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Old 08-30-2012, 01:49 PM
 
Location: NYC
16,061 posts, read 26,637,889 times
Reputation: 24847

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I just had a company call me out of the blue and start interviewing me. I was very excited (I had sent the resume awhile back) but once we started getting into realized, OMG I am so not prepared.

Usually I pick apart every part of the job description, know the company etc. I felt like an idiot when I hung up.

But it is very different now then it was five years ago. I would land virtually every job I interviewed for and have to choose. Now I am interviewing all the time and not landing any job. It is very frustrating, expensive and your confidence starts to go.

You can follow every tip in the article, but sometimes it comes down to how you fit in the culture of the company.
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Old 08-30-2012, 03:13 PM
 
2,682 posts, read 4,464,929 times
Reputation: 1343
Quote:
Originally Posted by Workaholic82 View Post
I took it upon myself to figure out what I need to do in an interview to land a job. I thank god for those people though, because it means I have less competition
Totally what I think too! Let people be ignorant...ups my chances
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Old 08-30-2012, 07:05 PM
 
Location: USA
1,381 posts, read 1,749,365 times
Reputation: 1532
Quote:
Originally Posted by veuvegirl View Post
But it is very different now then it was five years ago. I would land virtually every job I interviewed for and have to choose. Now I am interviewing all the time and not landing any job. It is very frustrating, expensive and your confidence starts to go.
Couldn't have said it better myself. I, too, landed nearly every job I interviewed for from 2005-2007. Once the economy sank, competition for seemingly every decent position went through the roof.

You can do everything right and still not get the job. Another applicant could have a tad more experience or know someone within the organization. These are circumstances that are beyond our control.
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Old 08-31-2012, 12:08 AM
 
10,103 posts, read 19,302,376 times
Reputation: 17432
Well, I haven't read this entire thread, so forgive me if this has already been mentioned.

Put a REAL effort into EVERY job application. Act like its your life's dream and put your all into it.

This reminds me of a conversation I just had with DH, reminiscing about our college days. I applied for an internship, only 10% got accepted. I sweated buckets over the application. There were 5 sections, not 5 questions. I wrote a 0ne-page reply for each section, and spent weeks on it. Every i dotted, etc. This was in the days before Internet. I had it professionally typed and printed on high-quality paper. I was accepted.


Two of my friends were not accepted. They couldn't understand why I was accepted, and they weren't. Then, I saw a copy of their applications. (We kept carbons in those days). Like I said, there were 5 sections. They just scribbled something in each section, a complete mess. Spelling, grammer errors, etc, lines scribbled out, a complete mess! I was taught from 1st grade, if its worth doing, its worth doing right!

Also, I put a lot of effort into the interviews, dressed right, hair, nails, etc. My "competetion" just shuffled on in there in shorts, flip flops, etc.

Well, that's just part of snagging a job nowadays, but its the start. My all A average didn't hurt, either. Pull yourself together and fly straight.


Also, your credit score matters, if you even have one. Yes, employers do look at that!

What other random advice can I give? Check yourself out, make sure you don't have an identity problem, like same name with some criminal, if so, get that straightened out.
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Old 08-31-2012, 03:33 AM
 
162 posts, read 419,692 times
Reputation: 192
Because most people don't learn these things until late in life. Job hunting
and good interviewing should be taught as early as grade school since it is
such a important part of adult life.


Why we don't start teaching people this early in life, I don't understand.
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Old 08-31-2012, 04:13 AM
 
306 posts, read 429,557 times
Reputation: 423
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ninetails View Post
Because most people don't learn these things until late in life. Job hunting
and good interviewing should be taught as early as grade school since it is
such a important part of adult life.


Why we don't start teaching people this early in life, I don't understand.
It's survival of the fittest. People need to take responsibility for themselves so they don't end up on the deep end.
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Old 08-31-2012, 06:19 AM
 
Location: USA
1,381 posts, read 1,749,365 times
Reputation: 1532
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ninetails View Post
Because most people don't learn these things until late in life. Job hunting
and good interviewing should be taught as early as grade school since it is
such a important part of adult life.
Why we don't start teaching people this early in life, I don't understand.
I agree with you. Requiring students to take a career training program as early as high school would better prepare them for the challenges they'll face out in the job market. And it should definitely be mandatory in college, no question.
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Old 08-31-2012, 06:57 AM
 
Location: Baltimore, MD
3,879 posts, read 8,355,847 times
Reputation: 5179
These are probably people who have been out of the job market in so long, they don't know how much the game has changed.
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Old 08-31-2012, 08:51 AM
 
Location: NYC
16,061 posts, read 26,637,889 times
Reputation: 24847
Quote:
Originally Posted by MaryleeII View Post
Well, I haven't read this entire thread, so forgive me if this has already been mentioned.

Put a REAL effort into EVERY job application. Act like its your life's dream and put your all into it.

This reminds me of a conversation I just had with DH, reminiscing about our college days. I applied for an internship, only 10% got accepted. I sweated buckets over the application. There were 5 sections, not 5 questions. I wrote a 0ne-page reply for each section, and spent weeks on it. Every i dotted, etc. This was in the days before Internet. I had it professionally typed and printed on high-quality paper. I was accepted.


Two of my friends were not accepted. They couldn't understand why I was accepted, and they weren't. Then, I saw a copy of their applications. (We kept carbons in those days). Like I said, there were 5 sections. They just scribbled something in each section, a complete mess. Spelling, grammer errors, etc, lines scribbled out, a complete mess! I was taught from 1st grade, if its worth doing, its worth doing right!

Also, I put a lot of effort into the interviews, dressed right, hair, nails, etc. My "competetion" just shuffled on in there in shorts, flip flops, etc.

Well, that's just part of snagging a job nowadays, but its the start. My all A average didn't hurt, either. Pull yourself together and fly straight.


Also, your credit score matters, if you even have one. Yes, employers do look at that!

What other random advice can I give? Check yourself out, make sure you don't have an identity problem, like same name with some criminal, if so, get that straightened out.
Even doing all this does not get you the job. There is so much competition it is crazy.

On LinkedIn you can see how many people have applied for a certain position. The types of positions I am qualified for 100's of people apply. I have started my career over twice already, and the thought of doing it again is mind blowing. I have finally got to a comfortable living standard, with a decent balance for my work/life.

However, to find a new job, I don't have the education that some of the younger generation do, just the experience. I am sure my resume is dismissed pretty quickly. I have looked at some of the lower level resumes that come into my company and the people have more education and some experience. If I were in an HR position, I would choose that over mine.
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Old 08-31-2012, 09:19 AM
 
10,103 posts, read 19,302,376 times
Reputation: 17432
Quote:
Originally Posted by veuvegirl View Post
Even doing all this does not get you the job. There is so much competition it is crazy.

On LinkedIn you can see how many people have applied for a certain position. The types of positions I am qualified for 100's of people apply. I have started my career over twice already, and the thought of doing it again is mind blowing. I have finally got to a comfortable living standard, with a decent balance for my work/life.

However, to find a new job, I don't have the education that some of the younger generation do, just the experience. I am sure my resume is dismissed pretty quickly. I have looked at some of the lower level resumes that come into my company and the people have more education and some experience. If I were in an HR position, I would choose that over mine.

I know, all of the above guarantees squat Just some of my random thoughts.....I also know what the job search does to one. My dh looked for steady employment for ~ 4 years. He had various contract jobs, but nothing steady. Finally he took a job paying about half of what he used to earn, and I have a work-at-home job. We're 58 & 59, just hope to skid into retirement. There's no way we would look for another job, we can't handle the stress. Just make the best of what we have.
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