Why wont places give me a chanceI've been looking for another job for two years. My job sucks big time. I send/email resumes to every company I can find. I respond to specific ads I see on Monster and every other job site. I even mention the particular job I'm applying to. Other times I just send or email resumes to companies. Some have jobs listed that I apply to. Others have nothing listed, but I email anyways. I look in the want ads every Sunday and respond to every ad I think I could get. I've probably sent out over 1,000 resumes this month alone. I think I've only had about 10 interviews this year. Why won't places give me a chance? I have a BA and a MA, I have exceptional computer skills including website design. I have a good work history. I even speak Spanish. I even had a professional rewrite my resume. When I do get interviews, I get rejected right away. What's sad is the interviews I go to, they are looking for everything I have. One job I was sure I would get. I had the required degree and the required computer skills. It was less than what I make, but it was closer. I had everything they were looking for. They didn't bother to let me know I didn't get it. I certainly should have gotten a second interview. I get other interviews, but I really don't want to take a minimum wage job. That couldn't pay my bills. Besides how do I explain to someone I have a minimum wage job with a masters.
I'm sure others feel the same way who are looking for another job. I guess I'm "lucky" to have a job. That is if lucky means I deal with discrimination, cronyism, low pay, long commute, and everything else bad. I suppose this is where I'm going to be stuck. I'm sorry you're having such a bad time and are discouraged. But 3 things jumped at me from your post. First, I have rarely seen a "professionally written" resume that actually did a candidate any favors. The resume comes across one way, the candidate another. I know everyone here thinks HR has confetti for brains but they can tell when the candidate didn't write their own resumes. That can hurt your chances for a second interview. Second, it seems you are mainly finding job leads through advertisements. That sets you up for failure from the start. Studies have shown only 5 to 10% of job seekers find jobs through online postings. The main problem is that people can send resumes electronically on a whim now and boy, do they ever. Postings get hundreds of responses. 20 years ago, candidates had to actually hand-type letters and put a stamp on an envelope, so they were choosier about who they applied to. You might be a good match on paper, but if a recruiter has to wade through scores of responses you probably won't get noticed. And even if you do, you might still be outmatched by another candidate. It's still a somewhat tight job market and good candidates are very much available. I know you've probably read this before, but networking is the best way to find good leads. You won't compete with hundreds of people and you have a common point with the company - your networking contact. Last, you seem to think that since you are qualified on paper, you should get the job. That's just not going to happen. The person who gets the job is not always the most qualified person, but they DO know what it takes to get the job. They use the interview to their advantage while respecting the company's needs and expectations. Could your interviewing skills use some polish? You absolutely deserve a job you like, but you won't get it by sending out hundreds of resumes. The interview is crucial. You're getting interviews but somthing disconnects. Please consider what you are doing wrong, or not doing right. Most of the interviews I've had were with places or jobs I realized I didn't fit. One place was looking for something I didn't have. As for my resumes, I wrote them, but had a professional fix them up. Some words were wrong, for example.
Thanks for your advice. Do you have any ideas where I could network? I ask everyone I know about jobs. GEE! Maybe if I HUMP my recruiters, they'll keep an eye out more for me! They always tell me that they'll call me if they have anything. But do they ever actually look in their database when I'm on the phone with them right at the time? NO! And of course, they all have their favorites! Networking isn't asking people if they've heard about jobs or passively asking them to "keep your ears open for me"; most people just don't know about jobs. If they did, they would have told you already! Instead, networking is reaching out to people who know you and finding out who THEY know. It's a very active process that you control. You get out of it what you put into it. You need to tell your contacts what kind of company and job you are looking for. Then you ask them what they would suggest, and if they know anyone they could offer you advice or direction. You don't know who your friends and colleagues know or used to work with, which is why networking is so powerful. But you never EVER ask them for a job. If they happen to know about one, great. But the goal is to expand your network and your chances of finding the right opportunity. The Riley Guide has great articles about networking - www.rileyguide.com - and there are lots of online networking communities to join. Try LinkedIn, ZoomInfo and Spoke for starters. I use these resources and others to find candidates through my own network. It really does work. Good luck! Do you follow up with recruiters every so often just to say hi? Or do you call only to ask "Do you have anything for me yet?" People get busy, for pete's sake, and it never hurts to remind them who you are. "Keep an eye out for you"? Are these agency recruiters? Then get wise and realize they don't have to keep an eye out for you. You are one of hundreds of people who expect such treatment. If you act like they owe you something, they won't do squat for you. Honest, DPO263. HUNDREDS of candidates, solicited and unsolicited. What makes you think people will remember you after all that? Help them out a little! Play the game! Don't be passive! And get a clue - of COURSE they have their favorites! If you rely on someone else to do your career management, then learn how to be their favorite. What have you done for them so they want to help you? Sheesh. Several things are probably happening here: 1. You may not be applying to the right things. You should be applying to things that you're QUALIFIED for. Not things that you know you could do, but things that you actually meet the experience and education for. You need to have the required number of years at the required level (or pretty close to it). 2. You probably need some help with your interview skills. You can start with a good friend or relative who is knowledgeable and will tell you the truth to have some practice sessions with you. Better, however, is a professional career counselor. Try your alma mater or the phone book. 3. You may also need help in targeting your resume to some specific types of jobs you're looking at. Again, the career counselor can help you do that. 4. You may need some focus on what job you should be doing. You have a BA and an MA in what? You can design a webpage along with half of America. What is the CAREER you're looking at instead of thinking about the next job, you should be looking long term and building a path to that goal. 5. You may have gotten your MA too soon. Not that it won't add value some day but if you're early in your career, it isn't a requirement or even a desired or preferred for most positions in most industries then it isn't going to get you paid more. They don't need a brain surgeon to put on a bandaid and they're not going to pay brain surgeon rates to someone to do that. Same thing here. You should catch up down the road, but it may just be too early for that. You should get a Masters when you know how it will add value and WHEN it will add value. Tess
Recruiters have a job, and finding you work is not their job. Their job is to recruit potential employees and fill a roster for employers to pay to look at. The agency builds up a list and tells the employers they have all the "A-list" players. The employers buy access to this "A-list" when they look for help. This is to save time in sorting and qualifying applicants, or to save time and effort in listing postions and gathering candidates. Job seekers join an agency thinking the recruiters will be doing a job search for them----NOT! The recruiter's job is to GET YOU RATED and ON THE LIST. Once that's done, their attention is on the next recruit. Yes, they will submit your portfolio to the job that lured you in, or maybe another one that you saw and mentioned to them. Don't think you can sit back and that they are hard at work searching for you. It is the employers that do the searching...they search the list, and if they ask for you, the recruiter gives you a call. It's a very fancy way to get on a list and hopefully companies offering better jobs will find you there. One you are hired, YOU are working for THEM. Quite the opposite of what job seekers are hoping!! I think signing up with an agency is a good thing to do. It's another way to get exposure to the companies you want to work for. But don't be mistaken that the recruiter is hard at work searching to match your skills to jobs far and wide. They have other things to do----like signing up more recruits!!!
The thing is I'm applying to jobs that I know I'm qualified for on paper. For instance, several jobs were looking for particular degrees I have (BA in communications, minor in marketing. MA in Media and Digital Communications and Human Training). Several other stress Microsoft Office skills, which I have. I apply to job at my level, below my level, and slightly above my level. I also apply to jobs that I feel I would fit at and can learn on the job.. I literally apply to everything that I'm even slightly qualified for. I've even started to apply for receptionist jobs, though these are way below what I want. I'm not sure who mentioned it, but I don't sit around waiting for a recruiter looking for me. In fact I don't know where to find a recruiter or a headhunter. I've been looking for one of these people for a year.
Why don't you post your resume here (minus name, address, phone). Maybe there is something that will jump out and we can see where in the process the problem lies.
Tess | |
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Career Tips
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