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Applying for jobs is exhausting and soul-crushing
- Thread starter Moofers
- Start date
I actually tried being honest the last time I went on an interview, if only because I couldn't remember my lie, and it probably cost me the gig.
Syphon Filter
Member
Anyone ever moved up with a retail company to other parts of their company? I mean starting as a regular sales associate and later on I want to become a web designer for the company.
Northernlights
Member
Nope. But I did see many of managements best friends move up. Both retail jobs I had were all about favoritism. After seeing I wasnt going anywhere, I lost motivation and left not long after.
RiccochetJ
Gold Member
We already know the answer. We just want to see how you respond.
ViewtifulJC
Banned
"I'm not big on the whole "broke and starving to death" thing thats big in some inner cities."
Why? I'm applying for a programming position and you're trying to hire a conman.
nintendork666
Member
Just got hired in at GameStop.
Not quite the hours and pay that I wanted but whatever helps pay the bills.
The plan is to fast track me into an assistant manager which should be cool.
Not quite the hours and pay that I wanted but whatever helps pay the bills.
The plan is to fast track me into an assistant manager which should be cool.
I'm desperately trying to find a paid internship for marketing. It feels impossible because I've only gotten one email back and they asked about a portfolio (I'm a student and all the work I've done has been in class projects)
I sent them the classwork I've done but I fear it's not enough. I applied at like 10 more agencies and businesses today. So far I'm 1/43 in responses.
If this is what the job market is like I finally understand the thread title.
I sent them the classwork I've done but I fear it's not enough. I applied at like 10 more agencies and businesses today. So far I'm 1/43 in responses.
If this is what the job market is like I finally understand the thread title.
Paid internships are rare and typically very competitive
StrangeRoboMemory
Member
Super cathartic to read through this thread. Looking for something full-time has been so damn rough. I was in academia (~~English Lit~~) for a long time and I eventually grew completely disillusioned with it [is there an academia gripe thread, because there should be]. I ultimately turned down a postdoc and decided to get out so that I could do something else, but transitioning has been a hard road. I spent so many years in school that I missed out on the internships, entry level positions, etc., at a time when I could have been building up a career. I've tried to make up for lost time as much as I could. I've scrambled to add depth to my resume - I moved to Los Angeles and worked at two different publishing houses, did some teaching, and did a bunch of film editing and production stuff. But those positions took about six or seven months to get, and the wait was such an extremely demoralizing time.
Just when I started to get some nice career experience and had built up momentum, my gf and I moved to Toronto. I'm super excited to be here and I love the city, but it's meant that I'm back at a blank slate. We've been here for about four months and I haven't landed anything full-time. I'm doing part-time teaching, volunteer tutoring, and I volunteer for a Syrian refugee education NGO. I'm trying to use my time wisely, but not having a full-time gig feels so crappy. My gf makes 98% of the money, and I can't really contribute. I hate seeing the months drag on as I can only pay a random bill here and there, and then everything else is on her shoulders.
The lovingly craft updated cover letter/apply/hope/despair cycle is a truly awful grind. It's some Dark Souls shit. I know the average is six months to a year and I shouldn't feel so down, but hearing about those stats just doesn't help.
Anyway, that's my rant.
For everyone in this thread, this might give you a laugh - the legendary late-night DJ Jean Shepherd (wrote/narrated A Christmas Story) telling a childhood story about an out-of-work neighbor and his donut machine: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFatX5USR88
Just when I started to get some nice career experience and had built up momentum, my gf and I moved to Toronto. I'm super excited to be here and I love the city, but it's meant that I'm back at a blank slate. We've been here for about four months and I haven't landed anything full-time. I'm doing part-time teaching, volunteer tutoring, and I volunteer for a Syrian refugee education NGO. I'm trying to use my time wisely, but not having a full-time gig feels so crappy. My gf makes 98% of the money, and I can't really contribute. I hate seeing the months drag on as I can only pay a random bill here and there, and then everything else is on her shoulders.
The lovingly craft updated cover letter/apply/hope/despair cycle is a truly awful grind. It's some Dark Souls shit. I know the average is six months to a year and I shouldn't feel so down, but hearing about those stats just doesn't help.
Anyway, that's my rant.
For everyone in this thread, this might give you a laugh - the legendary late-night DJ Jean Shepherd (wrote/narrated A Christmas Story) telling a childhood story about an out-of-work neighbor and his donut machine: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFatX5USR88
Syphon Filter
Member
Why not create personal projects for your portfolio?
I find plenty of them out here, but the competitive part I don't doubt at all. I would love to do an unpaid internship but Chicago isn't cheap and I have $5 in my checking account right now.
I've always thought about this but as a marketing major I never really knew what a portfolio would look like. I do market research and plan campaigns, we aren't really taught anything art related. I know the basics of photoshop and could probably make a few things but I don't know if that will really show that I'm focused on marketing, ya know?
Syphon Filter
Member
I don't know what a marketing portfolio would look like as I am a UI/UX Designer so for me it would be to show a process and images of interfaces. Just google a marketing portfolio and see how others are doing theirs.
shinobi602
Member
This is it...
Tomorrow morning is the interview that can change my life and my family's. Wife and son, another little guy on the way in March...it's all aligned so perfectly, I just hope I can pull it off, for them.
I'm a nervous wreck right now...have to keep calm.
Tomorrow morning is the interview that can change my life and my family's. Wife and son, another little guy on the way in March...it's all aligned so perfectly, I just hope I can pull it off, for them.
I'm a nervous wreck right now...have to keep calm.
StrangeRoboMemory
Member
Take a breath, man, and then go nail it! You've got this.
I worked at Target in store for about 10 years and at the corporate office for about 5. It's pretty rare for someone to go from store to corporate. If you want a job with the corporate office, I would suggest either applying directly for the job you want or some sort of internship or entry level position (data entry, office assistant, etc). It will be much more effective than trying to work your way up from floor sales.
PinkyMonkey
Banned
Hope the interview went well, let us know of the updates.
shinobi602
Member
Well, it went well! I feel anyway. The HR rep originally said it's a two-step interview process but the interview I spoke with was in a senior position and mentioned he would give feedback and if they decide to go forward with me, there'd be one more interview with the manager. I mean damn! I'm so mentally drained...can't do any more interviews! lol
But still, it went real well. Fingers crossed...
Currently in a contract to hire situation. Recruiter said 6 months and we potentially will offer you a job. Its a year long 7 site implementation project everything is going well, we had a successful crp 1. Its now been 7 months i haven't heard anything from the company about my current or future position. and yet im in the driver seat and pretty much running my functional 3 functional areas ( almost irreplaceable). I actually don't want to get hired on but want to start another 6-month contract i don't know how much bargaining power i actually have here. I have never done something like this before (worked in Dubai never the states) anyone have experience in this kind of situation?
Freeza Under The Shower
Member
that is not the correct way to sharpen a blade btw. Blade facing away is good, towards is bad.
Talk to your recruiter/agency. Chances are they will be fine with keeping you on as a contractor. Contract or temp to hire is usually a BS promise anyway.
What's the best response to this? Gotta make sure when I'm asked this again for the future I know what to say that'll make them be like
ayeeee this nigga lit
Yeah, that's what i want anyways. But i have some issues and concerns i want addressed more money + the ability to actually log more than 40 hours (currently working on the weekend due to project scope and size) also being recognized as a PM for my qualification pre req hours for PMP
dskillzhtown
keep your strippers out of my American football
Something canned and generic like, "I am looking for a new experience" or "I am looking to gain more experience in a certain area" or "I am looking to apply and expand my skills in a certain area".
I had to answer this a few times when it seemed like the job I was going after was a step down from previous positions. It was more of me wanting to move my career into a different direction.
So that's the thing in Dubai that's expected of u when you are a salaried worker, and if you dont just work they can get rid of u etc. but yeah i addressed that to my recruiter that i want it sorted.
Rapscallion
Member
Started looking for part-time work and it feels demeaning.
I'm a graduate student, so I'm looking for something that fits my schedule and pays decently enough. I've worked in different administrative jobs for over 7 years, and yet the only thing opens to me are entry level jobs that pay nothing. My only other option is working for the university, which pays peanuts.
I'm a graduate student, so I'm looking for something that fits my schedule and pays decently enough. I've worked in different administrative jobs for over 7 years, and yet the only thing opens to me are entry level jobs that pay nothing. My only other option is working for the university, which pays peanuts.
Hate getting bad news.
I interviewed for a position back in August. The job would have been my entry into the career field that I've been patiently waiting for. Got a call from the divisional commander today and informed me that my eligibility did not go through with HR, that I've essentially been passed over (no specified reason).
My interview went very well and the supervisor even followed up with me and was eagerly awaiting my start date.
This is really hitting me hard. I haven't had gainful employment since graduating college 3 years ago. FML.
I interviewed for a position back in August. The job would have been my entry into the career field that I've been patiently waiting for. Got a call from the divisional commander today and informed me that my eligibility did not go through with HR, that I've essentially been passed over (no specified reason).
My interview went very well and the supervisor even followed up with me and was eagerly awaiting my start date.
This is really hitting me hard. I haven't had gainful employment since graduating college 3 years ago. FML.
Hierophant
Banned
is this the job search ot?
i fucking hate writing cover letters and anything that requires me to suck a companies dick like you don't care about me why do i gotta care about you?
i feel so fuckin slimy writing out these lies about how much i love this company for a shitty christmas casual retail job that'll probably pay me about $12 aud p/h
all my friends tell me just to lie a bunch because they'll probably not care but i feel so dirty doing that shit
i fucking hate writing cover letters and anything that requires me to suck a companies dick like you don't care about me why do i gotta care about you?
i feel so fuckin slimy writing out these lies about how much i love this company for a shitty christmas casual retail job that'll probably pay me about $12 aud p/h
all my friends tell me just to lie a bunch because they'll probably not care but i feel so dirty doing that shit
Just write a generic cover letter you send to all jobs
SolVanderlyn
Thanos acquires the fully powered Infinity Gauntlet in The Avengers: Infinity War, but loses when all the superheroes team up together to stop him.
Any other teachers in here?
I had one temp job last year (long term sub), got my Master's in Education this past May, and cannot for the life of me find a job in Secondary School English ANYWHERE. I applied to a million places and never heard back from any of them. Should I start looking into private schools or community colleges?
I had one temp job last year (long term sub), got my Master's in Education this past May, and cannot for the life of me find a job in Secondary School English ANYWHERE. I applied to a million places and never heard back from any of them. Should I start looking into private schools or community colleges?
Good luck!
diablos991
Can’t stump the diablos
This will work for a $12 an hour job. But definitely not for a higher ranking job.
A cover letter doesn't have to praise the hiring company. Simply do some of the work for the hiring manager: select key elements from the job posting and market your skills as a successful match to those elements.
Hierophant
Banned
ended up doing that, i applied for like 5 jobs thats probably not enough tho
Works for me.
Freeza Under The Shower
Member
What would you call a generic cover letter, if I may ask? Aside from obvious vague language, you would still need to sell your offer to them, not the other way around.
Quick summary of your skills/accomplishments and current role.
AHA-Lambda
Member
I have an assessment day for AB InBev on Tuesday for one of their graduate schemes.
Don't suppose anyone has any good advice they can give me?
Don't suppose anyone has any good advice they can give me?
As someone strongly considering pursuing a PhD in English, this is quite disheartening, and I can see myself getting disillusioned in the future as well. If you ever start that academia vent thread I'll be interested in hear your story. Hope you manage to land something soon.Super cathartic to read through this thread. Looking for something full-time has been so damn rough. I was in academia (~~English Lit~~) for a long time and I eventually grew completely disillusioned with it [is there an academia gripe thread, because there should be]. I ultimately turned down a postdoc and decided to get out so that I could do something else, but transitioning has been a hard road. I spent so many years in school that I missed out on the internships, entry level positions, etc., at a time when I could have been building up a career. I've tried to make up for lost time as much as I could. I've scrambled to add depth to my resume - I moved to Los Angeles and worked at two different publishing houses, did some teaching, and did a bunch of film editing and production stuff. But those positions took about six or seven months to get, and the wait was such an extremely demoralizing time.
Just when I started to get some nice career experience and had built up momentum, my gf and I moved to Toronto. I'm super excited to be here and I love the city, but it's meant that I'm back at a blank slate. We've been here for about four months and I haven't landed anything full-time. I'm doing part-time teaching, volunteer tutoring, and I volunteer for a Syrian refugee education NGO. I'm trying to use my time wisely, but not having a full-time gig feels so crappy. My gf makes 98% of the money, and I can't really contribute. I hate seeing the months drag on as I can only pay a random bill here and there, and then everything else is on her shoulders.
The lovingly craft updated cover letter/apply/hope/despair cycle is a truly awful grind. It's some Dark Souls shit. I know the average is six months to a year and I shouldn't feel so down, but hearing about those stats just doesn't help.
Anyway, that's my rant.
For everyone in this thread, this might give you a laugh - the legendary late-night DJ Jean Shepherd (wrote/narrated A Christmas Story) telling a childhood story about an out-of-work neighbor and his donut machine: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFatX5USR88
I'm in grad school right now applying for whatever part-time work I can get. So far I've been working at a local high school as a temp, but the hours are so sporadic that I've been forced to look for another job. That, and my grant is all used up.
Cracklox
Member
Goddam. I remember seeing this thread when it was 1 or 2 pages just after a started my last job, and thought 'yes it is, and thank fuck I don't need to go in there'. Well, after just over a year, and 140 something Gaf pages later, here I am after being put out of work a few weeks ago. Good to know in a way there's a lot of people going through the same crap
Anyway, I did IT shit for the last 5 years which I kinda fell into without any real study and tried my best to wing it, but its not for me. The 5 years before that I worked in a car dealership handing over peoples new cars, which was a cool job, even if the pay didn't quite match the hours I was putting in. So looking at something like that again. Have applied for a couple of service advisor positions, which pay better with a similar amount of hours to my previous delivery role, that I'm pretty confident about.
Till then it's alternating F5ing Gaf screens and staring at my phone. Because if I'm constantly looking at it, it, I'm pretty sure the chances of it ringing go up. I think
Haha. Nice analogy. That fucking cover letter doe. I wish I could do one, just one, that I don't fell the need to proofread 8000 times
Anyway, I did IT shit for the last 5 years which I kinda fell into without any real study and tried my best to wing it, but its not for me. The 5 years before that I worked in a car dealership handing over peoples new cars, which was a cool job, even if the pay didn't quite match the hours I was putting in. So looking at something like that again. Have applied for a couple of service advisor positions, which pay better with a similar amount of hours to my previous delivery role, that I'm pretty confident about.
Till then it's alternating F5ing Gaf screens and staring at my phone. Because if I'm constantly looking at it, it, I'm pretty sure the chances of it ringing go up. I think
Haha. Nice analogy. That fucking cover letter doe. I wish I could do one, just one, that I don't fell the need to proofread 8000 times
shinobi602
Member
AHHHHHHH!!! Manager loved me, I was picked for the position. Went through 4 interviews. Great salary too. I've worked so hard for this...ugh. Years and years all led up to this. I'M FUCKING CRYING.
Hard work pays off guys. Keep at it!!
useyourfist
Member
Awesome news congratulations shinobi.
PinkyMonkey
Banned
Congrats! These kinds of posts are great to read.
SapphiCine
Member
Went to a job fair for a big construction project and it was terrible. The organizers were blindsided by how many people showed up and not prepared. Bad experience and I only got the briefest interview and I might not hear back for months. Fuck my life. Fast food/retail hell here I come.