wife can't get a job in our hick town

She must be a saint to stick with you while you put both your lives on hold to pursue your dream of being able to beg kids to come to a mediocre school you're using as a stepping stone to a slightly less mediocre school for marginally better pay.

Rusty Pecker wrote:

She must be a saint to stick with you while you put both your lives on hold to pursue your dream of being able to beg kids to come to a mediocre school you're using as a stepping stone to a slightly less mediocre school for marginally better pay.

But he has a plan that must count for something.

Op isn't lying. He's posting from a hick town in the deep south. The fact that he's calling it a hick town is a bit disconcerting but oh well.I'm not sure that all of the major cities are 1:45 away. I see one that is 1:20 (of course during rush hour that might be 1:45). You could move about 40 minutes outside of town and then her commute would be less than hour. But then you've got a long ass commute.

jorvack wrote:

Uber Lyft Postmates?

I"ve looked up the IP address. I don't think a town that small has uber.

I think the idea of listing less on your resume is good. I mean if she's willing to be Walmart greeter or something.

I just looked at the jobs on indeed.com for your town. Lots of winn-dixie, salvation army, $9.75 an hour types.

She could replace flagpole as a mod

Now I have to know where this is! Does Winn-Dixie still have people carry out your groceries? That was the first job I ever applied for and didn't get it. They have high (or low?) standards.

Substitute teacher. That's what my wife did. Sign up with a couple school districts & she'll have plenty of work.

fail wrote:

No one is checking resumes at Walmart. They have a written application you fill out.

This, I am a little suspicious when people say they didn't get a job because they are 'overqualified'

rojo wrote:

Op isn't lying. He's posting from a hick town in the deep south. The fact that he's calling it a hick town is a bit disconcerting but oh well.

It's disconcerting that Southern hick towns are so prevalent.

Dream jobs in a hick town are always a great idea until you move to said hick town.

rojo wrote:

Op isn't lying. He's posting from a hick town in the deep south. The fact that he's calling it a hick town is a bit disconcerting but oh well.

I'm not sure that all of the major cities are 1:45 away. I see one that is 1:20 (of course during rush hour that might be 1:45). You could move about 40 minutes outside of town and then her commute would be less than hour. But then you've got a long ass commute.

jorvack wrote:

Uber Lyft Postmates?

I"ve looked up the IP address. I don't think a town that small has uber.

I think the idea of listing less on your resume is good. I mean if she's willing to be Walmart greeter or something.

I just looked at the jobs on indeed.com for your town. Lots of winn-dixie, salvation army, $9.75 an hour types.

Big Brother is always watching.

Op, i think you all have to get creative with some of of tutoring, consulting, independent employment gig using the Interwebs. These towns do not have many businesses that can hire people, you'll have to do it on your own. Doesn't sound like the sort of place that people care about careers. Plus, working some crap job at Walmart or some other shitty business will only delay the misery.

1. write a book, hone a level of expertise

2. start a business... freelance consultant (admissions?) or counselor?

3. become an online educator (UPhoenix etc.)

4. job with partial travel...maybe she's away 5-7days/month

5. network at the school you are coaching at...

I picked up and moved to accommodate my wife's job. She was canned about 18 months later. She hasn't worked since. Said she's waiting for the right position or wants to "build" her own business. I'm working 2 professional jobs to balance out income...60+ hrs/week. Area we live in has about 3% unemployment so any job is easy to find. @#$%

That's Great! Thanks for posting!

&&TGIU123gf)A(bh wrote:

Sorry, I guess our posts crossed in cyberspace.

It looks like another move and one hour commutes for both of you.

This really isn't that bad if you really are in the middle of nowhere so most of both drives are on nearly empty roads. In many big cites, it takes an hour to cover 20 miles in stop and go traffic.

I know tons of couples that do just this. Both in the city and in between cities.

And yes, you have to tailor your resume to the position. If she wants a retail job or such, don't submit a resume that makes it look like you think you're too good for the job and will quit in a week, even if you would given the chance.

Also, is she networking? Submitting resumes to the black-box-of-HR is a losing proposition. Go meet with folks at your school, other schools, etc. Request informational interviews. Join a professional association in the non-hick town and drive the 1:45 to go to the meetings and meet folks doing what she wants to do. Thats how you get hired.

Is she fit? Personal Training is an option, especially if she has any business sense at all. Most gyms will want some type of certification ($$$) but some don't care. If you have a few hundred dollars and some

basic fitness sense you can get certified very quickly. You could also do gym membership sales.

Alan

ok, if it's a real small town, I get it. I went to an undergrad w/ 1000 people in small town usa bc I got a lot of scholarships and was able to graduate debt free. that part was great, but there was not a single stop light in town... and few businesses. I can easily see moving into a town like that and not being a "townie" would hurt her employment chances. Probably everyone there remembers when susie and joe went to prom and drama, drama, drama... you don't care, but they do, and thats who they hire. Their friends from HS, even if it was 30 years ago. So I can see that getting a winn-dixie job there will be tough, b/c they save those jobs for the pastor's kid or whatever.

I agree w/ the folks who suggest her taking classes there - free tuition won't help your standard of living, but might help her future prospects. IT would also open up the chance of graduate assistantships or student work positions that aren't open to non students at the school.

Another short term option is volunteering at places other than the university where you could meet people who might hire you. The local library always needs volunteers. The salvation army does too. Friends of parks/random historical marker/house/cemetery/etc (every town has one). Is there a Roatary (there or the non-hick town?) If you can meet folks there with jobs, that is a way to get to know them outside of the "I'm a newbie with all my fancy education from my non-hick town I came from" and then once they see the person, they're more likely to hire you.

noidnoidnoid wrote:

her field is in Administration, compliance, admissions etc. She likes working in the University with students. The closest non hick town is about 1hr45 in all directions.

Find a place to move 45mins to an hour outside of town and then you both have the same commute in and hopefully can both work. It's a lot of driving, but if you really are in a small hick town the roads should be fairly open and the driving should be easier than sitting in a 1-2 commute in a big city.

Backpage

Best advice I have seen on board was the suggestion for substitute teaching. K-12 need subs every day somewhere.

AND...get certified to drive a school bus and get on the substitute rotation there. At most small town schools, only the administration make more per hour than the bus drivers.

Does this town have a nursing home or retirement center? Those places are always needing help.

I had trouble finding a teaching job right out of college...worked at convenience stores and gas stations...washed dishes at a mall buffet for a few months. The manager there looked at my application and said, "Aren't you too good to wash dishes?"

"No sir, " I said, "I need to eat."

He hired me and when I left he said I was the best dishwasher he ever had.