moon Posted December 23, 2004 Share Posted December 23, 2004 I am having the hardest time finding a new job. I was traveling and out of the country for a while and nobody even pays any attention to me when I send my resume out online now. Am I alone here or is it damn hard to find work these days? Link to post Share on other sites
Pocky Posted December 23, 2004 Share Posted December 23, 2004 Might be due to your resume format. I've reviewed resumes for many positions and if the formatting is bad we don't pay much attention to them. For example: 1) To many pages 2) Paragraphs describing responsibilities instead of bullet points 3) No responsibilities described at all - just description of company and role of position 4) No dates on job history 5) No computer experience listed (i.e., software, hardware) 6) No education listed 7) Misspelled words and poor grammar Link to post Share on other sites
moimeme Posted December 23, 2004 Share Posted December 23, 2004 I've also found that different places want different types of resumes so you need a file full of 'em! Some places want the results-based sorts, others want the chronological type and others the functional. It might be worthwhile asking the HR department what sort of resume they're looking for before you send one. Link to post Share on other sites
Karen75 Posted December 23, 2004 Share Posted December 23, 2004 It is extremely difficult to find work right now. At least in my field of expertise. I have sent out over 50 resumes and I either don;t hear back or they call back and tell me the position is paying $11/hr. The rule of thumb (that I've heard) is that it will take you at least a month for every year that you have been in your current position. Meaning that the more experience you have and the more money you are looking for, the harder it is to find a position that suits you. Good luck to you. I am searching as well so I feel your pain!! K Link to post Share on other sites
sean001 Posted December 25, 2004 Share Posted December 25, 2004 I don't know if you've tried this already, but make sure you tell EVERYBODY that you are looking and get people out there to listen on your behalf. Find companies you are interested in and try to schedule "informational interviews" with people (who may like you and may know people who are hiring). I don't know if you went to college or anything, but make sure you check your alumni association, old career services office, or any other organization you have been a member of. Find people in that organization and call them and tell them you are looking. Most of the time, alumni and others want to help people. The success rate from the internet is somewhat small because there are SO MANY resumes flying around. You'll increase your chances if you get people out there to pass out your resume on your behalf. I got my current position by telling an old colleague I was looking and it was actually the old colleague who ended up hiring me!!! Link to post Share on other sites
Mr Spock Posted December 25, 2004 Share Posted December 25, 2004 Also you may be deluding yourself that people are actually looking at your resume online. Nothing beats footwork if you truly want to get a job, any job. Link to post Share on other sites
soccorsilly Posted December 25, 2004 Share Posted December 25, 2004 Moon...where are you and what kind of work? Maybe some LSers might have a lead for you! Link to post Share on other sites
HokeyReligions Posted December 25, 2004 Share Posted December 25, 2004 I've been looking for a permanent position since May 2003. I've had a few offers for low-paying positions or jobs that I know I wouldn't like, but the job market is tough now. I have about 10 different resume's that highlight different aspects of my experience so that I make sure what I send to each prospect is targeted to what they are looking for. Networking is important too and I do that and make sure that a lot of people have my information so if they are talking to someone else that might have a job opening they can tell them about me. Also, when you interview always ask for a business card from the people you interview with and send a follow-up letter. The follow-up letter should thank the interviewer for a great interview, describe what made it great (good fit, exciting exchange of ideas, wonderful opportunity); Convey that you are definitely interested or favorably considering or whatever the case may be; toss in a few facts to demonstrate your interest (take notes during the interview so you can be specific); describe your expectations like "I look forward to meeting with the CEO"; and then a closing. The letter should not be too long. If you have multiple interviews within a company don't send the same letter to each person -- personalize it with something unique from each interview because those people will compare notes! Don't hesitate to use temporary agencies and head-hunters! Good luck! Link to post Share on other sites
UncleAlbert Posted January 15, 2005 Share Posted January 15, 2005 Sending resumes is lame..it's a false sense. Get your ass out there and shake hands. Deal with the real world. Get in their face. That's how deals are made...push! push! push! people love an agressive type..Hell.., even take a job your not looking for just to get your self out there. Of course, a job where you might meet others in the field your looking to get into would be good. Renting cars..somewhere in the line of fire. I mean you can always quit your **** job..hell you might even move into a management possition with a **** company and get some unexpected fringe benefits...life long friends , a mate perhaps, a career! Nothing like that happens on your butt in front of a computer. Get out there..everyday! And Good Luck! Link to post Share on other sites
SoleMate Posted January 15, 2005 Share Posted January 15, 2005 Spock and Albert are right. Let me restate it even more simply: The only way to get a job is by TALKING to people. Not emailing, not posting, not snail mailing resumes. You must TALK. If your job search strategy doesn't include at least 35% of your time TALKING and LISTENING, then you need to adjust it. Get a good book on finding a job, and do every step it tells you. You WILL find work, but it's a bog job just to find a job in many fields these days. This is not idle advice from an armchair quarterback. I have been looking for quite a few months and just accepted an offer the other day. Link to post Share on other sites
Zoot Posted January 16, 2005 Share Posted January 16, 2005 I agree with Soulmate...try ALL avenues....but word of mouth is where you'll get a great job. Link to post Share on other sites
VirginiaBob Posted January 16, 2005 Share Posted January 16, 2005 Try job fairs too, that's how I got hired. It's a lot different talking to someone in person rather than just knowing you from what you write. Link to post Share on other sites
liono Posted January 16, 2005 Share Posted January 16, 2005 I graduated from college in May of last year and boy was I suprised how hard it was to find a job. I'm still searching too. I thought it was going to be hard but not this intense. Everybody likes to say "in this economy its tough find work." I guess there is some truth to that. I was talking to an interviewer and she said, "it's tough to find qualified people." I had this whole idea I was gonna find a perfect job. I'm real particular with stuff and I guess a bit short-sighted. I don't want to encourage people to be less ambitious but try to find stepping stones. It's your best bet to meet some people like city officials and schedule a time to talk. I'm about to start contract work and its something I think I would enjoy. But I'm thinking in the back of my mind there's no benefits and you don't know when you are going to get that first check. I just have to suck it up. Link to post Share on other sites
moimeme Posted January 16, 2005 Share Posted January 16, 2005 And don't ignore the classified ads. For all the advice you'll get about networking, etc. etc., my crazy experience is that the two best jobs I ever got I got from answering ads in the paper! So include that in your job hunt. You just never know. I guess the reason companies advertise in the paper is that they've exhausted the networking/personal contacts/web applications routes and genuinely are looking for someone from the general public. I think most newspapers now have searchable online classifieds and many will even email you job ads matching search words you specify so it's not as much of a chore to do anymore. Link to post Share on other sites
liono Posted January 16, 2005 Share Posted January 16, 2005 Check the classifieds everyday. There could be a gem waiting to be found. Link to post Share on other sites
ziggue Posted January 16, 2005 Share Posted January 16, 2005 Double check that you are attatching your Resume to the Email right. Maybe that's the problem. Try looking for jobs through Employment Agencies. Keep looking in Newspapers. They always have them. You could try faxing but that's kinda similar too Emailing. Link to post Share on other sites
UncleAlbert Posted January 16, 2005 Share Posted January 16, 2005 Keep a list of all the companies advertising. And use the phone book..hit every company in person..You never know who will be in the lobby when you walk in and ask for an appointment. Sometimes the secretary may feel for you and help you get an interview. Happened to me once. (forgot to add that to my last post) Link to post Share on other sites
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