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So, if there are only "3" people in the nation that meet those requirements, why not apply, since they obviously won't?
Some of the people here seriously baffle me. I've applied for TONS of jobs I didn't meet all of their "requirements" for, and was still offered jobs. 100k+ a year jobs, and I'm 25, so I'm not glistening with experience by any means.
If a job was asking for 5 years experience, and I had 4, and they wouldn't hire me specifically for that reason when my resume and other experience and reference kill it, that'd be hilarious. I wouldn't want to work for them anyway.
Some requirements are that, MUSTS, but many, such as years of experience, are more flexible. If they are looking for a project manager with the PMP certification, they may want that, because the project specifications REQUIRE that..
If you are an x-ray technician and they require a RT Level 2, it's because that's what is REQUIRED BY CODE ON THE PROJECT.
Not many jobs will be as hard and fast about things like years of experience, etc. Being able to hold security clearance and be a US citizen should NOT be an issue. If your a criminal or can't pass a drug test, that's your own fault. If you're not a US citizen, well, if they also require a security clearance it may be a government or coded work that they don't want foreigners on.. Not too hard to comprehend...
This whole thread is insane. Seriously, if you meet "most" the requirements, why don't you just apply? Who cares if you don't get hired. Oh wait, because it's work to apply and your lazy? Well if your lazy or a complainer (as many here have displayed) it would make sense why you aren't hired.
You're missing the point.
Of course I apply to jobs for which I meet most of the requirements.
And, of course, I don't get those jobs. Why? Because the automated resume filters weed out anyone who does not meet the requirements. In most cases, the job goes unfilled for months, if not years. The current record I'm tracking is FOUR years for a job. One for which I applied and met 95%+ of the requirements. Heck, I even interviewed for it and the company flat-out told me, "Well, we've run this job for a while now, but THIS TIME, we'll hire somebody..." Right... so they basically admitted to running a fake ad for years, but "this time" would be different. And it wasn't, and that's 4 hours of my life I'd like back that was wasted on that on-site interview.
The whole point of this thread isn't "why bother applying?" It's "how the hell can people claim that the unemployed are to blame for being out of work?" We meet nearly all experience requirements, we apply to the jobs, and we get nothing but a pat on the head as the companies continue to hire nobody. And yet, oddly, they have no problem sending work overseas to unqualified labor who barely speaks English, or insourcing visa workers who rarely meet all the requirements. Ah, but they are cheaper, and that's all that matters today.
When companies say they "can't find any qualified Americans" what they really mean is "We don't want to hire Americans because they cost too much and might require a week or two of training to get up to speed, so we'll just send the jobs elsewhere."
Some requirements are that, MUSTS, but many, such as years of experience, are more flexible. If they are looking for a project manager with the PMP certification, they may want that, because the project specifications REQUIRE that..
If you are an x-ray technician and they require a RT Level 2, it's because that's what is REQUIRED BY CODE ON THE PROJECT.
Not many jobs will be as hard and fast about things like years of experience, etc. Being able to hold security clearance and be a US citizen should NOT be an issue. If your a criminal or can't pass a drug test, that's your own fault. If you're not a US citizen, well, if they also require a security clearance it may be a government or coded work that they don't want foreigners on.. Not too hard to comprehend...
This whole thread is insane. Seriously, if you meet "most" the requirements, why don't you just apply? Who cares if you don't get hired. Oh wait, because it's work to apply and your lazy? Well if your lazy or a complainer (as many here have displayed) it would make sense why you aren't hired.
EXACTLY!
Look everyone always asks for more than what they want and then they bargain. What happens if you cannot get a supermodel for a wife? What happens if you can't get the sports car or luxury car you want. You deal with what you have in front of your face and your budget.
Yes you can certainly find some employers that hold out for awhile. At the same point if a position is not budgeted then they might not be able to budget it next year unless it is filled. That's true with non profits and government and growing in the private sector. There's a whole argument that carl icahn made that you don't see businesses returning value to their shareholders at least in the terms of dividends. Apple is awash in cash and is not investing it or returning it. LOOK: Apple Holds A HUGE Amount Of Corporate America's Cash
If you apply for a job and don't get it well...so what there's others out there. The worst you can hear is "No". I've seen a number of times places not getting what they want so they lower the qualifications and the pay and hire someone. The savings gets placed to train the employee up to those standards so they didn't *really* lose anything.
If you do not meet all the requirements - it is extremely unlikely you will get the job on merit - anyone that says otherwise is full of it. You may however get the job based on any number of organizational motives or personal biases. Requirements are listed as requirements because either they are actually necessary or they are there not to weed out unqualified candidates, but to use as an excuse to weed out qualified candidates based on any number of ulterior motives. That is why they are listed under requirements and not listed under the section below that, preferences.
Of course I apply to jobs for which I meet most of the requirements.
And, of course, I don't get those jobs. Why? Because the automated resume filters weed out anyone who does not meet the requirements. In most cases, the job goes unfilled for months, if not years. The current record I'm tracking is FOUR years for a job. One for which I applied and met 95%+ of the requirements. Heck, I even interviewed for it and the company flat-out told me, "Well, we've run this job for a while now, but THIS TIME, we'll hire somebody..." Right... so they basically admitted to running a fake ad for years, but "this time" would be different. And it wasn't, and that's 4 hours of my life I'd like back that was wasted on that on-site interview.
The whole point of this thread isn't "why bother applying?" It's "how the hell can people claim that the unemployed are to blame for being out of work?" We meet nearly all experience requirements, we apply to the jobs, and we get nothing but a pat on the head as the companies continue to hire nobody. And yet, oddly, they have no problem sending work overseas to unqualified labor who barely speaks English, or insourcing visa workers who rarely meet all the requirements. Ah, but they are cheaper, and that's all that matters today.
When companies say they "can't find any qualified Americans" what they really mean is "We don't want to hire Americans because they cost too much and might require a week or two of training to get up to speed, so we'll just send the jobs elsewhere."
What you say is the truth because I've had managers look me in the face telling me they will be calling me and they never do.
But programmers CAN find work somewhere else. Since when has programming ever been defined by location? Elance.com allows people to freelance for work and it's been around for probably 15 years now. Programming is non physical work. If I need a website made or some custom C++ work WHY limit myself to an applicant pool from a local area?
Also keep in mind there's a difference between asking prices and selling prices. Just because they advertise it doesn't mean they actually get it.
It is true a bit about accounting law as I've heard from some accountants that not knowing about finance does hold them back but frankly how hard is it to simply take some finance classes while in law school
Hands on experience is fine but if they lower the applicant pool then the applicants realize this and thus they want MORE rather then less compensation. I know of some medical software companies that are private and pay people a low amount. However, because this system is so limited the clients of it generally open up a ton of doors. Plenty of people work for them and then leave to hospitals. There's nothing they can do about it unless they want to open source it and then EVERYONE would then leave. Closed systems in history always eventually crash and burn.
Regarding location: A lot of employers want "boots on the ground." I agree that with current trends in broadband, it's easier to let people work remotely.
The problem regarding your finance example - Again, employers want people who actually have hands on experience in the real world, not just "I took a few classes." That IS the problem - people are screaming that we have a skills shortage even though there are more STEM graduates every year than available STEM jobs.
Your example is interesting but groundless since the applicant in question with 4 years and 11 months experience won't get past the automated resume filters that only allow those with 5 years of experience or more to pass on to the next stage of the process. Even if he or she wanted to sabotage the process just to complain, the chance wouldn't come up unless they lied on their resume.
What's this crap about automated resume filters?
I have never worked a job that had one of those, although I'm sure they exist. In fact, in my professional career, I have never, ever really met the requirements for any job I have applied for. I currently make about 140-150k a year in a management position, my last job paid about 30k more.
I have never lied on my resume, either. My current job, there are 3 certain fields of construction I am responsible for. I had zero experience with two of those. They knew that, I was honest, yet they still hired me...
Maybe try different areas to apply? Apply in person, apply to a persons direct email. Find forums where emails are given if on their site you feel they have a "automated resume filter."
There are ways around it, if not, look elsewhere! I usually go on job boards or forums where it lists a specific person to email a resume to. If you think it may have a "filter" and you meet most of the requirements, call up the company and ask for the HR's email address. If they tell you to apply online, then still apply, and keep looking.
It's seriously not as hard as some of you make it out to me. I think the entitlement factor comes into a lot of it. I'm 25 years old, and virtually every college grad friend (even non-college grads) has some type of job. Even if not professional, they still have a job.
I have never worked a job that had one of those, although I'm sure they exist. In fact, in my professional career, I have never, ever really met the requirements for any job I have applied for. I currently make about 140-150k a year in a management position, my last job paid about 30k more.
I have never lied on my resume, either. My current job, there are 3 certain fields of construction I am responsible for. I had zero experience with two of those. They knew that, I was honest, yet they still hired me...
Maybe try different areas to apply? Apply in person, apply to a persons direct email. Find forums where emails are given if on their site you feel they have a "automated resume filter."
There are ways around it, if not, look elsewhere! I usually go on job boards or forums where it lists a specific person to email a resume to. If you think it may have a "filter" and you meet most of the requirements, call up the company and ask for the HR's email address. If they tell you to apply online, then still apply, and keep looking.
It's seriously not as hard as some of you make it out to me. I think the entitlement factor comes into a lot of it. I'm 25 years old, and virtually every college grad friend (even non-college grads) has some type of job. Even if not professional, they still have a job.
I honestly can't believe anyone has never heard of automated resume filters or the effect they have upon the employment situation. You don't honestly believe companies sort through hundreds of applications per job by hand, do you? No - they slap on a filter and thus weed out the guy with 4 years and 11 months experience vs. the 5 they need, etc.
The rest of your advise is from the 1980's or applies only with small companies. Apply in person? You really think you can walk into Boeing, Ford, Lockheed, etc's front office and "apply in person?" Do you think that their HR reps give out their email addresses so they can be bombarded with 1,000+ resumes a day? Heck, even if you go to a career fair, they just swap business cards with you and tell you to "apply online" - I've been there and done that.
Now, sure, small companies can be an exception. My most recent job was that way, but, again that is the exception, not the norm these days, and as the world becomes more automated, more jobs will be lost and more filters and barriers will be put up to separate the unemployed from jobs.
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