What Should I Do For Work?

[Madisonkeug]

Thank you, this is really helpful. I'll keep all that in mind. Now it's just trying to format a resume...

Hi, where do you live? I don’t need like a city but like are you Canadian or American? What State/Province do you live in? If you go into a chain fish store like Petsmart or Mr.Pets etc you can just ask for them to email you an application and they will usually just take down your information on that and skip the resume! (At least here in BC) these types of stores are always looking for staff and want people who know what they’re talking about and if you tell them you have tanks at home and your looking for some work that youll enjoy doing and taht love working with fish you’ll have a way better chance than half the people applying already!

 

[PlasticGalaxy]

Hi, where do you live? I don’t need like a city but like are you Canadian or American? What State/Province do you live in? If you go into a chain fish store like Petsmart or Mr.Pets etc you can just ask for them to email you an application and they will usually just take down your information on that and skip the resume! (At least here in BC) these types of stores are always looking for staff and want people who know what they’re talking about and if you tell them you have tanks at home and your looking for some work that youll enjoy doing and taht love working with fish you’ll have a way better chance than half the people applying already!

Read back in the last couple replies, I've gotten a job at a local fish shop! I live in England, by the way.

 

[Vass_sCo]

Right, going to sound very pathetic here, but I'm at a loss and I'm desperate at this point.

In early November, I dropped out of sixth form for my mental health. I was at a very low point, where dragging myself out of bed for classes in the morning was the only reason I got up. And even then, my attendance grew worse and worse until I just stopped attending. I won't get into the darker parts of this, because I'm not here to tell a sob-story and I really don't want to upset anyone. Anyway, I really don't regret this decision in itself, but I do regret it for the fact that I now won't be able to get the proper qualifications to ever stand out in a list of applicants for a job. I have all my GCSEs, and passed with A's in a few topics, but "secondary school graduate" is really not enough - especially when I'm only sixteen.

Now I stay at home, in front of my computer for hours at a time maintaining social media, looking after my tanks and wasting more and more time. I don't know what to do. I've been looking for a job for months but I don't know what I'd want to do or how to get there. I've been wanting to work at the local hotel(s) ever since the new one opened up in my area. Don't ask why, I just really fancy that kind of environment. The problem is, I have no idea of how to create a resume for this particular position. Or any job, for that matter. I just don't know what to put down in the "personal statement" part.

Even if I look for other jobs, I wouldn't know what to do. Working at my LFS sounds fun in theory, but it's technical work and you need to be pretty well-versed with fish (and customer service) to work one of those jobs. So then I considered working at a supermarket, which is also far too much customer service for my meek self. Pathetic, I know.

In short, I'm desperate for a job - I don't care what it is as long as it's nearby and has hours within daylight. Cash in hand, temp jobs, or even just one-off things. I just want to prove to myself that I can actually do something other than wasting away in my bedroom.

As an older gentleman that thought he had things in order in life take it from me do what makes you happy above all else.

Life is hard and only throws roadblocks in the way of things believe me when I say enjoy life you are still young and many hurdles to go through good and bad some easy choices and some hard forget what people say you should do and go with what you believe and what your heart is set on and set that goal I hope you achieve it.

 

[Fishmanic]

Eventually, maybe you could offer aquarium set up and maintenance services to doctors' office...chiropractors, dentists, etc. And maybe eventually offer services to homeowners too. You might be able to get enough customers to do it full time. But you should get more experience first- you're young.

 

[Madisonkeug]

Read back in the last couple replies, I've gotten a job at a local fish shop! I live in England, by the way.

Oh sorry!! And that’s awesome I just clicked on I didn’t see they were 7 pages of replies that go back that far!!! that’s amazing good for you!! Happy you got a job and hopefully you’re liking it!!

 

[PlasticGalaxy]

Eventually, maybe you could offer aquarium set up and maintenance services to doctors' office...chiropractors, dentists, etc. And maybe eventually offer services to homeowners too. You might be able to get enough customers to do it full time. But you should get more experience first- you're young.

That'd be great! All the doctors' offices are slowly fazing out their tanks, which is a bit of a pain!

 

[Fishmanic]

after you gain enough experience, then you would need to learn how to market your services.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

That'd be great! All the doctors' offices are slowly fazing out their tanks, which is a bit of a pain!

I’ve never seen a doctors office with a fish tank. I think it’s because they are just to much maintenance for the staff to handle.

@WhistlingBadger, how did you get hooked up with your doctors office and their fish tank?

 

[WhistlingBadger]

I’ve never seen a doctors office with a fish tank. I think it’s because they are just to much maintenance for the staff to handle.

@WhistlingBadger, how did you get hooked up with your doctors office and their fish tank?

We overheard the staff talking about how they wished they could find someone who knew fish tanks to redo it and maintain it (it was really, really, really a mess). My daughter spoke up and started bragging about how her dad knew all about that stuff. So, that's all you need: Finish growing up, marry a nice girl, have a talkative kid who's proud of you. Simple as that.

 

[Essjay]

The care home where my mother spent her last few years had a fish tank with goldfish. They said it gave their dementia residents some thing bright and colourful to watch, so that's another avenue for the future, pandemics permitting.

I hate to think what state that tank is in now with lockdown preventing anyone but staff entering care homes.

 

[WhistlingBadger]

I'm actually thinking about turning this into a second mini-career when I retire from teaching here in a few years: Offer to take over tanks that already exist but are obviously languishing (there are a couple in our medical clinic that are just kind of sad), offer to set up themed tanks for ethnic restaurants, that sort of thing. I figure if I got about ten tanks running at various businesses, that would about cover my health insurance and help fund my archery and fish habits. ha ha

 

[ClownLurch]

I'm actually thinking about turning this into a second mini-career when I retire from teaching here in a few years: Offer to take over tanks that already exist but are obviously languishing (there are a couple in our medical clinic that are just kind of sad), offer to set up themed tanks for ethnic restaurants, that sort of thing. I figure if I got about ten tanks running at various businesses, that would about cover my health insurance and help fund my archery and fish habits. ha ha

It’s a thought that’s for sure.
I was discussing it a few weeks back with the old boy who keeps a huge tank of basic Livebearers a few doors away. It’s something he wishes he’d done on retirement when his son was wondering what to do with his life. His son now has about severe MTS and the old boy hasn’t bought a fish, snail or shrimp for about 20yrs!
We figured with the number of long finned varieties easily and cheaply available that wouldn’t require a heated tank (WCMM, Cherry Barbs, Rosy Barbs, Zebras, Leopards, Medaka etc) mixed with a selection of colourful guppies, RCS, Amano and as wide a selection of snails as possible expense would be kept down and visual interest up. Plus foam filters would mean no electricity in the tank.
Old people’s sheltered housing, Drs, Dentists, Nursery Schools, Office waiting rooms etc and there’s dozens within 20 mins walk of our houses.
Trying to figure how to padlock tank lids was where we left it!

 

[ClownLurch]

Read back in the last couple replies, I've gotten a job at a local fish shop! I live in England, by the way.

We could all start coming around your shop. Buying stuff and making you look good to the bosses! There’s three I use regularly within 15 mins drive. It may be at one of them. Gimme a DM of the county, your secret will be safe.

 

[PlasticGalaxy]

We could all start coming around your shop. Buying stuff and making you look good to the bosses! There’s three I use regularly within 15 mins drive. It may be at one of them. Gimme a DM of the county, your secret will be safe.

Haha, I'm down in the South East! I've let a couple friends know though, and maybe just slightly hinted at the idea that they should come and pay me a visit... Maybe even selling a tank to them would be nice!

 

[WhistlingBadger]

@PlasticGalaxy , I'd love to support your shop too, but the commute is prohibitive.

Besides various medical and dental offices, we have a Mexican restaurant (livebearers and cichlids!), a Thai restaurant with an awful aquarium (I'm a bit of a specialist in Thai fish and plants), a casino restaurant on the Indian Reservation that cries out for a native fish tank...so many fun challenges. The only trouble is that I find it very distressing when something goes wrong in a clients tank. Problems that I would face with a shrug and "do the best I can" attitude in my own tanks, become a major crisis when I'm getting paid to do it for someone else. Pesky work ethic.

So, I'd have to learn to be a bit more relaxed and have fun with it. I like making people happy, and fish definitely do!