Just made 9 phone calls and got 3 job interviews, "no work out there" my bum there isnt

There seem to be alot of people on here who support the idea of welfare for all, I personally believe everyone should pull their own weight.
If you are sound of mind and body there is absolutely no reason why anyone let alone the government should be giving you a hand out.

I do appreciate there are a few exceptions, If you have been made redundant or fired then there should be some sort of short term assistance and if you are in any way impared and GENUINELY unable to physically work then yes I also think you should be taken care of, I know if I was unable to work it would be good to have that safety net.

But all these people who are able bodied and receiving benefits seriously what are you doing???

I know for a fact in Australia (capital cities at least) there is plenty of work going, if you dont see something you want to do in the papers or online go out and use some initiative, approach companies who may not be actively recruiting. If there is genuinely no work in your chosen field then sorry but you need to find a new field.

If you live in an area that has no work then you need to move, whether that be suburb, city or state it doesnt matter. Humans have had to migrate for 1000s of years when conditions in their local environment were no longer suitable to sustain them and its not much different today.

As I mentioned I know for a fact there is work readily available in Oz so as an experiment I decided to see if
it really was as bad in the UK and US as some people on here would have me believe. I made 9 phone calls using my skype account, 4 to New York, 3 to London and 2 to Brighton.
In New York I was offered an interview with a retail outlet paying above min wage (I made sure to ask) In Brighton I got an interview with a swimming pool and in London at hotel.

I told all of them I had no experience but I was keen to work and willing to learn.

To be fair I spent a few years working in recruitment so I have a good idea of what to say to employers and rather than this just be a beat down thread I thought I would offer some practical advice for anyone on this site who is currently unemployed but genuine about getting a job and having the pride of being self sufficient and productive.

1st of all dont rely on job agencies or wanted ads from papers or online sites, figure out what you want to do, get a resume together and approach companies in your chosen field. If you dont have a resume or know how to put one together there are many websites that can help or your local job centre should be able to show you how.

2nd When calling a company if they ask you to send in your resume tell them you would rather drop it off in person, this shows enthusiasm and also gives you a chance to stick out from the crowd and will ensure they remember you.

3rd you have a better chance dealing with smaller companies, any company that has a dedicated HR department normally has alot of fluffing around between realising they need someone and actually filling the position. If you mange to speak to a manager or better yet owner and make a good impression they may create a position for you if they can see you will be of benefit to the company.

4th remain positive and seem optomistic when you meet with people. Its human nature to want to be around upbeat people always smile and be engaging and if its in your nature a small joke or 2 never hurts

5th and finally when any meetings conclude assume you have the job, shake their hand and tell them you look forward to hearing from them and are looking forward to working there.
Assumption is a very powerful psychological tool and if its the owner they will appreciate your enthusiasm.

If this thread helps even 1 person Ill be over the moon but my experience with long term unemployed types (family and close friends included) is that they are happy getting there pittance from the Gov and a common excuse Ive heard is "yeah Ive been offered work but its only a bit more than the dole"
sure it may start out that way but there is the chance of pay raises or promotions, Ive never heard of anyone being promoted on the dole.

Ive helped over 400 people find work and if your genuine I would be more than willing to help in anyway I can.

OK Im done, I doubt this thread will go anywhere but once again if even one person gets something from this Ill be over the moon

Cheers

Totally dependent on the area and what is going on in it.

Some places are still economically viable, others are falling apart at the seams.

Give you an example of how things can be...

In a town near where I live, a McDonalds put out notice that they would be hiring 25 people and were accepting applications.

The day of the applications, they had approximately 1500 people apply.

For a job at McDonalds. Lowest wages out there and crappy conditions, all things considered.

Yet, the job market there is so shabby that 1500 people were clamoring for a job there.


Now, is that kind of thing happening everywhere? No, but it IS happening in enough places that people really should be taking notice and realizing there's a problem with those numbers.

So, I am glad for your own situation and circumstances, but it's not that way everywhere, and you can consider yourself one of the lucky ones.

One thing as well, the idea of just picking up and moving is also NOT easily done in these times, especially when you have children involved. Been there personally. When single, or with no kids involved? Much easier prospect.

I get interviews all the time. So far I have gotten passed over for every single one.

I have followed up with some of them through the internet - many companies of the type that I seek work at will put their employees on their website - and the candidates who have gotten the jobs I interviewed for have been women in their 20s. Nobody wants a middle-aged white guy these days when they can have the young eye candy. Discrimination is alive and well. As long as it's BEFORE the hire date, there's nothing you can do.


I made $80k a year at one time. About a month ago I applied for a $7.50/hour janitor job at WalMart. I did not get a callback.

I shall move to Malaysia poste haste.

I will leave my every single tie to this one land I was born into and be a koolie jetting rich people around from night spot to night spot.

My dreams of becoming a buff beach bum, thwarted by this sudden realisation - I am not all that I am, I am not. I am.. not. am I?

I need more and I seek it at your one stop shop, all thing nice and you pay now!

I love those shops. They make me feel evolved.

Anyhoo, on the way to over there, with your over here, and their over their.. I'll go this way.

It is completely and totally dependent on what's out there. Living in Australia, you should count yourself very lucky because the Australian economy has been spared a good deal of what's going on in the world because of mineral trading and that sort of thing.

I'm from an area of the U.S. where most counties have official unemployment rates of upwards of fifteen percent. I hate to break it to you, but not everybody can just pick up and move, either. Moving takes a lot of money, more money than people like to admit, and than most people are going to have if they're out of work.

Humm

Something is wrong, I am still umemployed!

So, is it me or you baby??


I'm still here asking, you're the one off with the keys man..

get me a job NAO!!

reply to post by Jomina


I appreciate I may come across as a smug heartless prick when I say this but if things are that bad in the area anyone lives in and your not one of the ones lucky enough to find work you need to seriously consider moving.

In a way I think no one should have to but its a simple matter of supply and demand, we could go on aboout the greed and injustice of jobs being sent overseas ( which I find despicable) or we can look at what can be done to make your personal circumstances better.

Think of the solution (finding work) not the problem (there are no jobs/there all overseas)
Whining about it does nothing

reply to post by AwakeinNM


My condolences dude,

Ive seen your posts and you come across as quite intelligent and witty, would you ever consider sales or customer service?

Sales jobs are quite easy to get and once you get over the stigma attached to such jobs they can be very rewarding.

I apologise if I come across as a know it all prick and your right that things are easier the younger you are but there is always something out there dude its just a matter of finding it.

Originally posted by mainidh
I shall move to Malaysia poste haste.

I will leave my every single tie to this one land I was born into and be a koolie jetting rich people around from night spot to night spot.

My dreams of becoming a buff beach bum, thwarted by this sudden realisation - I am not all that I am, I am not. I am.. not. am I?

I need more and I seek it at your one stop shop, all thing nice and you pay now!

I love those shops. They make me feel evolved.

Anyhoo, on the way to over there, with your over here, and their over their.. I'll go this way.

LOL It would be cool to meet a fellow ATSer, look forward to seeing you here

I moved to Malaysia with an Aussie job, The work I do has absolutely nothing to do with Malaysia but yes it is very easy for expats to get jobs here

Originally posted by AnIntellectualRedneck
It is completely and totally dependent on what's out there. Living in Australia, you should count yourself very lucky because the Australian economy has been spared a good deal of what's going on in the world because of mineral trading and that sort of thing.

I'm from an area of the U.S. where most counties have official unemployment rates of upwards of fifteen percent. I hate to break it to you, but not everybody can just pick up and move, either. Moving takes a lot of money, more money than people like to admit, and than most people are going to have if they're out of work.

I agree its not easy to find a job in all places but I dont think its hard either, as I mentioned there are things you can do to give yourself a better chance or to stand out from the crowd.

I have to strongly disagree with you that moving takes alot of money, depending on what commitments you have where you are such as a mortgage or children it can be hard but without these things its easy, it just takes a leap of faith.

I left my country with a plane ticket and $600 dollars in the bank which in local terms is about the equivalent of $1800 US, to be fair I did have a job at the time so I knew I had an income and it would only be a few weeks till my next paycheck, for me moving wasnt an economic necessity I moved because I wanted a better lifestyle without having to work 50+ hours a week.

Im not suggesting people take off blind, Im suggesting if theres no work in your area look at areas that do have work going, or stay where you are and stay unemployed. To me the choice is an easy one

reply to post by mainidh


LOL

Where abouts in the world are you and what do you want to do?
gimme some background info and if I cant find you a job in 3 weeks Ill give you an all expenses paid holiday to Malaysia

Being offered an interview is still a massive leap away from actually getting a job.

reply to post by Suspiria


Very true but considering these places werent hiring I would say its a good sign that they wanted to see me

reply to post by IkNOwSTuff

2nd When calling a company if they ask you to send in your resume tell them you would rather drop it off in person, this shows enthusiasm and also gives you a chance to stick out from the crowd and will ensure they remember you.

What century are you in? Most companies want an electronic copy of your resume' so they can run it through their sorting program to see if they even want to talk to you in the first place. The best bet is to learn how these sorting programs work for resume's and make sure your resume' will make it through this step of the process.

Computers scan pages from top to bottom looking for relevant keywords. A keyword summary at the top of your page can help get your resume noticed. It is useful to make your resume more efficient when it comes to electronic retrieval. A short summary loaded with keywords will push your resume to the top of the search findings. This is ideal for scannable resumes, online resumes, job banks and online job applications.

Keywords are selected by a human reviewer and rated in terms of importance. They will define mandatory words and preferred words. The tracker will scan resumes for these words and each time it locates one it is a hit. Based on the number of hits your resume gets it will be ranked in the search results. The employer will then be able to locate the resumes that based on keywords are most suited to the position. If your resume doesn't appear in the top ten then you'll be lucky to get a look in.

Keyword rich resumes are essential for job seekers. The more words and phrases you can cover in your resume the better your chances are of finding a job. A keyword summary at the beginning of your resume is a good way to include words not found in your content. Be sure to cover all possibilities such as job titles, industry terminology, skills, experience and qualifications that you think will be valuable to your potential employer. Try to use words that will also appeal to the human reader too. This is a list that goes at the top of the page, computers scan from top to bottom so you will be getting hits straight away. It is for computer registration only so you just need to write down all the words you have come up with.

Load your resume with keywords and phrases to ensure your ranked high in the search results. Back up your keyword summary with words and phrases in your qualifications, skills, strengths and employment history. Remember it is a human that will be picking the relevant words but it will be the computer that decides whether your resume is a match with the job description.

www.professional-resumes.com...

Originally posted by IkNOwSTuff
reply to post by AwakeinNM

 

My condolences dude,

Ive seen your posts and you come across as quite intelligent and witty, would you ever consider sales or customer service?

Sales jobs are quite easy to get and once you get over the stigma attached to such jobs they can be very rewarding.

I apologise if I come across as a know it all prick and your right that things are easier the younger you are but there is always something out there dude its just a matter of finding it.

Nah, it's OK. I have had those interviews also - CarMax, Dick's Sporting Goods. No dice. I got passed over for those also. Also a no-go at Target, Home Depot.

What is wrong with me if these places are not hiring me? It's not like I have three heads or something. I think it's age discrimination - I really can't think of anything else.

reply to post by IkNOwSTuff


Well, as you said it yourself I don't suppose there is any harm in agreeing that yes you do come off as a smug ......
I am claiming benefit at the moment, not apologising either.
I live in a town in the south of England and up until 4 months ago was employed ongoing with no real breaks in employment and if i did apply for a job, always got an interview, never out of work for more than a few weeks.
During the last year however, my flat was reposessed and I now have bad credit rating which means that none of the companies I would normally apply for will now consider me. Believe me i've tried them all. Employment history in Insurance, mortgages, pensions, investments etc, all within the financial services.
As for saying change careers, that is very much dependant on whats going in the area, this area as I said is mainly the financial sector. Now i'm certainly not above lowering my wage expectations and have in the last 4 months sent of hundreds of applications, following much the same structure you outlined above.
Here, you are lucky to get a response. If its a lower/ minimum wage job then you are deemed overqualified, if its a retail job you don't have any experience.
As for moving, if someone is already receiving benefits then i'm sure I don't need to explain to you why that idea is not plausible, especially seeing as my bf has work here.
Anyway, everyones situation is different and i certainly don't wish my situation on anyonelse BUT please don't try to tell us that the UK job market is healthy after getting 2 interviews. As suspira rightly said, interviews are not the same as getting the job.

reply to post by daydoesez


Personally, unless you directly handle money in a large way, I think it should be illegal to require a credit check as a premise for hiring someone.

This is (in my book) equivalent to how southern states required a literacy test to vote after the Civil War. It is equally unconstitutional in my book...

reply to post by IkNOwSTuff


Do you know how little minimum wage will buy?

I suggest you do some research there a book called 'nickle and dimed' will give you an idea of the conditions you would need to live under if you were to accept a minimum wage job. You mentioned 'above' minimum wage how much above?

Plus you have I assume an austrailian accent they were paying for the novelty factor. Would they pay your moving expenses? I wager not. Plus I have accepted positions which required relocating and when I arrived I was informed tha the salary had been changed (-25%)

An offer is just the start of a negotiation.

reply to post by Gazrok


Holy crap, I never knew that!
Gonna have to brush up on my buzz words and incorporate them into my resume.

reply to post by Lulzaroonie


Yep. The keywords are often in the job posting itself.
Especially look for any words that are repeated often in the posting, and incorporate those into your resume as much as possible (without being completely dishonest of course).

Also: (I'll emphasize this part)

Be sure to cover all possibilities such as job titles, industry terminology, skills, experience and qualifications that you think will be valuable to your potential employer. Try to use words that will also appeal to the human reader too.

Glad I could help!

Rest assured, if any company insists you submit your application online, it is because they are using this kind of software to make their job of hiring easier. With the wrong resume', it won't even get looked at by an actual person, but filed in the junk-mail drawer. (this is why it's also good to have a few different e-mail addresses while doing a job search. Resubmit with a different address to avoid that).

Here's a link specifically on how to identify the keywords:
www.internationalstudent.com...

I'm sure a google on resume keywords will give you some more suggestions.
Learn to use Big Brother FOR you....hehe...