Job-hunting :: 3/02/10 ~18:30 :: Comments: 0
category: random
Hourly Comics has drawn to a close again for another undetermined length of time. I find it bloody strange that I read it; I mean, it's a comic strip of someone's life for a short period of time where really not much happens. I think it's more of a reflection of how bored I can be online rather than the content of the comic though.
I've started to apply for jobs, at long last. I've been meaning to do it for quite a while now, but with uni work and whatever else, I've not got round to it until the start of last week or so. Initially I was planning to be somewhat picky about what I applied for; I have no real intention of being stuck doing a crap job for ages. But when it comes down to it, with the limited number of opportunities available at present, I don't think I can afford the luxury of being picky. Even if it means just taking whatever I can get for a couple of years til I find something more interesting/suitable. Still, I don't graduate until November, my dissertation isn't due til September, so I do have a good few months yet before I really need to be starting work. Not going to let that become a reason to put it off though, as is my general contrivance. I'm a bit nervous about the whole thing really, all my previous work experience aside from one job has been part time or full time retail work in the city centre, which in all fairness is not an occupation that needs a massive amount of effort to get into. I've never had to have a properly solid CV ready, or had to write proper, expansive cover letters, but now I do and I'm somewhat concerned that I'm just making an arse of myself. I've never been a fan of writing lists of why I'm so excellent that I deserve a job (I'm far more keen on self-detriment), so it doesn't really come naturally. Although I do interview well, or at least I like to think so. So we'll see what happens.
The hardest part is where to actually look for jobs. I've been looking at company websites for vacancies and graudate schemes, then the usual job websites like Monster etc. I don't know what other avenues are really available. The university does have a careers department for helping students, but from my experience of it, it is absolutely useless. And most of the jobs I find on websites aren't entry level positions, they're looking for 5+ years of experience, which rules me out rather quickly. Shame there are so few decent graduate schemes on the go, unless I want to work for a merchant bank or BT.
Anyway. In irrelevant news, I'm currently reading What We Talk About When We Talk About Love, by Raymond Carver. It is a fairly highly acclaimed book of short stories. I have read 11 of the 17 stories in it so far, not reached the title one yet though. My current opinion on this book is that it's shit. It's really quite rare that I find a book to be crap, primarily cause I tend to be more discerning when I actually pick the book, rather than just read anything and see if it's any good. But this, urgh. The stories are just so pointless. They lead to nowhere, the characters are irrelevant people who I just couldn't care less about, and at least 2 of the stories I've read and just thought 'What the fuck even happened there?'. To take an example, one story begins with a bit of background about 2 guys who have been best friends since they were kids. Now they're adults, one of them gets married, then the other finds someone too. The one who is married suddenly changes into some sort of brooding, silent character, and then the two guys go out for a drive. On their way home, they come across two girls cycling, and try to chat them up from their car (I think). The girls laugh them off, so the guys drive ahead and get out the car to meet up with them later. The girls come along and go away up a hill, accusing the guys of following them. The guys then follow them up the hill, and the married one apparently kills the two girls with a rock.
End of story.
What the fuck is that. Really, what the hell. There's no explanation for why he did it, there's no explanation for why the guy suddenly goes from happy married man to psychopath, there's no implication that the other guy, who's been his best friend for years, doesn't try to stop this. I am utterly bemused by what people see in this.
Of course, I'm not a literary critic. I'm fairly sure there's all kinds of subtle metaphors and social commentaries flowing through this which I'm clearly entirely oblivious to. But the fact is that I'm sure 95% of people who read do so, like me, for pleasure. And I'd have preferred a decent story with decent characters to this art-house shite.
Maybe it'll get better towards the end.