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Applying for jobs is exhausting and soul-crushing

Been trying all summer to no avail. My degree is worthless.

Be strong man, my family is going through the same situation. My mom can't find a decent job at all, no matter the 10-year experience on her curriculum. She gets sad because she spent so much time and energy on an university, but her profession isn't worth shit on today's market.

The worst part is, with a 6-month extension course I did, I've been offered jobs who pay twice the money she gets/would get working. I feel bad for her.
 

Linkark07

Banned
Last Friday I had two interviews. First promised me they would call me on Monday of this week. Guess by now I shouldn't be expecting it.

It really annoys me how these companies don't even take the time to message you at least informing you didn't pass the test or couldn't land the job for some reason.
 
Took an online assessment test for an NSA IA job last night.

Holy shit at the numerical series portion. You have 16 minutes to answer 25 questions. Not enough time. Ended up missing like 6-8 questions I think. Oh well. That's a job you have to travel out of state to apply.

I really wish I could move to Virginia or MD. I could apply for a lot of more fed jobs.
 

Window

Member
Took an online assessment test for an NSA IA job last night.

Holy shit at the numerical series portion. You have 16 minutes to answer 25 questions. Not enough time. Ended up missing like 6-8 questions I think. Oh well. That's a job you have to travel out of state to apply.

I really wish I could move to Virginia or MD. I could apply for a lot of more fed jobs.

That is not unusual. In many cases, only the very top candidates manage to finish all questions. Besides, your results are only used to determine the statistical probability of you possessing the necessarily numerical skills for the job. It's not a simple pass/fail, so don't worry too much.
 

Heimbeck

Banned
So I had an interview yesterday, and I ask when I will hear about the job.
So the guy says he is on holiday next week.
Is this something people just say to delay telling you didn't get it? Because I feel like everytime I ask this question the person deciding who gets the job (or one of them) is conveniently on holiday for a while.
 

Mr. X

Member
I just need to know what titles to search to get me in the door for something. Just something entry level that pays $15 or more an hour. What do I look for to better my odds?

Business Administration and Management degree.
 
Been applying like crazy for the last few weeks. Now I'm in a weird situation. Essentially, I have 2.5 jobs on the table.

Job 1 is my least preferred, but is the furthest along in the hiring process. Job 2 and 3 are the same company but different locations; one already interviewed and made their interest clear, job 3 is at first interview tomorrow morning. But, job 3 is the one I want the most. I don't want to pass up job number 1 though, and then have the other two drop off. But, I'm also afraid of starting job 1 and then job 3 turning around and offering me a job a week or so later and having to immediately quit a job. Don't know what other choice I have, though. It would be real stupid to pass on a job in the hopes that the one I want hires me. Just crappy feeling knowing I might have to quit a new job pretty immediately, essentially burning that bridge.
 

Google

Member
Took an online assessment test for an NSA IA job last night.

Holy shit at the numerical series portion. You have 16 minutes to answer 25 questions. Not enough time. Ended up missing like 6-8 questions I think. Oh well. That's a job you have to travel out of state to apply.

I really wish I could move to Virginia or MD. I could apply for a lot of more fed jobs.

Most of the time those tests are not meant to be completed. They're to assess your ability in managing the task. Do you get stuck, do you move on, do you try and answer them all or just the ones you know, etc.
 

Cudder

Member
Been applying like crazy for the last few weeks. Now I'm in a weird situation. Essentially, I have 2.5 jobs on the table.

Job 1 is my least preferred, but is the furthest along in the hiring process. Job 2 and 3 are the same company but different locations; one already interviewed and made their interest clear, job 3 is at first interview tomorrow morning. But, job 3 is the one I want the most. I don't want to pass up job number 1 though, and then have the other two drop off. But, I'm also afraid of starting job 1 and then job 3 turning around and offering me a job a week or so later and having to immediately quit a job. Don't know what other choice I have, though. It would be real stupid to pass on a job in the hopes that the one I want hires me. Just crappy feeling knowing I might have to quit a new job pretty immediately, essentially burning that bridge.

It's quite simple:

If any one of them offer you a job, you take it.

If shortly after that, one of the other places offers you a job you want more, you quit your current job and take that one.
 
It's quite simple:

If any one of them offer you a job, you take it.

If shortly after that, one of the other places offers you a job you want more, you quit your current job and take that one.

The problem is quitting the one I've already started. I'm telling them all I can start immediately, because I can. But, once I'm hired someplace, that either becomes not true or I quit the first job with no notice.
 

Bossun

Member
I'm beginning to despair in finding a graphic designer job. My degree is worthless, my experience doesn't seems to matter, and everybody seems too lazy to even reply "no".
 

bluethree

Member
What do you do about references if you had a bad experience at your last job?

I'm looking for work now, and I'm a bit worried about what to do concerning references from my previous job. I was in a pretty rough situation there - including harassment, invasions of privacy, physical assault, and superiors taking over my work to do what they want (for example, part of my job was event planning, and my manager hijacked my events and changed plans completely, etc.)

Needless to say, this uh, kind of affected my attitude towards the place, and while I could provide other references, this place is the only work experience I have in my current country (Japan), plus not including my current workplace might be an issue for potential employers.
 

Basketball

Member
Found an entry level job on Craigslist...

2-3 years experience required.

tumblr_inline_n9omm5Ri2P1rhaec6.gif
 

MouldyK

Member
Jobs in the UK ask for References...companies aren't willing to give them.

Want me to get Reference from Job Centre...Job Centre don't like giving out their names.


Went to an Apprenticeship Meeting with many Business Admin Apprenticeships available and instead, the only Customer Service one got back to me...

...didn't take anyone on because we all seem focused on Business Admin rather than Customer Service...

...WELL YOU DID GO TO A BUSINESS ADMIN WORKSHOP LOOKING FOR BLOODY CUSTOMER SERVICE PEOPLE!

And the worst part? They told me to rush other interviews I had as they wanted my decision over the weekend...so I told other Interviews that I needed a reply quickly, making me seem like an ass.


It's like they are all working together to make sure I never get a job.
 

spuckthew

Member
Wow, so that job I applied for on Tuesday, phone interviewed for on Wednesday, and face interviewed for yesterday has got back to me this morning with an offer! £5K more than I'm on now too!
 
Went for an interview this afternoon which felt more like a formal chat, I may be reading into it too much but the way she was talking made me think the job was mine. She has one more person to interview and then she'll be in touch.

Also got an email today saying I was into the next stage of an application (interview I think) which is a massive surprise because I felt I did terrible on the online assessment. This is the job I want most so hopefully I'll nail the interview
 
Got two phone interviews for next week: one for RONA (accounts receivable) and the other for Chubb Insurance (tax analyst). Hoping I land one of the two, preferably Chubb, though Chubb's is only an initial interview. Not sure about RONA since they didn't say. Gonna be anxious all weekend.

Went for an interview this afternoon which felt more like a formal chat, I may be reading into it too much but the way she was talking made me think the job was mine. She has one more person to interview and then she'll be in touch.

Also got an email today saying I was into the next stage of an application (interview I think) which is a massive surprise because I felt I did terrible on the online assessment. This is the job I want most so hopefully I'll nail the interview

Good luck! I try to never feel like I nailed an interview (because I hate setting myself up for disappointment), but honestly, confidence is so important during the job search process. Otherwise, it's hard to pick yourself back up.
 
What do you do about references if you had a bad experience at your last job?

Explain to your next employer that the reference may be terrible. Hope they don't immediately think of you as a trouble maker.

Or lie, pretend you were unemployed. Say you were travelling or something. May have ot wait out the tax year for that one to work.

Depending on the exact country most employers will not ever ever ever provide a negative reference. Unless you're in a regulated market (FS in the UK, for example), references are provided only out of courtesy. Providing a negative reference leaves you open to legal action (remember in most jurisdictions you can request to see it under data protection legislation; it's personal information). So, short of an actual dismissal or continually documented negative performance (e.g. failing to achieve a PDP's objectives) your reference will just be a confirmation of employment, reporting only facts.

Most big companies use references as a negative check anyway. It's a waste of time to check references if you're not already going to offer the job.

Is this something people just say to delay telling you didn't get it?

No, this is usually real. I work for a very large company and interview candidates regularly. After the interview I've got to write up an assessment (part prose, part scoring framework), have it cross-checked by the other interviewer, forward it to my manager for assessment, who then liaises with HR to determine a monetary offer, who then run that offer by finance, who then have to get a second sign off at director level to actually issue the response. Sounds complicated, but it normally takes about a week. Take any one of those out of the chain and it's going to take a lot longer than that.
 

shintoki

sparkle this bitch
I had to move to finish up college and gave up to jobs I was good at. One was working in a national laboratory that would have led to possibly a future position there. Another was a academic, that will allow me to keep upgrading.

But I didn't get accepted to the school nearby now.

So now I've been unemployed with the past month. 28 applications sent in. 3 interviews. All said qualified but not chosen. And I'm starting to get really depressed. Like I get lazier buy not working and my grades are down.

So now I'm not home, not by my friends, not by my family, and not at a job I love. And it really fucking sucks. Every rejection I've been taking far harder, because I have so much free time. I use to working 30-40 hours a week while going to school and it's making me depressed
 
Any one know a the High Low wage for an entry level IT Support in the Los Angeles Area? Glassdoor just gives me an average across all IT jobs or says not enough data.
 
Hey guys, first time poster here! So I'm graduating in a week and I've started making my resume but I'm not sure if I'm overdoing it for an IT/programmer resume, opinions GAF? Is it ok or viewed well if I link to my videogame project I've made in school or is it unnecessary (also my game isn't that great but I feel like it shows my programming abilities since I've made it myself in 6 months)? I'm having trouble making up an objective too, any advice will be greatly appreciated!
 

AnAnole

Member
I submitted my resume to a nonprofit a couple of weeks ago for an entry level position that wanted either some college or 6 months of experience in the field. It would have been a modest upgrade over my current job in terms of pay and the hours were more ideal for me, which is why I applied.

I got a call a few days later asking me to come in for an interview this past Monday. I knew things were already going to be bad when I came in through the gate, which is what they told me to do on the phone. They specifically told me to tell the guard I was there for an interview with soandso. Well, when I walked in the building for the interview, one of the interviewers came out and told me that I was supposed to park in the street. Yeah, whatever. Then she told me to wait a moment, which ended up being 30 minutes even though they specifically stated that I should be there 20 minutes early, which I was - exactly, to fill out some paperwork.

The paperwork happened to be an application. I put down all of my relevant experience, which was also on my resume, but the HR lady who was standing there started acting surprised. After a few minutes, she finally asked me if I had more experience, because she thought I had listed several years of relevant experience on my resume even though I didn't. She then proceeded to ask me if I had any other relevant experience, and that she needed at least 5 years of experience. Keep in mind, this was for an entry level position - I even re-checked the job posting directly after the interview to make sure I wasn't mistaken. After she finally retrieved my resume, and it turned out that the application and resume matched up, she just completely dropped the experience bit. I should have walked out at that point, but I proceeded with the heart of the interview, which I thought I did pretty well on.

Anyway, at the end of the interview, she told me she would let me know later in the week if they planned on hiring me, but she made sure to emphasize the fact that they were interviewing several people for 1 position. Still no call. I really don't want the position anymore, anyway, because I have another interview on Monday at a place that would be a major upgrade if I get hired there. Should I accept a job at the place that interviewed me this past Monday if they decide to hire me for some reason and the 2nd interview doesn't lead to a job?
 

Liberty4all

Banned
Yes you should.

Edit: My reasoning is that if you need the work and/or it will help your resume then you gotta do what you gotta do to get that experience even if it means putting up with crap at work especially when starting out.
 

Liberty4all

Banned
And now I've got my own story ...

Been out of work since February. Wasn't worried I had Employment Insurance (Canada) for 21 weeks, surely I would find work. Multiple years experience in a specialized field (Employment Counsellor/Case Management -- and yes I get the irony that I'm out of work).

Fast forward to August I've sent out over a thousand (yes thousand) targeted resumes to organizations both directly in my field as well as offshoots I have the transferable skills for.

Not sure why but the market in Toronto has been horrible in my specialty ... I suspect in part because of a combination of factors ... Funding cutbacks, oversupply of qualified candidates and a few other things as well.

Anyways EI ran out and I got desperate so I started applying nationally all over Canada. I know its usual for Americans to move cities for work but in Canada we really only have 4 major job markets ... People don't move around city wise like my buds down south.

I had sent out 5 applications to Vancouver. Within 48 hours I had 5 phone interviews, 72 hours a serious panel interview over the phone, and by the end of the week was offered a position.

I'm getting on a plane in less than 10 hours to fly out to a city I've never been to in my life. Start work Monday.

Anyways point of the story is that sometimes job market conditions are local ... Don't be afraid to move if you have to. Its kind of rough as I'm leaving my wife behind in Toronto (she's an RN but also in school). 6 month contract though so ill be back ... Unless offered longer employment at which time I'll really have to think hard what to do.

But for those of you single, don't be afraid to start applying nationally ESPECIALLY if you are American. Canada has around 4 major city job markets. America has dozens.
 
And now I've got my own story ...

Been out of work since February. Wasn't worried I had Employment Insurance (Canada) for 21 weeks, surely I would find work. Multiple years experience in a specialized field (Employment Counsellor/Case Management -- and yes I get the irony that I'm out of work).

Fast forward to August I've sent out over a thousand (yes thousand) targeted resumes to organizations both directly in my field as well as offshoots I have the transferable skills for.

Not sure why but the market in Toronto has been horrible in my specialty ... I suspect in part because of a combination of factors ... Funding cutbacks, oversupply of qualified candidates and a few other things as well.

Anyways EI ran out and I got desperate so I started applying nationally all over Canada. I know its usual for Americans to move cities for work but in Canada we really only have 4 major job markets ... People don't move around city wise like my buds down south.

I had sent out 5 applications to Vancouver. Within 48 hours I had 5 phone interviews, 72 hours a serious panel interview over the phone, and by the end of the week was offered a position.

I'm getting on a plane in less than 10 hours to fly out to a city I've never been to in my life. Start work Monday.

Anyways point of the story is that sometimes job market conditions are local ... Don't be afraid to move if you have to. Its kind of rough as I'm leaving my wife behind in Toronto (she's an RN but also in school). 6 month contract though so ill be back ... Unless offered longer employment at which time I'll really have to think hard what to do.

But for those of you single, don't be afraid to start applying nationally ESPECIALLY if you are American. Canada has around 4 major city job markets. America has dozens.

Well your fortunes changed quickly. Congrats.
 

Who

Banned
So here's a suggestion for job seeking GAF, UPS.

They will pay up to $2600 in college reimbursement every semester (which will cover most community colleges assuming you're in-state)

Starts at $10-12 an hour and there's tons of opportunity to move up

They are always hiring, you will start right away.

It's physically exhausting work, but it will get you into the best shape of your life. (I guess this depends on what you end up doing, but loading trucks 5 times a week for 6 hours, I've lost 20 pounds and have gained some serious definition in my muscles)

You get hella discounts. Like I get $15 off my sprint bill every month now.

Stay there a year and you get the best health insurance available. Absolutely (almost) anything you can think of is completely free for you and your family.

It's tough work, but if you're willing and able to work hard for it, it's a great and secure job.

EDIT: if you're not up for hard physical labor, they will find a place for you. Like if you're a 90 pound girl or whatever, they'll put you with small packages, You will end up working hard wherever you end up though.
 
So here's a suggestion for job seeking GAF, UPS.

They will pay up to $2600 in college reimbursement every semester (which will cover most community colleges assuming you're in-state)

Starts at $10-12 an hour and there's tons of opportunity to move up

They are always hiring, you will start right away.

It's physically exhausting work, but it will get you into the best shape of your life. (I guess this depends on what you end up doing, but loading trucks 5 times a week for 6 hours, I've lost 20 pounds and have gained some serious definition in my muscles)

You get hella discounts. Like I get $15 off my sprint bill every month now.

Stay there a year and you get the best health insurance available. Absolutely (almost) anything you can think of is completely free for you and your family.

It's tough work, but if you're willing and able to work hard for it, it's a great and secure job.

EDIT: if you're not up for hard physical labor, they will find a place for you. Like if you're a 90 pound girl or whatever, they'll put you with small packages, You will end up working hard wherever you end up though.

UPS is great if you aren't the bread winner in the family because of the benefits you earn working part time, or you live somewhere with really, really low cost of living. But if you live in an expensive city, LA, NY... well, hope your SO or parents can pay most of the bills.

Note: UPS is planning a 90,000 job swell for the Holiday season.
 

openrob

Member
The problem is quitting the one I've already started. I'm telling them all I can start immediately, because I can. But, once I'm hired someplace, that either becomes not true or I quit the first job with no notice.
Maybe stop saying you can start immediately.
Say due to personal commitments you can't start for 2 weeks?

Gives you a little bit of a buffer. Not sure if that is doable, or if it affects your chances of getting the job in the first place.
 

kamakazi5

Member
Alright so I'm completely changing careers and hoping to get a resume critique. I'm applying for a CNA position so if anyone has advice for getting a medically related job that would be great.

I feel like the strengths and skills portion may need some work or maybe I should cut back a bit? It also may not be good form since it's a lot of cliches for my strengths, I mean, they're true but it just seems awkward to write out.

Also, should I leave the fact that I was a TA in there? It wasn't a paid position and it's only in there because it helped with getting into the company I'm currently with a few years back.

 

Liberty4all

Banned
It's not a matter of fear, it's a matter of money.

It cost me 500 for air one way (I paid way more than I should have due to booking too late). I didn't have first and last month rent and didn't have to cash to sink into furnishing a place so I instead found a homestay. With homestays you get food and furnished room and no need to come up with a deposit ... It's a cheap way to get started in a new city if you are going there alone.

But yeah even going as cheap as you can it's prob going to cost about 1000 (flight + rent) to move to a new city for work.
 
It cost me 500 for air one way (I paid way more than I should have due to booking too late). I didn't have first and last month rent and didn't have to cash to sink into furnishing a place so I instead found a homestay. With homestays you get food and furnished room and no need to come up with a deposit ... It's a cheap way to get started in a new city if you are going there alone.

But yeah even going as cheap as you can it's prob going to cost about 1000 (flight + rent) to move to a new city for work.

That doesn't really help me as the prerequisite is still "have money". Maybe you command a high enough wage to pay your homestay and still make money, i wouldn't. Do to my zero in the experience column. I'd be better off riding my Bike cross country and just being homeless. I live paycheck to paycheck with my parents, and the limit of what they'd give in a loan is fare for public transit until my first paycheck. At which point i'd be expected to pay it back.

To give you some perspective, my bank account has never seen 4 digits, hell, it's never seen the upper 800s.
 
In the past two weeks I've talked to about 12 recruiters and two hiring managers. Fuck the IT industry, might as well be the burger flipping industry. I really wish I studied sysAdmin stuff with my free time but gotta make games or I'll shoot myself
 

M52B28

Banned
Last Friday I had two interviews. First promised me they would call me on Monday of this week. Guess by now I shouldn't be expecting it.

It really annoys me how these companies don't even take the time to message you at least informing you didn't pass the test or couldn't land the job for some reason.
Two car dealerships basically did this to me.

The last one interview I went to was at a dealership, and they didn't even bother calling me back. The guys there semmed like a bunch of two-bit, wanna be businessmen who took their sleezy ass job too serious in the first place.

First guy was okay, he was polite, showed me around, told me what I'd be doing there, the second guy was like the hard ass of the group. He asked me all of these stupid ass questions as if I were applying for a government job - asking me questions about my background check and if I'm lying - asking me about my flawless driving record and asking if I'm lying - quizzing me on stupid bullshit. To top it off, he says, "Well, you did dress nice!" As if he expected me to come there in shorts and flip flops.

Fuck dealerships.

I'm looking for some place that's more relaxed. Don't wanna be around a bunch of late mid-life crisis douchebags. In addition, it looked like they went to Goodwill and bought blazers made out of recycled carpet.

Sorry, I'm pissed. The interview wasted so much of my time and energy.

I barely have food to eat... I can't waste gas and time doing this shit.
 

Nilaul

Member
Applying to jobs is soul crushing and exhausting.

There is literally nothing to apply to after getting a degree to RIBA Architecture Part 1. Nothing literately nothing, just one or two in England (I'm also looking to be close to the sea cause I fell in love with surfing but I may have to for go that dream).

So I sent my application to a quite big and well known firm called ******. In response all you get is an cold automatic email, saying that they received so many applications and are unable to respond to you personally and If we believe that your skills and experience will be suited to their practice, they will be in touch to arrange an interview with me with in 6 months

There's no point of waiting up to 6 months for something I may not get. So I decided to google every architectural practice I could find in three different towns and cities. I've sent countless emails which included my CV and portfolios and I don't even know if the the firms where hiring or not. I just took a big leap of faith; hoping that a few of those will respond.

I was thinking about going into game design; but If I will want to open an architecture firm in future I will need work a year worth of work experience in an architectural firm in-order to proceed with my masters. My degree in Masters would allow me to independently open my office and sign off my own designs. So I guess game design could be something I do on the side for now.
 

dallow_bg

nods at old men
Have two phone interviews this week including one Monday morning. This place is literally 2 mins down the road. That'd be sweet.
 

ElTopo

Banned
Hey guys, I haven't been visiting this thread in a while. I lucked out and got another contract job with a college. The pay is a little less then my last job but I'm happy to be working. One quick question you guys can hopefully help me out with:

Any good resources for troubleshooting Macs? I don't have much experience with Mac's, probably going to do a lot of googling, but some kind of guide to the basics would help.
 

dallow_bg

nods at old men
Phone interview turned into face interview later today.
I'm not sure about this job. The job description is so vague compared to other BI related listings.
 

demonkaze

Member
So I have a face interview coming up next week for a job with the civil services, just admin work really. I've already passed two online assessments and a phone interview (competency based) and now this final interview has been referred as a final selection board. It's also a competency based interview but I was wondering if I could be expecting similar questions to the phone based one, I struggled at the end of that one coming up with answers.

Also, is the interviewer likely to test me on any admin related tasks at the interview and if so, what kind of tasks are normally tested?

Thanks in advance, getting a little nervous about this now!
 
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