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Applying for jobs is exhausting and soul-crushing

Erv

Member
So I really want to find another job. Is it w worth it to go to some job agencies for help? I don't know how they work. Do they help you free of charge or for some type of fee? Thanks
 

Flux

Member
So I really want to find another job. Is it w worth it to go to some job agencies for help? I don't know how they work. Do they help you free of charge or for some type of fee? Thanks

Usually they get a finder's fee or get a portion of your pay. It is a temporary fix in my experience.
 

Gengahrrr

Member
So I really want to find another job. Is it w worth it to go to some job agencies for help? I don't know how they work. Do they help you free of charge or for some type of fee? Thanks

Its very hit and miss. Like Flux said, they usually get a finders fee if you land a job they send you. Some employers avoid dealing with agencies for that reason, so their might be a job you miss out on by not personally applying instead. Also in my experience, prepare to wade through a lot of crap they send you until you find something worth your while. Depending on your level of urgency for a job, obviously.

It's usually free, so it's not like you have anything to lose by using one. If anything, you work a few gigs for some cash that can keep you afloat until you find something permanent and/or fills the hole in your resume.
 
Man I got my offer at 2 pm today... thank God!

Im getting like twice the pay now.. neve give up guys.. there will be some rejections, shortcomings, whatever but keep pushing through that light is at the end of the tunnel!
 

JordanN

Banned
So does anyone know of quick temporary jobs that WONT DESTROY YOUR SOUL?

I want to flee my rathole city that I believe is holding me back from getting something better, but being unemployed makes that nigh impossible and all the alternatives look awful.

Retail sucks
Call Centre sucks.
Warehouse sucks.
Fast food, while actually awesome, is near impossible to come by due to the competition.

It's scary reading there are people who are unemployed for months. I've stopped working for 1 month and it's starting to feel like hell again.
 

gwailo

Banned
I've done some data entry jobs. Boring and repetitive, but you tend to get left alone once the managers know you can do the job and usually you can wear headphones to listen to music/podcasts. Pay is usually a few bucks more than minimum wage also.
 

Magnus

Member
I had to leave an extremely toxic work environment for health reasons, and now after 3 months, am ready to return to work. I've just begun the excruciating process of cold-applications online, email followups and networking. It's so discouraging seeing my peers from school 3-4 years ago in senior jobs already while I got so derailed this year (from a job that was already too junior for me).

:(
 
D

Deleted member 1159

Unconfirmed Member
I had to leave an extremely toxic work environment for health reasons, and now after 3 months, am ready to return to work. I've just begun the excruciating process of cold-applications online, email followups and networking. It's so discouraging seeing my peers from school 3-4 years ago in senior jobs already while I got so derailed this year (from a job that was already too junior for me).

:(

Who do you know in your field and who in your network knows people in your field?

In my experience cold applications never work, only referrals. The first step then is to start talking to people who are either in the field or know people who are to get introductions. Otherwise that application is probably going in the garbage. I've applied to places for months before and only when I've gotten a referral from a friend or former coworker have I gotten a response.
 

JordanN

Banned
I've done some data entry jobs. Boring and repetitive, but you tend to get left alone once the managers know you can do the job and usually you can wear headphones to listen to music/podcasts. Pay is usually a few bucks more than minimum wage also.

Thanks you for the suggestion.

I have one more question, how can I tailor my resume to fit this job? The weird thing about my situation is I do have post-college level education and built up a portfolio. But all my skills are geared towards working in animation/VFX.

I also worry because of this, they may think I wont be a long term employee (which is partially true, as I did apply everywhere else in the field I specialize in. But I'm in the waiting stage hence why I'm now turning to part time)
 
I had to leave an extremely toxic work environment for health reasons, and now after 3 months, am ready to return to work. I've just begun the excruciating process of cold-applications online, email followups and networking. It's so discouraging seeing my peers from school 3-4 years ago in senior jobs already while I got so derailed this year (from a job that was already too junior for me).

:(

Online applications are a black hole, you need to get yourself in front of people. Be ready to accept another junior position. Go to job fairs if you can. If you do get an interview go into it with the idea that you're scoping them out just like they are to you. You've had a bad experience at work in the past, be on the lookout.

Good luck
 
If a recruiter or hiring manager asks what I am doing currently and it's only a retail job (not related to what I am looking for which is web design) should I mention that I am in retail or say nothing since that is not related to what I am looking for?
 
If a recruiter or hiring manager asks what I am doing currently and it's only a retail job (not related to what I am looking for which is web design) should I mention that I am in retail or say nothing since that is not related to what I am looking for?

Working retail is better than sitting at home playing games all day.

Try something along the lines of working retail to make ends meet and working on improving my webdev skills in my spare time.
 
So does anyone know of quick temporary jobs that WONT DESTROY YOUR SOUL?

I want to flee my rathole city that I believe is holding me back from getting something better, but being unemployed makes that nigh impossible and all the alternatives look awful.

Retail sucks
Call Centre sucks.
Warehouse sucks.
Fast food, while actually awesome, is near impossible to come by due to the competition.

It's scary reading there are people who are unemployed for months. I've stopped working for 1 month and it's starting to feel like hell again.

To be honest those jobs are what you make of them. If you go in with a shit attitude they will be shit, if you go in with a good attitude, they can be fun and social jobs.

When i left university i got a supermarket job because i was skint and didn;t really know what i wanted to do, i thought the job was beneath me and i hated it, but i;ve mellowed out and although i am fed up with it, i kind of enjoy it now, the people are nice, and it can be semi productive if you do higher up stuff (like supervising, orders etc)

To be honest i have been there too long now, i gave up for a quite a while applying for jobs because of the non answers and degrading mental health, but i had a good few weeks lately and applied for a couple of paid internships in london (live in cornwall) so hoping to get my foot in the door so to speak.

Don't really want to move to another office/retail job, as i just want to do something i want to do (not entirely sure what that is yet) I could easily be management material etc at other supermarkets but it not really something i would want to do. Extra money would be nice and other perks, but i think it be another nail in my coffin haha. Also i live in a really pretty place, the lifestyle is nice, and i can shoot off and go cycling at a whim and the hours are good, so it is just a case of taking the hit on wages for living in a place were people would kill to go on holiday.
 

OG Kush

Member
Just received a verbal offer for a job I had a recruiter contact me for about 3 weeks ago. I'm very excited as I wanted to work for this company 3 years ago before I landed my current job. I just went on LinkedIn, turned on the flag that lets recruiters know you are looking for a job, and over the past three weeks I've had about 8 legit inquiries.

How do I do this?
 
Applied for a job this weekend, and acrually got a prompt response saying they won't interview me. Is it still ok to say thank you and ask why I wasn't considered? Kinda caught off guard since I'm used to no response at all.
 
Seems like retail jobs, data entry jobs, etc don't like hiring people with degrees, even with past retail experience. I don't know how you maximize your chance of getting one when you look 'overqualified'. Need something to tide me over whilst I learn programming. I hate the idea of reentering the whole retail sector but I don't have much choice now.
 

JordanN

Banned
To be honest those jobs are what you make of them. If you go in with a shit attitude they will be shit, if you go in with a good attitude, they can be fun and social jobs.

I had the same thought too when I had applied to them. "Just do your job and ignore everything else". And while that sounded good in theory, what spoils this for me is the absolutely toxic environment.

Not trying to sound entitled, but I just can't see myself working these minimum wage jobs while having a racist go off in your face or co-workers gossiping behind you. With how low rank/demanding these jobs are, it makes it easy for managers to get away with abuse.

I also feel like I suffered psychological trauma because of this. My mental state has severely deteriorated after working retail.

Seems like retail jobs, data entry jobs, etc don't like hiring people with degrees, even with past retail experience. I don't know how you maximize your chance of getting one when you look 'overqualified'. Need something to tide me over whilst I learn programming. I hate the idea of reentering the whole retail sector but I don't have much choice now.

Reminds me when I applied to a Mcdonalds last year, they saw my education and said "why you are not working there and instead here?".

The truth of the matter is everyone needs money first before they can build a career. But that wasn't good enough for them. :/
 
How do I do this?

On your linked in home page click the jobs tab. On the next screen click on preferences and hit the toggle that says "let recruiters know you're open".

Make sure your profile highlights yours skills though. I was getting offers for the exact line of work listed on my resume. A couple of them were for jobs i saw on Indeed that people say are impossible to actually get.
 
I'm just looking for reassurance that I did the right thing. Got a job thru an agency for a call center of sorts, but a) the agency was being extremely shitty about nailing down a start date and at one point even told me the position was no longer available and b) it was only for up until Febuary. I got another job offer for another call center gig and took it because it was a permanent position. I just feel kind of shitty after signing all of those papers and backing out two days before my supposed start date.
 
I had an interview that I'll never forget. They were people who really liked honesty and they were definitely people who liked to have fun and joke and whatnot. I'll put it this way, before the IT Director left, he asked me if that my friend had his hands cut off and and needed to jerk off to live, would I do it. And I said yes. These were the kind of people who interviewed me for an hour and 20 minutes lol.
 

Blablurn

Member
I had an interview that I'll never forget. They were people who really liked honesty and they were definitely people who liked to have fun and joke and whatnot. I'll put it this way, before the IT Director left, he asked me if that my friend had his hands cut off and and needed to jerk off to live, would I do it. And I said yes. These were the kind of people who interviewed me for an hour and 20 minutes lol.
Did you apply to work for Will Ferrel and Owen Wilson??
 

Matush

Member
Hey guys, first time posting here.

So last week I was invited for an interview, everything went well (at least in my opinion) and yesterday employer called me for a second round, anything I should prepare for? What kind of questions should I expect?

Job that I applied for was assistant of transportation (basically dealing with foreign customers regarding transportation of their good through their trucks/trailers)
 

Bizzity

Member
I was wondering if anyone might have any tips for me in my job search.
I will be finishing my Bachelor degree in Computer Science in just over a month. I'm looking to get into Software Development. However, my search has been rather difficult so far. I have worked full time while pursuing my degree, attending Franklin University with the majority of my coursework being online. I have to get my exams proctored though.
I work as a team leader at an automotive engine manufacturing plant and live in rural west-central Ohio. (If you know the area you have a 50-50 shot of guessing where it is.) As far as non-degreed work, the pay is about as good as it gets, and I can't really take a pay cut or relocate as my wife and I bought a house last year and are expecting our first child in March. Finding a position within my company does not seem like an option as much of their development work is contracted out, and the one contractor I spoke with seemed to think they couldn't hire me.

So I guess I was wondering, if remote options are actually viable? My practicum work through my degree program had me working on Android applications and web development. However, most of my education focused on Java with a smattering of C, Perl, and exposure to a few other languages.
There doesn't seem to be a lot of opportunity in this field that is less than an hour's drive away from where I live.
Oh, I have interviewed for positions twice. The first time was last December and they were ready to give me an offer for a mobile developer position, but thought I was graduating last December and when they realized it's this December they did not send the offer, and the position has been filled. Very recently I interviewed for a Junior position, was then told they were considering me for a mid-level position instead. E-mailed back and forth a few times, then it fizzled out, and I assume has been filled.
 

Flux

Member
Got an interview with another city (From Toronto going to Ottawa)! It's been a while since I had the chance at an interview. It would mean a long drive and require moving.
 
Finally got a call back tonight, I've got a new job! Was given a verbal offer about 5-6 weeks ago subject to a security screening, which I passed. Was a bit worried because I have some financial issues from a couple of years ago and that was a section of the questions I was asked about for some reason. I was honest and explained everything, but no problems it seems.
Should be starting within a fortnight. So happy right now.
 

gwailo

Banned
So is Indeed.com the new hotness or is Monster/LinkedIn still the best sites to find jobs?

I think it depends on the industry. Indeed seems to be better for IT jobs. I got my last 2 jobs in brokerage via recruiters contacting me on LinkedIn. It would probably be good to be registered and use both. Monster is garbage IMO, mostly call center and sales jobs barely above minimum wage. They also sell your contact info.

I'm just looking for reassurance that I did the right thing. Got a job thru an agency for a call center of sorts, but a) the agency was being extremely shitty about nailing down a start date and at one point even told me the position was no longer available and b) it was only for up until Febuary. I got another job offer for another call center gig and took it because it was a permanent position. I just feel kind of shitty after signing all of those papers and backing out two days before my supposed start date.

I wouldn't worry about it too much. The last temp job I had, I left after a couple of weeks because it took them so long to get all the paperwork going, I had found a permanent job in the meantime. There were also jobs that I turned down a day or two before they started because the agency gave me inaccurate info about the salary, job duties, location, etc.

One thing to look out for is that some of the shadier agencies will try to charge you if you leave a job or don't start it before the assignment is up.
 

Aomber

Member
I'm gonna fucking lose it. This company I had a good shot with had me do a problem assessment that took me almost two full days to do, responding a week later with a super cold message saying I'm not the best fit.

Six months out, no job prospects.
 

entremet

Member
Just received a verbal offer for a job I had a recruiter contact me for about 3 weeks ago. I'm very excited as I wanted to work for this company 3 years ago before I landed my current job. I just went on LinkedIn, turned on the flag that lets recruiters know you are looking for a job, and over the past three weeks I've had about 8 legit inquiries.

LinkedIn is amazing.

I cannot recommend it enough, especially for white collar types.
 

Fou-Lu

Member
I am nervous as fuck for the job hunt after I get my Masters degree. I have no idea how to sell myself or even what job skills I really have.
 
Just tossing this in here, not sure if it's allowed. Mods can delete comment and scold me if needed.

Company I just got hired at in Portland OR is looking for more people. I swear it's a legit job and not anything shady. PM me if you want details.
 
When they ask what do you know about the company, maybe.

Apparently it's a question they ask... I'm just unsure whether appearing too eager can become a negative.

I am nervous as fuck for the job hunt after I get my Masters degree. I have no idea how to sell myself or even what job skills I really have.

Your university / faculty will have a careers advisor. Use them. There are careers fairs, go to them. Some even have CV and cover letter workshops.
 
I think it depends on the industry. Indeed seems to be better for IT jobs. I got my last 2 jobs in brokerage via recruiters contacting me on LinkedIn. It would probably be good to be registered and use both. Monster is garbage IMO, mostly call center and sales jobs barely above minimum wage. They also sell your contact info.

Damn that's messed up. I'm looking for a marketing position so LinkedIn has been my best bet so far but I think this week I'll test out Indeed to see if I get some different results. I also have an account on glassdoor. ziprecruiter seems to be similar to Monster so I'm staying away from them
 
Online personality tests that jobs ask for now (like what are you most and least like in a situation) feel like bullshit.

Did one of these for PWC today and failed because of it. Apparently I didn't pick the "leadership" and "builds relationships" often enough. Sigh.

After two years out of uni stuck in retail I've saved up enough that I'm strongly considering just quitting altogether and trying to become a writer. Over 70 failed applications and counting. But first I'm going to try extra hard through November and December with them before evaluating my position in January.
 

StoneFox

Member
I've had three interviews in the past month and no job offers. Starting to think it's me.

Hell, one of the jobs even let me do one day of training two weeks ago and then radio silence... :( during that day the owner seemed like he was gonna call me back but nothing...
 

Aomber

Member
I've had three interviews in the past month and no job offers. Starting to think it's me.

Hell, one of the jobs even let me do one day of training two weeks ago and then radio silence... :( during that day the owner seemed like he was gonna call me back but nothing...

Wow, that last part is frustrating just to read. People are so rude, they should at least follow up if you spend a day in their offices.
 

StoneFox

Member
Wow, that last part is frustrating just to read. People are so rude, they should at least follow up if you spend a day in their offices.
I'm going to email him soon and ask about being paid for that day as I had to call in "sick" to my current job to attend that training. I get that they have to expect two weeks from me but I would have put in my two weeks if they had come out and said that they were hiring me :/
 
To be honest those jobs are what you make of them. If you go in with a shit attitude they will be shit, if you go in with a good attitude, they can be fun and social jobs.

When i left university i got a supermarket job because i was skint and didn;t really know what i wanted to do, i thought the job was beneath me and i hated it, but i;ve mellowed out and although i am fed up with it, i kind of enjoy it now, the people are nice, and it can be semi productive if you do higher up stuff (like supervising, orders etc)

To be honest i have been there too long now, i gave up for a quite a while applying for jobs because of the non answers and degrading mental health, but i had a good few weeks lately and applied for a couple of paid internships in london (live in cornwall) so hoping to get my foot in the door so to speak.

Don't really want to move to another office/retail job, as i just want to do something i want to do (not entirely sure what that is yet) I could easily be management material etc at other supermarkets but it not really something i would want to do. Extra money would be nice and other perks, but i think it be another nail in my coffin haha. Also i live in a really pretty place, the lifestyle is nice, and i can shoot off and go cycling at a whim and the hours are good, so it is just a case of taking the hit on wages for living in a place were people would kill to go on holiday.
This.

Cant be walking around crying without doing something about it.
 

Weetrick

Member
I've had three interviews in the past month and no job offers. Starting to think it's me.

Hell, one of the jobs even let me do one day of training two weeks ago and then radio silence... :( during that day the owner seemed like he was gonna call me back but nothing...

I wouldn't fret about getting three interviews without an offer. It's not just you, it's rough out there.

That second part is straight up bullshit though. They should have at least emailed you one way or another.
 
Been working retail for nearing 2 years now, while attempting to apply for a lab job at the tox lab in Manhattan. It's been... disheartening to say the least. I applied to the NYPD too, but they only reached out once asking for more documents and then didn't get back to me. I graduated in 2014 and had to get a job to help keep my family pay the bills, so moving out to a different state isn't really going to work when they need me at home.

I just sent in another application since I noticed a position opened up, but by this point I'm not really expecting anything. I'm just beginning to feel my degrees are kind of worthless.
 
Accidentally hung up on a recruiter calling me on my cellphone because I accidentally pressed the power button, locking my phone. Fuck. Called back and the girl on the other end doesn't know exactly who called me to begin with after giving my details :/

Got rejected for a government job, because of personality tests. Probably for the best since I don't want to help Brexit in any way.
 
Barring anything stupid, I may actually have a job now. It's the intern position of basically the same job I applied for (with that insane interview in the last page) but a little less money. I'm okay with this because I may move out of the area for the Fall of 2017. But yeah, they even said that if I decide to stay after 6 months, they will adjust my salary and duties accordingly. They want me to work there.
 
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