Employment rant (or lack thereof)

[muses_nightmare]

I'm getting irritated and bored being unemployed. I've had lots of interviews, but I have no idea what I'm doing wrong that I'm not getting jobs. I know some are because I'm inexperienced, which is fair enough, but others I just don't get. I mean, the jobs in Graphic Design I don't expect them to be easy to get, but retail jobs? There seem to be a lot of places hiring, but no one actually, you know, hiring. Several clothing stores I applied to just keep reposting the same jobs over and over. I hate how some companies seem to like to collect resumes or something. I applied to 15 or 20 different stores in the mall near me and not one called. It's not like I don't have the experience, I have 5 years at least of customer service experience! It's frustrating.

And then there's playing phone tag when you do finally get a call for an interview. I got a message from a potential employer yesterday about wanting to schedule an interview for this week. Great! So after I get back home (me and the bf were out grocery shopping), I call back and leave a message the same day. That's fine, the person was probably busy, or maybe had gone home for the day or something. It's now noon the next day and I'm still waiting for a call. I did call again, but didn't leave another message (didn't want to flood their inbox with messages), this person also said she'd be sending me an e-mail with more information, said e-mail has not shown up. It's just irritating.

I absolutely need a job in the next month, I don't really care what it is at this point. I'm going to be going to see one of my old managers from Chevron this week, to see if he has any work for me. I'd prefer to be doing something in my chosen field, but I need the money, and I can always do freelance work for awhile.

I do keep saying I'd prefer not to work fast-food, it's the one type of employment I've avoided, and I'd like to continue to avoid it. If I absolutely have to I'll do it, but I don't know, I think I'd be incredibly depressed if after all of my education I end up flipping burgers. I mean I know it wouldn't be forever, and I do actually have some things going for me career wise, but I can't shake that feeling.

I have far too much time to sit and think lately, it's a bad thing. It just makes me more and more depressed. It's not even like our economy is that bad, and I live in a big city, so I don't know what the problem is, if it's me in interviews or what.

[Andara Bledin]

You're likely overqualified, and underexperienced.

A lot of places that want your qualifications won't take you because you don't have enough experience and the places that don't care about your experience fear that you'll take off as soon as you can land a position that takes advantage of your qualifications.

I ran into this way back when. I've never actually been hired based on an interview. I've only ever gotten jobs either through placement or through a friend.

^-.-^

[Rageaholic]

The whole HR process is a royal pain in the ass. I've ranted about it on here many many times, and I stand by what I say. I shouldn't have to jump through all these fucking hoops just to get the "honor" of working for minimum wage. It's one of the biggest flaws of Capitalism.

[muses_nightmare]

I'm just glad that my boyfriend has a decent job, though, his hours are going to be cut down in June, right now he's working Monday to Friday graveyards, and in June he'll still be working nights but on a 4 on 4 off basis, which cuts his pay down quite a bit. It sucks, and I need to find a job before that happens. I've been out of work for the past 6 months, well longer I guess because I was in school, but I don't really count that as out of work so much.

I hate that so many places don't allow you to just drop off a resume, you have to go online and fill out 50 000 pages of crap, then upload your resume which has all of that information already on it. Pain in the ass

[insertNameHere]

I feel your pain that is why I enlisted in the air guard, even that took a year of being on a waiting list, glad when i was by the airport a year ago i stopped in, because It took 6 months for that job to give me a call and i turned it down, because by the time I commuted in the winter I would be in my car longer than they were gonna actually be paying me, cutting the wages to below the crappy amount i get after my current commute with WORSE hours.

I hope after my year of training I will have enough experience to get a decent job and maybe the economy picking up. What is said, is that my bullshit minimum wage job I only got because of a family friend. Thats right to get hired in a gas station it is coming to the point you need to know people, especially if your over qualified in talent but no CS background.

Edit:
I figure I will tell you what I have been doing wrong being honest, it a bad thing, I have admitted I am sometimes late. Some advice I was given, smile say the bare minimum don't over think shit. Act like it the dream job you been waiting for, and it never helps to know a ltitle bit about the company but don't be to much of a know it all.

[muses_nightmare]

Yeah I got along really well with the managers (There were 3 in just under a year) I had at the gas station I worked at, and I got the job there because my best friend was the assistant manager, so I'm planning on asking the managers who still run stations if they have anything avaliable. The only thing that sucks about that is that I won't be making what I did when I left that job, but hey, at least the minimum wage in BC is going up (finally!) not till next year but still.

I'm beginning to think it would be a good idea to take the fact that I have a diploma of design off of my resume for retail stuff, but then, it leaves a big gap in my employment history. The worst question for interviews for minimum wage retail stuff or what have you is the "where do you see yourself in 5 years", I mean really, do you expect people to say that they hope to be working in a gas station or shoe store or whatever 5 years down the line? I usually say something vague along the lines of, I'm looking to be working my way up in my career, or something like that.

[Rageaholic]

The worst question for interviews for minimum wage retail stuff or what have you is the "where do you see yourself in 5 years", I mean really, do you expect people to say that they hope to be working in a gas station or shoe store or whatever 5 years down the line? I usually say something vague along the lines of, I'm looking to be working my way up in my career, or something like that.

I gotta remember to say that because I always get stumped on that question. I mean what do they expect me to say, that I'm gonna stay there?

[Hyena Dandy]

I've always given an answer that's as bullshit as the question on that one. I tell them that I can't predict the future, and I'll be wherever I'll be. But wherever it is, I'll be putting my all into it, because good work is its own reward.

[Andara Bledin]

For the "where do you see yourself" question, you could always go with an answer that has nothing to do with where you see yourself working. It's not a bad question, over all.

Talk about being financially independent, paying off debts, maybe purchasing a house, or even just getting a place of your own. There are a lot of good answers to this question that indicate that you aren't just coasting, but don't say, "Oh, I'm going to bail for my preferred profession at first opportunity."

^-.-^

[muses_nightmare]

Yeah, I usually say something like that, I'm quite vague usually. Luckily this question doesn't come up too too much when I've interviewed for non-career jobs. I don't mind it so much when I'm say, interviewing at a design firm or something, because well, it makes sense.

I also hate the tell me about yourself question, I've written so many versions of my answer to this, and none really sound all that great. *shrugs* I get why they ask it, it's just a difficult question to answer.

[insertNameHere]

Yeah, I usually say something like that, I'm quite vague usually. Luckily this question doesn't come up too too much when I've interviewed for non-career jobs. I don't mind it so much when I'm say, interviewing at a design firm or something, because well, it makes sense.

I also hate the tell me about yourself question, I've written so many versions of my answer to this, and none really sound all that great. *shrugs* I get why they ask it, it's just a difficult question to answer.

I guess they want to see how prepared you are or driven... the first few times I had no idea what to say, I mean really I was still in college just planning on graduating, knowing I would like to be doing something hands on with technology.... No way in hell 3 years later would have called working in a gas station with no chance of advancement because they don't want to train me because they know im looking for other work that i would enjoy and actually pays me for my talents.... and waiting to go off to basic training for the military to then get to be hands on with f16s, I mean it a strange world.

Best thing you can do is mention about learning new techniques, building your skill set to better your value and abilities to help the company strive, or in the case of crap jobs, maybe they have a corporate office that you would be able to say something about advancing into that to do the graphic designs for marketing campaigns, maybe taking some classes on subject X.

I read a book, Land the Tech Job You Love by Andy Lester, I would highly recommend getting your hands on a copy it has plenty of advice and it sounds like your sort of in a tech field. Another for example is I picked up a exam guide for the A+ certification because many of the jobs I want/applied for either demanded/recommended the certification, so now I can add that I'm working towards getting my A+ with plans on going for the Network +, then maybe going for specialized Microsoft and Cisco certifications