<p>Okay, had one other thought: Join Americorps. Seriously, it’s one year of volunteer work, looks great on a resume, gives you food and a place to sleep and a chance to figure things out. Once you’re accepted, the government pays for most of your living. Plus, you don’t have to go back to Austin when you’re finished, you’ll get a chance to re-locate somewhere. </p>
<p>Either that, or join the army I guess.</p>
<p>lastminutemom196: Not that I know of. Ever since my father’s death, that entire side of the family no longer wants anything to do with us (he died in a car accident, and his entire family put the blame on my mother’s side even though it was my father’s own fault). The relative I am currently staying with is on my mother’s side and is really the only option in terms of family.</p>
<p>TheGFG: I appreciate the advice. I feel awful asking for food, though. I had to do it in high school sometimes after my father’s death and I felt like the most worthless human ever. I have no idea how I’d even start to handle a church.</p>
<p>anxiousmom: I have applied to many of the areas around the general vicinity (including on the way, so I could just hitch a ride in the morning and be able to attend without inconveniencing my relative), but so far, no responses. I may have to try applying again and push harder. The bike is a good idea… I’m honestly surprised I haven’t thought of that yet. It’s still a long distance to get from the house to anywhere workable, but a bike would definitely make things easier. I’ll have to look into that.</p>
<p>You mentioned the nearest restaurants are too far to walk to . . . Are they also too far to bike to? If not, scan Craigslist and FreeCycle for cheap or free bicycles. You need SOME form of income so that you can eat.</p>
<p>Also, if you’re completely desperate, try [Mechanical</a> Turk.](<a href=“https://www.mturk.com/mturk/welcome]Mechanical”>Amazon Mechanical Turk) Now, this is not a get-rich-quick site. It’s a just-scraping-by site and the pay for most of the “jobs” listed there is absolutely horrible. You will not be able to earn enough to live off of on your own.</p>
<p>HOWEVER. I made $36 there one week without devoting more than couple hours a night to it, doing transcription jobs. If you work at it more diligently than I did, you may be able to save up enough to afford a clunker (or at least to buy ramen so you don’t starve.) Mechanical Turk is a legitimate site run by Amazon.com, so at least you don’t have to worry about getting scammed.</p>
<p>Transcription jobs typically pay the most.</p>
<p>how about … office candidate school for the Army … get paid; get trained; and become an officer in the Army and have a job for 4(?) years … it’s one way to get your feet on the ground and to start getting paid now.</p>
<p>I think the “Ask the Headhunter” website can be helpful in figuring out your job-hunting strategy.
[Ask</a> The Headhunter®: The Basics](<a href=“http://www.asktheheadhunter.com/basics.htm]Ask”>Ask The Headhunter® - The Basics)</p>
<p>Hopefully by tomorrow I’ll start getting some replies back from the people/firms I emailed.</p>
<p>Are there any churches (or other house of religion) near where you are staying? Try going to see several pastors just to talk and see if any can help you. They might have some yard work or cleaning you can do or some other project they could pay you for. The pastor may know of someone in the congregation who could help you with a job. Our church also has emergency funds to be used at the pastor’s discretion to help those in need. You might also get some help with transportation if you have any interviews. Just be humble and respectful and ask for help. At my church you would not need to be a member (or even a member of any church) to receive help.</p>
<p>If you have any interest in attending religious services, start now and reach out to make friends there. Someone will help you.</p>
<p>When In ran out of money in college I got a bucket and a squeegee and hitchhiked to an expensive part of town where I went door to door asking for window washing jobs. I made enough to pay the rent in less than a week.
Austin is notorius for kids graduating from the the university and not wanting to leave town- so tons of competition there for college grad entry jobs. But you can’t leave town because you would “have to have your stuff shipped?” Really? You can’t live without your stuff for a while?
Buck up buttercup- get your head out of the victim mode. You are a grad of the most prestigous business school in the world! Now its your job to convince someone what that is worth.</p>
<p>What about taking some time to go abroad and teach English? Many kids do this post grad for the enriching experience. If you already speak valuable languages you ought to be a slam dunk and there are many that pay you enough to live on. It would add to your resume and make you even more interesting and give the job market a chance to loosen up!</p>
<p>Oh, I see now that I am reading that you have considered some of this, maybe keep looking!</p>
<p>The problem is that a lot of the teaching-abroad programs require me to be there in person for the interview – I applied to Amity/AEON/Jet, and they all said the same thing. I sent more emails explaining why I would be a great candidate for the position and offered to go through routes such as sending a video or having a web conference or talk on the phone, etc – basically if there was any way at all whatsoever I could prove myself a valuable asset to them. Still awaiting replies.</p>
<p>merryecho: I do have clothes and my computer. I can’t just pack my entire room in two suitcases – if I am to move out of town, I have to ship things. </p>
<p>I applied to some more Dell positions, so here’s hoping for those, too.</p>
<p>How do you suppose everybody else who doesn’t get a job in their field right out of college manages?</p>
<p>Most people who went to college didn’t have my situation to begin with – it’s a bit of an unfair comparison. However they’re managing is probably not something I can use to apply to my own situation in a direct way. I’m not going to launch into my life story, but it’s been an extremely tough uphill struggle for many years.</p>
<p>Wow, CC Parents are nothing but patient.
College degree, foreign language skills, apparently young and healthy. Computer skills, able to sit in front of it all day firing off emails. Many excuses blaming “circumstance” for diFficulty in finding a job and for not taking advantage of his/her time in university. Wants employers to come to him ( aren’t there job fairs?) pay for relocation, pay for him to show up for an interview. Where’s that ingenuity that got you accepted into fifteen colleges? Be creative and different. Anybody can sit on their butt all day “looking for work” and expecting the employer to do the hard part and take a chance on you.
I woulnd’t hire someone who shoots down good advice for my company either.</p>
<p>Looks like you are one of the many who will find you may need to change focus and get some vocational training in order to find work. Either that or join the Army.</p>
<p>I’m with EK. Maybe the OP has had a rough life…but he/she went to Wharton…a very expensive business school which we could not afford for our own kids. Who paid for it? And can they pay for my kid? :-)</p>
<p>The OP took out loans for Wharton. That is part of the problem.
However harsh though I do agree with some of the posters who said “just go do anything.” I am a business owner. Recently put an ad on craigslist for a part time person. Ended up taking on a former business owner who is in his 50s with kids. His business is slow and he needs to pay bills. He is now back to doing the job of a 25 year old, climbing ladders. Oh and by the way, my DH was out there with him yesterday doing the same.
It is tough without family support OP, I get that. But when people are posting decent suggestions your posts back are full of reasons why that won’t work. It seems like you have boxed yourself into a corner. I’m concerned for you. You need to be able to reach out to a local church or former classmates as was suggested.<br>
Right now, I doubt just emailing a bunch of places, cold calling and sending resumes is going to cut it. Like I said, I recently posted a lower level part time on craigslist. Had about 50 responses in two days and we are not in an urban area.</p>
<p>Most recent college graduates have a parent who can house and support them while they look for a job. The OP doesn’t, and that’s really tough. I was in his shoes once. Even though I got a job right away, I had no money for a deposit on an apartment or for the myriad of other things like food and bus fare you need to pay for until you get your very first paycheck. It also sounds like he’s exhausted from all the uphill climbing he’s already been doing for years. I think he just needs someone or some organization to give him a hand and pull him out of the pit he’s in, and then his outlook will be more hopeful.</p>
<p>Selling plasma is a good idea. That’s how my sister ate for a while when she was in med school.</p>
<p>*I was in his shoes once. Even though I got a job right away, I had no money for a deposit on an apartment or for the myriad of other things like food and bus fare you need to pay for until you get your very first paycheck. *</p>
<p>Try living in a hostel- join the peace corps.
all the suggestions have been repeatedly shot down- perhaps he needs to be in treatment for depression since nothing is worth trying but more of the same.</p>
<p>I have been living away from my parents since I was 17. Without a high school diploma.
My oldest has been living in her college town since graduation.
There is a whole segment of society that doesn’t even know what the “ivy league” universities are, and they certainly are not going to post threads asking if " $50K is enough for a Wharton grad"</p>
<p>Since $50K is more than what most households are raising families on- Ithink there is a wee bit of an attitude.</p>
<p>Joining the Peace Corps is a good idea, but it’s not as easy as all that. It can take months between being accepted and getting placed/starting your work, and you need an extensive medical exam/review before they will even consider you for acceptance. Since the OP is not working, I’m assuming he doesn’t have health insurance right now and all of that medical and dental testing, vaccinations, and examinations can be expensive, not to mention he’d have to drive to them. That’s why Americorps is a better option, it’s easier to get into, it’s local, and it doesn’t require the same level of testing. </p>
<p>I mean, while I get where you’re coming from emerald, and I do feel baffled that if he had a $50,000 a year job offer why he would ever turn it down (that’s a great salary for an entry level person, especially one with so few options), but I think that there is a circumstantial problem here. The OP made a dumb move by moving to Austin without a car or job prospects when he ought to have stayed in Pennsylvania where he cuold at least have had a chance to live somewhere with decent public transportation (I can understand moving without a job, actually, but why in teh world would you move to Texas without a car?). He made a dumb move by thinking he could find a position that would pay for his relocation costs for fly him to interviews for entry level work. Obviously he didn’t think a lot of things through. But those decisions have been made already and I’m sure he regrets them. Rather than censure, he needs some options that are reasonable for his circumstances.</p>
<p>If you were my kid, this is the advice I would give you:</p>
<p>Contact a friend who lives in a city with good public transportation and ask if you can couch-surf while you look for work. Forget flying there since you’re broke–instead, scrape together bus fare and take one suitcase with you. Pack the rest of your belongings in boxes and have your relative ship them to you when you’re settled.</p>
<p>Once you’re in the city, dress to the nines and visit several employment agencies without a prior appointment. Take copies of your resume and letters of recommendation. Since you’re a finance major, I recommend visiting Robert Half Staffing and Accountemps. I know of several big banks that do lots of contract-to-hire staffing through Robert Half. </p>
<p>You should be willing to do temp work or contract work to pay the bills while you look for full-time employment. When you’re earning enough to support yourself, look for an inexpensive month-to-month room on Craigslist. You can upgrade your living arrangements when you find a full-time job.</p>
<p>Continue to network, network, network. Compile a list of full-time employment prospects and pound the pavement–do NOT e-mail your resume.</p>
<p>Two of my kids couch-surfed while they were looking for work. Neither of them had a car. Both did temp and contract work before they found full-time employment, which they ultimately found through networking with friends and family.</p>
<p>As I previously mentioned, unless you can rise above the multitude of applications that go into all job postings, the best leads are through networks. Things to do TODAY:</p>
<p>Look at your resume. The most common mistake made by recent graduates is that they just talk about what they studied. What can you do for a business? That is the message that should be loud and clear. So TODAY, write an elevator pitch - in 2-3 sentences state who you are and what you can do. Put that in the first paragraph of your resume and in any cover letter you write.</p>
<p>Next, develop a list of 100 contacts. Seems like a lot, but start close to you, family, distant family, friends, friends of friends, neighbors, former classmates, church, people you have worked with in other businesses.</p>
<p>Contact those people over the course of the next few days. Tell them you are looking for a job. Give them your 2-3 sentience elevator pitch. Ask them to pass your info on to someone else they know or if they know anyone in a company that could be hiring. </p>
<p>Someone else mentioned LinkedIn.com. Set up your profile, find groups that are in your field and alumni association. Repeat evelator pitch to all contacts you can make. </p>
<p>Set up informational interviews with anyone you know in any company. Do not ask for a job. Instead ask about the company and what it would take to be successful in your field, in the company. Let them know your evelator pitch at the end. </p>
<p>For every contact send a thank you. </p>
<p>As has been said, emailing and sending in random applications is not going to do it for you in an emergency situation.</p>
<p>Cross posted, agree to see if you can couch surf with some closer to temping jobs. Leave your stuff behind until you settle.</p>