• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Applying for jobs is exhausting and soul-crushing

No CPA, but studying for the CFA. Maybe I should look into that more and show interest for it as well in the interview. Truth be told I'm kinda surprised I even got it. I have BS in Finance, though I have been working in accounting at a small company the last few months.


Thanks for the kind words! And networking, just applying online. networking is something I should have worked on more during college but I was too shy.

Hm. Ok then. Gratz on the interview and best of luck.
 
You almost sound disappointed with what I said :p

Though while you're still here, anything I should know about how the company does these things or what to prepare for exactly? Signs I should worry about?

Haha. It just doesn't sound like you even know what you're applying for. I can't pretend to know every office's needs, so I'm sure they offered you an interview for a reason. I'm sure you're a great candidate. You just don't sound like you understand the world you're about to step into. Had you given that answer about the CPA to me in the live interview.. yeah.. I'd just be like.. is this the right person..?
 

entremet

Member
I'm speaking with a recruiter through email and he is sending my resume to a company but he says that he needs the last 5 digits of my SS# and DOB. I am always cautious about giving that info online due to scams. I have been to this recruiters office however, it's just that I am extra careful with this. Should I respond with the info?

That's very wacky. Sounds like they're doing background checks. But I wonder why? I never had a job that required background checks or drug testing.
 

NEO0MJ

Member
Haha. It just doesn't sound like you even know what you're applying for. I can't pretend to know every office's needs, so I'm sure they offered you an interview for a reason. I'm sure you're a great candidate. You just don't sound like you understand the world you're about to step into. Had you given that answer about the CPA to me in the live interview.. yeah.. I'd just be like.. is this the right person..?

Like I said, I just started shooting everything later. Though I admit part of me is worried they just gave me the interview to fill a quota and say they gave a lot of candidates a chance to join the company. Unfortunately lots of companies use that trick here to improve their standing with the government. They also attend job fairs and accept applications when they have no intention to hire anyone really. Worst thing that happened that I know of personally is a friend of mine (mechanical engineer) who went to a P&G test and after finishing they sent him a message saying he didn't qualify to the next stage, even though barely any time has passed since he finished the test and they still had a couple of more days of testing for candidates. Job market is in the shitter and not much can be done about it.
 
I'm speaking with a recruiter through email and he is sending my resume to a company but he says that he needs the last 5 digits of my SS# and DOB. I am always cautious about giving that info online due to scams. I have been to this recruiters office however, it's just that I am extra careful with this. Should I respond with the info?

If you've been to their office i would deliver that info in person just to make sure
 
Like I said, I just started shooting everything later. Though I admit part of me is worried they just gave me the interview to fill a quota and say they gave a lot of candidates a chance to join the company. Unfortunately lots of companies use that trick here to improve their standing with the government. They also attend job fairs and accept applications when they have no intention to hire anyone really. Worst thing that happened that I know of personally is a friend of mine (mechanical engineer) who went to a P&G test and after finishing they sent him a message saying he didn't qualify to the next stage, even though barely any time has passed since he finished the test and they still had a couple of more days of testing for candidates. Job market is in the shitter and not much can be done about it.

I'm not sure what your first sentence means..? As in you just applied everywhere to anything? I mean, that's not the best strategy either. The rest of your post is, honestly, comical in regards to this particular industry. Again, best of luck.
 

Window

Member
I'm not sure what your first sentence means..? As in you just applied everywhere to anything? I mean, that's not the best strategy either. The rest of your post is, honestly, comical in regards to this particular industry. Again, best of luck.

Given that you have a suitable background or a foundation on which you can build upon and can prove to recruiters that you can adapt and learn, I don't see why applying to a diverse set of roles is an issue especially when the job market is not great. You have to do your homework when do you get called in of course.
 

Coolluck

Member
Like I said, I just started shooting everything later.

Don't worry about it man. Rose seems to be at or near the Big 4 where you need to have essentially dreamed of going into accounting since you were a little kid and/or know exactly what you want and how to get there. As opposed to what happened to a lot us where counselors said that's where the money was if you like numbers well enough but don't like Engineering.
 
The poster and I discussed it in pms. We've resolved any confusion. However, if you know a thing about the industry or this particular firm, you know that hiring is through the roof. This is the best the job market here has been ever. Ever. So if someone were to say something the opposite of this, of course I would question whether they even knew a thing about what they were applying to.

Not sure what you're saying, Coolluck, sorry. I think it might be the same issue as the other poster.
 

Window

Member
I was speaking from my own hiring experience at one of the Big 4 as an intern for a role which did not directly match my education/background. While I got the internship, in my case I couldn't adapt.
 

nampad

Member
Tax, graduate program. I graduated more than a year ago, which is another thing that's worrying me.

I was unemployed for nearly 1 1/2 years after graduating. Had interviews at 3 of the big 4 and was close to getting one at the 4th. I guess I would probably have gotten an interview at the 4th if I applied for something else again.

Wasn't necessary because I work for one now. I never planned to be an auditor and thought I fucked up the interview for the job I have now. Don't worry so much.
 

Coda

Member
So my issue right now is as follows...

-My resume has a nice look to it and I think formatting wise is great.
-The problem is the fact that there was quite a big gap in between eBay sales/manager job I had until about 1 year ago where I started working at a couple cafe/kitchens doing cooking.

How do I make this look good to employers? It just makes it seem like my experience is random and not in a steady straightforward progression. I lied about some dates on an application to Comcast recently and got a call back immediately about going to a job fair/interview thing but I didn't end up going because I didn't want to do telephone sales to begin with and I was sure they'd find out I was lying about the dates of my previous eBay sales/manager position.

I graduated with a degree in English (Creative Writing) and I'm currently going to school for game audio and production at Berklee College of Music. I feel like no matter what I study or want to do I'm never going to get it, it's super discouraging. What do I do?
 

zeshakag

Member
Oh my god. I got hired. I finally got hired. Not only that, but it was at a place that I really wanted to work at. Like, I spent the week praying to someone that I would be able to work there.

Thank you JobGAF. You guys got me through all these months of depressing misery

Just got home from a great IT interview. Answered all the questions well, had a lot of laughs with the owner and interviewer, impressed with my personal projects. Fingers are crossed and I'm hoping so hard. It's nice to feel good after an interview, but I know I shouldn't hang all of my hopes on this yet. What's the appropriate time for a thank-you-for-interviewing-me email?
 

Acrylic7

Member
I just put in a application for a basic position and was sent an email 1hr and 45min later saying they aren't interested -_-

url
 
Just submitted an application online for a job at Best Buy. I feel like I'm in if I get an interview, but I have to make it there first.

Didn't include a cover letter which was apparently optional, but I hope that's not too much of a mistake.

I haven't worked since 2011 and I've been out of school for a few years as well (long story). Looking to get back into school, but I need at least a part time job to supplement that.


Edit: ANDDDD Apparently declined in less than an hour. WELP. Now I don't know what to do.
 

Peltz

Member
I interviewed at a really prestigious firm on Thursday and haven't heard back yet :-(

Send me some good vibes if it's not too much trouble.
 

popeutlal

Member
Oh my god. I got hired. I finally got hired. Not only that, but it was at a place that I really wanted to work at. Like, I spent the week praying to someone that I would be able to work there.

Thank you JobGAF. You guys got me through all these months of depressing misery
That's awesome, finally some good news in this thread. Enjoy the new environment.
 

Captain.Falafel

Neo Member
Oh my god. I got hired. I finally got hired. Not only that, but it was at a place that I really wanted to work at. Like, I spent the week praying to someone that I would be able to work there.

Thank you JobGAF. You guys got me through all these months of depressing misery
Congrats!

I interviewed at a really prestigious firm on Thursday and haven't heard back yet :-(

Send me some good vibes if it's not too much trouble.

Good luck brother.

Just got offered full time position as software engineer, get 20 days of vacation as a start. No more contracting!!!!!

Well done. :)
 

Hylian7

Member
I have a problem. I have an interview this Thursday, which I would be excited about if I didn't have this problem.

I had two career jobs. The first one I was asked to leave or be terminated. This was because I made a lot of stupid mistakes, missed details, and these caused me to miss deadlines. I chose to leave so I could easily explain away why I left without having to say anything negative about myself from it.

The second job I was terminated from, for pretty much the same reasons as the first one. However I found out shortly before that I was diagnosed with ADHD, and realized that explained a lot! I tried reaching out to my boss from the second job and explaining it to see if maybe I could get my job back. She was on board with the idea and tried, but the upper management wasn't for it. However she will still give me a good reference.

The problem is with the interview, they want me to bring references with phone numbers from each of my last 3 jobs, and these have to be managers/supervisors, not peers. This puts me in a difficult spot for job #1, as I don't think that boss would give me a good reference. I'm not quite sure what to do.

I know I said they required 3 positions, and the third was a job I worked for the school newspaper back in college, a reference is no problem for that.
 

Peltz

Member
Is there any way you can call job #1 and ask your boss if he'd give a good reference? It couldn't hurt to at least call and ask if he'd do it as a professional curtesy.
 

Hylian7

Member
Is there any way you can call job #1 and ask your boss if he'd give a good reference? It couldn't hurt to at least call and ask if he'd do it as a professional curtesy.

I could try that. Just for planning ahead though, what if he says no?
 

Peltz

Member
I could try that. Just for planning ahead though, what if he says no?

Ask him to at least say something 100% neutral then. Most employers will at least agree to that. And if not, then come back here and post what he said to you so we can further advise.
 

Voror

Member
So I have an interview tomorrow at Kohl's. I confess I'm surprised they got back to me if only because it simply never happens to me. Really caught me off guard they wanted an interview. I can't seem to get excited about it though. With any luck perhaps the hours and pay could be enough so that I could possibly leave one of my other jobs and replace it with this one. Or work it and the other two if need be.

Now if only I could manage a call back from some place actually within my field. There's one in particular I really want to hear back from, but I'm afraid to actually hope for it since I'm sure I screwed up something in applying or that there's probably a hundred other applicants better than me.
 

nelchaar

Member
What's the average time to hear back on whether or not you've been hired? I've gone through 5 interview phases, and interviewed with about 9 or 10 people. My last interview was on Friday.
 

jwluther

Member
Recently had two rounds of phone interviews for a job that I really liked, and I thought they both went well. They told me they'd get back to me by 10/2 either way to let me know if I had made it to the next round. Still nothing. I emailed to check in on Wednesday (10/6), but haven't got a response yet. Is this common / should I move on?
 
Recently had two rounds of phone interviews for a job that I really liked, and I thought they both went well. They told me they'd get back to me by 10/2 either way to let me know if I had made it to the next round. Still nothing. I emailed to check in on Wednesday (10/6), but haven't got a response yet. Is this common / should I move on?

Most likely bad news, usually if near a week or more then you weren't picked. Call just in case.
 

Damerman

Member
I wanna cry. I'm interviewing for some really entry level positions at big companies. Mostly temp stuff. Got a call today telling me that i'm an excellent candidate, but not for working in a call center for a investment bank. I'm more of a "back office" "analytical" kind of guy... Like w/e bro, i'm just tryna get payed. Its why i'm applying for temp jobs that pay consistently. I'll wory about what kind of "guy" i am when i can actually get my career underway with a material amount of work experience.
 
I wanna cry. I'm interviewing for some really entry level positions at big companies. Mostly temp stuff. Got a call today telling me that i'm an excellent candidate, but not for working in a call center for a investment bank. I'm more of a "back office" "analytical" kind of guy... Like w/e bro, i'm just tryna get payed. Its why i'm applying for temp jobs that pay consistently. I'll wory about what kind of "guy" i am when i can actually get my career underway with a material amount of work experience.
Are there any positions opening up in the "back office" that you could apply for?
 

nelchaar

Member
6 phases of interviews.

Interviews with 10 people.

Gave a scientific presentation.

More than 1 month for the whole interview process.

Did not get the job. And I love how hiring managers think if they told you that it was between you and one other person among many many candidates. Like hey, you made it to the final but you were just barely beat out. Thanks. Thanks for that. That makes me feel a lot better. Screw off with that shit.
 

Pancakes

hot, steaming, as melted butter slips into the cracks, drizzled with sticky sweet syrup OH GOD
I know that feel brother. Made to two final round selections and somehow there's always someone with more experience.
 

MC Safety

Member
What's the average time to hear back on whether or not you've been hired? I've gone through 5 interview phases, and interviewed with about 9 or 10 people. My last interview was on Friday.

Five separate interviews?

What sort of job is this?

Maybe on Monday you should send an e-mail note asking for an update on the status of your application, and also restating your interest in the position. Companies tend to linger over the employment process.
 

Window

Member
Yeah had a similar experience myself two months a go. Four step recruitment process. Got into the last stage with about five people. Rejected. However they have been the only ones so far courteous enough to call me to deliver the news and provide feedback instead of a rejection via an automated generic e-mail.
 

Acrylic7

Member
Man I really don't want to get another temp job because they are all straight up slave work. But it has come down to this bullshit after a few months of countless applications and no call backs -_-
 

nelchaar

Member
Five separate interviews?

What sort of job is this?

Maybe on Monday you should send an e-mail note asking for an update on the status of your application, and also restating your interest in the position. Companies tend to linger over the employment process.

See above, I didn't get the job. It was for a Medical Science Liaison position.
 

dity

Member
Hey I'm really stressed about an upcoming interview (my first in years) and it's at a fashion shop but I'm not very fashion conscious and I don't know what I should wear to it. They also want a "passport photo" so I feel like I'll probably not get the job solely based upon how I look.

Does anyone have any advice on clothing to wear?
 
Should I be worried over an interview that was scheduled for 45 minutes only lasting 20 or so minutes?

I was only asked 6 questions which I feel I gave detailed answers for and I did ask a few questions at the end. I'm just paranoid I was supposed to use up all the available time.
 
Should I be worried over an interview that was scheduled for 45 minutes only lasting 20 or so minutes?

I was only asked 6 questions which I feel I gave detailed answers for and I did ask a few questions at the end. I'm just paranoid I was supposed to use up all the available time.
Yes but it's likely nothing you did. They probably had someone else hand picked and they needed token candidates to interview. It's happened to me several times.
 

NEO0MJ

Member
God damn it. I couldn't get time off from my job to attend the interview and I had to apologize and send them an E-mail. This really sucks.
 

Big Chungus

Member
i have an interview in another city thats about 1.5 hours from here...

it pays a lot more, its full time, and it'll give me a lot of experience that i can use to apply for more positions in the future

would really hate to be alone in a new city though :(
 

Coolluck

Member
i have an interview in another city thats about 1.5 hours from here...

it pays a lot more, its full time, and it'll give me a lot of experience that i can use to apply for more positions in the future

would really hate to be alone in a new city though :(

I've moved cities for jobs twice now. Yeah, it sucks, but you have to think about what's most important to you right now. You could use this experience to find a way back home.
 
Job interview tomorrow
at Target, but a job's a job for me right now. Just need some income.
Backroom/stocking sort of stuff mainly is what I'm looking at (not really a people person, being more introverted.) Only other job I've had is as a lifeguard (4 years ago) so it should be interesting if I get it. Bit nervous, but I think I'll get over that once I mentally prepare.

Really need to finish school (university) and get a "real" job, but that's a whole other story.
 
I have a potential gig set up but i have no Idea what i Should charge on a computer to computer basis. He has five computers that need

* Format Hard Drive
* Install Win 8
* Install Microsoft Office Package
* AVG Virus Software
* Adobe Acrobat Reader
* diagnose Hardware. Hard drive, video-card and processor.

I can do this shit in my sleep with almost no effort which makes it hard for me to determine what to charge.
 

Big Chungus

Member
so...is it ok to ask my current manager to act as a reference?

ive been at that job since february, and he became my manager in june when he took over my team
 
Top Bottom