Adventures in Job Searching

That's beautiful!

What is a capstone? wait, I'll look it up. I see, a final senior project. Hope it's fun.

It's on social media marketing for indie writers.

That's perfect. I think it is apt to be both useful and popular.

7 years later, back to the job search grind.

This time, I go into it with some serious experience and credentials (I've had a guest writer byline at Entrepreneur for the past four years. Yes, that Entrepreneur).

I am also 60.

So, my background is, in a lot of ways, a good news, bad news joke.

The good news is that my resume is getting me interviews and I have extensive WFH experience.

But it's a tough slog all the same.

Happy hunting, jespah – I've got a feeling that it won't take you very long.

Good luck in your search, I hope you find something wonderful.

Best of luck to you Jespah.

Thank you all. <3

Welp, I have been back on the job search trail for quite a while now (both during my penultimate gig and my last one and now while I cool my heels and write a lot and ... search).

Today's bit would be laughable although I do feel badly for the recruiter who called me. It's highly likely she's either really unseasoned or was given some sort of booby prize/punishment role to try to fill. Or the role doesn't exist at all (which I suspect is the real reason here).

How do I know this, gentle reader?

She had two open roles at a large financial services company here in Boston. I am qualified for both roles.

One was a content writer position. They wanted a content writer with 3 years of experience; I have 7, and have been quoted as an expert by Yahoo! Finance and US News and World Report, plus I had a byline at Entrepreneur magazine for years, writing about, you guessed it, finance. That link shows average salaries for the entire country, and it puts the average at $73k. Here in Boston, the average is higher.

The other opening was for a social media manager. Per Salary.com, the average salary for one (without factoring in location or years of experience) is over $110k. I've been technically doing this since A2k was breathed into existence in 2002. But if you want to get into actually doing this for even a miniscule paycheck, I go back to around 2010.

These were both 12 month contracts, so there are no benefits, no vacation time, no PTO, etc. You want time off? You just plain don't get paid. And of course you're responsible for your taxes and if you want to sock away any $$ for retirement, you're on your own there, too.

How much were they offering?

Wait for it …

$22/hour.

Which works out to $44k/year, assuming a 40 hour week for 50 weeks out of the year.

I was nice about it, but I also told her that I last made that kind of $$ 35 years ago. Which is actually not true. I really last made that kind of **** pay a good 38 years ago. Yes, folks, it was 1987, the year that Rick Astley released Never Gonna Give You Up.

This was for a large financial services firm. Not a nonprofit. Not a bouncing baby startup not yet backed by a VC. For work in Boston, where I would have to go into the office. Boston is one of the most expensive markets in the US but also has higher salaries.

So, I am sorry, Recruiter Lady, that your own boss is such an ass to you.