~lippy~

I've had an open job for almost a month now, and have posted it on a bunch of the popular sites, but I've been disappointed by the resumes I get. It's a great full time job with competitive pay and awesome benefits, but I keep getting duds. What can I do to entice more qualified people to apply?

It's a customer service position for a dot com, and it's not a high stress job. We have a comfortable environment and very friendly coworkers. Is it possible I'm making it sound too good to be true? Or does advertising the perks attract the wrong kind of applicants?

i used to cut when i was in high school... i haven't done it since (it's been 10 years) but things have been really rough lately and i'm tempted to start cutting again. I have a lot of knives, and some of them are very sharp... but i can't seem to get the thought of cutting out of my mind. can anyone help me?

I've suffered from depression for as long as I can remember. I have been through a lot of really difficult things, and have been in therapy from ages 16 to 26 and on medications for the last 15 years. In the last 3 years, things have improved a lot. However, now I seem to be having more extreme mood swings. I rarely feel so bad that I get suicidal, but I do get very low, and can't seem to change my thinking. Sometimes I can't even identify a trigger. I'll cry and think about hurting myself, and then the next day or two days later, I'll be happy and excited. I don't have any urges, don't do things that are extreme like going on spending sprees or anything... But I'm afraid of the severity of my mood swings lately.

I don't currently have mental health coverage, and am on a tight budget. Does this sound like bi-polar, or is it something less severe?

Thanks for your help.

Yes, this is long. I apologize. Thank you for taking the time to read it!

I recently had a pretty bad experience with a part time job. My resume was pulled from my state's workforce services website by an employer, then I was called in for an interview (so I didn't actually apply for the job at all). The job was part time retail at a small toy store, which was owned by a couple and managed by the husband's parents. I first interviewed with the wife, then a couple days later with both the wife and the husband. During the interview I explained that I had another part time job, and that if I were offered a job, I would need to honor any pre-scheduled commitments with my other job during my first week of employment, but that after that I would be able to arrange my schedules and availability with both them and my other employer in order to continue working both jobs. They agreed to that condition, and said they would get in touch with me by the following Tuesday. The following Monday, I got a phone call from the manager of the store asking me where I was, because I was scheduled to work. I hadn't been formally offered the job yet, and I was tired and confused, but she insisted that I come in. So I got there an hour after my scheduled start time. While driving there, I got a voicemail from the owner, who was very angry that I wasn't at work, because she was there to train me. When I did arrive, I tried to explain that I had not been offered the job, and she quickly said "congradulations, can you start today?" and proceeded to train me on the register. Then we discussed the schedule they had made for me, which needed to be changed because of my prior commitments to my other job. I continued to work through the week with my altered schedule, and on Saturday night had to call in sick (due to a migraine headache that left me unable to drive) for a 2 hour shift. [Note: scheduling someone for less than 3 hours at a time is less than legal in my state.] The next monday, I came to work, still suffering from the same headache I'd had since Saturday. When I got to work, the owner called me, and proceeded to yell at me about how hard it was for them to have had to change the schedule last week, and how awful it was of me to call in sick. She told me that I would not be allowed time off work without at least a month's notice, and that I "could not just call in sick." She then told me that I had to make this job my number one priority, and that I would have to cut back my hours at my other job (which, btw, pays nearly $2 more per hour). She also informed me that my schedule could be changed at a moment's notice. Then (my favorite) she asked me if I had checked the schedule and if I knew I was scheduled to work that morning [at which I rolled my eyes, because I was physically standing next to the cash register, at work].

A couple hours later I gave notice to the manager that I would be quitting; that Saturday would be my last day. The reason I gave was that I had a better opportunity at my other job. [The reason I did not give was that I wasn't going to put up with their crap at minimum wage.] Later that day I was informed via email that I was taken off the schedule. When I called their accountant and asked when I would get my paycheck, he rambled a statement about me getting it when they do their next round of pay. Then I got an email from the owner with a copy/pasted section of state code stating that they don't have to pay me until they do regular paychecks.

Since then I've gotten 3 phone calls and 2 emails from the owners, all with the same basic message: "you suck and we're glad you quit."

Is there any way that I can get them to stop contacting me? Is there something that I should do in order to protect myself from anything they might say or do in the future? They're not on my resume, and I'd never tell anyone I worked there. But I'm tired of being harassed by them.

I haven't had a close female friend since my sophomore year of college (I'm 27). My sisters are both over 40, and not really interested, so I'm planning on asking my nieces to be my bridesmaids. The oldest is 18, next is 14, then 10. Here's the trouble: I love, but can't stand the 10 year old, but I know that if I leave her out, she'll feel rejected by our family, once again. She's my brother's daughter, and he didn't marry her mom, in fact, he refused to believe that she was his until she was a year old. Long story short, she needs to be included, but I just can't fathom having her as a bridesmaid at all (she's a total spaz). I still plan to put her in a matching dress along with the older nieces. Would it be appropriate to give her another job at the reception? My mother suggested having her stand at or sit next to the gift table. Are there any other appropriate duties for a 10/11 year old girl at a reception?

The wedding itself is an LDS Temple ceremony, so there won't be any children in attendance at all, no Bridesmaids or Groomsmen in a row or anything, so that's not an issue.

I'm getting my nails done tomorrow so I look a little more polished for my graduation (YAY for finishing college!), and I'm wondering if I should get traditional french tips, or if i should go for something else?

thoughts? opinions?

I'm starting my new job (internship, actually) and the dress code is really free... jeans, t-shirts, sneakers, whatever. i want to dress a little bit nicer than some sloppy t-shirt and plain jeans, but i'm not sure what to wear! also it's REALLY cold here. supposed to be 9 degrees tomorrow, and snowing.

thanks for the help!

a student in the animation program at my university asked if i'd consider doing some figure model work for him. i'm fine with the plan, i just don't know what to charge per hour or per session. does anyone know what the average rate is, or know of anywhere i could go to find out?

My best friend of 4 years recently got in with a rough/rowdy crowd, and has started in on some self-destructive behaviors including alcohol, pain pills, raves, and multiple sex partners. How do I go about telling him that this behavior is hurting him, as well as hurting our friendship?

I've seen numerous other friends and family get hurt, suffer, and die from these same behaviors, and I don't want him to suffer, nor suffer myself while watching him destroy his life. I can't have him in my life if he continues, but I don't want to lose his friendship. What can I do?

after a suicide attempt, i spent 5 days in the hospital and 10 days in bed... it's REALLY time to get back to normal, but how?

what can i do to prepare myself to go back to work, so that i can face every-day stress without breaking down into pieces?

aside from getting help from doctors and staying on my meds, what else can i do to help myself get back to living my life?

I love it, but i seem to have run out of ideas for new binding styles. any ideas?