Advice for the job-seeky?
 

As it turns out, walking down a busy street and asking for employment at any place that I find interesting (places with Tux, technology, photography, bookstores) has, thus far, proved to be an unsuccessful venture. Hence, I ask of you: what effective ways for a job-seeky man to become a workin' man? What are the nuances that ought to be employed in such a quest? What knowledge (about myself and the world) would further my purpose?

(Having recently completed several (4) years as a High School student, I have relocated to Seattle to find the world.)

- torrere on an ungood library keyboard

Sorry, it's in Philadelphia indefinitely. duck and cover:p

Go to the CEO's office. Check family photos for unmarried daughters, until you find the right company.

The Wet Lonely Streets of Seattle
 

I remember when I blew into Seattle looking for a job many moons ago-- it took a lot of pavement pounding and a lot of rejections but I did find eventually what I was looking for. Several suggestions:

1. You need to get a survival job-- any job from flipping burgers to spilling coffee at Starbucks. Its always easier to find a job when you already have one.

2. You need to further your education somehow either by practical means or scholarly pursuits. A high school level education is only the beginning of your life's pursuits.

3. Think about doing yard work for people. I remember that when I was going to college in Bellingham I started doing elementary lawn mowing and lawn maintenance for homeowners and I had more work than I could handle.

4. Do some volunteer work which often leads to gainful employment.

5. Join the military.

6. Marry Bill Gates' daughter

6. Good Luck:cool:

I'm here in Seatown, too. I've been here for 10 years now. The survival job you would want would be a position at Kinko's. If you don't mind a bus ride or car trip across 520, The Bellevue II Kinko's would be a good one to check into. Ignore Bell I.

There are all kinds of fun printing technologies to play with. We made a few color posters for ourselves as "sampling". The best technology is of course the B&W laswer printers. From those you can print resumes for your next job. The people at Kinko's were pretty cool, too.

Be careful not to get stuck there, though.

I moved to Whidbey Island (60 miles or so NW of Seattle) in 1993 at the age of 17 with no HS diploma or anything. I was able to get work right away through a government program called Private Industry Council (the program may have been renamed). I worked in a thrift store for a while, then moved to being a "Custodian's Assistant" at an elementary school. I lived in a run down trailer and walked two miles one way to the bus every day (down and up a steep gravel road). And I liked it!

Sorry this is becoming like a familiar SNL skit.

There might be some opportunities on the island. There's a community college there you can go to for free if you're unemployed. They also have a bus system that's free to ride.

I don't know much about Seattle. I love visiting there, but I've heard the cost of living is quite high.

The sad thing is, I've applied to Kinko's recently here in MN - without success.

Well man, from what I've heard, finding any job on the west coast right now is hard as balls.

Look for an internship at a tech company (if that's what you're interested in). These usually pay better than, say, KFC, and you'll be picking up valuable skills (and setting yourself up for a permanent position).

While I was waiting for my job, I worked as a cook at Pizza Hut. I had no bills though, so I didn't need a set amount of money to make it.

Looks <b>do</b> matter, so... be clean-shaven, have some nice looking hair, buy some nice clothes (dark pants, light, solid-color long-sleeved shirt, dark tie, dark socks, dress shoes) to wear to interviews...

Get whatever you can now, but look for a company you can <b>milk</b> in the future. A huge benefit is if they'll pay for you to go to school. Starting out, you will make $15-20k more per year if you have <b>any</b> degree.

Read the want ads. And do respond to anything that is remotely intriquing.
Set up an interview and be five minutes early.(creating the illusion of timeliness...)
Be relaxed but formal, flexible and competent. Be curious about the job.Smile and shake hands.(once again...the illusionof...)
Have a resume, even if its meager, its not a bad idea. At least you can state your aspirations and give them a paper with your contact info all bold and stuff. If you have some work samples of projects you'd like to feature, make up a simple portfolio to whip out if it seems right.

And one thing that has worked for me in more formal interviews when I really wanted the gig, is to send each of the interviewers a letter right afterwards thanking them and reminding them why you the one. Cause, you the one. Suck up. Risk overkill.

Let everyone you know know youre looking. Like with apartments, the best ones come through connections and never hit the press.

Good luck sir.

Thank you dearly for the replies. I'll look into Kinko's this afternoon / tomorrow.

Dave brought up a point I'd neglected. I haven't shaved in over a month; perhaps I ought to acquire a razor.

I attended an interesting seminar on looking for jobs last night. It was oriented more toward people looking for very-good jobs, but it was quite informative nonetheless.

some points:
always keep looking
apply in bulk to sundry locations
know who is doing the employing
resume / cover letter / thank you letter / call 3 days later
emphasize what you could do
etc
-
ask for the job during the interview

[edit: oh yeah, the most important part of the seminar was about where the jobs are, but I that wasn't all that important to me yet. Apparently most (and the best of the) jobs do not go to want ads, job fairs, placement agencies, etc]

I realized what I just did. In another post I was completely bagging on my Kinko's experience, and here I've recommended you try it. It's more of a general customer service thing. There's always going to be the ocassional idiot you have to deal with, but for the most part everyone seemed freindly enough.