So anyone who knows me knows I've been searching for a job. I'm here for a year waiting to become a TX resident to get in-state tuition for University of Houston next year so I can finish my degree. In the meantime, it would be good to have a job and start saving up money. Here is a description of my experience on that so far.
I started by using Google Maps to find places around the area that might be hiring. Like Home Depot, Best Buy, Apple Store, Starbucks, Gap, and so one. Many of them were in the mall. Point is, I made a list of a lot of places.
Then I applied to these places. While we were out at Home Depot one day, I decided to sit at the computer where it says Hiring and fill out an application. It took ages. Dad sent me MMS photos of him sleeping in the car, and Matt got bored of standing by me waiting for me to be done. We were both surprised by some of the questions this thing asked. A few of them required algebra. So you need to be good at maths to work at Home Depot. That's not a bad thing, but still. Who integrates Maths pop quizzes into job apps? After that, I decided to fill out apps on my own time online. All big name sites have a Careers link at the bottom of the page. These were mostly easier and quicker than that one. Apple's online application is by far the quickest and easiest.
Then the waiting game. Who would call for an interview? Who wouldn't? It turned out, I received many rejection emails. And some of these said please feel free to apply again in 2 months. This was quite lame.
I want to work at the local Best Buy. Because I really believe I would be good at helping people find and buy stuff that they'd like to use. So after getting one of those rejection emails from them, I decided by Dad and Matt's advice to show up to the Best Buy in person to talk to the manager about the email and the job. I found the manager shortly after walking in. I asked him about the job and we had a little chat. He seemed like a really cool guy. He introduced me to the hiring manager guy, who took me to the Job Application computer. So basically, from what I understand of him telling me, If I apply again, he will see the application and look into getting me an interview there. So I sit there and apply again. He had to go back to work and do a bunch of stuff, so he told me to tell him when I'm done and about to submit the app. I finish the app and then I stand around and sit around, awkwardly and notice he's not coming back to me. So I go up to the manager and ask where he is and find him and remind him I'm done. After a while, he joins me at the machine and I send the app in. Then finally he said that should be it and then I left. A day later, the same rejection email. Corporate HR is rejecting my application and it is never getting to the store. And conveniently, they won't tell me why it is that I'm being rejected or not considered. I called back and a different manager answers the phone and then finally tells me that it's up to Corporate HR who gets hired and who doesn't. Why did they tell me this in the first place? Way to get my hopes up. :|
The first to call me in for an interview was actually the Apple Store. That's probably because I went in there and told a Specialist I'd applied online and they wrote down my name and number. That was a very nice time. It actually woke me up but when I heard who it was calling, I immediately somehow became alert and awake so I didn't sound like I was just sleeping. So I now had an interview that day in the afternoon. I got up, ate cereal, got dressed and ready and was able to convince Aunt Marina to drive me to the mall for the interview despite super short notice. So I show up at the Apple Store, then tell someone I'm there for an interview and a few minutes later the manager comes out and we go out into the mall somewhere to sit. The interview itself was really nice and laid back. It was more her getting to know me. It felt just like a normal conversation where I felt free enough to talk about my life and my interests and why I should work at Apple. (Which is really funny because anyone who has known me for the past 3 years would know I do not have a thing for Apple and instead I'm actually a Google, Android, Linux/PC kind of guy. Strongly. Not to say I hated Mac/iPhone and what not because I like Apple a lot more than Microsoft.) Anyway, it was about a 20 minute ordeal where she almost lost track of time. She told me I would get an email and/or a call for the second part of the 3-part interview. The next day I called and said I didn't get the email. I changed my Apple ID and so I don't know what happened, maybe they sent it again. So days pass and I go into the store to tell her I still haven't got that email yet. She said it's nothing to stress about, and if it were, I'd get a call. I never heard anything at all from Apple since then. I kind of gave up on them. I have been in there many times. I hear it's actually very hard to get a job at the Apple Store. Most people don't get in even the first 3 or 4 times they try.
After that, I got a call from Starbucks because I applied for Barista. I don't even want to talk about how bad this interview was. Let's just say the girl who was interviewed before me was in the interview for like 25 minutes and then my interview lasted less than 5. *shudder* BAD. I was then haunted for the next 40 hours about how horrific this interview was. Nothing about it was right. Moving on.
Then I got called by Gap. I went in there while I was at the mall one day. Aunt Marina noticed a Now Hiring sign on the door, so I went in to ask about that. The guy was so enthusiastic and handed me a card with info to apply. I applied and then a couple days later I followed up calling about it. I then got an interview date for a few days later. This time, I was prepared. I borrowed a couple things from Dad's closet and looked pro. I went in there and had a nice chat with the manager. It was not bad at all. I tried so hard not to act nervous but she was still able to tell. Oh well. I'd say this one went very well overall. I answered all the questions naturally and sounded good, I thought. The biggest win here was right when I was leaving the store, she told me, "By the way, you look fabulous today!" That was awesome. And as you know, I totally tweeted about that on my way out. I must have done something right having been told that by a manager of a clothing shop like Gap. Either that, or Dad has a good sense of style. (Both? *shrug*) the next day I wrote and sent a short little Thank you note that looked amazing and professional.
After that, I decided for the heck of it to go in to Hollister and ask if they're hiring. Apparently, they are always hiring. They gave me a paper with a link and password to fill out an app. I got called what must be the next day saying that position wasn't open, but another one was, so I filled out the app for that. Then I called back saying I did that. Then she said that Overnight pays more and is also open. So I then fill THAT app out and call back. I was told orientation would be on Sunday morning. So apparently, working from 9 PM to sometimes 1 AM was totally not cool. One of the three would have to wake up in the middle of the night just to drive me home from work and they all wake up early. We kinda panicked a little bit and tried to think about what to do that would make sense. I said I would try to switch position at orientation on Sunday. And so I did, luckily enough. So on Sunday, Marina drove me to the mall (Yet again. I'm sure by now she's tired of driving me to the mall. And not only that, every time we go, we pass that shop where she always means to drop a ring of hers off for repair ;D) I went into the Hollister store when I saw someone opening one of the side doors letting a couple people in. So from here, people were registering for their work IDs. I managed to switch position to Impact (day-time stock). Then went back and heard basics about working there. Loss-prevention, general things and about what we have to wear while working there. After that I decided to visit the captain see if I need to cut. Unfortunately, I did not. Someone else who had more experience than me was hired. A few days later I went back to buy work clothes. At first I picked up the wrong shirts so had to get ones that were in the Style Guide. Eh. So yeah. Now I work at Hollister part time. And by part time, I mean I've had two shifts in two weeks, and then now for 3 weeks running, zero shifts. Seriously, this is crazy. I need to find something more stable and reliable than this.
So then I go on to Craigslist. Then for 2 days I search for job listings. It turns out that there actually is a classified section on craigslist for jobs. I looked at restaurant jobs I looked at retail jobs and none of them seem to be right for me. Some listings required experience others did not. I disregarded those that did. I sent off some emails to some of those listings. I actually got a reply from the main one which was a local website development company close to where Dad works so he would be able to drive me to work. It was exciting to get an email from them because they were the main people that I thought would be really cool to work for. So they asked me to show up for an interview and basically the same thing over again but this time I dressed up a little bit more. The interview went pretty well I think. It took a little while to find their office because it was on the second floor of some building that was not really obvious where it was supposed to be, but luckily I was still on time. I went into the office is open to take a seat so I set there for a little while. And then finally the guy came over and met me to bring me to a conference room. And so while we were trying to figure out the phone thing for the conference call (one of the guys in Canada), I was offered coffee and I made had a little chat. Once the phone was set up, the guy on the phone gave a quick rundown on the company and its history. Then he asked me a lot of technical questions about JavaScript/JQuery, definitely a lot of things about CSS and things like that for website development, as expected, and I generally knew the answers to these questions. After that was over, everyone shook hands, said it was a pleasure and then I was on my way. I did some digging to find email addresses of the people in the conference and then later that night sent a thank you email to each. I still have yet to hear back.
And this is where I am now. I have a part time job that hardly gives me any hours and there is definitely not even a regular schedule, and I still have yet to hear back from anyone else, who I pretty much assume by now has looked on and forgotten about me. It's been a long journey. One that is just completely ridiculous and tiring and annoying and never ending. I seriously hope that somebody hires me because I really need some work right now and I want to do something productive in this next year before I start school again. But it wasn't all annoying sometimes it was actually quite exciting. It's all very new fresh and it's something that's necessary and a milestone of life and part of moving forward.
TL;DR: I've been looking for a job for over 2 months now and it's an annoying and long process. I got interviewed many times and managed to get hired somewhere. It's been fun and new yet also very annoying and tiring at the same time after a while.
