I was wondering if anyone had any advice on cover letters or if it would even be relevant to my situation.

The sort of job I'm looking for isn't one that's advertised. You go into the store and ask if they're hiring (or call etc.). I'm working on an updated resume, but I don't know if I need a cover letter too. It seems like it would be too "official" for a job that you just go ask about.

Any other advice for "applying" for non-advertised jobs would be appreciated. (I'm not sure you can officially apply for a job that doesn't officially exist).

I really wanted to be my own boss and start essentially what would be my own business...but I don't have the money to afford the real estate needed to do it as my only job.

[healingme4me]

If you tailor it towards that one place in particular, it may not be overkill?

If it's a generic cover letter, it may be.

Good Luck!

I'm just wondering if it's even necessary since it isn't the average job or application process...and I have no idea what to right. I'm embarrassed enough to even write and give out a resume.

[healingme4me]

A good cover letter, can help the person receiving the resume, see why you are applying. Here is a good article, with many links to help you not just with the cover letter, but with the resume. It's from Forbes.

You mention it's not the average job nor application process, and for mentioning that, I feel, a cover letter would make this, not your average resume

Hope it goes well!!

<quote> ...The first paragraph lays out the specific job you want and, in the best case, names a mutual acquaintance... ...In the next paragraph, write a short summary of your career, tailored to fit the company you’re approaching. In the third paragraph, lay out several specific accomplishments that are relevant to the prospective job. Wendleton likes to do this in bullet form. Put your most impressive accomplishment first, she emphasizes. In the fourth paragraph, say when you’ll be getting in touch...<quote>
How To Write A Cover Letter - Forbes

Thanks! I haven't had a chance to read all of it yet, but other concerns have come up...I know it's not within the realm of the original topic, but now I'm being told by a parent that I shouldn't bother trying to get a job. I'm trying to convince them that I should at least get a part time job because how else am I going to get up in the morning or get anything done? I'm not going to have any motivation to actually work towards the job(s) I really want if I don't have to do anything when I wake up in the morning...I'm just so confused.

They want me to just move back home instead of working...and I guess just live with them and not work? I really, really don't understand.

If nothing else, I have my resume done, even though it may not matter at this point.

[healingme4me]

I've been in positions of putting plans on hold for one or both of my parents, at various times in my life.

Hmmm, if you were to not move back home, and were offered this job, is there any money coming out of their wallets for your choosing to do so?

There'll pay for anything I can't pay for either way...I just want to get away from them. My dad argues with me or gives me conflicting information that just stresses me out. He says things that feed my paranoia or makes me feel guilty about everything I enjoy and then gets mad at me when I have a negative attitude and that I got a lot of it from HIM. My days are now about how to avoid him as he works at home now. So I go outside and have to wait to eat because I don't want to be around him etc. etc.

I think me having a least a part-time job will keep me getting up in the morning...I have really bad depression (that my parents don't know and/or care about) and I have little energy, self-esteem, and motivation in general. If I don't have something to get out of bed in the morning on a regular basis, I won't.

What's so wrong with me getting a job so I can make my own money until the other things I'm interested in start making money (playing in bands, publishing music etc.)? I feel really really guilty spending someone else's money and honestly, it effects my quality of life and self-esteem. I could buy stuff that I want (and they wouldn't approve of) because it's my own money. And I would start to feel less embarrassed about not having a job at my age (mid-20's) when I don't have a reason not to now since I'm out of school.

I just hate being made to feel guilty about doing what I like...

[healingme4me]

I hear that, about feeling guilty, and guilt trips, etc.

If you line up this part time job, which is great to have something to look forward to getting out of bed in the morning, could it lead up to networking and meeting others where either you could pursue your dreams or work in a similar field?

What about teaching music classes? As a second part-time job, or something along that line?

Yes, it's in the SAME field. I'd actually be teaching lessons/working at a music store, if I got the job I was looking at. I originally was hoping to get a full-time equivalent of that—work in the store by day and teach lessons in the evening as that's what others do. I estimate the wage to average out to be $16 to $25 an hour for that sort of job, although it's difficult to estimate and it probably won't be quite that high the second I start working as most of the money comes from teaching lessons. And I live very cheaply—even the lower estimate within a week I can cover my rent, utilities, and at least part if not all insurance (not including medical, I don't know if I'll be able to get that or not). That's of course if I work a 40-hour week, but by that logic, I'll have about half a months salary left after bills and such (excluding food) even if I work part-time. Unless I'm forgetting something... And that's not counting when I start playing professionally which is usually higher per hour than both of those or if I give composition lessons out of my apartment which would be even more than that.

I think my parents just want to control me...they've been using money to subtly do that for years.

Collegiate teaching positions are hard to find and don't pay that much (at least not for adjunct positions, which would be what I do) unless you spend as little time as possible outside of class time preparing/grading. I haven't had any luck finding an adjunct collegiate teaching positions and there aren't that many colleges where I'm going to live, despite living in a big city and being about an hour away from a much bigger city.

[healingme4me]

I have a couple family members that are following their music, one does work in a music store and does some part time lessons. The other works giving lessons to younger kids, part time, outside of school and also is working on a teaching career in music and he's in a jazz band on the side
Good for you!!!

[markmadness]

Finding work is so discouraging. I go to quite a few group meetings with unemployed people in the area. They have people come back and speak when they find jobs. Almost down to the last person they get jobs because they know someone. Is the music community pretty tight knit and do you know a lot of people in your geographic area? Do you have trouble being vunderable to meeting people? (I do.)

The music community is really tightly knit. I'm known in two different areas. I think more people know me (or of me) than I know of them. There are some differences between the two cities though:

City 1:
I've lived here longer, so I know most people and/or they know me.
Since they've known me longer, I have a less positive reputation with some of them.
I know people who own/work at the music store.
I have no way to start a composition studio as I'm not "known" as a composer here.
I'm known as a mariachi trumpet player, so I'd always have a job playing in one of those (however, that's not nearly enough to live off of).
This is the city where my parents live and being so close to them will make it difficult to live my life (i.e. I can't date, I can't start the band I want to eventually, and I would feel very pressured to move back home).
I could teach trumpet lessons, but there are a lot of trumpet teachers in this town despite its smaller population.

City 2:
I do know people here and am well known enough that occasionally strangers know who I am. But since I've only been here a couple of years, I don't know everyone. I do have connections with an important organization, with professors at the big state college, and to members of the nearby major symphony.
I only have a positive reputation here.
I personally know the people that own or work in the music stores, especially the one I'm looking at. Another store that I talked to a couple of years ago wasn't interested at that time, but I haven't asked again yet.
I'm known as a composer here and I also will get students directed to me if I start a composition studio, where I could make $40-60 an hour. Of course, I would never have more than a few hours a week doing this, but still.
I'm not known as just a mariachi trumpet player, so I'm not limited to just that one style.
There's a much larger population, so a larger market for both lessons and bands to play with/gigs etc.
This is the city where my parents DON'T live. So I would have the freedom to actually be myself, especially if I start making my own money (one way or another).
I could teach trumpet lessons especially since there doesn't seem to be a lot of teachers (proportional to the population) or at least they're difficult to find. If I had a place outside of a music store to start a studio, I would, but right now I don't. And being a studio teacher isn't the end result I'm going for anyway (unless it's a job on the side).
If I live here though, I've leaving my old mariachi band behind and that's what's been making this decision difficult...I feel really badly about leaving as they haven't been able to replace me in the last two years (I've been in graduate school). Also, this would mean if I want to keep playing mariachi, I most likely will have to start my own group in this city...possibly, but could be difficult.

So yeah, everything points to City 2, except that I don't know the owners of the music stores personally and I'd have to leave my old band (which I can't make a living doing that by itself anyway).

I have trouble going out of my way to meet new people, but I don't have problems if the people are there in front of me.

I've run into another problem...I don't know exactly what the title of my job would be as I would be looking to fill multiple roles if they were available.