Bait & Switch

I sit here with my glass of wine (those of you that actually know me just smiled, didn't you?) reflecting back on this past week - my first week of unemployment. I'm not depressed or stressed over not having a job. I personally think I really needed some time off so this week has almost been like a vacation, but of course without the beach.

I am trying to stick to my own guidelines. I get up and get dressed every day. I do a small amount of housework but not too much. I don't want to work my way out of another job! I have started exercising. We have one of those universal machines that allows you to do most everything so I have some slight muscle soreness, but it feels good.

Yesterday I called the school boards for Davidson County and Forsyth County to inquire about applying for substitute teaching in each county. I have discovered that my "earnings allowance" will afford me the opportunity to sub a couple of days a week and have no impact on my unemployment. It will be a great way to network and meet new people plus it will supplement the income so we can pay all the bills. Definitely three positives! If I could do this, I would also have time to think about the direction I want my career to go.

Then I started the job search in full force on the job boards. So many job boards - so many jobs! But how could all these jobs be available and we still have people unemployed??? It doesn't make sense, does it? Reference "Survival 101" regarding the unscrupulous recruiters posting jobs that either don't exist or that have already been filled. Things that make you go, "hmmmmm."

But I drudged on. Some job boards charge a fee to the employer to post jobs such as Career Builder and Monster. But other job boards pull their listings from competitor job boards so they have several listings. The problem here is that you have to complete all your information on these boards from uploading your resume to filling in the blanks on all sorts of personal information and then when you find a job that you are interested in and click the "apply button," you are taken to a new job board which then requires you to upload your resume and fill in the blanks on all the same personal information again. This is the old "Bait & Switch!"

I actually found the PERFECT job listed on one of these sites. I clicked on the apply button and was redirected to another site. I filled in all the appropriate information and uploaded my resume so that I could apply for this PERFECT job. But guess what - I was redirected to another job board site. And you got it. I had to upload my resume and fill in all the appropriate information so that I could apply for this PERFECT job! I hit the apply button and was given the option of preparing a cover letter, which I did. It was actually a really good letter, if i do say so myself. I immediately got an email acknowledging my application but then I got a second email. The second email stated that I could not apply for the job directly through their website because they were neither the employer nor the recruiter so I had to go back in and click on the link that took me to the correct site to actually apply for this PERFECT job. Even though I was frustrated, I really thought this was the PERFECT job so I clicked the link. "Oh, please tell me it isn't so." Now I was at one of those sites that requires you to pay before you can apply for that PERFECT job! Bait & Switch is alive and well.

It tempted me, boy did it tempt me. But all they wanted from me was for me to fill in my information once again and I could have one month free and with my free membership I could apply for this PERFECT job. So I did, but then it said my password wasn't valid and wouldn't let me in. I tried again and still could not get in. So I went back to the page to check my information. I re-entered the password. Now I did not have the option of applying for the PERFECT job with the free trial membership, but it didn't matter, it still would not accept my password and let me in. I clicked on the "forgot password" button and ask them to email me the password - but then I got an error message that said my email wasn't valid. I was not allowed to apply for the PERFECT job!!!!

At one point, one of the job boards actually had a comment posted that if you were limiting yourself to just your state (which I thought was a pretty good stretch) that you were limiting your opportunities. And they convinced me! I actually chose to have my resume made available all across the country, not quite sure why I didn't choose the "world" as my target market - which was one of the options!

And now you should see the inbox on my email. I am in job board hell and being inundated with notifications from all of these job boards.

I think I will drink another glass of wine - tomorrow is another day!