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Ill try to keep this brief: I graduated almost a year and a half ago and have been unable to find work. Ive applied to Walmart, Kmart, Best Buy, and almost every other similar department store. For reasons outside of my control I cannot drive. I would prefer a job where interaction with the general public is minimum because I don't consider myself a people person. Ive gone to temp agencies and usually hear back once every 4-6 months about a position 35 miles away it would be difficult/impossible for me to commute to..or never hear from anyone at all.
Every day go through Craigslist and other sources and send an application to every job that you seem interested in. It is not uncommon for a job search to take upwards of 12 months for a new grad with restrictions. The more resumes and applications you send out, the better chance of finding that job for you. It's really a crap-shoot: it could be the first one you send out that works out for you, or it could be the last after hundreds and hundreds of frustrations.
Every day go through Craigslist and other sources and send an application to every job that you seem interested in. It is not uncommon for a job search to take upwards of 12 months for a new grad with restrictions. The more resumes and applications you send out, the better chance of finding that job for you. It's really a crap-shoot: it could be the first one you send out that works out for you, or it could be the last after hundreds and hundreds of frustrations.
So far all Ive received from Craigslist are bot replies. I still check it every day for some reason, but I mainly use Careerbuilder, Dice, and Indeed. There are just too many scammers/bots to filter through.
Every day go through Craigslist and other sources and send an application to every job that you seem interested in. It is not uncommon for a job search to take upwards of 12 months for a new grad with restrictions. The more resumes and applications you send out, the better chance of finding that job for you. It's really a crap-shoot: it could be the first one you send out that works out for you, or it could be the last after hundreds and hundreds of frustrations.
So far all Ive received from Craigslist are bot replies. I still check it every day for some reason, but I mainly use Careerbuilder, Dice, and Indeed. There are just too many scammers/bots to filter through.
Keep at it.
My first real job after graduation took 8 months to land, and it was awesome when it came around, finally. Sending out 10 resumes and getting 9 bots is better than sending zero and having no chance of a reply.
Really, stick with it. This sort of thing is infuriating, but it does get better as you gain more experience.
Try indeed.com, monster, and craigslist. I ended up finding my current job on monster after months of not being able to find anything. Monster and indeed can sort by distance which should help you a bit.
Try indeed.com, monster, and craigslist. I ended up finding my current job on monster after months of not being able to find anything. Monster and indeed can sort by distance which should help you a bit.
Ill try to keep this brief: I graduated almost a year and a half ago and have been unable to find work. Ive applied to Walmart, Kmart, Best Buy, and almost every other similar department store. For reasons outside of my control I cannot drive. I would prefer a job where interaction with the general public is minimum because I don't consider myself a people person. Ive gone to temp agencies and usually hear back once every 4-6 months about a position 35 miles away it would be difficult/impossible for me to commute to..or never hear from anyone at all.
Important thing about temp agencies!
Make sure you aren't "unwilling" to work when you legitimately turn down jobs. Especially if you already did one job for them.
Them: You did great on that job! Want another far far away?
You: I can't work more then x miles away since I can't (don't) drive.
Them: Ok but we have a job that is way outside that circle!
You: I can't take that I can't get there
Them: Ok!
Then they put you in an ineligible for rehire position.
If you list them as an employer you are now basically flagged in a background investigation as "fired".
I almost didn't get the job I have because of this... not even knowing it!
I did temp work for over a year - loved it.
Job ended.
I turned down a bullshit three day thing.
Went into ineligible for rehire pile without me knowing.
Listed it on my resume (after all I didn't want a perceived employment gap)
They background checked.
They came back and said "Why were you ineligible for rehire at that place?" pretty much saying in interview language "why were you fired?"
Luckily they were desperate for people so I got hired and still work here eight years later.
But it was sketchy close because they were "weeding" people out since there is significant cost to bringing people on where i work (in the tens of thousands).
Got a degree in Network Administration. I have a lot of experience in using Microsoft Office. Ive mainly been applying to admin assistant positions and occasional entry level network admin positions. The few times ive gotten phone interviews for network admin positions they want someone who will be able to be on call, meaning having a reliable means of transportation.
Also, how would I follow up on craigslist ads where they are probably going through 200 resumes? I was led to believe i shouldnt send a follow up email or thank you letter until after my first interview.
Got a degree in Network Administration. I have a lot of experience in using Microsoft Office. Ive mainly been applying to admin assistant positions and occasional entry level network admin positions. The few times ive gotten phone interviews for network admin positions they want someone who will be able to be on call, meaning having a reliable means of transportation.
Also, how would I follow up on craigslist ads where they are probably going through 200 resumes? I was led to believe i shouldnt send a follow up email or thank you letter until after my first interview.
Okay first about craigslist.
Unless they name their company, use an official company email, and give you a website/location of their business, do not bother applying.
The rest are scams or people you wouldn't want to work for.
Also - following up a 4-7 days after sending in your stuff, unless they say otherwise, is okay to do - calling even is fine.
It's perfectly alright to send a follow up email if you haven't heard anything back from the place you're applying to. Usually I wait a a week and a half before doing so, just a "Hi, I applied for a job with you, just making sure the position is still available." Give a little brief idea of your experience and abilities in like 2 sentences, and thank them for their time. Ideally you should call the location instead of email after a week or two has passed if you know someone might actually answer. This is very effective in the case of retail jobs, since you can usually get a manager on the phone and show your enthusiasm for the work they do. I've gotten plenty of jobs bugging people this way.
With your experience, I can see how not knowing how to drive might hinder it a bit, but there are probably quite a few smaller companies that could use you too. Craigslist is great for that, and if you're applying to 10+ jobs a day no matter what, even if it's not in your preferred area, you'll definitely find work. Took me about 3 months to find a job that way, and in the meantime I found maybe 2 other jobs that I just about got to hire me. Definitely becomes a pain in the ass process, but so long as you're good about finding locales within bus range (assuming you live with public transportation, since if you don't, god help you.)
Dyrwen66 on
Just an ancient PA person who doesn't leave the house much.
In that case I'd maybe be sending out 3-5 resumes a week. I rarely see any ads that aren't completely anonymous...
I'll try calling after I've applied for Careerbuilder/Monster job ads where I know what company I'm dealing with and such. Its just impossible with Craigslist.
I know basic HTML and can use Frontpage or Dreamweaver. Thats something I havent really considered, as I would prefer something more secure for an income source.
zkt on
0
EshTending bar. FFXIV. Motorcycles.Portland, ORRegistered Userregular
Got a degree in Network Administration. I have a lot of experience in using Microsoft Office. Ive mainly been applying to admin assistant positions and occasional entry level network admin positions. The few times ive gotten phone interviews for network admin positions they want someone who will be able to be on call, meaning having a reliable means of transportation.
Also, how would I follow up on craigslist ads where they are probably going through 200 resumes? I was led to believe i shouldnt send a follow up email or thank you letter until after my first interview.
Okay first about craigslist.
Unless they name their company, use an official company email, and give you a website/location of their business, do not bother applying.
The rest are scams or people you wouldn't want to work for.
Also - following up a 4-7 days after sending in your stuff, unless they say otherwise, is okay to do - calling even is fine.
Wrong. A lot of places don't list because they don't want people calling them or bothering them at the office.
I took a course on getting a job through a local outreach program. They informed me that only 3% of people who get a job get it through websites like career builder or monster. Classifieds in the paper are only marginally better. The next tier up is to actually go to store fronts advertising that they are hiring. These are so often overlooked in our age of technology.
By far the best way to get a job is to know someone. Use social networking sites and let your friends and family know that you are looking for a job. If they have business networking meetups in your area, meet some people there and get the word out. Another thing they recommended is getting color business cards and attaching them to your resumes. It helps you stand out from the crowd, and you can find cheap printing companies online. Hand them to anyone who will take them. I carry about twenty in my wallet, and the come in very handy.
Why can't you drive? Even excluding the fact that it's killing you from getting any job, if you do want a network admin job, then you really are going to need transport. You're never going to get a job without that.
If it's simply financial, say "I can drive, but as a recent grad, I don't have a car. I will be using my first pay check to buy one." They may well give you an advance if you're impressive enough, or give you the job and not have you on-call for the first month.
Lewisham on
0
EshTending bar. FFXIV. Motorcycles.Portland, ORRegistered Userregular
I took a course on getting a job through a local outreach program. They informed me that only 3% of people who get a job get it through websites like career builder or monster. Classifieds in the paper are only marginally better. The next tier up is to actually go to store fronts advertising that they are hiring. These are so often overlooked in our age of technology.
By far the best way to get a job is to know someone. Use social networking sites and let your friends and family know that you are looking for a job. If they have business networking meetups in your area, meet some people there and get the word out. Another thing they recommended is getting color business cards and attaching them to your resumes. It helps you stand out from the crowd, and you can find cheap printing companies online. Hand them to anyone who will take them. I carry about twenty in my wallet, and the come in very handy.
I'm going to call shenanigans on that 3% number. It sounds way too low. They probably toss that out to discourage people from just sitting on their asses and sending emails out.
I'm going to call shenanigans on that 3% number. It sounds way too low. They probably toss that out to discourage people from just sitting on their asses and sending emails out.
I think it's probably completely fictional, but you can see how someone might get that number. People who advertise on Dice, Monster et al. are not looking for monkey workers, they're doing skilled employment. Except skilled jobs are more often than not fulfilled by people in-house or via networking. They'll never reach those sites anyway. The last figure I heard bandied about was north of 60% for these types of jobs.
Maybe if you roll in employment agencies that don't put jobs on these sites (you go to them, they place you) and such, you might get to something close to 3%.
I'm going to call shenanigans on that 3% number. It sounds way too low. They probably toss that out to discourage people from just sitting on their asses and sending emails out.
/shrug
That might indeed be a number they pulled out of their ass. It wouldn't surprise me overly. I can tell you from my own experience, however, that about 80% of the jobs I've gotten have come from knowing someone who worked there.
I know basic HTML and can use Frontpage or Dreamweaver. Thats something I havent really considered, as I would prefer something more secure for an income source.
Well, yes, obviously. But even insecure income is better than no income at all. *shrugs* It was an idea at any rate.
I second the idea of walking up to the actual store fronts. Don't limit yourself to large chain stores; try small chain stores and independent retailers too.
FeatherBlade on
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
0
EshTending bar. FFXIV. Motorcycles.Portland, ORRegistered Userregular
I'm going to call shenanigans on that 3% number. It sounds way too low. They probably toss that out to discourage people from just sitting on their asses and sending emails out.
/shrug
That might indeed be a number they pulled out of their ass. It wouldn't surprise me overly. I can tell you from my own experience, however, that about 80% of the jobs I've gotten have come from knowing someone who worked there.
Oh, I'm not arguing networking. In fact, I'd say it's probably the best way to find a job, but 3% is just ridiculous. I think I've found most of my jobs through networking as well come to think of it. I have found quite a few through Craigslist as well though.
Posts
Every day go through Craigslist and other sources and send an application to every job that you seem interested in. It is not uncommon for a job search to take upwards of 12 months for a new grad with restrictions. The more resumes and applications you send out, the better chance of finding that job for you. It's really a crap-shoot: it could be the first one you send out that works out for you, or it could be the last after hundreds and hundreds of frustrations.
So far all Ive received from Craigslist are bot replies. I still check it every day for some reason, but I mainly use Careerbuilder, Dice, and Indeed. There are just too many scammers/bots to filter through.
Keep at it.
My first real job after graduation took 8 months to land, and it was awesome when it came around, finally. Sending out 10 resumes and getting 9 bots is better than sending zero and having no chance of a reply.
Really, stick with it. This sort of thing is infuriating, but it does get better as you gain more experience.
This. Also, try LinkedIn.
Important thing about temp agencies!
Make sure you aren't "unwilling" to work when you legitimately turn down jobs. Especially if you already did one job for them.
Them: You did great on that job! Want another far far away?
You: I can't work more then x miles away since I can't (don't) drive.
Them: Ok but we have a job that is way outside that circle!
You: I can't take that I can't get there
Them: Ok!
Then they put you in an ineligible for rehire position.
If you list them as an employer you are now basically flagged in a background investigation as "fired".
I almost didn't get the job I have because of this... not even knowing it!
I did temp work for over a year - loved it.
Job ended.
I turned down a bullshit three day thing.
Went into ineligible for rehire pile without me knowing.
Listed it on my resume (after all I didn't want a perceived employment gap)
They background checked.
They came back and said "Why were you ineligible for rehire at that place?" pretty much saying in interview language "why were you fired?"
Luckily they were desperate for people so I got hired and still work here eight years later.
But it was sketchy close because they were "weeding" people out since there is significant cost to bringing people on where i work (in the tens of thousands).
Also, how would I follow up on craigslist ads where they are probably going through 200 resumes? I was led to believe i shouldnt send a follow up email or thank you letter until after my first interview.
Okay first about craigslist.
Unless they name their company, use an official company email, and give you a website/location of their business, do not bother applying.
The rest are scams or people you wouldn't want to work for.
Also - following up a 4-7 days after sending in your stuff, unless they say otherwise, is okay to do - calling even is fine.
With your experience, I can see how not knowing how to drive might hinder it a bit, but there are probably quite a few smaller companies that could use you too. Craigslist is great for that, and if you're applying to 10+ jobs a day no matter what, even if it's not in your preferred area, you'll definitely find work. Took me about 3 months to find a job that way, and in the meantime I found maybe 2 other jobs that I just about got to hire me. Definitely becomes a pain in the ass process, but so long as you're good about finding locales within bus range (assuming you live with public transportation, since if you don't, god help you.)
I'll try calling after I've applied for Careerbuilder/Monster job ads where I know what company I'm dealing with and such. Its just impossible with Craigslist.
You may be able to get freelance work doing that for small local businesses.
Wrong. A lot of places don't list because they don't want people calling them or bothering them at the office.
By far the best way to get a job is to know someone. Use social networking sites and let your friends and family know that you are looking for a job. If they have business networking meetups in your area, meet some people there and get the word out. Another thing they recommended is getting color business cards and attaching them to your resumes. It helps you stand out from the crowd, and you can find cheap printing companies online. Hand them to anyone who will take them. I carry about twenty in my wallet, and the come in very handy.
Just to throw in another job site for you. They sort by distance too.
If it's simply financial, say "I can drive, but as a recent grad, I don't have a car. I will be using my first pay check to buy one." They may well give you an advance if you're impressive enough, or give you the job and not have you on-call for the first month.
I'm going to call shenanigans on that 3% number. It sounds way too low. They probably toss that out to discourage people from just sitting on their asses and sending emails out.
I think it's probably completely fictional, but you can see how someone might get that number. People who advertise on Dice, Monster et al. are not looking for monkey workers, they're doing skilled employment. Except skilled jobs are more often than not fulfilled by people in-house or via networking. They'll never reach those sites anyway. The last figure I heard bandied about was north of 60% for these types of jobs.
Maybe if you roll in employment agencies that don't put jobs on these sites (you go to them, they place you) and such, you might get to something close to 3%.
- Monster
- Careerbuilder
- Yahoo HotJobs
- Snagajob
- Craigslist
Also, be sure to send cover letters with your resume. I have a few written out that I just swap some words with ones relevant to the position.
Electronic composer for hire.
That might indeed be a number they pulled out of their ass. It wouldn't surprise me overly. I can tell you from my own experience, however, that about 80% of the jobs I've gotten have come from knowing someone who worked there.
Well, yes, obviously. But even insecure income is better than no income at all. *shrugs* It was an idea at any rate.
I second the idea of walking up to the actual store fronts. Don't limit yourself to large chain stores; try small chain stores and independent retailers too.
Oh, I'm not arguing networking. In fact, I'd say it's probably the best way to find a job, but 3% is just ridiculous. I think I've found most of my jobs through networking as well come to think of it. I have found quite a few through Craigslist as well though.