Unskilled Job Search

[billbenson]

Wife wants to get a job. She's worked at a department store an Amscot like company specializing in sending money to Latin America for legal and illegal immigrants. On a busy Saturday, she could handle $45k. She hasn't worked in a number of years. and would be a near minimum wage employee. Her native language is Spanish. Her English is pretty good.

For people like this, they normally make you apply at a machine in the store or online.

How would you recommend her to approach her job search?

[Freelancier]

Start with a place that seems like a good place to start, but has high turnover because of the nature of the jobs. Example would be Publix. Once you have a job, it's easier to get another job doing something more like what you want to do.

[turboguy]

It might also be good for her to play around in her spare time with some computer programs such as Excel, Word and others and to watch some YouTube videos. Becoming proficient in those might help her move up the ladder or qualify for more and better jobs.

I think she will do just fine. Qualified applicants for entry level jobs are tough to find. I can run an ad and not have hardly any applicants. Of course we pay peanuts and beat all our employees daily but still you would think someone would walk through the door.

[Harold Mansfield]

I'd focus on places with a high number of Spanish speaking employees. In Vegas being able to speak Spanish fluently will almost assure you at least an interview to manage in the house keeping department of a casino or work in human resources.

[CCAdamson]

Online or one of those machines, either one doesn't matter. If she wants to go down that road and work in retail she should find something pretty easily right now, most people are hiring for the holidays. If she wants long term she needs to separate herself from the pack when she is working. Politeness, punctuality, and some basic product knowledge go a million miles in that setting.

I think turboguy is on to something too, taking a couple courses could help land something more long term. If she is bilingual has she considered a job as a translator or teaching an English as second language course or visa versa? I don't know the criteria for that and I don't think it pays much but it could potentially be more long term than a retailer.

[vangogh]

This time of year most retail stores are hiring holiday help. Pick a store that sells products your wife is interested in and she'll likely get a job. It might be presented as temporary, but by the time New Year's has come and gone, there will likely have been enough turnover that she can keep the job if she still wants it. I say all this from experience having started a few jobs exactly the same way.

Taking some courses can work too. My last job was one I got through someone I was taking courses with. We had a couple of classes together and he could tell I knew what I was doing and his company happened to be hiring someone with my skills. He asked me to send him a resume and within a week I had the job.

[billbenson]

It might also be good for her to play around in her spare time with some computer programs such as Excel, Word and others and to watch some YouTube videos. Becoming proficient in those might help her move up the ladder or qualify for more and better jobs.

I think she will do just fine. Qualified applicants for entry level jobs are tough to find. I can run an ad and not have hardly any applicants. Of course we pay peanuts and beat all our employees daily but still you would think someone would walk through the door.

She's extremely computer literate with the exception of excel.

[billbenson]

I'm trying to push her in a direction that has a job board. Not retail, no future or education. Of course wives never listen to their husbands; She has to do it 'My Way'.

[MyITGuy]

Does she have any interest in any specific industry?

I.E. We have several large call centers in our state that love bilingual agents (Is there a Convergy's call center in your area?)
Warehouse work at the larger centers will give her flexibility in what position she can/wants to do (I.E. Amazon just opened one on the west coast and is having a few job fairs, Walmart and Walgreens have a few here as well)

I would definitely avoid retail, just because of the hours/scheduling. But if she does go down this route I'd suggest Ikea if you have one nearby. My wife works at the one in our area which seems to treat her well (Except for hectic schedules).

[Paul]

Bypass the online application process. I know everyone says that’s the way it’s done but they never get looked at, some are scanned by programs for certain key words or phrases and you end up just one of many applicants.

Create a nice resume, emphasize her excellent computer skills and bilingual ability. Include a brief cover letter. Priority mail to the top person or appropriate department. You might even put a little pic of her smiley face in a corner. Even when a company isn’t actually looking to hire they are always looking for good people. It may end up in the trash BUT it might just get someones attention.

They may appreciate the little extra aggressive effort from her as opposed to the more passive online applicants. Make it easy for the hiring people, stick it right under their nose so they don’t have to weed through all the online applications.

Last time my wife wanted to change jobs she was applying online everywhere. She is a highly qualified interior designer/salesperson. There were absolutely no responses in spite of her A+ qualifications. I kept telling her to do what I said above, but like you said wives want to do it their way!! Anyway, finally, she let me do her resume and cover letter. We overnight delivered to the few top local companies in her field. Phone calls the next day, hired within a week. They told her they had never seen her previous online application!!

I know you say “unskilled” but even more reason to separate from the pack. Besides I’m not so sure a computer literate, bilingual person who handled financial transactions is really “unskilled”.