The Job Hunting Process

[tropicsgoddess]

It sucks when you're suddenly out of work and even more when you're in desperate need of a job and you barely get any interview requests! I got laid off my job right after moving and it's been a little over a week since then. I've applied to so many ads online, classifieds and the like and so far no answer back. The only two I got were rejection emails and that's it. Then there's the jobs that want to know every single minute detail of my life and want a sample of my bodily fluid/DNA drug test and know my credit history and make me go through those inane questionnaires. FFS, just cut to the chase at least give me the courtesy and let me know if you think I'm not worth your time and not waste either mine or yours.

[Andara Bledin]

If they go through with a drug test, then they definitely think you're worth their time. That's usually one of the last steps in the process because it costs them money.

But I totally understand the rest of your rant. I hope the company I work for never goes under... I don't want to have to ever look for another job.

^-.-^

[HYHYBT]

I've only had, I think, eight interviews in the last two years. Of course, about half of that time (scattered around) I wasn't looking... but still. Two of those were job fair deals, where they were interviewing everybody who showed up. One of them, there was a terrible mixup; I thought they hadn't liked me, but heard later (far too late to do anything about it) that they'd actually wanted to hire me. One of them I *was* hired, but was let go after only three weekends. One of them *said* I was hired, and had me fill out an I-9 and such, but then kept putting off when I'd be added to the schedule, and eventually said they didn't really have an opening. And two of them were for a job I couldn't take because it would have involved 40 hours a week of work with a commute long enough that I *still* wouldn't make as much as I was spending just to keep the car on the road, and an agreement to remain for at least a year. (If it weren't for the last, I'd have taken it so as to have a current employer to put on applications, and to hope for a transfer... but I can't promise to stay where I'm losing money if something profitable comes along, and I won't lie.)

Actually, that's not so bad, in a sense: the last company said that they'd keep me on their list if anything closer opened up, and there was only one "real" interview that was a complete failure. But still, nobody else has even called.

[Rageaholic]

LOL I don't think anyone likes the job hunting process. Not that I blame them because it's all a bunch of bullshit and games. They put you through all this screening just to see how devoted you'll be for a minimum wage job... Fuck that shit, even if I play their games (which I have), they're gonna find someone with more experience than me. It shouldn't be this hard just to be able to work for money.

[DrFaroohk]

The waiting is fun. I've had a couple of jobs where I get hired, but they don't know when I'll start. I try not to be a pain in the ass but I gradually start calling the boss more and more frequently until it becomes every day and even then they still drag ass. "Yeah you're hired you just can't work here yet."

Sometimes I think they all take themselves too seriously. Drug tests are a good idea for police, government officials, stock brokers and shit...I don't want the guy piloting my aircraft or handling my investments to be high on cocaine....but sometimes they're like "WHAT? YOu smoke...M...mar...mariJUANA!?!?!? YOU"RE NOT FIT TO STOCK THESE SHELVES! We require precision performance from the people who scrub the toilets!!!"

[XCashier]

Job hunting really sucks. They make you jump through all these silly, pointless hoops for a minimum wage job, then they "don't need someone after all". I wish I could lose weight doing exercises in futility; I'd look like a supermodel by now!

[HYHYBT]

One thing I don't understand: most companies that have online applications and multiple locations either allow the option of applying for multiple locations and positions at once, or let you do separate applications for them, or pass the one you've done on to other locations on their own. Sears/Kmart is the opposite: you can ONLY apply for one position at one Sears or Kmart store at a time. If you apply for another, the previous one is cancelled. How does that make any sense?

[HYHYBT]

I don't want the guy piloting my aircraft or handling my investments to be high on cocaine....but sometimes they're like "WHAT? YOu smoke...M...mar...mariJUANA!?!?!? YOU"RE NOT FIT TO STOCK THESE SHELVES! We require precision performance from the people who scrub the toilets!!!"

Like so many things, it comes down to liability. If you take drugs, you're more likely than someone who does not take them to be high at work. If you're high at work, you're more likely to cause an accident or injury. And, of course, if you're arrested for your drug use, it screws up the schedule royally

[Dreamstalker]

I've unintentionally been high at work before due to cleaning chemicals/babysitting jobs on the big copier (unventilated room)...the difference probably is I was still able to work. Then again, some of my best programming work as an undergrad was done while I was on pot (ironically it helped me focus somewhat), so what does that say?

I've also been sending resumes left and right and not even getting a "thank you for your interest" reply (I did get one phone call from a bead store but the ad is still up). A couple jobs I applied to have been reposted, so I figure I can just keep plugging on those.

[insertNameHere]

Yeah, I have realized, the purpose of HR is not to hire anyone, they just give reasons on why they CAN'T hire you, unless your vetted by someone who is sleeping with them, or has control over firing them, promoting them, etc etc.

I fucking hate hearing of places that hire you, but never put you on the schedule after "training" where your still required to list them as an employer even when you manage to find another job and quit bothering to call in to check hours, at which point 2 months later (after 2 months of you calling) they put you on the schedule and fire you for no call no show, happened to my cousin and he didn't find out till YEARS later when he was applying for the police department that he "lied" about his work history and he had to go through a bunch of shit to be like yes i did 3 days of training, then after several weeks of never being put on the schedule I found another job.

Basically, it sounds like they except a turn over and want to have people ready to start. The most annoying is bullshit min wage jobs wanting open availability, and priority to your schedule when they only want to give 20hrs and wait to the last minute to post schedule. But need At least 2 weeks notice of any request offs at which point you don't find out until WED morning that your not getting that Thursday off you asked for 2 months ago.

[joe hx]

Sometimes I think they all take themselves too seriously. Drug tests are a good idea for police, government officials, stock brokers and shit...I don't want the guy piloting my aircraft or handling my investments to be high on cocaine....but sometimes they're like "WHAT? YOu smoke...M...mar...mariJUANA!?!?!? YOU"RE NOT FIT TO STOCK THESE SHELVES! We require precision performance from the people who scrub the toilets!!!"

It's all about liability insurance. Sometimes a company can't get covered if they don't drug test their employees, sometimes they can get a discount if they do.

Then there's the jobs that want to know every single minute detail of my life and want a sample of my bodily fluid/DNA drug test and know my credit history and make me go through those inane questionnaires.

At one of my current jobs (military contractor) I had to give them contact information for every boss for every job... Ever (well, one boss per job). Thankfully, I've only had... four different jobs since high school? And one boss is dead! I only know because I looked her up on the SSDI. So tempted to put her address as "heaven" - but I just put all the fields as deceased.

Oddly enough, no drug test

[blas87]

I hate temp agencies. I really do.

Before we went on a hiring freeze, there was a conspiracy going on. My best example is my coworker pal's son, as he just graduated high school and was looking for a full time job. He called the temp agency about getting a job there, and he was told by one idiot that they weren't hiring right now, and then by another person on another day that they are only hiring people with experience.

Which is balllllooooney. I was hired with no experience. Full time, not temp. So there.

Anyway, my coworker got upset and contacted the lady who runs that agency (who also has an office set up at the factory so she can be available in person for temps at work) and she claimed she'd try to find out who was lying to potential employees on the phones. She never did.

[powerboy]

I hate the temp agencies that says that they are not hiring. I can see for that week or day. But if it is constantly like that, then how do they get paid?

I also hate that when you apply at anyplace, you do not hear crap back.

[XCashier]

I hate it when they insist that you have to apply online and either:

1. the website is down for several days, or
2. they make you answer an extensive list of ridiculous questions, and no matter how you answer, you're SOL.

I thought computers were supposed to make our lives easier?!

[muses_nightmare]

I don't mind applying online for certain jobs, but I loathe doing online applications. I want to be able to send a resume and cover letter not write everything that would be in those two things into a new form. I get just as irritated with paper applications like that, all of this stuff is on my resume look at that, it's formatted better than your application form anyway!

Oh and the places that expect you to know the exact day you started or finished at previous jobs, which might be okay if you've only had one or two jobs, but I've had quite a few, I don't keep track of the exact day. I mean I know the month, so I usually make up some arbitrary date. Or when they want to know a supervisors name and number even if you aren't using them as a reference, I don't even remember half of my supes' last names, let alone their numbers, many don't even work at my former workplace anymore, or the store was shut down!

I hate being strung along by people too, I had two possible design clients, one for a branding/identity project and one for a business card. I spent some time e-mailing back and fourth with these people, only to be told by the first one that their regular designer came back and they're working with them, and to have the other one not bother to contact me again after saying she'd get back to me the same day. I'm not ripping these people off price-wise either, the branding one I was willing to do for $750, that's for a logo and stationery set (business card, letterhead, envelope), that's pretty damned cheap. For the business cards I was charging $100, that was design and printing!

*ahem* It's not quite the same as job hunting for retail or with a company, but finding freelance work is a pain in the ass, at least getting those first few clients is. And people are so damned cheap. *grumbles* Okay end rant

It's been over 6 months since I finished school and I can't find work anywhere, even outside my field. It's getting to me.