At least do the interview for experience.
You can always say no to the offer.
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Applying for jobs is exhausting and soul-crushing
- Thread starter Moofers
- Start date
At least do the interview for experience.
You can always say no to the offer.
Job searching and applying is daunting because the times have changed. I had an elder family member ask me why haven't I found a job yet after graduating from college, further he said, why can't you just go down to the company you want to work for and walk-in and ask to speak to someone or fill out an application in person? I had to educate him on the times and said that everything has basically turned into online-applying, I'd say 95% of it has turned into that.
I had a friend trying to find a retail job and while you used to be able to walk into a Gap and ask for a paper application, they all tell you to go online.
I had a friend trying to find a retail job and while you used to be able to walk into a Gap and ask for a paper application, they all tell you to go online.
Napoleonthechimp
Member
It has already been and gone. I have my fair share of psychological problems and I don't think I can keep on doing things that add to that pit of despair.
I'm (mostly) incapable of lying so I just go with what's natural. In that case I mention that I'd like to better my networking experience, which implies self-improvement but not necessarily leaving the company. Telling the truth also means I shoot myself in the foot a lot, but with experience I've gotten vastly better at interviews. I go to every interview for practice, as was mentioned already.
Funny thing about my current job, is I was sure I fucked up the interview. He asked me a question about macs, something about needing to install something in order to interoperate with windows machines. I panicked a bit because although I'd listed mac experience on my resume I have little formal training on them, and just know what I know through practice. So I jumped to the conclusion that he was asking about a specific program I didn't know about and ended up bullshitting my way through the question. As I walked out of the interview I realized it was probably a trick question, and macs just work with active directory without anything fancy to install. So I figured I was screwed.
After working with him for a while, he actually brought up the question again. But it turns out he was legitimately asking me a question about something he didn't know about since his mac knowledge was stuck in the 90s. He thought you needed to install TCP/IP to communicate with windows machines, since back then macs just used appletalk. I couldn't help laughing there.
Davey Cakes
Member
Most interview questions are BS, including those two. The first is too general and the second is basically asking you to take a shot in the dark.
SniperHunter
Banned
Getting a lot calls from target and walmart for labor jobs. Even went for one walmart group interview. I am sticking to my shitty airport job though. Doing this shit after getting a degree sucks though. Still studyimg for IT certs, i should have A+, Network+ and CCNET within 4 months, will apply for help desk jobs after that.
The part I hate is when they ask you about specific experiences you don't have.
I had this same conversation. It's hard having that talk with people who haven't had to job search in 30 years.
unholyrevenger72
Banned
I answer "At this pay grade, not here."
As for a specific experiences, the answer doesn't have to be work related, it could be school, volunteer, home experience as long as it satisfies the question.
ZackieChan
Member
Ever thought of working for yourself and starting a game translation/localization business? Or branching out beyond just games?
plantedunicorn
Member
Those questions just piss me off, I always have something memorized but when it comes time to say it I freeze up. I have a phone interview tomorrow for an Oracle Programming position problem is the only experience I have programming is some Java in high school and half a semester of C++ in college. This is gonna be great.
I'm very nervous about my second interview tomorrow. It is with the same person I interviewed with last time, as well as the director of the entire department. It's a job that would change our lives. Full state benefits - health insurance, retirement, 3 weeks vacation, 2 weeks sick days, 13 holidays off, no set hours. It would give me time to continue the stuff i do on eBay on the side, and then of course have time to do the insurance thing on the side as well. Then on top of it all I'd be doing something that at least makes me feel like it matters and that I'm doing some sort of good.
Ugh, this is a horrible feeling. This is as close as I have gotten to a truly decent job at all since April.
Ugh, this is a horrible feeling. This is as close as I have gotten to a truly decent job at all since April.
Cheering for ya! I think it's okay to be excited about the possibility of a job like that, so try to turn that energy into enthusiasm instead of nervousness. You don't want to come off as nervous and awkward when you're really just excited. Let them know this is something that really means a lot to you.
TheSpoiler
Member
Good luck. Take your time answering questions. If you are like me who gets too excitable sometimes, saying something stupid on accident is commonplace. It sounds like you have a foot in the door if it's with the director as well as the person who enjoyed your company last time.
I'm back in the game after my contract ending last week. Phone interview tomorrow, which will hopefully lead to a full-on real one before the weekend hits.
carpediemdp
Member
I've been looking for a job for the past 10 months and apparently I'm totally unfit for anything I apply, even if I worked the last two years in a big multinational company in a good position. After they let me go from there the past december I managed to get a low-pay temp job while I was looking for a better-paid and more stable job, but nothing. Today my manager told me that they're closing the office this december. Don't know what to do.
Sad times.
Sad times.
I've been applying for jobs for the past two months and no dice. I've had two interviews neither turned into a job, bleh. I've dealt with a whole lot of awful HR people though. Luckily I'm in grad school and I can explain my job gap as me being in grad school. I'm just stressed about the whole damn thing :/
No offense taken, I was unprepared! But the first was for a job I wasn't really interested in anyways, I considered it practice. The second was a recruiter, they were really enthusiastic, but I guess they always are. So no harm done. But I think my next interviews is going to be with a company I'd actually like to work for, so I'd better get ready
Thanks for the Glassdoor tip, I had heard of it, but now I know what it is for. It's all a bit new to me to be honest, I'm 33 and this is really the first time I'm actually putting some effort into looking for a job.
oldschoolpinball
Member
I just lost my job yesterday..going to take a little time to play destiny and then im ready for the grind. I usually do well in interviews but I haven't done this dance in a while. I'm pretty excited to get a job with some real benefits
waxer
Member
I went and got a low paying job super easy. In fact I have never had problems getting a job although it was my first time in 10 years. Applied for one job and got it. They are super short on workers in disabilities here. Not a job for everyone as you do have to deal with showering others or washing soiled sheets/clothes from time to time.
Money is shit except for they pay to sleep. So the promise 60 hours a fortnight at $16 an hour but you sleep twice a week at house. So I get paid for over 80 hours. Also get 3 days a week off to spend with my family. Most the time is spent going on walks or sitting down to chat with clients. Really only getting them up and bedtime, cooking plus a little cleaning around house. Rest of time is cruisey. Keeps the bills paid and is rewarding.
They also pay for all the training so I will leave job with a bunch of basic qualifications.
Get a job if you are not picky in New Zealand is so easy as its just about presenting yourself right for the position. Im used to a higher pay and being the guy hiring as I owned a restaurant but the lifestyle of something like this for family is so much better. Plus between me and fiance looking after kid we can run my other webstore business on side.
Never had to deal with trying to get jobs based off qualifications, it must suck as your suddenly limited to fighting for position for specialty tasks. Im more of a work hard to scrape up the cash and make opportunities for yourself type of person.
Money is shit except for they pay to sleep. So the promise 60 hours a fortnight at $16 an hour but you sleep twice a week at house. So I get paid for over 80 hours. Also get 3 days a week off to spend with my family. Most the time is spent going on walks or sitting down to chat with clients. Really only getting them up and bedtime, cooking plus a little cleaning around house. Rest of time is cruisey. Keeps the bills paid and is rewarding.
They also pay for all the training so I will leave job with a bunch of basic qualifications.
Get a job if you are not picky in New Zealand is so easy as its just about presenting yourself right for the position. Im used to a higher pay and being the guy hiring as I owned a restaurant but the lifestyle of something like this for family is so much better. Plus between me and fiance looking after kid we can run my other webstore business on side.
Never had to deal with trying to get jobs based off qualifications, it must suck as your suddenly limited to fighting for position for specialty tasks. Im more of a work hard to scrape up the cash and make opportunities for yourself type of person.
elrechazado
Banned
So you'll afford one with zero income vs 15 hours?
Sure, Zackie. In fact I'm not only looking for a gaming-related localisation/translation job. That is what I would love to do, but I'm open to any kind of translation agency or project. The only thing is that I try to find jobs related with my specialisation (I suppose that companies prefer to have employees with a master in audiovisual translation instead that people that have just the basic training as a translator).
I haven't thought about creating my own business yet because I imagined that there would be too many competitors, but maybe, if I still don't find anything, I could consider going that way.
They really should just make it a law where they can only ask questions relating to the job you're applying for. If I can do your job and do it good, just fucking hire me. Damn.
GremlinFool
Member
In most cases, most people can do a job decently well. Fit matters a great deal at most firms in most industries.
"Fit" is not something they should be allowed to discriminate on. If someone can act professionally, that should be enough.
GremlinFool
Member
I frankly disagree, and I'm glad most employers do as well.
Of course employers disagree, it gives them power to deny people employment for no good reason. With employment being so crucial to one's well being, that really shouldn't be the case though.
aggro crag
Member
I don't have any real advice for interviews. But I did want to say that I definitely understand where OP is coming from. When I graduated from school, we were just getting into the financial down turn. Temporary work sucks, because it is terribly soul crushing. I remember temping at the campus book store. I ended up doing three stints and the last one was by far the most embarrassing. I hated seeing the full time employees being surprised to see me back, they assumed I would have been successfully employed.
GremlinFool
Member
Employment is currently a buyer's market. If you get your foot in the door and jump through the hoops to demonstrate your capacity to do the job, you're still one of a very substantial pool of candidates. Equally pivotal to one's success in a workplace is their capacity to fit in seamlessly with the culture of the firm and build a rapport with co-workers. Like it or not, there is a sizable amount of candidates who are equally capable of doing the job. Intangibles in the workplace, as with most anything in life, matter greatly. Employers are fortunate in that the burgeoning pool of talent allows them to be discerning and cultivate a work environment they believe is most conducive to innovation and productivity, and it's frankly ludicrous to suggest that they shouldn't be allowed to do so because employment is "crucial to one's well being."
Not to derail the thread, but I think the takeaway here is that, yes, there's more to doing a job than just punching the ticket and collecting paychecks, and it's important to recognize this when seeking gainful employment.
Well some things are more important in life than "innovation" and productivity should be fine if everyone is professional about doing their jobs. Denying someone a job because "they wouldn't fit in with the culture here" is like saying "I want you to suffer without a job because we don't like you". That shit shouldn't be allowed to happen.
I'm saying this as someone who's living situation has been made VERY difficult because of issues finding employment, so maybe I'm biased. But something really needs to happen to make finding a job easier in this country. The current situation is NOT okay.
GremlinFool
Member
Or it means that there are candidates equally talented and professional, and it makes sense to pick the candidate most likely to be enjoyable to have around and contribute positively to the culture of the group.
I'm sorry, but in the real world these things matter, and it's perfectly fine for employers to actively seek out good fits.
"Most enjoyable to have around" is just another form of discrimination and makes finding jobs very difficult for certain types of people who are otherwise perfectly capable of doing the work.
GremlinFool
Member
Okay, dude haha. Trust me when I say that someone who brings the intangibles to the table like being fun to have around and being capable of building legitimate relationships with co-workers provides very TANGIBLE benefits to overall workflow productivity and quality.
I don't want to descend down the rabbit hole much further, since it's hard to continue this discussion when what you're saying is very divorced from the reality of modern workplaces. I wish you luck in your job search.
TheNamesPlissken
Neo Member
I spend more time with my coworkers than I do with my family. It's vastly important that we hire people that we feel are going to be good to work with and interact with on a daily basis in sometimes stressful situations. I'm sorry you are having trouble, but I strongly urge you to take this perspective into your job search and how you frame your answers/approach.
unholyrevenger72
Banned
I don't mind them seeking the right fit. The problem is their definition of "fit". For example, and entry level position for IT desk support doesn't require 2-5 years of experience.
Hours Left
Member
I know that feeling. My current job is stressing me out so much that I had to take medical leave a few weeks back. I'm trying to get something else lined up, but I can't afford to take a pay cut, so I'm stuck where I am until I find something that pays that same or better. (Which will be difficult.)
And all of this so I can save up and go to school to do what I really want. *sigh*
And all of this so I can save up and go to school to do what I really want. *sigh*
Every time I receive feedback as to why I wasn't selected for a job, it's always because they gave the job to someone who had a better skillset than me or had more experience.
So unless those people are just outright lying to me and are actually friends with the person they hired, this is bullshit.
CoffeeExpress
Member
I'm a PHP Web Dev with about 2-3 years experience, lots of skills from linux/unix backends to network tech. I have a pretty good CV listing all skills I have learned. I am still junior in skill level TBH, but have good problem solving ability and work hard. I always accomplish my goals for deadlines etc.
Currently I'm in Melbourne, Australia on a working holiday visa. which means I can only work for 6 months with one company, so basically I'm looking at contract work.
However all the contract work is for senior devs with 5+ years experience. I applied for one of these jobs, figured what the heck no harm trying, and a recruit agent got in touch with me - said he liked my cv but wanted me to do a skill assessment. I figured ok - I have the skills I can do this. So I studied online for a little bit (as its been about a month since I last worked with PHP) and was fairly confident with the online exams (scoring most questions correctly).
I then attempted the quiz the recruiter sent me - 2 hours with 57 questions. It's the kind of quiz that gets harder when you get a question right. It's also the kind of quiz that has up the three multiple correct answers per question (but you don't know which are multiple choice or just single answer) and it's negatively marked. It was hell. It was so difficult. Now I know I was prop attempting a quiz for a more seasoned programmer than myself, but theres no way some of those questions are meant for human beings.
I knew I wasnt doing well as i'd answer a easy(er) question and then a tough one would appear, which I would get wrong, and then another easy one. After the two hours I was exhausted and just rushed the end of the exam, knowing I done terribly. I just wanted to get it over and done with.
The recruiter never rang me back, I didn't want to ring him and ask about my shitty results as it would only make me depressed. I hate job hunting. I have yet to get an interview. The worst thing is that I know I have the skills and good attitude for this type of work, I feel like the agencies are creating this skill-wall blocking potential candidates.
Currently I'm in Melbourne, Australia on a working holiday visa. which means I can only work for 6 months with one company, so basically I'm looking at contract work.
However all the contract work is for senior devs with 5+ years experience. I applied for one of these jobs, figured what the heck no harm trying, and a recruit agent got in touch with me - said he liked my cv but wanted me to do a skill assessment. I figured ok - I have the skills I can do this. So I studied online for a little bit (as its been about a month since I last worked with PHP) and was fairly confident with the online exams (scoring most questions correctly).
I then attempted the quiz the recruiter sent me - 2 hours with 57 questions. It's the kind of quiz that gets harder when you get a question right. It's also the kind of quiz that has up the three multiple correct answers per question (but you don't know which are multiple choice or just single answer) and it's negatively marked. It was hell. It was so difficult. Now I know I was prop attempting a quiz for a more seasoned programmer than myself, but theres no way some of those questions are meant for human beings.
I knew I wasnt doing well as i'd answer a easy(er) question and then a tough one would appear, which I would get wrong, and then another easy one. After the two hours I was exhausted and just rushed the end of the exam, knowing I done terribly. I just wanted to get it over and done with.
The recruiter never rang me back, I didn't want to ring him and ask about my shitty results as it would only make me depressed. I hate job hunting. I have yet to get an interview. The worst thing is that I know I have the skills and good attitude for this type of work, I feel like the agencies are creating this skill-wall blocking potential candidates.
unholyrevenger72
Banned
At best they're letting you down soft. They aren't going to say "Sorry man, there are twelve applicants with the same skill set. I just ended up picking the cute girl, cuz there's way too much sausage around here and the one white applicant"
Don't get me wrong, your denial is a good thing as it prevents depression, loss of motivation, cynicism etc.
Wouldn't that be discrimination based on someone's sex, and thus be illegal?
entremet
Member
Happens all the time. Very hard too prove.
Megalosaro
Banned
It may not be as overt as that. And in any case, you'd have to have hard proof that that was what their deciding factor is.
I don't know where everyone lives, but have you considered relocating from the coastal cities? Where I live, it seems like we have a shortage of workers, especially skilled workers. At my current job, we are short several workers, and we haven't even been sent someone to interview from the home office in months. The pay isn't fantastic, but the benefits are great.
I also had IT recruiters throwing me job opportunities left and right, even after I made it clear that I was no longer interested. Again, the pay wasn't fantastic, but I don't have to worry about at least being able to find an entry level position. Columbus, Ohio, by the way.
I also had IT recruiters throwing me job opportunities left and right, even after I made it clear that I was no longer interested. Again, the pay wasn't fantastic, but I don't have to worry about at least being able to find an entry level position. Columbus, Ohio, by the way.
unholyrevenger72
Banned
Catch 22 job position
People who would take it don't have the money to relocate.
People who have the money to relocate, wont, because it doesn't offer significantly more than what they are already making.
After 6 months of no responses there's a company interested in me, but I don't know how I feel about them. I didn't actually apply to them directly from what I remember. And from what I DO remember, I thought I was applying for a temp agency, but oh well.
They are a small company that, as the manager put it, are client mercenaries. They get clients for other, bigger companies. I'm sure there's a little more to it, but that's the gist. At the interview today they said they'd call back today, letting me know if they wanted me to come in for a job shadow tomorrow. And they do. I could potentially start Monday.
Anybody hear about stuff like that? Legit? Am I being too weird?
They are a small company that, as the manager put it, are client mercenaries. They get clients for other, bigger companies. I'm sure there's a little more to it, but that's the gist. At the interview today they said they'd call back today, letting me know if they wanted me to come in for a job shadow tomorrow. And they do. I could potentially start Monday.
Anybody hear about stuff like that? Legit? Am I being too weird?
unholyrevenger72
Banned
If New Jersey can spend a 100 million in donations from Zuckerberg on "Consultants" No reason this isn't legit
Megalosaro
Banned
It shouldn't hurt. If it's free, I don't see the harm in trying. I posted my resume on Monster. I got contacted by various staffing agencies. They never went anywhere, but I had a few interviews from that at least.
EmptySpace
Banned
ugh tell me about it.
how is going to an agency? i heard of people who actually got very good jobs through agencies. do i just come in and hand a resume or what? do they interview you? i am seriously considering going to one seeing that no one calls me back for an interview whenever i apply through a website.
maybe gaf should have a community to help other gaffers. ;p
i do have a job but i just don't like it. it's not challenging at all and i'm going crazy just doing repetitive work and sitting on the desk all day. little by little my brain cells are dying if not for radiolab (the podcast).
how is going to an agency? i heard of people who actually got very good jobs through agencies. do i just come in and hand a resume or what? do they interview you? i am seriously considering going to one seeing that no one calls me back for an interview whenever i apply through a website.
maybe gaf should have a community to help other gaffers. ;p
i do have a job but i just don't like it. it's not challenging at all and i'm going crazy just doing repetitive work and sitting on the desk all day. little by little my brain cells are dying if not for radiolab (the podcast).
unholyrevenger72
Banned
Not gonna lie, bring a Tablet and watch something on Netflix while working.
TheBryanJZX90
Member
Hey yo don't forget that working a lot of jobs is crushing and soulless too! So you're busting your ass and making yourself miserable for the opportunity to bust your ass and make yourself miserable... while getting paid, of course.