Workplace A thread for the unemployed

Sternchen

Sternchen

O.G.
May 16, 2006
24,716
97
#1
Hey guys,

I thought it would be a neat idea to get a thread going for those of us who are on the hunt for jobs.

I have been looking for work since the end of March and I haven't found anything yet. I am a recent graduate with a degree in Business Administration. My grades weren't the best but they weren't bad either. I'm a mom of 3, so that's my excuse ;)

I have sent out about 60 applications and have had a few interviews, but nobody has wanted to hire me. I have even applied at temp agencies and they haven't been able to find me anything either!

I'm starting to get depressed about the situation and feel like I'll never find a job. I'm 26. *sigh*

It seems like companies want people who are under 25, no kids, 10 years of work experience, a mastes or even better a doctorate...blah blah. :sad:

What have been your experiences?
 
#4
I understand exactly what you are going through, OP. I have been laid off twice in the last two years and no matter what I do and how many interviews I go on, nothing has seemed to click, career-wise. Ever since I graduated from university in 2005, I have had a hard time finding a stable career. It took me a whole year after graduation to find work in my field, and then I was laid off in 2009 because of the recession. I decided then to go back to school for a post-grad diploma to expand my skill set/become more marketable. After graduating from that program in spring 2010 and landing a new job right away, I was downsized again in February 2011. Six months of endless searching, networking, and interviewing is really taking its toll on me. I'm confused and feeling lost about what to do next. I just turned 30, and I never thought I would still be struggling like this at this point in my life.
 
#5
Alana1981 said:
I understand exactly what you are going through, OP. I have been laid off twice in the last two years and no matter what I do and how many interviews I go on, nothing has seemed to click, career-wise. Ever since I graduated from university in 2005, I have had a hard time finding a stable career. It took me a whole year after graduation to find work in my field, and then I was laid off in 2009 because of the recession. I decided then to go back to school for a post-grad diploma to expand my skill set/become more marketable. After graduating from that program in spring 2010 and landing a new job right away, I was downsized again in February 2011. Six months of endless searching, networking, and interviewing is really taking its toll on me. I'm confused and feeling lost about what to do next. I just turned 30, and I never thought I would still be struggling like this at this point in my life.
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Oh man! I'm sorry, Alana. All our lives we were told "Go to college! You'll be set for life!!"... and then things like this happen.

I'm not sure if I can blame my situation on the economy. The German economy has been on the up for the past while, but is now starting to stagnate again. I grew up in the US so I'm sort of used to the american-way of doing things..I'm not sure what is putting companies off? I have had my resume and cover letters checked through by a few professionals and they all say they are fine / good???

I really didn't want to get my Masters right away, because I wanted to start working first. But if it keeps going this way, it looks like the Master will be the way to go? *sigh* 26 years old and have hardly worked a day in my life.

I have applied to so many places... even at the grocery store! And I keep hearing the same things: overqualified / not qualified / not looking at this time. :sad:

Best of luck to you, Alana! The market is tough but we just have to keep fighting back....even though it is extremely draining.
 
#6
#7
I've also been getting down on the job search but realized this week that there's no way I can sell myself if I feel bad about myself. I've redone my CV with a bit of compromise, adding numbers and covering holes, but placing real emphasis on the experiences that I'm most proud of. I may look very unconventional, but I feel much more motivated and I think the confidence will make a difference.
 
#8
Jane, you are so right! That's a wonderful attitude to have. I really do need to change my mindset. But after getting soo many rejection letters, it is hard to keep a positive attitude. :smile:
 
#9
Sternchen said:
Jane, you are so right! That's a wonderful attitude to have. I really do need to change my mindset. But after getting soo many rejection letters, it is hard to keep a positive attitude. :smile:
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Keeping a positive attitude has been really hard for me too. I just feel so defeated, or worse, slightly hostile and jaded towards the whole interviewing and application process.
 
#10
Begal, founder of Begal Enterprises, is among a half-dozen entrepreneurs interviewed for this story who said that they’re struggling to hire new employees in the Washington area, which has a jobless rate of 6.2 percent. Some candidates lack the “right set of skills”; others fail to meet the “most basic of qualifications,” such as proper spelling on applications, the business owners said. So even though the pool of potential employees “has gotten deeper,” the “top talent searches remain as challenging as they were before the recent market conditions,” says Julie Rakes, a spokeswoman for bank and credit-card issuer Capital One.
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http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44177185/ns/business-us_business/

People keep saying 'it doesn't matter, don't bother me about it'. They get offended when you point it out to them.

But clearly, it CAN matter and if you allow yourself to slack off in casual environments, it becomes harder to get back on track when it is necessary.
 
#11
Alana1981 said:
Keeping a positive attitude has been really hard for me too. I just feel so defeated, or worse, slightly hostile and jaded towards the whole interviewing and application process.
Click to expand...

Yep, I hear you on that! I sometimes even find it hard to be happy for my friends who are slowly but surely getting jobs. It does make me feel somewhat better to know that some friends are also struggling to find work.

I sometimes feel resent when friends tell me they got called in for interviews. I try to be happy for them but sometimes I just plain don't want to hear it. I know (hope!) they aren't trying to rub it in my face, but when I keep getting rejection letter after rejection letter, it's hard to feel happy for someone who sent out 2 applications and got a job basically on the first try. Know what I mean? *sigh*
 
#12
Ugh, I struggle. I sometimes get an interview granted or sometimes no reply (RUDE). But then when something seems to vibe in that interview, your confidence is pretty steadily good....
then weeks later, nothing.

I have no hope. lol Nobody wants a kid in college. -.-
 
#14
^ Word.

I feel your pain and I'm going through the same thing. I have been temping when I can and I'm back in school right now. I've just been applying, trying to network/make connections and staying positive. I've been volunteering too. Unfortunately that's all you can do right now.

Good luck to you and everyone else!
 
#15
Sternchen said:
Yep, I hear you on that! I sometimes even find it hard to be happy for my friends who are slowly but surely getting jobs. It does make me feel somewhat better to know that some friends are also struggling to find work.

I sometimes feel resent when friends tell me they got called in for interviews. I try to be happy for them but sometimes I just plain don't want to hear it. I know (hope!) they aren't trying to rub it in my face, but when I keep getting rejection letter after rejection letter, it's hard to feel happy for someone who sent out 2 applications and got a job basically on the first try. Know what I mean? *sigh*
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Same here...I know they are not trying to brag or make me feel bad, but it can have that effect on me. It just seems so easy for everyone else but me sometimes, and that is a terrible feeling as I'm sure you are aware.

It is also depressing to realize that at 30, my employed friends are doing things like travelling, getting married, and buying houses. I wish I was in the position to do these things also, but the longer I am un/underemployed, the less likely it seems to be a possibility. Sigh...fingers crossed that our luck will turn around soon!
 
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