Discussion Forums > The Lounge
Unemployed Rant
Ixarku:
--- Quote from: relic2279 on May 29, 2010, 10:34:39 AM ---
--- Quote from: Ixarku on May 29, 2010, 01:51:23 AM ---Wow, no mercy in this place.
--- End quote ---
Life itself shows no mercy. As much as you'd like to believe otherwise, in this reality, it's survival of the fittest. Sometimes, an ice cold dose of reality is what gets people motivated. Coddling is not always the answer.
--- End quote ---
I'm not an idiot. I'm quite aware that survival of the fittest is the way the world works, and I actually prefer things to work that way. I'm also quite aware that coddling certain people will not produce results. I’m old enough that I've likely been in the job market longer than a lot of people posting here.
That said, this right here & now is an internet forum, not some primeval jungle where people have to bash an animal's brains in with a club just to stay alive. I doubt very much that anyone posting in this thread is looking for a little “tough love” to keep them motivated in their job search. That’s all I’m saying about that.
On a different note, there have been a few bits of good advice in this thread, so I’ll add a bit of my own to anyone who wants it:
(click to show/hide)
1) Be prepared! Know your prospective employer & their industry. Research as much as you can ahead of time. Know what they want & what they are looking for. Tailor your resume to fit the job. If you get an interview, explain to the interviewer how your experience is relevant to the position. Draw comparisons between what you know and the kind of work the new job entails. Even if your area of expertise is outside of the job, provide whatever examples you can where you’ve done something similar.
2) Engage the interviewer. In general, be positive & show some energy during the interview – no one wants to hire a person with a negative attitude or someone who shows disinterest in the job. Ask questions about the job & the working environment. Be alert, attentive, and friendly in the interview. Every interview & interviewer is different, so try to read the interviewer’s body language & be ready to adapt to the people you are talking to. Be yourself & be relaxed, but be professional at all times. Sometimes, talking about your personal life & interests are appropriate; other times, you need to stick with talking about the job. Be careful not to oversell yourself, though, or you risk losing your credibility.
3) Don’t make stupid mistakes. There are boatloads of articles out there that talk about job hunters taking phone calls during interviews, or dressing inappropriately, or bad mouthing past employers, or posting the wrong things on their Facebook page, and so on and so forth. Don’t be that guy!
4) I said this once, but I’ll say it again – whenever appropriate, tailor your resume to fit the job. I don’t advocate outright lying on a resume (you will most likely get caught), but you really need to emphasize the skills & education that are most relevant to the job you are applying for. Sending the exact same resume to every prospective employer is likely a mistake, especially if you are applying for a wide variety of jobs.
5) Follow up on the interview. Contact your prospective employer after an appropriate period of time, thank them for their time, reiterate your interest in the company, etc etc.
Luck does play a part in any job hunt. You can say & do all the right things, and have all of the right experience, and you can still not get the job, especially in the current market with competition being as tough as it is, even with the lower end jobs. You may not click with the interviewer(s), or they may like someone else better. You could be overqualified, and your prospective employer may want someone with less experience so that they can more easily justify paying them less. Your resume could get lost in the shuffle, or whatever… a million things beyond your control can jinx a job hunt. The important thing is to present yourself in the best way possible. Persevere and try to stay positive whenever possible. Certainly, if you are desperate for work, look at jobs that you would never otherwise consider.
Off the subject of the job hunt itself – try to find alternative ways to bring in money in the meantime. Cut your expenses wherever you can. I could write pages & pages on the idiocy of people who don’t live within their means because they don’t know how to budget. If necessary, sell off whatever possessions you can live without. Scour local pawn shops and flea markets for stuff that you can turn around and resell yourself for a profit on eBay, Amazon, or wherever. Do odd jobs for people if you can.
Good luck to all you job hunters!
relic2279:
--- Quote from: Ixarku on May 31, 2010, 11:48:47 AM --- I doubt very much that anyone posting in this thread is looking for a little “tough love” to keep them motivated in their job search.
--- End quote ---
What people want, and what people need often differ from one another.
But you're correct. This is indeed an internet forum. As such, you'll have to accept the fact that there will be people telling him what he needs, rather than what he wants.
Your advice in the spoiler was good advice though. Just wanted to mention that.
Ixarku:
--- Quote from: relic2279 on May 31, 2010, 12:29:24 PM ---
--- Quote from: Ixarku on May 31, 2010, 11:48:47 AM --- I doubt very much that anyone posting in this thread is looking for a little “tough love” to keep them motivated in their job search.
--- End quote ---
What people want, and what people need often differ from one another.
But you're correct. This is indeed an internet forum. As such, you'll have to accept the fact that there will be people telling him what he needs, rather than what he wants.
Your advice in the spoiler was good advice though. Just wanted to mention that.
--- End quote ---
Thanks. Not to be presumptuous, but I think everyone gets it -- life is hard, and sometimes people have to be prepared to really push themselves and do whatever it takes to survive or succeed.
Now, you wanna help me take down that mammoth over there? ;)
relic2279:
--- Quote from: Ixarku on May 31, 2010, 01:28:30 PM ---Now, you wanna help me take down that mammoth over there? ;)
--- End quote ---
Sure, I'll be right behind you. :P
ervy:
I would help, but I'm allergic...
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