Finally, the long and arduous process of searching for a summer job has come to an end.  And it's about time.

I work for Seattle Pacific University as the writer and director of a traveling theatre troupe.  It's honestly the best job I've ever had.  In two years, there has not been a day where I haven't wanted to get up and go to work.  The only problem is, I get paid next to nothing.  Which has been okay.  I don't need a lot.  I shared my apartment with someone and split utilities... But then my roommate decided to up and move to Korea to teach English or something.  But I've been able to piece together a living - no matter how close it gets each and every month.

The other downside to my job at SPU is the fact that I don't get paid during July and August.  So I've had to find other sources of employment for those two months in order to make life work.  Last summer I worked as a security guard at a golf course/"gated" community in Arizona.  This summer, I thought I'd try to stay in the area.  See what I could put together.

#1 - The Temp Circuit
I honestly thought a temp job would be perfect for me.  I could work Monday to Friday, nine to five, and have the rest of the summer to write.  I went in for the tests and the interviews and they really liked me and said I had marketable computer and office skills, so I was put on their availability list.  I have yet to receive a call from them.  Nor have I received a call from the two other temp agencies I signed on with.

#2 - The Craigslist Shuffle
When work was slow (and non-existent) in coming, I started checking the Craigslist job postings each and every day.  I would skim through them about once an hour, looking for any open position I was qualified for, and start sending out my resume.  I was applying for around five to ten jobs a day.  Every once in a while I'd hear back from a company, but more often than not the application just got lost in the sea of other respondents.

#3 - Limber Lumber
One of my former students works for a company in Seattle called "Dunn Lumber."  From the beginning of summer he kept telling me that they were hiring and that I should head over and apply.  So apply I did.  I filling out there little application and turned in my resume and didn't hear anything for about a week.  Finally, I called them, asked if they were hiring (they were) and let them know I was still looking for work.  So they set up an interview for me with one of the women from the corporate office.  I felt weird about the whole thing from the beginning.  My interview wasn't going to be at the corporate office or even at one of the locations - no, I was going to interview at a Starbucks up North.  So I hopped on a bus and made it to the meeting.  As we began the interview, she obviously hadn't looked at my application or resume.  I told her that I was looking for summer work and that I would be interested in staying on part time once school started, but that I had some very particular requirements once the year began.  She cut me off, told me she didn't want to waste my time (meaning her time) and told me that it just wasn't going to work out.  So, dejected (though I don't think a lumber yard would have suited me at all), I hopped back on my bus and headed home to eat popcorn and sulk.

#4 - Cater to My Whims
The only solid response I got back from my Craigslist adventures was from a small catering company, looking to build up some new staff members as they grew and expanded.  I applied for the job of dishwasher, got a call, called back, but my contact wasn't there anymore and I was told to call after ten the next morning.  So I call back after ten and the contact tells me that the dishwashing job has been filled but that they have other positions open.  So I send in my resume and get an interview.  I head to their downtown corporate cafe (they gave me the wrong address so I tried to beat down the door to a private condominium) and we have a great conversation.  At the end, my interviewer tells me to give them a call.  So I do.  I call several times and leave messages.  They never get back to me.

Through all of this, I am broke and having panic attacks about paying my bills and still trying to sit still and focus enough to write something meaningful.  My folks help out, which turns out to be an incredible blessing.  I'm able to survive and I'm able to pay my rent.  The stress level subsides, but I still have to find work.  I need to still pay my rent when my SPU job starts up again and I'm not making enough to take care of everything.  Plus, I need to pay my folks back.  So I keep searching.

#5 - Charmed
Last night, as I was getting ready to go to bed, I had a sudden inspiration.  Since I don't have to worry about finding a job that pays fifteen dollars an hour, and since I don't have to worry about finding something full time, why don't I just walk down the hill and apply at Starbucks?  I resolve to do it.  I'm going to go and find myself work.  I print up that application at home, fill it out, and walk it down (with my resume).  When I get in the store, I ask to talk to the shift lead ( I was speaking to her) and I hand her my resume, let her know I'm interested in working part-time.  She tells me to wait, her manager is there, and suddenly I'm in an impromptu interview.  Ten minutes later, I have a job.  She knows the craziness of my schedule once fall hits, but she still wanted to hire me.  I mean, I gave her every reason not to hire me - I don't want to work on Sundays, I have three Saturdays this month that I can't work, I have a crazy job with SPU.  But she hired me anyway.  And now, it looks like I'll be able to pay the rent.  Thank God.