Job hunting rant

  • Thread starter Thread starter MSSheBear
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
M

MSSheBear

Guest
I discovered a couple of weeks ago that I had lost one of my part time jobs, about two thirds of my income. I was on call for jury duty so I waited a week and a half. until I started to look. I have been looking for less than two weeks.

I take care of children so I started with two websites to find work as a nanny. One site wanted my direct deposit information. The other site wanted me to pay about four dollars every time I applied for a job. I figured I would have to apply for about twenty to get one interview.

My other employer keeps seeing “Now Hiring” signs. Last weekend she demanded to know why I hadn’t found a job yet and informed me I would become homeless. The stores “Now Hiring” have positions opened for which I am not qualified or they are in a different location. I have enough money now to pay the rent through September unless something horrible happens.

I just found out my mother needs radiation therapy and is expecting me to drive her to her appointments. I am not sure I could get a second job on the weekend. I seem to have a lot of competition out there for unskilled labor. I am hoping I can find a job once the “college kids” go back to school but I am not even sure of that.
 
In addition to looking for work, why don’t you try and advertise your services? Someone may be looking for you, but has not posted online yet. Then YOU can interview employers instead of them interviewing you.
 
When I worked as a childcare provider I used Care.com and paid for a three month subscription and for updated background checks. That was definitely sufficient to find clients.

You might also have luck on Nextdoor, which is a free social media neighborhood service. On our local one people regularly inquire about childcare.
 
I haven’t had good luck with Care.com in the past, as in many, many applications and only one interview and no job.
 
I know you said you need to tend to your mother, but are you able to widen your geographic range a bit? Do you live in a place that has a lot of young families? Perhaps there just isn’t much demand for child care where you live and you might need to consider relocating.
 
I look in about a 15 to 20 mile radius and there are plenty of schools in the area. That doesn’t mean there is a lot of parents wanting to hire an after school sitter and I seem to have a lot of competition. So I have thought of moving out of the area but I am not sure I’d do any better in another metropolitan area. I have a lease on a room too.
 
I would think the best places to look for work in childcare would be large urban areas. You’re more likely to have families there where both parents work. I know that here in DC, nannies are always in high demand and don’t come cheap.

Of course, if moving isn’t practical, you might have to consider retraining in something. Maybe talk to an employment counselor.
 
You noticed that I live in a large urban area? Nannies aren’t hard to come by here. I seem to be more reliable and better educated than most. Retraining and restarting a career is tricky because I am almost sixty. I have thought of substitute teaching.
 
MSSheBear said:
You noticed that I live in a large urban area? Nannies aren’t hard to come by here. I seem to be more reliable and better educated than most. Retraining and restarting a career is tricky because I am almost sixty. I have thought of substitute teaching.
Click to expand...
Ah, I see you’re in SF. That’s rough: talk about high cost of living. I’d maybe recommend talking to an employment counselor: maybe there are some job openings in the area that don’t require much in the way of additional training. Good luck, and good luck to your mom.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top