Trouble Finding A Job, I'd Love Some Advice

[Kaskadian]

Hi everyone,

I'm having a hell of a time finding a job. I'm not trying to sound arrogant, but I'm a college graduate (doesn't mean much these days), decent GPA, 5+ years of management experience, and I still can't seem to find a job. As of today I've applied to literally 64 different jobs and I've heard absolutely nothing. The jobs I'm applying for range from entry level to middle level management positions. I'm not looking for something unrealistic like $100,000/year, but I haven't even been able to land a job in the mid-30's. I can't seem to wrap my head around it, I've never been fired, I've never failed a drug test at work, etc.

It's been a few months now and I'm starting to stress out since I've got a kid on the way. I'm starting to wonder if my work abroad (China) is turning employers off. At this point I'm starting to question just about everything.

Sorry for ranting, I think I'm just stressed. Any/all advice is welcome. Thanks guys.

Kas

 

[sixstring]

my son in law is goin through the same shit,4 year degree,kid on the way,pushin carts at costco and working for me to pay bills.costco just told him they are moving him to majors/electronics so at least he will kinda be doin something in his field(computers).nobody wants to hire full time right now because our boy obama made it so the employer must take it up the ass from day one with new full time employees,reason why all my guys are "part time" lol.the job market will pick back up if we can just make it to a dif president and rework this silly health care bill.or we can elect Billary and have 4 more years of this awesomeness
what about putting your name at a temp service,sometimes they can place you at a good company for a few weeks and that company might see your work and hire you full time.its worth a shot.28 years ago i was in the same spot man,2nd kid on the way and i was forced to take a second job slingin pizzas whick turned out to be a decent part time job as a manager until my other job saw how hard i was working and gave me a raise to stay put.good luck on the search and an early congrats on the child.peace

 

[Kaskadian]

my son in law is goin through the same shit,4 year degree,kid on the way,pushin carts at costco and working for me to pay bills.costco just told him they are moving him to majors/electronics so at least he will kinda be doin something in his field(computers).nobody wants to hire full time right now because our boy obama made it so the employer must take it up the ass from day one with new full time employees,reason why all my guys are "part time" lol.the job market will pick back up if we can just make it to a dif president and rework this silly health care bill.or we can elect Billary and have 4 more years of this awesomeness
what about putting your name at a temp service,sometimes they can place you at a good company for a few weeks and that company might see your work and hire you full time.its worth a shot.28 years ago i was in the same spot man,2nd kid on the way and i was forced to take a second job slingin pizzas whick turned out to be a decent part time job as a manager until my other job saw how hard i was working and gave me a raise to stay put.good luck on the search and an early congrats on the child.peace

I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one going through this shit. I guess these economic problems are here at a bad time and I just have to suck it up and deal with it. I'm glad to hear you son in law is at least moving forward with his career. Sometimes I feel like a fool for giving up my job in China, but it's not really where I want to spend the next 10 years of my life.

I'll take your advice and put in with a temp agency, hopefully something will turn up. Even if it's not a good job, I've got to have something. Hell, maybe I'll get lucky and get into a decent company. I'll keep putting in my job applications, but I'll also check out the temp agencies. Thanks a lot for the advice & kind words brother.

Kas

 

[Power OG]

Look it's definitely a rough time, I just started working again 3 weeks ago, I'm a plumber and things are starting to look up, my wife has a business management degree and has had the same problem as you for the last couple years, she's Either over qualified that dnt hire her or they say she doesn't have enough experience they want 3 year's minimum and she only has 2 years managing a multi million dollar barge company. So what she did was make 2 different resumes one with her college degree and one without, for smaller jobs. That has worked it's like they see degree and know they have to pay you more, it's messed up its easier for people without degrees to get jobs. Dnt get me wrong I'm not talking careers I'm just talking work. Good luck & positive vibes. Stay positive something will shake

 

[Power OG]

Also just had our son 9 month's ago, so I feel your stress but things will change.
Respect

 

[Kaskadian]

Look it's definitely a rough time, I just started working again 3 weeks ago, I'm a plumber and things are starting to look up, my wife has a business management degree and has had the same problem as you for the last couple years, she's Either over qualified that dnt hire her or they say she doesn't have enough experience they want 3 year's minimum and she only has 2 years managing a multi million dollar barge company. So what she did was make 2 different resumes one with her college degree and one without, for smaller jobs. That has worked it's like they see degree and know they have to pay you more, it's messed up its easier for people without degrees to get jobs. Dnt get me wrong I'm not talking careers I'm just talking work. Good luck & positive vibes. Stay positive something will shake

Thanks brother. I'm glad to hear things are looking up for you; I hope your wife finds what she's looking for as well. It sounds like your wife would be an asset to many different companies; I can definitely understand what your wife is going through. I'm stuck in this weird position where I have the necessary experience for many of these entry/mid level positions , but it's hard to document (few people are actually willing to call the CEO of the company I worked for in China), or they just aren't interested. It's either; as you mentioned; jobs that pay nearly nothing, or jobs that are expecting someone with a masters + 10 years of experience (which I don't have). It's gotten to the point where I hate even checking my email because it's often filled with a "thanks but no thanks" message from some company I've applied at.

I like the resume advice, I'll definitely give that a try. Thanks for the suggestion! Also, congrats on the 9 month old! I'm scared & excited for my kid to come around.

 

[sixstring]

I fotgot to mention my top guy came to me from a temp agency years ago.he has a 4 year at mich state in business but he's currently on his 8th year as the foreman/manager for my landscape co.he did 14 months in Iraq while with me and came back to us then got a "great job" as an air marshall.but a year of that and he's back with us because he likes this job and the lower stress factor.i think he took about 80,000.00 pay cut to come back to me lol.so ya just never know.gl

 

[Kaskadian]

I fotgot to mention my top guy came to me from a temp agency years ago.he has a 4 year at mich state in business but he's currently on his 8th year as the foreman/manager for my landscape co.he did 14 months in Iraq while with me and came back to us then got a "great job" as an air marshall.but a year of that and he's back with us because he likes this job and the lower stress factor.i think he took about 80,000.00 pay cut to come back to me lol.so ya just never know.gl

Thanks for the encouragement brother! I'll check out the temp agencies and see what's available. If it's enough to live, that's good enough for me. Hopefully something will come out of it.

 

[jumpincactus]

@Power OG gave excellent advice. I too started getting the your over qualified BS from employers. Until there is real vigor again in what your scope of work is, maybe tone down your resume to grab something at least for the immediate future so you have a revenue stream flowing. Then when things turn in your industry you can break out the Big Guns again. Good vibes coming your way on the hunt.

 

[420circuit]

When I was working as a janitor with a college degree and suffering a similar difficulty, I moved across the country to find better work. Got a job 2 days after stopping in a new city and renting a converted garage apartment. Bought a house a year later. Ditto on the temp service as an entry point, was offered a job by my first contract employer, but declined because I found something better. Best jobs I have had resulted from connections made while working and establishing a reputation. So do not give up, expand your horizons to include other locations and sign up with every temp service. Maybe a certification or additional training could open a door. The school's employment office might have something too.

 

[Kaskadian]

@Power OG gave excellent advice. I too started getting the your over qualified BS from employers. Until there is real vigor again in what your scope of work is, maybe tone down your resume to grab something at least for the immediate future so you have a revenue stream flowing. Then when things turn in your industry you can break out the Big Guns again. Good vibes coming your way on the hunt.

Thanks brother, I need all the good vibes I can get. I figured having the degree would be a benefit, but obviously it hasn't helped me a bit so far. Applying to 60+ jobs and hearing nothing is almost comical. I'm not "above" working any job personally, but I know realistically I can't support my wife & kids making $10/hr answering phones.

My wife plans to go back to work after giving birth which will help but maybe I'm old fashioned in thinking that I would rather one of us stays home with the kid while they're very young; I'd like to avoid stuffing my kid in a daycare for 12 hours a day if possible. No offense meant to any of you who've done this, in this economy it may be what we end up doing as well. If my wife is able to go into work, maybe I'll try to find something from home or ask her mom to come stay with us for a while as we get everything in order.

When I was working as a janitor with a college degree and suffering a similar difficulty, I moved across the country to find better work. Got a job 2 days after stopping in a new city and renting a converted garage apartment. Bought a house a year later. Ditto on the temp service as an entry point, was offered a job by my first contract employer, but declined because I found something better. Best jobs I have had resulted from connections made while working and establishing a reputation. So do not give up, expand your horizons to include other locations and sign up with every temp service. Maybe a certification or additional training could open a door. The school's employment office might have something too.

The odd thing is, I've always wanted to move back home (Portland, Oregon). I actually made the decision to move back from China in order to move back to Portland and get established there. As of now, my wife and I are staying with my folks sending out job apps like crazy. I love my family but obviously I don't want to be living with my parents as a married adult. What was supposed to be a 4-6 week hunt (in my mind; which I now realize was overly optimistic) has turned into several months with still nothing to show for it. I'm not trying to sound like a bummer, I'm just venting more than anything.

It sounds like everything worked out perfectly for you brother, that's fantastic! I'm half tempted to just pack up my stuff and head on out there with my wife to look for work, but it's hard to head out there knowing I may be eating into my savings. I'll definitely check into the temp agencies, it sounds like many of you have had success with this route. I'm a bit nervous about heading out there, taking a temp job and not being able to find another one if they're not interested in hiring me on as a full time employee.

Either way guys, thank you all so much for the kind words and advice! It's really helping me calm down about the whole situation knowing I'm not the only person who has had to deal with these difficulties.

Kas

 

[420circuit]

And yeah, cleaning the floors while making payments on a huge student loan was a MF. But it was training in motivation, made me swear to myself that I would push harder than anyone else and succeed.

 

[sixstring]

Alot of employer's like myself use temp agency's to find a full time worker without making any llong-term commitment so keep that in mind .

 

[jumpincactus]

Thanks brother, I need all the good vibes I can get. I figured having the degree would be a benefit, but obviously it hasn't helped me a bit so far. Applying to 60+ jobs and hearing nothing is almost comical. I'm not "above" working any job personally, but I know realistically I can't support my wife & kids making $10/hr answering phones.

My wife plans to go back to work after giving birth which will help but maybe I'm old fashioned in thinking that I would rather one of us stays home with the kid while they're very young; I'd like to avoid stuffing my kid in a daycare for 12 hours a day if possible. No offense meant to any of you who've done this, in this economy it may be what we end up doing as well. If my wife is able to go into work, maybe I'll try to find something from home or ask her mom to come stay with us for a while as we get everything in order.



The odd thing is, I've always wanted to move back home (Portland, Oregon). I actually made the decision to move back from China in order to move back to Portland and get established there. As of now, my wife and I are staying with my folks sending out job apps like crazy. I love my family but obviously I don't want to be living with my parents as a married adult. What was supposed to be a 4-6 week hunt (in my mind; which I now realize was overly optimistic) has turned into several months with still nothing to show for it. I'm not trying to sound like a bummer, I'm just venting more than anything.

It sounds like everything worked out perfectly for you brother, that's fantastic! I'm half tempted to just pack up my stuff and head on out there with my wife to look for work, but it's hard to head out there knowing I may be eating into my savings. I'll definitely check into the temp agencies, it sounds like many of you have had success with this route. I'm a bit nervous about heading out there, taking a temp job and not being able to find another one if they're not interested in hiring me on as a full time employee.

Either way guys, thank you all so much for the kind words and advice! It's really helping me calm down about the whole situation knowing I'm not the only person who has had to deal with these difficulties.

Kas

You are not Alone. True that!!!

 

[Growin Grass]

Not a word??????
Is your contact info correct???

 

[Growin Grass]

If you like working with your hands and don't mind getting dirty machining in Portland is support to be real good. My father repairs machine tools down there and says he has more work than he knows what to do with and all the shops are going gangbusters. He's actually getting ready to quit working for his employer and go solo. Entry level can get you ~$15 journey around 28

 

[420circuit]

Having a skill that is in demand is a key to finding work. Sounds obvious, but like I told my kids, that degree in art doesn't let you apply for many jobs. I was surprised when one of them wound up in Operations at a major corporation, the job required a BA to apply, but didn't specify what sort of degree. He doesn't like the job, but it pays well enough and is a step to something better. I worked a several factories, hated it, but everything we do is preparation for the next gig. Keep pushing. Maybe start going to church, lots of reasons to do that, but it can lead to a connection that gets you back to work and the confidence and social connections that happen can get you results.

 

[Kaskadian]

And yeah, cleaning the floors while making payments on a huge student loan was a MF. But it was training in motivation, made me swear to myself that I would push harder than anyone else and succeed.

I hear that! I was lucky to go to college in Kentucky where you can work for UPS part-time and they pay for your education assuming you pass the classes. I started working at 14-15 years old (under the table for spending money), and some of the jobs I did motivated me enough to want more out of life than I was currently getting.

Alot of employer's like myself use temp agency's to find a full time worker without making any llong-term commitment so keep that in mind .

That's great to hear! I know my cousin was hired on at his current job through a temp agency and he's been there a few years now.

Not a word??????
Is your contact info correct???

As much as I hate to admit it; yes. I don't know if this process is normal for "professional" jobs in the US, but the jobs that I worked in college didn't take more than a couple of weeks at most to hear back on. I cant imagine that it would take 3+ months to hear back. I've either not heard a damn thing, or I've received the dreaded "thank you for your application but..." emails.

If you like working with your hands and don't mind getting dirty machining in Portland is support to be real good. My father repairs machine tools down there and says he has more work than he knows what to do with and all the shops are going gangbusters. He's actually getting ready to quit working for his employer and go solo. Entry level can get you ~$15 journey around 28

I'm not above anything brother, I don't mind getting my hands dirty. Growing up, I did some under the table construction work, worked at a greenhouse mixing soil & planting seedlings for 12 hours a day, etc. I'll be honest though, I don't know much about repairing machine tools; I'm not sure what I would be able to contribute. I'd love to hear more about it, but at the same time I wouldn't want to burden because I don't know jack shit about what's going on.

Having a skill that is in demand is a key to finding work. Sounds obvious, but like I told my kids, that degree in art doesn't let you apply for many jobs. I was surprised when one of them wound up in Operations at a major corporation, the job required a BA to apply, but didn't specify what sort of degree. He doesn't like the job, but it pays well enough and is a step to something better. I worked a several factories, hated it, but everything we do is preparation for the next gig. Keep pushing. Maybe start going to church, lots of reasons to do that, but it can lead to a connection that gets you back to work and the confidence and social connections that happen can get you results.

Honestly when I started college I wanted to do one of the "fun" degrees but my father convinced me to get a business degree (Business Administration) instead. I basically heard the exact same advice as you've given your kids; it's sound advice too! To be completely honest, I lucked into the position that I received in China; had my native language not been English I'm quite certain I wouldn't have gotten the position. Essentially I was an HR manager for the foreign workers that came in for work. It worked out and I gained a lot of experience from it, but I didn't necessary "earn" the position as I would have had to do here. Before that job, I've done basically everything you can imagine... I worked at a greenhouse, picked up/transported money from businesses to banks, marketing photography for an online retailer, customer service, retail, etc. I'll definitely start networking again once I get out there; unfortunately I left Portland many years ago and many of those connections that I had don't exist anymore. I plan to go to the church that my family used to attend when we lived out there; maybe something will turn up there. So far the furthest my connections have gotten me is a potential position selling insurance in Vancouver, WA (across the river from Portland) but even that isn't confirmed since they aren't actively hiring at the moment.

 

[Growin Grass]

I'll be honest though, I don't know much about repairing machine tools; I'm not sure what I would be able to contribute.

Repairs are what my father does, general machining can be as easy as pushing a green button and comparing the results to a blueprint.


60 secs on cl


Currently Hiring Entry-Mid Level CNC Machinist
compensation: Pay: $14-17/hour



We are currently hiring for several entry-mid level CNC Machinist for a local manufacturing company.

If you have schooling in machining we will consider your experience!

Current positions are for swing/graveyard and you must be willing to work on the weekends.

To be considered for this position, please submit your resume to this posting, all qualified candidates will be contacted.

Pay: $14-17/hour

If you told them you were a hard, organized worker with experience in construction and the ability to read a tape measure (I've met WAY too many "machinists" that can't) you'd probably get a call back

 

[alaskind]

One of the best things that happened to me was losing my competitive status. no shit. I was a content govt employee when I got busted in 08 for growing. After the dust cleared and tears dried, I found myself unable to apply at work Id done for others all my life. Ive since started my own business and I wont ever give away my best to another for profit. I started out cutting firewwod and have turned that into a year round odd jobs/labor/nasty job service that works better than any of my carreers did. :) Dont be surprised that "success" will probably ignore your plans, brother.