. Keep that in mind...

What school did you graduate from? Do they have any sort of "career" office, department, center? I'd start there in the short term to see if there's any alumni support in finding gigs for recent grads.

I think most any job search now has to be person-to-person relationships. Companies are not hiring a lot of random unknown persons. Ads in the paper are not the way to find a job now, I think. Careerbuilder.com, monster.com, and other online engines are 90% crap...and the 10% that's good get way to many applications from desperate people looking for work. Temp agencies, as you've found out, are by and large for companies looking for warm bodies, not brains.

So, where do you go? Volunteer organizations that are chock-full of business people are one place to start. If I may be so bold, you're a great photographer. What if you got together a really stunning collection of your best photographs of urban decay (a "photo essay") and did a presentation at a local Rotary club (Toledo Rotary , Maumee Rotary , Perrysburg Rotary , etc.)? It would get you out in front of a hell of a lot of local business leaders in the community who might be able to help you elsewhere. And the thing is, once you do one superb presentation at one club, the others want to see it too (my wife made a simple presentation about living in Denmark and the cultural values difference between the U.S. and the Danes...and it turned into 8 more presentations at other clubs).

I'm not saying it's a magic bullet...it's a start...but you could form a lot of relationships using your talent bringing photographs of forgotten treasures (and the history behind them) to a larger audience than our esteemed membership here online. If you get 1/4 the response you get here on TT, believe me, you'll be chatting up businessmen and businesswomen (who mostly are into civic history, pride, restoration, redevelopment of local places, etc.) who may be able to help you.

You have a talent...and a talent that can forge the relationships you need to get a job. It is all about relationships now and you really have the key to open the door with your camera. You can do it.

I dealt with the same thing earlier in the year and I can feel your pain. It's miserable and discouraging I know.

I'd recommend to stalk the job sites almost compulsively. CareerBuilder.com, Jobs.com, Indeed.com, Dice.com (tech jobs), OhioMeansJobs.com, The Blade, etc, and apply/send resumes like a madwoman.

I found that for the jobs I wanted, employment agencies wouldn't help me (few would return my calls), but I did receive some very helpful advice on revamping my resume for the "new" job hunt.

Keep your head up.

WARNING incoming rant

I left college in 2000, studying Computer science. I was told "take as many loans as you want, it doesnt matter you'll be making 75k-100k a year easy starting out.

I busted ass, worked my way through college at various local but still high tech companies. My raw talent started to show, and my Junior year I was offered a job at NASA IV&V. At the time I was blown away. How the f#$% could some kid from coal country, land a job at NASA. I had a nice security clearance, meet some truly amazing people. Had access to every place within the facility, nice workout area, beautiful library and access to information I still drool over. But after unfortunately I did my job to well. It was for a finite project, and the software I wrote was efficient, met the needs of the contract, the researched may stil be using it for software metric research on code I will never touch. But in the end I wasn't really let go as much as.. no longer needed. Then the spring semester, I was on a team that broke the barrier and placed on the WORLD level of the ACM programming championship. We were the cream of the crop. IBM personally, as "our American team" flew us out to Hollywood and setup us up 100% paid at the Beverly Hills Hilton for a week to represent the US. Truly a highlight in my life. We didn't place in the top, but for the Java challenge our team placed 5th in the world. When we weren't in meetings, or co-mingling with top people with fortune 500 companies around the world, my best friend in the world and I took a limo to Venice Beach and Santa Monica. Truly beautiful.. I had hit the big time, with my hard work and raw mental state, and perhaps God to thank for it.

Fast forward next semester, I was working at freaking Taco Bell making minimum wage 30hrs a week and their official closer, and a college lab as a "grunt" making sure people checked in at the door.

Ended up not being able to afford tuition, and having to drop out of college. Then with a lot of cheap students in the area, even fast food jobs became hard to get.

I spent 2-3 years in a deep f*cking depression. Then finding work at a local theater working selling popcorn. I just freaking gave up. At this point I was out of school and with no degree, they were calling asking for their $$.

Fast forward another 6-7 years of ultimate low life depression barely making it up. With "no degree" even with my superb contacts and "abilities" I was blackmarked because of "no degree".

Wasn't till my dad invited me to Ohio, I found a job within 24 hours.

Granted I'm still not at my NASA level of feeling good about myself, I finally found a real job making 36k, and after the SysAdmin quit for a job in Silicon Valley I applied and got it making $22/hr.

That company ultimately folded, and luckily I saw it coming and jumped ship literally 2 weeks before all my friends were fired. Now I make ~$42k a year. I consider that doing ok, but here is the rub.

It took me about 10 years to "make it". I'm currently going through bankruptcy, and due to the ass hats that are my student loan providers (found out literally yesterday, and lying by my lawyer) that filing bankruptcy, is considered contractually force into default. So now at a financial low, I'm being told I need to pay $74k in a 1 lump payment, but oooh.. they'll work with me. I can always ask my family for 74k to pay it off, or get a private loan to pay it off. WTF I have NO family to rely on, and they know the only reason I'm in this place is due to a bankruptcy, so how the hell am I going to cough up 74k?!?. Yeah I have it in my other bank account.

I'm purely for the OWS movement. I did every damn step I can think of, postponed bankruptcy and eating shit for 10 years when many people told me to do it sooner. But it wasn't till I couldn't afford food after my $1100 a month Student loan payments, and had to do it just so I could free up income to make those payments for the next 12 years.

I'm Freaking MAD, upset, angered, and no matter what I do to make things ultimately right, I'm MAD at the system, how it ruined me.

I feel for you, 2 years are rough. But I've been there.

Sorry... ug.. I will prob regret posting this but at this point I just don't care. So take it with a grain of salt.

I think the TL;dr of my post is that, in this. In my parents generation you could go from Rags to Riches with raw brute force hard work. That is no longer the case.

Even with high connection, high skill, some luck, if you miss even 1 beat, you can be set to lower middle class and with the world economy that is ultimately going to sink even lower. We are slaves to the economy and the $$.

Ok now to the real advise, do not rely on the paper, website or anything else that most people will tell you to "apply for".

Cold call! Find any and all places in the region that are remotely close to the job you can do. Most jobs aren't published they are via word of mouth. Join clubs, join anything, hell join the Rotary club and pay the dues if it means making a contact.

Ultimately if you find "the job" it won't come from interviewing, searching monster.com, or the myriad of papers and sites out there. It will come from knowing someone at the company you know.

That is how I've found all of my real jobs in life (aside from my first one here in Toledo). My second and now third job here came completely from knowing someone from TALUG (toledo area linux user group). It's all in social networking.

I'm off to sleep.

Sorry TT, I'm in a rough mood this week. Please forgive.

OhioKimono - Try a bunch of the local company web sites. They often advertise jobs there that might not be advertised with the big job sites or at least hard to find on the big job sites. Try OC, First Solar, OI, Andersons… also, if you’re missing an skill or two on your resume, don’t worry about it, send it anyway.

When I decided to look for a new job a few years ago, I had my resume professionally done. It cost a few hundred dollars, but it came out very nice and professionally. She was really able to tell my story. I haven’t posted a new resume in almost three years and I still get at least one call per month.

I feel your pain, INeedCoffee. There's some good advice in those posts, especially "It's all in social networking".

OhioKimono, if you aren't already on LinkedIn, I highly recommend it. Because of someone I knew from a job 30 years ago, I was able to find a great job shortly after I started looking. Also, LinkedIn is one of our primary ways at this company for finding people to fill openings.

I'm also a fan of indeed.com -- Make checking there a part of your daily routine, at least.

How did this end up on the politics forum?

The people who actually want to help OhioKimono didn't post anything about politics, nor feed the random trolling with a response.

I've never seen OK on the politics forum (at least not intentionally), so I hope she finds the thread over here...if it stays here.

Join LinkedIn, start finding networking events (N.E.T.T., Chamber of Commerce Open Houses, etc.), and promote the living daylights out of yourself. Make yourself sound like the best candidate, every single second.

Adopt that mindset, something will come up. Just give it time.

How the hell did this end up on the politics board? Could we please move it off? At first this morning I thought my thread was deleted for some reason.

Back on topic...

INeedCoffee - man I feel bad for you. Your story is just.....man it sucks.

*I am on websites (Indeed, monster, craigs) - Im lucky if I find anything to apply to. Its so sparse.
*As for presentations - that is a good idea. I already do guest speaking and am very comfortable giving presentations before groups. I will need more photos to do so...
*Gamegrrl - I am on their site and interested in the position but I lack the desired requirements (Bach AND 3 to 5 years exp).
*I am on social networking - its been dry as a well. LinkedIn has been a giant lame duck for me and yielded a lot of nothing.

OK - I saw your original post yesterday and wondered why you had no responses. Guess I didn't notice it had been moved to the politics forum either!

Also...if you don't mind my asking, do you have any particular industry and/or type of job in mind?

Just thinking that some of us could keep an eye out if we had an idea of what you might be looking for.

(I realize that you're probably not going to limit yourself, given that you currently don't have a job. Just a wanted a general idea of what you might be looking for.)

ATM I am flexible. I have experience in marketing with: special events, tradeshows, social media, graphic design, photography, SEO, and more. All in all Im a marketing person with many modern and tech skills.

Which perhaps adds to my frustration because I know these are very desirable skills...it seems just not in Toledo.

Here's a listing you might want to check out. It was just posted on Monday.

I don't know if you have any experience "interfacing with children and families with special health care needs." However, given that the bulk of the job involves social media and relationship building, IMO you still have most of the important skills.

https://www.healthcaresource.com/mhp_i/index.cfm?fuseaction=search.jobDetails&template=dsp_job_details.cfm&cJobId=355925

P.S. YSHCN = Youth with Special Health Care Needs, CSHCN = Children with Special Health Care Needs

Thank you for looking that up for me, however that is a direction that I def do not want to go into. I am not qualified for that job for several reasons.

Separately my lack of employment is not a matter of "being too proud to work". To get by Ive been cleaning houses for people...including a stage 4 hoarder who had not let her dog go outside to go to the bathroom in 13 years. To get by Ive literally stood on piles of animal waste to make a dollar. I just applied to a call center job - which prolly not even pay enough to cover my student loans + basic cost of living.

Oh, its no problem - I keep an eye on the new postings that come out here each week. Just in case I see something that might be appealing to someone I know who is looking for work.

And ewwwww on the Stage 4 hoarder/animal waste thing. (And to think that Mr. Mom2 thinks that I'm not good at cleaning up after the dogs! LOL)

"How the hell did this end up on the politics board?"

It was obvious to me when two of the first three comments contained useless, politically-based information:

• 2. - Too bad you aren't the Mayor's niece. http://toledotalk.com/cgi-bin/tt.pl/article/99401/31Oct2011/What_a_lucky_girl [<-- politics thread]

• 3. - The right-wingers on this board would tell you you're not looking hard enough and you're not willing to move to where the jobs are and so on. Keep that in mind...

After three comments, it appeared this thread had no chance to avoid politics.

Jr, take a look at who posted the offending comments...then note the responses from myself, WalleyeWinger, mom2, IneedCoffee, etc. to OK. The thread didn't get hijacked in a political direction. Every responsible user ignored those "useless" comments.

I would ask for special dispensation to move this back over. Most of us are trying to help OK and are addressing her situation directly.

It would be disappointing to know that even if I posted something on puppies and kittens, some yay-hoo could subsequently post "(political figure) eats puppies with tabasco!" and the thread would be banished to Politics.

Hey--it got moved back as I was typing! Thanks Jr!

Yes, thanks jr!

I could see where it would have looked like the topic would take a wrong turn, after the first few responses.

Thankfully it was steered back in the right direction! I'm sure that it would be a useful topic for many.

(Sigh...my husband will possibly be without a job - again - after the first of the year. But, thankfully, I'm the primary breadwinner. His job situation has been so up and down over the past several years that I've learned not to count on him having a set regular income.)

That sucks for both of you OK and INC. I have a BS from UT. About 6 months before graduation, after 13 months of looking, i finally found a job. It had nothing to do with my degree and it paid $10 an hour. I'm still with this job 8 years later and i LOVE it. my point, i guess, is maybe keep an open mind about the kind of job your looking for, you may find something completely different that you will thrive in.

Another piece of advice is, don't overlook the smaller companies in different industries, they need marketing people too. regardless good luck!

Would love to know the answers as well ~ I have 2 degrees and a wealth of experience and, well, here I sit while the girl next to me makes 3x as much as I do. (self pity party) :)

What about all of the stores that are hiring seasonal employees right now? It will at least be some source of income and you never know what could happen once the holiday season is over... I also agree with the previous posters who said to not rely on job posting websites and the news paper. When I was job hunting, I'd make a mental note of businesses that I encountered throughout the day and would get on their websites to find any job listings.

I have worked seasonal temp before and it is very brutal - you are a disposable employee who will be put through hell because they know you are disposable. It is a hell I want to avoid if possible. I sooner and will go back to cleaning for hoarders over that.

Well then I guess you don't want a job that badly.

^ I hate this come back. Ive worked those jobs before and never before have dealt with that level of employment abuse as working temp seasonal anywhere else. Seasonal temp work is hell, and you are treated like the disposable low income worker they view you as - shit pay, back breaking hours, and often not even breaks for food on days that go up to 12 hours long if not more. Cleaning house for hoarders who's homes are full of dog shit is better then temp seasonal work.

"You dont want a job bad enough" is a real bullshit thing to say to someone who cleans for stage 4 and 5 hoarders to get by.

If you don't mind commuting to the Ann Arbor area check out http://cs.thomsonreuters.com/ - there is a job opportunities link on the bottom of the web page. They are hiring for a variety of jobs in the Ann Arbor/Dexter area. Good Luck with your search!

I hope this may help at least one person...

http://www.military.com/veteran-jobs/content/career-advice/job-hunting/most-underrated-jobs-in-america.html?ESRC=careers.nl

67,000 great paying jobs are gone from this area since 1983 !
That's when Kapturd,et al., landed and laid waste to then all.
Champion Spark Plug,AP Parts, Doehler Jarvis,B& B Box,Beveridge Equipment Supply Co.,etc.

And, none of them moved to China, Mexico, or Ghana...good luck Kiddo, you'll need it !

I CALLED IT!

Why don't you and your poorly-spelled and punctuated troll postings go back over to the Blade's litterbox where they belong?

I couldn't agree more with OK's comments about not wanting seasonal employment. I've been down that road in the past and 99% of seasonal jobs end without a permanent position. It sounds like you want a career to has potential for advancement and growth, not a job to scrape by on.

Did you even read the context that the comment was made in? It wasn't some blanket "oh, I guess you don't want a job that badly" statement - it was in relation to a specific situation.

For the record, I don't necessarily agree with the comment that was made. I don't think it is "too picky" to prefer a job cleaning houses over seasonal retail. Regardless, its still not the same situation that you "called."

I graduated with a degree in finance in 1999, and started selling cars shortly thereafter. I never made less than $72k a year. I've since had 3 other careers and now do what I want to do, which still has little to do with my degree. I'm assuming you are looking for a career within your major. My recommendation is to broaden your scope and look for the money. You can do what you want to do after you've saved some.

My first job out of college (BS Business Administration) was managing a trailer park for $8 an hour (1990s dollars!). I spent my free time (and there was plenty!) putting together a monthly newsletter for the residents and spreading the word about social services that were available -- things like literacy tutoring and free T'giving turkeys.

My next job was part-time, in the international studies program at a private college for $8.75 an hour. After a year and a half, one of the department heads told me she was leaving and gave me some great advice about applying for her job. She said I had always been nice in my dealings with her, treatment that she did not often receive from educated people on campus. That opportunity turned into 15 years of managerial-level work, a nice title, lots of paid travel, etc.

Every job I've worked I've gone into sideways, via a cheerful stint as a volunteer, having connections through a community group whose focus was absolutely unrelated to either my education or the eventual job ... or just through consistently being well-mannered in professional situations.

You do have some amazing skills which would be of great benefit to a variety of institutions and businesses here in NW Ohio. I'm not sure that the employment agencies are really well-positioned to understand you. Even back in the nineties, the agencies I consulted (after I already had my degree!) said I had no skills. I remember spending a whole evening crying over that. I shouldn't have taken it personally!

Since you have some free time and mad web skills, might you consider starting your own marketing consultancy business? I'd hire you (or someone like you) to get me up & running with a website I've been thinking about.

If you contact SCORE to get help with a business plan (even if you think you don't really need help with that), they will probably immediately ask you to begin helping them out. Their ranks are dominated by older (retired) businessmen who would love to expand the level of service they offer to local businesses. They can plug you into business-oriented groups who always need presenters with a new take on events.

There are organizations like the Exchange Club (in west Toledo) and the League of Women Voters whose members are aging and no new blood is coming in. If you can find a way to attend some of their meetings, maybe offer to help out in some capacity or put on a little presentation for them, you will be a rock star.

The City Paper/Toledo Parent magazine often has an opening for marketing-type people ... maybe they don't pay much and that's why they keep hiring new marketing directors ...? But the job conditions are fun and it would be better than Xmas temp production/retail.

Best of luck and keep us posted on your progress!

I was laid off Oct. 31 (Happy Halloween to me!) after 24 years at my job. My family is waiting for me to have some massive meltdown or something, but to be honest, I have been working so hard the past few months that I'm just glad to have some time off.

I'm looking, but if I don't start a new job until the first of the year, that is fine by me.

OK, I know you wear kimonos sometimes, I think you have posted pictures before. You don't wear those all the time, do you?

I am about to head to bed, otherwise I would be a longer post in response to the variety of encouraging posts currently on here.

Really, the response is touching. The personal stories shared have meaning and are encouraging.

Ace - no. In fact due to my old back injury I increasingly have a hard time wearing them. On average, I look like a normal middle class person. I care about my every day image and try to not come off as a total weirdo. Not even the Japanese wear kimono everyday.

Viola - thank you for the food for thought. I'll sit and reflect upon your suggestions. It's not like I am scared to strike out and blaze a trail.

Ohiokimono,

A friend of mine was laid off a few years ago. Her specific trade was almost non-existent in Toledo but she had no desire to move nor desire to enter a different career field. She went on unemployment and enjoyed it. She even joked that when the phone rang she was nervous because it might be her job calling her back or another place offering her work. I may sound callous but I find that attitude and behavior part of the overall problem and I lost a little respect for her because she kept taking unemployement checks when she had ability and was not putting her best effort toward seeking employment.

My wife went to college with the intention of becoming a teacher many years ago. After finding out that teaching wasn't for her she entered business arena and took a job for a larger company here in Toledo doing a menial customer service job. Her skills and dedication were soon noticed and she was promoted. She gained contacts in the business and was promoted further. She has earned a great career over the years by starting at a position that was below her education and skill level. "A Job" will often get you a better job.

You asked for suggestions in your initial post. My suggestion would be that the worst place to be too long would be idle at home in front of a computer. If you are confident in your ability do not hesitate to start at a lower position at a good company. Even a waitress position will put you in contact with dozens of business people each day that you can talk to and get to know. Soon you may start dropping hints letting them know of your education and difficulty finding a job in your field. They will respect that you are out working and not sitting idle. It just might translate into a good job. But... more specifically - whatever you do... do it exceptionally.

OK, I don't know if this/these companies are hiring or not, but might be worth contacting. Sounds like it might be up your alley.

http://www.businessvoice.com/

http://www.webart.com/our-Story/why-choose-webart.html

TM2 - called and made initial contact. Interestingly enough both of those companies are in effect one and of the same. I'll let you know how it goes. Thank you.

In case anyone is interested, just saw this:

http://www.13abc.com/story/15937694/imagination-station-looking-to-fill-several-part-time-positions

It's always uplifting to see good people offering solid, tangible advice and understanding to another.

No shouting, screaming, accusing...just help and compassion.

Seriously, good job, Toledo Talkers.

OK - I've tried to e-mail you twie at your @ohiokimono.com address, but I'm not sure it really sent. Let me know if you didn't get my message and I'll try a different e-mail account. I think it's my yahoo mail and not yours.

The Hollywood Casino web site has a lot of positions posted and you can build a profile on-line and upload your resume' to numerous positions

SensorG I have your 2 emails. I will read them in a moment. Ive been offline today, and when on I am job hunting.

Here is a debatable concept and I truly don't know which is right but is important to the discussion.

If you're trained for white collar jobs there are two things you can do when you don't have a job.

1.) take anything that comes, work at Taco Bell just to get some kind of money in the door.

2.) wait it out till you find the real deal.

My friend and teammate and I took both of these routes after college. I took any and all jobs I could while trying for the dream job. Had a lot of people tell me "just do what you have to do"

My friend on the other hand didn't, and opted to wait for the ideal job.

His job searching was only about 3 years, and I think this is why.
Even when I was back home I had a couple decent job possibilities, no degree aside, it looks truly horrible explaining that you went from X great job, to flipping burgers.

Some might see it as a sign of strength or character that you worked whatever you could, but others might see it as "well if he could only get a job flipping burgers, there must be something wrong with him". It kind of stigmatizes you.

I really wish I know which is real, but since it took me 3x longer to find a good job it's changed my perspective a bit.

P.S. Sorry about the rant earlier this week, it's been brutal and I really unleashed there lol.

INeedCoffee - its okay hon. this is a subject I think everyone has experience it, and its not a happy experience. All the same I value the insight and personal stories people share. I find strength in knowing that Im not some "skill-less freak" so much as going through the same blues others have endured.

Yeah, coffee, it's all right to unload. Reading about your experiences makes me suspect that the student loan racket has been run the way the mortgage market was.

I would always be very cautious in any area where the standard advice is "borrow a lot, it will all work out in the end." For too long, "experts" have recommended that people live way above their means.

Anyone who reads the book "Your Money or Your Life" can get some game-changing information. It's a real eye-opener.

Reading about your experiences makes me suspect that the student loan racket has been run the way the mortgage market was.

Not to worry--it has been.

Anymore it feels like a BA is the new High School Diploma....with the added "perk" of being $30k+ in debt.

It's sad that higher education has become a trickle-up scam.

I've been reading everything you both have to say and I relate in many ways. I was a non-traditional student who went back to school to be able to find a "real" job to support my kids after my husband died.

My degree was in communication with a concentration in public relations. My professors loved me. I had two very successful internships, one of which offered me a job that I had to turn down (the pay was too low for the length of the commute and relocation wasn't an option at the time). That turned out to be the only offer I received. I did some freelance work on the side, but it wasn't enough to support the family.

Ultimately, I ended up taking a job doing the same clerical work I'd been doing prior to spending that money on tuition. I hated the job, but I stuck it out for two years and then made a lateral move into my present department, which is a library. It ended up being a perfect fit for me.

But I do remember feeling there must be something wrong with me, or that maybe all those people who told me how great I was were lying. As difficult as it is, you need to have faith in yourself and your abilities and believe that you'll end up where you need to be eventually--even if that road takes a few twists and turns in the meantime.

Good vibes to you on the search, OK--and INC, I hope the weekend treats you better than the start of this week!

Alot of these problems come from the philosophy of "do what you love and you will never work". I'm sorry but degrees in Fashion Design, English, Communications, Marketing, Music, Theater, Liberal Arts, History, Literature, Fine Arts, Psychology, Photography and the like are fluff programs designed by colleges to fill seats and suck in your money. Not that their isn't uses for these fields but unless you wish to start your own business and struggle for a very long time there is not a lot of real world experience. I'm sorry but in today's climate knowing the underpinning of Dante's Inferno or the workings of the ID just don't cut it. I'm not saying you shouldn't work toward your dreams but if you are picking and "intellectual" field of study don't complain about the tough road a head. Most high school kids these days can photoshop picture presentations as well as a person with a BA in Photography or graphic design.

I know several people who got business or accounting degree because they knew those skills could always get them work and later in life took the time to get a degree in something they loved. They could then start a business or move into that field with the proper business knowledge (and degree) to back it up. Tell me who is more employable, an IT guy or an IT guy with a finance degree who understands how to write a program based balance sheet transactions. Lots of people can fix computers.

Not shooting down anyone's dreams but I think we dilute a lot of young people by telling them to follow what they love and they will always be successful.

Well, I can't fix a computer but I am one of those who got a "fluff" degree.. Darn!
ohiokimono: I feel your pain. The only advice I have right now is to do anything you can to get your name out there. You have photography skills so, for now, send your resume to everyone who could use a freelance photographer. There are tons of smaller papers out there that always need a photographer. I would also send your resume to every PR/Marketing agency in the area. Something will come up.
ineedcoffee: Jeesh, I feel bad for you as well. It is very frustrating and I know what it is like to default on a student loan. My favorite part of the whole fiasco is you can't file bankruptcy on the loans which is a total crock! I hope things turn around for you as well.

dbw,

Anything is possible if you work hard enough and I agree with Networking. Sometimes it's just sending out e-mails to different companies or knowing someone that knows someone. That's how my cousins got his internship with the Phoenix suns as a talent scout. Fast forward a few years and now he is in the PR department of the NBA in New York.

He is also a adjunct professor at NYU, Has been in plays on and off Broadway, has authored two books one about Jack Youngblood who played for the University of Florida and the LA Rams. His second is a memoir he's still working on about being a son of a Vietnam Vet and the effect that it had on our family, and has two famous directors looking at maybe making it into a movie when it's done.

So anyone's dreams and loves can be followed but that doesn't mean you can always do it where you are. Sometimes you have to go many different places. For example, my cousin has lived in Toledo,Phoenix,Chicago,and now is in NY.

As a related note, we're hiring here at Grumpy's (for kitchen help)
do you guys have recommendations for where to place an ad?
Craigslist is not helping, and the blade is stupid expensive to run anything.

Also Golddust posted after man and brought up a good point. Small papers are always looking for freelance photographers. Check out the small town papers and see if they are looking. The Rossford Record, or Perrysburg Messenger Journal for example.

me not man

upso - you could try The Source (or whatever its being called now)? I don't know if it costs anything to list with them, but they certainly get a lot of inquiries from job seekers.

I get the point that dbw was trying to make though.

There are a lot of graduates churned out every year with degrees in certain fields, like communications, marketing, etc.

I'd imagine that its difficult for a new grad in those fields to differentiate themselves from the others.

We all know that OhioKimono has a variety of skills and talents that could separate her from the rest of the pack of recent business/marketing grads. Its just a matter of getting the right connections with the right people, so that those hiring for new positions would realize that too.

(Hope no one takes that as criticism of their choice in major - I fall into the same non-technical club with my undergraduate degree in Interdisciplinary Social Science. LOL)

I'm not saying don't do what you love you but you have to be practical about it.

If my daughter wants to "do hair" when she grows up I'm not paying for cosmetology school until she gets a business degree first. Owning your own salon is a fine profession much like photography, marketing, or graphic design but you have to have some real world skills to put on a resume. Or be willing to struggle until you find your "muse" or one of your projects take off. There is great reward in some of these fields but they don't always lend themselves to "steady income".

ohiokimono: email me and I can give you names and contacts at a few newspapers. If you can write, that would be great as well since most if not all use freelance writers.

missieburden@hotmail.com

upso - social media - does Grumpy's have a facebook page? I see TONS of job advertising on FB.

i just posted it on FB. good call

If my daughter wants to "do hair" when she grows up I'm not paying for cosmetology school until she gets a business degree first.

I know that was just an off the cuff example. However, if a person's intent was to go to cosmetology school and get a business degree, it would be more practical to go to cosmetology school first.

You'd have the potential to work your way through business school earning a decent income as a part time licensed hairdresser. Better income than any ordinary unskilled part time college student job, anyhow.

Actually, I know a few people who put themselves through college that way. (One of them worked her way through nursing school as a hairdresser.)

Whowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

I was on the Sylvania Herald site to check out possible employment and discovered this:
"Thank you and good-bye
After publishing a newspaper for the community of Sylvania for over 120 years, the Sylvania Herald has been forced to close. We would like to thank our advertisers and of course our thousands of readers for your loyal support over the years. This will be the final edition of the newspaper. A decision like this is not reached lightly and we have put much thought and emotion into reaching this conclusion. The cost of printing and distributing 12,500 newspapers weekly has simply become more than our ad revenue can support.
It is with a heavy heart that we say good-bye. We have enjoyed being the chronicle of events and activities in Sylvania and Sylvania Township for more than a century and have taken our responsibility seriously. We’ll miss you all. For one final time we say thank you and good-bye."

I wouldn't call them then.

I worked for the Herald and quit a couple of years ago. The owner, who is in Michigan, refused to put any money into the business.. It was a "right off" for him. A real shame too.

Yeah, the Sylvania Herald went out of business several months ago...I think perhaps it might have been in the spring?

It was a nice source of information for things going on in Sylvania schools and other local things that wouldn't necessarily be newsworthy enough for a large paper like the Blade (or even the Free Press).

I do miss receiving it. I'm wondering if they ever investigated operating it as a subcription based paper? It was delivered free to us, but I would have paid a reasonable annual fee to receive it.

Done forget the Oregon paper. www.presspublications.com

The Press covers everything between east Toledo to Oak Harbor. Also, try the Bedford Press- covers Lambertville, Erie, Temperance. She is ALWAYS looking for someone.

mom2: I totally miss the paper. That paper and the West Toledo Herald were around when I was a kid. I miss covering the Township Trustees the most.

The Press will be open again monday. There's nothing on the site listed for employment, so Ill wait until to grab an editor by the ear.

dbw8906 - While a business degree does indeed look great on a resume, cosmetology is certainly a solid, valid career. It takes some talent, not everyone can cut hair. In addition in today's ecomony, a business degree, in any field, accounting, finance, marketing, is not going to get you a job right out of college. I thought you would have heard by now that the streets are full of fresh graduates who can't get work. But my hairdresser, she's had steady employment since first getting her license. (She's a single parent of two teenage kids, fully self reliant and responsible.) Today a skill, with training, provides a better eucational monetary return on investment than a four year degree. If my daughter wanted to go to cosmetology school I'd be proud and supportive.

Prior to and while in college I did a lot of freelance work to gain experience. I hoped that my combination of skill, education, AND experience would help. The problem Im really having a hard time is...just finding something to apply to. In other cities my skills are in demand, but in Toledo its just such a lame duck situation. Worse, I sit looking at jobs in other big cities knowing I cant move.

Sit tight girl, you're smart, ambitious and classy. It WILL happen.

OhioKimono - have you looked into jobs at Google?

(My sister turned down a job there about a year ago, because she "wasn't ready to go back to work." Sigh...I told her she was an idiot!)

I didn't suggest Google before, because I figured you certainly had already looked there!

However, I did notice that they have a few current listings in Ann Arbor.

Trying to think if I know anyone who currently works there? <racking brain...>

OK, it might be something to check out http://adclubtoledo.org/ maybe for networking?

The best jobs are not advertised in papers. You need to network and make as many contacts as you can. Don't be ashamed to ask family/friends/people you meet if they know of someone in your field or something related. It's how I found my job.

I just did a follow up call on a position I had interviewed for. While I did not get the position I did receive some constructive feedback that was encouraging. I was the #2 choice for the position, and the Director of Marketing for the firm felt that my professional portfolio was impressive and that I have many valuable skills. He stressed that I should highlight my photography, that it is a precious asset. He also informed me that my job interview skills are very good. He is keeping my resume in the event that there is a new position in the future, or if they need to hire me as an outside consultant.

In short, I at least have my ducks in a line.

Well, at least that's encouraging news! Its always good to get positive feedback.

Just don't get discouraged and keep plugging along.

I applied and lost out on 2 different promotions at work before I finally landed the 3rd. There was a part of me that almost got discouraged after the first 2 opportunities fell through - if I had stopped applying for promotions, I wouldn't be in my current position today.

(Which, as it turns out, was a much better opportunity than either of the jobs I missed out on anyhow.)

Point- Shoreland journal another weekly paper, could post an add there Upso, not sure cost, but im sure its a lot less than the Blah.

Kimono, nice job on the followup call. One time I got a job because the #1 choice pulled out unexpectedly, and I had been #2. My future boss was so sheepish when she called! "I know we just told you you didn't get the job, but now I need to know if you still want it, and can you tell me by 5 p.m. today?" Too funny!

A friend of mine got the call from something she applied for nearly a year ago. Turns out, the boss "had to" hire someone's young relative, and as soon as that didn't work out, they called my friend. I know it's small comfort to think that you might have to wait a whole year, but you never know.

From a spiritual perspective, you are possibly being prevented from settling for a job that seems acceptable, but is not the perfect position for you. It will come.

Phone interview today, and also heading down to a job fair. Ill let you guys know how it goes.

Im out the door for another exciting week of job hunting.

Good luck! :)

So, a friend referred me over to the "Hilton Job Fair" happening today. I was careful to go during hours that wouldnt mean that the HR people are out to lunch. I had my best suit, groomed my resume, broke out the portfolio and samples of past work and headed down.

Bleak, that's all I can say.

It felt very cold. My impression of a job fair is that you are getting a chance to meet with people and make a good strong first impression as you hand over your resume. What I attended was a cold stone wall. applications to fill out were handed out at the front desk, I was then sent back to a table with pens scattered on them.

Filled out the application, and handed it back in to the front desk. No HR people involved. The job fair was just a normal "fill out an application" process. What more is I filled out and applied for a job I had applied for over a month ago...more so, Im a good fit for the job.

I might take a chill on applying for jobs for this week. Im a little too disappointed and depressed. I know Im disappointed and depressed when I start yelling at a "Vote Yes on Issue 2" political caller. I always try and keep a calm head.

:(

Keep your chin up OhioKimono.

i'm pretty sure TNS is hiring. they are out by owens community college and have a big facility. it's not the most exciting line of work but anyone looking for a job should check them out. just google TNS toledo

OK, I saw this article and thought of you :-)
http://ht.ly/7nJBe

http://www.chryslercareers.com/ - for those with engineering degrees.....

OK your post reminded me about GM. I have a friend that works in R&D there and he was trying to get me in. The position was taken before I got to it but they are always hiring on the corporate end of things. Get creative with your thinking and I'll bet you can find a job that you're qualified for here:
http://careers.gm.com/usa/jobsearch.jsp

If you're willing to drive an hour each way (for what they pay him he doesn't even bat an eye at the commute) this might be a possibility.

The GM jobs are nice, but way over my head with experience requirements and more. I'm a fresh grad, gotta find stuff along that line.

Sorry, I missed the part about lack of experience.

What about something like this? These often lead into jobs:
https://sjobs.brassring.com/TGWEbHost/jobdetails.aspx?SID=^QWcUwitHTDSZQX7qqaXa9DiR8FXDntzQCz02UubdO51g/lFS5T9OpCvKHWSdGhq/&type=search

Keep digging. Having the "Big 3" corporate offices within an hour's drive is a big plus to this area. Of course, if you have no interest in cars or working for the manufacturers, ignore all of this.

Try your luck and fill out an online application at www.dhs.gov

It's a decent paying job, and something to keep you afloat until something else becomes available.

Toledo Blade: Training For Cruise Ship Jobs Available at No Cost

The Maritime Academy of Toledo plans to offer free training next year to adults interested in working on cruise ships.

The three-week course, which includes training in basic safety, crowd management, and cruise ship life, will begin in early 2012.

Although no experience is required, Superintendent Renee Marazon said the course is ideal for students with an accounting, business, or hospitality background who want to transfer those skills to a cruise ship job.

She said entry-level junior officer jobs typically pay $1,500 to $3,000 a month, with food, lodging, and health-care provided.

--------------

Perhaps not for someone with a marriage and family here in Toledo, but if you know any young-ish folks looking for a job (in warm weather), this is not a bad opportunity at all.

Yeah, $1,500-$3,000 a month...seems low, but all your major living expenses are covered--food, lodging (probably a cabin on the ship), and health care. Having lived in a cruise ship destination for a while, I knew people in my 20s who did this job for a few years and banked close to $100,000 because they had practically no expenses.

If I was single and struggling, I'd do everything I could to take advantage of this. Cruise ships are still filling up with vacationers, even with this ongoing depression...

You're right, oldhometown. At some point all the new middle class Chinese will start taking cruises and there could be a real boom in the industry.

I was lucky enough to have a room & board job early in my work life. I was able to save 75% of my paycheck for five years. It gave me an unbeatable start in life (and also kept me in a smallish apartment at a time when all my peers were spending their disposable income on huge stereos, gigantic sofas, expensive carpeting, etc. -- most of which were lost in divorces anyway). I can imagine living in cruise ship quarters would give one a taste of the "living small" lifestyle! ;-)

OhioKimono - Kinetica Media had a recent job listing on Craigslist. I don't know if it would be something that interests you, but here's the link:

http://toledo.craigslist.org/med/2668136050.html

Kinetica Media has a really bad reputation. I would not recommend that place to anyone.

Care to expand upon that?

Ive already gone through a lot of shifty questionable job interviews and turned down a few jobs.

STILL WANTED: 1 decent job, I don't want to get rich or have wild dreams...just something sane to pay my bills.

I will start with this: http://www.ebosswatch.com/Company/Review/Kinetica-Media/1319167329

I went to an interview with this company 3 years ago. The posting said internships welcome, train right candidate, etc. I went to the interview and basically was treated like crap by Chris, the owner. He basically stated that he wanted 5+ years in several web design skills, and wanted to know why I was wasting his time. Granted he wanted me to come in for the interview. I got the sense that he treated employees like crap, and have seen postings at other sites (that I can't recall where, sorry) where this is the guys MO.

I am not saying go for it, but I want to warn someone else of places like this. Hate to see people get taken advantage of.

OhioKimono---Have you considered the University of Michigan? Right now they have a couple marketing positions listed on their website. I know it's a long drive, but a lot of people do it. It's a great place to work.

OhioKimono, if you want a career in photography or photojournalism, don't submit resumes to newspapers. Get started by taking photos in the circulation areas of weekly newspapers. Take shots of wildlife at Pearson, a new fire truck that may have been purchased in Perrysburg, a new project at the schools in Rossford, a new fire or police chief that was just appointed - and e-mail the photos with the proper cutlines. Weekly newspapers are understaffed, and need help. At first, give them a photo if they are interested. If they call you a second and third time, obviously they like your work and you should be able to negotiate a fee. It's at least a start and your photos would be published, which you can use in your resume for bigger jobs. Good luck!

I think renegade has a good idea. Your photography skills are much better than average, you have the right gear and you can write. Go have at it.

Renegade, it is interesting that you mentioned that. As I have. Never heard back from any. Not an email, not a phone call. I hit up almost every little paper in the surrounding area I could find, and attached a photo sample portfolio.

Not making this stuff up.

Oh, and WTOl did at least publish / use my gallery for the Occupy Movement in Toledo: http://easttoledo.wtol.com/photo-gallery/politics/68025-slideshow-occupy-toledo-protest

"I hit up almost every little paper in the surrounding area I could find, and attached a photo sample portfolio."

Were the photos within the weekly newspapers' circulation areas? They are very strict about that. If you don't mind, can I ask which weeklies or non-dailies you sent photos to?

The ability to photos, and take them well is a skill that transfers universally regardless of location. No I did not send them photos from their exclusive area because I don't have the budget to go develop an entire photo portfolio of specific areas to maybe get a job.

What I sent in demonstrated technical skill, talent, and more.

I contacted several small papers and never heard back. Not even a confirmation of submission. _shrugs

I had a nice interview today. I'll let you guys know the results.

Kimono, I know that you know that the ability to take photos is a transferable skill. But whoever looked at them at the papers may not have that same understanding (no, really, I'm being serious). They might have just looked at some of your great photos and thrown them out because they were irrelevant to their immediate needs.

I know we all think that businesspeople should be able to generalize, but my experience in this town is that you can't rely on everyone to know some of the basic, standard stuff. There are surprising knowledge gaps.

My first few years in town, I used to receive my e-mails back from people in a position to hire me. They would read my e-mail and hit Reply without adding anything to it. I thought there was something wrong with my system, so I called one guy to check. He said "Everyone knows you just hit Reply to acknowledge you have received someone's mail."

I had another supervisor earnestly tell me "The bigger companies are getting away from e-mail and going back to paper-based memos. They've found that e-mail doesn't save them any time." I know this sounds like stuff from the Dark Ages, but it happened to me in Toledo in 2001 and 2002.

In any town, I've had a hard time trying to get hired between Thanksgiving and the new year.

In any town, I've had a hard time trying to get hired between Thanksgiving and the new year.

This is an excellent point.

If it isn't an urgent and immediate need, many companies delay hiring until after the 1st of the year. Most likely for budgetary reasons and also because it can be harder to coordinate interview schedules during this hectic time of year.