still can't get a job

[BKParalegal]

I rarely comment on non-legal topics, but the reality of it is, if you are not even getting calls for interviews, then you need to completely revamp your resume. Do a google search on how to write a dynamic resume and follow it. The other issue is you may be shooting too high for your experience or lack of it. The last issue is, if you have been getting interviews but not getting offers, then you need to take a hard look at yourself and figure out if you are physically presenting yourself in an unflattering way, or if you are saying things in the interview that are consistently raising flags. It may take some soul searching but there are usually some big clues to why you are not getting the offers.

Good Luck

[FLBK7]

Whenever you get an interview, try to refrain from being too talkative or vivacious out of nervousness --- particularly if this is a 'panel interview' where 2 or 3 or more people are interviewing you and they take turns asking you questions. Try to control fidgeting and answer each question as best you can while maintaining eye contact with each of the interviewers. I've personally interviewed and participated in panel interviews more times than I care to remember. The panel interviews are the trickiest because you may make a great impression on one interviewer but not on the others. At the end of the day the individual scores need to be averaged.

I recommend preparing yourself for the interview as much as you can. Read up on the company or organization. Dress appropriately, be pleasant and act interested, but don't let nervousness make you fidget or ramble. In particular, refrain from saying anything negative about previous employers. This is a major NO-NO.

Good luck. It looks like you may just need to refine your search, but with an Associate's Degree and being bilingual you really shouldnt have any problems finding a job.

[One Half Full]

Here in the Midwest, you are worth your weight in gold (figuratively speaking) if you are bilingual and have a "computer" or "customer service" bent. They give nice bonuses for people who speak Spanish/English. Try jobs where you would be communicating and helping people. It doesn't matter if you are shy. You basically memorize "scripts." Hospitals, any kind of telemarketing, try Gallup or other survey companies, PayPal...

[twuoo]

Try to find something in your field of study, but in the health industry. So for instance, maybe you could work as the IT guy at a nursing home.

Also, have you looked into www.monster.com www.hotjobs.com www.careerbuilder.com

Get your resume on these websites.

Check local newpapers and of course, craigslist as someone here already suggested.

Along with dressing well, get a hair cut and shave. Don't know if you have tatoos and such, but if you do, wear long sleeves to interviews.

First impressions are everything (unfortunately).

Do you live at home? How do you pay your bills? Maybe you can advertise around your neighborhood to help people clean up their computers, set them up or install programs.

Good luck!

[BankruptPinoy]

Hi JayJay. I don't know your age nor your interests other than you are fluent in spanish and english.

Have you considered law enforcement (used to be known as peace officers)? $33,000-$35,000 a year starting out in some places. Being fluent in Spanish is a huge asset.

Have you considered the military, like the air force?

If you are considering those, please private message me.

Have you considered the French Foreign Legion? After 5 years one gets French citizenship and by default the right to work in the European Union.

Teaching English in Korea or Japan or Thailand? Check out Dave's ESL cafe. But again, please private message me. Why? Because most schools require a 4 year degree.

Have you considered clepping your way to a BS degree via Excelsior College?

Again, please private message me and/or set up an anonmyous email account so I can provide thoughts and ideas and not violate any TOS. JayJay, I don't know your health, age range, interests, views on the future, and so on and on. I can't help you to the my fullest extent of my ability without more information. Do you know about IT brain dumps for the MCSE, for example? (And nooooo to anyone who thinks I am selling or trying to sell information or whatever...noooooo! I'm just trying to help.)

Also, you're at the bankruptcy forum. Have you considered studying to become a paralegal? Are you filing pro se?

Potential job loss

http://www.bkforum.com/showthread.php?t=23464&highlight=ed+romney

UPS has package handler positions open at 0300 to 0400 hours for 3
hours a morning paying about 8 bucks or more an hour with insurance.
But the work is hard and you can get hurt lifting. Ohhh wait...I see that you don't want that.

Hmmm...

What about the military? Get a good contract at the MEPS center and get your degree and then try and get on with some agency like the NSA doing tech work.

"Dave" was 19 years old, 2 years of college. Bored. He saw graduates
of his school could only get jobs at Wal-Mart. Dave quit & borrowed
money to go to Auto Tech school to learn to fix cars. It was one of
those nationally advertised ones where all the major US and Foreign
Auto companies recruit at for Auto Techs to work at their dealerships.
The program is 2 years long. Dave was an " average" student but before
he was even half way finished with the program, he had 5 job offers.
Upon graduation, EVERY student had at least 8 job offers!

Dave chose to work at a BMW dealership in Florida. He works a 4 day
week. He is paid $60,000/ year, not counting overtime. " Union"
benefits. Every week is 3 days off. When he is not at the beach, he
fixes his friends cars for cash. Dave has put a down payment on a new
condo near the beach and will have his own BMW next year. BMW paid off
75% of his student loan. He orders pizza from a local Pizza Hut . The
guy who delivers his pizza to him is 31 years old, has an MBA degree (
BS in Accounting) and makes $6/hr.

(This is from a story in the Wall
Street Journal)

https://www.bmwstep.com/qualify.asp

BMW's program is called STEP, for Service Technician Education
Program. It's supposed to be a highly selective program. The links
above will explain more for anyone interested in this."

Two good books to read are "Secrets of Power-Persuasion" and "Secrets
of Power-Negotiating" by Roger Dawson. They are available at any
bookstore and at

http://www.rdawson.com/

Also, "How to Win Friends and
Influence People" by Dale Carnegie is very good.

http://www.dale-carnegie.com/

Now, some people might be interested in being a caretaker. Check out
the following for caretaker jobs:

http://www.angelfire.com/wa/caretaker/sample.html

http://caretaker.org/main.php?smPID=DBS::REVIEWS

Steve has a blog about how to make money from blogging. It's an idea.

http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2006/05/how-to-make-money-from-your-blog/

http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2006/07/10-reasons-you-should-never-get-a-job/

Ed Romney says, "If I lost my job, I would buy a cheap old station
wagon or van and get a lot of ladders, scaffolds, and paint brushes
and go door to door wearing white coveralls asking to paint people's
houses and do some home improvements. I'd hire extra help from men
hanging around the employment office for each job and pay them by the
hour. I'd make the homeowner pay for paint in advance so there would
be no overhead."

He also suggests gypsy cabs and buses, using your car as an unlicensed
cab to take people to airports and other places. He says to take a
short course in welding then mount an electrical and a gas welding
outfit to the back of an old truck and travel around welding broken
farm implements, autos and trucks, whatever job you can find. He says
welding pays good. He says also to be a mobile mechanic and travel
around with your equipment and fix things. Own your own junkyard he
writes.

Ed also said motorcycle repair and sales, especially with gasoline
prices are so high, would be good. Tax preparation, payroll, record
keeping businesses. Tutor kids especially in difficult subjects.
Take care of kids, sick people or prisoners. LPN, prison guard. NOW
I MUST ADD, I would never be a guard. They ferment urine and feces
and throw it on you. That's just for starters, and that's no BS.

Ed also said to be a flea market dealer, an auctioneer, and if he lost
his job today, he would go to McDonald's because they are always
hiring or try a temporary service like Kelly or BOS or Manpower
because often it is the temp that is hired full time.

Homeowners need lawns mowed, leaves raked, trees and bushes trimmed.

"If one person says no, do not be upset. You know you are good and
honest. Keep on." From Ed's book, "Living well on practically nothing"

BMW Thinks Out of the Box, Looks Under the Hood To Solve Industry Problem

Innovative Program Helps Alleviate Shortage of Skilled Automotive Technicians

WOODCLIFF LAKE, N.J. - College graduates are facing a tight job
market, but one industry is struggling to meet the demand for skilled
employees. Opportunities for automotive service technicians trained to
repair today's sophisticated vehicles have skyrocketed and due to this
demand, and the advanced skill set required to do the job,
well-trained service technicians are a hot commodity.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 60,000
automotive service jobs in the U.S. are going unfilled as automakers
compete for skilled labor with other high tech industries.

Ahead of the Curve

Recognizing the importance of well-trained service technicians, BMW of
North America, LLC initiated a program in 1996 to help keep pace with
its dealers' burgeoning demand -- a demand fueled by the tremendous
growth in sales of BMW vehicles in the U.S. (Sales have quadrupled in
the past 10 years; there are now more than 1.4 million BMWs on the
road.) Called STEP, for Service Technician Education Program, the
successful initiative has expanded over the past six years to turn out
nearly 1,200 graduates.

STEPping up to the Challenge

Students accepted into the program pay no tuition for the advanced
training in automotive services. The placement for graduates has been
consistently 100 percent. Only the top students at post-secondary
automotive schools throughout the country are accepted into the
program; candidates must be bright, highly motivated, drug free, and
receive the highest grades and references.

A Good Deal for Dealers

Customer service -- before, during and after the purchase -- is a top
priority for BMW and the driving force behind the STEP initiative.
Delivering a high level of customer service is imperative and so the
company underwrites much of the cost of the additional training needed
to service its vehicles.

When hiring a STEP graduate, dealers reimburse BMW for a portion of
the training costs. In return, they get a highly skilled and competent
worker and can count on a good measure of employee loyalty; the
attrition rate for service technicians who completed STEP is about 7
percent since the program began in 1996, compared to an industry
average about 15 percent a year.

Reducing the Stigma

As automotive technology becomes more sophisticated, the perception of
automotive technicians changes too, says Brian Nelson, BMW's STEP
Manager. "A service technician today has more technical knowledge than
an automotive engineer 15 years ago. We need to do more at all levels
to continue to change mindsets."

One area of emphasis is on secondary schools, where a partnership of
auto manufacturers, dealers and qualified high schools offering career
and technical training is working to change attitudes and open doors.
The Automotive Youth Education Systems (AYES) was created to encourage
young people to consider careers in retail automotive service, and to
prepare them for entry-level career positions or advanced studies in
automotive technology.

BMW is an active participant in AYES; this year, about 40 students
will be getting hands-on experience at BMW dealerships across the
country, and Tom Purves, chairman and CEO of BMW (US) Holding Corp. is
on the AYES board. In addition to providing mentoring experiences and
paid internships, dealers also take part in career days at the
schools. Upon high school graduation and AYES certification,
participating students are prepared to begin entry-level employment or
continue their technical education through programs like STEP.

A STEPping Stone to a better future

While the average annual salary for a STEP graduate is $55,000, once
the graduate gains on-the-job experience, it can run as high as
$75,000 - $100,000 in some parts of the country. And the opportunities
don't end there. Indeed, many students have moved on from their
initial technician positions - into service management, field service
engineering, and even as a head instructor at one of the STEP training
facilities.

BMW offers seven regional programs in Orlando; Phoenix; Houston;
Cleveland; Fremont, California; Upper Saddle River, New Jersey; and
Ontario, California, for 27 weeks of intensive, hands-on training on
all BMW models.

(June 17, 2002)

http://web.archive.org/web/20020708082526/http://autointell-news.com/News-2002/June-2002/June-2002-3/June-19-02-p8.htm

"Opportunities may come disguised as obstacles"

"Here's what happened to a friend of mine in Kalispell, Montana, more
than 50 years ago. Bud Rasmussen wanted to work for himself, so he
bought one of those "Get Rich Quick" magazines at the newsstand. He
fell victim to a full page ad selling peanut machines, the kind where
(at that time) you put in a nickel, turned a handle, and some salted
peanuts dropped into your hand. The claim was that you could put them
all out in public places, and then just go around once a week and
collect big money. Bud fell for the pitch and sent in a cashier's
check for the minimum order of 25 machines. Once he received his order
and set out to place them in stores, he discovered that setting up a
route was far more difficult than had been described in the ad. Worse,
the unreturnable machines turned out to be vastly overpriced. He
correctly guessed that others who also ordered these machines would
eventually give up and just store the machines in the garage. Rather
than give up himself, Bud ran a classified ad in the same magazine,
offering to buy used peanut machines. Although he paid sellers only
ten cents on the dollar, ten cents was more than zero, and Bud
eventually ended up with more than 500 machines. With diligent effort,
he eventually placed them all within a 90-mile radius of Kalispell.
From then on, all he had to do was
run the route, pick up the cash, and refill the machines with peanuts.
With the nickels that poured in, Bud was eventually able to build a
beautiful home debt-free in the best section of Kalispell—a classic
example of getting stuck with a lemon and turning it into lemonade.
All it took was some common sense plus an iron-willed determination to
succeed—qualities as valuable today as they were 60 years ago. Here's
a little trick I once used during a certain time when I myself was in
a temporary bind. I recommend it without reservation. Print out the
following quotation, and stick copies on your bathroom mirror, on the
top of your television set, and on the dash of your car. Read it out
loud at various times during the day.

"Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will
not. Nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius
will not. Unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not.
The world is full of educated failures. Persistence and determination
alone are omnipotent."
— Calvin Coolidge

Nothing will work until you do. I pray that this book will inspire you
act. Does this mean that you must give up wasting time and complaining
about your lot in life? Absolutely. Dismiss the pain, and keep your
eye on the gain: Work for yourself at something you have a passion
for. Live simply with cash in your pocket and the satisfaction and
contentment that comes from creating and running the debt-free
business of your dreams."-From "Skip College" by JJ Luna

The Ten Best Jobs from Jobs rated almanac
Biologist
Actuary
Financial planner
Computer-systems analyst
Accountant
Software engineer
Meteorologist
Paralegal assistant
Statistician
Astronomer

I would also add that a diagnostic medical sonographer is a high
paying field and not dangerous with radiation.

Back to Luna, he answers a question here:
"I don't know nothing about the kinds of businesses you talk about. I failed my
last year of high school, and for the past four years, I've worked in
a meat-packing plant. However, now I want to work for myself (most
anything as long as it has nothing to do with meat!). I am really good
at mechanical stuff, like keeping my high-mileage '86 Chevy pickup
running smooth and looking sharp. And guess what? I have saved up
nearly 5,000 bucks. How can I use that to help me start up some
business?

OK, here's an idea for a niche in auto repair. Specialize in
repairing, lowering, and/or pimping up 1980–1995 Chevrolet/GMC
pickups. Nothing else. To get started, spend a few days going through
parking lots for 20 miles around, slipping attractive fliers under the
wipers of your target pickups. In fact, since you have some money
saved, you might consider buying older pickups, fixing them up, and
selling them again—especially to your fellow Hispanics. (Check first
with the DMV to find out how often you can do this without being a
dealer.)

Another question-I'm a high school dropout currently working at a
local fast-food joint. I want to quit this boring, low-paying,
dead-end job, but what can I do? I like to work with my hands, and I
can repair anything from an inkjet printer to a riding lawnmower, but
I don't know how to start any kind of business.

Keep your job for now, take any overtime that's offered, and save,
save, save. Offer your services to repair as many different kinds of
things as you can. Even work free, if it will help you learn. Keep
looking for a niche, and when you find one, drop everything else and
specialize in that. For example, if you happen to do well in getting
an old outboard motor running, why not specialize in that field? Trust
me on this one—outboards that no longer run can be picked up at yard
sales for pennies! Get them going again, shine them up, add a new
prop, guarantee your work, and sell them
to fishermen, perhaps as backup engines. (A dedicated fisherman will
spend his last dollar to get out there on the water when the fish are
biting—and sometimes even when they aren't.)-Again from "Skip College"

Louis L'amour said, "For one who reads, there is no limit to the
number of lives that may be lived, for fiction, biography, and history
offer an inexhaustible number of lives in many parts of the world, in
all periods of time.......Knowledge is like money: to be of value it
must circulate, and in circulating it can increase in quantity and,
hopefully, in value.......No one can get an education, for of
necessity education is a continuing process."

The following is from a guy that works in the Gulf with the oil industry. I have tried to edit his language.

You have to live near the area where the work is probably atleast 4 hours. I live in Lafayette which is a good place to live because the work is all along the gulf coast. They hire people with no experience all the time because people get tired of being away from home all the time and quit. People also seem to jump from one company to the next pretty quick and those companies are always hiring due to shortages of personnel. I can leave my company tomorrow and have another job in 24 hours if I wanted to just because of the demand for personnel. Just do a little research or get a account on rig zone or oilfieldjobs and look at the companies. Now You are not going to get a job as a mud engineer or a another specialized field over night. You will have to start off at the bottom if You want to get ahead. I would recommend getting a job as a rigger with a drilling company or a construction company because You have room to grow. Now You are not going to make a killing if you start out that way but You will probably make about 30k a year to start out but after a few years if You work hard You will move up quick. I work as a offshore surveyor and I use gps and other nice toys to take the asbuilt data for all the platform and the pipelines built in the gulf. I have a good job but I spend about 9 months a year out here with no schedule. The reason I make good money is because 95% of the people out there are whiney little xxxxxxx that can't hang. Another thing to look into is dive school "not the same as scuba" which isn't that long but when You get out You can become a offshore diver which make a killing. Also another point divers can branch out to other fields also so that would be a decent field to start. If You went to trade school for electrical, mechanic, diesel mechanic, hydrolic mechanic You could get a job out here easily. I have a friend at Transocean that is a electrician making about 150k a year working 28 and 28 and they have great living conditions also .... Just do a little research into the offshore field and find the positions that are entry level .....I work as a surveyor so I'm kind of specialized but I got in just because I was a computer nerd and I stuck through it. They also have ROV "Remote Controlled Subs" crews that drive and repair the ROV. The ROV crews are generally mechanically oriented Mechanics, Hydraulics, or electrical techs. Mechanics and electricians are also needed. Divers make good money and especially sat divers which can make up to 1200 dollars a day but they have to live in a real small damp metal tube for months at a time so it isn't fun. Alot of people start out as riggers on these construction vessels and from there they work their way up the food chain. Wire line is also a good paying job which starts out at 11 dollars and hour X24 hours a day with over time. The reason they get paid that much is 24X7 on call and sometimes they have to work 60 hours strait to get the job ecomplished. The reason they work like that is because when its time for them to work they have to get the job done because some of these jobs cost 450k a day so You have to do Your work real quick and get it done. They also use explosive hands out here .... I would have never imagined how complex the jobs out here but it takes alot of different skills to get the oil out of the well to the house .... The oil field is broke up into different fields .... The first is exploration which uses nice gizmos and toys mounted on a boat looking for the oil. The second field comes in a drills the hole for the oil. The third field is construction which builds the platforms and lays the pipelines. The fourth field is the production hands that flow the oil or the work over people. I would recommend starting out as a rigger with a construction company. The best part is You don't have to stick with one company because then You learn about other fields offshore and You can move from there. If You are willing to work You're butt off and stay clean You will do good in the gulf. Most project managers salivate when they find a guy that can't make enough money because they will work You to death if You want too. I would recommend companies such as Transocean, Diamond Offshore, Noble Drilling, Global Industries, Manson Gulf, Chett Morrison, Bisso Marine, Offshore Specialty Fabricators, Tetra Offshore, Cal Dive International, Saipem, Fugro Chance, T Baker Smith are just a few of the companies .... these are just a few of the companies that work in the gulf ..... You will more than likely have to move to the south east but when You become experienced and get a schedule You can live almost anywhere .... Hell I see lisence plates at the docks all the time from all areas of the US. Just look these companies up research them and if You want to take the plung try to get hired on and then after a long hitch move You're family. This life style is a hard one though because You are always on the go and heading out to work at all hours of the night...Oh You don't start out making that btw ... You will have to start out at the bottom if You don't have a skill. I make close to 400 a day but like I said everyone gets paid different. The average joes out here probably make about 80k to 150k a year. Riggers I think don't start out making much but You can move up to say crane operator, anchor operator, leadermen, foreman, super intendent, & company rep.. The schedules are different between companies also ... I do not work a schedule meaning I get called all the time and I stay out till I can't stand it anymore which is about two months. Other guys work 14 and 14 or 28 and 14 off ...

Law Enforcement and enlisting in the military.

- 9/11 has created the need for LE and Security.

One could make $35,000 a year, have a take home car, free meals, and free housing for his career.

So, while the pay might not be that great compared to other fields, what is the value of a take home car -no gas, no monthly car payments- ? Or what about free meals everyday? Or free housing?

Lots of restaurants give half price to law enforcement, but some give free meals. Some apartements give discounts to law enforcement, while others charge no rent at all in exchange for the presence.

Police work is not the most dangerous job in America-that would be construction workers.

Again JayJay, I have no idea as to your age and or sex and or health and or physical condition and or mental condition and or...and so on and on. So I hope at least some of the above helps.

[BankruptPinoy]

Hi JayJay. I forgot to add, these are just some ideas. I am not trying to tell you what to do.

"I am greedy, selfish, and jealous and I try desperately to be loved
by all. I am thinking day and night of how to make myself so important
that it will force people to think only good about me. I am sorry, but
it's true that I always want to be in the right.

I came to the conclusion that whatever I say, I say for only two reasons:

1. To create sympathy for myself.
2. To show how important I am. "

Hmmm...this is from the book "The Art of Creative Writing" by Lajos
Egri and pages 12 and 13. I look at my life, and so many times a day,
this is how I am. Hmmm...I'm not happy at what I see in the mirror
sometimes.

Just like the late Bill Hicks said, this is just a ride!

"It doesn't matter what they think of you. What matters is what
you think of you. Are you going to let your life be ruled by the views
of the sheep who merely absorb the programmed opinions of the other
sheep and accept them as their own? Or are you going to set yourself
free and escape the herd altogether? ...You are not your job and you
are not your race. You are not a road sweeper, an airline pilot or a
'housewife'. You are not an Arab or a Gentile or a Jew. You are not
your religion or your political 'ism'. You are not your gender or your
sexual preference."

-David Icke, page 207, "I am me, I am free:
The Robot's guide to Freedom".

You are you, and you are unique! I am me, and I am unique!

"Let us respect our own right to be unique and to
express that uniqueness; let us respect the right of others to express
their uniquness, free from ridicule or condemnation; and let us never
seek to impose what we believe on anyone else. That simple philosophy
will transform your life and life on this planet."

-David Icke,
page 207, "I am me, I am free"