still job searching

got a few sweet emails lately – one letting me know all the pediatric OT jobs are in Tampa FL apparently – ahahaa – and a few asking questions about HIPAA etc. Gotta respond to them. I have over 1,000 mails in my gmail box that need to be dealt with. 😡 I'm uh, a little behind.

So I'm still job searching and still intent on the school OT thing if at all possible – thanks to all the school OTs who have emailed me lately – I appreciate hearing from you and plan to respond, albeit apparently slowly…I love hearing from y'all.

So a few words of recommendation for people on the OT job search…..A) network as MUCH AS YOU CAN, B) listen to your gut when warning bells go off C) make sure you have current CPR (and occasionally they ask for first aid, so it wouldn't hurt and may help to have current certification in first aid too – i'm scrambling to find a first aid course right now) D) try to make sure you have several semi-generic letters of recomendation ready from people you have worked with….make sure they include a date (so they know its like 2011 and not 2002), ideally a signature, and that they mention where/how you two worked together, and contact information for that person. Ideally you would have at least 3 on hand since many jobs ask for 2-3. Also keep copies of your NBCOT certification, and state license. And your resume. And maybe a cover letter that can be modified to fit various jobs. And….hmmm. Keep track of all your start/end dates, with addresses and phone numbers and job duties, of every job you've had for at least like 10 years. :O

My BIGGEST pet peeve in job searching? Okay well a big one to me is when ads are not current – if a job app calls for you to jump through ten million hoops, I recommend you call first and verify the ad is still accurate. Some of the job sites have inaccurate postings. BIGGEST pet peeve though is having to either re-type or re-handwrite EVERY SINGLE JOB I've had, for every single application. I get sooo tired of spending hours tediously redoing that part. I wish there was some sort of website with a universal job application where you could put in graphic detail all your work and volunteer and other info, and then submit that along with resume to job sites….it seems like many of the jobs all have their own drop box forms of many many pages that make me re-type the SAME INFORMATION each time….so each takes hours. Frustrating to me that it can't be more universal in this day and age.  I'm not writing that all out to sound like a diva….just that for efficiency sake, it doesn't seem a great way to do it these days. I'm working on a handwritten app right now – my hands keep cramping up as my muscles are underdeveloped! Time for some OT 🙂

I guess that's all I have to share for now. I do want to re-iterate for people looking for OT jobs who might be concerned I still haven't found a job….there are PLENTY of OT jobs out there. San Diego CA is a little harder to find a job in because it's a paradise and everyone wants to live/work here so jobs are less plentiful and pay slightly less here compared to rest of CA. IE tons of school jobs in Northern CA near Sacramento etc, but almost NONE in Southern CA. Also, I'm trying to get into the school district which is hard to do – if I was willing to work in rehab or a skilled nursing facility I'd have a job by tomorrow. And who knows maybe I'll go down that road….but I have a few more school OT leads to try first.