Now I'm 3 for 3
I have had interviews with a grand total of three companies. Every. One. Was. A. Scam.
I've been looking since May. I was *really* excited about the one today. I thought it was going to be an event planning job and I was so excited because that is the field that I really want to enter right now. It turned out to be just another scam. "marketing management training program" Very discouraging. The recruiter outright lied to me. I guess that isn't uncommon, but it is upsetting. My boyfriend is wondering if it is even possible to sue. False advertising or something. I don't think it is going to go anywhere, but if it makes him feel better to look into it, he can go ahead.
Not as bad as the other scam I was suckered into though, at least I haven't wasted that much time on it. The worst was for a big national insurance company and they had me travel 90 min each way for three interviews and do countless hours of work at home as well as a 20 page application, an online personality test and a knowledge test they administered in house. 40 min into the third interview they finally told me that I didn't get the job I was applying for (the job that sounded too good to be true: 10 weeks of paid training, they pay for your license and benefits start on day one.) but if I wanted to, I could still enter their company by paying for all my training and licensing myself, and then if I sell enough within a given period of time, then they will hire me.
I went from looking for something in my field (briefly) to looking for anything related to my field, to looking for anything that I might possibly be qualified for. Now I'm going to have to start looking at retail. No offense to anyone who is or wants to be working in retail. A grocery or clothing store is just NOT what I had in mind when I got my degree in Environmental Studies: Communication & Culture with a minor in Marketing. It. Is. SO. Depressing.
I know that every job posted online gets about 500 resumes. I need to find jobs that aren't posted online. I need to network to do that. But I don't really know where to start. My main problem in finding something in my field is that I know absolutely no one in my area. I moved to a different state to be with my boyfriend, but he is the only person I know. He doesn't even have many contacts in the area. I've been trapped in the house because I didn't have a drivers license, but I do now (as of about 2 weeks ago). We're getting a second car very soon, and when that happens I'm hoping that I will be free to get out some more. My boyfriend is disabled and we don't get out of the house much, so now that I can take myself places I will have a lot more options.
Does anyone have any tips about starting a local network from scratch? I live in SE Pennsylvania if that helps. I have linkedin but everyone I know lives relatively far away. My extended network reaches closer into my area but I don't really understand how to get the most out of it. Any tips? And lastly, any tips on breaking into retail? My boyfriend thinks I shouldn't have a problem at least finding something for the Christmas season. I have no direct retail experience but I have marketing, fundraising, event planning and office experience. What I really want is something in event planning. If anyone has any tips on breaking into that field I would be very grateful.
I've been looking since May. I was *really* excited about the one today. I thought it was going to be an event planning job and I was so excited because that is the field that I really want to enter right now. It turned out to be just another scam. "marketing management training program" Very discouraging. The recruiter outright lied to me. I guess that isn't uncommon, but it is upsetting. My boyfriend is wondering if it is even possible to sue. False advertising or something. I don't think it is going to go anywhere, but if it makes him feel better to look into it, he can go ahead.
Not as bad as the other scam I was suckered into though, at least I haven't wasted that much time on it. The worst was for a big national insurance company and they had me travel 90 min each way for three interviews and do countless hours of work at home as well as a 20 page application, an online personality test and a knowledge test they administered in house. 40 min into the third interview they finally told me that I didn't get the job I was applying for (the job that sounded too good to be true: 10 weeks of paid training, they pay for your license and benefits start on day one.) but if I wanted to, I could still enter their company by paying for all my training and licensing myself, and then if I sell enough within a given period of time, then they will hire me.
I went from looking for something in my field (briefly) to looking for anything related to my field, to looking for anything that I might possibly be qualified for. Now I'm going to have to start looking at retail. No offense to anyone who is or wants to be working in retail. A grocery or clothing store is just NOT what I had in mind when I got my degree in Environmental Studies: Communication & Culture with a minor in Marketing. It. Is. SO. Depressing.
I know that every job posted online gets about 500 resumes. I need to find jobs that aren't posted online. I need to network to do that. But I don't really know where to start. My main problem in finding something in my field is that I know absolutely no one in my area. I moved to a different state to be with my boyfriend, but he is the only person I know. He doesn't even have many contacts in the area. I've been trapped in the house because I didn't have a drivers license, but I do now (as of about 2 weeks ago). We're getting a second car very soon, and when that happens I'm hoping that I will be free to get out some more. My boyfriend is disabled and we don't get out of the house much, so now that I can take myself places I will have a lot more options.
Does anyone have any tips about starting a local network from scratch? I live in SE Pennsylvania if that helps. I have linkedin but everyone I know lives relatively far away. My extended network reaches closer into my area but I don't really understand how to get the most out of it. Any tips? And lastly, any tips on breaking into retail? My boyfriend thinks I shouldn't have a problem at least finding something for the Christmas season. I have no direct retail experience but I have marketing, fundraising, event planning and office experience. What I really want is something in event planning. If anyone has any tips on breaking into that field I would be very grateful.