I applied for more than one hundred fifty jobs yesterday. Really. The past two months I think I’ve averaged twenty applications a day.
You’d think I bilingual economist with a backround in IT support and health care management could find a job somewhere, but nope not yet, not even an interview or call back.
I still want (and will go to med school) but since I am down to the last sciences school is pretty much part-time now. I have completed two degrees in Economics (International and Labor studies) and Spanish (Linguistics) with a minor in Latina/o Studies. I should be somewhat employeable, no? I have work experience in IT support and health care management, and have managed a staff of 300 employees…and yet here I am with still no job.
I’d also like to complain about job postings like this:
Looking for candidate no older than 32 years-old with 15 years of experience. Must have 10 years of working knowledge of a software application that has only existed for 4 years. Must have experience with software program X that was developed by our company for our company and is not used anywhere else on the planet.
Sometimes, when I spend all day applying for jobs, like I did yesterday, I begin to wonder if I really am applying. When I am applying online (which is 100% of the time) I’ll fill out the application, hit submitt and then wonder if it actually went to the employer. I know the email confirmation that the application was submitted means nothing. As far as I know my application and time have dissappeared into nowhere.
Being unemployed/underemployed is depressing.
ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY!
I am the queen of this– applying for jobs. As a temp, I’ve spoken to a lot of employers hiring. Employers are incredibly discriminate, once glance over your resume before they know how to toss it in the trash despite your excellent qualifications and sparkling personality.
They are less likely to hire someone they know is going back to school/in school. They are also less likely to hire someone whose has absolutely no background in the field.
My advice is: don’t take the first offer. It’s usually desperate if someone had to put up an ad.
Go here
http://www.craigslist.org/about/best/sfo/101949754.html
Patti, Thanks for the link…it was really helpful…I do need to work on my cover letter.
I haven’t mentioned (and don’t mention to employers) that I am planning on going to med school and am taking classes part-time. If they ask I will tell but otherwise I am keeping my mouth shut. My classes don’t interfere with work anyway as they are evening/weekend/online classes.
It seems as though networking is always the best way to get a job, but that’s hard if you don’t know anyone in the field. Have you ever been to a LEON meeting? I used to go to the meetings with a co-worker when I worked for the Salvation Army and they were always announcing job openings. In fact, that’s how I found my job…someone sent me info when they heard about the job at a LEON meeting.
First, given ‘em credentials, what exactly are you looking for?
My personal experience is that emails are ignored. ‘Cold calling’ is tough, but works better. You can always send in a resume, then call to confirm they have it – it demonstrates your interest.
Pick a couple of favorites and focus on those.
That ad is facially discriminatory. Do you know a person over 60(maybe it’s 50 I remember)? Get them to apply for the job and then sue for discrimination under the ADA! It’s easy and the EEOC might do it for free. Probably no money, but man that’s a dumb ad.
hay elenita, i would hire you. have you tried non-profits? suerte.
Yeah, I am also a master of applying for jobs. Here is everything I learned from two years of partially successful job hunting:
In my experience, applying online isn’t successful. I also felt like I was sending something into the ether, and I never got an interview for a job I applied to online. I might send a letter of intent along with your resume stating that you did apply online. Sell yourself hard in the cover letter. Also, I had a lot more success putting a one sentence “summary” of my skills and experience at the top of my resume – I used to use an “objective”, but I didn’t get any interviews with that. Maybe they’re related, maybe not. I’m just sayin’.
Employers now also have the ability to be extremely picky about who they hire since downsizing has put a lot of super-qualified people out of work (i.e., looking for new jobs). I was advised to focus on a couple of your strongest skills and applying to jobs where those are listed as primary requirements. That’s how I got the editing job.
I also hear tell that online applications often search for specific words – if your app. doesn’t have it, it’s pitched. I might try to specifically address the skills they advertise needing in your resume and cover letter.
Also, both my brother and I have been looking for “real” jobs in our actual fields for 2-3 years EACH. It’s not unusual to look for a looooooooong time for your first career-type job, especially with the current climate in business. Discouraging, maybe, but not unusual.
Having said all that, keep your chin up, you will get a job.
Que tal…
yeah It’s a tough job market out there..
good luck!!
BTW–
you can ride my
dog house,
kitchen counter,
X-ray table
any time…
saludos
Rodri
I’ve never heard of ANYONE getting an interview, let alone a job applying online.
you are a strong candidate for the job you applied for that I know about (AS), but they are really really slow about getting back to people as the people coordinating the interview process have 0 time on their hands (they should be using me, I’m on the ball baby) so don’t write it off completely, but as you know you would have to work with someone you don’t necessarily like…..
Xine… with respect to your comment above:
I work in the IT field and can tell you from
first-hand experience that getting a job in this
arena has become, over the years, almost an online
only hiring process… best example of that is
monster.com. My last two jobs have been via
monster, whether it be a recruiter or directly w/
employers….
I agree, ElenaMary is well qualified.
try applying for jobs with the US Department
Of State @ http://www.state.gov
Seize the opportunity!!
Lucks! Rodri
Just a couple other things. Don’t know if you have tried, but I found some interesting listings on http://www.idealist.org in the non-profit area. You might not find a job there, but they have a large list of organizations (that is if you are interested in non-profit work). I never had success online, the only thing that was good about it was getting names of organizations, then rather than contacting them online, I would call. I personally feel like calling is more efficient, but who knows. Good Luck!
Oh yes– and try temping!
I used to hire people who applied online, but if your email address was something like pimp69@aol.com your resume went straight in the trash.
@Rodrigo: I too am in the IT field and like Elena have found it dayum near impossible for people to call back for an interview, even when I know more then the person reding my resume..where do you work, can I send a resume there..(networking huh? @ laura). And in my exp. w/ monster.com is it sucks..and the state takes FOR EVER and is the dumb group of smart IT people I have ever met. (I’ve put in 110 app’s in at the state in the last few months).
Elena, you know I feel your pain. Makes you not want to work at all.
“Go to school, get good grades, and you’ll get a good job” *says the counsler.
BULLSH!T; I know java, sql, asp.net, vb.net, COBOL, web design, network set-up & admin’ing, have worked on and set-up networks with both apples and windows machines. AND I CAN GET AN IT JOB, dayum what is this world coming to..(lol)
Was that job posting based in Mexico? I don’t think I saw a single job advertisement down there that didn’t specify age and gender. (one – for a secretarial. position – even said “gives good massages”!)
Rodrigo has a good suggestion.
The federal government seems to be hiring.
My brother-in-law was successful applying with them after two years of struggling to find work with private companies. He didn’t want to take this job at first because it meant moving back East, but things have worked out well and he and his wife are very happy they took the plunge.
There are federal jobs available all over the country, though the more flexible you are, the more likely you’ll find a fit.