Some potential {and extremely exciting} job opportunities over at Trinity College Dublin. There are FOUR jobs going there. All are library assistant roles, of which 3 are part time. The other role is a 6 month full time library assistant role. The deadline is tomorrow. {Sept. 27th 2011 12pm} So get applying. 


I am however extremely skeptical about these roles as, from past experiences, these could be an 'inside job'. They legally have to advertise positions, etc, thus giving us all false hope. I'm hoping and praying that this is not the case for these 4 potentially interesting jobs. 


Which brings me nicely onto the subject of Cover Letters. Ugh. This is an area of my life, I truly detest. For the life of me I cannot write a decent cover letter, they have ranged in the past from 3 sentences, 'My name is x, I would like a job. Thanks' - to thesis like cover letters. The one that I have been using at the moment has secured me 3 job interviews, i'm currently rewritten a lot of it, to fit in particular to the job specifications that Trinity is looking for. Which has been extremely time consuming. It's taken pretty much the entire day. I suppose being unemployed is good for some things, eh?


In other job related news, I have been having an internal struggle. Do I go on the Dole {Government Benefits} and hopefully qualify for it, or do I go back to horrible retail. 


The positives of the Dole:



  • Free monies! {Well only if I qualify for it, which in my case, could be highly unlikely}.
  • It leaves me with the opportunity to seek voluntary work. I could enhance my CV with related library work.
  • It also presents itself with an opportunity, after 3 months, to potentially do another course, that will be paid for, by the government. Also enabling to work on the Job Bridge Scheme, with an additional €50 each week.
Negatives for the Dole:
  • Negatives, because I live at home with my parents, I probably won't qualify for the dole.
  • No one who is able to work {and I could work in retail or a fast food place}wants to be on the dole. 
Positives for Retail:

  • Money!!!! 
  • Discounts
  • Save money for Canada/USA
Negatives for Retail:

  • I didn't work my ass off for an entire year, gaining my Masters, to go back to retail. It would, I'm pretty sure, destroy me.
  • It's just too grim to bear thinking about. I will avoid at all costs to not have to go back to retail. 
It boils down to the struggle of being on the Dole for x amounts of months, until a job final appears. This in itself will be heartbreaking and a complete struggle. But it does allow for voluntary work. Retail provides the opportunity to move abroad to seek greener pastures. 

I'm holding out for the job fairy, and i'll hold out for as long as possible. Positivity shall be my word for the next 3 months. Then it shall be a case of make or break. 

Comments

  1. Ugh I feel your cover letter pain, but that's awesome you've had three proper interviews! I've had ZERO.

    you should definitely go on the dole, even if you do retail, go on the dole while looking. I'm living at home with parents at the moment, and I'm getting it (thought I wouldn't). I would go back to retail for the extra money (like you said, to get out of Ireland all the sooner) but can't find any work in Shannon. Although, I also thought one silver lining of the dole was I could get voluntary library work, but nobody wants me, pfft.

    also, what's this about being able to do another course for free in 3 months?! like a FAS type course, or another degree?!? i didn't qualify for a grant for the MLIS but now my dad's retired I might have a shot.. althoughhh i think they only give grants if you're doing a higher level... as in a phd for us (and I don't think I have that in me.) Just thinking out loud now ha.

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  2. Hey-ho,

    Have you signed up for Fas? There's a job in Ennis at the moment via Fas {that's close by right?} for a library assistant. Have to be on the Dole for 3 months, dunno if you've been on it that long? But it's worth applying for anyway. I tried to copy the link, but it's not working. Apparently you have 48 days to apply for it. So no worries!

    As for the courses, some of them are FAS type courses, but the one I was thinking of is Springboard, I think you have to be on jobseekers for 6 months but I could be wrong. http://www.dit.ie/springboard/

    You'd have to dig around for more information, but some of the courses sound really interesting.

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  3. Oh my god, I feel like such a jackass for not seeing that Ennis job! That's where I did my six week pre-MLIS stint last summer, so that could be super promising! thanks for the heads up!

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  4. You should so be a shoo in for that job then, if you did your work experience there! Go get em tiger.

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