Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I'm a mechanical engineer with an MBA and 13 years of experience and have not been able to find work for 16 months despite being open to relocating anywhere in the US. I look for work M-F and focus strictly on networking during the weekends with friends, former co-workers, etc. I've only had 3 on-site interviews and a hand full of phone interviews so I've come to the conclusion I need to focus more on networking and less on responding to online job postings.
Have you tried Huntsville, Alabama? Lots of engineering jobs are moving there.
Have you tried Huntsville, Alabama? Lots of engineering jobs are moving there.
Do you have a clearance?
No I do not have a security clearance, although I would love to work on Defense projects. Unfortunately all my experience is in Automotive and that industry is in the crapper and most likely will never return to previous employment levels. I'd like to get into Medical Devices, Defense, or Technology. However, I'm competing with unemployed engineers that have experience in the aforementioned fields and that is hard to overcome to say the least.
I recently read that you should target the companies/organizations you want to work for and try to work that angle.
Applying online for jobs is 'okay' but should be only about 25% of your time (or some other lower percentage).
I don't doubt if you KNOW someone in a place it can help but the average 'hi and bye' acquaintance is not going to hook you up in a great job.
Gypsy-- I have a friend who does this really well. She is really the best at it that I have ever seen.
If she wants to work at say, RBC Centura, she will ask EVERYONE she knows if they know anyone who works there, then she will begin to expand that area as well (asking them to ask on her behalf for a connection).
She wanted to pursue an opportunity at Lenovo and found someone during a networking event for women leaders. Someone who worked in a different department of Lenovo looked for someone that was in the type of place my friend wanted to work in (btw she did not know the lady who worked at Lenovo). My friend set up a meeting with the person who was in the other group to share ideas, best practices, network. She has kept up with them since (about 8 months) and just recently was asked if she would be interested in looking at an opportunity they were going to have opened (the job was not even posted yet). She jumped on it. She has had one interview so far.
Me, I am not even that aggressive. She has that type of personality everyone is drawn to and she has incredible charisma. I wish I could network as well as she could. She does not know this but she would be good in sales, she has the whole ask for the sale down pat.
However, this technique is definitely not an immediate turn around. She consistently cultivates relationship as she comes across them, and figures that they will pay off down the road. She doesn't assume it will get her a quick job.
She is also VERY focused on the type of work she wants to do.
I have always sent resumes unsolicited. In this job search and previous ones. It has worked well for me--all of the job offers I've received were from companies that did not advertise they were hiring.
BUT, the return on the investment is much lower than applying to jobs that are advertised. I would estimate the response to my unsolicited resumes is around 10%, while the response to advertised jobs is around 50%.
You also run the risk of being called for 'informational interviews' -- yes, some companies do actually do this, even though it is really a waste of time, and they usually don't tell you at the time of scheduling that it is for information only. Ordinarily this might not be a problem, since an informational interview might turn into a genuine job prospect in a few weeks or months. But again this economy changes things. That genuine job prospect may not materialize for a year or more (by which time hopefully you will already have a job elsewhere).
Based on my experience, I would say this is a perfectly fine strategy--a good one even--in your local area. Just be careful sending resumes unsolicited to other cities or regions. You don't want to spend hundreds to fly to an interview only to find out that it is just an informational interview.
And yes, networking is good too. Even if the person you know doesn't have the power to hire you, they can give you insight into the company that can help you tailor your resume and prepare for an interview. They might even give you some insight that will make you change your mind about wanting to work for them!
My job-seeker's support group has recently started a 'buddy system' to help people network. It is soooo hard going to networking events alone. Its much easier to attend with someone else.
Well, I continue to look, but NOT busting my butt doing it!! Due to my age and some physical limitations, there are jobs that I just can not take. Yes, I've gotten frustrated, angry and mad, but that just seems like those feelings are just part of job hunting today
Well on the Internet I haven't been so successful, but I went to a career fair at my college, got 3 interviews and 3 offers. Two of the offers were commission only, and one was halfway decent, but not good enough to stop looking. I found a bank in the midwest who is very interested right now, and I think I have a very good shot.
It's a crap shoot, but the only success I've found is directly on company websites. You have to realize that if a company posts on a site like Monster, HotJobs, or whatever they get 100s of resumes. I stay away from those (it takes too long to search the jobs there anyhow since 1/4 are work-at-home scams)
I honestly think job searching is a skill, some can naturally, some work really had at it. I've been blessed, and believe that I am adept at it. More importantly I interview well (remember I said 3 interviews netted 3 offers).
Not to brag, but to encourage you, even though people around you might be finding jobs quicker, it just takes time and a couple strokes of luck. You might just not have clicked with someone yet, but this will end soon, and we'll be back to better employment right after we change our Congress
The corporate's own websites are a good start. Some corps, will not even take recommendations from their employees. EVERYONE must apply through the website so HR can screen I am thinking. Networking does help. And remember everyone is a potential source. So print lots of business cards (cheap) and pass them out to whomever. People at church, friends of friends, family, etc.
Also, going through temp agencies is good, although temp agencies are VERY frustrating to deal with. And they can be poisonous as well... so watch your b*tt when dealing with them. But I have gotten two jobs through temp agencies.
I did the whole unsolicited resumes to companies I wanted to work at, to known good contacts at the companies. and kept contacting every 3 months or so... that did not work for me during the time I tried it. But it will work for some.
For local jobs at small companies, you may want to try Craigslist. There are scammers on there, do not apply to anything with a gmail address. But it is worth a shot anyway. I got my current job through Craigslist.
Put yourself on linked in, if only for the Internet exposure. so people can find you.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
