I SUCK at finding a job, how'd you get yours?

[Liberation1945]

i've been having this same fucking problem...i've held jobs in the past, but it's been about a year since my last. i think i'm going to attend bartending school soon...anyone have experiences with this? good? bad? seems like easy money and it's a great way to network/meet people.

[perledeculture]

My last retail job in fashion was only landed through contacts (my sister working for the same company at the time) otherwise I would never have been employed as most places demand at least one year's retail experience, and I had none.

Finding a new job is proving a little difficult without the help of some connections. Contacts are it in my experience.

[white_giraffe]

I got a video editing job through a friend who works PR there. At the interview, I wore nice clothes and just smoozed with the interviewer. Every question they asked if I could do something, I always said yes.

When they were hiring interns for PR and Graphic Designers I got to be part of the hiring decisions. They used Craigslist and seriously the most basic things are what we were looking for. Someone who could write a decent e-mail application (you would be surprised at the crappy grammer, spelling, everything that people send), a neat looking resume you can navigate easily, and a decent portfolio. At interviews, don't say you don't know or can't answer a question. Automatic fail. Just bullshit and say you can do whatever they ask.

[Kasper]

-You should have started interning in your soph-junior years

-Most companies hire their interns in the previous quarter for the following quarter, so dont look for a summer internship in the summer, especially for a highly competitive field such as advertising where people with MBAs work for shit pay, no benefits just to get in the door

-Your college should have some kind of internship program at their career guidance center to help you get in the door

-Use the career guidance center at a BETTER SCHOOL than yours, they usually have better postings, but the topic may come up of how you found this internship when you attended Bronx Community and the posting was listed at Columbia

i'm gonna add a little bit to this.

first, there's a reason why your uni had a couple career days and invited tons of companies on campus, iot was so that you could find a job BEFORE you graduate. i know it's too late, but waiting until you graduate to search for a job is a very very bad idea. especially that there's basically no hiring done in the summer.

[homi29]

i'm gonna add a little bit to this.

first, there's a reason why your uni had a couple career days and invited tons of companies on campus, iot was so that you could find a job BEFORE you graduate. i know it's too late, but waiting until you graduate to search for a job is a very very bad idea. especially that there's basically no hiring done in the summer.

i actually did go to my schools career fair but its pretty much a giant waste of time, there aren't many headhunters/recruiters on the spot and instead they're just promoting the company and expect u to apply online on your own

your point is valid and well taken however, and while my school doesnt have the best career job listings/website, im still not taking full advantage of it

also the universe has a way of fucking with you, if u already have a job it'll seem like all these other opportunities can pop up, but when u dont it's like pulling teeth

exact same thing as when u have a gf, and all these girls will be attracted to u but u cant tap that

[axtsang]

^ LOL so true. But don't have that stuck in your head man, it'll just fuck you up some more and hold you down.

[buffalocloud7]

skool...

but seriously post your resume on monster or a similar site. very helpful

[Miles]

A couple simple questions to ask yourself:

1) What does your resume look like? Would you want to read it?

I work at an ad agency, and see resumes all the time. Most are dry, and fucking boring as all hell. I want to bring somebody in who has a little color, a story, someone who I can at least picture being remotely dynamic.

2) Once sending in resumes, are you calling the HR dept to follow up?

These people need a kick in the pants too. Maybe they're not hiring right now. Maybe they can tell you when they expect openings to fill up. Try and develop a little repoire with them so that they remember you.

During my junior year of college, I'd been trying to get a summer intern position at Ogilvy & Mather (in New York), while studying abroad in London. I sent in my resume, and followed up with a few calls, none of which were espiecally encouraging. But they remembered me.

And then one of the women in HR happened to be travelling to London to see a friend, and offered to meet me at the train station at 730am. I showed up, and we had a nice quick chat. I offered to help her with her bags as she boarded her train, and she obliged.

That turned out to be the clincher. The CEO's son had a friend from Yale that the job was meant to go to, but when he/she hesitated, they gave it to me. Granted, my resume wasn't so shabby -- good enough to get me in the door. But from there, my purpose was to get myself noticed.

The key is that you have to create that first break for yourself. The rest is making the most of your experience once you're there.

[seksu!]

shut up jack photography

[the breaks]

i posted my CV on a CV posting site

[napoleon]

I suck at job interviews and resumes and cover letters. I've never managed to get a job from on merrit from a job interview. Every job I've ever had was because of a contact.

[ProfMonnitoff]

as gay as it sounds, read a book or take a class on writing this kind of stuff. once you get the structure and the vocabulary down, you can write them in no time and focus on the harder stuff.

[Waxcomb]

Dang, I like this thread too. I'm currently looking for a job and cos I haven't really needed one, I've been really slack about it. I'm in my last year of a marketing degree and it seems like there is not much available along those lines and there are a million marketing graduates. Also, I have found that most people in rad marketing roles didn't get there by knowing about marketing, they got their by knowing the product. Computer people sell computers, fashion people market clothes, music people market music etc. But yeah, there are the common solutions, the connections, the dress code, the friendliness, the respectable and colourful CV. I guess the issue for me is not knowing about enough different jobs. I'm sure there must be like a whole bunch that I just would never have thought of and don't know the channels to get to them.

[geekbonchic]

My dilemma is that I have some work experience, but I'm trying to figure out into what I should parlay that time. I'm still in college, but I got mad pressure from the folks to have a game plan for post-college life.

But then again, I don't have to be serious for another two years, so fuck that.

[samsikle]

i got my first job at jamba juice because my cousin worked there. my second job at borders because my friend worked there.

the job i'm currently at right now i got while i was working at borders. i worked in the cafe, and there would be a lot of regulars and there was this couple that always came in and did work in the cafe so i just asked them what they did and they mentioned they're a start-up company dealing with computer chips and so kinda joking around i say, "hey if you need someone to answer phones or emails i can do that." so uh then they hired me as an assistant. right place, right time kinda

[Spastic_Koala]

The first jobs I got back when I was in college was through knowing people that knew people that new other people. Basically through contacts. Since finishing school, I got my previous and current job through applying to positions I'm qualified for and that interested me in the area that I wanted to live. Sometimes it's hit or miss. Typically I can seal the deal if I manage to get an initial phone interview. I've never had a phone interview that wasn't followed up by an in person interview. But a chunk of that just may be luck.

[ddohnggo]

get connected - referrals

[datasupa]

these are the only ways:

be awesome

be lucky

be good looking

be connected

or

be persistent

[FAM0US.]

http://monster.com

Posted my resume.

I received a phone call within 2 hours from a company (Komax Systems, Inc. engineering co.) nearby, and 5 minutes into the conversation, we set an interview up.

Interview time arrives, and the results were fantastic. I was positive I had a great interview, and they liked me very much... Four days later, I get a phone call saying I am hired.

The next day I come in to discuss pay, they offered me a good amount, and after 90 days they will also make an adjustment depending on my performance which was great.

I just had a sit down meeting with the company owner & business manager yesterday, and they said they're very pleased with everything I have done so far. We also discussed the company’s relocation, (20-25 miles away as opposed to my 6 miles away)! They already said they definitely hope I make the decision to stay with them, and that they will compensate me for gas (this is just too damn good). I'm about 2 weeks away from the 90 days, so the next sit down will be to discuss how big of an adjustment I'm getting, and how much commission I'll be receiving is soon!

I was just lucky, unless my resume is that damn good & my interview pwned.

[DüM]

I suck at finding a job.

[Quiver]

http://monster.com

Posted my resume.

I received a phone call within 2 hours from a company (Komax Systems, Inc. engineering co.) nearby, and 5 minutes into the conversation, we set an interview up.

Interview time arrives, and the results were fantastic. I was positive I had a great interview, and they liked me very much... Four days later, I get a phone call saying I am hired.

The next day I come in to discuss pay, they offered me a good amount, and after 90 days they will also make an adjustment depending on my performance which was great.

I just had a sit down meeting with the company owner & business manager yesterday, and they said they're very pleased with everything I have done so far. We also discussed the company’s relocation, (20-25 miles away as opposed to my 6 miles away)! They already said they definitely hope I make the decision to stay with them, and that they will compensate me for gas (this is just too damn good). I'm about 2 weeks away from the 90 days, so the next sit down will be to discuss how big of an adjustment I'm getting, and how much commission I'll be receiving is soon!

I was just lucky, unless my resume is that damn good & my interview pwned.

Famous, sounds like your resume's not too shabby considering you got the call within 2 hours. I'm using lyx and PDF'ing my resume and thinks it looks better than most of my competition (Undergrad eningeering students with little care for aesthetics). It also has decent substance and depth.

However, I've had no luck getting interviews at the companies I've been applying at (mostly big oil e.g. Shell etc.). Any chance you could PM me a copy of yours for referral?

[destructodisk]

I suck at finding a job.

Total Posts: 122 (37.51 posts per day)

If you spent as much time you did on here looking for a job, you'd have one SON

[mr fluffernutter]

i got my job because my friend gave me the inside scoop on the hire

[keagan]

I CAN'T GET A JOB IF I AM NOT 18. I AM 177 I NEED JUST A JOB.

llll

[stuntastic]

Job hunting in a foreign country is TOUGH.

[enatoka]

i gave into sales again, and urban outfitters was hiring, do to my amazing debt, i am now maybe under the employment of fucking urban outfitters.

interview on wens.

[herpsky]

^^^zebra print april 77 iz all you need

[keagan]

Job hunting in a foreign country is TOUGH.

really? tell us about it.

[homi29]

Any chance you could PM me a copy of yours for referral?

he musta put ++SUPREME , MIJ 19cm on it

i be back looking for a new job in all seriousness.. alot of companies seem to be cutting back on hiring so i gotta get my hustle on, keep my muscles strong

[Thorns]

Its kinda funny that all the suggestions are connections...

Isn't the other option to simply be the best qualified candidate?

call me crazy.