Why is finding a job so hard? v_v

[Inflikted]

Being 25, it obviously took me more time than normal to finish my education. I graduated about three months ago, now, and have been trying to find an entry level position, but the results have been extremely disappointing thus far.

 

I'm looking to do video editing/ video production work. I've been patrolling the typical job listing sites, but I've come across very few opportunities in the field, and despite applying to every one I could find, I never get any contact back. I tried being proactive, and looked up local video production businesses, and inquired them about potential employment, and never got any kind of responses. Even tried contacting other local businesses that have video component to them, to see if something could be worked out, but again, never any contact returned.

 

I know it's only been three months, and all, but I've been working a menial part time retail job for six years, now. Not only do I hate that kind of work in general, but I really like my field of interest, and I'm just starved to do something that actually feels like it matters to me.

 

I just don't really know what to do, at this point. It's incredibly frustrating, and it doesn't seem like there's anything on the horizon at all. I just wish I could figure something out, but I'm just at a loss.

[JFReyes]

Keep at it, but seriously consider taking on freelance work as well. Weddings, birthdays, submitting newsworthy material to the local TV stations, producing training videos for local companies, whatever. Once you establish some reputation things will be easier. Go for it!

[MrRightNow]

You should have at least landed some interviews by now. Are you writing a unique cover letter for each position? You should also apply for internships in your field so you can get some experience. I know how hard it is, there just aren't enough jobs out there. Good luck.

[Inflikted]

Keep at it, but seriously consider taking on freelance work as well. Weddings, birthdays, submitting newsworthy material to the local TV stations, producing training videos for local companies, whatever. Once you establish some reputation things will be easier. Go for it!

 

I'd be fine with doing freelance stuff, I just really don't know how to even go about finding that kind of work. It doesn't help that I don't actually have a video camera (and I don't really have the money to afford a proper one right now, anyway), so that sets me back a bit, as well. I've been looking at "freelance" websites, where people post projects they need working on, and users can "bid" to be the one to do it, but I always look through the bidders on a particular project, and they're always WAY more qualified than I am, so I feel like I'd never have much of a chance to get chosen. I don't even really know how to properly "bid" on that kind of thing, because I don't really know how much to charge for work, nor do I necessarily know how long a project is going to take (and those are the two major bid factors; how much money you want, and how quickly you can do it in).

 

Beyond that, I really don't know the first thing about finding freelance work.

 

You should have at least landed some interviews by now. Are you writing a unique cover letter for each position? You should also apply for internships in your field so you can get some experience. I know how hard it is, there just aren't enough jobs out there. Good luck.

 

Yeah, I definitely try to tailor my cover letter to the place I'm sending it to. Granted, my cover letters probably still seem very basic, just because I don't really have much to talk about, as the only "projects" I've worked on are the few I did in class. I'm not really good at expressing my skills and abilities in a "unique" and "stand out" kind of way, unfortunately.

 

As far as internships go, I'm not against them, but all of the internship opportunities I find state that you have to be earning a college credit for doing it, in order to get it. And since I'm out of school, I don't really qualify for that kind of thing.

 

I assume there must be some legal aspect to having interns when they're not earning college credit, and if that's the case, I guess I can understand why they wouldn't want to bring in interns that aren't getting some kind of educational credit out of it.

 

Not really sure how to find internships that don't require you to be receiving college credit. A few of the places I wrote to, inquiring about work, I actually did essentially say that I'd be happy to just volunteer my services, just to gain some experience, but I guess that didn't make me seem any more attractive.

[d0nnivain]

It's hard to find a job because at least in the US the gov't keeps adding more things that the employer is required to pay for which drives up the cost of adding head count to the point that it's easier as a small business owner to simply work longer hours & do it yourself.

 

Also many workers don't give the impression at an interview or in the first few weeks of work that they are dedicated to the employer's needs. As the person signing the front of your paycheck -- which costs me at least 25% more in taxes & insurance than you get (i.e if I pay you $100, it costs me $125) -- I don't care when you want to go on vacation, what time you want to go home, that your pet is sick or that you want a ergonomically correct chair that costs 5x what I paid for the one you are sitting in. I want you to do the job I'm paying you to do under the conditions I set because if you don't there are 10 more people who do want the job & some of them have experience.

 

When you interview show your prospective employer how you will make that person more money. If your pay will be $100, show me how hiring you will make me $300 so I can pay you, afford the overhead to have you (additional pace, additional equipment, additional support staff, taxes, insurance, etc.) and still make a nice profit for me. Until an employee can show me how hiring them will make me money they're useless. N.B. Sometimes the way certain employees money is by freeing the employer's time from mundane tasks that will be taken over by the employee thereby enabling the employer to devote more time to profitable things like sales.

[Inflikted]

It's hard to find a job because at least in the US the gov't keeps adding more things that the employer is required to pay for which drives up the cost of adding head count to the point that it's easier as a small business owner to simply work longer hours & do it yourself.

 

Also many workers don't give the impression at an interview or in the first few weeks of work that they are dedicated to the employer's needs. As the person signing the front of your paycheck -- which costs me at least 25% more in taxes & insurance than you get (i.e if I pay you $100, it costs me $125) -- I don't care when you want to go on vacation, what time you want to go home, that your pet is sick or that you want a ergonomically correct chair that costs 5x what I paid for the one you are sitting in. I want you to do the job I'm paying you to do under the conditions I set because if you don't there are 10 more people who do want the job & some of them have experience.

 

When you interview show your prospective employer how you will make that person more money. If your pay will be $100, show me how hiring you will make me $300 so I can pay you, afford the overhead to have you (additional pace, additional equipment, additional support staff, taxes, insurance, etc.) and still make a nice profit for me. Until an employee can show me how hiring them will make me money they're useless. N.B. Sometimes the way certain employees money is by freeing the employer's time from mundane tasks that will be taken over by the employee thereby enabling the employer to devote more time to profitable things like sales.

 

Well, sure, and that all makes a lot of sense, from a business perspective.

 

But I can't even get an interview. Heck, I can't even find good opportunities to build experience for myself.

 

I'm at a point where I'm not even that concerned with salary, vacation days, etc. It took me a really long time to figure out what my "calling" is, and now that I know, I'm eager to dive in head first and start actually doing it for a living, but... I just can't find the opportunities, and the few that do pop up, I can't even get an interview for.

[d0nnivain]

Can you start your own business then doing what you love?

 

Are you networking in your industry?

[Inflikted]

Can you start your own business then doing what you love?

 

Perhaps, but I don't really know anything about how to do that. Starting/ running a business seems complicated, and I don't know that I could really even afford the start up costs.

 

Not to mention, even if I started my own business, that wouldn't necessarily mean I'd know how to attract clients, and obviously, without clients, there's no revenue, and no revenue equals no profit. I'd hate to invest all that money and resources into starting a business, only to not be able to attract any clients to it.

 

It might be worth mentioning, though, that on the side, I have a personal website that I maintain and try to produce regular video content to. It's mostly comedy-based, and is kind of silly, and while I think it would be really cool if I could eventually grow it into something I could make a living off of, I don't imagine it'll ever get enough of a following to really get me to that point.

 

Are you networking in your industry?

 

I hate to further expose how "wet behind the ears" I am, but I'm really not sure how to do that, either. My anti-social tendencies don't really do me any favors, here, either.

[GravityMan]

There is a good chance that many of the places you applied to (esp. the larger employers) have scanning technology in place that automatically scans your application and/or resume the instant you hit "submit" on your computer. If the documents lack the desired content then you are instantly rejected. A human being never even sees your application.

 

There is also a decent chance that if a person actually does look at your correspondence (and doesn't promptly toss it into the "no" pile), he may perform a cursory search on you via Google, LinkedIn and other social media before deciding whether to invite you in for an interview or not.

 

Most companies...large and SMB...are pickier than ever these days for a number of reasons. Even for entry-level jobs. I don't see that changing anytime soon, if ever.

 

Today's job market is mostly about who you know. (That has probably been true for many years but it's more true than ever today.) Networking is essential. Wise people are almost always networking, even while they're employed and happy at their current job. I'm not sure about your specific field, but in general 60-70% of all available jobs are filled due to the candidate knowing the right people on the inside. More than half of all jobs aren't advertised at all in many parts of the US. (Not sure about other countries.) More and more tasks are becoming automated, too.

 

Many of the young college grads who land decent jobs these days in most industries tend to be motivated, passionate, flexible, are team players, are willing to learn, are quick studies (fast learners), are decently connected, are reasonably up-to-date with current trends in society, can think outside the box a bit, have personal portfolios (pet projects, freelancing, etc.) that help them stand out, have competent people skills and some other transferable skills. Of course, being solid in your field of study helps too. As well as being likable...most companies put a lot of weight on "fit" when evaluating candidates.

 

Anyway, OP...you should network in your industry more. Networking can be draining and/or intimidating for some introverts, but still...you should suck it up and do it. Maybe mention your website. You need to connect professionally with industry people IRL, maybe one of them can help give you direction and guidance to help you pursue your goals. Also, if finances are tight, consider finding a temporary job outside your field to help pay the bills and to help get your feet a bit wet in "general" company culture. Or consider freelancing as someone else suggested.

[Inflikted]

I always feel like "networking" has just become this buzz word people constantly throw out there, and I hear professionals and educators, and lots of other people, use the term all the time, but I feel like nobody ever really explains what that means. What is "networking"? What does it entail? How does one "network" on a regular, consistent basis?

 

More importantly, for someone that's just starting out, how does one START "networking"? Who are you supposed to "network" with? How do you find people to "network" with? What are you supposed to "network" with them about? How do you maintain that "network" with a particular person?

[ThaWholigan]

With Video editing/production, you're going to be working in the world of media. And in such a place, where you want to make money, networking is pretty much everything!

 

I empathize with your misunderstanding - I was apprehensive too. I'm not the most socially intuitive person in the world, so networking seemed daunting and still does. What you have to do really is market yourself and talk to people - a lot. I'm a musician, and for me to get anywhere, I have to talk to people - other musicians, promoters, DJs, even video-editors like yourself. You could get into music video production - to do that, you advertise yourself on an outlet like craigslist and others to say that you can do video work for a band or artist that wants to do music videos. If you only do the editing side, that's OK. You can go to something like Meetup, attend seminars and events and speak with other people in your field - video directors, writers, filmmakers etc. Give them your business card, show them your portfolio of work if you have one, talk about the weather or last nights game .....build your contacts.

 

Anti-social? Don't let that stop you! You don't have to be around these people 24/7. Taking slow steps towards being able to maintain a personal network of contacts will do the world of difference to what you want to do. You just have to keep putting yourself out there .

[Easyguy14]

Perhaps, but I don't really know anything about how to do that. Starting/ running a business seems complicated, and I don't know that I could really even afford the start up costs.

 

Not to mention, even if I started my own business, that wouldn't necessarily mean I'd know how to attract clients, and obviously, without clients, there's no revenue, and no revenue equals no profit. I'd hate to invest all that money and resources into starting a business, only to not be able to attract any clients to it.

 

It might be worth mentioning, though, that on the side, I have a personal website that I maintain and try to produce regular video content to. It's mostly comedy-based, and is kind of silly, and while I think it would be really cool if I could eventually grow it into something I could make a living off of, I don't imagine it'll ever get enough of a following to really get me to that point.

 

 

 

I hate to further expose how "wet behind the ears" I am, but I'm really not sure how to do that, either. My anti-social tendencies don't really do me any favors, here, either.

 

 

If only you were into the dead people business. I work as a independent contractor and its the best thing since slice bread and I don't have much in the way of competition either.

[Inflikted]

If only you were into the dead people business. I work as a independent contractor and its the best thing since slice bread and I don't have much in the way of competition either.

 

I'm not really sure what you mean?

[JDPT]

Contemplate the thought applying towards a position that completely polarized from what you will "ideally" like to do and will increase your pay rate and provide a sense of productiveness. As stated previously, don't give up and keep at it, the frustration of not finding something that meets your standards is utterly ok. Keep in mind that everyone starts somewhere. Focus on getting yourself in the door anymore at this point. Continue to work yourself from the, the discouraging factor will not dissipate until you succeed, it's simply part of your job hunting process.

[d0nnivain]

Networking means going places where people in your business congregate & making "friends". I put friends in quotes because you are not looking for a BFF but for a mentor, for a job, for someone to show you the ropes. Consider attendance at those things very long, time consuming job interviews so be impressive.

 

To find out where to go scan trade websites or subscribe to trade publications.

 

Also be willing to do stuff that's not so creative to show your technical skills. Check out a group called the American Guild of Court Videographers American Guild of Court Videographers |. You film depositions for lawyers. It's not exciting stuff from your perspective & has lots of rules which you break at your own peril (Screw up some lawyers' case & you will be in Trouble) but it pays very well; even if you work once per week you can still make about $500+ depending. As you get to know more lawyers they will start to ask for you if you do a good job.

[pink_sugar]

Don't fault yourself. I am your age with 3 years professional experience and still having a difficult time finding a decent paying full time job post Bachelors degree. It's the economy and the employer's market. Hang in there and keep at it. At least you have a stable job...a lot of people don't even have that.