I can't get hired anywhere. (job opening, 401k, work from home, pension)
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Before I became self employed every job I got even crappy fast food ones as a teenager where got on connections. I feel bad for people who expect just to walk in not knowing anybody its incredibly rigged.
And yet I've literally walked into businesses (before I was a librarian) without knowing a SINGLE soul, and got hired... so what am I missing here? Is it regional, industry-related, or what??
I mean, I am fairly likable according to most - but I don't have that sparkling of a personality, LOL.
Did you all get jobs in your local area or did you all have to go to far flung parts of the world in get these jobs where people were hiring strangers off a job board? Typically in order to get a job without a connection you have to go some place where there is ALOT of hiring going on, so much so that they cant even come sort of close to filling the vacancies with the connected people.
I'll bet every convenience store in your area is hiring! I'll bet there's a standby personnel or other job shop...start making connections.
When I got out of the military I worked my way through night school by lumping trucks...Back then I got $60.00 to unload an entire semi truck by myself....that led to me getting hired on at a truck dock...eventually making $19/hr.
Are you seeing a theme here? Yes, it's WORK...work for peanuts and WORK your way into coconuts...or whatever.
OH, And BTW...ALOT isn't a word....I learned that from forums.
Yes.. There are people who get hired into good positions without connections with higher ups . People need to realize though, these are the EXCEPTIONS not the rule these days. Sure you can get hired on for minimum wage crap work without connections, but chances of moving up to more highly coveted positions.. Once again, the EXCEPTION not the rule. And generally the hire up you go the more connections you need. The past two companies I worked at, I could only think of TWO individuals who worked their way up from entry level to a very high level in the company (And Im sure both made heavy connections along the way).
The exceptions don't work for the majority of the general populous. For the overwhelming majority, its connections trumping everything else. 95 percent of the time.
We can go off exceptions. There are millions of people to think about, and we can't ALL have high up corporate or government connections and hinge all our hope on that. So just because a FEW people managed through a more merit based system, thats few and far between and doesn't work for the majority. Since merit is completely RARE in the working world today
Yes.. There are people who get hired into good positions without connections with higher ups .
The best way to build those connections is to get the job...doesn't matter how low paying it is...WORK your butt off and they'll take notice...there's your connection. MAKE people connections by working harder than everyone else and let people notice...the attitude of being too good for a job or pay is wrong....if you were worth more you'd be getting more!
Look how many CEO's started 30-40 years ago in the mailroom.
Heck, even celebrities started with crap while waiting tables etc.
I'm a 22 y.o. with very little work experience and no credentials or accolades. At this rate, I'll still be at home well into my 30s.
If you interviewed with me with that attitude you would still be unemployed. If you want to make something of yourself you’ve got to take charge of YOU!
Location: at the foothills of the cascades, washington
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Quote:
Originally Posted by diddleydoo22
I'm a 22 y.o. with very little work experience and no credentials or accolades. At this rate, I'll still be at home well into my 30s.
There are lots of entry jobs like fast food places that will hire anybody with a heart beat dude. I just finished working as a driver helper with UPS for the Christmas season and they were hiring anyone who showed up to the orientation.
Not sure where you live, but if it's an agricultural area just go talk to the farmers once the weather warms up, explain your situation and tell them you need a job and want to work....that is if you're a hard worker.
Hell, you could get a job EASY at a fish cannery in Alaska this summer. The job sucks and is hard work, but they hire just about anyone, experience or not and most will pay for your flight there if you can find your own way to Seattle, WA. You could come home with 5-10k at the end of the season if you lasted.
When you apply in person, are you wear a pressed shirt, freshly shaven, and slack? I don't know if you are making basic mistakes.
I am still surprised by people showing up unshaved in an untucked shirt and jeans. I referred one guy for a $90k+ job, and he shows up in jeans and untucked shirt to interview with the VP. The hiring manger gave him the thumbs down. The guy seemed to not care during the interview. I was so embarrassed that I would never refer him to any future employers.
If you do maintain a mustache and beard, it should be neatly groomed and not straggly.
I'll bet every convenience store in your area is hiring! I'll bet there's a standby personnel or other job shop...start making connections.
When I got out of the military I worked my way through night school by lumping trucks...Back then I got $60.00 to unload an entire semi truck by myself....that led to me getting hired on at a truck dock...eventually making $19/hr.
Are you seeing a theme here? Yes, it's WORK...work for peanuts and WORK your way into coconuts...or whatever.
OH, And BTW...ALOT isn't a word....I learned that from forums.
I am talking about real professional jobs since I have already "paid my dues" and don't intend on continuing to pay them until I die. So I should preface my last post with well paid professional jobs.
Alot of people have to leave the USA or go across the country to get these jobs and the only time I have seen people get these jobs off job boards (without connections) is if there is alot of hiring going on (some new development, building a new plant and need to staff it, etc).
I guess we are talking about apples and oranges here. From the looks of it here in the USA, more and more jobs are going to be unloading trucks and dealing with people that never grew out of the hard knocks. ITs about time to start learning a new language.
Oh and btw more and more military hard ware is being out sourced, to many people unloading trucks and not enough people building missile chips, avionics and armor.
The best way to build those connections is to get the job...doesn't matter how low paying it is...WORK your butt off and they'll take notice...there's your connection. MAKE people connections by working harder than everyone else and let people notice...the attitude of being too good for a job or pay is wrong....if you were worth more you'd be getting more!
Look how many CEO's started 30-40 years ago in the mailroom. - This is largely untrue these days, maybe WAY WAY back in the day (like JD rockefeller days), but not so anymore. Most CEO's either stole ideas or were connected. IF you read up on people like rockefeller you will find it was his extreme shrewdness and some VERY lucky opprotunities to buy into oil refineries that put him where he was, not shining shoes. Just like Tesla digging ditches once Edison fired him had nothing to do with him inventing AC power, it was some job he did becasue he was in a really bad situation and was just exploited by a capitalist.
Heck, even celebrities started with crap while waiting tables etc.
Thats probably true that celebrities are working at coffee shops and such but its all a hip environment, no one is toiling in a loading dock. Although I would probably be in the loading dock than dealing with some of the pretentious customers lol.
However, its not the mail room that got the CEO the job, they had a side hustle or some other skill they used to actually work into that roll. IF you really look at these peoples lives with a magnifying glass it is likely you will find that working in the mail room likely had very little effect. How many people working in the "mail room", are noticed by the CEO and the CEO thinks man there is a go getter with upper management written all over him, lets fast track him.
Are we writing a citcom here?
Also the celebrities working coffee shops is a necessity, working the coffee shop is not what gets them rolls, their acting does, if they are not working on their acting then they are just in a dead end job in a high cost of living area.
I dislike that so many people focus on the crap jobs that some famous people may have had to get by instead of looking at the higher level skill sets they had to develop to get where they are. Its like they use these crap jobs to keep from having to do the real hard work like intellectual study, practice of a skill, developing a product from scratch etc. Maybe the OP is lazy and just needs to toil like a slave until he either runs out of time or wises up and decides to work smarter not harder.
Also I have never heard of anyone making meaningful connections bagging a CEO's groceries, they are there to shop not say man your doing so well bagging these groceries let me introduce you to the team, that does not happen.
When you apply in person, are you wear a pressed shirt, freshly shaven, and slack? I don't know if you are making basic mistakes.
I am still surprised by people showing up unshaved in an untucked shirt and jeans. I referred one guy for a $90k+ job, and he shows up in jeans and untucked shirt to interview with the VP. The hiring manger gave him the thumbs down. The guy seemed to not care during the interview. I was so embarrassed that I would never refer him to any future employers.
If you do maintain a mustache and beard, it should be neatly groomed and not straggly.
What were this guys credentials. There are millionares who drive old trucks and dress like farmers.
Dressing like a pretentious a hole does not make someone qualified or skilled.
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