#that i have a degree and i was going into basically customer service

[dokyeomini]

all my co-workers are so fucking nice fr 🥹🩷

[milkteabinniechan]

*⁠♡Happy Father's Day - Chan

MINORS DNI 18+ ONLY membership // m.list

pairing: single dad! Chan x afab reader

warnings: fingering, lots of mouth sounds, angst (if you squint your eyes)

I’ll tell him about you.

Your friend had an adorable three year old. A loud, sticky, energetic three year old. But adorable nonetheless. You had a pretty regular babysitting gig going. A few people around your neighborhood had talked and heard about your services and now you were basically a seasoned vet when it came to entertaining toddlers.

But your friend was a full time stay-at-home mom now and could watch her own adorable, sticky three year old. And now you needed another spot to fill those last bit of monthly bills. So she said there was a new dad at the preschool that seemed like he was struggling. “Struggling”, she said in air quotes. You agreed and asked her to give this new dad your information. Even though you mostly worked with the mothers, money was money.

A few days passed and eventually your phone rang, an unknown number flashing on the screen.

“Hello?”

“Uh, yeah. Hi. This is Chan. The.. uh.. Dad from Sunnyvale Preschool? I was told you could help me out with babysitting?”

He sounded nervous, or maybe he was just a shy person. Maybe he hated talking on the phone. But did his voice sound sexy? There was a deep, velvety smoothness to the way he spoke. Even between the stutters and pauses. You lingered for a moment, lost in the thought of that voice of his.

“Are you still there?” His voice pierced through your eardrum.

“Shit. Sorry, yeah. I’m here. And yes, I am available. Do you have time this week to set up a meet and greet?” your voice quickly went into customer service mode, knowing exactly what to say, memorizing the script you had made for yourself months ago.

THe two of you agreed on a time and day and said your goodbyes. You took a deep breath and tried to forget the way the sound of his voice made you feel. And you prayed all night that he didn’t look as good as he sounded.

Soon, you found yourself at the front door of Chan’s house. An expansive four bedroom home with one of those driveways that was nearly at a ninety degree angle. The door itself was large with two thin lines of stained glass running vertically down the front. A wooden WELCOME sign layed lazily against the door. A novelty sign you could buy as a last minute purchase at a hardware store. The front door clicked open and Chan stood in the doorway, child on his hip.

“Come on in,” He said warmly, arm gesturing for you to walk inside, “Did you find the place okay?”

Inside was a long staircase leading up to the bedrooms, a chandelier hanging from the top floor and swinging down gracefully into the foyer where the three of you stood. Past the stairs was a long hallway that led to the living room and an open floor plan kitchen. Windows surrounded the rooms in a sunlit blanket that made the whole house seem as if it was holding its arms out to you, embracing you.

The three of you sat down on the sectional couch in the living room. You sat on one end, while Chan and the small child sat together on the other corner. Chan introduced the small girl as Lilly. She clung to Chan tightly, her small, chubby finger gripping onto his shirt as if it were a lifeline. You smiled at Lilly and introduced yourself to her. You held eye contact with only her and asked her about some of her favorite things. You had learned over the years that children appreciated when you spoke to them like you understood them. Like everything they said was important, because to you it was. Lilly lit up and talked excitedly about some of her favorite books, jumping at the opportunity to show you. She ran to her room and hastily returned with a few small books. One was about animals, another was about a tractor that made a new friend. You exclaimed in amazement at Lilly’s amazing books. She was smart and she was quiet, but you could tell she was very well loved.

Chan watched the two of you talk about books and the different noises that animals make. It had been a long time since he had seen Lilly open up to someone so quickly. It made his heart feel full to burst, seeing the way you interacted with his daughter.

“You’re hired.” Chan said as you started to walk out of the door. His sudden decision startled you, usually it took most parents to call a few days after the meet and greet. You smiled warmly at Chan, giving him a firm handshake. The two of you quickly made a schedule of the days you would be working and before you knew it, you were in the routine with him.

Months went by with the three of you falling into this routine. You knew exactly when Chan would get home, you knew the foods that Lilly liked to eat, with her tastes changing by the week. You knew when to have dinner on the table and when to have Lilly in bed. And there was comfort there. A comfort in Chan coming home, in making a meal for him. You loved Lilly, and you couldn’t ignore this role that you were easing into.

“Happy Father’s Day!”

Chan walked in the door to find you greeting him with balloons and a cake on the dining room table. Lilly ran to Chan and squeezed his leg. You stood by the balloons and cake, waiting for his reaction. But for a moment he just stood there. Then, he picked Lilly up, propping her on his hip and walked towards you, embracing you with his free arm. He pulled you in close and whispered a soft thank you against your neck. As he pulled back from the hug, the two of you lingered there for a moment, caught heavily in the tension building thick between you. Later that evening, you walked back downstairs from putting Lilly to bed. You entered the kitchen to see Chan cleaning off the rest of the plates and silverware, blue frosting speckled on forks and spoons alike.

“I hope the cake wasn’t too much,” You spoke softly, moving towards Chan at the sink, “It was Lilly’s idea, she really wanted a cake.”

Chan chuckled softly at the thought of his daughter begging for a cake, with only blue frosting, blue being her current favorite color.

“It was perfect,” Chan stopped washing dishes and turned towards you, “you’re perfect.” Chan slowly moved his hands from the warm sink water, to your waiting waist. His fingers crept along your stomach and landed flush along your back, pulling you close to his body. You gasped at the sudden movement, but your body reacted reflexively to his touch. He took you by the hips and propped you up on the kitchen counter. He moved in towards your legs, spreading them open, making room for him. He gripped your thigh with his large hand and pulled it up and around his waist. Your eyes burned bright at his brazen actions as you wrapped your hands around the back of his neck, pulling him into a deep, possessive kiss. Chan forcefully glides his tongue into your mouth, letting it graze across your teeth. You let out a soft gasp as you feel his tongue slide inside, sending a shiver up your spine. You open your mouth wider for him, letting your tongues tangle together in a slow, sensual dance. You press against Chan, craving more of his touch, desperate for it.

He lets his hand fall lazily down your chest, then your stomach. He easily unclasps the button of your pants and lets his hand slip inside. The rush of warmth from his hand causes your head to fall back, your back arching at his every movement. A low growl escapes from inside Chan’s chest seeing how responsive you are to his touch. He lets his teeth graze lightly along the skin of your neck while his fingers trace hypnotic circles around the entrance of your cunt. He can feel how wet you already are for him and it causes something feral to happen in his brain. He buries his fingers deeper inside you, the sudden impact and pressure causing you to squirm and squeal pathetically in his strong arms.

A small, faint cry comes from the top of the stairs and suddenly the two of you snap back into parent mode. The sound of Lilly’s tiny voice pushing all other thoughts and feelings aside. The two of you run upstairs to find Lilly in her bed, crying from a nightmare.

Chan melts instantly at the sight of his daughter safely lying in her bed, instantly thinking the worst may have happened. He sits on the bed with her and holds her close. He consoles her and reminds her that dreams cannot hurt her, he reassures her that he is here to protect her. That he will always be here for her. But as he speaks, he looks at you too. He looks at you as if he wanted you to hear what he was saying as well, like he was speaking to you and Lilly. That you were both important to him. As if he wanted to protect you too. And love you too. You gave Chan a small nod, so he knew you understood. You loved him too. And you would protect both of them with your whole heart.

taglist: @simply-trash5 @sugawhaaa @trixiekaulitz @chrizzztopherbang @cassidymb121 @roanns-posts @staysinbloom @yaorzu-blog @bubblebisk @cotton-candycloudz @beautyinhypnosis @domicaru @strawberry31 @slxtmeri @newhope8 @tinyelfperson @dandelions-143 @stayyyyyyyyyyyy21 @msauthor @fun-fanfics @ell0thebell @stephanieeeyang @juskz @kimahreummm @readr1221 @kayleefriedchicken @ovulatingrn @hwnglixho @darthmaddie25 @queen-in-the-shadows @itgirlalisaa @miinhoo

[girlboss-enthusiast]

Please tell us how to get into IT without a degree! I have an interview for a small tech company this week and I’m going in as admin but as things expand I can bootstrap into a better role and I’d really appreciate knowing what skills are likely to be crucial for making that pivot.

Absolutely!! You'd be in a great position to switch to IT, since as an admin, you'd already have some familiarity with the systems and with the workplace in general. Moving between roles is easier in a smaller workplace, too.

So, this is a semi-brief guide to getting an entry-level position, for someone with zero IT experience. That position is almost always going to be help desk. You've probably heard a lot of shit about help desk, but I've always enjoyed it.

So, here we go! How to get into IT for beginners!

The most important thing on your resume will be

✨~🌟Certifications!!🌟~✨

Studying for certs can teach you a lot, especially if you're entirely new to the field. But they're also really important for getting interviews. Lots of jobs will require a cert or degree, and even if you have 5 years of experience doing exactly what the job description is, without one of those the ATS will shunt your resume into a black hole and neither HR or the IT manager will see it.

First, I recommend getting the CompTIA A+. This will teach you the basics of how the parts of a computer work together - hardware, software, how networking works, how operating systems work, troubleshooting skills, etc. If you don't have a specific area of IT you're interested in, this is REQUIRED. Even if you do, I suggest you get this cert just to get your foot in the door.

I recommend the CompTIA certs in general. They'll give you a good baseline and look good on your resume. I only got the A+ and the Network+, so can't speak for the other exams, but they weren't too tough.

If you're more into development or cybersecurity, check out these roadmaps. You'll still benefit from working help desk while pursuing one of those career paths.

The next most important thing is

🔥🔥Customer service & soft skills🔥🔥

Sorry about that.

I was hired for my first ever IT role on the strength of my interview. I definitely wasn't the only candidate with an A+, but I was the only one who knew how to handle customers (aka end-users). Which is, basically, be polite, make the end-user feel listened to, and don't make them feel stupid. It is ASTOUNDING how many IT people can't do that. I've worked with so many IT people who couldn't hide their scorn or impatience when dealing with non-tech-savvy coworkers.

Please note that you don't need to be a social butterfly or even that socially adept. I'm autistic and learned all my social skills by rote (I literally have flowcharts for social interactions), and I was still exceptional by IT standards.

Third thing, which is more for you than for your resume (although it helps):

🎇Do your own projects🎇

This is both the most and least important thing you can do for your IT career. Least important because this will have the smallest impact on your resume. Most important because this will help you learn (and figure out if IT is actually what you want to do).

The certs and interview might get you a job, but when it comes to doing your job well, hands-on experience is absolutely essential. Here are a few ideas for the complete beginner. Resources linked at the bottom.

Start using the command line. This is called Terminal on Mac and Linux. Use it for things as simple as navigating through file directories, opening apps, testing your connection, that kind of thing. The goal is to get used to using the command line, because you will use it professionally.

Build your own PC. This may sound really intimidating, but I swear it's easy! This is going to be cheaper than buying a prebuilt tower or gaming PC, and you'll learn a ton in the bargain.

Repair old PCs. If you don't want to or can't afford to build your own PC, look for cheap computers on Craiglist, secondhand stores, or elsewhere. I know a lot of universities will sell old technology for cheap. Try to buy a few and make a functioning computer out of parts, or just get one so you can feel comfortable working in the guts of a PC.

Learn Powershell or shell scripting. If you're comfortable with the command line already or just want to jump in the deep end, use scripts to automate tasks on your PC. I found this harder to do for myself than for work, because I mostly use my computer for web browsing. However, there are tons of projects out there for you to try!

Play around with a Raspberry Pi. These are mini-computers ranging from $15-$150+ and are great to experiment with. I've made a media server and a Pi hole (network-wide ad blocking) which were both fun and not too tough. If you're into torrenting, try making a seedbox!

Install Linux on your primary computer. I know, I know - I'm one of those people. But seriously, nothing will teach you more quickly than having to compile drivers through the command line so your Bluetooth headphones will work. Warning: this gets really annoying if you just want your computer to work. Dual-booting is advised.

If this sounds intimidating, that's totally normal. It is intimidating! You're going to have to do a ton of troubleshooting and things will almost never work properly on your first few projects. That is part of the fun!

Resources

Resources I've tried and liked are marked with an asterisk*

Professor Messor's Free A+ Training Course*

PC Building Simulator 2 (video game)

How to build a PC (video)

PC Part Picker (website)*

CompTIA A+ courses on Udemy

50 Basic Windows Commands with Examples*

Mac Terminal Commands Cheat Sheet

Powershell in a Month of Lunches (video series)

Getting Started with Linux (tutorial)* Note: this site is my favorite Linux resource, I highly recommend it.

Getting Started with Raspberry Pi

Raspberry Pi Projects for Beginners

/r/ITCareerQuestions*

Ask A Manager (advice blog on workplace etiquette and more)*

Reddit is helpful for tech questions in general. I have some other resources that involve sailing the seas; feel free to DM me or send an ask I can answer privately.

Tips

DO NOT work at an MSP. That stands for Managed Service Provider, and it's basically an IT department which companies contract to provide tech services. I recommend staying away from them. It's way better to work in an IT department where the end users are your coworkers, not your customers.

DO NOT trust remote entry-level IT jobs. At entry level, part of your job is schlepping around hardware and fixing PCs. A fully-remote position will almost definitely be a call center.

DO write a cover letter. YMMV on this, but every employer I've had has mentioned my cover letter as a reason to hire me.

DO ask your employer to pay for your certs. This applies only to people who either plan to move into IT in the same company, or are already in IT but want more certs.

DO NOT work anywhere without at least one woman in the department. My litmus test is two women, actually, but YMMV. If there is no woman in the department in 2024, and the department is more than 5 people, there is a reason why no women work there.

DO have patience with yourself and keep an open mind! Maybe this is just me, but if I can't do something right the first time, or if I don't love it right away, I get very discouraged. Remember that making mistakes is part of the process, and that IT is a huge field which ranges from UX design to hardware repair. There are tons of directions to go once you've got a little experience!

Disclaimer: this is based on my experience in my area of the US. Things may be different elsewhere, esp. outside of the US.

I hope this is helpful! Let me know if you have more questions!

[familyabolisher]

you don't need to answer this, but in your post (https://www.tumblr.com/familyabolisher/737777605781192705/ok-related-thought-is-i-think-we-can-develop-a) you mention how food service workers often reinforce 'class norms' in the restaurant setting; I was wondering what this meant exactly and if there was any example of this (for further elucidation because i was a bit unclear on the details while reading).

thank you, and I hope have a good day!

yeah, sure - so simply put, restaurant workers (to a varying degree depending on your actual position in the restaurant and contact with the guests, but all of us to some extent) need to cater to the customer, which requires enforcing the boundaries by which "customer" is defined in the first place. the customer is the individual who is going to generate profit for the business by spending money, and our job is to facilitate that process. obviously, the person who can spend money at the restaurant has to be a person with the means to do so, ie. money to spend - this is what i mean by the class norms of the restaurant. the class norms will vary based on factors like location, pricing, etc etc (eg. my work is the upscale end of casual dining in a relatively affluent area, so our guests are usually quite well-off, especially the regulars; the class character we are expected to reproduce is different to what you might expect from eg. a cheaper restaurant in the inner city), but the base principle is that we are expected to create an environment conducive to the spending of money and to limit or eliminate the factors that will inhibit people's doing so. this can mean removing homeless people from the restaurant, not letting them sleep outside, etc; challenging people who steal from the business, including collaborating with cops; preventing drug use on the premises; basically removing people who aren't going to spend money and who are regarded as 'antisocial,' offensive to the restaurant clientele, etc.

there are [arguably] more benign examples of this, like the kind of servitude we're expected to perform being one which simulates the presence of a servile class and thus maintains such a fantasy for the middle-class clientele; sweeping dead leaves up and binning them, which is horrible for the environment but expected of us because piles of leaves are an eyesore; the kind of work we have to do to create this sort of fantasy of servitude for the guests that extends beyond merely giving them a nice meal (again, this varies from place to place, and mine leans harder on it than many others).

obviously compliance with these expectations will vary lol but we as restaurant workers are, whilst obviously exploited, also complicit in systems of violence by which communities are constructed and outliers are expunged. i think this discourse which puts all the onus of exploitation or like 'harm' being done on the "customer" occludes the actual social processes taking place in the restaurant space.

[1am-yan]

I imagine Kylar working a 9 to 5 job after school just to suffer being a retail worker and he doesn’t have time to take showers or make himself dinner so he strictly eats onions cuz idk it’s healthy? But when he meets PC he feels like a little bit better about himself but still stuffers the retail life

But that’s just a theory

Ooooh yes... forgive me in advance if I end up going a little off track from your ask but I feel like rambling...

I like the thought of a minimum wage worker Kylar a lot! Even if he's good at science in school, I think there's a big chance he wouldn't have the motivation to go get a degree after high school, especially if he didn't meet PC or something. I don't think he'd work with customer service unless he was in a gas station (which would rule I love gas stations), maybe he'd work instead with inventory in a larger store? That way he can easily steal stuff, too... old habits die hard and whatnot with him.

Why does he eat only onions in this AU though xD /lh (I don't really like them just by themselves so it sounds sillier to me) Maybe as a snack? But for dinners I think he'd go with microwavable ones that advertise including vegetables, since he knows you need variety for a healthy diet (like he covers all the basic food groups when he feeds PC in the kidnapping event!) Like frozen veggie stir fry packets or those mini pot pies...

I mean, no matter the AU, I always like the thought of PC being able to get Kylar out of his head and get back on track to living rather than just surviving :> I feel like that'd come across more clearly with a Kylar who's already out of school since he'd feel more hopeless (like he'd have "wasted potential" or smth) than he does while he's still in school! So I really like the idea!

[starry-eyed-steve]

Okay, so normally, I scroll past any ridiculous Steve takes, especially when it comes to death theories or theories about s5 in general. However, I just saw such a bad take that it actually made me angry, I need to make my own post. (Warning, this gets a bit petty towards the end)

Basically, the OP claimed Steve needs to die in s5 for the following reasons:

He has nothing going on in his life. He works a minimum wage job and is stuck in his hometown

He only has Robin and the kids, nothing else

It would not be satisfying if he lived

Steve can't grow more as a character because he already had too much development, so it would be better to end it there

He's only useful for protecting the group and nothing else

His death would be great for other characters because if he scarifices himself, the others are then able to go out in the world, live their lives, and do great things

Okay, that's a lot to unpack here, and I'm kinda speechless people really have such a low opinion about him.

First of all, saying Steve has nothing going on because he works a minimum wage job and doesn't have a concrete plan for the future is such a weird thing to say. He has a job, and even if it's not the best paid one, he still has an income. It's not like he's has nothing to do after he graduated (which he did the first time). If you think Steve needs to have it all figured out by 19 in order to be allowed to live, kindly fuck off. Almost no character has a concrete plan for the future. We never see Robin talk about her plans as well. Besides Nancy wanting to go to Emerson, we don't really know anything about the other characters' plans. The idea that minimum wage jobs are considered as something not worth pursuing or that your life must suck if you have them reeks of privilege. Not everyone can or wants to get a college degree. The people who work in customer service or have manual labor jobs are very valuable members of society, and to imply just because Steve has a minimum wage job working at a video store, so he better dies, is a horrible take. But also again, he is 19 (!!!) and should be allowed to have opportunities to figure out his plans for the future. Plus, he explicitly told us his end goal, he wants a loving partner and kids, and that's reason enough to keep going. (Even if he wouldn't have this goal or plan, he deserves time to figure things out, seeing as he lived his life in survival mode for the past 4 years.)

I also really don't get the second point. What is wrong about Steve having a real friend and a group of people he cares about? Shouldn't that be reason enough for him to keep living? Shouldn't having friends who you care about and who care about you automatically count as something that is enough. Besides, again, he also has a job, likes to go on dates, and it's implied he's still into sports.

The other characters also have each other. They hang out all the time to play their dnd games. Jonathan only has one friend (who now isn't even in the show anymore) and a gf. Nancy barely has any friends as well, besides her bf, who wants to slow mo break up with her. Should they die because they only have like 2 people they are close with? Or is it different because they want to go to college and do well in school, which is the only good purpose characters are allowed to have in order to be deemed worthy of living?

Imo it wouldn't be satisfying if Steve would die after everything he has been through. The show beats him to a pulp every season. He was tortured, maimed, and he sacrificed already so much for the group. He has the most physical trauma, besides Hopper. Even if the show doesn't address it, it's still there. (I hate it sm, but also I blame mostly on limited time that almost no character gets to explore their trauma.) It would be such a disservice to his character if he went through all of that for nothing. What kinda message is that? Killing off the character who is the most hopeful despite everything he went through is not satisfying. None of the main characters' deaths would feel satisfying after going through the horrors like that. (Besides Murray because fuck him)

If you think a character or person can only grow so much until they reach some arbitrary point where they are the perfect version of themselves, you're pretty naive. Nobody stops growing. Even if someone goes through growth, you don't stop your whole life. Maybe start rooting for an arc for Steve, where he gets even better. Where he gets to figure things out, where he becomes a better version of himself. You wouldn't say this to any other character. Just because his growth arc was more noticeable doesn't mean all your other faves didn't grow. Do you want them to stop living because they made choices to be a better person?

You're really underestimating Steve's relationship to the group if you think he's nothing more than a punching bag to them. How can you watch the show and really think this. He's Robins best friend, he helps her grow and be comfortable. He's Dustin's older brother figure. He gives him comfort, and he will most likely help him in s5 with his grief over Eddie. Even with Max, he functions as a brother figure, especially in contrast to her stepbrother. Yes, his primary role in the group is fighter and protector, but he is more than that. He's a friend and important to so many characters.

I think the last point was the thing that made me angry the most. All those other takes I've seen time and time again, but this last one is just disgusting. First of all again to imply that Steve can't do great things because he doesn't have a career plan at 19, which is just gross. And then if you also think the other characters would be so appreciative of this as if they don't give a fuck about Steve. Like Robin and Dustin would be devastated, how much of his death would affect them and their plans to do amazing things? They would be severely depressed and untreated (lets be real mental health issues were not taken super seriously up until recently) they will live with those impacts for the rest of their lives. Trust me I know how terrible depression is and how it fucks with your life plans. Maybe some characters who are not super close to him might use his death for motivation and to achieve those "great" things. But for most parts, his death would have a negative influence on them, on top of the trauma they already endured. If you think his death would only benefit the group, you're underestimating his impact on people. Like Dustin already has a hard time getting over Eddie, Robin would lose the only person who completely understands her, Max would lose another brother figure and a chance to bond with him more. Nancy would lose yet another person who was close to her. How many people should she lose until she snaps completely? But again, it's the implication that Steve's life is worthless because he doesn't go to college or has a shitty job or only has a few friends, that gets me. His life is worth less than other characters' lives because they seemingly have things figured out because they are (book) smarter than him. And btw Steve has a dream for the future, he wants a family and peace, he wants to be a better parent than his own parents were, and if you think that's meaningless or less great, then fuck you!

With those points and logic, Jonathan should also be a contender for character death in s5 as well. He doesn't have a job, he gets high with his only friend who won't be there in s5, he didn't apply for his dream university, he's about to break up with his gf. Jonathan only has his family and barely any growth over the seasons. He is a very stale character. In other words, according to those points made by OP, he has nothing going on and should sacrifice his life for the group as some form of character development.

Or Robin should also die in s5 according to those points. After all, all she has going on for her is a minimum wage job she works with her best friend, school, and a so far miserable love life. We don't know any of her future plans so fuck her I guess. She better sacrifice herself for the group. Or is she allowed to live because she's smarter than Steve (which is a pretty ableist thing to say) and gets to embark on a romantic journey next season?

To sum it up, stop saying Steve has to die because you think his life is meaningless because he's a teenager who hasn't things figured out. Stop saying shit along the lines that Steve isn't smart enough to get to have a life. Stop implying that intelligence is the most valuable thing a person can have and anyone who might lack it is deemed as less worthy of living. Stop saying Steve can't do amazing things if he doesn't go to college and therefore shouldn't be allowed to live. And stop deeming Steve's dream of a family as less meaningful (or meaningless) than academic/career successes. He deserves to live like every other character in the show.

[di-girls-dem-sugar]

Going to be keeping it absolutely real on here as I always do when things get bad. I'm starting to think that it might not get better after all I can't lie. I'm just so sad and angry and mad and lonely all the time. I moved away from home two years ago and I can't hold on to any stable relationships and I'm basically all alone here and I feel like such an idiot for complaining about it because it's nobody's fault that I don't go anywhere and I am bad at talking to people or holding on to relationships. it's completely my fault and I know it's up to me to change it but I've never been good at making friends and that hasn't changed just because I'm not 16 or 11 or 5 years old anymore and I'm still not quite sure how to go about it.

It's been 2 years and Canada doesn't feel like a foreign place anymore .I know my way around and I know how to get stuff done and it has already set in that this is my life now and I guess this just means that my life now is just me by myself with everyone I know and love 1800 miles away.

And even then half the time it still feels like I don't have anyone because my sister hardly answers her phone and my other sister and I have literally only known each other for a month and I don't even know her middle name yet and my mom has got a new job and doesn't have time to call me like she used to and so I don't even feel like I have my mommy anymore and my best friend is already dealing with so much and I wish I could turn back time and bring her loved one back to life but I cant and I feel so empty thinking about how she must feel and I'm not comfortable with anybody else so other than those people.

I'm a year away from graduating with a degree in a field that I hate and I can't find any internships or working experience because everything is so experience based and I am so bad at all this stuff and my grades are so mediocre and I don't have anything that makes me stand out and at this point I'm worried that I won't even be good enough for grad school. When I find a part of this wretched degree that I actually like I cannot seem to do well in it despite the fact that I actually care enough to study and do work in it and it's just so demotivating. And even if I do somehow manage to get a job I'm never going to be able to afford a house and I want to have a house so bad I don't like renting I want to have a backyard and I want my own kitchen and I want to decorate my house the way I feel like when I feel like it but everything is so expensive and I hate my shitty customer service job because I hate talking to people and I don't want to stand for 6 hours and fake smile and listen to the same songs play over and over again for 6 hours anymore but I can't leave my job because no one else is hiring me.

And I have to keep pretending like everything is okay when every time I turn on my phone and go out to social media I see something else indicating that we are witnessing the decline of man as we know it and there's kids dying in so many places all over the world and people getting their homes destroyed and no matter how much I try and raise awareness and no matter how much money I give and how much I talk about it there's really nothing changing and I go outside and somebody asks me for spare change to buy a coffee so they don't freeze in the below zero weather and I wish I could put them in a house but I don't even have a house of my own. And I used to be able to look around and find even the beauty in the smallest things and to not think the worst of people and to give everyone the benefit of the doubt for the most part but now I can't help but wonder if this person thinks genocide and exploitation and mindless killing and destruction is a good thing. And I hardly see anybody talking about Sudan or Congo or Senegal or Haiti or Madagascar and it feels like african people are just always doomed to be pushed to the back burner even by black people in the diaspora and I try to be positive because if the people in those countries haven't given up hope why should I but sometimes I just get so sad.

And despite going to therapy and going on meds I still look in the mirror and hate myself and I remember that my problems are so paltry and poor compared to what's going on in the rest of the world and that I feel worse because it doesn't make me hate how I look or who I am less and the world just won't stop turning and we never get a break we just have to keep going until we die no matter how bad things get and it's not fair and I'm so tired I just need it all to stop for a second. Looking at my life feels like reading the bell jar knowing that sylvia plath wrote a book about a depressed woman and ended up killing herself. I feel doomed

[diamondcitydarlin]

the sex work talk is so funny bc you'll have people talking about the lack of consent, how it's degrading, etc etc, while just completely zooming over the bigger issue that maybe ALL work under capitalism is like that to some degree? That true consent cannot really exist in any work position under a system that forces us to work lest we basically die?? Like, you can love your job all you want and lord knows I've had jobs I loved, but at the end of the day we're (most of us) in a situation where if we don't work we lose everything (sometimes including our lives) so how can true consent possibly exist in a power dynamic like that? Why does the lack of consent on behalf of a fastfood or retail worker mean less than that of a sex worker? It's like they get hung up on 'ew sex' and the moral quagmire of all that and cannot POSSIBLY move on from that to see the bigger picture, that if consent on behalf of the people who do services for us is important (it is) THEN MAYBE WE SHOULD BE PUSHING FOR A SYSTEM THAT DOES ALLOW ROOM FOR TRUE CONSENT. GOOD UBI, FOR INSTANCE??

It's almost like some people approach these precipices of 'radicalism', right, of ALMOST seeing the true monster behind the curtain but then they do a 180 turn and plant their butts firmly in the camp of blaming sex workers or sex work customers bc 'ew sex' instead of taking that further and going 'ew capitalism'. It FEELS intentional after awhile.

But then I guess it's easier to hate on and rant about groups of people than it is to realize the system you live in sucks and it's up to all of us to change it.

[chaosorchestrator]

So glad to be done with college. Specifically I'm very glad to not have to engage with classmates anymore. I refused to accept the idea that college classes were a social setting for the entire duration of getting my degree and I stand by that decision, but having to be there meant constantly being ready to evade when it looks like someone might try to stroke up a conversation uninvited.

I only went to learn things and receive certifications to prove I have learned the things. That's literally it. I was not available to be bonded with in any capacity. Covid sucks but at least it meant doing classes remotely so I didn't have to worry about that shit as much. In breakout rooms I would always just claim not to have a working mic and do basically all of the group's work by myself.

I didn't realize I had this much to say about it actually. Seriously though why is it that people feel it's ok to just. randomly start talking to someone who's just waiting for class to start or whatever. I had to wear headphones and pretend I couldn't hear people just to make them stop.

Also this isn't directly related, but at one point I had to stop going to the smoothie place that was right on the edge of campus because the person who worked that shift started to like... recognize me, greet me by name, and sometimes comment on it if I happened to show up at a different time than usual? It creeped me the fuck out honestly i just had to stop going there. Since then I've been told that customer service people are instructed to do things like that for some indecipherable reason? I assume it's neurotypicals being weird again, because why the fuck would you want a customer service person to break script and derail the planned interaction???

[jess-moloney]

Signs An Online Storefront Is A Scam

I was doing more research into this and came across an interesting article about this and though this IceStudios website doesn't meet all of the criteria they meet a lot of it. Check it out:

5. Amateur website design

However, fraudsters tend to move quickly and often don’t want to take too long to build a fake shopping website, as it could easily be identified as fraudulent and get taken down. This is why they tend to opt for simple, inexpensive website templates that come with limited features—often just enough to convince unsuspecting customers that they’re the real deal.

No one can tell me this isn't one of the most amateurish websites they've ever seen for someone who allegedly has a degree in marketing from LCF.

7. Limited contact details

Raise your suspicions if the site only has a fill-in contact form, the customer service email is a random Yahoo or Gmail account instead of a corporate one, or the contact details are non-existent.

I mean this is literally all you get for contact info it's on form and it seems to go absolutely nowhere. Like it's just there for decoration. They don't even have a note up saying how long you should wait for a reply or email addresses/regular addresses/phone numbers or any sort of support for customers.

8. Complex or non-existent returns policy

To ensure they comply with the laws surrounding consumer protection rights, reputable retail brands are transparent about their return and refund policies. Scammers, on the other hand, often don’t bother putting much thought into the return policies that feature on their sites—if they choose to include one at all.

You can read through their entire (and extremely confusing TOS) and never actually find what their return policy is. There are also several red flags in this about how they are not responsible for basically anything including false advertising or if you get your item or not.

9. Questionable payment options

Legitimate brands will always give you the option of paying with traditional and secure methods—including credit and debit cards, cash on delivery, or pay later options, such as Klarna and Afterpay.

You get one payment option with them. Though you can put in any card I suppose since it's GPay they should still have way more than one option here for people who want to buy their stuff.

10. Bad social media

Most legit businesses have some sort of social media presence as it serves as one of the best ways to advertise their products and services. If an online retailer doesn’t have an overt social media presence—or the social media icons displayed on their site lead nowhere—the chances of it being fake are high.

We already know how poorly this is run. Their most recent post is a stolen magazine cover from 1968 that Ice Studios has nothing to do with. They constantly say they are about to drop items then never drop them. They don't ever reply to customers asking questions about when certain items are coming back. They have falsely advertised that camo suit I don't know how many times (it looks extremely different on the actual website).

So the list of how to identify a scam store online is a list of 10 things and Jess's Ice Studio's shop meets 50% of that criteria. I'm not saying this proves it's some kind of scam but some of these things should just be basic knowledge if it's not a scam. If it isn't, then it's run by the most stupid people on the planet and there's no way Jess has a real degree in marketing, that's for sure. [Source Article]

Edit: Forgot to add

1. URL red flags

The fastest way to tell if a site is secure is by checking for HTTPS, with a padlock next to it, in the URL. HTTPS indicates that the site uses SSL encryption, which is superior to HTTP. With HTTPS, nobody between the website and the user can read the data.

No padlock

[monotonous-minutia]

I’ve been at my current job for about a year. I miss nanny-ing my kiddo, but I really like where I’m at now. I get to work with kids of a variety of ages (7-18) in a therapeutic setting, which is something I’ve wanted to do for a while. I also get to do a lot of customer-service type stuff like greeting people when they come in and being point of contact for the program. After a year I’m finally the “know-it-all” person that everyone goes to for questions about the building and basic daily functions. And my favorite, I manage the wait list--I take all the referrals from school, hospitals, other programs, individuals, etc., which entails asking lots of questions and getting to know the families fairly well before they even get into the program. I like this because despite my social anxiety I enjoy talking to people (and over the phone is nice because eye contact is not an issue), and I like gathering information and formatting it in the files and my spreadsheets (everywhere I go people are always teasing me about my spreadsheets). 

there are certainly things I don’t like about it, like dealing with rude people, callin transportation every goddam day (ask anyone who’s ever used Veyo/MTM and other non-emergency medical transportation and they’ll know what I’m talking about...) and insurance (I HATE INSURANCE). but for the most part I’m very happy where I am and enjoy going to work every day. Plus my 7-3 schedule rocks.

something interesting happened recently though. the nurse who comes to teach the kids health stuff, with whom I have a very good rapport, asked me why I wasn’t a case manager when I have a Master’s degree. the Case Managers are social workers who work one-on-one with kids and their families and take care of individual clients and do most of the therapy groups and all that. I told her I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to handle that, plus I’m not a licensed social worker.

I joked about it with one of the case managers later, saying how I didn’t think I could handle all the responsibility. but working one-on-one with kids is something I’ve always thought I would do and a lot of what I aspired to during my education. 

then, two days later (yesterday), the program supervisor came into my office for our weekly meeting. normally we leave the door open because my desk is in the “main office” where everyone needs to come for copies and faxing and mail and stuff. but this time she closed the door and said “I don’t want anyone walking in on this because it’s on the down-low.”

my first thought: Oh god, I’m in trouble.

but that wasn’t the case. In fact the opposite was true. She asked me if I wanted to be a case manager.

it was so uncanny I wondered if it was fate. I’m not sure I believe in fate but it was just really weird timing.

one of the current case managers is leaving and the supervisor asked me if I wanted to step in as a “floating” case manager who would do groups with all three therapy units as well as eventually get some clients of my own. it would be very different from what I’m doing right now. I wouldn’t be handling the wait list anymore or being the person who’s always there to answer the door. (to be perfectly honest those are my two favorite parts of the job.)

Part of me is like, I didn’t get my Master’s degree to answer the door and put forms on spreadsheets. But I really am using what I learned to help the people we serve, make sure they have a smooth transition from referral to wait list to case assignment. I like that I know all the families when they come into the program, where the case managers focus on the ones assigned to them. I like the groups I’m doing now and the fact that I’m a little bit of everything, and get to see people a lot when they come into my office to get things.

but the idea of having my own clients, designing more groups, getting more face-time with all the kids, having one-on-one time and building those relationships...isn’t that what I set out to do when I picked my major ten years ago?

she gave me the weekend to decide and I do NOT think that’s enough time to come to a decision that is essentially changing my career path. 

my pros-and-cons list is currently 17 items long and currently tied. here’s hoping I get some kind of epiphany.

[arostormblessed]

Please for the love of god how do u get a job at the library (also is your url stormblessed as in Kaladin bc FUCK YEAH)

First of all: YES Kaladin is thee character of all time he is my everything and Brandon Sanderson actually personally told me that he is aroace. So.

Second of all: OKAY I’ve got you friend. So getting a job at the library is largely going to depend on what kind of job you’re looking for. Unfortunately the more higher-paying full time jobs are going to require some degrees (usually a Masters in library science aka MLS) BUT there are way more options if that’s not feasible for you.

The easiest job to get at your local library is probably going to be a page position, though they’re sometimes called other names. These are your employees who check in books, organize them, and re-shelve them, as well as pulling holds and doing other odd jobs around the library (every library has a slightly different structure, so some duties may be distributed differently in your area!) Sadly it pays basically nothing, less than most fast food jobs, but literally anyone over the age of 16 can get hired and you need no experience or anything like that. It’s a great position if you’re not a people person (there’s very limited interaction with actual patrons!) Plus lots of people start from here and work their way up the proverbial food chain in their library. You’ll find lots of these positions open basically all the time because the turnover rate is so high, and it’s great if you’re looking for an easy, relaxing, low-stress part time gig that gets you real experience working in a library.

If you want a step up from pages that still doesn’t require a degree, your next option is a circulation assistant. These are the people who work the front desk (in adult or children’s sections), answer phones, help out customers, and deal with collection stuff that’s above the pages’ access/pay grade. Most of these positions are part time but some are full time! It pays more than pages- still not that much but depending on how many hours you work and which library system you’re in it can all depend. If you’re more open to customer service but don’t want to deal with food or retail it’s a good option, and it’s another stepping stone to higher positions with the added experience!

I would also recommend seeing if your local library has any special programs it houses that are hiring. Mine for example has a Makerspace area that has a 3D printer and cool machines galore, and those programs sometimes have full-time jobs available that don’t require a degree. Plus it’s a lot of fun.

(I will say that sometimes “””networking””” can be the key to getting hired in a library system. If you’ve been around the library a lot, whether it be volunteering or interning or working as a page or just being a memorable patron, if you know everyone’s name and are familiar with how the system works, it gives you a HUGE boost in the eyes of librarians. They also have a tendency to hire people just based on vibes, so if you’re just a super nice courteous cool person chances are you’ll get the job.)

Full time, higher paying jobs like reference librarians usually require an MLS but sometimes you only need a bachelor’s degree. It all depends on your library system. There are also soooo many different departments in the library that I’m not quite as familiar with (IT! Maintenance! Technical & collection services! Local history! Outreach! ILL! Children’s! Programming!) So if any of those are what really floats your boat I’d suggest doing a little research and seeing if it sounds like you!

Above all, the first step you can take is to just go to your local library’s website and check their job postings. It will (hopefully) give you way more accurate information than I’ve just rambled on about and give you a good place to start!

I wish you lots of luck, my friend. If you have any other questions about libraries I will do my best to answer them.

[cinematicnomad]

hi! i hope this is okay to ask, but i was just wondering if you could tell me/us a bit more about how you landed your job (which seems SO cool)? like, is this something you were always interested in? did you have to go to school for it? i'd love to work on the comm/marketing team for a university in my country--because i really miss the feeling of being on a busy, bustling campus--but idk if there's a better way of going about it than just cold-calling or emailing the hr dept about vacancies...

(2/2 uni job anon) comm/marketing and recruitment (which is what you do, i think?) are quite different ofc--i just think that these particular universities could really use a hand with their various english-language dispatches and know i could really help them out if i found a way onto their staff roster...

hey anon! i'm definitely happy to answer any questions. i can't comment on how your countries university's handle hiring. in the states, universities tend to list all of their open administrator/staff positions online. you can literally google a university name + jobs and you'll find a link. once on it, you can usually narrow you're search—so in your case, you could potentially narrow it down to positions with the words 'marketing' 'communications' 'social media' etc etc. then find the position that fits your interest and fill out the application and submit it. then you just have to...wait. which for universities (at least in the states) can take some time.

i put my personal journey in my work below the cut if anyone's interested:

i didn't originally go to school with the intention of working in higher ed. i got my bachelors in english lit with a minor in history. i thought i might become a writer or go into publishing or something. i v much did not know what i wanted to do by the time i finished undergrad. i traveled some the summer after college and didn't really seriously thinking about my post-school plans until late july. i didn't have a drivers license (let alone a car or easy access to public transportation) and i was living in suburbia with my parents so my options were really limited—but i lucked out in that we lived about a 15 minute walk from a large public university so i just kind of...applied to everything? i didn't have much by the way of experience—at this point my resume amounted to 3 summers working as a clerk in a doctor's office, a summer as a day camp counselor, a summer working as a sales associate at homegoods, and an internship at a british private publishing company. basically i had customer service skills and i knew how to function in an office and i could string coherent sentences together. the one guiding point i had when applying to jobs was that...i'd grown up traveling around the world and so i was intrigued by the jobs i saw that had to do with international admissions/students/etc. i prioritized those applications, but honestly i would have taken anything.

i luckily got an interview and an eventual offer for a part-time assistant job in the office of international admissions. and my career kind of just...evolved from there? about 6 months later my supervisor moved into a new position and i was asked to apply for his job so i did. it wasn't exactly what i wanted to be doing—i spent my days sitting in an office reviewing international transcripts to determine a) if the school was recognized/accredited; b) the US degree equivalency; and c) the student's equivalent US gpa AND i was given the task of processing and issuing immigration documents for incoming int'l students. these are two incredibly niche, vital processes for international admissions and having that baseline expertise was good for me. i stayed at that university for a total of 4 years before accepting a position at a smaller private university in DC—by this point i had a license and a car and could afford to move closer to public transportation. career-wise it was lateral move—i didn't get a title bump, but i did get a decent salary increase AND the job was more generalized. which was good for me! all of my work up until that point had been SO specialized and isolated that i spent a lot of time on my own cooped up in an office doing work alone—and bc my job was so isolated and no one could cover for me, and it was so reliant on being in the office, i was never given the opportunity to travel. which sucked. my new job let me experience different facets of admissions with a team of people and also allowed me the chance to get some experience recruiting domestically.

after i'd been there for a while i took advantage of one of the common benefits of working in higher ed in the US—tuition benefits. i applied for and was admitted into a master's program int'l education and my job covered 90% of the tuition. whenever i had a performance review or check in with my supervisor i let her know i was interested in recruiting internationally for the office. halfway through the program my boss offered me the chance to apply for a new position in my office with the understanding that it would come with a pay increase, a title bump, and FINALLY: int'l recruiting. i applied, got the job, renewed my passport so i could be ready to travel...and then COVID hit.

that derailed plans a little but i stayed in my job and kept working. i finally got to start recruiting internationally for my job last fall and around november i had another conversation with my boss about a new position—this one would be focused on recruiting internationally and on developing partnerships with other universities and designing joint programs. so that's what i'm doing now! and that's how i got here.

not sure if anyone is actually here still reading this! but if you are, i am happy to answer any questions you might have about preparing for interviews, what to expect, other nitty-gritty details, etc.

[devilsskettle]

i can pretend i’m doing pretty good for a few weeks and feel really optimistic and positive - like i’m working, i don’t hate my jobs, i’m living independently, i’m planning the next steps in my education/career, etc - and then someone or something will completely shatter this perspective. like someone derisively said to me recently, i’m working “three part-time low level jobs” - dead ends that have nothing to do with my degree, and i can’t even get hired full-time at one of them in the fucking entry level customer service position that i have already been doing for months that they’re currently hiring for. because the directors of my department who i hardly ever interact with have decided i’m too quiet. to do literally the exact same job, just with more hours so i can maybe not be broke all the time. and people keep dragging up my past academic failures acting like my entire degree doesn’t matter because i have two Fs on my transcript. like big fucking deal. but i guess if i want to go back to school even just for a certificate program it matters. absolutely no faith in my other grades, my degree, my work experience, or the strength of my writing and interviewing skills for the application for a program to prepare for a job i KNOW i would be good at. but now have little faith in because i’m seeing myself the way other people see me now and it’s like. not great. how am i ever going to justify to anyone that they should admit me into their program or hire me knowing that this is what i am to people. anyway i literally took my diploma out of the frame and tore it in half the other day because it is such a useless piece of shit that will never get anyone to give me any credit or respect and it’s not something i’m even allowed to feel proud of anymore (despite people trying to convince me for months that i should even though i didn’t feel anything about it. but they wanted me to care about it) because my transcript isn’t fucking pristine. and then going to this fucking funeral where a bunch of people i don’t know want to hear about everything in my life and none of it is impressive enough for them and you can just see them failing at hiding how judgmental they are. and then you think you’re doing something nice for somebody else and it’s suddenly all turned around on you as if them ALLOWING you to help them was such a nice thing for them to do for YOU and actually you don’t appreciate all the things that they do and you’re ungrateful and mean, as if you didn’t drop everything the day after working the overnight shift to be there for them and also the entire weekend which you had to call off two days of work for. which of course was basically mandatory but still. god forbid i show an ounce of negativity right before going to a fucking funeral. and then there was that kidney stone i got that was definitely my fault because i drank nothing but alcohol for like a week straight leading up to it. not to mention all of the other parts of my diet that are unhealthy. anyway. 

all of that optimism and positivity feeling like i’m getting my shit together is crushed and it’s like suddenly, instead of living in a great neighborhood! with such an easy commute! that’s so beautiful this time of year! i’m in this awful house with these perfectly nice people who i fucking hate in this tiny dirty room that is clearly inhabited by a very mentally unstable individual who can’t handle basic household chores, i have to spend money to get on the dirty crowded bus every day to go to a job where people are dismissive and rude to me even though i am so polite and pleasant and helpful and friendly and everything that i’m told to be and i do all my work and i’m good at it and it’s still not enough because i’m not out here begging for attention for just doing my fucking job. and suddenly, instead of feeling like i have this Future where i’ll pursue a career that i might actually have a chance at succeeding in, it’s just like. well “you’ve been interested in other things in the past, how do you know this time will be different?” great question, thanks. i don’t fucking know. i probably will lose interest as soon as things get hard and give up and have wasted everybody’s time once again not to mention all kinds of money and energy, and i’ll be even more lost than before and i’ll probably just kill myself. is that what you want to hear? fuck. i don’t know, man, i just want enough money to live by myself and dress well and eat well and do some things that i like. actually i’m realizing how much of what i do is just to try to earn some kind of leverage to get people to show me just a little bit of basic human respect which of course they are never going to give me. anyway. not to mention that all of my friends are in different parts of the country and nobody here wants to hang out. to be fair i haven’t reached out recently but i tried really hard for a couple of months to be more social and i was the only one trying and it was too fucking hard and most of the time i just wished i’d stayed home. and i think there’s just something about me that people can tell is just kind of off and they don’t like me. and then a lot of times i drink too much. but it was a lot easier to feel like i didn’t need anyone and i was happy just being by myself because i liked my jobs and i was working all the time so i was busy but now. i don’t want to say that the illusion is shattered because it’s not really an illusion, but it’s like i was seeing the surface of a smooth pond reflecting all the light and now all i can see is the mud and algae and dead fish. literally i had to radio facilities to get a dead fish out of a fountain the other day, it was fucking gross 

[dustvoid]

24.07.24

feel like im just failing at everything and constantly facing some sort of rejection or criticism. feel like I can't do anything right at this point. being ghosted or friend zoned by guys, rejected by job after job, can't even do this temporary job properly, I don't even know what im doing here. im so homesick but I wish I wasn't, because I was depressed there as well, so I don't think it really matters where I am really, ill always feel this way. im just so tired. I feel like ive been pigeonholed and now im stuck in a career that I never wanted; customer fucking service. I hate it and now it is all I can do because I didn't make the right choices when I was studying. rejected from pr jobs for lack of experience? when I already have a degree and an internship but it is probably because it was so long ago, but I can't help if life gets in the way and we went through a bloody pandemic, sorry if the first thing on my mind wasn't securing a role in fucking PR. huge mistake on my end. I have an interview tomorrow for a customer support role, I really want it so I have a permanent secure job, and I should then be able to find a long term room, but I think part of me hopes that I don't, because I just really don't want to do customer service, and I can't think of anything worse than going into the office 5 days a week. when I did it last week I was basically wrecked by Friday. I know beggars can't be choosers and I will accept if I get it, it will just be a big change but also a step back? or I'll just be flatlining. I really wanted to come here and do something different but it isn't looking like it'll happen anytime soon. I know I just need London on my resume and maybe it'll be easier for the future. I just wish I could do something else. im so scared that I will be in these sorts of roles for a long time now and that will just be awful. maybe I can just see them as jobs for money and nothing else, spend the rest of my time living life. im 28 tomorrow and I just don't know how to feel. its another day really. im away from my family and friends, so im a bit sad. I guess it isn't a milestone age or anything so it's not the end of the world. it would be nice to spend it with them though. the only person I know in London is Pat and I do not feel like messaging him to celebrate with me, talk about tragique. but I have always been confortable with being alone. maybe ill go take myself on a solo date. til next time.

-H.

[cupboardgods]

Hi! I was wondering how you became a grants manager? I'm interested in making a career change, but when I looked into it a lot of the advice was just "find a non-profit and do work for free for a while". Thank you!

Tl;dr: I got grants experience doing simple admin work for NIH during the pandemic, and I have an arts degree and a lot of customer service experience.

But ugh literally. Years ago, I met a woman who "coasted on [her] inheritance" for a decade working unpaid jobs and climbing the ranks at her museum until she got a leadership position. Not only was that really insensitive "advice", but I dont know if you can even DO THAT anymore with the current job market. So I know the struggle and unfortunately that's also the stage I'm at now in my career despite my job experience.

I think I was very lucky to land that arts council job, actually. Recruiters keep telling me that grant review/grantmaking is super niche (they're not even clear on what it is a lot of the time...they think I was writing grants or doing accounting...no).

I think it was a combination of right time/right place and the role being difficult to fill.

Basically, I got pulled into contract work at NIH by a friend in summer of 2020. One of those situations where they really needed people and your education/background didn't matter too much. That job involved supporting grant review meetings, recruiting reviewers, etc. Didn't pay well but was reliable and remote and easy.

Eventually, I was fed up with working there and started looking for arts nonprofits that I could volunteer for and hopefully leverage a job I liked. That's how I stumbled upon the arts council job opening, which was full time and paid a competitive salary for the industry.

I was a good fit bc of my arts background, lots of customer service experience, and also because I was coming from NIH, which is like the best of the best in peer review.

Tbh the responsibilities ended up being much more than what was described in the job posting. My arts council was pretty ambitious despite lack of resources, and also wanted me to revamp everything. I had to learn A LOT on the job. God it was so much. It was a big step up from my previous admin role. Also, going from an NIH institute with hundreds of employees and over $100 MILLION in funding to a tiny nonprofit with 9 employees and a couple bucks was a bit of a shock.

I guess I'd say look to larger organizations to get experience? I live in the DC area, so it's all associations and government contracting here. But I do think my NIH role was the main reason I got the Grants Manager job.

And of course, in a career change, really sell yourself. Make sure you are clear about how your previous experience makes you a good fit. It might be as obvious as "I managed this program therefore I can manage yours too," but if you don't say that, the employers aren't going to come up with that themselves. The reality of the current job market is they don't want to train you and they expect you to have already had the same title they're hiring for.

I'm currently trying to pivot to other nonprofit work--program manager roles, preferably in the arts, but I'm not being picky. But lately I haven't had a lot of success.

Best of luck!