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[DiddysKongQuest]

Did trial work as a Call Center agent today. I'm positive that I'll get the job, but I'm not sure if I want to work there temporary till something better comes up. Shit really gets on your nerves :/

Man, do I regret the two years I wasted on my educational training.

 

[the_firewithin]

So, what's a better title for "Team Leader".

Project leader?

 

[Rawket Lawnchair]

Two straight rejections from two different companies, after interviewing for both.

9 months without job, I feel completely worthless and am ready to burst into tears.

 

[msv]

Two straight rejections from two different companies, after interviewing for both.

9 months without job, I feel completely worthless and am ready to burst into tears.

Egh. Luck of the draw man, don't sweat it (yeah I know, can't help it ). Keep at it, and perhaps do your own thing as well.

FWIW, if I don't find an internship in the next 1.5 weeks, I'll be set back 12 whole months, so I'll overtake you in a jiff

 

[Tonza]

9 months without job, I feel completely worthless and am ready to burst into tears.

6 months for me after graduating and I feel the same. I've even stopped getting any responses (excluding the automated shit) in the last 2-3 months.

 

[Kotetsu534]

> We were extremely impressed by your CV.
> We were impressed by your performance at interview.
> But the standard of candidates was exceptionally and extremely high.
> Sorry.

At least I have a retail job. Being unemployed after graduation for months on end is terrible.

 

[Acinixys]

Two straight rejections from two different companies, after interviewing for both.

9 months without job, I feel completely worthless and am ready to burst into tears.

Dont feel too bad

Its better to get an interview and then get rejected, than to walk into one and get straight up told that they cant hire you because you are white.

 

[plantedunicorn]

So after graduating a year ago and getting rejected from lots of places , I finally got a job. Significant pay upgrade from what I was getting working retail.

I do have one question though. I took the required drug screen last week friday and also did the mandatory background check. Should I be paranoid that I still haven't heard back from them. I'm 1000% sure that my piss was clean and there is nothing terrible they could find except maybe 2 speeding tickets from 2 years ago.

 

[Apt101]

So, what's a better title for "Team Leader".

Depends on the vocation and company. Where I work it's either "technical manager" or "unit lead" - both pretty much bright-line titles declaring that this person is directly responsible for the people beneath them and the management of their time (projects and resources). That's mostly because titles like "team leader" was leveraged in this area in the past to suggest that the person wasn't actually managing and therefore didn't deserve commensurate pay.

 

[ShOcKwAvE]

I got an offer last week, but it was not for the senior position I'd applied for. They offered me what would essentially be a lateral move. It was a nice pay bump, but I didn't feel like staying in the same role, so yesterday I turned it down. I feel like shit because I've been so excited to leave my current job, so hopefully this turns out for the best.

 

[batman2million]

I had a lot of trouble finding work back in 2011 and it was honestly one of the worst time in my life. But I never stopped trying - you just can't.

So after graduating a year ago and getting rejected from lots of places , I finally got a job. Significant pay upgrade from what I was getting working retail.

I do have one question though. I took the required drug screen last week friday and also did the mandatory background check. Should I be paranoid that I still haven't heard back from them. I'm 1000% sure that my piss was clean and there is nothing terrible they could find except maybe 2 speeding tickets from 2 years ago.

These things usually take time. Tbh, a lot of companies and staffing firms are just plain lazy. I was always under the impression that these corporations are tightly run businesses but they're not.

I got an offer last week, but it was not for the senior position I'd applied for. They offered me what would essentially be a lateral move. It was a nice pay bump, but I didn't feel like staying in the same role, so yesterday I turned it down. I feel like shit because I've been so excited to leave my current job, so hopefully this turns out for the best.

You did the right thing. I once made the move from a boring job to a less boring job. It was nice for a while but still wasn't fulfilling .

 

[CrunchyB]

So two weeks ago I finally got a job.

I studied Computer Engineering and Electrical Engineering (never finished the later). I used to work on an really interesting project (3D graphics, real time, etc) but unfortunately that was cancelled last year. I worked 5 years on that, did some other stuff, part-time, before that.

I applied to about 10 different jobs, all asking for qualified and experienced software engineers. I wanted to get a job as Embedded Software Engineer. I programmed a lot of C++, but I have limited hardware/microcontroller experience. All letters and CV's were carefully composed. I could afford to take some time to do this.

So out of those ~10, I was invited to 5:

1. Awkward interview, they didn't want me and I didn't really want them
2. They liked me, but didn't think I had enough hardware experience
3. They wanted me, but pay, commute and job description were all kinda shitty
4. They liked me a lot, but didn't think I had enough hardware experience

The job market in my region is a bit poor, there weren't that many openings to begin with, I probably had to move if I wanted an Embedded job.

5. So eventually I talked to a company that does Java EE. Even though I haven't touched the language in 5+ years, they wanted to hire me as a Senior. They figured it would only take a few months for me to get up to speed again. Their project is pretty cool. But what really sealed the deal for me were the people, everyone I talked to was really nice and laid back.

Some other people I talked to were total assholes. I briefly considered walking out on interview #4. I guess I managed to hide my irritation well.

Overall, I found the whole job-searching experience highly stressful and sometimes utterly bizarre. That's coming from someone who has a popular degree, a fair amount of experience and generally does well in interviews. I can only imagine how hard it must be out there to someone who has none of those, but would otherwise be a good worker. Good luck out there, the market is brutal.

 

[Bright Side of Life]

Well I got the debt collector job, I wanna see how long it takes before I wind up back here again due to me quitting to infinite sadness I accrue or that they lay me off because I can't meet their standard of collecting $5,500 in 3 months.

At least a few weeks back I received notice that I would be published in a small house comic anthology and was invited to join a LGBT positive anthology so that a plus I guess in the field I want to work in

 

[msv]

5. So eventually I talked to a company that does Java EE. Even though I haven't touched the language in 5+ years, they wanted to hire me as a Senior. They figured it would only take a few months for me to get up to speed again. Their project is pretty cool. But what really sealed the deal for me were the people, everyone I talked to was really nice and laid back.

Java EE huh, uff. Do you know which application server? We did a big Java EE project with Glassfish one semester, holy moly, soo slow and many bugs as well. I don't think Hot Swap worked properly even once. Updating and restarting applications caused multiple instances of that app to be running, so many times, it even messed up our demo, grr.

 

[kewlmyc]

Just wondering, but how many people in here are willing to apply to places in the middle of nowhere and are willing to move there. I'm talking about places where the population is around 1k.

 

[brerwolfe]

Just wondering, but how many people in here are willing to apply to places in the middle of nowhere and are willing to move there. I'm talking about places where the population is around 1k.

Nope. Small towns are too weird for me.

 

[Lautaro]

Oh man, I've been unemployed more than I expected, I'm feeling worried now.

I hope is only because most people is in vacations right now but I guess the fact that I didn't lower my salary expectations this time doesn't help. I'm just tired of working for breadcrumbs, fucking cheapass employers...

I'm also getting tired of interviews and stupid psychological tests... yeah, sure, me drawing a fucking man under the rain is surely gonna tell you everything you need to know abut me, fuck off.

 

[Odoul]

The lack of callbacks might be the worst part.

Rejection emails at least I know i'm being looked at.

And the worst part is it's after I've interviewed for jobs that aren't even paying shit.

UPS working out in the winter AM shift for 10/hour. Nothing.

Home Depot. Unloading freight after hours for 8.75. Haven't heard anything going on two weeks. And I applied at 7 different area locations. Interviewed at one.

A gate/fencing contractor said we'd be able to work something in the new year. Three months later nothing.

A general labor contractor was just handing out 17/hr jobs at the economic development center. I get told I might be overqualified....man wtf ever.

Most of the jobs where I'd actually be able to put my degree to use/build an actual career don't even bother.

The one place where I've actually gotten a little interest is the city/county. Of course it's just my luck that public jobs are under attack in my state right now.

 

[NipplesAndToes23]

I'm trying to submit this application to Telltale Games. I see a button for me to attach my writing samples. I uploaded them, but I don't see any confirmation that it took them. I see another part under a game where it says to submit writing samples here

but that looks like something I'm supposed to type and it's listed for Game Designers. I suspect you're supposed to put a link there, but I don't have a Linkedln profile or a website. I don't want to fuck this great opportunity up.

 

[Sora_N]

I didn't hear anything back after the second interview, assume it's dead now.

I feel so much pressure from everyone and myself as well, I just want to find a job that's relevant, but no one wants to hire. It seems so hard I'm dying a little each day I'm stuck in retail, I declined an extra shift today. Don't even want to work.

 

[Syphon Filter]

I didn't hear anything back after the second interview, assume it's dead now.

I feel so much pressure from everyone and myself as well, I just want to find a job that's relevant, but no one wants to hire. It seems so hard I'm dying a little each day I'm stuck in retail, I declined an extra shift today. Don't even want to work.

What is your field?

 

[Sylas]

Goddamn jobs, man. I'm stressing out because freelance isn't pulling in enough money where I am (honestly just not experienced enough) and I'm moving in 2ish months cross-country, so I'm too nervous to even think about getting a full-time gig and bailing out after the 2 months are up. I feel like that could really ruin my chances in the field I wanna be in due to how networking and stuff works.

Meanwhile the temp agencies I've worked for while up in Seattle simply aren't getting back to me right now and my unemployment benefits for 2014 were declined because of a job that I had in 2013?

God damn jobs.

 

[Zona]

First time I've posted in this thread but I've had progress! I actually have a company contact me to reject me. Given that every other application I've sent out I needed to contact them to get a "no" I feel this is an improvement. At this point I feel like I'm throwing my applications into an infinite void.
*Sigh*

 

[NipplesAndToes23]

I'm tempted to say I'm Latino in this application for Disney. I've taken about 12 years of Spanish and there were plenty of Latinos in the hood.

 

[Freeza Under The Shower]

I'm tempted to say I'm Latino in this application for Disney. I've taken about 12 years of Spanish and there were plenty of Latinos in the hood.

Never lie to a Fortune 500 company.

Put the language skill down, but don't make up your ethnicity. That will not end well. You're not applying to the little league here. Disney is HUGE huge, not just big.

 

[Sleight of Jam]

In a great position right now. Got a new job which I start on the 16th but in the meantime have two more interviews this week with potential higher salaries if they go well.

 

[BobLoblaw]

I'm tempted to say I'm Latino in this application for Disney. I've taken about 12 years of Spanish and there were plenty of Latinos in the hood.

I usually say two or more races since you don't have to specify which two.

 

[chancellor]

Got a competency based interview on Friday, I hate them so much, I know to use STAR but am completely hopeless at making the examples I use sound any good.

 

[Green Embers]

Well, I am going to be joining this boat come April 27th. Just found out today that my company was removing the North American agents from the team I work on (including me). The team will survive on in the Philippines though.

*sigh* Super depressing to think about. My only real skill is knowing Excel really well. (I am hoping I can find a new job that does more in Excel, I like it.)

Alright, wishing everyone in the thread good luck and happy job hunting!

 

[CrispyGoomba]

I graduated college in December and got a job in January. I did people's taxes and expected to stay there until mid April (the end of tax season). This past weekend, business has been pretty slow so my supervisor said to find a new job. Tomorrow it looks like I'll be going from place to place in hopes of finding anyone who is hiring. I just hope everything goes well...

 

[EloquentM]

Is there a list in this thread of internship and career websites I can use that aren't a part of the norm? Monster, indeed, etc. haven't been helping.

 

[addik]

Ugh. Had a really awful experience with HR with a media company I've been wanting to work for.

So basically, they had a career fair in my school. They weren't any interesting job postings in their site so I thought I'd drop my CV. The week after, they posted a shit loads of job openings including a Producing job which I qualified for. I decided to apply there, but I was called by the HR while I was applying for the specific Producing job. They told me that they have been looking to hire me for this boring archiving job in the company, and that they won't process my application not until I go through the process of being hired for the archiving job and turning it down.

I still insisted otherwise after a couple of interviews, but they didn't budge. Eventually, they told me that I probably won't qualify for the producing job (which is partly true, but I knew I had a decent shot).

Anyway, I got interviewed by the head of the department for the archiving job. She hired me but pay was really bad (I have a part time job that pays half as much... for 2 days worth of work), and I was about to deny it. However, she told me to think over it and wait for HR to call.

15 minutes after I left the building, the boss calls... tells me I am overqualified for the archiving job based on my CV. She'll offer me other options within the archiving department, but she also told me that she found it strange that HR messed up my application and they should have forwarded it to the department that handles producers.

And apparently, the job opening for that producing job is gone. FML.

Moral of the lesson: don't be too excited and drop off CVs at job fairs. If you have a good CV, wait for the something top open up.

Spoiler

The only good news I suppose is that I broke some sort of record by being promoted without even being hired... I suppose

 

[That1BlackGuy]

For Gaffers out attending job fairs:
I highly recommend you network with recruiters AND fellow job seekers when you're at fairs, this is what I had all my buds do when they were looking and it paid dividends for them. If the job seekers are open to networking, make sure to swap LinkedIn info so you can look each other up. Check up on them every now and then but don't be overbearing. The key is to build a relationship like you would when you're networking with employees or recruiters. To use one of my buds examples, he was able to finally land a gig (good paying at that) after getting referred by a job seeker he met at a job fair a year earlier and he himself ended up referring another guy he kept up with from a different previous job fair.

Obviously this method won't guarantee you a job nor is it short term friendly, but I hope this info can be of some value for you.

The lack of callbacks might be the worst part.

Rejection emails at least I know i'm being looked at.

And the worst part is it's after I've interviewed for jobs that aren't even paying shit.

UPS working out in the winter AM shift for 10/hour. Nothing.

Home Depot. Unloading freight after hours for 8.75. Haven't heard anything going on two weeks. And I applied at 7 different area locations. Interviewed at one.

A gate/fencing contractor said we'd be able to work something in the new year. Three months later nothing.

A general labor contractor was just handing out 17/hr jobs at the economic development center. I get told I might be overqualified....man wtf ever.

Most of the jobs where I'd actually be able to put my degree to use/build an actual career don't even bother.

The one place where I've actually gotten a little interest is the city/county. Of course it's just my luck that public jobs are under attack in my state right now.

You couldn't score at UPS? Man, I don't know where you live but they usually hire anybody due to the insane turnover rate. Keep your head up though and that goes for everyone here still looking.

 

[entremet]

Two straight rejections from two different companies, after interviewing for both.

9 months without job, I feel completely worthless and am ready to burst into tears.

Let it all out. It's fine. But don't lose hope and take action daily. You'll get there. In the meantime don't forget to exercise, eat well, and spend time with people you love.

 

[Woffls]

Had an interview last week at one of the big four as a data analyst. I was really feeling off that day, not thinking clearly, nervous, not knowing what to expect... and I just left thinking it went terribly.

Basically I was given the Fizz Buzz coding problem, and had to just scribble down some pseudo-code. I wasn't aware of the test, and I wasn't thinking clearly so I just started writing stuff down and didn't realise the problem until I got to it. Normally I would think about the problem in advance with logic and clarity and plan around it, but in the interview I just approached it linearly and even then it took me a minute or so to think of a way around it.

I was fine at work in a reasonably high-pressure environment, but in the interview room it's like I'm a broken, useless version of myself. I have had one successful interview in my entire life where I wasn't basically handed the job already. I did get a detailed recommendation along with the application, so hopefully that will convince them that the interview wasn't a fair representation... but I'm not optimistic.

I'm not a developer, and they weren't looking for one, but just looking back at how my thinking process fell apart.... I might have a real problem here with regards to just conveying my competency to people.

I know interviews are tough, but does it affect many people to this extent?

 

[Sol1dus]

Guys I have a second interview tomorrow over skype for a job in Seattle. Is it worth heading that way and settle down? As of right now I don't really live anywhere in the US as my current job has me traveling 100% of the time and my family lives in out of the States.

I'm also looking at some jobs in Tampa since its warmer and its also close to Puerto Rico in case of a family emergency.

 

[The Artisan]

I've been unemployed for over 2 months since graduation now and I fucking hate it

 

[BunnyBear]

Th American interview process sounds horrifying. Urine tests for office jobs? Three and four step interviews? Background checks? I'm pretty sure that's not allowed in Australia. I've never experienced it.

 

[MC Safety]

Guys I have a second interview tomorrow over skype for a job in Seattle. Is it worth heading that way and settle down? As of right now I don't really live anywhere in the US as my current job has me traveling 100% of the time and my family lives in out of the States.

I'm also looking at some jobs in Tampa since its warmer and its also close to Puerto Rico in case of a family emergency.

Seattle is a great place to live, but I wouldn't relocate until you have a job offer.

Th American interview process sounds horrifying. Urine tests for office jobs? Three and four step interviews? Background checks? I'm pretty sure that's not allowed in Australia. I've never experienced it.

It's indicative of the poor economy/weak job market and the power employers hold.

It's abominable, really. Candidates are also sometimes required to do unpaid labor/assignments/consultations as part of the employment process.

 

[EloquentM]

Is there a list in this thread of internship and career websites I can use that aren't a part of the norm? Monster, indeed, etc. haven't been helping.

Anyone?

 

[zychi]

Anyone?

Nope. Otherwise this thread wouldn't exist.

 

[Ultimadrago]

Anyone have insight on government jobs whether it be getting one or how they are?

I've been told off by family alike for sticking to the retail job I got from the seasons, but I suppose they have a point. In any case, I hate looking/applying, but I don't have a choice yet again. Perhaps I'll at least gain some stability in a government job.

 

[Assanova]

Anyone?

I found my most recent internship through my school's career services website. The job isn't listed on any of the main job search engines.

 

[DarkChronic]

Really envy you guys that are even getting to the interview stage. I'm not even getting responses to my resume send outs.

Which frustrates me, because I've nailed every job interview I've ever had. I'm pretty damn good at them.

 

[J-Rod]

I found my most recent internship through my school's career services website. The job isn't listed on any of the main job search engines.

Same here. A lot of companies advertise through the surrounding college's career services, so it is definitely worth checking out. They know you are fresh out of school, so expectations are appropriate as well. That's how I got a government job that I saw someone asked about.

 

[Cragvis]

Th American interview process sounds horrifying. Urine tests for office jobs? Three and four step interviews? Background checks? I'm pretty sure that's not allowed in Australia. I've never experienced it.

The place I work at here in the US, is pretty in depth.

First we bring someone in for their 1st interview, this is usually an interview with 2-3 of the team leads for various departments. Each interview with each team lead can last between 30 min to an hour.

Then they can come in for a 2nd interview, this time with 3 different bosses of those team leads. once again 30 to an hour each.

Then if they make it past that, they get background checks done which alone, could take a week or more.

The entire process from first interview to first day on the job is at least a month, and we dont even do urine checks.

 

[Mupod]

Well the job hunt is looming again. I hate this feeling more than anything else in the world but I need to face it. I'm at a VOIP-related startup that's failing - I've known this place was going to shit for a while, but I thought things were starting to pick up. We worked out all the bugs in the software and we've got paying customers. Turns out the owner is refusing to pay the IT director who keeps this place held together by working 80+ hour weeks, and he can't go on working for free.

The funny thing is he's still not giving up thinking he'll train me as a replacement and I'll be able to do literally everything. He came in today to do just that. Even if I wanted to, I couldn't do everything he does - I'm the last technical-related employee and I make peanuts. Just pure insanity.

A shame because I liked everything about the job other than the sketchiness and low pay. I only took it out of desperation, I'd moved to Toronto as a last ditch job hunting effort so I was running out of money and had little choice. But now I have some savings and I can get employment insurance again. I'll stick around for a while longer but I've already been sending resumes for the last couple months. Even went to one interview so far, but it's hard to work 9-5 and look for jobs.

Really envy you guys that are even getting to the interview stage. I'm not even getting responses to my resume send outs.

Which frustrates me, because I've nailed every job interview I've ever had. I'm pretty damn good at them.

I tend to have the opposite problem, the key was making my resume as short as possible but tailoring it using keywords from the specific postings themselves.

Part of my problem with interviews is I try to prepare for the interview based on the job posting itself, then they start talking about stuff that has nothing to do with the job I applied for. The last interview I went to was for an IP PBX administrator position - that's what I do now, and I brushed up on my networking beforehand. Then they asked me a bunch of super basic help desk questions and I blanked out a bit. Like he started talking about networking issues and my brain jumps to cisco router troubleshooting - but the question was just helping a user figure out why their PC's internet wasn't on.

 

[B-Dubs]

So I'm supposed to be having a phone interview right now but the guy I am meant to talk to has not called me. I gave them my number twice, once on the resume and once in an email, so this is rather annoying. I carved out a good 45 minutes of my day for this and it's half gone, they aren't the only ones with shit to do.

 

[Sora_N]

What is your field?

I have a BA in Economics, and recently completed a Diploma for Accounting.

Trying to find office work or hopefully office work that lets me do some accounting work, if not a pure accounting job with office tasks.

So I haven't heard back from the employer after the second interview, I don't expect anything at this point, it's been 5 business days since the second interview.

Another place asked me if I can do a phone interview, and since I had work until 1AM last night I told him I'm available from 10:30-2:30 (got work later this afternoon too).

I got up around 10:00AM, and it's 12PM now...didn't get anything from him even though he said he'd "call me tomorrow morning".

I don't think he's going to call me, maybe it's because I didn't confirm or say ok to that email?

 

[zychi]

So I'm supposed to be having a phone interview right now but the guy I am meant to talk to has not called me. I gave them my number twice, once on the resume and once in an email, so this is rather annoying. I carved out a good 45 minutes of my day for this and it's half gone, they aren't the only ones with shit to do.

Had this happen yesterday. E-mailed the guy and still haven't received a response 24 hours later.

It really annoys me how the job hunting system is so terrible. If you don't respond immediately, you're considered a flake, if the guys looking for employees take 2 months to get back to you, you're supposed to drop everything for them.