<p>^ You might contact Hospice, Inc, not to work for them (it’s highly trained) but to ask them for their list of WHICH elder care/domestic help agencies Hospice recommends to their clients. It’s a way to get a good list among all the agencies. Then pursue those agencies by telephone.</p>
<p>Hospice cares for the terminally ill, sometimes in clinics or right in their own homes. Near the end, families almost always need additional shift care. Hospice knows the better agencies to work with. And those agencies do a lot of 24-hour shifts in peoples’ homes. </p>
<p>If you have no private transportation, tell them that right away as your “only” liability. They might have to place you in homes that are on buslines.</p>
<p>sevmom, I thought that OP sounded desperate and I know Cedar Point hires people this late in the season. </p>
<p>Another option is to talk to the Financial Aid Office. When I was young I had a work study job in the Financial Aid Office. We had people who had the sort of situations that you are in. The people in my office were very sympathetic and often had ideas of what students could do to get by for the summer.</p>
<p>I have met people who are in situations with parents that are not great and they have to find other options than relying on their parents. Good luck to you, I know it’s hard.</p>
<p>deb922, Yes, I looked on Cedar Point’s website and although their recruiting tours are finished(where they go to college campuses to recruit), it looks like they are still accepting applications. My husband went to CMU and I know they took alot of CMU and Pitt students back in the day!</p>
<p>Metal, try going to the Department Heads of your discipline (and maybe any related ones) and ask them in person about research opportunities for the summer. I know in Materials at CMU they kept a list of positions that were vacant, though there were always more available if you asked specific professors. Try any other related fields. Try posting your issue on misc.market saying how you’re staying in the Pittsburgh area for the summer and want to know if anyone’s aware of any openings.</p>
Yes you do. They saw in you not SAT scores, but drive, determination, and potential. I’m sorry your parents are being jerks, and I agree with you that they might be jealous. I know you’ll be able to overcome your parents’ rottenness and your current problems. </p>
<p>Cedar Point does not pay bonuses anymore for working the entire season. At least they didn’t last summer. You do not have to work the entire season, just what you are available for.</p>
<p>Even in the 70’s with Cedar Point, it was a matter of working through your contract, not necessarily the whole season ( as many kid’s school schedules would not permit them to stay until the very end of the season). Sorry to hear there are no bonuses anymore, even for working through your contract(if that is how I am understanding what you are saying).</p>
<p>Metalforever…Please try everything that has been mentioned. I really think you would be much better off being on your own in Pittsburg. Is there a website for your school where you could post a services available type ad for professors and for students. Check with nursery school nearby. You could bring them your resume and let them know that if they don’t have anything for you than maybe they could pass your name to parents. Many parents are looking for the gap time to be filled in during the summer months. You could put a nice flyer together and place it in key locations (don’t forget on campus near professors offices) such as supermarkets and kids stores (many kids places accept ads). Please let us know if you get something. I will be thinking about you and I wish I had a way to help you right now. You sound like a really great young lady that needs a little help.</p>
<p>This is a really rough time for college students looking for summer jobs, and your situation sounds especially tough. I hear your frustration and desperation, but I hope that you will hear people’s encouragement on this thread. I second the idea that you look at catering or restaurant jobs: busing, hosting, takeout server, regular server. That’s where my son found a job last year (and maybe this year). I don’t know about Pittsburgh, but in many places the restaurant business is doing okay though other businesses are not. Restaurants are looking for personable, intelligent, reliable young adults like you. Keep in mind that you might have to provide your own “uniform,” like a white shirt and pants, but you don’t have to spend a lot of money on those things (thrift store). As the above poster suggested, child care is another good option. I found babysitters through local universities when my son was little. Don’t give up!</p>
<p>I didn’t read through the entirety of the posts…</p>
<p>A CMU mom of two – I’m a bit stumped as everyone my children know has a summer internship…some out of Pitt and some in Pitt…</p>
<p>I think you need to stop in to the career center and clean up your resume-- there is obviously something wrong with your presentation. Then you should go through 1-2 mock interviews. CMU students-- even with a below average GPA get jobs… you need professional assistance here on why you are unable to find such a job.</p>
<p>Worst resort… Temp agencies, Giant Eagle, the Waterfront for retail.</p>
<p>Since you can work the late shifts…there should be absolutely no problems securing a 11-8 job at any of the retail operations or food stores open 24 hours.</p>
<p>I waited until April and im a freshman. I didnt know better, your kids, along with others, did. </p>
<p>Also, way to make me feel incompetent. Theres nothing i can think of the immediately pops out as being questionable in nature.</p>
<p>In fact, i went to the telemarketer position interview. The lady announced that there were over 60 interviewees for one or two positions. We did a group interview(they didnt bother to interview us individually). I was given a pair of scissors and I was told i had 20 seconds to sell them. I did no worse than the other candidates I thought. Also, I was dressed nice while other people were wearing jeans(?). The interview was filled with questions that were meant to eliminate people, and lasted over an hour. I didnt make it past the first cut(CMU telefund had multiple call backs to eliminate people).</p>
<p>Does CMU have a LinkdIn alumni group that you can post your “job wanted” info? Alumni like to help out and might have connections. I get a daily digest from my undergrad alumni group and see these “job wanted” postings every day…but it is a new way of reaching out to alumni so it hasn’t (yet) been regulated or controlled by any official “career svcs” office. Linkdin is free and you can post your background online (if you don’t have an acct already)</p>
<p>Yes, I just cked, there is a group with 12k alums. linkedin.com</p>
<p>Also, I did alot of college recruiting at my job. Here’s what I learned: people hire the person who projected the most positive energy about the job and about themselves. Without being obnoxious and pushy, we tended to hire the person who was upbeat, confident and (most important) the one who really really WANTED the job…not necessarily the one who was perfect for the job, had the most experience. BE that person (even if you are not feeling it on the inside, show it on the outside.)</p>
<p>One thing that could help you foodwise, if you’re staying in Pittsburgh. Could you ask your friends/roomates if you can use whatever leftover dining dollars they have to stock up on food from the convenience stores? Seems like alot of money could go to waste, because nobody gets it back if they don’t use it.</p>
<p>Freshmen internships are just about impossible, aren’t they? Nowadays, I think many good jobs for students are going to those with connections. Either family connections or school connections. People will hire who they know. It’s not discrimatory, it’s just human nature. Any help from friends or faculty available?</p>
<p>Internships are difficult to get…but you also noted you aren’t being hired for entry-point jobs which are the type that students, retirees and homemakers take. Minimum wage jobs exist…they are hard to fill b/c no one wants them…so if you striking out here…seems the career center could help you with either the resume or how you present yourself in an interview. Being rejected from McDonalds sounds a bit extreme…don’t you think?</p>
<p>There should be no problem with temp agencies.</p>
<p>“Minimum wage jobs exist…they are hard to fill b/c no one wants them.”</p>
<p>That may not be accurate anymore. Minimum wage has gone up, I think it’s $7.25/hr in PA. Unemployed people, senior citizens, competing with teenagers who already have jobs lined up for the summer. It probably varies greatly on the area of the country. Times are different now.</p>
<p>^There’s nothing wrong with making suggestions, and it can’t hurt to use the resource most available to you: your own career center for more interviewing tips, mock practices and so forth. Please don’t take offense at such suggestions…</p>
<p>But for every parent who assumes something is wrong with the student, you perhaps have not seen (as I have) students go out every single day, pound the pavements and still come home emptyhanded. Temp agencies can waste one’s time, having you take skill tests, popping your name in a file, and never calling to send you anywhere; meanwhile, there went half a week making and keeping those appointments. Some of the Craigslist “office clerical” jobs turn out to be fronts for such agencies, wasting students’ time so they can tell employers what a big file of workers they have on tap. </p>
<p>People are having trouble finding minimum wage jobs. Managers faced with two applicants (for McDonalds) choosing between a freshman for the summer and a laid-off, hungry single parent who will work there indefinitely choose the latter, and probably should. </p>
<p>It’s not because anybody wore the wrong clothes to the interview~!</p>
<p>There are jobs in research labs that are not considered internships. †hey are ust jobs that need to be filled for hourly workers. </p>
<p>Stay positive and upbeat, metal. This will work out for you if you just keep putting one foot in front of the other until you land a position. You can do this!</p>