For one job hunter, success came out of the blue

Published 9:17 pm Friday, February 27, 2009

LYNNWOOD — The end came out of the blue.

Trista Arntson drove to a casino in Mountlake Terrace. She was about to start her night shift as a cocktail server — a job that paid her minimum wage plus tips.

Arntson, 22, of Lynnwood saw a sign on the door. It said the casino had been closed because of poor income.

“No notice,” she said. “Nobody knew. We just lost our jobs.”

She started crying hysterically, she recalled. It was early December. Her son’s second birthday was coming up; so was Christmas.

Arntson didn’t have money to fill up her car to go home, she said. She had counted on tips on that night to buy gas. A security guard saw her and walked up to her. He gave her $20 so that she could go home.

Her son, Phillips Solis Jr., turned 2 on Dec. 15. Arntson had to cut back on his party.

“He didn’t get anything compared to last year,” she said.

Her fiance, Phillips Solis Sr., works part-time in construction. He saw his hours cut back. The couple can’t afford their wedding, Arntson said.

They wonder whether they can continue to pay for food, utilities and other essentials.

“This is killing me,” she said. “This is the hardest that’s ever been.”

When she tried to apply for unemployment benefits, the amount of paperwork overwhelmed her, Arntson said. She chose to use her energy to find a new job. She’s always held jobs since she was 15.

Why can’t she find work this time? Arntson thought.

Every day, she visited WorkSource in Lynn­wood, a jobs center with state resources. She’s applied for a few dozen jobs.

Arntson recently landed a job at a Shoreline casino. She’s set to start on Tuesday as a cocktail server.

“I didn’t even apply,” Arntson said.

She had applied for jobs at different casinos, which helped the Shoreline casino contact her, Arntson said.

There were moments during a job hunt when she doubted herself, Arntson said. She kept believing that there should and must be something for her.

“My son keeps me going every day,” she said. “I have to find something. As he grows, he has needs. I have needs.”

Yoshiaki Nohara: 425-339-3029, ynohara@heraldnet.com.