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im sorry if i was coming off as being elitist. i was just giving an idea about what i was currently looking for. i got the impression that people were talking about jobs i could work my way up from, and not something like a cashier or clerk that im trying to find right now. i know im an incredible failure. i'll be typing out my resume and go visit everything like chill said. my resume will be barren since i have no qualifications or work experience
My job is putting other people to work! And you would never get hired if you came to me wanting a job. Your resume is not the important part. You are missing everything that everyone is telling you. Resumes are a dime a dozen and I look at lots of them every week. If a person handed me IN PERSON a resume (even if it had gaps) and talked about how he was going to school and had a personal crisis. Dropped out because of financial reason and wanted to go back to get his life on track, then I would at least schedule him for another interview!!! Do you see what im saying? Another person said it on here earlier you have to sell yourself! Take some initiative for christs sake and walk into a place ANY place and talk to managers. Its gonna scare you and feel weird at first, but by the 10th place youll have a routine down flat. Here I will even give you something to build on.
1) Walk into the closest place doesnt matter if they are hiring or not. Ask to speak to a manager. If one is not available drop your resume wherever you can or fill out an application and move on. If a manger is available say this: Hi my name is **** I saw that you might be hiring and I would love a chance to get my name in the pool. (doesnt matter if they are hiring or not he will tell you if they are) He will then tell you to fill out an app. Or say they arent hiring.
2) Fill out an app. After this HAND IT TO HIM IN PERSON!!!! Thank him for his time and say you can interview again at his earliest convenience. If he isnt interested then move on.
3) Its a numbers game. GO EVERYWHERE AND TALK TO EVERY DAMNED MANAGER IN YOUR TOWN!!
Even it its a job that you might consider "menial" use it as a stepping stone to get a better one in the future. Man you sound like you have never had to do anything for yourself in your life. GET OFF THE COMPUTER STARTING NOW!! wake up early and hit the streets. This situation of your will snowball so fast it will make your head spin if you dont get out their and do something about yourself. The information in this thread alone is gold, and if you can turn this into a job in 3 days!
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The initiative thing is right. Every job I've gotten (5 now and I'm 20 and have managing and office experience) has been because I aggressively pursued it. I have literally walked into an office with people I'd never met, pitched myself, and been offered a job on the spot.
If you are shy it will be tough, because positive impressions are easily ruined by mumbling, no eye-contact, etc. Whatever job you apply for, you want the person hiring to think you are
1. Smart
2. Friendly/Easy to get along with
3. Confident
4. Responsible
The best way to communicate any of that is face to face like MaliciousMirth said.
Also don't discount 'menial jobs' and their potential. People who possess the qualities I mentioned above get promoted.
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I just sent him some lengthy feedback on the latest CV. Hopefully it helps.
Still lacking in the effort department and this is only the 2nd thing they will see. Coaching him on how to present himself and the actual interview is going to be a totally different story and really it's up to him. -_-
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For housing, your best bet is to room with a few people. It is extremely important that you be sure these people are okay to room with. You know, talk with them about house rules and get a general sense of how they treat the house. If you feel uncomfortable with your potential roommate then don't room with them even if everything else seems great. You'll also be surprised by how many free things there are out there. Do some research and you'll find free food, furniture, etc. Lastly, keep track of every cent you spend by writing it down on a notepad. Organization is absolutely the key to financial well being. Good luck man I'm rooting for you.
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Thanks for all the advice on finding work. I've been building up my resume with a lot of help from starstruck, and plan to go out job hunting as soon as i move out. My most immediate problem is finding a room to rent. I scheduled to visit a couple of places and most are looking for fulltime students/professionals. I also lack references.
I know that if I present myself well the first time the landlord will be less likely to ask for reference. I've thought about just saying that I got a job as an office clerk in an office nearby. . Would that be a good idea? Would paying in cash be viewed in a negative light? Most of the money is in 100 dollar bills. Should I change it to 20s to pay the landlord? Any tips would be helpful.
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I just gave you a follow-up email. Your resume is at least presentable now.
Heed my advice and you will be well on your way.
Start looking now. If you are outside looking for places you should be popping in everywhere to introduce yourself as a candidate for any openings.
Locate the job. No waiting. Both are high priority.
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In terms of housing you should say you are student and use your old U of Toronto ID as proof. If you say you have a job, they might ask for proof and you can't really provide anything of that sort.
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United States1865 Posts
Jesus christ dude you got to be so thankful for StarStruck for helping you out like this.
I see A LOT of people whom I work with and talk to in my family business that are in your position and even worse (with kids). You have to stop being lazy, I think that's key, and once you can put in the effort you'll naturally be following Chill's little program guide. A lot of people go through this, if they half-ass it, then they're are going to live miserable lives, but if they work VERY HARD and budget their bank accounts well, there's hope for living a happy life.
There's just so many people who have failed in the same way you have OP... it really makes me sad to see a blog about it, at least you're not a single mom. When it comes to the amount of effort you need to put in, you really need to bring your 120% EVERYDAY. Re-do any part of your lifestyle that may hinder you and cause you to under perform. Maybe go to sleep at 9 or 10 PM and wake up early at 5 AM.
I hope you can take all this advice to heart and really bust your balls to build yourself up.
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Kudos to StarStruck, you are the sort of person that makes the internet cool.
As for the OP: I went through a uni drop-out myself, mind you for a different reason, and I had no parental support other than housing. I also had to move out and grow up fast. Let me tell you something, enjoy every second of your menial job because it makes you a man if you let it. You have to learn that hard work=money. An education doesn't change that. People with no education who work hard in Canada still have so many opportunities it's sick. As for your housing, get a room to rent, you might end up with cool people, hence more connections.
+ Show Spoiler +for any who care, I got a "menial" job at a hospital, where they paid for me to finish my education <3 desprate hospital unions
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As someone who has already been through the exact same thing, here's my suggestion:
1. Work.
It doesn't matter what kind of job you do at this moment. You can focus on a more career-oriented job in the future once you enter a university. Right now what you desperately need is DISCIPLINE and a lesson in hard work. The second thing you're trying to do by working is building up your resume and showing universities that you didn't goof around during your break from school. I didn't mention income as one of the priorities because you can live on minimum wage so it doesn't matter what the pay is. Yes, living on minimum wage will suck ass, but realize that it's only temporary and (hopefully) will help serve as a wake-up call.
Tips for finding a job:
1. CONNECTIONS - this is the best way to get a job. Hit up anyone and everyone you know for a job hook-up.
2. Find out which jobs are hiring at the moment. Many students work in the retail/restaurant industries or at school. This involves physically and actively looking around for places hiring.
3. Use online resources. I don't know about Canada, but Indeed, Monster, and Craigslist have tons of job openings that require only a high-school education.
4. Walk-in applicants: this is purely a numbers game where you apply everywhere you can think of. It's inefficient as hell, but you don't really have a choice at this point and it's not like you're lacking free time. Walk in to every store and ask for an application and/or apply at various websites.
Final words of advice:
Smart people are a dime a dozen. I hate to break it to you, but hard work triumphs over brains while the smart people who also work hard are the innovative visionaries. As a kid, everyone around me told me I was smart - a statement backed up by my test results. I scored a perfect score on my SAT Is and IIs except in Chemistry (ironic because I became a Chemistry TA in college). I was able to fly by high school on minimal effort while many other people spent hours on their school work. College became slightly more difficult as competition got more fierce, but I still managed to do pretty well. Now I'm in a prestigious graduate school where being smart is the norm. On top of that, EVERYONE works hard as well. I am now spending at least 6 hours a day on my school work just to keep up with everyone.
You do not want to be in a position where you have to work and go to school. Even though many people already do that, you've spent the majority of your life being lazy so the experience will kill you. Work for awhile, get your life in order and after you've truly shaped up, ask your parents for mercy so that you can resume your academic career.
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EPT
