I went to apply for 3 new waitressing jobs today. I'd like to work full-time while I hunt for and track down my elusive career. Almost every restaurant I walked in today was completely empty, which got me thinking...maybe everyone in the restaurant industry is hurting for more tips, hours, and customers. I thought only the country club was flopping, but it seems that a considerable amount of higher-end restaurants are also feeling the burn. These restaurants are located in the heart of Orland Park- I'm talking shopper country. Granted, it was between 4-5 p.m. when I went into these different establishments, but the grim scene that unfolded at each and every place made me feel a little pessimistic about picking up any kind of full-time work. I'm hoping that with the holidays coming up I'll be singing a different tune, and I will be gainfully employed at 2 fine establishments raking in the tips.
I can't hold my breath too long, so I'm hoping one my career aspirations comes through for me. I've sent out countless resumes and cover letters, and enough writing samples to make Moby Dick look like a quick, efficient read. Maybe Chicago isn't a good market for writers, but I refuse to believe that. I think more than half of the jobs are hidden, waiting for someone to apply that knows someone that knows someone else. I am more than qualified to fill the positions that I apply for, yet I can't help picturing my resume landing in somebody's inbox, looking like a black and white monotonous piece of junk mail. With each and every job I apply to, while clicking the send button, I literally cross my fingers, hoping that not only will my email go through without a hitch, but that it will actually get read and evaluated. Hell, I'd be happy if they even read my resume. I wish there was a way to know for sure...
I've been on one job interview since April. It was for an internship with a small public relations firm in Chicago. I underwent a rigorous process just to receive an interview. After submitting my resume, cover letter, and writing samples, I was then asked to complete a timed public relations test which included editing sentences, writing "fake" press releases, and brainstorming a make-believe pitch to one of my favorite columnists. After completing the test, I finally landed an interview. I went to the interview and was told I was one of 8 candidates being considered. They told me that I had impressed them with my experience and writing test, and I was lucky to be called in for an interview because I was one of over 200 applicants world wide. I nearly fell over after hearing this. Maybe this is why I can't land a job, let alone an internship in Chicago. This company didn't divulge how much they would pay their intern on the job posting, but merely stated that it was a paid internship. For all anyone knows, it could have been $8/hour. I was hoping it was more like $12. Alas, they found an intern better suited for the position, and presumably, they worked for 12 weeks alongside a handful of public relations professionals for 12 weeks with meager pay after enduring a marathon of tests and evaluations. I shortly thereafter dismissed the idea that that internship was the one for me.
And there you have it, the only interview I have landed since graduating with honors from an accredited university with a double major. Perhaps I'm 0ver/under qualified for the positions I am applying for. Or maybe I'm just another faceless name among the pile of other hopefuls. Either way, at this point, I'm willing to settle for restaurant ghost-town in hopes of making a couple bucks so I can buy my folks some nice presents for Christmas. After all, they are putting me up until I can get back onto my own two feet.
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