Day 4-11:11 pm: Well, yesterday I did it. I applied to two jobs. Despite my fingers not wanting to hit send, I chose to apply to jobs for my family. Even though I want to be home with my little one, I know that we need more money to get by. We want to provide her with everything she dreams of. We want to take family vacations. We want to keep her in ballet. We want to go out to dinner every once in a while. These are all things some people may take for granite. But, for people who struggle with money, they are luxuries. So, I applied to the jobs.
We established before that a job search is hard.
Every aspect of it sucks. And there’s no getting around it (unless you find a job). Part of that is the waiting. I’m talking about waiting to hear back from the company, if you are lucky enough to get a response. Most companies won’t even say anything. Which is why it is important to follow up. Ladders.com states, “If the job posting doesn’t provide a clear close date, HR experts and career coaches generally agree that one week after applying is an appropriate amount of time to wait before you follow up.” But, don’t come off too impatient or pushy. Keep it light and friendly and if appropriate you can ask a few conversational questions. This will show your interest in the job and place your name at the forefront of the hiring manager’s mind as they search through hundreds of applications.
To Craigslist or not to Craigslist
Many people are very hesitant to use Craigslist because of the scams. But, to be honest, I have found my last couple of jobs there. You just have to be really careful about reading the job posting and making sure it is legit. Anything on Craigslist that tells you that you will:
- Make a ton of money
- Have to pay some sort of fee up front
- They will give you money for office supplies but then you have to send them money back
IS A SCAM.
RealWaystoEarn.com has a great checklist on how to avoid scams when searching for work from home jobs.
Make sure you research the company before applying, and make sure they are real. If you take the proper precautions, you really can find some good opportunities on Craigslist.
Ok, off to bed! Tomorrow I’m going to join HireMyMom.com and I’ll let you know what I think about it. Good night!
