Okay I have been back in H-Town for two weeks. Im a Tech student. Me and buds have this sweet apt. lineuped for the fall. Thing is Im short on cash so I figure I can get a summer job back in town to pay for my share. I never imagined it would be this difficult. First let me say my working experience is none. I worked at whataburger senior year in High School but quit in less than a month since they couldnt get the concept that I wanted a "part time job." So thats one strike against me they defintely would not put in a good reccomendation esp since I kept their hat. Idealy I want a job that involves people. Im good with people so I hit up the malls. And getting paid to talk with gals would be a great bonus. I get the applications for the usual like footlocker pacific sun etc. I got the usual "we are hiring" or "we are taking applications" I still dont get why they say that. Does a company ever refuse to take applications? Well I applied to atleast 15 stores. Some twice at multiple malls. So atleast 20 applications filled in and turned in. Not one phone call in about 4 or 5 days time. So I figured maybe all these jobs want experience or I have bad handwriting so I figured I would get the gal next door fill out my future applications. I also decided to stop putting "texas tech" for further education. I figured that maybe they want a long-term commitment. I mean I thought having more education would only help but I guess not. Spare me the Tech jokes please. I waited for a few more days and I thought I caught a break when I was told by a friend that Id be hired to be a waiter at a restuaraunt at Katy Mills just tell them who sent me. Im exsatic I thought I finally caught a break. I rush to the mall in my nicest clothes. When I walk up to ask the cash register to ask for the manager. I see no one else but my old manager from whataburger!!! So im like and just say have a good one and walked out. The next day I figured screw the mall. So I go all around town to grocery stores wal marts etc.. I figure they have 15 year old kids working for them so why not me? So I gather approximately 3 Krogers 3 Heb's 3 randals etc etc and 3 wal marts. I do my plan of getting the girl next door to fill them out, dont put texas tech as further education. I turn them all back in and yes atleast half half said they were hiring. But still not even a phone call for jobs that will hire 15 year old kids. I even said all hours for stores that are open 24 hours. In for every application I put open/close or available. So couple days pass and I go back to follow up. And all I get is "sir we will get back to you." I have no criminal background or anything like that. I just dont get it. Im a few weeks away from visiting the Pawn Shop. Is Chris Rock right when he says 90% have your job cuz a friend reccomened you? Do I have to pull a George O'Leary just to sack groceries or be a bus boy? This is incredible...Tommorw Im driving and looking for signs that say"now hiring. I give this thing till wedsday if I have nothing I will be visitng the Pawn shop and lets just say that Im putting the little money I haveon the San Antonio Spurs.
Bro... I fee-hee-heel your pain. I have applied to a bunch of places, including a hospital where my friend's dad works. No luck so far. Anybody here got any ideas for a college kid?
What can I tell you. I've had similar experiences. Now, I'm a college junior who is too busy during school to work, and would be trying this summer except why bother when I have forced summer school one month in Austin, but the rest of the summer I will live with my family in Katy. Anyways. If I have one pet peeve in the world, its when stores don't call you back when you apply. It's simple courtesy, but yet, in the high school/college job market in the minimum wage sector, a lot of stores just don't get it. 90% of my applications didn't get responses at all. And I was a 17-18 year old kid with a 4.4 GPA in the top 5 percent of my high school class of almost 2000. Any probably any other school but Taylor, I'm valedictorian or close to it. I did the typical BS crap of exaggerating when you want to work, etc, but nothing. The only job I possibly could have had, I'm so thankful I gave it up. It was at a local Kroger and anyway I was 17 or so and the labor relations manager asks me in our interview whether I wanted to be a sacker or a checker. Now I say checker because I know the younger applicants can only get sacking jobs. So she tells me I'll call you tonight to sign you up to take the simple math test they require before you can start. However, she also in the interview asked if I could take it the next day. I said yes. So I wait with my family all night. No call from her. I'm perplexed. So the next afternoon I drive up to kroger and go to that area of the store, and see the empty computer with the test, and start taking it, as no one is around to assist me or a list of appointments isnt posted. Now 15-20 minutes go by and the lady walks in, and says you arent scheduled for now. I walk out of the room angry, not because I couldnt take the test, but because the lady had given me the work around. When you say I will call a certain day and you dont bother, you really tick me off. Now, I'll admit, I probably shouldn't have tried taking the test, but I have heard complaints by friends of my parent's and their kids about working at that store so suffice it to say, I'm not the only one who dislikes them. And of course I gave up the job by walking out of the store. Then last summer. I submit an application to Randalls, they want a person during the late night shift. Guess what, I'm a late night person, qualified to do this job. How many high school kids want that shift anyways. I get told they want a more permanent solution for the position? This is katy, home of high school kids not college ones. Do you really think most parents will let their kids do that job during the schoolyear? Please. Then I tried katy mills. One in a shirt design place and another working a simple courtesy booth. Now both were flexible on hours and again I am qualified. At the shirt design place I feel I had a great interview and good connection with my mom and the owner. Waited and waited for a return call, no dice. At the courtesy booth interview, I felt a little in over my head as they asked some deep questions, ones that I really don't like BSing, so while I felt I deserved the job, I can understand my honest approach getting me in trouble. I think its stupid to lie to get a job, but apparently its what it takes. One would think that they would like a bright college student who is willing to work and honest about his preferences and takes on certain questions. But nope. And my friends who are both better than me at all this, have had no luck either and they only got a job through a connection last year. Through all my experience I now just believe this job market sucks badly and is poorly managed from humanitarian perspective.
Are y'all kidding??? Find a waiter job. Put on your app. that you're fine doing it as long as you can. You have to fudge a bit to get the job, but you can't let the manager know that! ie. No manager is going to take a "I'm here for 2 months" over a "I hope to see myself as a future manager here" ever. Be creative, and realize that it is a stepping stone. (an internship in the career you are seeking will, in the long run, be much more fruitful.)
its not a joke. people are getting fired and no one is getting hired. at least thats the scene in austin. if you arent in that miniscule window of oppurtunity when they finally decide to hire one person, youre outta luck. even grocery stores and walmart arent hiring. its kind of ridiculous.
As Cheech would say, "Yeah, things are tough all over." A good barometer of the job market is the number of teacher applicants for an open position. In good times, schools can barely fill the positions because there are so few applicants. In bad times, there are too many applicants --- more people are out of work and think, "Hey, I could probably teach." My wife's a teacher, and she took a position two years ago that was vacant for 18 months because there were no applicants. This year, for a similar position at her school, there are almost 50 applicants.
Two weeks is nothing. I was unemployed for almost 4 months and the contract before that another 3 months. I would have killed for two weeks. I finally had to end up taking a job in Indianapolis away from my family. Only upside is that they pay me my salary and then I get $15 an hour (tax free) per diem to live on here. It is pretty easy to live off my per diem since I have no bills. Anyway, good luck.
Devana's on Montrose near Alabama is an Indian restaurant that just recently opened. They need to hire some busboys and maybe other positions as well. However, I must warn you that, at the moment, they are working their busboys to death -- 14 hour days, 6 days a week. And, I can't guarantee they will pay overtime as they should (I might be able to tell you for sure later). But, they are losing a busboy today at 2 pm and will need one when they open for dinner at 5. Btw, the restaurant itself is pretty nice. Haven't eaten there yet, but the dining area looks pretty classy. Btw btw, I was once unemployed for 8 months and I know there are posters who've had longer stints than that. Finding work is hard work. You really have to bust your ass to find stuff -- especially when you have no experience -- and it doesn't happen all that quick.
The economy is great according to some posters. It sucks where I am, Northern California. Set your sights lower if you just want a job to pay bills. Restaurant work - one girlfriend who was the greeter/waitress at some Chinese restaurant said lots of places they hired illegals for kitchen/buswork so they could pay in cash and didn't have to pay Social Security and withholding.
Remember in a job search all it takes is one yes. Will you hire me? nonononononononononononononono nononononononononononononononoyes good luck.
Well just woke up. If theres anything positive about not working sleeping to broadday light is it. Im gonna head back out there hopefully Ill have better luck today. JuanValdez Thanks for the heads up . Thats a little far. But Ill defintely head down there if I cant get some kind of encouraging news by this evening
Thank god for NY man we are hiring like crazy out here Im sorry you guys have it so tough, but its like there was never a recession here. there is even a building boom going on and the tourist season is really really picking up over the last few. maybe you guys should relocate
I shouldn't have posted this. Hopefully no one read it. Anyways, you rookies don't know **** about being out of work.
I'm lucky. My stepdad and mom need someone to run their office to free them up for their own work. I hope it doesn't kill my relationship with them (working with family), but it'll be a good company to work for. But you obviously have to know somebody nowadays (more than ever) to get a job.
They're hiring drivers at the Pizza Hut off of 59 at Chimney Rock... I haven't had much luck finding a job, but I haven't really put out a lot of effort, especially with the Summer session starting...you'll eventually find a job if you keep looking. You could probably have a lot better luck going after a seasonal place like Astroworld...a place that really only needs employees for the Summer time...
