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


homi29

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Been job hunting for a couple weeks now, and some of may remember that i was even willing to try my hand at the wicked world of porno shop clerks

Seriously though, I'm trying to get my foot in the door and intern at an advertising agency/record company , something along those lines

despite my emails and calls no luck yet

ive also tried retail, which is funny because i do have SOME experience and yet i still can't get an interview for the life of me

those of you who got your job, please say how, im interested as to whether most people got it through a hookup/connect, cold-applying, or approaching in person

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I apply in person and wear a button-up shirt, khakis, nice shoes and (depending on the situation) a tie. Show up, seem intelligent and be enthusiastic about getting started, asap. Of course, timing can play a part in the hiring process, as employers are not going to hire you if they have no need for you. I'm working as a waiter at a country club and I am interning at a local hospital. For both, I showed up in a button down, slim-fit Brooks Brothers shirt, a tie, khakis and Cole Hann shoes. I showed up with my applications and paperwork filled out, asked to see the manager, introduced myself, struck up a small conversation, and was welcomed aboard on the spot.

Managers are lazy, they don't want to go reading through mounds of applications for the 'most qualified' (unless it's an educational job or something in healthcare). They just want somebody who shows up, seems like they will get along with co-workers, and looks nice. That's always been my experience, anyways.

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Great thread. I am in the same boat as you. Advertising agencys aren't going to hire you unless you have a portfolio or are a design student. I was an intern at a firm for about a month but that was through my high school, and of course I didn't get paid. I've tried getting a job at the local record store but when I goto them and say "could I have a job?" they basically tell me that I should join the club because everyone want's to work at a record store, which is sooooo fucking true.

Donno what you're going going to do at a record label, most labels are ran by the owner and their unpaid friends and/or artists.

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Maybe try an internship at a PR agency? At least in NYC they hire shitload of people. Most likely you'll make photocopies and coffee first but if you're at least semi-intelligent they will give you a job. If that doesn't work just go to Target, I swear the one by me gives jobs to everyone.

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good advice justinbaily21.. i think i look a little sloppy sometimes applying in a t-shirt and dry denim and shit..

theres also the delima, i could get a shit job like at a call center or something but i dont want to waste my summer and hate myself in the process

really id be willing to settle for a job which would let me post here half the day

and for the record label i just want to help out around the office and see what positions are avail so i can eventually transition into a position that suits me, same deal with agencies i suppose

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avoid record labels like the plague. sadly the record industry is a dying one. labels are cutting staff left and right, and you won't be able to afford any sort of nifty japanese sufu goods on the measly starting salaries they'd be able to scrap together. ideally, it's fun, but you'll be working invesment banker hours for mcdonalds paychecks and fetching more starbucks than you'll be able to fathom.

sorry.

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Dont be so specific dude, unless you have some good experience behind you its going to be tough to get into an advertising company unless you are willing to be a shit-kicker i.e. mailroom boy or something.

What do you have behind you?

well i went to school for a BA in political science which isnt really helping me right now, but i just did it to get through college

i worked in retail for about a year at Old Navy, also worked in a couple call centers, and some other random shitty odd jobs (ie maintaining giant knitting machines at this local knit factory, FUCKING BRUTAL work)

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Network my friends. Down the line, it will be the most valuable asset. Meet, greet and keep in touch with as many contacts as possible. I've been working in the finance industry for 6 years and it was all through networking and meeting the right people.

Shit, perhaps some of these sufu heads can hook you up asides from your denim needs!

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I was out of work about 7 years ago and a good friend of mine and I decided to try starting our own web / design company - we are still going to this day. Have you considered starting something up yourself?

well i started my own clothing line, but its going kinda slow because we were all in school and put shit on the backburner

the logo in my av is from that

plus we're still lacking one great illustrator / graphic designer and its hard finding people into both design AND fashion , especially since i didnt go to art or design school

i also write for formatmag (www.formatmag.com) which is keeping me busy, but it doesnt pay

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If you want a decent job, its gonna have to be connections. If you want to work for it, you'll have to start off doing a whole lotta shit, and then just dog it out until you get noticed or get then chance to prove yourself.

I've had great summer jobs, but every single one was through someone I knew or someone's parents etc etc

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I also echo what others have said about dressing the part. Unless you are applying to a place like BIG, don't even ask for an app dressed in denim and a t-shirt. Employers want to see you're serious right from the get go.

Connections are good and definitely come in handy but they are in no way reliable at getting into the exact field you might want. I have got 3 of my past jobs through connections and while it was nice to get a job quite easy, it just didn't last because it wasn't something I was interested in overall.

Edit- Also, keep in mind some stores/companies won't even get to your resume or application till weeks later. I just got finished sending my resume to a company and it took 2 weeks to hear back and I am still going through the processes now.

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-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

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Retail job one, I had a friend who was friends with the manager. I got group interviewed on sunday, hired on monday.

Doctor assistant job one, he was my doctor, he knew my mom, was opening a sf office and offered me a job.

Doctor assistant job two, she asked her friends and actually asked me to work even though I had two jobs.

Retail job two, craigslist.

This is probably where an explaination would help. When applying for a job I usually do a bit research to see what the company is about, do I really want to work there and more importantly what the company's mission statement is. What are they looking for? If you have a good idea, injecting that into the cover page as well as objective would help a lot. If you don't have any connections that would give you a better chance at getting an interview (rather then just sending the same objective and cover page to every company you're applying for).

Once you get the interview, just do what others said. Also make eye contact, have a sincere/friendly smile and handshake is a must. Seems elementary but a lot of people forget. And besides your clothes, what you do, say and how you carry yourself is also part of the decision making.

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I don't understand why people major in political science. My dad did that. Now he is a plumber? :confused:

3 years into a political science major and I still can't explain it to my parents, but I'm double majoring so maybe I'm a step ahead of the other future plumbers.

I second the guy above who suggests applying in person and dressing well (buttondown and slacks) because first impressions mean just about everything. Ask around, see where your friends are working and ask if they're hiring.

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homiG, it's really not that hard. Just a couple days ago, I submitted a resume to Club Monaco with a friend who was hunting for a summer job (just for my own good fun, since I already have a corporate job) and I already got a call this morning for an interview on Thursday. As for the corporate and weekend/evening job that I have, both were through connections. One was due to the fact that I knew an executive(my neighbour, LOL), while the other was because I was a frequent customer at the store and the boss favored me.

Enough blabbering about myself now. HomiG, feel free to PM me, I'll try my best to hook you up!

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