I’ve known for years that when worst came to worst, and I got truly desperate, I could go to Labor Ready, sign up, and have some grueling dirty job within a day or so.
I went to Labor Ready this very morning (this was originally posted on the 12th).
Guess what? You can’t just walk in and be a day laborer anymore. Noooooo! You need to be interviewed and get a Tier II background check first.
Oh, and the next available slot for an interview is on the 27th! (in three weeks!)
People need to stop saying...’if you really want to work, you can’
Null and void, you’re too smart to be doing day labor. I can’t believe you’re having to consider that option. I’ll tell you something I did one time that landed me a job when I was in a tight spot. I looked up home remodelers in the phone book and just went down the list cold calling them, asking if they needed help. I had never done carpentry or construction professionally, but I was always pretty handy and knew I could learn quickly. Probably the sixth or seventh place I called the guy hired me. He started me off with some pretty menial stuff but within a few months I was one of his lead guys and taking on some pretty interesting projects. I ended up working that job for two years and gained all kinds of useful skills from it. Anyway, moral of the story is that not everyone who has a position to fill is advertising it, but those opportunities are out there if you’re willing to beat the bushes some. The phone book can be sort of like a menu for prospects, helpfully organized by profession.