Who else is job hunting right now?

[RUDisney]

I have informal cards with my name on them that I use but before I had those, a simple thank you card (the ones that come 8-10 in a pack and say 'thank you' on the front) will do just as nicely. Even a non-descript blank card that is thank you sized is good.

The card should be handwritten.

"Dear Mary,

I enjoyed meeting with you and Jane today to discuss the opportunity you have available to be ______ for your organization (or name the organization.) Having met with you, I am very excited about the position. I am confident that if you select me, you will not be sorry. I am sure that I will meet and exceed all of your expectations.

Thank you for taking the time to meet with me.

Sincerely,

MushyMushy"

Make sure to send a personal note, even if they say the same thing to everyone who met with you.

Ooh... I hope you get it!!!

 

[sallysmom]

To those searching for jobs, don't give up I wish I had this thread for the past 12 months! I was unemployed from 9/3/2008 until TODAY!
Congrats to LivingtheWDWdream!

You give us all hope!

 

[wdwgirl03]

I just got back from an interview for a teaching position. They said they'll be making a decision by next week so keep your fingers crossed! I really want to do something besides subbing and working part time at the mall!

 

[sallysmom]

LOTS 'O LUCK!

 

[Luv Bunnies]

It's unbelievable how difficult it is to find a job right now. My DH was laid off in May after 21 years at his company. He could have moved to another state to keep his job but that's not an option for us right now. We have a son with Asperger's Syndrome and we have an excellent specialized school for him right here in our city. The tuition is being fully-paid by our school district. We felt it was best for our son to keep him in school.

DH has been searching on Monster and sending out resumes everyday. He's had one phone interview so far. It was for a really great job and the interviewer seemed to really like him. However, the company already had a candidate in mind and my husband was being interview as the "back-up candidate" in case the first one didn't accept. It was very frustrating!

He just found a listing for a great job and it happens that a friend of mine works for the same company. She agreed to find out who the hiring manager is and walk my DH's resume to him. He looked over the resume and said he would call DH. If he doesn't call by tomorrow, my friend will check in with him. I know it's good to have personal contacts to get your foot in the door so I'm hoping this helps.

Luckily, I still have my job as a teaching assistant in a special ed preschool class. I'm starting my 8th year and I'm at the top of the pay scale so my job has decent pay. I was also able to pick up benefits for the family since COBRA is so freakin' expensive. It's taking a chunk out of my take-home pay but I'm happy to have benefits for our family.

Good luck to everyone who is job hunting. I feel your pain!

 

[wdwgirl03]

DH has been searching on Monster and sending out resumes everyday. He's had one phone interview so far. It was for a really great job and the interviewer seemed to really like him. However, the company already had a candidate in mind and my husband was being interview as the "back-up candidate" in case the first one didn't accept. It was very frustrating!

UGH, I hate that! I interviewed for a teaching position last year and thought the interview went really well. Sadly I didn't get the job but when I went to sub there later on in the year I found out the person who got the job had a long-term subbing job at that school! It is beyond frustrating.

 

[MushyMushy]

UGH, I hate that! I interviewed for a teaching position last year and thought the interview went really well. Sadly I didn't get the job but when I went to sub there later on in the year I found out the person who got the job had a long-term subbing job at that school! It is beyond frustrating.

I went for a teaching position over a year ago... you had to hand deliver your resume/cover letter in person to this school way out in the boonies, like a 30 mile drive. It was listed in the paper only one day, so I got all my stuff together and made the drive. The very next day, it was written in the paper from the previous day's board meeting that they'd hired someone for the position. So why on earth make applicants drive all the way out there if they had someone in mind for the position?

 

[babytrees]

I went for a teaching position over a year ago... you had to hand deliver your resume/cover letter in person to this school way out in the boonies, like a 30 mile drive. It was listed in the paper only one day, so I got all my stuff together and made the drive. The very next day, it was written in the paper from the previous day's board meeting that they'd hired someone for the position. So why on earth make applicants drive all the way out there if they had someone in mind for the position?

Because then they can say they tried to look for outside candidates and are less likely to be sued.

Frustrating for sure.

 

[mrsv98]

I went for a teaching position over a year ago... you had to hand deliver your resume/cover letter in person to this school way out in the boonies, like a 30 mile drive. It was listed in the paper only one day, so I got all my stuff together and made the drive. The very next day, it was written in the paper from the previous day's board meeting that they'd hired someone for the position. So why on earth make applicants drive all the way out there if they had someone in mind for the position?

This happens all the time and it is maddening. When I was teaching at a prestigious private school, the Head decided to retire. The was a man already employed by the school whom everyone knew was the heir apparent. Yet, the school spent months, a ton of money and a great deal of the candidate's time to interview 5 or 6 people. They flew them in, waltzed them around the school, had meetings with teachers, alum and staff and in the end, gave the job to the guy we all knew was going to get it! Then they spent more time defending the process and saying they went in without a presumptive candidate.

I really felt sorry for the people they brought in. I loved the school but that really was a farce and unfair to the candidates.

 

[RUDisney]

This happens all the time and it is maddening. When I was teaching at a prestigious private school, the Head decided to retire. The was a man already employed by the school whom everyone knew was the heir apparent. Yet, the school spent months, a ton of money and a great deal of the candidate's time to interview 5 or 6 people. They flew them in, waltzed them around the school, had meetings with teachers, alum and staff and in the end, gave the job to the guy we all knew was going to get it! Then they spent more time defending the process and saying they went in without a presumptive candidate.

I really felt sorry for the people they brought in. I loved the school but that really was a farce and unfair to the candidates.

There was just a headline in the paper on Saturday about a district conducting a search for a superintendant and then "deciding" after a national search that the best candidate was already employed by the district.

 

[babytrees]

Does everybody else have "canned" cover letters that sometimes doesn't work for some ads??

I am fussing over a job ad right now....don't know how to "uncan" this letter.

 

[MushyMushy]

Ack! I'm really nervous now.

My interviewer went through and called all of my references -- not one of them has called her back! OMG! One of them is even a friend of mine and she said she's just been too busy. I don't want to say, "Well, PLEASE find time so I can work!" It's just frustrating, you know? So the company called me today to ask me to get in touch with my references to have them call back. That's a bit awkward. I tried to do it in a friendly, "They must not have been able to get through to you" sort of way. One of my references retired, so I called a former supervisor and she's glad to do it.

I just hate to think that my job future is hanging on people who may or may not call on my behalf. It also makes me a bit paranoid that maybe we didn't have as good a working relationship as I thought.

 

[RUDisney]

Call your friends and tell them how important it is to call back.

Then, make sure that you never use these three people again since they can't be trusted to help when you need them.

 

[slo]

This is such a terrible time!!!

My DH lost his job on March 30th, and he is an awesome manufacturing/mechanical engineer. We thought he would have another job by now, but he is still unemployeed If I had a dollar for every resume he's put out, I'd be able to pay off one of my cars.

He's been a couple of interviews, but he didn't get the job
The competition is fierce, and the jobs around here are scarce. Industry is one of the hardest hit areas where I live.

He still has a couple of irons in the fire with a company, and we are praying that he gets one of these two jobs. Our Cobra insurance jumps to $1900 a month on January 1st, and I just don't know how we are going to afford that. It's a very scary time!!!!!

Good luck to all of you who are looking for a job.
My thoughts and prayers are with you all!!!!!

 

[Mellie2162]

Can I join in here? Im looking to change careers due to the fact that my job no longer provides enough work to pay my bills. I work out of the home right now but Im looking for something outside the home that will provide me with a decent pay. Its hard to find anything.

Also I have a friend whose husband was just released from prison after being there a year. He was charged with a misdemeanor and he can't even get a job at McDonalds. I feel so bad for her, she's trying so hard and he's putting in apps everywhere on earth but no luck.

 

[bananda]

joining this thread, although im a youngin. i mainly post on the teen board, but there's really no where to complain about my lack of employment.

i graduated from high school last year and have spent all of this year looking for a job. unfortunately, people only want to hire someone with experience, which i dont have. it is so frustrating. my parents are making me pay for TAFE (kinda like college) next year and i cant afford it. its so freakin annoying!!

im thinking of making dresses and stuff to sell on ebay, but i need money to buy fabric. its a vicious cycle...

 

[MushyMushy]

joining this thread, although im a youngin. i mainly post on the teen board, but there's really no where to complain about my lack of employment.

i graduated from high school last year and have spent all of this year looking for a job. unfortunately, people only want to hire someone with experience, which i dont have. it is so frustrating. my parents are making me pay for TAFE (kinda like college) next year and i cant afford it. its so freakin annoying!!

im thinking of making dresses and stuff to sell on ebay, but i need money to buy fabric. its a vicious cycle...

My son is having the same problems, although I did just post that he got a job at Walmart. He took welding at the vo tech in high school (also graduated last May), but I'm kind of worried that if he goes without a welding job for too long, he won't be able to get into a position without going to a technical school, which he doesn't want to do.

I'm not sure what TAFE is, but if you can, try to get your parents to not declare you as a dependent this year. Hopefully if they do that, you'll be able to apply for financial aid on your own.

 

[bananda]

My son is having the same problems, although I did just post that he got a job at Walmart. He took welding at the vo tech in high school (also graduated last May), but I'm kind of worried that if he goes without a welding job for too long, he won't be able to get into a position without going to a technical school, which he doesn't want to do.

I'm not sure what TAFE is, but if you can, try to get your parents to not declare you as a dependent this year. Hopefully if they do that, you'll be able to apply for financial aid on your own.

i hope your son gets a welding job soon

TAFE is like technical college. i dont qualify for any financial aid, because my dad earns too much and you have to live on your own for a year to be independent. im still living at home

 

[Cindy B]

Can I join in here? Im looking to change careers due to the fact that my job no longer provides enough work to pay my bills. I work out of the home right now but Im looking for something outside the home that will provide me with a decent pay. Its hard to find anything.

Also I have a friend whose husband was just released from prison after being there a year. He was charged with a misdemeanor and he can't even get a job at McDonalds. I feel so bad for her, she's trying so hard and he's putting in apps everywhere on earth but no luck.

That is a difficult position to be in. Can this person get some vocational rehab assistance from either his parole/probation officer? In this state, the parole/probation officers have a department where someone tries to place former prisoners with jobs. In one of my former work positions I used to get ex prisoners or the parole representative looking for work. Here's one hint I saw from all the work applications. When the question asks "Have you ever been convicted...?" of course write yes but then state "will explain in interview or will explain further details upon request". This showcases that yes something happened but you don't have to write all the conviction details on the app where everyone can see.

 

[RUDisney]

I got another rejection today. A job I applied for in June has been put on hold indefinitely. It's a job with a government contractor and would have been only 25 minutes from home. Everything else I've seen in the Business Analysis/Quality Assurance realm has been about 2 hours from home.

I'm still waiting for my county to take the IT position off the shelf and get to work on hiring a CIO. At least that is still in the hopper, but I'm on an out-of-work downer today. I think it's also because my birthday is Saturday and so far my DH can't take me to dinner on Friday night because he's in a golf tournament that afternoon and he's going to Penn State's game on Saturday so too bad, so sad for me.

I'm thinking about making him go out for Indian food when he finally decides to grace me with his presence. He's never had it and is afraid to try it. He's afraid to eat anything that his mother didn't make when he was growing up.