A Career Field to Consider

I have not even started training in my new merchandising job ( I start this week!), but I do know that many positions in this field are willing to overlook lack of experience. A good web site where you find merchandising jobs is Narms.com. Narms stands for National Association for Retail Marketing Services. Most jobs listed on this site are part time, and many do not require experience. Putting in a year, or possibly two, in a job like this will at least add experience and references to your resume! Merchandisers typically handle ordering, stocking and maintaining of specific products at retail stores. You will actually find many stay-at -home mothers in this field, as it allows for flexible part-time hours.

Lack of Experience and the Stay at Home Mom

Lack of experience is the biggest obstacle preventing the stay at home mom from finding a job. In my personal experience, you really have to sell yourself, and make sure the potential employer knows why they would benefit from hiring you. I had one employer who did have a strong interest in me, due to my knowledge of food, especially gourmet food. (I did not pursue that opening,however, as it turned out to be just a deli clerk position). It is vital to try and find something in the job opening that fits your skills, and sell that fit to the employer.
In the case of the job which I just landed, it is a local job, so I sold the fact that I lived nearby, and I also talked about the fact that I am highly organized, which is a must for the job.

This Blog

I do intend to keep this blog up, as I do not feel that my job seeking is over. I will only be working 10 hours a week. Also, the job I will be doing does not utilize my education or past training. It is a great start, and I hope to build on it. I plan to continue volunteering at a local hospital. I am also planning to study Quickbooks software at home. Additionally, I bought a business plan for medical billing advocacy, so I will be working on that. Stay tuned!

FINALLY!!

I finally got a job! It is in the field of merchandising, and will involve going to three different local grocery stores, and stocking specific items, making sure more items are ordered, etc. It will only be for about 10 hours a week, but at least I can build some work experience, and be able to get references. I am excited! I will continue looking for part-time work for the afternoons, as well.

I was beginning to get so discouraged, with so few responses to my applications. I could not even seem to get interviews. Especially disheartening to me were the attitudes of the doctor's offices where I applied for work. I have a certificate in medical billing, have run my own business, and also currently volunteer at a local hospital, as a receptionist. Despite this fact, one doctor told me that she was hiring someone with more experience ( for a file clerk job). Another doctor had an opening for a receptionist. I called to check on the opening, and was told that he had written on my resume: "No experience". It was also discouraging to apply to so many local firms, and not get any response. One would think that being local would help. A local grocery chain ignored my application completely. Then there was Home Depot, where I spent a good bit of time on the online application. When I went into the store to follow up, I was told that all positions had been filled months ago.
I am so relieved that I will be employed!

A Wild and Crazy Summer!

So far, it has been a busy, busy summer, with two graduations, the arrival of my student who has been studying abroad for the last year, and of course, the ever-present job applications by me! I still have not found a job. I have updated my resume...again, had business cards made, and tried some new ideas for job applications. I applied for several positions at my local grocery stores, but have not received a single response.
I did get a call back for a merchandising position, and am waiting to hear more about that this coming week. However, the job would only be for 6 hours a week! My biggest obstacle to finding a job seems to be my lack of recent experience......

My Weekly Job Hunt

Once again, there were no new jobs to apply for this week, which I suspect might be a trend for the summer. I am working on another scoring project, however, once again for Pearson Education.It is certainly nice to feel useful, not to mention that it is nice to earn money as well. Today was Mother's Day, and I got an early morning phone call from my college student. My high school student went to work, and I cleaned, mowed the yard, and planted flowers! I plant flowers every year, because here in Illinois this is the date when it is safe to put out annuals. I also called my mother. A nice Mother's day was had by all.

No More Pencils, No More Books??

One of the recommended strategies for the stay- at- home mom is to update her skills, prior to seeking a job. In today's working world, computer skills are essential. I took my first computer class in 1998 ( Windows) and then took a class in keyboarding and one in Microsoft Word. I learned to download music with Napster
( thanks to my kids), and also learned how to sell on eBay. For a short time ( when I was really unloading excess possessions) I was a Powerseller on eBay.
In 2002 I took a detour and took three classes in Real Estate Appraisal. On the first day of class, our instructor announced, "there are no jobs in this field". We all laughed appreciatively, thinking he was joking. He was not. In the state of Illinois, a newly licensed appraiser must apprentice with a licensed appraiser for several hundred hours, and therein lies the catch, as it is virtually impossible to find anyone to take you on. An exception to this would be the several licensed realtors in our class, who had established connections. Nevertheless, I went on to get my license, and found the training personally useful, and hopefully relevant for the day that I buy my next house.
In 2004 I began coursework in Medical Billing, and took nine classes in areas such as coding and insurance. I have been unable to find a job in this field since everyone is seeking Experience. I have been volunteering at my local hospital for over a year now, and remain hopeful that eventually I will be able to land a billing job.
In the past year, I took an online course( a money-saving way to take classes!) in Microsoft Excel.I am also starting an at home class in medical billing advocacy, and may take an online course in Quick Books.