Miss Slik's Guide to Job Searching in the OH-20...

So, as I mentioned yesterday, I'm in the midst of pounding the proverbial pavement to find a new day job. 

I just left a job that I was at for the majority of my adult working life. I got hired there as a bright-eyed, emerald green AF, wet behind the ears 24 year old girl... So full of all the world's hopes and dreams and excitement.. Then the place I worked at for 11 and a half years systematically killed all that. Now I'm a jaded, run down, disillusioned woman on the wrong side of my mid-30's... But with experience working for a large nonprofit.

I feel like Pam from The Office when she has to find a new job because Jim wants to relocate to Pittsburgh or Philly or wherever they ended up moving. Remember that scene where she shows her resume and it's tiny because she's only ever worked 2 jobs in her life and they were both for Dunder Mifflin? Yeah, that's kinda me and where I'm at.

https://www.reddit.com/r/DunderMifflin/comments/6vvu8j/applying_to_jobs_right_now_and_i_think_pam_said/

My resume definitely has a bit more to it though. I have my education section about my 2 degrees, a BA from GMU and an Associate's from NVCC, both with solid GPA's and some academic accomplishments. Plus I also took almost every course in the Harvard Management Mentor Series and did well on those too.

Then I've got my Employment History... Obviously my nonprofit day job is first.. Then I've got my blog writing stuff because it's relevant to the type of jobs I'm looking for now. After that is my NM550 Productions stuff when I did all those Miss Slik's DJ Dance Party events.. which is relevant too because it was an actual business I actually started and ran with employees I had to pay.. A business that I made enough money from I had to file proper tax return forms and whatnot. So it's actually legit experience that shows I'm creative and entrepreneurial and know how to handle a staff of people that I hired, trained, and managed.

After that, I've got a list of all my special skills and talents and various computer things I'm proficient at using along with the link to my online portfolio I made of my writing samples. If you want to view it btw, here is my Online Portfolio.

Cindy... Y'all remember Cindy right? Yeah ya do.. She's the best and is a mommy now and doing well.. So everybody send her some love.. She's also still my personal manager of all things life-related and she gave my portfolio a big thumbs up and like 5 or 6 clapping hands emojis.. And she especially loved my profile pic.. Because she's the one who took it. But you know if Cindy approves then it must be dope as her taste is super fancy and flawless. So check it out.

Anyway, my resume is respectable and looks mad professional... and it should.. Because I had to learn how to write all different kinds of resumes for one of my Comm classes when I got that degree from GMU.. and I got A+++ on all that stuff and Dean's List because I write dope resumes. I also help people with their resumes BTW FYI.. So if you need some help with that.. And if you'd like to pay me a fee for that since I need some income right now.. Then let's chat and I'll see what I can do for you. My last client found a new job within like 2 weeks thanks to the revamping I did on her resume. I have a dope track record... Maybe this should be my new job. Idk.

But yeah.. moving on...

I also spent yesterday crafting some beautifully worded cover letters to include with my dope resume. I put in some good stuff.. Like about all the aforementioned things about me.. How I'm looking for a new career and I'm interested in said job I'm writing them about.. Plus my Mensa level abstract reasoning skills since that makes me one of the best problem solvers in the world.. which us actually true... For real.. Right here.. Me.. In the World's Top 4% of Best People at Solving Problems and Thinking Abstractly.. I have the test from the Behavioral Psychologist to prove it. You got a problem? Come to me and you won't anymore.

So I have all of that.. And I'm sending it out to people and places.. And I'm getting the confirmations that my submissions went through... And I'm all excited just knowing that I got this... And I just know these people are going to jump at my awesomeness and call me any minute now.... And.... CRICKETS.

CRICKETS.

CRICKETS.

MORE CRICKETS.

I haven't gotten like one phone call yet.

I know my phone works. I just paid the bill with what little money I have left.

WTF yo?!?! Are they shy? Maybe they're trying not to seem too eager? Playing hard to get? Why don't they want me? I don't understand.

Beyond that, I've submitted resumes to like every major staffing agency in the area and that hasn't done much for me yet either.. which is shocking.. Cause that's like the whole point of why they exist.. For people like me to be helped by them to find a new job.. Like that's how they make their money.. And I'm a good candidate for jobs.. So what's going on here?

Back in the day it was so different.. All I had to do was post my resume on Monster and apply for one job.. And then my phone would straight blow up non freaking stop with calls from recruiters. I'd have interviews lined up with said recruiters and having discussions about what I do and don't want and making decisions and turning down those bottom rung jobs while they sort out the good jobs that I really want.

But that's not happening.. I can't get the people at Robert Half to call me back. 

I really don't understand. 

I'm even up at 6am people.. Like early bird hunting for the worms so I can get them. I'm doing productive activities like working out on my new rowing machine (which is dope btw and I'll do a blog post on it because you need one)..  and also restarting my blog... which I'd say is professionally productive. 

And my post yesterday has already been read by like 30 people.. And I got a really epic fan message from a chick named Stephanie who has messaged me before.. and is probably MSG2L's #1 Fan.. So let's all show her some love for all her support she gives. 

But clearly, I don't totally suck at life and 30 people care enough about me and my writing to read it when it comes at them out of the blue... And thank you to those 29 other people out there who aren't Stephanie. All the love to you too. I'll love you even more if you each tell one or 2 people you know about my blog and that they should read it.. Or even share the Facebook page posts about the articles and/or the blog on your InstaSnapTweetBooks.. Cause that would really help and be super great.

Maybe if I build up enough random buzz about myself right now then I can get the attention of these companies I'm trying to get to hire me for a day job... Viral internet sensations probably have easy times finding jobs right? Considering I'm looking for PR and Marketing jobs, it would definitely prove my capability.

So let's do this my people... I'm going to marinate on a plan to become Overnight Internet Famous and then you all are going to help make it happen by sharing it everywhere. Deal? Ok. Deal. It's on.

#SlikSquadGoals 

Miss Slik and Her Guide Have Returned!!!!

So I'm back once again with my ill behavior from my self-imposed hiatus. I can feel all your excitement through my screen. But why am I suddenly back now? The answer is simple. I got fired from my day job last week so I quite literally have nothing better to do right now.

Well... That's not entirely true... I have a few better things to do... Namely, look for a new day job that pays me money... which I'm actively doing. But that's way easier said than done for a multitude of reasons... The biggest one being that I'm not exactly sure what I want to do next.

For my entire adult working life, my jobs have all been in Accounting doing Accounts Receivable stuff. I hate it. It's soul crushing. I'm not even all that distraught about losing my job because I was extremely unhappy for the majority of this past decade. 

My goal when I started working at the organization I just left was always to transfer to a different position in another department once I completed my Bachelor's Degree in Communications. I graduated from GMU in 2011 and was still doing the same job 9 years later... dying a little more inside with every invoice entered and every check reconciled.

My stagnant career path was not stuck from lack of trying to transfer to another department. I applied and interviewed for several jobs during my tenure. But, obviously, I never got hired for any of them for one reason or another.. Mainly because the evil overlords that were my management screwed me over at every turn... And they kept screwing me until they could finally get rid of me.. which took them 11 and a half years because I'm resilient.

But why were they so hard on me? The answer is simple and very sad. I am autistic and autistic employees actually need good management to be good employees. They liked round pegs to go in their round holes and fit molds and be quiet slaves who dwell in caves with their adding machines. That ain't me.

I am a star-shaped peg and their constant attempts to shove me in their plain holes only served to crumple my points and warp me. I kept telling them that and asked why they could never simply create a star-shaped hole on the board for me to go in. All I wanted was acceptance as a person with a disability and the support I needed to do my best. For where I worked and the mission of the organization, this really shouldn't have been an unreasonable request. 

Unfortunately, I know I'm not the only person who has had this problem. It speaks to a much greater issue that A LOT of people with mental health conditions face every day when it comes to their work experiences. I know plenty of people who have been disciplined at work and their employment terminated for issues relating to their mental health conditions.. And I'm now one of them... A sad statistic.

There is a massive stigma against employees with what are considered "less visible/less apparent" disabilities and the neurodivergent community.. Simply put.. If you're in a wheelchair then you'll have no problems getting help from work to do your job. But if you're autistic or bipolar then you better gear up for battle if you hope to get anything.

It's not fair. It's definitely not right. But it's happening.

My goal at my now former job had always been to help kill the stigma. It was in line with the mission of the organization so I thought I was in the right place. I probably could have made a significant impact had I been given the chance.. But they did not value me or my contributions or my potential to do great things. So fuck them.

But what happens to the dream and the goal now? Do I just let it go? Do I just go forget about all the people out there getting crapped on? Do I just forget about how I was crapped on? It doesn't seem right. 

So now we're coming back to my original dilemma. What do I do next? 

First, I'm debating over filing a complaint with EEOC and making a big deal out of my firing. My doctor thinks I should. My friends think I should. I think I probably should. So maybe I should. If I win my suit then I get money to help me live and satisfaction from punishing the place that did me dirty after 11 and a half years. That might help with the whole stigma thing and strike a blow in the heart of injustice. 

But what happens in the meantime? What should my new day job be? What do I want to be when I grow up now that I'm actually grown up? I definitely need to answer these questions very quickly but I'm at a loss.

I had dreams when I was younger... So many dreams of what Grown Up Niki looked like. I wanted to be a combo movie star and singer.. Like Cher and Madonna.. I wanted to be a fashion designer for awhile. I also wanted to be a lawyer... which I would have been awesome at. I wanted to be a detective and investigate crimes.. I'd be good at that too. I wanted to be a journalist and write Pulitzer Prize winning articles about important things. I wanted to be a lobbyist and advocate for the downtrodden. I wanted to be President of the United States and lead our country.

All that and Grown Up Niki ended up spending the prime time of her adult working ladder climb sitting in the same chair doing the same job that she got at 25 to pay the bills and help pay for school. Now at age 36, Grown Up Niki is a sad figure and far cry from what Baby Niki imagined.

I feel like this is my time to remedy the situation and repaint the image. I just don't exactly know how to take all the dreams I had, the experience, skills, and education I have, and the reality of what the working world is and focus it all into a new career for which I get paid sufficient money with benefits to pay my mortgage and bills.

All I do know is that I definitely want to write. Written words are my life and using them makes me happy. I know I'm really good at using them to communicate with people to entertain, inform, persuade, and even embolden them. I believe some company, agency, organization, or publication could benefit from having a writer like me to wield on its behalf. But who? How do I get hired to do this for my adult working living? I am open to any and all suggestions. Please leave them below.