Is finding a job really that hard? (Portland: salons, renting)

[M2N]

Hubby works in healthcare admin and says even healthcare is taking a hit... clinics and hospitals here in the upper midwest saw a decline in patients the last few months.

At the clinic level many don't want to pay the co-pay so are not seeing the doctor as much. He's not sure why the hospital level is seeing less... of course it has to do with elective surgeries that are not covered by insurance...but there seems to have been an overall decline in people getting admitted for the 'must have' procedures.

[subsound]

For the must have I think it's been pretty stable, but for anything elective or can be pushed off it's dropped like a rock.

[CutiePie24]

I have been reading just about every post on moving to Portland and the trying to find a job in the area. I would like to thank you all for the great advice. I am from the Midwest and I am looking to possibly go to college there. I am looking to work while establishing residency then go to school. I was just wondering how well is the retail field in the area? Is it hurting as much as the rest? I enjoy working in customer service and I have done it for 8 years now. I wont be living alone I have a few people looking to relocate from the central part of the states with me, so our expenses wont be that over baring!

Thank you again for the advice, its really has help me!

[Venusian_Artist]

Let me tell you a story:

A friend of mine recently moved from Florida to Portland, OR. As it turns out, she has many qualifications that are perfect for two job openings in my department. I met with her and coached her about what to put on her resume, how to approach the interview, etc.

I hand delivered her resume to the two managers in my department, who will ultimately make the hiring decision. Nothing.

We've had so many applications for these two positions--I've read most of the resumes, as I'm one of the interviewers--that the process has simply shut down. That's right, we went as a department from being understaffed and over-worked, to just avoiding the hiring process altogether.

When I talk to the managers about when we'll finally be hiring for those positions, they mumble nonsense about wanting PHD's, that would clearly be way over-qualified for the positions. In fact, there are two people from another department, sitting not more than thirty feet from our location that have applied, have a proven record in the company, and they too are being rebuffed.

What's happening here? Firstly, there are just too many resumes and logistics to sort through to finally make a decision. The managers have just shut down and are avoiding the task entirely--lame, I know. Secondly, they've become so stuck-up and picky about candidates that almost no one has a chance.

It's like the one hot chick in an IT department trying to choose which code monkey to date. I would have never gotten the job I have under these conditions; they would have chucked my resume to the curb in a heartbeat.

It's sad, and kinda sick. Do not move here without a job. The state's unfriendly business practices, combined with a bad economy nationwide, have made relocation without a job to Portland a near impossibility. You have been warned.

[Minervah]

Originally Posted by Venusian_Artist

Let me tell you a story:

A friend of mine recently moved from Florida to Portland, OR. As it turns out, she has many qualifications that are perfect for two job openings in my department. I met with her and coached her about what to put on her resume, how to approach the interview, etc.

I hand delivered her resume to the two managers in my department, who will ultimately make the hiring decision. Nothing.

We've had so many applications for these two positions--I've read most of the resumes, as I'm one of the interviewers--that the process has simply shut down. That's right, we went as a department from being understaffed and over-worked, to just avoiding the hiring process altogether.

When I talk to the managers about when we'll finally be hiring for those positions, they mumble nonsense about wanting PHD's, that would clearly be way over-qualified for the positions. In fact, there are two people from another department, sitting not more than thirty feet from our location that have applied, have a proven record in the company, and they too are being rebuffed.

What's happening here? Firstly, there are just too many resumes and logistics to sort through to finally make a decision. The managers have just shut down and are avoiding the task entirely--lame, I know. Secondly, they've become so stuck-up and picky about candidates that almost no one has a chance.

It's like the one hot chick in an IT department trying to choose which code monkey to date. I would have never gotten the job I have under these conditions; they would have chucked my resume to the curb in a heartbeat.

It's sad, and kinda sick. Do not move here without a job. The state's unfriendly business practices, combined with a bad economy nationwide, have made relocation without a job to Portland a near impossibility. You have been warned.

I think we work at the same company but dare not speak its name. So let's call it "Voldemort." Voldemort was going to hire a part time person to give some relief to my department of two. We have been on overtime and madatory overtime since November. The person to be hired was promised to us but under the table, another department was going to take her indefinetly before sending her to mine. Even my Team Leader didn't know about this and never mind how I found out. The deal fell through and she wound up not being hired for "HR" reasons. I doubt if there was really anything wrong with this person but HR is so picky, if you don't look a certain way or act a certain way or answer their questions without hesitation you are a goner. I think it is a requirement to be over qualified too. I got hired outside of HR through contacts. Without my good old network I would never have gotten hired here. I'm not ashamed to say I was able to use some clout to get the job I have here.

There are many, many frustrating and exasparating things going on. No one would want to work here unless desperate which we all are. The popular saying by management is "If you don't want to work yourself to death, someone else will be glad to take your place."

Here's the point. Even if one is lucky enough to get a job, chances are they will be overworked, underpaid and stressed to the max. It's like that many places even in the best of times because so many people are willing to do just about anything to live here. I can't speak for higher level jobs but for people like me who wear many clerical hats, it's pretty bad.

[subsound]

I know here we've had more demands in the last three days then in my first 3 months, and it has not been letting up. Pretty soon, we are also letting go about 10% of the department which won't make it better. If a person leaves who is mission critical you might be able to get a job, but without a conviction or fatality many aren't.

[Minervah]

Originally Posted by subsound

I know here we've had more demands in the last three days then in my first 3 months, and it has not been letting up. Pretty soon, we are also letting go about 10% of the department which won't make it better. If a person leaves who is mission critical you might be able to get a job, but without a conviction or fatality many aren't.

Oh yeah, and good old Voldemort Inc has laid off 100 people and will be laying off 150 more. Then they will be turning around and hiring a few to replace the many and downgrade the job description so they can pay less money which, considering the cost of living in Portland, will not be enough to pay the ever increasing rents.

Sorry to be so doomy and gloomy but I have been out of work several times in this town over the past 30 years and it was not pretty. If anyone has a job where he or she is living now, they should stick with it until better times.

[bliss61]

What makes the unemployment situation worse is stress put on bad managers. They could barely function before all of this.
"My way or the highway" is a redneck form of business management that I escaped from in many areas of the Northwest. I am sorry for all of you.
You may hate Californians and the government in your life but when it comes to labor law and tenant law, I would rather be exactly where I am....in California.
Things aren't working much better here but "hostage taking" is very immoral. You can use those terms here and not get run out of town.
Oregon confuses me. Portland confuses me more.

[subsound]

Originally Posted by Minervah

Oh yeah, and good old Voldemort Inc has laid off 100 people and will be laying off 150 more. Then they will be turning around and hiring a few to replace the many and downgrade the job description so they can pay less money which, considering the cost of living in Portland, will not be enough to pay the ever increasing rents.

Sorry to be so doomy and gloomy but I have been out of work several times in this town over the past 30 years and it was not pretty. If anyone has a job where he or she is living now, they should stick with it until better times.

Nah, it's good to vent sometimes...especially with all the crazy! I think people have gone from cautious to terrified manic squirrel in about 2 seconds flat so far in the management roles. I know where we are there was a very quick jump from calmly working on the best solutions to psychotic chicken strapped to a jet engine!

[Pippa]

Let's put it this way. I know TONS of teachers with masters degrees in Portland that cannot get anything more than subbing jobs and you may likely have two or three interviews for just a cafe job. This is not always the case but it gives you an idea. I use to work in HR there and if I posted ONE ADMIN JOB on craigslist for say 12 dollars an hour, I would get about 300 resumes in the first 12 hours. No joke. It's over saturated with educated people.