because I'm inept...

[miss fortune]

I've had a sh!t time looking for a job... I'm too underexperienced and overeducated for everything and I feel like I've spent days on end filling out applications, turning in resumes and talking to people without any luck

After throwing a minor tantrum today over my frustration with the search to my poor patient ISTJ, I went to wash dishes and calm down a bit by doing something routine and horrible... and while washing dishes something occurred to me...

I live in a city with a large and growing Hispanic population and I live in the middle of Immigrantville basically- especially Little Mexico.

Also, we have no citizenship classes that are easily accessable to most immigrants

Even more interestingly, I'm actually educated in all of the elements necissary for them... including having taught ESL in the past... (I even looked up the qualifications for citizenship class teachers in other locations and I have the appropriate education and experiences!)

There's a niche available that I could partially fill... except I don't even know where to start with that The man told me to put an add on craigslist and put up some adds in the hispanic grociery stores and such... but I don't even have a clue how to get started on all of this!

Anyone have any suggestions, by any chance?

 

[Usehername]

IDK much at all about Spanish communities, but are they by chance very family-oriented? You could maximize your networks and then ask them to spread the word through their family social networks.

 

[Laurie]

Yeah I'm inept too. Still stucks trying to find a job. Waaa.

Oh wait, this thread isn't about whining, sorry

 

[miss fortune]

whining is fine!

and yeah... I'm hoping if I get a few people I can do something sneaky, like offer them a discount for each additional person they bring

 

[runvardh]

For Craig's List, just type up something witty an charming about what you're offering (you can do witty and charming right? ). For hanging the adds get an artistic friend to draw something up for you. Do you know where you're target customers hang out the most?

 

[miss fortune]

I know my way around Little Mexico... I shop there quite often

and it's easier to charm people in person than in print

 

[runvardh]

I know my way around Little Mexico... I shop there quite often

and it's easier to charm people in person than in print

I guess it's up to getting a friend to help out with the posters and talk to some people you already know that your offering the classes. The discounts on extra people is a good way to draw people. Also when you do the classes make sure you are awesome (I'm sure you can handle this part ).

Where are you thinking of doing the classes? Is your living room ok, or are you going to have to look into alternate venues?

 

[miss fortune]

I'm thinking that if there's quite a few people move it to the library down the street- we have a lot of materials in Spanish there as well... along with practice citizenship tests

 

[Halla74]

Market to potential clients at Hispanic Churches.
They are the ultimate of all family congregations.

The churches will even give you a break on using their conference rooms/classrooms to run the citizenshiop classes in, if you can make it cheaper for their parishoners than it would cost if the parishoners would buy the class services in the common market. A true win/win, you get to run your business on the cheap and have access to an entire flock of potential clients in one fell swoop, all with very little marketing costs.

When I first move back to Florida, I had no job. I started teaching Microsoft Windows (98!), Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, and Microsoft Access classes at a local computer shop. They had a classroom, I wroteh the classroom manuals from scratch, and I split the tuition with them 50/50. In one day I typically made $400-$800, as the classes were $200 for an 8 hour day, and there were 4-8 students per class. I LOVED IT. It was a great entrepeneurial experience, and if I didn't land a job selling corporate software I would have stayed with it.

 

[Synarch]

The easiest way to find a job is to open yourself to the idea of moving. By casting your net wider, you're more likely to turn up opportunities. Also, economic opportunities differ greatly from place to place. Some places specialize in certain industries and have different living standards, etc. The worst thing you can do is limit yourself to one geographic locality.

 

[Asterion]

People who are recognized get hired. If the boss knows your mum, then you're in luck. If you're not connected in any way imaginable, odds are, you're out of luck. I know a guy that was hired simply because the boss was reminded of himself, and I've seen my fair share of people who probably never deserved a job but have one because they are the child of x boss. F^^kers...

The only times I've been able to get a job are when these conditions are met. If you want to get a small job, social networking is vital.

 

[miss fortune]

I'm not moving... we just bought a house! I came up with an idea that would work quite excellently right where I am to fill an empty gap in the needs of the community in which I live!

and churches! what an excellent idea! There's more space in most of those and quite a few have nice AV equipment... and I happen to know the lady who does all the coordinating for one of the local churches that just got its own space a year or go from when I worked in the hotel. I was the only desk person who spoke Spanish and I always got her a discount on the space and made sure there was enough coffee for the congregation... I'll have to get ahold of her!

I actually have most of the materials I'd need from various classes and teaching jobs I've had in the past, I'd just have to type them out and print them off.... now I"d just have to figure out what to charge...

sadly, I have to network through people I've helped in past jobs, because my family doesn't do anything related to anything I know

 

[gromit]

I think this is an AWESOME idea whatever, and I imagine you'd be really good at it.

and yeah... I'm hoping if I get a few people I can do something sneaky, like offer them a discount for each additional person they bring

Heh heh heh. That's actually a great idea.

 

[Halla74]

The easiest way to find a job is to open yourself to the idea of moving. By casting your net wider, you're more likely to turn up opportunities. Also, economic opportunities differ greatly from place to place. Some places specialize in certain industries and have different living standards, etc. The worst thing you can do is limit yourself to one geographic locality.

Most excellent advice, especially in economic times as screwed up as the present.

 

[miss fortune]

like I said... we just bought a house and the man's job is here... we can't move and I'm not leaving!

and like I also said- I found an opportunity HERE!

and thanks gromit!

 

[LeafAndSky]

There's a niche available that I could partially fill... except I don't even know where to start with that The man told me to put an add on craigslist and put up some adds in the hispanic grociery stores and such... but I don't even have a clue how to get started on all of this!

Anyone have any suggestions, by any chance?

In the past, have you always worked for someone else? You might benefit from reading up on freelancing. You'd be working as a sole proprietorship doing business under your own name (the easiest way to work as far as paperwork, and the default), unless you want to (now or later) get a company name and file a 'Doing Business As' type of form. I don't know the laws where you are. Freelancers pay quarterly taxes. You might also eventually organize as a nonprofit or become a division of one.

You might, seriously, benefit from taking a half hour or hour to just think through a basic business plan, available online and in libraries. Not an extensive one that you'd give to start-up investors or banks for loans but an abbreviated version that addresses issues of:

typical client
where and how to find them
what to charge
typical rates for similar services in your general area and across the country
expenses for advertising
other things you didn't think of and I can't currently remember

Income as a freelancer needs to cover supplies, time spent behind the scenes on advertising and paperwork, health and/or business insurance, and vacation time.

This organization is great:

SCORE

Maybe you know all the above already, but if you don't, it's easier than it sounds. And working freelance is great!