Will my love for art and literature force me to starve?
November 20, 2011 8:05 AM Subscribe
How the heck can I get a cool job in New York with (almost) a graduate degree and (almost) no professional experience?
I'm moving to New York this January from Paris, France where I've been studying French literature for the past two years, and I'm having a hell of a time getting a job, even with access to a special super-secret network of job listings via my reasonably prestigious alma mater. On the one hand I could shrug and say "it's the economy", but girls from my class continue to mysteriously alter their Facebook profiles to show that, of a sudden, they're now all working high-profile, high-paying jobs in all the places I ever wished I could be (NGOs, literary reviews, museums, etc. - a veritable humanities major's paradise). I'm almost positive that I can chalk that up to their "knowing people" and that I'm totally screwed since, being an antisocial dork, I spent all my time on campus networking exclusively with the likes of Douglas Adams and Jean Genet. Any attempts to network in Paris are ridiculous at best -- even my own thesis adviser avoids contact with me because I'm the wrong gender and have the wrong last name.
I've already had a few interviews with some cool places and totally blew it, probably due to my complete lack of experience interviewing. My sister *might* be able to get me a job answering phones for the Guggenheim Foundation, but even if she could, it wouldn't start until September. So I guess my question is this: how does a twenty-something with zero connections, zero experience (aside from a French internship and a couple years at a Parisian bar) and many profound passions but zero practical skills (aside from fluency in French and stage fighting) begin a career that doesn't involve flipping hamburgers or capitulating to those scary "financial adviser needed" posts that haunt any space they know recent grads are looking? Or have I been doomed to poverty by that "OH YAY EVERYONE'S HIRING HUMANITIES MAJORS" craze that swept Northern California in the early 2000s? I definitely want to get a certificate in translation when I get to New York so that I can have a real skill to fall back on (and thank goodness I actually really enjoy doing it), but that takes time, time I need to be putting food in my face and keeping snow off my butt! I extend eternal gratitude to whomsoever has any kind of advice or thoughts to share.
I'm moving to New York this January from Paris, France where I've been studying French literature for the past two years, and I'm having a hell of a time getting a job, even with access to a special super-secret network of job listings via my reasonably prestigious alma mater. On the one hand I could shrug and say "it's the economy", but girls from my class continue to mysteriously alter their Facebook profiles to show that, of a sudden, they're now all working high-profile, high-paying jobs in all the places I ever wished I could be (NGOs, literary reviews, museums, etc. - a veritable humanities major's paradise). I'm almost positive that I can chalk that up to their "knowing people" and that I'm totally screwed since, being an antisocial dork, I spent all my time on campus networking exclusively with the likes of Douglas Adams and Jean Genet. Any attempts to network in Paris are ridiculous at best -- even my own thesis adviser avoids contact with me because I'm the wrong gender and have the wrong last name.
I've already had a few interviews with some cool places and totally blew it, probably due to my complete lack of experience interviewing. My sister *might* be able to get me a job answering phones for the Guggenheim Foundation, but even if she could, it wouldn't start until September. So I guess my question is this: how does a twenty-something with zero connections, zero experience (aside from a French internship and a couple years at a Parisian bar) and many profound passions but zero practical skills (aside from fluency in French and stage fighting) begin a career that doesn't involve flipping hamburgers or capitulating to those scary "financial adviser needed" posts that haunt any space they know recent grads are looking? Or have I been doomed to poverty by that "OH YAY EVERYONE'S HIRING HUMANITIES MAJORS" craze that swept Northern California in the early 2000s? I definitely want to get a certificate in translation when I get to New York so that I can have a real skill to fall back on (and thank goodness I actually really enjoy doing it), but that takes time, time I need to be putting food in my face and keeping snow off my butt! I extend eternal gratitude to whomsoever has any kind of advice or thoughts to share.
According to one of your answers on the blue, you have a connection to someone who worked for the President of France. That's one contact you might ask about job leads.
posted by Ideefixe at 8:35 AM on November 20, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by Ideefixe at 8:35 AM on November 20, 2011 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Hah, that would be awesome, right? She was his wife's best friend's au paire, and they split on VERY negative terms (the lady was a total fucking nut job).
And thanks, Narrative Priorities, for the advice about working on the translation angle. No thanks for assuming that suffering from social anxiety means I don't "take the process seriously". If you have some awesome interview advice to share I'm all ears, as are a bunch of other young job-seekers, I'm sure.
posted by Mooseli at 8:41 AM on November 20, 2011 [1 favorite]
And thanks, Narrative Priorities, for the advice about working on the translation angle. No thanks for assuming that suffering from social anxiety means I don't "take the process seriously". If you have some awesome interview advice to share I'm all ears, as are a bunch of other young job-seekers, I'm sure.
posted by Mooseli at 8:41 AM on November 20, 2011 [1 favorite]
Best answer: You are almost certainly more social than you think you are, you are almost certainly a better natural networker than you think you are. You just have to do it.
Those people from facebook with jobs - send them an e-mail that says something like "Hey, grad school didn't work out, I'm looking to move to NYC and was wondering if we could chat or meet up to talk about how you went about finding your gig". The normal people will reply back - and I bet most of them will. I think I suck at networking. Right now I'm dealing with at start-up that is dying so I'm networking like crazy, and its amazing how many people are happy to talk. And I work in a particular niche part of my industry that practically screams out for guys who's idea of being sociable is acknowledging others verbally.
Just think of it this way - if someone you only sorta know sent you that email you'd answer right? And the people who wouldn't are unlikely to be useful to you anyway.
As far as interviewing goes, its a skill no doubt. I like to write out scripts for what I want to say. When someone says "why did you do x", well you've already got that answer written out. And remember less is more when it comes to answers - if they've got follow ups they'll ask them. But you should walk in with a sense of what the most obvious questions are going to be with a prepared answer to them. You should also spend a decent amount of your prep time developing thoughtful questions for them.
You should have a friend whom you can run your interview prep stuff by as well.
posted by JPD at 9:06 AM on November 20, 2011 [1 favorite]
Those people from facebook with jobs - send them an e-mail that says something like "Hey, grad school didn't work out, I'm looking to move to NYC and was wondering if we could chat or meet up to talk about how you went about finding your gig". The normal people will reply back - and I bet most of them will. I think I suck at networking. Right now I'm dealing with at start-up that is dying so I'm networking like crazy, and its amazing how many people are happy to talk. And I work in a particular niche part of my industry that practically screams out for guys who's idea of being sociable is acknowledging others verbally.
Just think of it this way - if someone you only sorta know sent you that email you'd answer right? And the people who wouldn't are unlikely to be useful to you anyway.
As far as interviewing goes, its a skill no doubt. I like to write out scripts for what I want to say. When someone says "why did you do x", well you've already got that answer written out. And remember less is more when it comes to answers - if they've got follow ups they'll ask them. But you should walk in with a sense of what the most obvious questions are going to be with a prepared answer to them. You should also spend a decent amount of your prep time developing thoughtful questions for them.
You should have a friend whom you can run your interview prep stuff by as well.
posted by JPD at 9:06 AM on November 20, 2011 [1 favorite]
Being a humanities major looking for gainful employment means that you have to work twice as hard as people with more "in-demand" skillsets to get along with people and present yourself professionally. This means not saying things like "no thanks" to strangers who offer you well-meant advice about the job hunt on the internet. No snark, just sincerity.
I will back this up with my own experience--I'm also a humanities person, and have earned all my museum and other jobs by making an effort to reach out to people and being willing to start anywhere--even as a volunteer--while treating that foot-in-the-door position with all the seriousness and enthusiasm that I would have for one of the other plum jobs you describe.
posted by anonnymoose at 9:10 AM on November 20, 2011 [7 favorites]
I will back this up with my own experience--I'm also a humanities person, and have earned all my museum and other jobs by making an effort to reach out to people and being willing to start anywhere--even as a volunteer--while treating that foot-in-the-door position with all the seriousness and enthusiasm that I would have for one of the other plum jobs you describe.
posted by anonnymoose at 9:10 AM on November 20, 2011 [7 favorites]
P.S. I can't speak to NGOs or literary agencies, but the museum world is very small, especially on the East Coast. It will behoove you to be nice to people during the job search process.
posted by anonnymoose at 9:13 AM on November 20, 2011
posted by anonnymoose at 9:13 AM on November 20, 2011
Devote some time, each day, to pounding the shit out of craigslist. Don't listen to the people who say that it's not worth your while; I have a humanities degree and I was lining up an interview a week this summer -- not COOL AWESOME jobs, but something to pay the bills while I got my shit together -- thanks to CL.
posted by griphus at 9:17 AM on November 20, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by griphus at 9:17 AM on November 20, 2011 [2 favorites]
And by "pounding the shit out of" that includes jobs you don't think you're qualified for and jobs you think you are beneath. Eventually, you'll get a hang of where the scams are and how to avoid those.
posted by griphus at 9:18 AM on November 20, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by griphus at 9:18 AM on November 20, 2011 [1 favorite]
Best answer: I also struggled hard with interviews early in career/life due to social anxiety/shyness. I second the advice above to think through and practice in advance some answers to questions you know you are likely to be asked ("What can you bring to this position? What are some tough situations you've faced and dealt with? What happened during this gap in your resume? Why did grad school not work out for you?"). Another thing that helped me is to remember that an interview is a conversation and the interviewer is just a person, and find something about the interviewer that is interesting and you can connect with. People respond to people who are interested in them and (for me at least) when I'm interested and engaged I forget the shyness.
posted by Cocodrillo at 9:31 AM on November 20, 2011
posted by Cocodrillo at 9:31 AM on November 20, 2011
Best answer: If you actually suffer from social anxiety disorder that is preventing you from being able to socialize normally with others, you need to find a way to treat that, because it's going to affect nearly every area of your life negatively. If you're suffering from social anxiety that is preventing you from looking for jobs, it's probably also inhibiting you from forming close personal relationships with people and from creating a satisfying social life for yourself. If you have this condition, it is treatable with therapy and/or medication, and your life will improve immensely once you get started treating it.
If, on the other hand, you're just shy and a little uncomfortable meeting new people, that's pretty normal. No one ever teaches us how to network and how to talk with strangers, even though it's a critical life skill, and lots of us feel stupid and awkward and weird about it at first as we practice doing it. However, you really can't not do it just because it makes you feel awkward. It's necessary, and especially in your chosen career path, you're going to need those skills down the line. Those cool jobs at museums and literary magazines? They're almost universally going to require networking and socializing and meeting lots of new people, especially if you ever want to move above the level of assistant.
The way to get better at networking and interviewing is to practice. Go to events related to your industry and promise yourself that you'll introduce yourself to at least three new people at each event. Ask friends to practice interviews with you. Ask people in your field if you can buy them a cup of coffee and talk about their career paths. In other words, ask for help, and build up your skills over time. It's really the only way for those of us who aren't natural social butterflies to learn these very necessary skills.
Bottom line: if you have a social anxiety disorder, seek treatment. If you're just uncomfortable with career networking, you need to do it anyway until it becomes more comfortable. Either way, dealing with the issues standing in your way is what it means to "take the process seriously."
posted by decathecting at 9:39 AM on November 20, 2011 [2 favorites]
If, on the other hand, you're just shy and a little uncomfortable meeting new people, that's pretty normal. No one ever teaches us how to network and how to talk with strangers, even though it's a critical life skill, and lots of us feel stupid and awkward and weird about it at first as we practice doing it. However, you really can't not do it just because it makes you feel awkward. It's necessary, and especially in your chosen career path, you're going to need those skills down the line. Those cool jobs at museums and literary magazines? They're almost universally going to require networking and socializing and meeting lots of new people, especially if you ever want to move above the level of assistant.
The way to get better at networking and interviewing is to practice. Go to events related to your industry and promise yourself that you'll introduce yourself to at least three new people at each event. Ask friends to practice interviews with you. Ask people in your field if you can buy them a cup of coffee and talk about their career paths. In other words, ask for help, and build up your skills over time. It's really the only way for those of us who aren't natural social butterflies to learn these very necessary skills.
Bottom line: if you have a social anxiety disorder, seek treatment. If you're just uncomfortable with career networking, you need to do it anyway until it becomes more comfortable. Either way, dealing with the issues standing in your way is what it means to "take the process seriously."
posted by decathecting at 9:39 AM on November 20, 2011 [2 favorites]
Best answer: If you have "reasonably prestigious" alma mater providing you with job listings, chances are good that they also extend career counseling services to alumnae. Call or email them and ask if you can set up a phone appointment to get some advice on interviewing and the job search in general. They might even be able to set up a mock interview for you so you can work on your interviewing skills.
Are you familiar with the idea of informational interviews? Once you land in New York, start requesting informational interviews at all the places you're interested in working. Try to identify a specific person in a specific department where you think you'd fit in and approach them.
As others have suggested, you should absolutely get in touch with your classmates on Facebook and tell them you'd like to buy them coffee and hear about their jobs. If your alma mater has a job listing service, they probably also have an alumnae network where you can locate alumnae by city and industry. Use this list to identify more targets for informational interviewing.
Job search skills take some practice but they're not all that mysterious. There are plenty of guidebooks and lots of free advice on the internet.
Since you've "already had a few interviews with some cool places," you know your resume is interesting to potential employers. Since you are connected to people in New York through your sister, Facebook, and your college's network, you do not have "zero connections" even if you don't have the kind of "connection" where somebody is going to hand you a job. You need to work your existing connections and build new ones so that people know what your interests are and know that you're looking. I have a couple humanities degrees myself, and I landed my current job (nowhere near New York, sorry!) because a friend who knew I was looking and knew my interests and skills passed along a job ad that had not been widely circulated. I probably would never have found out about the position otherwise.
posted by Orinda at 9:46 AM on November 20, 2011 [1 favorite]
Are you familiar with the idea of informational interviews? Once you land in New York, start requesting informational interviews at all the places you're interested in working. Try to identify a specific person in a specific department where you think you'd fit in and approach them.
As others have suggested, you should absolutely get in touch with your classmates on Facebook and tell them you'd like to buy them coffee and hear about their jobs. If your alma mater has a job listing service, they probably also have an alumnae network where you can locate alumnae by city and industry. Use this list to identify more targets for informational interviewing.
Job search skills take some practice but they're not all that mysterious. There are plenty of guidebooks and lots of free advice on the internet.
Since you've "already had a few interviews with some cool places," you know your resume is interesting to potential employers. Since you are connected to people in New York through your sister, Facebook, and your college's network, you do not have "zero connections" even if you don't have the kind of "connection" where somebody is going to hand you a job. You need to work your existing connections and build new ones so that people know what your interests are and know that you're looking. I have a couple humanities degrees myself, and I landed my current job (nowhere near New York, sorry!) because a friend who knew I was looking and knew my interests and skills passed along a job ad that had not been widely circulated. I probably would never have found out about the position otherwise.
posted by Orinda at 9:46 AM on November 20, 2011 [1 favorite]
On the one hand I could shrug and say "it's the economy", but girls from my class continue to mysteriously alter their Facebook profiles to show that, of a sudden, they're now all working high-profile, high-paying jobs in all the places I ever wished I could be (NGOs, literary reviews, museums, etc. - a veritable humanities major's paradise).
There are a number of off assumptions here, the first being that recent college graduates who work at NGOs, literary reviews, and museums have "high-profile, high-paying jobs." That is almost certainly not the case. Just because person X received a job with prestigious institution Y does not mean that X's income is high.
Develop your bullshit detector a bit more, and don't be so impressed by the names with which people are affiliated.
If you want to live in NYC the way to find a job here is by coming here and meeting with potential employers, face to face, in order to establish a rapport with them. It will be expensive for you do to so while based in Paris, though.
posted by dfriedman at 9:54 AM on November 20, 2011
There are a number of off assumptions here, the first being that recent college graduates who work at NGOs, literary reviews, and museums have "high-profile, high-paying jobs." That is almost certainly not the case. Just because person X received a job with prestigious institution Y does not mean that X's income is high.
Develop your bullshit detector a bit more, and don't be so impressed by the names with which people are affiliated.
If you want to live in NYC the way to find a job here is by coming here and meeting with potential employers, face to face, in order to establish a rapport with them. It will be expensive for you do to so while based in Paris, though.
posted by dfriedman at 9:54 AM on November 20, 2011
Others may disagree, but unless you have a LOT of financial help from other sources, at this age/career point/economy, I second griphus and say, essentially, apply for any job where you have some CHANCE of being able to perform the duties the ad lists. You'll be in a much better position to find something that suits you more once you're already working. There is a real danger of NOT working, trust me, a real possibility, so take the "any job" idea seriously.
Also, I went to a school as prestigious as anyone could want and I've gotten all of my jobs except for one (disastrous) job via the want ads. These annoying FB people could very well just have applied for their fancy jobs. It would take a POWERFUL, and I mean powerful, connection truly to bypass HR at one of these fancy places. What most normal (and useful) connections can do, if you have one, is get HR to call you for an interview. This is not to be discounted! If, for instance, your sister can do that for you at the Guggenheim, prep for that interview like it's your first and last.
You may not actually have blown the interviews (do you have a PARTICULAR reason for saying so). It could just be they found someone more qualified and/or more personally compatible.
posted by skbw at 10:28 AM on November 20, 2011 [1 favorite]
Also, I went to a school as prestigious as anyone could want and I've gotten all of my jobs except for one (disastrous) job via the want ads. These annoying FB people could very well just have applied for their fancy jobs. It would take a POWERFUL, and I mean powerful, connection truly to bypass HR at one of these fancy places. What most normal (and useful) connections can do, if you have one, is get HR to call you for an interview. This is not to be discounted! If, for instance, your sister can do that for you at the Guggenheim, prep for that interview like it's your first and last.
You may not actually have blown the interviews (do you have a PARTICULAR reason for saying so). It could just be they found someone more qualified and/or more personally compatible.
posted by skbw at 10:28 AM on November 20, 2011 [1 favorite]
I think a lot of the suggestions are great, and I'm just providing a few ideas from the perspective that I've job hopped a lot (into new careers many, many times), had info interviews with complete strangers, and also struggled/struggle with shyness. So here are things that I learned along the way if they help....
Anywho, the info interviews are a great idea. I used to do them not to be offered a job, but to find out things like, "Is the job a good fit for me?", "Does the job have criteria that meet my needs (including salary)?", and "What other job titles should I look for?" What I found the most helpful, however, were answers to questions like "What do I need to do to get a similar job?" and also having someone review the CV. These questions helped because I also chose to interview people with a similar background and often found that it was easier than I thought (i.e. just take a writing test) or they would tell you other opportunities (e.g. paid internships). Also, the CV review really, really helped because it is often industry specific and HR people and the people who hire look for specific words on your CV and the only way to find this out is from the people who are in the field.
My strategy to find people was to google my particular snow flake terms to find people who worked where I wanted in the place I wanted and who probably lacked the same job skills when they started (OP your google terms may be NYC, job title?--see if your university will you give you the list of previous graduates and harvest the list for your location). I just sent an email that said something along lines of wanting to find out more about their job and that I had a similar background but no prior experience in the job -- would they be willing to meet for 30 minutes max or talk on the phone for x minutes max or answer questions by email, their choice. A friend of mine pointed out that 1) people by nature want to help (the rest will ignore you), 2) they are more likely to help if they know what you want and it is limited. Also, by doing this by email there is no embarassment.More on how to info interview here and here (don't want to retype it all).
Also, I would try if you can to change your point of view about "failures" and interviews. Look at it this way: you beat the odds to be called in and interviewed in person and you have no idea who else interviewed (someone walked in for the next interview with 5 years experience). So instead, view each interview as a learning and practicing experience (and you will get better and better). Rather, review how the interview went: What could you improve? What questions did they ask? I used to keep a list of questions and later, wrote responses, and was prepared for the next one.
To calm your nerves, you can really, really over prepare. Many years ago for faculty positions, I looked at forums, googled "faculty interview questions", and wrote out elaborate responses. Then when someone asked, I could recall it easily (so google the same or look at forums for your selected industry). Also, depending on the job and/or people, use google and check out the pple and company in advance. Be prepared to answer "why do you want to work for us?"(and answer why they are special and unique, based on your research). Also,eventually, you will probably get more comfortable and you can google the people, the research if applicable, and ask for more info about things that you want to know about -- so your curiosity and interest will drive the interview, not that you are uncomfortable. I also practiced giving a job talk (this would not apply to you, but perhaps an interview?) and had many people review my material.It helped to get many perspectives and present well. If you need even more help to calm your nerves/stop the heartbeat from racing, talk to your physician if you do have a disorder..there are meds that can work within an hour.
One more strategy that will work for you once you know your desired job title(s). The library in NYC is really good in terms of listing companies in books and databases. Go there and get the list of companies with emails. Photocopy, photocopy, photocopy or plop in onto a thumb drive if it is from the database. Now email each company a brief letter of intro "I'm Mooseli with a specialty in X,looking for a job in Y" (I get lots of projects doing this, along with calls "will you work here", so I think this strategy should help improve the chances of getting a job.
You may want to check out LinkedIn.I don't know if it will work for your industry, but there are groups with forums (and I have actually seen people ask, "Does anyone know what companies in NYC do X" and people replied with lists). So lurk and post questions there if you feel comfortable.
On preview, hell yes, do look an jobs that you can take to bring in money while you look for dream job. You can drop those things from the CV, but it can help you until you get the job and also prevent you from taking a job that is a poor fit. You may even want to consider running a CL ad offering tutoring services (a couple years ago I charged $60/hour -- don't know if your skills will be wanted or if the demand is still there, but just an idea to make ends meet).
Good luck.
posted by Wolfster at 10:38 AM on November 20, 2011 [2 favorites]
Anywho, the info interviews are a great idea. I used to do them not to be offered a job, but to find out things like, "Is the job a good fit for me?", "Does the job have criteria that meet my needs (including salary)?", and "What other job titles should I look for?" What I found the most helpful, however, were answers to questions like "What do I need to do to get a similar job?" and also having someone review the CV. These questions helped because I also chose to interview people with a similar background and often found that it was easier than I thought (i.e. just take a writing test) or they would tell you other opportunities (e.g. paid internships). Also, the CV review really, really helped because it is often industry specific and HR people and the people who hire look for specific words on your CV and the only way to find this out is from the people who are in the field.
My strategy to find people was to google my particular snow flake terms to find people who worked where I wanted in the place I wanted and who probably lacked the same job skills when they started (OP your google terms may be NYC, job title?--see if your university will you give you the list of previous graduates and harvest the list for your location). I just sent an email that said something along lines of wanting to find out more about their job and that I had a similar background but no prior experience in the job -- would they be willing to meet for 30 minutes max or talk on the phone for x minutes max or answer questions by email, their choice. A friend of mine pointed out that 1) people by nature want to help (the rest will ignore you), 2) they are more likely to help if they know what you want and it is limited. Also, by doing this by email there is no embarassment.More on how to info interview here and here (don't want to retype it all).
Also, I would try if you can to change your point of view about "failures" and interviews. Look at it this way: you beat the odds to be called in and interviewed in person and you have no idea who else interviewed (someone walked in for the next interview with 5 years experience). So instead, view each interview as a learning and practicing experience (and you will get better and better). Rather, review how the interview went: What could you improve? What questions did they ask? I used to keep a list of questions and later, wrote responses, and was prepared for the next one.
To calm your nerves, you can really, really over prepare. Many years ago for faculty positions, I looked at forums, googled "faculty interview questions", and wrote out elaborate responses. Then when someone asked, I could recall it easily (so google the same or look at forums for your selected industry). Also, depending on the job and/or people, use google and check out the pple and company in advance. Be prepared to answer "why do you want to work for us?"(and answer why they are special and unique, based on your research). Also,eventually, you will probably get more comfortable and you can google the people, the research if applicable, and ask for more info about things that you want to know about -- so your curiosity and interest will drive the interview, not that you are uncomfortable. I also practiced giving a job talk (this would not apply to you, but perhaps an interview?) and had many people review my material.It helped to get many perspectives and present well. If you need even more help to calm your nerves/stop the heartbeat from racing, talk to your physician if you do have a disorder..there are meds that can work within an hour.
One more strategy that will work for you once you know your desired job title(s). The library in NYC is really good in terms of listing companies in books and databases. Go there and get the list of companies with emails. Photocopy, photocopy, photocopy or plop in onto a thumb drive if it is from the database. Now email each company a brief letter of intro "I'm Mooseli with a specialty in X,looking for a job in Y" (I get lots of projects doing this, along with calls "will you work here", so I think this strategy should help improve the chances of getting a job.
You may want to check out LinkedIn.I don't know if it will work for your industry, but there are groups with forums (and I have actually seen people ask, "Does anyone know what companies in NYC do X" and people replied with lists). So lurk and post questions there if you feel comfortable.
On preview, hell yes, do look an jobs that you can take to bring in money while you look for dream job. You can drop those things from the CV, but it can help you until you get the job and also prevent you from taking a job that is a poor fit. You may even want to consider running a CL ad offering tutoring services (a couple years ago I charged $60/hour -- don't know if your skills will be wanted or if the demand is still there, but just an idea to make ends meet).
Good luck.
posted by Wolfster at 10:38 AM on November 20, 2011 [2 favorites]
Another job-searching introvert here, with many introvert friends. A couple hacks that have helped me and my friends:
-Get out to events in your field: book launches, art openings, whatever. Any event that doesn't charge admission and might serve free wine. IT IS SCARY but necessary. Bring a friend. And then... (best introvert hack ever) find the person in the room (other than you) who looks the MOST awkward and uncomfortable, put a smile on and walk up and introduce yourself. Have a mental list of small-talk questions ("do you know the author/artist?" "what do you do?", etc). Smile some more and say "oh wow that's really interesting" a lot. And just try and maintain the conversation for as long as possible. If it dries up go find your wingman/woman. Practicing actually does result in becoming better at this! Start with a goal of one person per night, then two, etc. Pretty soon you'll be chatting up everybody.
-For interview skills, get a group of close friends together. Have them get fully into character as a hiring committee and grill you. Then, have them critique your performance and point out things you need to work on. Find tricks that help you be less anxious, like breathing or mentally repeating a positive phrase. Do this once a week for as long as it takes you to get rid of your interviewing anxiety.
The fact that you've been getting called back for interviews means you are clearly doing something right (most people are not even getting that far!). So you just need to build on that. Good luck!
posted by 100kb at 10:42 AM on November 20, 2011
-Get out to events in your field: book launches, art openings, whatever. Any event that doesn't charge admission and might serve free wine. IT IS SCARY but necessary. Bring a friend. And then... (best introvert hack ever) find the person in the room (other than you) who looks the MOST awkward and uncomfortable, put a smile on and walk up and introduce yourself. Have a mental list of small-talk questions ("do you know the author/artist?" "what do you do?", etc). Smile some more and say "oh wow that's really interesting" a lot. And just try and maintain the conversation for as long as possible. If it dries up go find your wingman/woman. Practicing actually does result in becoming better at this! Start with a goal of one person per night, then two, etc. Pretty soon you'll be chatting up everybody.
-For interview skills, get a group of close friends together. Have them get fully into character as a hiring committee and grill you. Then, have them critique your performance and point out things you need to work on. Find tricks that help you be less anxious, like breathing or mentally repeating a positive phrase. Do this once a week for as long as it takes you to get rid of your interviewing anxiety.
The fact that you've been getting called back for interviews means you are clearly doing something right (most people are not even getting that far!). So you just need to build on that. Good luck!
posted by 100kb at 10:42 AM on November 20, 2011
You speak fluent French? You want to target companies of any sort with business of any kind in a) Canada, b) Africa, and c) Europe. I'm thinking banks, but probably also medical NGOs and manufacturing maybe?
posted by Snarl Furillo at 10:59 AM on November 20, 2011
posted by Snarl Furillo at 10:59 AM on November 20, 2011
Speaking as a French speaker it really isn't that valuable. After Spanish its probably the most common second language for the cohort OP seems to be a part of. Banks certainly don't have a shortage of french speakers.
And yeah, if you can afford not to do it you really shouldn't take a job just to take a job.
posted by JPD at 11:55 AM on November 20, 2011
And yeah, if you can afford not to do it you really shouldn't take a job just to take a job.
posted by JPD at 11:55 AM on November 20, 2011
Your French skills are possibly your biggest asset.
First, get in touch with all of your old teachers (high school and college) and ask them for any positions they may know of. I'm sure you know this, but foreign-language teachers LOVE helping their students succeed.
Second, if you get an interview, play up how that skill and experience makes you a more valuable candidate than the other people they're interviewing.
Third, look into tutoring as a temporary holdover until you get one of the jobs you want. You will be able to help kids, and probably the jobs you can get will give you new connections (the parents) who may know of job opportunities for you.
posted by DoubleLune at 12:04 PM on November 20, 2011 [1 favorite]
First, get in touch with all of your old teachers (high school and college) and ask them for any positions they may know of. I'm sure you know this, but foreign-language teachers LOVE helping their students succeed.
Second, if you get an interview, play up how that skill and experience makes you a more valuable candidate than the other people they're interviewing.
Third, look into tutoring as a temporary holdover until you get one of the jobs you want. You will be able to help kids, and probably the jobs you can get will give you new connections (the parents) who may know of job opportunities for you.
posted by DoubleLune at 12:04 PM on November 20, 2011 [1 favorite]
I've already had a few interviews with some cool places and totally blew it, probably due to my complete lack of experience interviewing.
Then get yourself to a (paid) interview coach ASAP and stop blowing it.
posted by DarlingBri at 12:21 PM on November 20, 2011 [1 favorite]
Then get yourself to a (paid) interview coach ASAP and stop blowing it.
posted by DarlingBri at 12:21 PM on November 20, 2011 [1 favorite]
You and all other super-literate NYC Mefites looking for jobs should apply to be a community specialist at Meetup.com and come work with me. You won't regret it.
posted by the jam at 12:26 PM on November 20, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by the jam at 12:26 PM on November 20, 2011 [2 favorites]
Areva?
posted by oceanjesse at 12:37 PM on November 20, 2011
posted by oceanjesse at 12:37 PM on November 20, 2011
Not to throw cold water (any more than I have to, sigh) on Wolfster and DoubleLune, but the tutoring market in NYC is horrible now. I say it as a quasi-professional tutor. Just a data point. Do NOT make tutoring (or temping, etc.) any part of a survival plan. It worked in 2001 when I was the OP's age, but times have changed, for reasons that aren't just the economy, but are beyond the scope of this post. (Short version: NCLB tutoring companies taking bottom out of market.)
I would respectfully disagree with JPD's advice to refrain from "just tak[ing] any job" if you can afford not to. While, of course, everyone has their limits, I would strongly emphasize, not just as a jobseeker and NYC resident, but also as a former job developer/career counselor, that there is a very real risk of sitting home a year or even two years if you wait for "the right thing." Even if you do have family support, do you WANT that to be your life? Almost anything looks better on your resume than a blank. Having hired many people, including white-collar limousine liberal professionals like myself, I would admire a M.A. type who was devoted enough to working, and pragmatic enough, to take a job at Trader Joe's. And those (retail/restaurant/service industry) jobs are NOT easy to get for educated people, you should know.
posted by skbw at 2:22 PM on November 20, 2011 [3 favorites]
I would respectfully disagree with JPD's advice to refrain from "just tak[ing] any job" if you can afford not to. While, of course, everyone has their limits, I would strongly emphasize, not just as a jobseeker and NYC resident, but also as a former job developer/career counselor, that there is a very real risk of sitting home a year or even two years if you wait for "the right thing." Even if you do have family support, do you WANT that to be your life? Almost anything looks better on your resume than a blank. Having hired many people, including white-collar limousine liberal professionals like myself, I would admire a M.A. type who was devoted enough to working, and pragmatic enough, to take a job at Trader Joe's. And those (retail/restaurant/service industry) jobs are NOT easy to get for educated people, you should know.
posted by skbw at 2:22 PM on November 20, 2011 [3 favorites]
I don't think taking a job in something clearly unrelated to what you want to do just to bring cash in the door is a bad idea. People understand that. What I do think is a terrible idea is taking a job in your chosen field you don't want predicated on some plan to use that to lever yourself into the job you want.
The classic example in the finance world is taking a back office or middle office job. Once you are in there its actually really hard to get to the front office, arguably harder then it would be if you were still looking for your first job.
posted by JPD at 3:02 PM on November 20, 2011 [1 favorite]
The classic example in the finance world is taking a back office or middle office job. Once you are in there its actually really hard to get to the front office, arguably harder then it would be if you were still looking for your first job.
posted by JPD at 3:02 PM on November 20, 2011 [1 favorite]
You've been working as a bartender right? So what about wine importers, liquor importers/exporters, travel magazines/blogs, liquor companies, free-lance pieces, , etc.? Alumni organizations? PR firms sending movies to Cannes?
Literary reviews and museums pay almost nothing--if you've got a trust fund or helpful parents, those jobs are great.
I appreciate that Meta-ask isn't the same as a more formal job site, like LinkedIn, but--you use your real name, link to your blog, and then the snark begins. I'd find a way to hide the blog a little more, largely because employers will use ANY excuse not to hire someone. You might want to think about having a site that showcases your writing more, and keep the private stuff, well, private.
posted by Ideefixe at 7:31 PM on November 20, 2011 [2 favorites]
Literary reviews and museums pay almost nothing--if you've got a trust fund or helpful parents, those jobs are great.
I appreciate that Meta-ask isn't the same as a more formal job site, like LinkedIn, but--you use your real name, link to your blog, and then the snark begins. I'd find a way to hide the blog a little more, largely because employers will use ANY excuse not to hire someone. You might want to think about having a site that showcases your writing more, and keep the private stuff, well, private.
posted by Ideefixe at 7:31 PM on November 20, 2011 [2 favorites]
Best answer: On a less doom-and-gloom note--I'm sorry if my previous posts sound too grim, because it SURELY is not personal--BUSINESS translation, as opposed to editing manuscripts in the humanities, checking translations, or doing other sorts of translation, pays real money. I have a friend--no, really, I do--who started a German translation business with a college friend and is now, more than a decade down the line, still in this business and doing really well. He, seemingly like you, is not a native speaker; he just got into German somewhere and spent some time over there. (If only I had known to go this route for one of my languages!)
Unfortunately, that's where my help ends, I am sorry to say. He just had a baby and is sort of out of commission. I also do not know the present state of the market. It could also have gone to hell. There are a number of Mefites, some in this thread, who are translators--maybe reach out to them? I would say, not as a crystal ball, but as a pragmatist, that putting some time into this has as much, if not more, hope of generating a middle-class income in 2 years than a regular job does, in these times.
posted by skbw at 4:32 AM on November 21, 2011 [1 favorite]
Unfortunately, that's where my help ends, I am sorry to say. He just had a baby and is sort of out of commission. I also do not know the present state of the market. It could also have gone to hell. There are a number of Mefites, some in this thread, who are translators--maybe reach out to them? I would say, not as a crystal ball, but as a pragmatist, that putting some time into this has as much, if not more, hope of generating a middle-class income in 2 years than a regular job does, in these times.
posted by skbw at 4:32 AM on November 21, 2011 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: (Thanks Ideefixe, I had totally forgotten that I'd filled that stuff in when I first signed up. Not sure what I was thinking. Although I'm not sure why everyone thinks I was the source of the snark - I was responding to a stranger's mocking that had taken an inexplicably angry tone [possibly Protestant/American "you don't have money and power because you're clearly not working hard enough" shaming]. I'm sure you'd be taken aback if it were directed at you.)
Thanks everyone, I'm really feeling a lot better about what kind of options might be available for someone in my position. I certainly don't feel above working at Trader Joe's until I finish my thesis and then my translation certificate, especially since insurance in America is really only something that becomes affordable when you're affiliated with some big company that can foot the bill. After beginning our adult lives in the French social safety net, my husband and I certainly have a lot of logistics to figure out if we're going to survive...
posted by Mooseli at 2:15 AM on November 22, 2011
Thanks everyone, I'm really feeling a lot better about what kind of options might be available for someone in my position. I certainly don't feel above working at Trader Joe's until I finish my thesis and then my translation certificate, especially since insurance in America is really only something that becomes affordable when you're affiliated with some big company that can foot the bill. After beginning our adult lives in the French social safety net, my husband and I certainly have a lot of logistics to figure out if we're going to survive...
posted by Mooseli at 2:15 AM on November 22, 2011
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If you're blowing interviews, then that's another thing you really need to work on. You only get one chance with lots of these places, and opportunities are useless if you haven't figured out how to take advantage of them.
Seriously, I don't mean to be harsh, but your question as stated is very, "I really want a job in NYC, but lulz I'm a nerd who sucks at interviewing, oh well, what should I do?" To which I say, "Talk to people, get better at interviewing and take the process seriously." It's not that you should shrug and say "It's the economy." It's that the harsh economic environment means that the market is especially competitive and merciless right now, and if you want a good job at an interesting company you'll have to get your shit together and go after it with your best foot forward.
That said: there is a lot of translation work out there, particularly if you're willing and able to do (boring) legal or technical translation. There are lots of professional translators here on Metafilter who'd be happy to give you advice about that, many of whom live in or near NYC.
posted by Narrative Priorities at 8:19 AM on November 20, 2011 [8 favorites]