Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with philadelphia and job

Action steps every day or insanity. Pick one.

zeek321 — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 18:57:57 -0800

I have decided to significantly alter my career path. There's no urgency except for that which I self-impose: That is, I want to be taking real steps towards change each and every day to maintain my sanity (and therefore my paycheck) in my current career. And then I'll jump ship a little bit before it feels safe to do so. I have an advanced math/science/tech/programming background and that's mostly what my resume looks like. Doing math/science/tech/programming stuff is slowly killing me.* In other words, I'm working mostly alone on long-term, amorphous, poorly managed projects that 1) are not helping me become a better, more complete, more whole version of myself, and 2) are not helping me exercise my ideological and political agency in this beautiful, broken world.

Several experiences have helped point towards what I want to do, all involving intense, high-stakes, high-emotion dialogues where truth was up for grabs and there were multiple elephants in the room:

1. Jury duty. Yes, this was a toy problem with toy rules. But it was still amazing. Seven hours from stubborn, belligerent deadlock to warmth, mutual understanding, and consensus.

2. An almost breakup. Nine hours. Anger, confusion, crying, multiple elephants, love, no real answers--some of the tools didn't exist before we started--mutual understanding, new language, it all had to be co-created on the spot. Emotions had to be self-regulated brilliantly on both sides to prevent a walk-out, and insight was pulled out of nothing. We seriously worked some real magic between us. Still together.

3. I initiated some Meetup.com groups. It's been amazing to have conversations where I wasn't bracketing myself, "manufacturing interest," dredging up some shreds of genuine something and wringing blood from a stone in order to have a conversation. I was interested. I was expressing myself spontaneously about things that were important to me. It was where I wanted to be. It was fun. People were laughing and smiling. It was actually me, just talking, just being me. Effortless.

I'm 29. I'm in Philly and want to stay here for a while. Moving somewhere else on the East Coast or to Chicago, Toronto, or Vancouver is a possibility within one to three years. (Only USA citizenship at the moment.) I have about four months of savings, taking into account health insurance.

So...

1. Your success story, please. How did you have to change your thinking? What are the physical, visible things you did to make something happen?

2. Eclectic resume upload sites? Surely, networking is the supposed smart way. But the internet often creates real-world serendipity for me, and it'll help me further articulate what I want to do.

3. Where should I go in Philly? What events should I attend? Who should I talk to?

4. Random ideas? Let's assume I'm fearless and brilliant in every way for the purposes of this question.

5. Just for completeness... Just to throw this out there... I don't really want a job, ever again. I want my freedom... I want my life, on my own terms, my interests, my curiosity. Fuck bosses and fuck anyone telling me where to be and how to use my time, ever.

6. Please do not inject any negativity, caution, "being realistic," or reframing into this thread. I'm feeling fragile. (*The reason for this question is that I had a series of panic attacks. I've never had a panic attack before. Yes, I now have a wicked-smart, kind, old-lady therapist.) Thank you.

Need alternative employment ideas for a teacher near Wilmington/Philly

Towelie — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 18:20:26 -0800

My future bride teaches in Dover, DE. And she's trapped in a job she hates. Please suggest alternative work that she might find within 45 min of philly… She's been teaching high school for over a decade.. (ag science, animal sci, bio)

Big Goal: Other/similar work that might pay (with decent healthcare?) close in pay/benefits to her existing job. We're looking near the DE border, but we're stressing on ideas that might be different opportunities for her….?

Thoughts: Any certifications she could pick up to make her more marketable? How about a related type of position that she should look at?
She has a love of animals, great with HS kids, etc.

Complications:
Certification to teach in PA: As I understand it… certification to teach in PA only happens 2x a year….
Ugh - She's under supervision based on a so-so review - Did I mention it seems her boss has it out for her?
If mefi helps us figure this out, we'd give our future drones the middle name of metafilter. Please hope us!

I hate my job, and I don't know what to switch to... how screwed am I?

SansPoint — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 14:48:09 -0800

I need a new job, and I need one by the end of the year, because I'm very close to walking out of the one I have now. Help me, hive mind, as I'm at my wits end. What the hell can I do that's in Philadelphia, doesn't require a car, isn't sales, and pays around $30k? If you check my previous questions, you'll see that I've asked this thing before. At this point, though, it's getting dire. My needs are pretty damn specific, w/r/t pay, too, as I have student loans and other debt out the wazoo, as well as a $750/mo lease. I don't want to recap the ways my current job makes me hate myself and my life. I just want something else.

This is my résumé. I don't have a lot of skills. I've worked in tele-sales in some form or another for my entire professional life, and I hate it. I loathe it, I despise it. I hate cold-calling, I hate trying to convince people to buy something, give money, or accept a call from someone else, at least over the phone. I hate interrupting people, I hate being hung-up on, and I hate being brushed off. I need something else to maintain my sanity.

Thing is, I've officially run out of ideas as to what to search for. I thought I could move to a career in development for non-profits or performing arts, which Philly has no shortage of, but I can't even get an interview. I suspect this is because tele-fundraising has as much to do with proper development as LOGO has to do with programming in Assembler.

I'm barely making enough money. I tried going back to my second job doing tele-fundraising, but I lasted a week before illness sidelined me. I'm barely well enough to do my day job, and that's not paying enough because I'm not making my goal.

Please, please, PLEASE do not suggest volunteering, unpaid internships, or anything that will reduce my already poor income. Ways I can get better at my current, shitty job would be useful, but I don't want to do sales any more. I never wanted to.

So, I'm officially at my wit's end. Help me, Metafilter, as I'm totally out of ideas.

Help me jump start my career across the country

Skwirl — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 11:26:33 -0800

I have a $9000 open-ended scholarship (AmeriCorps education award, actually) and will have several grand in savings at the end of September. How can I use this to fund relocation and a mid-Atlantic coast job search? The education award can be used to pay for living expenses if and only if the college approves. Many people have used it to fund vocational school, European trips, Outward Bound, or a new computer by taking the right courses.

I'd like some idea of adult ed, certificate and distance learning courses that I could use to unlock some of that money for living expenses above and beyond tuition for several months after September, and to also have the freedom to jump a Chinatown bus or Amtrak at a moment's notice to interview for jobs. Having a next step in my career is the highest priority, but failing that, it'd be nice to have something like a certificate, extra training or renewed academic creditentials for grad school to show for the time. My academic interests are super broad but focus across non-profit administration, leadership, life coaching and technology. My undergrad degree was a double major in Journalism and Computer Science. I'd be peachy taking one of those As-Seen-On-TV video game production (ITT Tech?) courses, interesting community college stuff, getting a certificate in non-profit admin, starting a slow burn distance learning library sci or MPA distance degree, etc... The sky's the limit. Just to know that it's second to getting a regular job and travelling to do it.

Encouraging comments and any out of the box advice and school ideas are welcome. I could easily talk myself out of a cross-country move and don't need your help pointing out flaws or the economy. =) I am used to living and travelling on a budget and the money I have saved alone will last for at least a few months. Portland is way too small, too distant to other big cities and all of my first-runner-up job leads that would obviously further my career were outside of Portland and mostly east coast phone interviews. There are jobs in my field of expertise and I can make a strong case for myself.

I think I can up the ante if I dedicate myself to being within day's trip distance to high density population centers and face-to-face interviewing. Washington, DC, Richmond, VA, Charlottesville, VA, and Philadelphia, PA are places that I've recently visited and enjoyed. I have family, friends, couches and support systems to fall back on in South Carolina, Richmond, NYC and some points inbetween.

I Don't Want to be Willy Loman!

SansPoint — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 00:41:54 -0800

I don't want to be a salesman! Can anyone help a recent grad find a sane, non-sales job in Philadelphia? Okay, I recently graduated from Temple University. I've been throwing my résumé out like wildfire, trying to find a job in Philadelphia (not outside of the city. I do not drive.).

I figure I have two problems at the moment:
1. I have a BA in English, not exactly useful.
2. I have spent the last three and a half years in a tele-sales position at a local theatre.

So, my résumé says, in the interest of honesty, that I have been doing sales and fundraising. Therefore, all of the responses, and most of the jobs suggested involve sales. Some of the jobs seem extremely shady, too. (I got a call from a Payday loan company, for example. WTF?!) Selling insurance, window blinds, gym memberships, and financial advice are things I really do not want to do.

I'd really like an office-monkey job. Administrative assistant, perhaps. I could do something that requires writing, or research. I even took a Technical Writing class, and aced it! Data entry? I can type up a storm! If I have to be on the phone, I wouldn't mind doing customer support. That's okay by me. I just don't want sales!

What can I do?

(If you're curious, my resume is at http://richardanderson.emurse.com, and if you think I should change something to de-emphasize my sales time, let me know.)