GAME05

My only experiences with it are through a main Parks and Recreation website/job board which was advertising a two-year stint running a pool in the Marshall Islands. They offered to interview via Skype. Not out of the country, but there was a similar one for Assistant Recreation Director in Nome.

A job opened up near Boone, NC, the best city in the state. I've always wanted to move to that area. I'd have the job if I applied for it, but it doesn't come with housing. Rent wouldn't allow me to save very much per month. Through benefits, I'll retire with about my current salary+, but that's only getting by. So anything I can save up now represents vacations, buying cars outright, going out, and generally not worrying about money.

I was thinking how much easier it would be to work with a boss who already trusts you and would probably be more flexible in giving you time off work to help with the baby, as opposed to being stressed and sleep-deprived at home with a baby, and then going to work and having to prove yourself all over again there.

I can't add anything to the thread, but especially for someone who's been searching for so long, I hope you wind up with everything you've been hoping for. Wishing you the best.

Go figure. So I just accepted a conditional offer to a law enforcement Park Ranger position. It'll take 4-6 weeks of paperwork and background investigation and then Police Academy (which I assume is exactly like the movie) before the "conditional" goes away. I can't pretend I've been a choir boy, but I've admitted my worst crime to an officer I work with and he said "You should be ok." Downsides to this job like any other, but I considered my next-best option was being almost 40 years old and selling tickets to take boats on a lake. Anyway, you've all been patient with my whining over the years, a couple of you in particular. So thanks for putting up with me.

Nope, didn't get the job. A friend of mine is going to be an insurance claims adjuster. I guess it's a four-day class then you pay the fee to get licensed, then you apply to the insurance companies. He says the work pays ok and as an independent it can pay a lot. I keep thinking that if I stayed another summer as a low rung I could be a Park Ranger, but the job pays $32K, almost never gives raises, rotating shifts, weekend work...Maybe the negatives are just too much that something else would be a better idea.

Had a final interview 12 days ago against just one other candidate. I'm very overqualified and almost all of the interview questions reflected that. They're understandably nervous that I'd be one to quit after just a few months of working, so it looks like their decision will be based on that.

Thanks, LouisEly. I'm confident I'll land something soon enough. Strange it's taken me so long, but I think it's more about the poor choice that Parks&Rec was to study. But opportunities come open here and there and at this point I think I'd like to stick with what I know I'm good at. Being 37 years old has kind of hampered my desire to experiment with careers. Also I'm not good at staring at a computer. Everyone at my current work loves me because I work hard and am good with the customers, so I think that's a good indication that outside work is where I belong. Apparently a new Director has put a hurry on hiring, so I'll probably hear about a Park Ranger job soon (be it good or bad), and I'm very qualified for an interview I have tomorrow.

my immediate reaction is to worry what would become of not making it in ND, if it turns out you've quit a decent job to last only a month or two up there because of how insanely demanding the work is. With someone of your intelligence, what about school in petroleum engineering? I looked up a site that said entry-level makes about $90K. For a single guy who keeps eating bologna sandwiches that could mean a lot in the bank.

Had an interview two weeks ago for a Park Ranger job where I think I was one of only three or four to be interviewed. The city surrounding it is pretty ghetto, but the job represents an ability to save a considerable amount per year. Minus that, my future as a law enforcement ranger is probably done. But have another interview in a week. What I thought was a basic park maintenance job is more similar to a Ranger job minus the law enforcement and interpretation (teaching). Much more ideal for me. Definitely crossing my fingers on that one.

Me, I wouldn't worry as much about the gaps so that you can squeeze in more work-relevant job duties. May be just me, but I don't think the gaps would shy an employer away from ever interviewing you. When you're qualified for the job, gaps are something more to ask during an interview. I have plenty of gaps in my resume and I don't get asked about the gaps so much as I get asked why I haven't lasted long-term at any of the positions.

I'll look into oil stuff again. Can't do CDL driving because of my back and work as a grunt burns people out very quickly. Nice to get some money in my pocket, sure, but then I'm back to where I am now and a year older. So I am focused on career-type work. But I know oilfields do have gauge-watchers and gate-keepers. Lots of competition for those, but once you land one they pay really well. I lived right by a huge shale/oil operation in Texas and one guy told me outer Mongolia has a booming mining industry with jobs that pay gobs of money. I'm still applying at various parks, and currently seeing if I can slide into the energy industry. And next week I'm hoping to get some appointments with some temp-to-hire agencies. I used to know someone who landed a temp-to-hire data entry job. She absolutely hates the work but is now making $55,000 per year, so she's pretty entrenched.

I've hit the point of frustration with my Park Ranger search. I have a very solid resume yet only three interviews this year. The state wants teachers and I'm sorta everything-but. I'll be able to work on a teaching-related certification, but I'm also not so committed to a $32000/year job that I want to devote yet another year when I'm in my late 30s, just scraping by in order to land it. I'd enjoy working for the Job Service. Resumes and cover letters fit my editing background and I enjoy helping people. But nothing's popped up yet. I've reached the point (and age) where I just desire a career. Grind out 25 more years staring at a computer screen? fine. Hoping to come across a career-type job which'll hire based on my solid education despite a complete lack of direct experience. I've been looking into energy companies today. But I feel quite lost for just where to look and how to go about doing it. But good news is my current $7.75 job loves me and I've just been extended through December, so at least now I've got some extra time to look. My apologies, this was probably more a rant than a question.

that's just the downsides that come out in slight frustration. it's working outdoors, protecting nature, a lot of different roles, and you never know what you'll be doing from one hour to the next. And find the right park and you get to focus on whatever aspect of the job you like the best. anyway, I talked to a couple Rangers about it today. The boss said he's known people who went to Academy and got hired on right away, though the other said Law Enforcement isn't near as big a focus as Environmental Education. Also dorms aren't paid for with tuition, so we're talking about $7000 to pay for it myself. That's a year+ to recover that cost, and I'm confident I'll have a job before then. Apparently my 1:4 Interview:Application rate is really good. The boss added that often if you're Top 3 for Position A, then they won't interview you for Position B because a decision hasn't yet been made if you'll be hired for that first position. Sorry if this ended up being some thinking out loud. I'll talk to a higher-up about it all tomorrow, but I'm thinking my best bet is scraping by at McDonalds for the winter and strengthening my Environmental Ed background (which isn't much of a cost).

I'm going to be laid off in six weeks. the job doesn't start up again until mid-April and unemployment would only pay $100/wk. I could always do McDonalds until it starts up again and skirt by on $2500 in savings (rent is only $300/mo), or move back home (paying to race back should an interview come in). I'm a fairly qualified candidate for a Park Ranger job, guessing somewhere around 20th in the State based on interviews landed. It shouldn't take forever to land a job, but the competition is tough and dependent on openings, so who knows. Could be a month, could be a year. I currently have about eight applications out right now. If hired, the State would pay for Police Academy along with hourly pay during that time. The next semester of Academy starts up in January. Out-of-state tuition is $4500 plus whatever incidentals (not sure yet if dorm life is included). What I'm starting to seriously consider is taking out yet another student loan and paying for Academy myself. I would be busy in the offseason, plus I would have about four months of time to do nothing but work out (the Academy physical requirement is tough). I have been told by a Ranger that having gone through BLET (Academy) and with my strong background, that I would be the #1 candidate out there. Essentially, spending $4500+ would speed up getting hired by some rough guess of months. The theory is that I would recover the tuition+ through being hired full-time at a sooner date. Not quite sure yet. I'm hoping that the applications out right now are simply being put on hold until the fiscal year ends in September. The "What's Bugging Me" part: I have a great resume and it's still tough as heck to land this job which doesn't pay well, is inherently dangerous, works weekends and has a terrible work schedule.

probably just thinking out loud here, but i could work my current job for 11 hrs/day for $140/day which i plan on quitting in two weeks anyway, or take a two week stint as a flyer-hander-outer guy for a TV show scout for $125/day.

you said you couldn't look into Fort Atkinson. i take it your search is limited to cities along a bus route?

there's also Microsoft classes where you can become certified in things like Office and PhotoShop. if you're not landing as many interviews as your professor thought, it's a possible signal that your resume/cover letter needs some tweaking. i haven't been to one yet, but i know most cities have a monthly young professionals meet at some bar. 30 people asking each other what you do for a living. maybe that's an idea for more networking.

from someone who's done it, grad school isn't the employment door-opener that it once was. in my experience, a grad degree lands you a lot of interviews but lack of experience keeps you from getting the job. also the number of people with MBAs has skyrocketed since this Great Recession hit. i might recommend the same path that i've been taking. i worked a lawn care job last summer which paid three times more than typical summer jobs. even paying for a taxi to and from would be worth it. you'd make enough for a used car with a good amount of savings left over to do an interstate job search. the way i see it, a car and some savings is first priority over landing a full-time job.

definitely no such thing as "overqualified" anymore. i hope you find something adamb100. could you spin your experience into magazine ad sales? i used to work at Cygnus in Fort Atkinson and they hire a lot of people for that. Inside Sales would be the best way to get started, and they offer a lot of upward movement from there.

well, happily moving forward in the career. after only a phone interview, i was just offered a job working at a State Park not in Wisconsin. minimum wage and seasonal stinks, but it's great experience and a recommendation from the boss after the season would go a very long way to landing full-time work. after the season i'll sign up for the Police Academy. fortunately no age maximum that i've found yet. an LE plus all the education/certifications i have, provided i do a good job this summer, and i'm a top candidate for a full-time Ranger position even in this economy.

thanks. it's lawn care, but checking shouldn't be necessary. i'll only be doing it for a summer.

so the lawn care job is commission-based, primarily. but i don't do any active selling and the hiring manager said there wouldn't be a situation where i was ever out of work to do. but there are work goals (hit X# of houses per week) and i didn't get clarity in the second interview to what happens if i don't happen to meet that. will go back to ask. still, it will pay more than minimum wage and give me my time for certifications. there's a fear of "what if i don't meet my goals and don't have the time to meet them because of classes?" fear of mine that's possibly unwarranted.

that stinks, Jimbo. i know just what that feels like to be working at a job, know your stuff and do a good job, and then they replace you with someone else. rough. .................... well, it took me about two months, but i finally found some work in Madison. wasn't easy. i've been offered a minimum-wage job at a movie theater (i'll be a popcorn jockey!) starting Monday. and i also have a second interview tomorrow for a lawn care job, which i have a very good chance at landing. the lawn care job doesn't start for two months, but it pays twice as much with a few more hours per week. money is secondary to me because my real purpose is getting the various certifications to strengthen my Parks&Rec resume (not all are available the next two months). still, the lawn job represents another $6,000 or so on my pocket vs. the movie job over the course of the summer. so i've decided to go to the second interview and basically agree to work there on the condition that they give me the days off when the certification classes come along. if they don't, then bye-bye. if they do, then work the movie job for two months with a lot of volunteering. and since volunteering is very important for me, taking the lawn care job will mean working six days/week and then volunteering somewhere on that one day off. and if i have a job interview, i'll tell them it's another certification class. i'm really doubting they'd agree to the time off (roughly 10 total days off during the summer), but i can always ask and see what they say.

when i was last there, Fort Atkinson was at least an easy-enough drive to Madison. and there's probably more to do in Whitewater that i never discovered. last year i was living in Victoria, Texas. i'd ask locals the best part of living there and they'd all say how close it was to so many big cities (2+ hours). i didn't say it out loud, but thought "oh, so the best part about living in Victoria was that it's easy to leave Victoria."