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I responded to a posting on Craigslist by a chiropractic office who was holding open interviews yesterday afternoon. (They're hiring a part-time receptionist to replace the one that's leaving soon.) Based on previous open interviews I had been to, I expected to be in and out rather quickly. But when I walked in the front door I nearly passed out. All I could see were people. People sitting. People standing. People trying to find a place to sit or stand without being in other people's way. As they handed me an application, I quickly took notice at the number on the top right-hand corner of the 2-page application: 43. I thought I was the last, but 2 other job seekers ended up arriving after me to make for a grand total of 45 candidates.
Interviews were quick, lasting 3-5 minutes.
This was clearly the largest open interview I've been to thus far and it has left me wondering...
Is this how it's like for MOST jobs in today's society? If so, it's no wonder why there are people who are out of work for as long as they are.
I sense somebody else does not believe in... "The Recovery!"
Yep, it is this bad everywhere, if not worse.
A few examples from my own experiences over the past few months:
1) One local engineering position was advertised... over 100 people applied to it. The company's first solution was to use the automated resume filter to screen out everyone, because, like most STEM jobs these days, it is fast and easy to make the requirements so narrow that nobody will meet them. Somewhere along the line, a hiring manager got angry and this idea didn't fly - they actually instead decided to interview people.
Unfortunately, they chose to hire no one instead... which is cheaper and goes along nicely with the original plan of screening everyone out while waiting for the perfect candidate. So, those interviews went nowhere.
2) A friend of mine was interviewing people for an adjuct faculty position at a university, and they got over 300 applicants, which is insane. This isn't even a tenured track position?!
3) Even poverty wage jobs can easily have 100's of people per position. There's no hope of employment in those conditions.
I responded to a posting on Craigslist by a chiropractic office who was holding open interviews yesterday afternoon. (They're hiring a part-time receptionist to replace the one that's leaving soon.) Based on previous open interviews I had been to, I expected to be in and out rather quickly. But when I walked in the front door I nearly passed out. All I could see were people. People sitting. People standing. People trying to find a place to sit or stand without being in other people's way. As they handed me an application, I quickly took notice at the number on the top right-hand corner of the 2-page application: 43. I thought I was the last, but 2 other job seekers ended up arriving after me to make for a grand total of 45 candidates.
Interviews were quick, lasting 3-5 minutes.
This was clearly the largest open interview I've been to thus far and it has left me wondering...
Is this how it's like for MOST jobs in today's society? If so, it's no wonder why there are people who are out of work for as long as they are.
I had a similar experience in February which was called a "hire fair" and I had never been to one before. The interview was 5 mins and before I knew it i was back home in my apt and of course I didn't get the job
So standard interviews are now a thing of the past?
I wouldn't say standard interviews are a thing of the past, though it depends heavily upon one's industry. Companies are going to do whatever is cheapest. If that means tossing a dozen people in a room and calling that an interview (and then refusing to hire anyone or hiring the best looking one of the group), they'll do it if they can.
I have hard time imagining engineering positions having half-baked group interviews like the ones described, but considering how bad things are, why not? It's not as if the companies really care if they hire the right people - or anyone - anyway, so maybe tossing people in a room together, like misfit toys in a box, is the wave of the dystopic future.
I wouldn't say standard interviews are a thing of the past, though it depends heavily upon one's industry. Companies are going to do whatever is cheapest. If that means tossing a dozen people in a room and calling that an interview (and then refusing to hire anyone or hiring the best looking one of the group), they'll do it if they can.
I have hard time imagining engineering positions having half-baked group interviews like the ones described, but considering how bad things are, why not? It's not as if the companies really care if they hire the right people - or anyone - anyway, so maybe tossing people in a room together, like misfit toys in a box, is the wave of the dystopic future.
I mean to say that is "getting a standard interview first" a thing of the past? My last 2 interviews
I sense somebody else does not believe in... "The Recovery!"
It's poppycock! You know it. I know it. Most people know it.
Yep, it is this bad everywhere, if not worse.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rambler123
One local engineering position was advertised... over 100 people applied to it.
My mom's Civil Service, employed by the Department of The Navy (DoN), and has worked on the local Navy base for the past 25+ years. She's been trying to leave her current job for another job and has been vigorously applying. One job had 45 applicants. The most that applied to one job: 207 applicants. 145, 67, and 91 applicants... No job has had less than 60 applicants minus that one job.
I think phone screenings are typical these days... the end result is the same, but it's just another hoop to jump through. Personally, I hate them since I can't see the people, which makes it harder to gauge their reactions; I can't even use a bit of humor to lighten the mood since that rarely works over the phone with total strangers.
Geez, no less than 60 applicants per job?! No wonder nobody can find work!
Geez, no less than 60 applicants per job?! No wonder nobody can find work!
I'd get used to it.
I saw a job listing a couple years ago for 50 forklift positions paying $12 hr. When over 500 people showed up they dropped the pay to $9 hr and still hired the 50 they needed.
I also saw a job fair given by a local company for 200 positions and they had over 4000 applicants.
This was back in 2010 in Georgia... a high unemployment state that I had to leave in order to get a decent job.
That's been pretty common for me too. If it's not a phone screen, it's a speed interview. I'm extremely lucky if an interview is a 10 minute interview. Most of my interviews are anywhere from 3-8 minutes.
In fact, it's not uncommon for me to have a phone screen BEFORE they'll meet with me face-to-face.
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