Astralwolf37

Thank you for your clear answer on the matter and your encouragement. I just heard back from one of the places the day after I made this post and did my drug test on Friday, proving your point. :) I really have to learn not to freak about these things.

I've been going through a few background checks for some resident assistant positions. One place really liked me, gave me two interviews on the spot and said they were conducting a background check. A week later, I call them to check on it and they refuse return my calls, give me upfront answers and the hiring manager will not even take my calls when I know he is there. I am being friendly and respectful, so I do not see why they cannot simply tell me whether they are still running my checks or if they are going with someone else. That's all need; I don't even need details. Another check for a second place has been running for seven business days now. Is this normal? The thing is, I have had several jobs that I did not last at...less than two months. I got out of college with an English degree, and spent time taking jobs that I needed to take because the economy is bad. My parents constantly harassed me about not using my degree, I felt like I let them and myself down, and would quit. I also took one in particular just to have a job, knowing it was a poor fit (call center, blech). I do not put these down (four in total, including two in college I tried to work at in addition to full-time classes and a weekend CNA job). Since I do not put them down I am thinking they may run a credit check or SSN check and find these places. I may be out of the running because they figure I am dishonest and unreliable (even though I have several places of employment that I worked at for years and have decent references from). Do I put each and every job I had, even if I only had it for two months or less and risk never getting a job interview? Will they understand why I did not list these places, especially if I was in school at the same time? Does it not matter and am I just obsessing like my douche of a boyfriend just loudly suggested for 15 minutes? Thanks.

Haha, all of them. I worked part-time in an assisted living facility 2:30pm-9:00pm every other weekend and every other Friday while going to school. I picked up hours 10:30pm-6:30am, 6:30am-2:30pm and 2:30pm-10:30pm. I worked in home health for a short time while I worked a reception job during one summer. I worked an 8am to 2:00pm shift Monday-Friday and a 4:00pm to 7:00pm shift Tuesdays and Thursdays. I also worked a traditional second shift (2:30pm to 11:00pm) in a dementia care ward and 2:30pm to 10:30pm in a group home for the developmentally disabled. The group home had us all working 6am-10pm every other weekend; didn't last long there. Just make sure no one forces you to work 16-hour double shifts back-to-back. You only do the client a disservice by being that tired.

Here's the deal: I worked as a CNA for about three years and washed out to work in the clerical world (better schedule and less physical and emotional stress while going to school). Now, with the economy as suckey as it is, I am having trouble finding traditional, full-time office work (and part of me still doesn't know if I can handle the dull, rigid life of Full-Time Cubicle World). I have great memories of being a CNA, and terrible ones. Over three years I washed out of three health care companies because of mandatory double shifts, boring home health assignments (one was literally JUST to make sure a lady didn't cross her legs after a hip surgery) and defunct institutions that let fallen residents lay on the floor for two hours. I wish I made this up. But I keep remembering my time as an aide in an assisted living facility, where I was mainly a med tech. I loved my residents (most of the time, lol), the facility was well organized for the first two years that I worked there, the work wasn't too messy and my co-workers were great. I seems even better now that I am out of work and I would like that feeling of meaning back in my life. Everyday I came home from there I felt like I was serving some greater purpose. I'm considering returning to home health, but am afraid of the odd family members, boring assignments and clueless managers similar to the home home health company I worked for in the past (I have heard similar complaints with the same company from past co-workers elsewhere). Does anyone know of some good companies that operate in Wisconsin, ones that have decent assignments (ie. busy assignments) and a good reputation? Also, since washing out of the field because of bad companies, everyone I know says they will smack me if I try to return (mainly because I told them to say that if I ever considered it...I like the nature of the work, but was jaded by these organizations). Any advise on what to say? I've worked my way into a hole here and it would be great to get some outside perspective. Thanks!