How I Spent The Thirtieth Week Of The Rest Of My Life

This was the week that I finally got sick of my resume.  I looked it over again this week while applying for jobs at Starbucks on Monday and decided that I hated it.  What I didn't like about it was how it didn't reflect my new priorities on research and marketing.  But when I had my host look it over, she changed the syntax completely.  At least there were no spelling or punctuation errors.  Now it reads simpler and meaner.

And I'm almost excited to send it out to new places now.

On my own, I also revised my government resume to have some simpler verbiage.  Though the irony is that I have gotten two e-mails from the OPM that they were forwarding my resume from the old format.  Hey, I can't argue with my imperfection if it works.

Also, since my twenty-six weeks (though not my full funding - and I qualify for an extension) is over, I finally put together my list of jobs that I had applied for.  It's, surprisingly, under 60.  In some ways this is disconcerting as I've still yet to get an interview.  But in another way, I have heard of people submitting hundreds of resumes without getting a job.  It still feels like I have yet to begin to fight.  But that I'm grinding down at the same time.

The weird thing is that I just discovered http://www.kellygovernmentsolutions.com/web/us/kgs/en/pages/index.htmlhttp://www.kellygovernmentsolutions.com/web/us/kgs/en/pages/index.html (Kelly Government Solutions) through CareerBuilder.com.  And, shockingly, there are a ton of government jobs on there.  The kind that I actually qualify for (unlike most on USAjobs.gov).  There have been a few research assistant positions on it that have been promising.

I keep putting off temping.  But it seems like it's probably a great way to get my foot in the door.  I'll get on that next week.

Here's how I "spent" last week:

TUESDAY, JULY 26 ($7.48)

• 9:23 p.m. 7-Eleven - $7.48.  Since this time it was deodorant that I was out of, I didn't even walk to Walgreens.  I also bought some burritos.  And a Slurpee.  Come on.  It was still hot.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 27 ($52.27)

• 12:15 p.m. United States Holocaust Museum - Free.  To get really excited about applying for marketing jobs, I decided to check out the propaganda displays on the ground floor.  
• 3:08 p.m. SUNdeVICH - $10.00.  For the first time I tried a Washington D.C. restaurant while it was still brand new.  It was pretty incredible.  I don't know what brined vegetables are.  But I'm sure I like them.
• 3:32 p.m. Starbucks - $4.00.  Returning to the first Starbucks that I frequented in D.C. (the one in Columbia Heights) was like a homecoming.  Though it's still annoying full of people just chilling out.
• 5:07 p.m. Safeway - $32.24.  I had planned on going shopping on Monday, but I finally did.  I got a frequent shopper card for the first time in ages.  It saved me $8.63.  Safeway has good deals.
• 7:18 p.m. Subway - $6.03.  Even though I had a bunch of food in my backpack and had eaten late, I couldn't help but to eat at the Subway by the Manassas train station.  I don't even know why.  

THURSDAY, JULY 28 (Free)

FRIDAY, JULY 29 ($32.83)

• 10:51 a.m. Starbucks - $4.00.  Since it was hot, I hadn't planned on going into D.C.  But a friend was in from Chicago so I did.  Of course I was really early so I stopped at Starbucks and applied for a job.
• 12:22 p.m. Ebbitt Express - $8.83.  Looking for somewhere cheap around McPherson Square, the carry out version of Old Ebbitt Grill came up.  It was tasty.  And appropriate since my visiting friend and I used to eat at Alonti at home.
• 5:32 p.m. Los Toltecos - $20.00.  Since the roommates/landlords were going out for margaritas, I decided to give this place another try.  The margarita was strong, but my food was just as bad as the first time.

SATURDAY, JULY 30 (Free)

SUNDAY, JULY 31 (Free)

• 5:42 p.m. County Center Association Clubhouse - Free.  For he second week in a row, I attempted to go to the gym on a Sunday hoping that I would go again this week.

MONDAY, AUGUST 1 ($4.00)

• 2:16 p.m. Starbucks - $4.00.  Since I had overspent my budget, I decided to go to a Starbucks close to home.  It's a good thing that I did since getting upset about my resume would have made it a long train ride home.

So that's $96.58.  Hopefully, as I continue to get really serious about looking for work and apply at two or more places a day every day, the numbers will continue to stay that low.  Temping will definitely raise it since I'll have to leave the condo most days, at least there will be money coming in as well.  My total money spent since I've been unemployed is $6142.63.