14 Weeks Unemployed.....

[JettaKnight]

This thread should serve as a reminder, make hay while the sun is shining.

If you have a job, it may not last, so save money now and be prepared.

 

[femurphy77]

The gig I have now I originally interviewed for in December...they hired someone else. I got a call back almost 2 months later because they REMEMBERED how prepared I was in the interview, and that I had gone an extra step in providing each of the interviewers with a three ring binder that included my resume, their job description from their website, and I took every one of their requirements and addressed it, line by line in a chart that was included in the binder. They told me that they couldn't hire anyone but they wanted me as a contractor for a 90 day project. It was $60 an hour and I needed the money...no bennies included...just a steady pay check for three months that beat hell out of the $300 a week I got from unemployment. They called their contracting company and told them to call me, hire me, and place me...within 30 days I was working full time...at the end of the 90 days they made me a permanent offer and I took it....leaving the contractor and hiring on full time as a regular employee. Getting in front of people is hard to do...so when you get the chance, you have got to show up sharp, and ready to wow them. My interview was interesting... I met with three of their top engineers all at the same time...and I swear I couldn't answer half their questions....but they LOVED my attitude.

This is a HUGE piece of advice that no doubt you are aware. We recently interviewed a guy for a position and I routinely cut and paste their resumes for my own purposes. This particular one lit up light a Christmas tree due to all of the spelling errors. It was sadly humorous that at a time when you should put your "Attention to Detail" to use at its highest levels a simple thing like running spell check tripped this guy before he ever got out of the gate!!!

 

[JettaKnight]

This is a HUGE piece of advice that no doubt you are aware. We recently interviewed a guy for a position and I routinely cut and paste their resumes for my own purposes. This particular one lit up light a Christmas tree due to all of the spelling errors. It was sadly humorous that at a time when you should put your "Attention to Detail" to use at its highest levels a simple thing like running spell check tripped this guy before he ever got out of the gate!!!

Anyone desiring a résumé review / critique may PM me. I'm no expert, but I have had a lot of résumés cross my desk and an extra set of eyes never hurts.

 

[Mr. Habib]

Any technical skills? We're begging for applicants with plumbing, electrical, mechanical type skills. Of course there's nothing sexy about working with your hands nowadays. . . .

Wow, I didn't think that I would be that difficult to replace. If Rusty misses me that badly, give me a call, I'd consider coming back. Of course he will have to plunge all of the toilets.

 

[churchmouse]

I know we give you a hard time about being older, but you're not THAT old

I felt the need to make that clear.....

 

[draketungsten]

I can give you guys the other side of this. I'm an IT supervisor. I'm trying to hire for a single technical position. In the past 2 weeks, I've received at least 30 resumes. I'll have interviewed at least 10 people by the end of the week. The problem, as a hiring manager, I see is that either 1) the skills aren't matching what I'm needing or 2) the company isn't willing to pay more to potentially attract the right person.

Staffing companies actually make this more difficult. We put out for a position that pays X. The staffing company that submits the resume wants Y. This leaves Z for the actual worker. It's not enough for the worker and the staffing company refuses to trim down their percentage of the cut. He sees that he can go someplace else and make more. So we all end up losing in the end.

 

[churchmouse]

I can give you guys the other side of this. I'm an IT supervisor. I'm trying to hire for a single technical position. In the past 2 weeks, I've received at least 30 resumes. I'll have interviewed at least 10 people by the end of the week. The problem, as a hiring manager, I see is that either 1) the skills aren't matching what I'm needing or 2) the company isn't willing to pay more to potentially attract the right person.

Staffing companies actually make this more difficult. We put out for a position that pays X. The staffing company that submits the resume wants Y. This leaves Z for the actual worker. It's not enough for the worker and the staffing company refuses to trim down their percentage of the cut. He sees that he can go someplace else and make more. So we all end up losing in the end.

I would ask why use the middle man.

 

[Rookie]

Search Jobs at FCA US

 

[Shadow8088]

deleted because it sounded great until after I hit the save button.

I wish you luck sir.

My only advice is to widen your nets and you will catch more fish.

 

[Taylor22]

Lots of good info from you all! Much appreciate it and keep it coming. I've gotten a few calls already from places that have been suggested and I applied!
Many minds work much better than just one.

 

[churchmouse]

Lots of good info from you all! Much appreciate it and keep it coming. I've gotten a few calls already from places that have been suggested and I applied!
Many minds work much better than just one.

It seems that knowing someone is the key these days. A cold call interview can be a crap shoot.

 

[femurphy77]

Wow, I didn't think that I would be that difficult to replace. If Rusty misses me that badly, give me a call, I'd consider coming back. Of course he will have to plunge all of the toilets.

If you're serious. . . . .

 

[wtburnette]

I would ask why use the middle man.

I always wondered the same. They always seem to want to push square pegs into round holes, for not a lot of value. When I was going to IvyTech back in the day, they had a job placement service that helped me get my start in IT. I would think working with school placement / career centers might be better than using a placement firm...

Lots of good info from you all! Much appreciate it and keep it coming. I've gotten a few calls already from places that have been suggested and I applied!
Many minds work much better than just one.

Good luck to ya...

 

[looney2ns]

Just throwing this out. TJ Maxx Distribution Center in Evansville is always hiring, I mean always. Pretty much if you can draw a breath, you have a huge chance.

Toyota in Princeton, In is always hiring. They have approx 7,000 employees, and the turn over is fairly large.

Best of luck.

 

[WebSnyper]

I would ask why use the middle man.

Because onboarding people cost $, and companies would rather try before they buy, with the middle man.

 

[freekforge]

when i was looking for a job before the one i have now i was listing all my education and experience on my resume and trying to make a good first impression. The temp agency told me i looked overqualified for most job slots they had. So i told them i lied on my resume (I didn't really lie) and i wanted to fix it. I listed my HS diploma and that was it and the next day i had a job as a grinder in a weld shop. I went from grinder to robotic welder operator to full time mig welder and am working on getting a tig spot. The plant superintendent ask me about a month ago to get trained on a new machine which will bump me up another pay grade. Even the crappy temp jobs can grow into something. and sometimes you need to BS on your resume.

 

[draketungsten]

Without giving too much away, we are forced to by various policies and procedures. Also, there is no incentive high enough up to change this and if it did exist, the amount of political clout it would take is more than anyone at that level would want to expend on such a thing.

 

[churchmouse]

Without giving too much away, we are forced to by various policies and procedures. Also, there is no incentive high enough up to change this and if it did exist, the amount of political clout it would take is more than anyone at that level would want to expend on such a thing.

 

[rhino]

Talking with my cousin today about people we know that got laid off and how soon/not so soon they found new jobs. I'm sitting on 14 weeks so far and have only had 2 decent callbacks for around 150 job applications.

I'm almost 30, Married, Hold a B.S. In Business Management, and can't get an interview/Job to save my life. What gives?

Who here has been unemployed and do you have any tips for how to get re-employed ASAP?

Anyone Hiring?

I used to hate on people on unemployment but realized that A. Without it I would be in a world of hurt right now with bills. and B. Finding a job isn't quite "simple"

You're relatively young, which will work in your favor. You may have to shift directions in what you thought would be your career and you may have to take some crap jobs along the way.

I was out of the work force for over 10 years due to an injury. When I was able to work again, no one would even acknowledge my applications for any of the engineering jobs for which I was qualified (I have a BSME from Rose-Hulman and an MS in mechanical engineering from UC Berkeley and I had regulatory experience in the environmental field after working for US EPA). The only interviews I got for years were for lab tech positions, but was never hired. Eventually I saw an ad in the paper for teaching as an adjunct at Ivy Tech. I did that in the classroom for 6+ years for pay that would make most people cry (fortunately I was able to live with my parents, so it was sustainable). Then I got Obamacared out 2/3 of my hours at Ivy Tech and had to find something else quickly. I saw an ad on INGO that Madbomber posted for grading exams as a temp for $11.10 per hour (which was effectively a lot more than I made per hour at Ivy Tech). I took it and it led to a much better temp job with the same company for a lot more money. Doing well as a temp let to my permanent position, at which I've survived a corporate restructuring followed by a sale of the company, even though I was the last of about 9 people hired with my job title. I'm not doing anything close to what I thought I would do or I wanted to do, but I'm in a much better position now than at any point in my life previously. I would not be here had I not been willing to swallow my pride and take jobs that were far outside of anything I ever imagined I would be doing and for pay that was not adequate to sustain human life at some points.

If I were 30 with a BS is bus mgmt, I'd take whatever job I could get (and handle) and then take classes in accounting at Ivy Tech until I found something better.

 

[Tactically Fat]

Another tip:


In addition to submitting resumes and applications online, look up companies websites, get addresses, and snail mail things to appropriate parties. Hopefully you can figure out some of those appropriate parties online. Sometimes, sending a resume to "HR Manager" at a place may work.

Those online submittal portals are seemingly notorious for not passing along the submissions that don't contain the right key words.