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Finding a job, following up on job applications
Althusser
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
I'm really terrible at getting a job. I want to put more effort into it but I don't know how. I've applied at a bunch of places (retail, customer service), and I come asking for help/advice on what to do now so I can stop feeling like I'm sloughing time and energy off into an abyss.
I assume I should be calling but I don't know what to say. Something like this?:
"Hi, I applied for a job earlier this week and I wanted to ask if the position is still available. Yes? Could I possibly come in for an interview?"
Say I applied at a Starbucks a couple days ago (with the online app, they said they were hiring on craigslist), should I call them and say that?
Say I also applied at a small music/video store, but their craigslist ad said "please, no phone calls!" Does that apply to follow-up calls?
I'm 23 and I've worked for my father's small business as a stocker/cashier/computer fixer dude/cube van delivery driver, for a music website as a blogging intern, for a restaurant as a server. I've freelanced some reviews for a magazine, I volunteered teaching foreigners conversational English, and I have a BA in English lit. I'm super smart, a fast learner, and a hard worker, but I'm slightly shy (working on getting better) and I'm not great at selling myself or products I don't believe in.
Am I looking at the right kinds of jobs?
I assume I should be calling but I don't know what to say. Something like this?:
"Hi, I applied for a job earlier this week and I wanted to ask if the position is still available. Yes? Could I possibly come in for an interview?"
Say I applied at a Starbucks a couple days ago (with the online app, they said they were hiring on craigslist), should I call them and say that?
Say I also applied at a small music/video store, but their craigslist ad said "please, no phone calls!" Does that apply to follow-up calls?
I'm 23 and I've worked for my father's small business as a stocker/cashier/computer fixer dude/cube van delivery driver, for a music website as a blogging intern, for a restaurant as a server. I've freelanced some reviews for a magazine, I volunteered teaching foreigners conversational English, and I have a BA in English lit. I'm super smart, a fast learner, and a hard worker, but I'm slightly shy (working on getting better) and I'm not great at selling myself or products I don't believe in.
Am I looking at the right kinds of jobs?
Althusser on
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Also there was a job thread in SE++ that you might want to check out.
what kind of field/industry/place are you looking for, OP?
steam | Dokkan: 868846562
Long term, I'm considering library school or IT work, but right now I'm primarily concerned with getting a job and getting a paycheck. Career options can wait for another thread.
well for the types of work you mentioned, the basic thing to do would be submit an application, resume, and cover letter, and then follow up in a few days or so. a phone call is fine. i would say a follow up letter or e-mail wouldn't be needed for the jobs you listed. but it's totally appropriate to call a place and just inquire about your application if you haven't been contacted yet about an interview or anything.
as for types of jobs, you may want to check out IT-type work, particularly at local colleges/universities. i found those jobs have a minimal level of "people skills" needed, but not much. your main worry is fixing people's machines, deploying software, doing telephone tech support off scripts, that sort of thing. they give you on-the-job training if you want to develop your skills.
avoid Best Buy's Geek Squad if you can. i've heard nothing but horror stories.
steam | Dokkan: 868846562
But from the jobs you've listed I think you could do better than that. Why not shoot for something entry level in IT? Show that you a really interested in rbeaking into that market I think you'll have an easier time finding a job you'll enjoy if you narrow your search in that way.
I think I actually even went in once or twice and said hi and introduced myself to various managers.
They hired me (I have the same degree you've got)
Thanks, I have a hard time gauging what I should be shooting for. IT is really tough around here (lots of qualified people getting laid off), and I simply don't have the money for certification right now, but I'll give it a shot. Can't hurt, right?
Cool, this is very helpful.
Just write really well targeted cover letters (a fill in the blanks cover letter that you wrote yourself will still get your application shit-canned faster then spelling mistakes all over your resume) and apply to lots of jobs. You've got to be lucky and tenacious right now to land a good job.
I can't get passed the monotony and wastefulness of completing entire application packets only to receive an apologetic letter in the mail, informing me that I will not be considered for the position.
Why the fuckity fuck are employers not satisfied with resumes? I don't get it.
Because most resumes suck, are too long, are hard to read, don't include all the information, and when they DO include the information, have it in a different format than other resumes etc etc.
All of this, and more, is included on my resume. Every application form I have completed simply asks me to transfer this information from my resume to the form.
Yes! I've also been offered jobs and then told to fill out an application.
I suppose that's the main reason I'm disgruntled: HR record keeping bullshit.
It's basically a test. Do you have the ability to follow directions, complete tasks which may be boring, be accurate, etc. These are all things they might want to know about you. If your form is filled in sloppily, or doesn't match your resume, etc, then that tells them maybe they don't want to hire you.
That said, it was my experience that most places were OK with you putting "see resume" in sections like "work experience"
That is a big, big, job hunting mistake.
Yeah that's how you get passed over right away. A cover letter isn't about demonstrating you're a good fit, it's about showing specific interest and writing abilities. They want to see something that you specifically wrote, rather then a resume that a job hunting firm made for you.
EDIT It's not unusual in my area for trade jobs to require a hand written cover letter to prove literacy. And not "can you get someone to type for you" literacy, but honest to god reading and writing.
Meh, it depends on the level of job you are applying for. There is a huge difference between a good cover letter for starbucks and a good cover letter for a CFO.
Not really. Sure, the job qualifications are different, but there's no reason to not write a top notch cover letter. It only hurts your prospects to use a form letter, as employers are very good at spotting letters where the company name has changed, but nothing else. It demonstrates laziness, and that you don't really take the job or the application for said job seriously.
You should really be writing separate cover letters for each application, highlighting different skill sets that make you a fit for the company and the job. Its also a good idea to do this for your resume too. When I was job hunting I had about 10 different versions of my resume, each highlighting different skill sets I've acquired.
Plus, cover letters should be max 2 pages long, preferably on one page. It shouldn't take long to write one, and it only betters your chances of obtaining employment.
Ill...sort of disagree here. I worked at GS for about a year, it was ok, some horror stories. But the key is, when I left I found more work in IT or computer science, the interviewer loved to go "oh man, you worked geeksquad? how was that? i hear its horrible!"
So basically...its a good stepping stone because it has such a urban legend vibe to it, people are excited to talk to someone who knows if all these stories they heard are true. Its a good ice breaker in an interview.