no further progress

I should definitely NOT go to grad school. Why not? Because eventually, in my third year, I would have to write a thesis. I would have the cleanest apartment in New Haven and my friends would all have lovelyknitted scarves, embroidered dishtowels and marble magnets, but I would not have a thesis. I can't even get myself to write a cover letter or make a cold call. Somehow, I keep thinking that they phone will just ring. I am wrong, but I only appear to understand that on the intellectual level.

Maybe tomorrow will go better and I will write a cover letter. The problem is that I think that someone should hire me because they need someone and I'm good enough at what I do. Its not like I've ever had my ankle broken from scenery that I built and rigged falling from the sky. And I have a desire to work, not sit on my grandma's couch and drink beer while I grow into the couch and my skin rots away from being unwashed. I can even be a future industry leader if I have a chance to be entry-level and gain confidence amongst my peers. I promise not to go home for two weeks and fall off the face of the earth while my show goes to shit, and then come back and not really know what's going on or why people are mad.

This is all. Please hire me. Please, someone, show me how to use the hello bloggerbot to post photos to the web.

eek

So, I called. I hope that I hear back. I hate making that phone call. But at least I got voicemail, so its in Mr. Hamilton's court now. If anyone has any pull to get me a job offer, feel free to use it.

Courage is sometimes a kick in the butt

Says Shannon. She's right. Today, before 3pm, I am going to call Ross at CSSI and say that I am just calling to touch base since I haven't heard from them in a while and its definitely after the first of the year. Nick pointed out that if they are going to say "No, go away" my calling with some made up question isn't going to change their opinion, so being honest is the best policy. Now I just need some courage. Or a kick in the butt. My kick in the butt is really that I don't want to have to tell anyone (read: mom and dad) that I chickened out. So yeah.

questions

I need to call Chicago Scenic Studios, Inc (aka Bob and Ross) with questions, as they seem to have forgotten to tell me yes or no "after the first of the year." The problem is, I don't really have any questions, because I've never had a real job so I have no expectations beyond a regular paycheck, humane treatment and regular lunch breaks. The following have been suggested:

• What are the hours?/How many hours?
• Will I need to travel?
• What will I be doing?

I imagine that these ones would be bad:

• So, did you decide yet?
• How much would you pay me? (but maybe I'm just filled with manners that tell me its impolite to discuss money)
• Can I have a pet monkey at my desk?

I am asking you, the reader, to help me out on this topic. I need plausible, non-stupid question(s) to call or email about that don't make me sound desparate. Remember, I spent about 6 hours with these people when I interviewed, so I can't ask them how big their facility is or how many project managers they have or any of that stuff. I already know those answers.

Another day

Another dental emergency. I was supposed to work for my dad today until 1-ish and then go and do errands and generally be liberated from sign store purgatory, but one of the women whose children I babysit broke a tooth and called me at work to babysit. So, I had even better reason to be liberated... er... leaving... at 1, made some extra money and still did my errands afterwards.

On the job search front, no progress has been made. This week I would like to try contacting Showman Fabricators. Some other shops are on my mind, but I'm not as certain that they would be open to receiving cold call type resumes. Here they are: Pook Diemont & Ohl, Inc, Adirondack Scenic, The Design Group and The Goodman Theatre.

Re-looking through the Goodman's employment section on the website, I noticed a job called "Scene Shop Assistant"... it appears to be more along the lines of "we don't let you actually build scenery, but you make it so that the real carpenters can get it done without worrying about the little stuff like hardware stock and if the van has gas." Also, they just re-posted the ATD job to ArtSearch, with a revision of being available July 2005. I already applied for that gig in October and never really heard back. Would it be bad if I applied as the Scene Shop Assistant with the hopes of moving up to ATD if I was a good little helper? Would it even be appropriate to mention that I wanted to make that move? The SSA job is right at my level... organizing, maintaining and not too much actual scenic construction. I prefer to be the brains rather than the brawn to most any task. But if I have to do the heavy lifting, I don't want a wishy-washy supervisor. Either figure it out yourself, or let me do it.

This is getting rambly, I think that maybe I am back in sign store purgatory tomorrow. We got new carpet and the store was repainted over the weekend, so most of my time today was taken up with getting the phones working again (who knew there were so many different ways to hook all the pieces together?) and the tools and supplies back on the shelves. Oh, and taking the opportunity to throw shit away that has been sitting around since (sometimes) before my dad even bought the place, no one has ever used, and yet he insists on keeping "just in case." In fact, we have trashed about 35 clipboards. I have no idea why there are so many, but they don't stack nicely, we don't even use one of them, they collect dust and take up tons of space. Yeah, yeah, should've taken them to a needy community group or charity thrift store or something, but that's how the stuff builds up for so long, no one ever actually takes it that far and it just keeps sitting around. So now, I am horrible and wasteful and sending stuff to the dumpster. We still have some more, if you want them. Let me know.

Smart, Organized and Unemployed

Since this page is already bookmarked by people, I am not going to make a new blog. But I am going to be changing the topic from "Crew Reports for the Duchess of Malfi" to "Katy Kelsey's Hunt for Employment that Actually Uses her Ridiculously Expensive Education." The most interesting changes (besides the content, of course) will be title and template. Its a new year, it'll be a new blog. Of course, the "Crew Reports" will still be available in the September-December 2004 Archives for interested parties to peruse.

I am changing the title temporarily to "Hire Me! I'm behind the Masking Flat!" and presenting you, the nonexistent public, with a list of new title choices. Vote/Rank/Deride/Suggest Alternatives in the comments. And now for the new title options.... drum roll please....

1. Smart, Organized and Unemployed
2. Tales of a Slave to ArtSearch
3. Will TD for Food
4. Jobseeking TD Person (if you vote for this one, you are off the island)
   
5. Drafts, Budgets, Plans, will Travel
6. Hire Me and My 9.75 Fingers
7. Today: Unemployment Line, Tomorrow: Blueline
8. My Resume Got Struck Last Sunday
9. "Cover Letter? Where is that on the plan?"
10. Bandsaw. Not just for breakfast anymore.
11. No nails were harmed in the construction of this blog
12. What's so maybe about Katy?
13. The Real World Needs Scenery
14. Your first job will start at 7 a.m.

And others rejected due to being better for other demographics:

• Will Tech for Food (stage managers)
• Have nuts, will bolt (boys)

So leave your opinion and suggestions in the comments and expect a change by the end of the weekend.