Posted on 06/11/2002 2:14:27 PM PDT by nicholle
To be fair, I don't think this is necessarily true. The economy is so bad, though, that when the HR person gets hundreds of resumes for one position, s/he has to have a way to weed some out. Those gaps aren't a very logical way to do so, I know. I've had lots of them juggling work and family. People are generally sympathetic and would probably like to hire many who apply--but they just can't. Good luck to you and everyone else looking for a hard day's work...I'm in the boat with you, as is my husband, my brothers, my best friend, and many others.
Oh, and about being over 40 and "underemployed"--I'm 44 and have earned three degrees. The temp agencies won't even call me. These are really dire economic times. But to everybody...keep faith in yourself and try not to get depressed, because when that happens, you won't be interested in looking anymore. Take a job slinging hash or something and look at it as an adventure while you look for something else...and above all, try and keep a sense of humor!
Like I said, jobs can be found - but it takes longer than 3 days of search and networking to get a job worth having. My feeling is, if you get laid off, you need to go balls to the wall immediately until you get a job. But it is also important to immediately apply for unemployment insurance, because your search is likely to stretch into months. If after 5-6 weeks with no results, then I'd settle for a job at the local Albertson's.
Yep. As I said on the other thread, every resume I sent out through Hotjobs, Monster, Headhunter etc... went into a bottemless pit. This was proven to me during one of my recent temp jobs. I was working in a HR dept. doing some "filing". What I was filing were the resumes they received from just 1 Hotjobs posting. There were thousands and thousands of them. I was told to "file" them all in a giant cardboard box and stuf them in a giant closet. I don't know if the actual job that solicited those resumes was ever even filled.
I didn't like the idea of networking since I viewed it as imposing on others, but in desperation I finally gave in and made some calls.
Same experience with me. I tend to be kind of shy, and don't like being a pain in the butt. This has undoubtabley hurt my job search, but I have been cold-calling in the past several months myself. So far, no real luck yet.
More likely someone's been listening to "If that ain't Country" by David Allen Coe.
If you want to find another tech job in QA do it while you still have one. The problem with QA is that it is not seen as a direct profit center for any project/company. QA is not QC, which is really just testing. QA is really a risk management process ala TQA. I changed to this field 10 years ago. I used what market knowledge I had to force my way into the tech door and now am at a senior management level in QA. It is a great field and I to love it, but it is a tough field to find work in if you have less than 5 years experience and the job market is tight.
BTW the worse thing you can do when your looking for a job in this industry in a down market is to undersell yourself. My rule of thumb is not to accept a new job when you already have one for less than a 15% increase.
Here is how I found my last 3 jobs in QA.
1) Check out all of the online sources for Jobs. 90% of them are owned by the same Guy, but they have different jobs. My Favorites are Dice HotJobs and Monster Board
2) Make sure to try several searches with different keywords on each one. Don’t be surprised if jobs you are interested com up with strange keywords.
3) Create a search bot on each of them (using the broadest saved search so that you don’t miss things) and have them email you as soon as a job is posted.
4) Save an E-copy of you resume at each place, but don’t use it unless you have to. Send your well formatted and proofed resume as a doc whenever possible.
5) As soon as you get an email with a new posting for a job you may be interested in Write a cover letter and send it. You would be surprised how many people are impressed that they just posted an add 5 minutes ago and you have sent them a resume. This is not a sign of weakness when you already are working, and if you are unemployed, it makes you look like you are on the ball.
6) In my area, the New York Times and Newark Star Ledger post their Sunday Help Wanted Ads on-line sometime from early afternoon to evening SATURDAY. I am sure that the major papers in your area do the same thing. I always search them and send my cover letters and resumes before Sunday. Again, this shows you are on the ball, not weak.
7) Avoid wasting your time dealing with recruiters wherever possible. They will do nothing but make promises and not deliver in an off market. They are only interested in quick placements when things are bad, and they will not get you a good high-level job. I recently had the pleasure of being able to ask 3 different recruiters why the did not even return my calls when I was looking for my present job while I was hiring temp workers from them. None of thm had an answer, but I had nailed down my present job in about 2 weeks. I spend about 4 weeks negotiating after I new I had the job. Don’t rush things and again, don’t undersell yourself.
Please don’t take any of this advice personally. I am sure that there is much here you already know, but it occasionally needs to be restated.
Good Luck
Be advised, in a city like NY the want ads cover about 200 to 300 ads in the Sunday paper, yet there are many, many thousands out of work. Compound that by the fact that most of the ads are looking for high skill, specific jobs where many might not even qualify for those few jobs. Multiply that by 20 or 30 major cities.....
Most available jobs are not "advertised" in newspapers. That's the last resort for people looking for employees.
Oh, just curious, what is your source for this? And if employers don't run want ads or advertise for postions, how do they recruit? And how does an unemployed individual locate them in a major city?
ok fine, your absolutely right, I am so sorry, please forgive me for not realizing that for most people its immpossible to find a job within a year. Maybe we need another government public works program. Or perhaps we could extend the unenjoyment benefits indefinately. Lets see, if a year is not long enough, how about 2 years? 5 years?
Especially in these times, networking is more important than ever. It isn't just a buzzword - it means the difference in a job offer in months instead of years. And for those freepers who are blessed enough to have steady jobs - make sure you keep an up-to-date contact list! All those friends who are laid off, or moved to other jobs - make sure you call them up or email them once in awhile to see how they're doing. It is always wise to make sure you have buddies who will reach a helping hand when your down-turn comes.
I would say the best source for finding a potential employer would be the phone book. Don't wait for the employers to advertise.
From my experience, employers generally refrained from hiring friends and or family of current employees, as that can have a tendency to cause problems..That's just my experience.
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