College grads with little work history even years after graduating (job hunting, credit)

[juggar]

Originally Posted by Basilide

I was in a position to hire an intern a while ago and viewed quite a few resumes. I am also involved in a hiring process where I am viewing more resumes. This is for work that requires a degree. What has been sort of confusing is why so many resumes from younger people list a degree, and almost no employment, save part time work or summer jobs, even if they have been out of college for two, three, four years.

I am not sure what to make of it. Even if jobs in the field are hard to get, I found them eventually with persistence, and I am the same age. I worked in high school, I worked after high school, I worked in college and I worked after graduating. The longest I have been without a job after 18 is six months when I first started college. Seeing blank resumes from people in their late twenties seems so off. Are these resumes the kind you might consider? Am I missing something? Are they not listing their jobs?

I did the same thing as you, I graduated in 2014. I worked on campus at western for the first year and worked at Lowes home improvement for almost 3 years after. 24-28 hours a week with a full load from college. I have also worked since I was 16.

I found a job in my field immediately after graduating college thanks to very strong references from Lowes, they are not even supposed to give out references as its against company policy. They did it anyway since I did such a good job.

When I consider someone for a job at my place of employment I expect to see some form of work other than college on that resume. If they dont have any work listed they better damn well have plenty of stuff to make up for it in other areas. I have great respect for those that worked to put themselves through college, it shows longevity and endurance.

My friend graduated at the same time as me with a double degree. A criminal justice degree and anthropology degree. Her GPA was about .2 higher than mine but she did nothing while in college of note. She has had a very hard time finding a job and finally had to settle for phone operator job in Charlotte since she really couldnt get any references and didnt want anything to do with the criminal justice aspect. As you may know, the anthropology degree is almost worthless by itself without going for a PhD.

I do expect to see some form of work history on a resume, especially if its a managerial type position or something that requires some skill.

If three people apply for a job with basically everything the same and one has work history, who do you think will be picked for an interview?

Those that work hard always get rewarded in the end.

[jabber_wocky]

I am sorry to say, but this market is much more competitive than it was when you graduated. I also had large gaps in my resume because I was not comfortable putting cleaning jobs, temporary 6-week jobs, and cashier positions while trying to establish myself as a professional on my resume. Another reason why it was difficult to gain employment previously is because I had degrees that did not provide much value in this market.

So I just want to say that there are gaps in a resume not due to recent graduates being lazy or complacent. It is because our market has more graduates in general and the compteition is far higher than it once was.

[G-fused]

Originally Posted by Basilide

Being able to seize opportunities does have some degree of serendipity, but you can't say that is the whole of it.

Good for you OP. You seized things and made some of your own luck. That’s great. However (and I know you knew there’d be a “however”, you have a lot of growing up to do with your outlook, disposition, and self awareness.

You are coming off as arrogant and unable to understand people. Is it really so that all you understand is someone just like you? Someone who’s had the same experiences? Do you really only understand people who were on the straight and narrow their whole lives? Is it really that unimaginable that young people made some poor choices? Or were apathetic at the wrong time in their life and did not seize the moment when it presented itself? Does that really make them worse than you? Not as smart? Not as xxxxx?

It’s an ugly point of view and makes you appear judgmental and pretty darn ignorant. You get a little taste of power by being involved in reviewing some resume’s and all of a sudden, you’re king of the way everyone should have lived their lives. And you’re surprised that others aren’t in the same place you are. I got news for ya hot shot, you ain’t so hot. This is where you are probably saying “I know” but just FYI, you sound like you are completely in the dark and don’t know that.

Get some perspective. I actually think you do have perspective, so the sad part is that a lack of perspective isn’t the problem. The problem is that you are enjoying being an arrogant jerk. OK, go ahead and enjoy you’re “I’m the best for my age and don’t understand why everyone isn’t as awesome as I am” time. Just don’t let it last too long.

Best of luck

[Camlon]

Originally Posted by jabber_wocky

I am sorry to say, but this market is much more competitive than it was when you graduated. I also had large gaps in my resume because I was not comfortable putting cleaning jobs, temporary 6-week jobs, and cashier positions while trying to establish myself as a professional on my resume. Another reason why it was difficult to gain employment previously is because I had degrees that did not provide much value in this market.

So I just want to say that there are gaps in a resume not due to recent graduates being lazy or complacent. It is because our market has more graduates in general and the compteition is far higher than it once was.

Just because you couldn't find a job, doesn't mean you have to do nothing but applying for jobs.

In that unemployed period you should list skills you have learned, courses you have taken, volunteering, and internships. Also, you don't seem less professional by listing the service jobs you have done on your CV, its better than nothing.

[sandsthetime]

Originally Posted by Basilide

I called one of these "no experience but lots of education" people for an internship interview and she never returned the call.

Is this internship paid or unpaid?

[Serious Conversation]

Originally Posted by Basilide

I get the sense you have a narrow definition of what you can do to be relevant to an employer. That is a bit self-defeating.

People can often do far more than their often pigeonholed experience would lead you to believe.

[RoseLikeAnyOther]

Originally Posted by G-fused

You are coming off as arrogant and unable to understand people.

It’s an ugly point of view and makes you appear judgmental and pretty darn ignorant.

Completely agree

[mkpunk]

Originally Posted by Basilide

I was in a position to hire an intern a while ago and viewed quite a few resumes. I am also involved in a hiring process where I am viewing more resumes. This is for work that requires a degree. What has been sort of confusing is why so many resumes from younger people list a degree, and almost no employment, save part time work or summer jobs, even if they have been out of college for two, three, four years.

Blame parents for allowing their "special" "individual snowflake" to concentrate on school because you must do good in school to get into a good college to make something of themselves rather than pushing jobs down their throats whether it was true jobs or babysitting, mowing lawns, shoveling snow, etc.

Originally Posted by Basilide

I am not sure what to make of it. Even if jobs in the field are hard to get, I found them eventually with persistence, and I am the same age. I worked in high school, I worked after high school, I worked in college and I worked after graduating. The longest I have been without a job after 18 is six months when I first started college. Seeing blank resumes from people in their late twenties seems so off. Are these resumes the kind you might consider? Am I missing something? Are they not listing their jobs?

The blank resumes I am a bit surprised in because I would imagine you are about my age. I wasn't really ambitious in the job-front but I still had about three/four jobs before being done with college. Mainly because I bought the big lie about school being #1 over the job.

Originally Posted by redplanet321

One reason is that its very difficult to get an entry-level job unless you had that specific internship. If you don't get that internship, you are screwed.

Many "entry-level" jobs require experience that recent graduates don't have. The only way to get the experience is someone basically taking a chance on you or if you have a connection.

Every month that goes by that someone isn't employed, it makes it even harder. An employer will reject you based on this, wondering why this person is unemployed and it becomes an endless cycle.

This is part of the problem. Now you need to basically already held that position word for word in that company if you are not an insider through internships, networking or parental connections.

Originally Posted by Basilide

1) I would think you'd want to list irrelevant work if it is all you have instead listing literally nothing.

Yes and no. Irrelevant work only shows you are employable but irrelevant work will still be thrown into the abyss by a computer or into your circular file.

Originally Posted by Basilide

2) I don't think you can say it is luck or just knowing someone as if nobody has any ability to get a job based on their merits. The first "real" job I had in high school: I was indeed hired at an office at 17, in 2004 (shock, awe) with no previous experience. No, I didn't know anyone (besides, why is that so bad? Everybody knows somebody, so why can't you work that to advantage instead of complaining about it?)

My first job was at a Cub Scouts Day Camp in 2003/4. Due to a fire a few years back at the main dining hall, I don't think they ran it until about a year or so ago. The issue is, the economy is different. In 2003, you could easily work the line or the cashier in the burger place with no experience, now you need fry cook or fast food cashier experience. What's next, the supermarket asking you if you have experience getting carts?

But seriously, the 2004 hiring at an office would only happen if you are the boss' child now. Now you need a business degree and two to four years of office experience to get the same job you did. It's not the pollyanna world you came of age in anymore. You had the inside line on the restart while the kids are starting tail end of the longest line due to a pit road violation.

Originally Posted by Basilide

I was told that they were interested in me from my resume hitting the right points that none of the other resumes mentioned, and ones that I thought would have been obvious. For example, this office worked with sensitive client information, and they told me I was the only candidate to mention a concern for confidentiality. They also mentioned that they liked that I delivered my resume in person and introduced myself, which no one else did. In fact, being obviously eager and interested is what employers said caught their attention and got me a job several times.

I said the right things at the interview for the job that I have currently hitting buzzwords and what not that maybe other applicants didn't say in the interview. I couldn't deliver the resume in person because nowadays only Taco Bell and gas stations do that. Most just say, submit it online please.

Originally Posted by Basilide

I figured everyone is probably just as excited like that so I was lucky... But now being on the other end I am not so sure. Being able to seize opportunities does have some degree of serendipity, but you can't say that is the whole of it.

It's not that we aren't excited, it's just that as I mentioned you started with a headstart that college graduates would eat their own baby fetus to have because of how much the hiring market changed from 2004 to 2008.

Originally Posted by Basilide

I called one of these "no experience but lots of education" people for an internship interview and she never returned the call. Later I asked a mutual acquaintance who originally told me about her (those horrible, cheater connections) why she hadn't responded and she told me it was because she was scared to interview and felt she didn't really need a job, but she lives with her parents and hasn't worked at all in two years.

The person I did select had no releveant experience and was still in college, yet she listed her cashier jobs and extracurriculars that showed me she was a passionate and dedicated person, which also came across in the interview. And she was great. And now she has job experience before she's graduated, and is looking for even more work after that internship ended.

So, I don't know, seems more like a red flag to me. Or at least an orange one. For serious.

Now with this last part, you actually hit on something that a person has control over. I've been in her shoes and wouldn't call back after I hear the message. Sometimes it was because something sounded off or it was something I couldn't see myself doing. However it wasn't because I didn't need a job. I do. If not for the money, the experience that comes with the job as well as the connections. You should know, you get more calls today when you have a job as oppose to when you don't. I actually had an interview just last night after I got off work for a job I put in for BEFORE I got my current job. I'll use that as a second part-time job to build finances and to pad my resume more than anything else but it's also something I am passionate about just like my first job so even my worst day is still better than my best day as a fry-cook.

[brownbagg]

you could look at the other side to, we have intern that work through college, well more like part time that work through college and they have graduate couple years ago but still work for us part time because there are no engineering jobs. My project engineer is listed as the same as me, as a tech because there no engineer position.

[Basilide]

To the argument about "the job market has changed!" ... Well, for people who graduated high school in 2002 - 2005, are you saying they never could have found work in ten years?