Just another introduction...

[SeasonsOfWither]

Hello all! Im 22 from long island, NY and still living with my parents. Im dying to move out but I am dirt poor and I have barely any money. Im unemployed right now, although I am looking.. and looking.. and looking.. and looking... for a job. I have a degree in health science with a concentration in disability studies. What does that mean? Absolutely nothing! My original plan was to go to grad school for occupational therapy, but it turns out that my gpa wasn’t as good as I wanted it to be making it extremely difficult to find a school (for a decent amount of money) thats willing to accept me. Ive also realized that music means so much more to me than anything else, and the that I really should have either continued to play my instrument after high school (big regret) or study music production or be some kind of technician. Unfortunately its too late to do that now.

Oh yeah, and Id like to consider myself pretty outgoing and I have a lot of friends yet I have still never had a boyfriend, nor have I ever been kissed. Sucks, huh? haha. People tell me all the time how much of an "amazing" person I am and blah blah blah.. not only people who have known me since forever, but even guys I meet at bars and whatnot. If Im so "amazing" why cant anyone see themselves being in a relationship with me? I dont get it :rolleyes: And what makes it worse, all my friends either have boyfriends/girlfriends, or don’t have a problem meeting people. I think it may have to do with them going to bars and being able to randomly hook up with people. I’m not that kind of person. I have respect for myself (maybe a little too much which is why I’ve never been kissed) and Im not going to go hook up with someone I just met. Unfortunately it seems that guys around here are all shallow….. :mad:

[PeakDream]

Hi, SoW, welcome to the board. I have so many jokes about guys from long island. :D

Since I don't know the first thing about health care field, the only thing I can say is, can u look for a job in the hospital?

As for music, it's never too late. Hey, I just took a silly drawing class, guess what, half of the them are kids, and the other half are adults. And the adults were having as much fun as the kids. It goes to show, it's never too late.

As for your social life, you actually remind me of my friend. She's amazing just about at every level, but because she's amazing, it puts her in a category of good/decent guys would never have the guts to approach her. We used to joke about her with "Beauty has its price". I think if you really feel that the circle you hang out with is hard to find BF, why not try something new? Maybe join some volunteer organizations, or other outings that are cheap or free?

[SeasonsOfWither]

Guys on long island SUCK! :) haha. Id love to hear those jokes sometime.. Im sure id get a kick out of them! There is one huge difference between your friend and I.. that is, she is beautiful while I am extremely average.. :lol:. Seriously though, what 22 year old do you know that has never had a kiss?! Its rather pathetic if you ask me. :neutral: Im not too sure what you mean by free/cheap outings. Any examples?

About the job search.. Im pretty much looking at private organizations around the area that work directly with people who do have disabilities. Some jobs have to do with direct care and others have to do with job coaching and stuff like that. Id MUCH rather do the job coaching thing rather than wipping butts all day long.. lol.. but right now Ill really take what I can get. It sucks though. Ive got on about 10 interviews in the last three weeks and havent heard back from one yet. I have gone back for second (and third) interviews and still hear nothing. Supposedly it takes about 2-4 weeks to do the background check and all the paperwork? Does anyone know if thats true, or are they just telling me that? It worries me.

[cache]

Supposedly it takes about 2-4 weeks to do the background check and all the paperwork? Does anyone know if thats true, or are they just telling me that? It worries me.

We spend about that much time doing detailed background checks at my company.

[PeakDream]

We spend about that much time doing detailed background checks at my company.
When I was interviewing at my current company back in 2001, I was offered on the 2nd interview. I do know that nowadays, it takes a long time, three to four weeks.

Seriously though, what 22 year old do you know that has never had a kiss?! Its rather pathetic if you ask me.
I don't think that's pathetic, although I do think you should be pro-active and ask a guy out if you like him.

Im not too sure what you mean by free/cheap outings. Any examples?
www.meetup.com has a lot of special interest groups that meeting up all the time. I'm sure you can find one in your interest, such as music. It takes some effort, but I think it's worth it.

[winneythepooh7]

Welcome to the boards. I'm a Social Worker and also live on Long Island. I am in charge of a program that works with people with disabilities in NYC. The hiring process at my company on average takes at least a month. We require our potential employees to complete a criminal background check and it takes 10 business days to get the results back. However, I've since learned from people I've interviewed and hired, that there are now websites where a background search can be done, which seems to make the process a little quicker. Most of my professional experience has been in NYC so if you are willing to make the commute I can recommend agencies to look into for entry-level stuff. Here's another suggestion of a place to look with a lot of human service related stuffon Long Island:

http://www.lijobfinder.com/

They often have this employment guide weekly in diners and CVS/Eckerds.

[SeasonsOfWither]

great suggestions. Thanks! Im going to look into all of that stuff tomarrow :).

It sucks to have to wait so long to hear back... especially when im in dire straits right now. :rolleyes:

winneythepooh, ill be sure to let you know if the city is an option. As of right now it doesnt look like it, but that might change. thanks. Also, since you are in the field, is most entry level stuff concidered pretty much direct care?

[winneythepooh7]

Not necessarily. You have to really look and see what peaks your interest. Sure, there are jobs where you are required to wipe people's butts, but there are also jobs where you could be a youth counselor in a residential facility or a counselor for high functioning mentally ill adults. It just really depends.

Some other sites:

www.socialservice.com

www.indeed.com

www.craigslist.com

We also hire people to basically be companions to escort our clients to appointments, help them cook their meals, keep their living space clean, etc. And they are not allowed to have any "hands on" contact. If they need that type of help, they are referred out for a home health aide or personal care assistant.