I suppose I should begin by bringing you up to speed with my present predicament. I am, at this moment, awaiting a phone call that will determine whether my ass is saved and I no longer have to deliberate on what morals I am willing to compromise for a quick buck (…I have nearly figured that out!). This phone call would be from a book producer looking to hire an editorial assistant. How perfect, right? Career job, salaried part-time position, cool midtown loft office. During my interview with him a few days ago, he said: “It’s
scary how many qualified people there are out there.” Yes, he said that. He also told me that I am in the top six of 150 people whose resumes flooded his inbox the day the job post went up; they had to take down the listing right away.
The sheer number of people competing for jobs in this city is seriously frightening. I estimate that I’ve applied to about 750 jobs since May -full-time, part-time, temporary, unpaid internships, one-day gigs, telecommuting work, you name it. Some of them I got (mostly gigs), a bit of them I scored an interview for, and the vast majority just ignored me. And oh it surely doesn’t help that the US economy just happens to be collapsing.
But -I promised not to bitch. After all, if I concentrate really hard, I can imagine myself as an impoverished-but-all-too-endearing artist living through the Great Depression, knocking on doors and wearing funny hats, saying, “Please, sir, won’t you give me a job? I’ll work really hard, I promise!”
Why not, right? I already own the funny hats.
I’ve come so close to several jobs I -at that time- really wanted. I feel like the perpetual bridesmaid. If I could only make a career out of being a runner-up for jobs. It belongs in this list:
JANINE’S LIST OF JOBS SHE WISHES SHE COULD MAKE A LIVING FROM:
1. professional muse
2. fabulous, just fabulous
Has my maniacal ego taken a blow? Sure as hell. But it’s all right, I have lots to spare. I can take one more day of jumping every time the phone rings and obsessively checking my email, only to never hear from a prospective employer again. No one ever said making it in New York would be easy. In the meantime, I gotta grin and bear it and send out another 750 applications.
When you talked bout the great depression…I feel that New York has to be B&W nowadays when you step out of your apartment.
Yeah, right? So much about the city feels incredibly anachronistic.
there goes my belief that it’s so easy to get a job in the United States. i can’t imagine sending out 750 applications by hand. aw… apil internet ani? nin, you didn’t answer my question… why not come back home? ok lang kung imong i-whisper nako. hehe. take care always.
i don’t know where you got that belief, but it’s completely untrue. then again it depends on what you’re willing to do. plus, New York is a million times harder than anywhere else in the US anyway.
and no, 99% of applications are done online-
and going back home is not an option.
ic. wow. that was as straightforward as it can get. hehe. i enjoy reading your blogs. keep it up. you are a great writer. tell me when you get hired for the daily planet. God bless.