Cat Found

Just in case you didn't click on the link in the comments section of my Mourning Dove Update post, I give you the joy of knowing you are not the stupidest person on the planet (Thank you, Paw, mon cher).


Photo source: Newscoma

In other news, blogging has been light for me lately. I spend most of my time hunting for a job. I miss the old days when job applications were on paper and you could go to the business location to hand in your filled-out form personally to a live individual who actually greeted you and thanked you for showing up and assured you they'd keep your application on file for six months, at which time (or sooner of course) you could be sure it would be dumped in the trash.

It's not like that anymore. Now there's a time-consuming process of logging into the company's online portal to the Black Hole of Employment Applications (BHEA). The BHEA explains to you how easy it's going to be. You'll just upload or paste in your resume (in MS Word format), and it will scan for recognizable information and fill that in for you. So you do that, and then a web form shows up with your name and not much else filled in, and it asks you one little piece at a time to retype everything that's already in your resume. Sometimes it even promises that you can go back and update it later, but when you take it at its word and try to add something important, like your typing speed, it only lets you change your address or phone number. And when it's all done, you never hear another peep again. Because it's a Black Hole, and nothing escapes.

Except that AAA emailed me an autoresponse saying they got my application, and if somebody deems me suitable for the position, that person will be sure to contact me. Yep. Uh-huh.

So I keep trying, but I haven't heard anything. Not even from the temp agencies I've registered at. I was seeing some ads on one of the job search sites from one agency advertising some openings available through the temp agency that found me my Christmastime job. So Friday I called my temp agency to remind them that I do exist and am eagerly hoping to hear from them about some work.

The receptionist looked up my info and told me it said I was available through March 3rd, which was when I had called them to be sure they knew I was available. After I explained the inaccuracy of their information, she recommended that I send an email to my account exec (who is on vacation for two weeks) and cc everyone in the whole office so they know what I'm looking for. I included my updated resume, which probably isn't any more effective than all my other versions, but we'll see.

My daughter told me that in three weeks the new catalog comes out at the place she works, in the merchandise shipping department, and they expect to need some temp help at that time. They like her so well that they'd be willing to temp-hire the mom who raised her to be such a good worker.

But while I wait, I've started randomly asking people I'm talking to if they know of any companies that need help. So far, it hasn't paid off, but neither has the normal way of job-hunting. I'll let you know which way works the best.