In case you wondered, no I'm not dead...

[Wooley]

I took a while off from the forums as I had some things in real life I needed to deal with. Things are looking better now. A plan is just a list of things that don't happen, and if I could, I'd make a LOT of decisions over again, but live and learn, I guess. I hope not to be such a stranger in the future.

[Mike70]

what up fool?


i see that rumors of your demise have been greatly exaggerated.:D

[Eyebiter]

We just figured you had gone ape**** or something.

[Yojimbo]

We just figured you had gone ape**** or something.

Dang, everytime I come up with a good line, someone like you beats me to it.

Wooley, always happy to see you around!

[acealive1]

We just figured you had gone ape**** or something.


i thought peter offed ya,man :lol::lol:

[Wooley]

what up fool?




Where to start? I was going to school for Biomedical Technologist, an AS degree, after switching majors from nursing, and was almost done, except for this "Career Experience" class, where, heh, you get a job in the biomedical device industry. Wow, to get the degree I need the job, to get the job I need the degree. What mental giant thought this crap up?

Anyway, started looking, and looking, and found that there is very little in the way of demand for a person with a 2 year degree and no experience in the biomedical device industry. I got 6 or 7 interviews, no offers, after applying to 400+ positions. Most of those were through staffing agencies.

I failed that class, since I took an imcomplete and couldn't withdraw since it was too late by the time I figured no one was going to hire my ass. My GPA is now a 2.77 or something. Not horrible, but not the 3.75 it was when I got my AA degree either.

So I started looking for *any* job I could get, simply because I have to do something, and I found one, through a temp agency.

First, I was doing production at an industrial bakery-they made pies. It was better than no job at all, but the hours were uneven, and worse, they'd call, tell me to come in, I'd drive a half hour, and wait for two more before finding that the bakery didn't need me at all. Wow, sure am glad that my f'ing time and gas is free.

That's changed. I'm now doing productions for a place that makes shampoo, conditioner, liquid soap, bath salt, lip balm, etc. Pay is the same, it's almost the same distance, maybe a mile or two closer, but the hours are regular, and the availability is regular as well.

In addition, I've gotten a raise, and a promotion of sorts, after maybe 7 weeks or so with the temp agency. From 8.00/hr to 8.50hr since they made me the on-site staffing coordinator or something. Basically, I ring people in before the temp agency rep arrives to do her thing. I do other stuff-fill the hairnet containers, copy that day's schedule so she can check people off as they check in with her, help people clock in with the computer system, etc.

The company I'm working for has expressed some interest in hiring me full time, since the team leader came around and asked if I would be interested in becoming a 3rd shift line lead, if they offered it to me. It's not a done deal by any means, just them sniffing the waters to see if I'd take it if they offered it.
I've been told it's slow getting people hired in most cases-one guy's been there since Oct, and has only been a full time temp (check comes from the company, not the temp service) for four months.

I also applied to and interviewed for a position with the FDA as a Consumer Product Safety Officer-basically, compliance officer. I won't know anything about that for awhile yet.

I've also taken steps to enroll in school again, on a part time basis to get my 4 year degree. Gaps in my work history where I've been in school have not served me well when job hunting. Degree wise, I'm thinking English, since so many jobs seem to just specify BA/BS and not a particular degree, I think a BA English would be very transferable in the job world. Otherwise, communications, like technical writing or maybe history.

[mista_mo]

Sorry too hear all of the bad news man, it's not easy to go through such drastic changes, but you seem to be holding yourself together. Just out of curiosity, how much would the full time position pay? I know at the food basics I work for it's 14.90/hour, and I make 10.00/hour allready (marit raises) at part time position (took me roughly 2 years, but you know, i got it in a shorter time period then anyone else :P). Have you thought of applying for a full time position to some grocery store or other retail agency?

At any rate, it is good to hear you are okay, and your situation seems to be improving (promotions, going back to school etc.) Just keep at it, work hard and be diligent, and everything will be okay.

[Wooley]

Mister Mo-An Apex temp, like the guy I've been working with earns 10/hr, while a line lead gets 12.50 I believe. I don't know if there is a shift differential.

I haven't looked at other jobs recently, since I'd like to see where this line lead position might go. Besides, a leadership job would look really really good on a resume in the future.


As for school, I intend to go part time only, doing a class, maybe two every semester until I get the degree, since going full time left me no time for working before (during my nursing classes, I took 19 credits one semester), and my lack of a steady job history has done me no favors I'm sure when I applied to positions.

The FDA job would start at the GS-5 pay level, which would be about 28,000/yr, plus a location allowance, depending on where I'm at. Being located in some cities pays more than others, since it's more expensive to live in some versus others. My top 5 spots were Minneapolis/St Paul, followed by Sioux Falls, SD, Madison, Wisc, Green Bay, Wisc, and Sioux City, Iowa.
I'd like to stay in the upper Midwest here since almost all of my family is up here.

[jdog]

welcome back. i to have been gone for awhile but hope to pop in more often now.