I know that feeling. You're one of probably a few million people. You apply for like 20 jobs and most of them don't even have the decency to say "No." I was reading an article the other day and it mentioned how much colleague referrals were screwing people over. I know my company has referral bonuses, but more than that referred candidates have a higher priority. I'm not sure what your connections are doing, but you just have to keep trying. Like the title says, it's an exhausting and soul-crushing experience for most people.
Applying for jobs is exhausting and soul-crushing
- Thread starter Moofers
- Start date
I was notified via email for an interview opportunity with a bank for a receptionist position. However, the manager who contacted me has not been prompt in responding to my replies.
I received the email last Wednesday and responded on the same day, but did not receive a reply until Friday. I was asked what times I would be available for an interview this coming Wednesday, and I replied with my availability immediately.
It's now Monday and I still haven't received a reply with regards to what time they want me to come in for an interview. Should I even bother at this point? I've been very prompt in responding to the email, but the lack of communication from the manager just seems unprofessional to me.
I received the email last Wednesday and responded on the same day, but did not receive a reply until Friday. I was asked what times I would be available for an interview this coming Wednesday, and I replied with my availability immediately.
It's now Monday and I still haven't received a reply with regards to what time they want me to come in for an interview. Should I even bother at this point? I've been very prompt in responding to the email, but the lack of communication from the manager just seems unprofessional to me.
entremet
Member
Have you considered temp agencies?
Mr Solo Dolo
Member
I applied for a job a couple of months back and didnt hear anything back until yesterday when I got a phone call from the companys recruitment team.
I was in work at the time and didnt recognise the number so just left it. They left a voice message so I Googled the number and eventually found it belongs to the company I applied for. I managed to listen to the voice message from someone in the recruitment team wanting to discuss my CV and give me more details about the job. I get the feeling its also to offer me a job interview
Anyways they left their name and number and asked me to get back in touch; the weird thing is though they gave me their mobile number rather than a direct line. Ive tried ringing it but its either engaged or they dont pick up.
I was in work at the time and didnt recognise the number so just left it. They left a voice message so I Googled the number and eventually found it belongs to the company I applied for. I managed to listen to the voice message from someone in the recruitment team wanting to discuss my CV and give me more details about the job. I get the feeling its also to offer me a job interview
Anyways they left their name and number and asked me to get back in touch; the weird thing is though they gave me their mobile number rather than a direct line. Ive tried ringing it but its either engaged or they dont pick up.
Rose of Eternity
Banned
I wish people realized how much stuff is going on in even a manager's day. When I'm asked to do interviews in our office or on campus, it's something I have to shift my entire day around for. Then I have to rate them, discuss with HR, discuss with our partners, deal with the applicant if they're smart enough to e-mail me. All of this while already juggling my typical ~60 hours.
Hiring people is obviously a necessity and we take it seriously, but it is not the utmost, dire thing on our schedule at any given point. Some people are obviously better than others at responding to emails or phone calls, but sometimes we're also in a position where there isn't much we can say. I don't have a schedule to give you because the recruiter/HR hasn't given me a timeline yet. I don't know if the position is still available because I don't make the final decision. etc. etc.
theepicoftyler
Member
So, I haven't posted in this thread in awhile. I had two interviews with two seperate companies in the last couple of weeks, and today I was offered a job by one of them (let's call it preference #2), and at the end of the interview preference #1 said they would be making a decision this week "probably". I obviously want to know if they are thinking of offering me a job before I accept a job with the other company... so how do I go about doing that?
Should I email them and tell them I have another offer? Or do I just imply that by asking them if they can accelerate their decision?
Also, at what point do I counter for more money with the current job offer? (Honestly, it's in a zone I'm comfortable with, but I think I can get more based on my interactions with my peers and some recruiters)
Should I email them and tell them I have another offer? Or do I just imply that by asking them if they can accelerate their decision?
Also, at what point do I counter for more money with the current job offer? (Honestly, it's in a zone I'm comfortable with, but I think I can get more based on my interactions with my peers and some recruiters)
theepicoftyler
Member
Thanks! I have until Friday this week. The other company indicated that they wanted to make a decision sometime this week.
twentytwo22
Member
Wednesday to Friday and Friday to Monday or Tuesday (assuming he gets back) is completely normal in my experience and I don't find it unprofessional at all. Management is a busy gig.
Would you care if you burn bridges with preference #2? You could always wait until the end of the week to see if there is an offer from #1 and accept the current offer from #2. If you get the offer you're waiting for after this week then contact #2 and tell them that you're sorry but you cannot take the position.
Just recognize that you're burning that bridge if you do that but it's your life and your career so that matters more than making some random company happy.
theepicoftyler
Member
That's not really my style to be honest. I'd rather be pretty front-facing about everything.
Irobot82
Member
I think for those that are not having any luck even getting an interview. It's time to get aggressive. I would imagine some of the jobs you're applying for there are also several hundred doing the same. My wife told me on of the supervisor jobs at her workplace had one thousand applicants.
Here is a decent article on how you could frame calling the hiring manager about asking for an interview.
Here is a decent article on how you could frame calling the hiring manager about asking for an interview.
Roland_Gunner
Member
If you need the job send a reminder email today with your availability for the remainder of the week. If you still don't hear back do the same thing next Monday. This manager probably has hundreds of emails and you need to maximize your odds of getting looked at.
The_Darkest_Red
Member
It's been a pretty crazy year or so for me when it comes to my career. I'm a mining engineer working in coal but obviously the future is extremely bleak so I've been trying to transition into another field. I would prefer another mining field but honestly I would consider just about any type of engineering.
After a year or so of applying and not hearing anything I finally started getting contacted by a few recruiters thanks to beefing up my LinkedIn profile (so dumb but it works) and joining some LinkedIn groups relevant to my field. One of the recruiters called and talked to me about a position that is actually very exciting and fits my experience and background quite well (Company A). At about the same time I got a call from a friend out in Denver who told me about a couple of opportunities opening up with the aerospace company he works for (Company B).
Fast forward a few weeks. I had a solid phone interview with Company A and now they want to bring me in for an 8-3 interview on Friday of this week. On top of that I found out from my friend that I'm #2 of 5 candidates chosen for two openings with Company B. Company B contacted me about an interview but the process is currently on hold due to some sort of security clearance issues they are dealing with.
So here I am, preparing for my interview with Company A and wondering what is going to happen with Company B. Not a bad position to be in by any means, at this point I would be thrilled if either opportunity worked out. To make things even more interesting, the company I'm currently working for filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection yesterday...
Anyway, I'm trying to keep the nerves down for the big all day interview on Friday but as many of you guys know this is easier said than done. The recruiter said I'm the only candidate working with him on this position and he was brought in because the company couldn't find anyone on their own after trying for a few months. That makes me feel like there might not be many other candidates but I'm not sure.
So yeah, I thought it would help to write my situation out for some discussion, and to say I wish all of you guys the best in your job search as well! It sucks applying to job after job after job and never hearing back from anyone but I guess we just need to keep persevering.
After a year or so of applying and not hearing anything I finally started getting contacted by a few recruiters thanks to beefing up my LinkedIn profile (so dumb but it works) and joining some LinkedIn groups relevant to my field. One of the recruiters called and talked to me about a position that is actually very exciting and fits my experience and background quite well (Company A). At about the same time I got a call from a friend out in Denver who told me about a couple of opportunities opening up with the aerospace company he works for (Company B).
Fast forward a few weeks. I had a solid phone interview with Company A and now they want to bring me in for an 8-3 interview on Friday of this week. On top of that I found out from my friend that I'm #2 of 5 candidates chosen for two openings with Company B. Company B contacted me about an interview but the process is currently on hold due to some sort of security clearance issues they are dealing with.
So here I am, preparing for my interview with Company A and wondering what is going to happen with Company B. Not a bad position to be in by any means, at this point I would be thrilled if either opportunity worked out. To make things even more interesting, the company I'm currently working for filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection yesterday...
Anyway, I'm trying to keep the nerves down for the big all day interview on Friday but as many of you guys know this is easier said than done. The recruiter said I'm the only candidate working with him on this position and he was brought in because the company couldn't find anyone on their own after trying for a few months. That makes me feel like there might not be many other candidates but I'm not sure.
So yeah, I thought it would help to write my situation out for some discussion, and to say I wish all of you guys the best in your job search as well! It sucks applying to job after job after job and never hearing back from anyone but I guess we just need to keep persevering.
Acrylic7
Member
How many people here use Linkedln? Does it work?
Rose of Eternity
Banned
It depends on your industry. In mine, anyone without linkedin would be laughed out of a room. It's that invaluable.
Shy Fingers
Banned
It's kind of funny how it feels like months of radio silence then suddenly everyone contacts you. Just had 3 months of unemployment with no prospects then suddenly a bunch of interviews and a couple offers.
While I've never really gained from it, my spouse gets contacted all the time from companies through it. Seems to vary.
It's hard, I don't even know where to begin.
A couple of months ago I walked out of a terrible job I've wasted 15 years of my life at. In the meantime, my marketable skills have withered because of that dead-end job. I can barely even use anything I did there to promote myself, because my boss abandoned nearly every design project he had me work on.
Plus, I'm battling worse ADHD conditions than I've ever had, so I'm having a hell of a time even putting my portfolio together.
I'm broke, hopeless, and I don't know how I can compete against dozens of applicants with polised resumes, up-to-date skills, and great portfolios.
A couple of months ago I walked out of a terrible job I've wasted 15 years of my life at. In the meantime, my marketable skills have withered because of that dead-end job. I can barely even use anything I did there to promote myself, because my boss abandoned nearly every design project he had me work on.
Plus, I'm battling worse ADHD conditions than I've ever had, so I'm having a hell of a time even putting my portfolio together.
I'm broke, hopeless, and I don't know how I can compete against dozens of applicants with polised resumes, up-to-date skills, and great portfolios.
Buddha Beam
Banned
I was in your position once. Worked for years in a miserable, dead-end job where in the end I had very little to show for my work and creative abilities. I couldn't in good faith say that I created any of the work that I had done, because so much of it was just me acting like the computer monkey for my boss, the art director and the senior designer.
One day, while lamenting this conundrum, the senior designer said to me, "Buddha, Could you do this?"
To which I replied, "Yes, of course."
"So? Put it in your portfolio. You can do it, you helped, so take credit for it."
My mind had rows of lightbulbs going off in realization at that moment. A few months later, I had a new job at a great company doing work I was proud of (a job that I'm not going to have in a month because they've decided to outsource our department).
As long as the work you did is acceptable or passable, do and say what you need to do in order to get yourself work. Take credit for it lie like a rug if you have to and get yourself a job that really lets you use your skills and truly build a respectable body of work. Don't worry about the ethics or morality of exaggerating the degree of your involvement in your portfolio pieces. As long as you can walk the walk, you'll be fine.
I was able to do that and I'm fortunate enough to be in a position today where I'm actually turning down job offers because I know I can do better.
Interviewed with a start up company, they were slightly disorganized but seemed nice. The job I applied for and the job I interviewed for were not the same (they created a higher level position based on my experience).
They asked me to give them a rate for salary at the end of the interview. I've never had to offer one during a job interview and said I'd get back to them.
The job is possibly salary or possibly hourly, I'm still not sure, but a minimum of 20 hours a week.
I'm not a coming from a high level background (previously made $55/year) and I would honestly be happy just paying my rent but I don't want to undersell myself.
How can I get an idea of what I am worth to get back to them with a number?
(It's a communications position, so I'd be writing, editing, video, layout, design, etc).
They asked me to give them a rate for salary at the end of the interview. I've never had to offer one during a job interview and said I'd get back to them.
The job is possibly salary or possibly hourly, I'm still not sure, but a minimum of 20 hours a week.
I'm not a coming from a high level background (previously made $55/year) and I would honestly be happy just paying my rent but I don't want to undersell myself.
How can I get an idea of what I am worth to get back to them with a number?
(It's a communications position, so I'd be writing, editing, video, layout, design, etc).
Roland_Gunner
Member
This is always tough to do but don't undersell yourself. If $55K is considered high for your area then maybe go a little lower but ask for a decent amount. Asking for too little could make you look less valuable, not to mention getting you stuck with a low paying job.
HawksWinStanley
Member
Great post.
I remember when the company I worked for went under back when the economy collapsed in 08, I was unemployed for a little while and it really is awful. Money wasn't a huge deal because I was able to freelance but at that time nobody was hiring (understandably).
You nailed it though, every time I'd go out with friends I'd already feel guilty enough but their innocent "how's the job search?" questions just cut that much deeper. It sucked. Even just firing up a game to play put my stomach in a knot because I could've been submitting one more electronic application that would never good looked at.
I don't think $55 is high, pretty mid level for what I'm doing - but my experience has always been in large, unionized environments, rarely private sector and never in small, start-up operations.
I want to give a realistic number that is indicative of my worth while also understanding the reality of their operation.
I'm also in a position where I've been unemployed for 12 months, so my interest in high level pay isn't the same when I was making a decent salary compared to living off $1000 a month currently.
theepicoftyler
Member
Maybe some people will find this helpful, but RE: LinkedIn, this is from a correspondance of a friend of a friend who is a recruiter who uses LinkedIn.
I have had several recruiters contact me through linked in (I'm in Geology/Environmental Science), though none have lead to a job yet.
Does anyone else have any advice on how to approach this situation?
HawksWinStanley
Member
Those are fantastic because you don't have to wear pants.
Roland_Gunner
Member
Then ask for $55, or even more. Any decent startup will have a respectable amount of capital to draw from, If paying your wage is going to impact them the job is going to be a nightmare. Plus, every startup asks their employees to wear multiple hats and you deserve to be compensated for that.
DiddysKongQuest
Member
Finished my trial work today and had a talk with the boss afterwards. She'll contact me in 1-2 weeks, but I doubt I'll get the job. She mentioned countless times how she thinks I'm an introvert and that a different job would maybe be better for me.
Fucking hell. I thought it would out work this time :/
Fucking hell. I thought it would out work this time :/
Shy Fingers
Banned
What position are you after where trial work is a thing?
DiddysKongQuest
Member
Apprenticeship as a hotel clerk.
mhayes86
Member
It doesn't hurt to have one.
Surprisingly, I've had a few people contact me with relevant job offers, but none in which I was particularly interested in, so I never pursued any of the offers. I say surprisingly because my connections is an incredibly small number, so my reach is very limited. A friend of mine has also had several offers, including one from LinkedIn directly as a developer.
Tomorrow is basically the biggest day of my career. I've got an important second round interview with a major bank for an awesome analyst position, this is my big chance to get out of the oil and gas industry. I'm prepared and obviously qualified since I made it this far but I'm still super nervous 😒 I've already interviewed with HR and both hiring managers in the department.
Why do you want to get out of O&G if I may ask?
Rose of Eternity
Banned
It's a dying field.
Lay offs are happening left and right plus as a result of the crisis there is absolutely zero opportunity for advancement currently and in the near future.
No seriously, how does it make sense to advertise a junior/trainee position job then in the listing put down 2 years experience required?
Has the meaning of junior/trainee changed?
Am I the dick head for not some how getting this experience? Because I'm not hearing back from positions where I'm actually overqualified for (on the job software training where as I know how to use the software due to my studies)
Like what do I do at this point bar applying to more paper shredders
Maybe I should just give up and join the army, I'm fairly active so I'd like to think it can work.
Has the meaning of junior/trainee changed?
Am I the dick head for not some how getting this experience? Because I'm not hearing back from positions where I'm actually overqualified for (on the job software training where as I know how to use the software due to my studies)
Like what do I do at this point bar applying to more paper shredders
Maybe I should just give up and join the army, I'm fairly active so I'd like to think it can work.
Did she make it sound like that was a bad thing, you being an introvert? Because it's just a thing, not good or bad. People think it's bad, but it's not.
Pisses me off.
entremet
Member
You mean, like Skype?
Yeah, I can't stand them.
But you gotta do them sometimes.
You really want to mess around with your lighting as too much can make you look flushed.
I just looked up tips online on how to look good on a webcam and there were good pointers.
liquidspeed
Member
I had a phone interview for a controls engineering position last week. It went well and I know 3 people who currently work for the company, so I'm hoping to heat back soon about a face to face interview.
I have a phone interview for a temp job i about an hour.
I agree with the OP it is soul crushing to apply for jobs and not hear back from so many of them.
I have a phone interview for a temp job i about an hour.
I agree with the OP it is soul crushing to apply for jobs and not hear back from so many of them.
It hasn't worked for me yet.
entremet
Member
Alberta? They're getting hit so hard right now it's crazy.
Sorry to hear that, I work in O&G too. I'm job-hunting because I'm sick of worrying about my job and having wages frozen
Good luck!Unfortunately a lot of people associate introvertedness with "bad". Just the way the world is, and it sucks.
entremet
Member
Introverts should read this book.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0307352153/?tag=neogaf0e-20
She has a TED talk also if you're pressed for time.
But her thesis is about the Extrovert Ideal, where extroverts are considered funnier, more competent, better looking, and so on, especially in America, and how advantageous that can be in the world of work.
However, it doesn't make extroverts more brilliant, according to her research.
It also has some strategies on how to thrive in an extroverted world.
Yeah I've read that, great book. Haven't seen the TED talk though I'll have to check that out.
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