Finding a job might be a daunting task. So many got laid off, and there are hardly any new positions available.
Maybe it’s time to apply some different techniques. Listen to Ruby’s story and how she managed to change her life. Here we go:
“So, I’m like any normal 20-something who spent their days waiting tables, pulling shots, mixing drinks, folding clothes, or any of the mundane jobs, that are loathed by everyone who once filled those shoes yet function as an essential part of our society.
I spent a lot of time on Craigslist trolling posts that could potentially save me from the repetitive, dead-endlessness that is my job. But there’s another way. Just ask for an internship-it worked for me!
I used to do this the painstakingly hard way, which involved going through every single post that had an interesting title, which usually yielded very few results and left me feeling very worthless.
I’ve since gotten smarter about it because I set up a feed in my reader that targets things that interest me and match my education and skill level, and may even allow me to get out of my parent’s house. I would because some of the jobs I’ve applied to are in Seattle, and I’m obviously not there, but I haven’t really heard back from anymore…sad!
But persistence does prevail because I did land something that is actually pretty darn interesting. I responded to a post titled Publisher Seeking Interns (the US, telecommute, and online).
Persistence prevails
I wasn’t expecting anything really; like most ads, they sound cool and interesting, and I put my best foot forward when I send a response email, and more often than not, I am left hanging. But it’s about energizing your life, isn’t it? It’s all about learning, and I have to learn how to write an email that actually gets a response!
No, Thank you for applying; we will get back to you generic auto-response email, or We appreciate your interest in our company, but we regret to inform you that you do not fit our needs at this time.
Perhaps, I’m expecting too much from these companies; it’s not like they owe me anything, but it’s nice to know, you know. Perhaps I should have lowered my expectations when hunting for a suitable position, but alright, I managed, right?
I got a response!
So imagine my surprise when I actually got a response! It was super funny; the email started very similar to the ones I expected to get from companies sending out rejection letters, but it wasn’t rejecting me; it was offering me an internship, albeit an unpaid one, but an internship nonetheless. It brought me out of myself! I tried some online blogging before, just to make a quick buck, but you know, nothing is new anymore. Seems like it’s all done before already.
Now, I know that most people do internships when they’re in college, like their senior year or something, but after my last experience trying to get an internship, I was hesitant to give it another go, but I figured enough time had passed for me to venture into this system of on the job training the provides you a window into the day in the life of (fill in the blank).
The blank part for this particular internship is an editor at an independent publishing house called Slaughter House Publishing. How fantastic is that, and right up my alley too? My first assignment for the month of March, hence the lack of blog posts, was to read a 98,000-word manuscript and edit it for content.
A great experience
I have to admit that I was a tad overwhelmed by this project and started off very hesitantly, but once I started, I couldn’t stop. I loved being the one wielding the mighty red pen for once, standing on top of my soapbox and making corrections left and right! I was glad that I got this chance.
It was a thoroughly fun experience. As for whether my superiors think so….well, that’s another story. I haven’t quite heard back from them yet. But whatever this turns out to be, it filled me with a new sense of optimism that there are opportunities out there in directions I haven’t thought to look, and if I keep my eyes open and my reader updated, who knows what I’ll find!”