New job posting for So Cal Edison Call Center Rep in Long Beach in my inbox this morning and of course, I applied for the position, although Long Beach is a helluva long drive and who knows what part of Long Beach...but seeing as how I wasn't qualified to work at the RC Call Center for Edison, I doubt things will be different this go-round.
I was thinking that for those 1 or 2 folks that read my blog(s) they may think my blog(s) are some sort of narcissistic, self-indulgent way of promoting myself and the rejections I get for work.  Yes, I'm getting rejected but so are millions of others.  Self-indulgence in my bitterness and the indignities-nah, because all things considered, I have been tremendously blessed by God in that I have a wonderful, beautiful, peaceful place to live during my efforts to regain not only my self-worth, but my independence.  Narcissistic-anyone who knows me knows nothing could be further from any kind of defining word about me or my psyche.
Do I have something to say?  Hell YES!  I don't know everything, but I know what I know and while it took me from 1971 until 1976 to get hired onto the phone company, I knew where I stood during the process.  I knew there was a 'place' and a 'person' I could reach out to for the sake of knowing if possibilities existed for employment.  I had and Aunt and Uncle working for the phone company at that time and my Aunt was encouraging me to keep checking during late 1975 and early 1976.  Amy was born January 1976 and in May, I got a call from the gentlemen in the personnel office wondering why I hadn't shown up for my interview.  "I was never called!" was my answer.  We scheduled an appointment which I showed up, on time for and it became evident why this gentleman was confused about me not showing up for a supposed appointment as it was clear he'd just returned from lunch; in those days it was not uncommon to have a 'liquid lunch' and let me tell you, the fumes nearly knocked me off my 'interviewee' chair!  The rest is history.
In today's world of job-searching, it is all in the 'air'.  Computers have first access to your resume and if the right words are 'seen' you move through the process.  I've taken the assessment test for the large cable company so many times I know the names, telephone numbers and account numbers of the 'fake' customers that are used during the testing scenarios.  I've taken the assessment tests for large bargain retail stores as well as large clothing stores.  As I've mentioned before, I applied for and was denied a job as a dishwasher at an upscale clothing store cafe!
There is no reassurance of even being considered for a job unless you have an 'inside scoop' I suppose.  The part I object to the most is that by having to use the internet for not only the means to search, but the application as well just opens the individual up to all kinds of 'hacking' from those types who do such a thing. If you sign up for job updates from an employment agency forget your privacy being protected as they all share the same search engines.  Daily emails of promise that employers have seen my resume are not only scary (I don't share my resume unknowingly) but in many cases, the employer doesn't exist nor does the job.  Countless (fake) opportunities for 'work from home' emails, which, when investigated are scams to bilk folks out of money they think they are going to earn as opposed to 'lose'.
Got an email today from Linkedin suggesting I join four chat groups, 3 of which are related to my current education-health information technology/management and one for telecommunications.  I joined all four and was sad to see the posts from recent graduates of health tech classes that are unable to find jobs due to lack of experience.  This really, really pisses me off because #1 the universities have the most current data regarding job trends and they promote themselves using that information in order to get enrollment.  The health industry is known to be one of the fastest growing in the nation because of all the changes, be the technological or political in etiology.  #2 It is absolute BULLSH*T when an employer will not hire someone because they have 'lack of experience' when the job itself hasn't been around long enough for a college graduate to get the experience!  Furthermore, most employers are in the habit of wanting you to forget what you learned and re-learn according to their practices and policies.  Codes are always going to be the same, across the board (depending on the coders interpretation) but no one can go into a job knowing everything there is to know right at first jump.  #3 If I can't find a job within 6 months in the field for which I've racked up quite the educational DEBT, I think I'll just, oh, I don't know, be freaked!
I don't know why I can't get a job, nor do I know why millions of others can't get a job.  I don't have an arrest record, haven't had a moving violation in like 15+ years, I'm a citizen, can prove it otherwise in case they don't believe it, am willing to work on holidays and weekends and able to relocate.  I don't freakin' get it!
This is where God's plans come into play and I, rather than stress and increase the cortisol in my system which in turn, raises my blood pressure, I just look out at this fabulous view of pine trees and blue skies and be thankful and focus on the goodness.