MordinSeltzer's journey

I was laid off from my role as an operations coordinator back in January and spent the next seven months applying for similar positions while depleting my savings. It was a tough time, and I felt increasingly desperate as the months went by. Finally, in August, I landed a job at a distribution warehouse, earning $17.50 an hour. While it's not my previous role, it's steady work that allows me to pay my rent again. My shift runs from 7:30 AM to 4 PM, Monday through Friday, and I'm not allowed to use my phone on the warehouse floor. New hires also can't take vacation time during their first 90 days, which is where I'm stuck right now. Ironically, now that I'm employed, I'm starting to get responses to my job applications. Last week, I received an invitation to interview for an operations analyst position that would nearly double my current pay. However, the interview slots offered were all during my working hours, between 10 AM and 2 PM. I reached out to the recruiter to see if I could schedule an early morning or late afternoon interview, but they informed me that the hiring manager only conducts interviews during regular business hours. I ended up having to take the initial screening call from my car during lunch, which was a bit of a scramble. Now, they want a 60-minute panel interview at 11 AM next Tuesday, but I can't keep calling out sick. I've only been at the warehouse for two months, and I really need the paycheck. It's frustrating because I have six years of experience in a field that pays significantly better, yet having a job is now the biggest obstacle to finding another one. I'm reaching out to see how others who took lower-paying jobs managed to handle interviews while working, especially when they had no PTO and couldn't just step away during the workday.