Job hunting, what's the point?

So, I've been unemployed for about 2 years living off of savings. For the first year I have been mildly looking for employment and had no luck.

For this past year I have been applying on average of about 5 - 8 jobs a week. Every job I apply for asks me the same exact questions.

Work History
Skill set
References
Education
etc etc

This is all in my resume and it's starting to get redundant and becoming real cumbersome.

I also don't understand why I haven't even been called back for an interview from not even one of these companies that I applied for.

I am a college graduate with an associates degree. I have over 20 years experience using a computer. I have over 8 years experience dealing with customers on the phone and in person. Over 8 years experience in an office setting. Yet I can't even get walgreens to call me back.

Sad part is that the trade school I graduated from promised "Job Placement" and the person I contacted hasn't even tried to find me one or set me up with an interview. Heck I even had to file a complaint with the BBB because it was impossible to contact the proper person to send me my Degree. After 3 weeks of leaving messages on her machine, I've had it at this point. Sure enough 1 day after filing with the BBB she contacted me and got me my degree in a jiffy.

So, what am I supposed to do? A college graduate with a degree and lots of experience in various fields and an above avg skill set? It almost feels like any and everything I ever learned was in vain. Not to mention that every single job I ever got was because of someone I know and not because of what I know.

I'm at the point where I'm about to make a sign that says "College graduate, applied for 100 jobs this year, will someone just give me an interview?" Then I will stand outside next to those "why lie i need a beer" sign holders.

This is depressing.

/rant

Feeling ya buddy. Been there myself you just gotta keep plugging away. Do what I did, just lie like a bitch on your resume.

I do believe it's 80% resume 30% First impression.

Best of Luck

Try a different field or industry. Look for an internship and hope is leads on to something better. If you have enough savings look into buying a franchise. If no one will give you a chance, make your own chances. I’ve been in your position and was in the process of setting up my own business when I found something.

reply to post by jidnum


Are you posting / emailing your CVs out or handing them to the manager in person? This can make a huge difference. There will be hundreds of applications for each job and half of them are probably ignored or binned. If you hand your CV to the manager in person you have a chance to make a good impression and demonstrate what you would be like as an employee. Most managers will know straight away whether you are the right person for the job and it might save them an interview

Hope this helps and good luck!

reply to post by Fazza!


This is even more difficult thus the need to apply online. They don't want hundreds of people coming in to see the manager.

reply to post by DeadSnow


It might be a test to see who makes the effort

From my own experience, employment has only been offered after handing a CV + cover letter straight to the person it was addressed to, even when that meant booking an appointment to see him/her in advance.

(I get applicants every day and the conversation goes exactly like this: EVERY-DAY.) *One of the Big 3 Auto Makers Business and Plant Managemnt Offices-Worldwide

Applicant:“I’d like to see someone in Human Resources please”?
Me: ” Im sorry, there is no one to talk to”.

Them: “Ok, I’d like to leave my resume then.”
Me: “Sorry, we don’t accept any resumes.”

Them: “Fine. Then can you tell me when that person would be in?”
Me: “There wont be any person in to talk to. The Human Resources here is not for that. They don’t hire.”

Them: “Ok. Where can I send my resume to?”
Me: “They wont accept any resumes”.

Them: “Then, how can I apply here?”
Me: “You cant apply here or at any sites. Youll have to go online and fill out an application and attach your resume there.”

Them: “Ok. Where do I send it to then?”.
Me: “Ive no clue. You have to go online.”

Them: “Well, then…when will someone look at it and call me in for an interview?”
Me: “They wont call you back and probably youll not hear from anyone. They will call you if theres some opening somewhere-sometime”

Them: (now totally frustrated): “How then do you even apply for a job, get my resume looked at, and just TALK to someone”?
Me: “You wont. They’ll call you maybe sometime.”

That’s how it is here in Michigan whether its McDonalds, Home Depot or Walmarts…nearly everywhere. You have executives trying to get into minimum wage jobs with very impressive qualifications.

Its the same for everyone: Go online and apply. Jump into the stack of applicants....all of which will never even get an acknowledgment they applied.

In the end...when after a time they try again and my answer is still the same:"You have to apply online".

So...it breaks down to thousands of applicants that will never get a callback, or interview, or will be offered anything. They become just a number in stacks of 1,000's and all of those...will have to start the above process all over again.

reply to post by Fazza!


I know people that have tried doing this in several organizations only to get sent away and told to apply online.

Edit: They also thought it was a test. There's plenty of threads about it on here as well.

reply to post by mysterioustranger


I am from Michigan and I second that. I have turned in thousands of applications since leaving the service, all online of course and have yet to have even one phone call or interview. Whatever happened to filling out an application and getting an interview. No matter what I apply for or how or when it does not make a difference. I just have no luck. I get by just fine though as I am a resourceful person. I will probably never rejoin the standard work forc again because of all of the technicalities involved.

reply to post by jidnum


Not criticizing you, but maybe you should be applying to 3-5 jobs a day, and keep hitting up the ones you have already applied for.

Also maybe you should try dumbing down your resume. That's what I did and the offers started flowing in. Within three days of doing so I got my first two interviews and was hired by both, though I could only actually take one. But in my opinion, having a choice was a good thing. It sure beat the alternative.

Have you looked into the logistical field. They are always hiring.

Thanks for the suggestions.

Oddly enough after creating this rant thread and sleeping off the frustration, I wake up to a phone call for a job offer in California.

Should be getting a phone interview today!

I guess it's true when you vent out to the universe, the universe responds.

reply to post by usmc0311

Sorry for your situation. Keep trying. And I feel all these TV adds about "You too can be a graphic designer/Medical Assistant/Video Game creator etc")...are all misleading and just a way to build up the hopes of applicants...and gives folks something to do to keep up morale...and the easy-to-get student loans flowing...when usually-placement they guarantee....is not possible in the current economically depressed world.

Once upon a time, I fell for one of those as well. Owed $5000 for a medical carreer training...got out and there was nothing...and instead got hired tossing bio-hazard waste for double what the income in that medical field would have been..

Good luck to you friend. Stay positive...MS

I'll tell you one thing for sure.... i used to think educations and experienced matters, it still matters... but CONNECTIONS beat those 2 by a lot.

I have had bunch of morons work in lab who had connections with manager. While, me, had to come in the normal way with over qualified resume.

Also this how the hiring process works...

Internal applications > Contracts(This and...) > External recommendations(THIS IS WHAT COMPANIES HIRE) and then you have regular externals.

Reason External recommendations are good because, they can be fairly trusted because someone inside is recommend you with their "job on the line" plus, they don;t have to move around internal people.. they hate doing that because of so much work for them(and, some might take others jobs.. like newer workers becomes an older workers supervisor, etc), well there are exceptions.

I hope your interview goes well. What is your degree in?

Yeah, it's sad hearing people say they have turned in "thousands" of applications without hearing anything back. I wonder, though, if that is not a clue that you are doing something wrong. Remember the Einstein quote: "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result." If you afre turning in your standard resume over and over again with no response, then, quite frankly, your resume isn't good enough. It doesn't stand out.

The task before you is to make your resume stand out. In an online environment you are somewhat restricted by the format, but even here using some common sense may help you. Large firms actually scan your resume for keywords. If you are applying for a programming job, for example, and your resume does not say somewhere on it, C++, then you won't get an interview. So whatt are the keywords that your prospective employer wants to hear?

Secondly, if yiou are applying for "thousands" of jobs, that tells me you are using a scatter-gun approach. You figure you're good enough for any one of those jobs (and you probably are), but we're not in an employment environment where employers are compelled to take anyone who can walk through the doors. They want relevant experience and relevant education.

So your choices are to either GET relevant experience and education or to apply for positions where you already have it. And that may mean moving.

I'm running out of time here. I really ought to do a thread on this because there is so much more to this than a quick post like this can transmit. Good luck to everyone.