Where do you live? Portland, OR
When did you graduate or move? January 2008
What was your field of study? Video Production.
How long have you been actively job-hunting? Off and on since I moved out to the Northwest.
What sort of job are you looking for? I want to get back into video production, but I've become interested in marketing, advertising, writing, etc...
Any interviews? I've been in and out of work since I moved here. The first job was as a records specialist with the Police Department. I was real curious about what this job would entail and if it would be anything like I'd seen on TV shows. After waiting through a 3-month background check period I started the job. It was all data entry, just like they told me in the interview and I wasn't that good at it but I really needed a full time job so we could buy a house. After passing the first 3-month part of the traing I went to the overnight shift to train for the second phase. The hours proved detrimental to my training and after 5 and a half months it was determined this wasn't the job for me. I'm now working with people with disabilities and exploring other options.
What are your biggest obstacles? I think I'm making enough to get by since my wife and I are both working but not making as much money as we'd like to be making.
What are your biggest frustrations? My biggest frustration is the realization of how important work really is. It takes over your life, so if you're working a job that's not quite right it's going to get to you. It's hard to fake liking a job if you don't deep down really like it. The idea that any job will do makes sense in this economy, but ultimately it gets on your nerves.
What are your biggest fears? That the economy could get worse over the course of several years, that our government maybe hasn't planned for or isn't really aware of how much worse things can get.
What do you do all day? I'm working 4 days a week, but the other 3 days have me still trying to figure out the best approach to keep looking of work. I think the best way for me to get work in video production is to network and get some personal contacts going which has proven difficult. I'm even going to get into a Job Connection program run by Good Will just to get some job search ideas.
Do you have big financial worries -- family obligations? Loans you're supposed to pay back? A growing credit card bill? When we sold our house we settled a lot of debt which was one less hassle. At the very least I'm grateful that I can at least keep my head above water a bit easier.
Do you have a spouse who works? Yes.
Any final thoughts? Yes, since you asked the "do you have a spouse who works?" that reminds me of an old Rev. Ivan Stang joke that goes: I've got a TV set and a wife and they both work. Not that that's really my attitude so much but my wife Ronna really bailed us out a bit. She was the first to work when we moved out to Portland and that took a bit of the heat off me to find a job. It takes time to find any job. The other realization I've had is that the old adage is true that you shouldn't quit a job until you have another job. It's hard to do when you move from one coast to another but I realize how naive I was to just pick up and move away and expect to get a dream job. Findng the right job takes a lot of work and having a good job that you've had for a while is a luxury if for only one reason: Paid vacation. I've been on an unpaid vacation for a year and a half.
