I have some skills. (Aw, yeah.) I’m good at research–that’s mostly what my master’s program taught me. I can type pretty quickly. I love spreadsheets and I’m pretty good at organizing with them. I have a handful of awesome recipes that I’ve mastered. I can sew. I can get by in Spanish and I’m learning German right now. I’m a fast reader. I retain knowledge like a safe. I make amazing coffee.

Basically, those skills add up to “cutest secretary ever who will bring baked goods to work at least once a week,” which I’m totally fine with for now. The problem is… I haven’t had any bites in a while. I’ve applied for a dozen secretary/assistant jobs in the past few weeks and I’ve heard nothing back.

My skills (and experience) don’t seem to match up with anyone’s rubric. I wonder if I need more education or training in one area or another, but I can’t really afford that. (My German class cost $85 and I used birthday money to pay for it.)

What skills do people need to get hired these days? I would even settle for an interview and no offer–my hope for anything more is at a minimum.