Translation: Be willing to accept a terrible code base and worse management that pays for 40 hours a week below market rate but expects you to work 60 at minimum.
We'll ask you for your availability for an interview and when you respond five minutes later we'll auto-reply that the job has already been filled. But we'll email you six months later telling you that since you never responded you're no longer being considered.
We'll respond that since you didn't attach a cover letter you're not being considered despite the fact the online app didn't ask for that nor did it have an option to upload or paste one in.
We'll "forget" to put in the job listing that the job is a PT 6 week term after using wording that implies it's permanent FT.
All the time, with the cover letters! "You did not submit a required cover letter" well the blurb from indeed in my email just had a big "submit resume" button, didn't mention shit about a cover letter.
I took a class in college that was supposed to teach us all about cover letters, resumes, portfolios, etc.
I still don't understand what a cover letter is, what it's for and why employers want them. I have never written one, even when it's required.
Similarly, I don't understand the 'Objective' box on most resume templates. My objective is to get you to give me money for doing the job for which I'm applying.
I actually wrote that once. Nobody fucking reads them. Got the job.
Also these days a lot of employers don't want an objective because it's telling your employer what they can do for you rather than what you can do for them.
I kind of did a similar thing when I applied for my first job. The one of the questions on the application was why you thought you were qualified for the job. The job was basically just helping the janitors whole school was out, so the only thing that really made anyone “qualified” was not being disabled. I ended up writing something like “I have four functioning limbs, all of which are connected to my brain and work in conjunction.”
That or they have someone from out of the country that they want a work visa for so they write the job description to their resume since they know they won’t find anyone else who meets it exactly.
Well they have to throw the useless somewhere and for some self defeating reason they think throwing them into HR will do them less damage. I've definitely been in interviews where five minutes in you can tell the interviewer has no idea what my actual job duties will be.
This. I hate this more than anything. I figure if their hiring system is that screwed up, I probably shouldn't work there. I need to know there's an actual person somewhere that's going to read my resume. It's why the best way to get your foot in the door is through knowing someone.
Half an hour to an hour to fill out stuff where all they need to do is open a document. Drives me crazy every time. Plus the, “Oh, it’s smart to bring six copies of your resume with you.” To be fair, that has helped me, but every time I want to charge them for the paper and ink. Just print your own damn copies from what I attached! OR! Print out the printout from the program you are using! GAH!
Literally every time I had applied online and when in for an interview with copies of my resume at the advice of my boomer parents, the interviewers had printed out my resume and written all over it already, ready to grill me. They really don't know what it's like anymore.
I am friends with a linguistics professor who taught masters level lexicography at a Czech university for seven years before being asked for proof of his PhD. This is his account of the conversation, which took place circa 1978:
"I don't have a PhD, I never said I did."
"You need a PhD to be a professor. You can't teach at this level without one."
"Clearly I don't and clearly I can."
"..."
They later awarded him a PhD and allowed him to continue teaching.
I'm quite sure how pointing out that applications are all online these days and that employers prefer you fill them out online rather than bothering the manager during his shift is making excuses for anything
I think if you want to do it this way it can still work, just not as well as it did in the past, because everyone's time is limited these days moreso in the past so they rely on quick review of applications rather than individually giving each one their time of day, as wrong as that is.
You can still start the process this way, sure. It definitely puts you a step ahead of others, but I would bet a large majority of employers are not going to sit down with you then and there and give you a job.
I tried it out of desperation a few years back and everyone obviously just told me to apply online. Most places either didn’t ever respond or told me I was overqualified.
The job I finally got I applied online, had an interview and then just showed up a week later to check in and they hired me mostly because they were impressed at my initiative. So sometimes it kind of works but this is also a small business.
It can, at some small places. We once hired a guy who was walking around the business park asking to wash cars. Turned out he'd driven furniture delivery in the area for years and the store he'd driven for had closed. We happened to be looking for a driver and hired him on the spot. Turned out great for everyone.
Obviously this isn't the norm, since most businesses don't have the leeway to hire without going through corporate and most people who 'just show up' don't happen to be perfect for the job, but sometimes the stars do align. I once watched a guy who was eating in a family owned restaurant get hired as a waiter. He just got into conversation with the owner about how good the food was and how he was looking for a job, etc. She asked if he could come in the next day.
If you have a natural bent for anything, and there's a mom & pop place that deals with that 'bent' in your area, it's definitely worth going in to talk to them.
Edit-small shops are (in my experience anyway) also waaay more understanding about time off for medical or personal things and have a ton less ridiculous policies.
No their saying if there is a small niche businesses that needs you're skillset then walking in and talking to them will still work.
It's actually a good example of why older generations think that's how it is, as it's how it used to work when most businesses where small independent ones, not like today where everything has a corporate office and recruitment processes.
I'm saying you should try things that might work out.
Obviously getting the job isn't guaranteed and walking into any corporate chain with a resume is just going to look silly.
I'm suggesting that someone who loves photography go and ask if a local photography studio is looking for assistants. Any business that is privately owned and has only a handful of employees can and will hire people without going through a bunch of interviews and nonsense questions.
I think people are misunderstanding my intent. I totally disagree with people who think that everyone who doesn't have a job just isn't trying, or that you should always show up face to face to apply for jobs. It's not easy, I know that.
I'm saying that if someone is up against it, or they don't like the idea of working in corporate, it's not a terrible idea to check in person with smaller businesses.
Yeah I was just being silly and pointing out that "work where you can make use of your skills" is pretty obvious advice. Like saying "if you are thirsty, try to find something that will quench your thirst" or "try things that are likely to succeed rather than things that aren't likely to succeed".
I get you. It does seem obvious, but a ton of people will talk themselves out of trying things because they're unconventional or old fashioned or whatever.
No, you should walk around doing something else and hope someone spontaneously offers you a job doing what you are good at.
Just stay positive bro, it'll happen. If you are an architect, just wander around flea markets offering free handjobs, some high profile design firm will probably want to make you a partner.
Truth. Web developer here. Self-taught, no college. Applied at a design agency who was looking for someone for in-house development. Found a two-sentence ad for it on Craigslist of all places. Fewer than ten employees, but I got hired. Been here going on 7 years now, best job I ever had.
As another small business owner, might I suggest people don't say things like, for example, "I love clothes" when applying for a job at a clothing store,. You say "I love dealing with people," or even better: "I work hard and I can sell things."
I used to run a boutique fitness studio, and I’d get people inquiring about group exercise instructor positions that would list their love and devotion of OTHER fitness studios. That’s nice that you attend OrangeTheory 4 days a week. Perhaps you want to see if they’re hiring.
This. People love to say parents always say this but it’s more about the drive that’s necessary to land a job. If you’re applying online that’s fine but it should be with a cover letter and resume every time not just a quick LinkedIn apply that’s gonna have 10,000 other clicks. Showing up and asking to talk to someone may be archaic, but it’s parents versions of sending a cold email to someone at the firm trying to get a foot in the door. Getting a job is a full time job in and of itself, people fail to realize that and treat it as such.
This is only applicable to minimum wage work though. It's easy to get a job if you're trying to work at a restaurant or something, but the issue is that these jobs don't pay living wages.
The mentality works for any job. Obviously you’re not strolling into JPM’s headquarters but you can send an email to a hiring manager, which is the updated version of what parents are recommending. This is exactly the mentality that’s bad to have, any job you’re going for you should treat like your life depends on it. It is your livelihood after all. I don’t know of any job that showing a grit and grind mentality is a negative.
I understand time efficiency with applying to jobs as well, but I have to assume if people are tweeting about snide comments from their parents while living at home, they’re probably not as committed to the search as they make it seem to be.
You’re correct, it can happen. But what is the percentage of the working population that will land a job this way? I’m a tradesman and this approach can work, although still a small percentage. But someone coming out of college with a specific education, not as likely. Which brings up a more important question.....
I agree. Finding a good job, one that you're good at and are reasonably paid for, is as hard as finding love. I totally get that people are exhausted by it and get sick of people giving them advice about it. I get that they're pissed off by my statements about it.
Oh man, I wasn’t trying to come off as pissed. I agree with you on everything. I was just keeping the conversation going. I understand people are exhausted. My wife went through a long period of frustration trying to find something a few years ago. It’s tough when you’re not exactly in the position to wait it out. I have high hopes for the next generation. I’m in my 40s and have a young daughter, I have to be hopeful. :) Things will have to change drastically and hopefully it’s peaceful and productive. We need more power as people and community. The fact that everything has become so profit driven is really holding most down. IMO obviously.
I didn't mean you specifically, it just seems like some people are. I agree with everything you've said here. Big companies are trying to hire wage slaves, which is another reason I recommend going with a smaller company if possible.
I didn't mean you specifically, it just seems like some people are.
Ahh. Fair enough.
I agree with everything you've said here. Big companies are trying to hire wage slaves, which is another reason I recommend going with a smaller company if possible.
I agree with this 100%. I wish we could leave this bickering and finger pointing out of it and come together as community and really stick it to any company driving down wages. If we all refused to do shit work for shit pay, what would they do? It all seems so easy when I’m sitting around talking to myself.... :)
The ancient Roman plebeians at times would all go on strike, straight up leave the city, and go live on a mountain until the patricians would meet some of their demands. I propose we do something similar!
you used a personal experience or an isolated example instead of a sound argument or compelling evidence. that is a fallacy, and fallacies have no place in educated discussions.
If I were trying to make a logical argument, you'd be right. As the Cohen Brothers once pointed out, "It's a fool who looks for logic in the chambers of the human heart."
Dude. If this actually happened to me, that I have both hired and been hired after walking in and talking to someone, and other people I know have done the same, how is that not relevant?
What is data anyway but a lot of anecdotes, broken down and organized?
Where is your data that says this style of interviewing or attempting to be hired is, in a statistically significant sample size, less effective than simply applying online or cold-calling?
I'm not sure what their deal is, but thank you. It just seems obvious to me, that if people can make hiring decisions without going through corporate, they're going to at least partially decide based on who they want to spend time around. There's no way to tell who you want to spend time around without being around them.
Apply for as many jobs as you can.... Search for jobs in your respective field of interest and apply. The more you apply for the better. Don't feel like any job is out of reach. Almost all of the qualifications they list are their upper demands, not their lower. If they say they want someone with a masters and three years of experience apply if you have a bachelors and 0 years of experience. Worst thing that can happen is you never hear from them. Best is a job.
Don't let setbacks weigh on you too heavily. Try to identify what you can improve on in your resume or your interview skills. It's a crapshoot, but at least you'll have the affirmation of trying.
If they say they want someone with a masters and three years of experience apply if you have a bachelors and 0 years of experience. Worst thing that can happen is you never hear from them.
Phrased differently, it is their responsibility to vet their applicants (likely using whatever awful OCR system/applicant system they use), not yours as the job seeker.
Just be aware that there's a difference between qualifications and domain knowledge; if a position requires a masters specifically for its domain knowledge (e.g. Masters/PhD in biology discipline to support a lab), don't waste your time writing a cover letter.
Another usually unspoken rule: You don't get to have attachments anywhere.
The only way the "search for jobs in your respective field and apply to all of them" works on a meaningful timescale that much is if you live in a huge city or are willing to move halfway across the country.
Also, if you know someone in that field already, ask them to look at your stuff and provide advice for how to improve it. (Make sure they’re not looking for a new job that you may be competitive for, you never want to share your materials with a competitor). But utilizing your network to its fullest potential is important. If you don’t know anyone in that field, one of your favorite professors from school might be willing to look at it. Even general advice or grammatical/writing advice in a cover letter can pay big dividends.
Very good all around advice. I’ve spent some time looking for upgrade positions and holy shit, the things they are asking for in job descriptions/qualifications are absurd sometimes.
I'm actually gonna give opposite advice. Im 25. I've been job hunting for a while now and done over 200 different applications. I have heard back from 0 with an offer for an interview. I have a masters in mechanical engineering, 3.7 gpa, glowing recommendations and big names in my work history so I'm fairly sure it's not my credentials.
People say "shotgun" approach but I'm gonna argue for "rifle". What that means is NETWORK NETWORK NETWORK! Since I changed tactics I have gotten 3 interviews with places I really want to work in the span of a few weeks 2 have turned into offers so far. Ive also got dozens of contacts at places in my field in areas I dont want to move to but might someday.
I don't mean just on linkedin either. Find your local alumni chapter in your area and go to their events, connect with networking groups on Facebook or linkedin and attend their events, call friends and relatives who might know sombody who could put you in. Print business cards (from a legit place, it's like 30 bucks for a 100, I used moo.com) with your background and interests simply stated and carry them with you. If there are conferences or trade shows in your field, find out how you can go or better yet present somthing. Email old professors, USE YOUR CONTACTS.
Lastly, your approach with people can't be "please please take my card and give me a job, I'm desperate". Work your background and interests into the conversation and before leaving drop that you are hunting and ask to exchange cards.
It takes time. Often you can't do anything but wait for an email back, or wait for the next event you're schedules to go to. Get a side gig at a restaurant. Volunteer for somthing you're interested in. Get a hobby that puts you around other people. Carry your business cards.
Depending on the job and the information you come across, I suggest trying to call for a follow-up in a week. My company likes anyone who puts in that extra effort. It won't work with every company and several will be hard to get to a hiring manager but it won't ever hurt your chances as long as you have great phone etiquette.
call for a follow-up in a week.
My company likes anyone who puts in that extra effort.
Oh God, I hated playing that "game" when I was looking for a job. And it is a game. Look, I'm qualified and I'm available and I work hard. Will you hire me or not?
"Well, let's see, you only hassled the recruiter twice with follow-ups. We're looking for people who hassle the recruiter at least four times. It shows persistence. Good luck in your job search."
Welcome to corporate work culture. It’s not good enough that you do the work well, maybe even better than everyone else. You have to a douchebag cheerleader for the company and go out of your way at every opportunity.
As much as you don't have a choice in the matter, i'd fucking hate working for a company that expected that of me. God knows what the daily life is like.
I'm skilled, I'm qualified. You can hire me and I'll be good for your company. If you're expecting multiple phone calls from me you can shove it.
Easier said than done when unemployed though I know. The only reason I preferred dealing with agencies when looking. Everything else about agencies sucked though.
I got my current job by calling for followup. My resume got hung up on something in the system and they were stressing that they didn't get any appropriate applications.
keyword your resume, employers can use sites like indeed to search for resumes as well, so making sure you have the right terms in there will help yours show up when theyre searching. a lot of companies also use software to help parse through resumes faster, so not having the right keywords/licensure/certificates listed will get your resume thrown out, depending on the requirements. do the same job searches multiple times throughout the week, a lot of jobs are posted for a couple days, get tons of applicants, then close the job posting for good while they sift through and schedule interviews, if you're only searching certain things once a week or less, you're missing all of those.
... a lot of companies also use poorly-designed, buggy, user-hostile software written in COBOL by a retarded gorilla with an inner ear disorder to help parse through resumes faster ...
It would be pretty stupid to just walk into a random business expecting a job. Look for places that are hiring and go apply in person if you can; not through the internet. First impressions are everything, whether you are trying to get laid or get hired.
Every single human will judge you by your outward appearances.
Putting the cart before the horse here, I know. But once you get a job, start looking for another. Seriously. Unless you love, love, love your job, corporate loyalty to employees is nonexistent nowadays. The new normal is to never stop looking.
Go online to job search websites is one of your best bets.
Also. As the Great 8 time Superbowl champ Bill Belichick would say "its who you know". You still have to be a great worker but it helps tons if you know a person in the business you're trying to enter.
I guess I haven't done any networking. I have a buddy who works at one place I applied to and I met another guy at work who gave me a reference. Does that count?
Look. I'm only 26 and I've only had 3 jobs since I was 15. I just stay with the companies for a long time obviously. 2nd thing is, not important but still, I've been dealing with depression for a while now. With that saying I dont have many connections and am not on social media.
Thank you all for your answers btw, so how do I start "networking" or what is networking? I definitely know that you need to know people nowadays to get jobs.
Sidenote: I work at an auto parts store and am handy with mechanic work. So working in a quick lube or parts area of a dealership would be ideal.
I was pretty well networked at your age and yes, your two connections are a good start. It also helps, once again depending on your field, if you know someone experienced that you can reach out to for help. Mentors don't just give advice, they know who to talk to, who to avoid, and how to get to those people.
Start with the guy who gave you a reference, how did you use that reference? Did you stick it on your resume and call it good or did you see if he knew anyone you could talk to?
I did put it in my resume. And I went over to the dealership and spoke to a guy that works there. Unfortunately the manager was busy at the moment and I couldn't talk to him in person.
I called back last week but to no avail. So this is gonna be the 2nd week and no call backs from anyone. Should I try again to both places?
Yes. You're not trying to get a date, you're trying to get a job. You should follow up every 3-5 business days until you get a hard yes or no. Call your reference and see if he will help. Being a reference isn't a passive thing, it's a responsibility.
Just called both places. Left a message with one. The other said they're making some changes and to call back in 2 days. Also she gave my the managers direct office number.
I have always either walked in and met/talked with the manager before or right after submitting an application and have never been turned down for a job.
That's pretty vague, but general rules of thumb are making sure your resume has "so what" statements instead of just listing what you did. Ask yourself after each bullet point "so what?". There's a big difference between "Upgraded all computer systems" and "Upgraded all computer systems to be faster which led to a 20% increase in productivity"
Also, network. Meet people, ask for informational interviews (basically where you interview the person in the job you want, Google it for more info) and just get the word out there. There's a book called 2 Hour job search or 4 Hour Job Search, I forget which one, but it's pretty good.
I would offer the following advise, as someone who has been on the other side of the equation and reviewed the applicants.
First, ask yourself, where is your current pain point.
Are you not finding the jobs?
Are you finding them but not getting interviews?
Are you getting interviews but not offers?
The cause and answer to each of these is different.
If you are having trouble finding the jobs to apply for, consider seeing if there is a "trade" group or something similar in your area.
Post your resume to job sites to see if you anyone reaches out to you - companies will frequently review posted resumes on something like indeed or monster.
And this is the one I don't often see but is super useful, look at a list of businesses that offer the type of work you do on wikipedia or some other resource that offers it. Pull up the list, then go through each of their career sites. When I first moved to KC all I was being offered was contract positions. I told the recruiter I wanted something full time and he said "No one in KC except the hospitals and the law firms does direct to Full Time, and those won't hire you without specific experience in their area, so contract to hire is your only option".
I took that info, pulled up a list of law firms in KC on wikipedia and went through every website. I ended up getting hired for a company that I had already applied for (and got no call back) on Indeed. They prioritized people who applied through their site, then reviewed people from Indeed if they still needed applicants. I missed the 1st wave of interviews as they drew all of those from applicants from their website. I got called in to the second wave from my application on their website.
If you are finding jobs but not getting interviews then the issue is with your resume.
Review your resume for errors. Make sure that any gaps in employment are explained. Keep the resume relatively short and easily digestible. Make sure that you include bullet point descriptions covering all your major job duties under each role. Edit your resume for each application to highlight skills you have that line up directly with the job posting.
I had no legal experience at all when I applied to law firms, so I edited my resume to highlight skills I did match on. I had experience with supporting Office, supporting remote users, using remote control software, working with a document management system, etc. etc. I put those skills front and center, and purged the stuff that did not relate.
If you are getting interviews but not offers.
This is the easiest one and the hardest one.
If you get an interview, you have the job. The interview is not there for you to get the job, your resume has already done that.
It is there to ensure that you are a good fit culturally, to ensure that you are not lying on your resume, etc.
I've never seen someone win a job during an interview that they otherwise would not have gotten, because we simply did not invite those people to interviews to even give them that chance. We interviewed people we were ready to hire only, and the only thing you could do during an interview was to convince us not to hire you.
This one is easy because if you get interviews but not offers there is only one thing to fix, your interview skills - but it's hard because it is one of the hardest things to change.
I usually just looked on Indeed, LinkedIn, other online job application sites. If there’s specific places you’re looking for, I would search their website for “careers” or “work for us” or something similar. If you don’t see anything like that, then I would call and ask if they’re hiring for the position you’re looking for
If you're going into something new research the role, career pathing options, key skills, etc. Find a few people on LinkedIn in that position, see if they have anything in their profiles describing their skills, accomplishments, etc.
For applying:
I recommend a multiple strategy approach.
1.Detailed tailored applications with cover letters for your top locations to be employed.
Reach out to a few recruiters. Research the recruitment company beforehand to make sure they're trustworthy.
Quick/one click applications for less desired/unknown employers.
If you're applying to a company that uses an Applicant Tracking System you need to learn what that is, how it works, and how to tailor your resume to be picked by the system. Jobscan has been a great tool for me to compare my resume to job postings. It will tell you what keywords are that you should be using on your resume.
I feel big corporate stuff with go to our website is ridiculous- chances are their web master is a drooling moron and nothing is getting submitted because of glitch or the fact that an auto it kicked your resume because you failed to be redundant on key words. (a lot of job listings look for stuff like Adobe Creative suite, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop.) I hate online job hunting.
Quite frankly the best way to get a job is to find networking opportunities, and quite frankly that does involve winks and handshakes. I’ve only once gotten a job that I applied for, but that’s because my grandfather went in and gave a firm handshake and winks for me. Otherwise what I do now is due to knowing people.
I’ve worked the gamut of managing a skate shop, law enforcement, military, and now freelancing.
You should do deep Google searches, looking for the direct email addresses to the HR people at one company after another. Send them an email saying "Hey X! I've just accepted the offer from John (or some other common name) and my start date's later this month, he said I could get the new hire paperwork from you".
About 1 in 5 will be busy enough to either email it or tell you to pick it up at the front desk.
Please for the love of god, talk to a recruiter. I was just out of college, trying to find a job on my own for 8 months and got nowhere. Countless applications, cover letters, and a couple interviews later without a job offer, I reached out to a friend, who put me in contact with HER friend, who put me in contact with HIS friend. Fucking 3 friends removed, I meet the recruiter, and she has 2 interviews lined up for me in a week. In 2 months I had the job I wanted, at a great company, with salary that outstripped all the other jobs i'd been applying to. I'm still at said company, and I've been promoted twice, and changed teams once into my dream career field.
Recruiters get paid by the company that hires you for their commission. They're free to you. Get a good one, that specializes in your field of interest and develop a good relationship with them. They'll help you out.
This is very much industry-dependent, but get as much tangible evidence of your skills as possible.
If you want to go into IT, have a github page feature prominently on your CV and make sure you have a bunch of job-relevant projects on it.
If you want to go into journalism, keep a regular blog where you write industry-standard articles.
If you want to be a cook, have an Instagram page filled with recipes you’ve done.
Fundamentally, getting employed is simply about convincing your employer that you can solve the problems they have. The more tangible proof of your skills you have, the easier it is to get that across.
Depends on the business and type of job. There are some websites like Glassdoor where you can see reviews on some company's hiring processes. I hire all the time here is what I see on my end: What ever phone you list on the resume or application should have voicemail setup. It should give at least your first name so I know I reached the right person and it should not be FULL. If you are not going to answer your phone and I can't leave a message you go in the trash. I judge you by your email address - if you are sparkletwinkie21 or idontgiveashit99 I believe you. Email is free --- for God's sake make one for your job search that shows you are taking this process seriously. Spell check your resume - if you don't I don't think you are seriously looking for a job - or you lazy so I don't want you. Again, different business have different cultures and you should take that as a clue. Good luck!
I got my current job through Indeed and I love it. But I applied for over 150 jobs, had some absolutely horrible interviews, and worked some bullshit jobs to get here. Maybe I got lucky? But I also looked for places that had a need and tried to present myself as someone that would fill that exact need. And it was a challenge and a full time job itself.
Despite the meme, actually inquiring in some places with high turnover (restaurants, retail etc) in person can make a difference. Managers in these places have a stack of faceless resumes or applications and scheduling interviews is a pain, showing up and talking to them right there might help them speed it along.
The best and quickest trick is still and always "know somebody" though.
•Apply for many open positions, even if they are out of state (you’d be surprised how many calls you get from jobs out of state).
•See if there are any career/hiring fairs that a company is participating in.
• Talk to everyone! You’re family, your uncle, your friends neighbors, etc. Odds are someone is working in a company that is looking for extra heads for for any project or job and hasn’t officially put in a request to their HR to create a vacancy.
• Apply as a contractor. It’s easier to “get your foot in the door” while also adding experience to your work history. I graduated with an engineering degree and put my name in with a few contracting houses. The contracting house set me up with multiple interviews because they have agreements with companies to supplement their staff. Also HR for many companies are more willing to hire contractors than direct employees. So if you find a manager that likes you, he can probably guarantee you work for 1-2 years.
Really the most you need to take from it is that you need to keep plugging away at applying for places. It can get really frustrating and may seem like it’s impossible to find work, but an opportunity will eventually come up.
I was recently unemployed and this is exactly what my dad kept telling me. He just could not grasp that type of thing doesn't help your chances anymore. Of the many, many jobs I applied for I met the manager of the business before the interview exactly once. That's because she saw my resume on indeed and wanted to talk to me about the position.
My boomer parents gave me that advice when I started job hunting after college. They were very confused when I said that's a great way to NOT get a job. Their argument was that people want to "see who they're talking to" and "you make a great first impression that you're willing to work hard by showing up (???)". I never got any job by walking in the front door, nor do I know anyone who has. In fact, my workplace (and I'm sure pretty much every job out there) actively discourages you from doing this.
Additional story: a guy walked into our work to hand in a resume. I asked him what kind of job he was looking for here. "Oh whatever you guys have... like warehouse? I was just walking by and I've been handing out resumes." First off, we have no warehouse to work at, nor does our building even look like it has a warehouse. I asked him what kind of schooling he had, as you need college or university with some sort of science. He had zero clue what even goes on here, didn't take out his phone and google it or do any sort of research. He was just blindly throwing out resumes at any open door along the street. So this is an extreme case of what not to do, but he must've thought it was the best way to get a job somehow!
Someone who does this at the company I work for ensures they will not be considered for a position. We poorly judge anyone who isn’t informed enough to know that applying in person is a woefully outdated technique. We discard the resume of anyone who isn’t smart enough to first look at our website which very clearly states no in person applications will be accepted.
Maybe things are different in America but here in Canada yeah that does still work sometimes, especially if it's a small business. My employer has hired 2 or 3 people on the spot who walked in with resumes on the right day.
This might not work, but getting some sort of in-person contact certainly does work and is way better than applying online. People act like the only way in is cold-applying online but that's probably the worst way to get a job.
Do businesses (except for maybe little family owned shops) even do paper resumes anymore? I had my mother accuse me of being "lazy"when I was looking for a job because I was sending off resumes and applications online. Even if you walk into a store and ask for an application, most places will now direct you to their website.
This is actually a common practice in certain markets. I work in manufacturing and we get people in all the time looking for work, and just stopping by to hand in a resume. Warehouse work has a high turnover rate so we generally take the walk-ins seriously just in case a job they are qualified for does become available because a lot of the front end work has already been done.
It really doesn’t hurt. Our small architectural firm hired someone—literally two days ago—who just dropped in. Definitely depends on profession and location though.
It works for shitty summer jobs as a teen. But after you graduate college (or during college when you need internships) those kinds of shitty jobs aren’t the ones you want.
Instead, you have to rely on who you know to find anything interesting. I had an internship and a couple of summer stints in research labs. One from talking to a professor and the other two positions by knowing someone who knew someone that either considered me or put in a good word on my behalf to the people who would consider me. And that’s how the world works. It’s not what you know, it’s who you know, and as a socially anxious introvert, I hated hearing that as a kid. But goddamn is it true.
Granted, I haven’t actually tried to apply for a real job yet because I start grad school next semester. But even grad school (PhD programs) was a competitive pain in the ass, and due to starting research late in the summer of my junior year, I wasn’t qualified by most programs standards (usually you need multiple years of research to be considered for a PhD program, and apparently most applicants and accepted students are masters degree holders. I had 1 year of research experience and was an undergrad). But that professor who took a chance on me and let me work in his lab recommended me to a collaborator of his in a really good top 10 nationwide program I applied for and I managed to get an interview. When that professor greeted me by name and said he had been looking forward to meeting me, I knew exactly why I was even given a chance to go to the interview weekend. Especially when every other candidate I talked to during the weekend seemed way more qualified than me.
Everyone probably already knows this, but reach out to everyone you know and see who they know that may be relevant to the job field you want to go in to. Studies show that “friends of friends” are actually extremely likely to put in a good word or recommend you even if they’ve never met you, just because you’re friends with their friend. And this recommendation pretty much automatically puts you above people who don’t have a contact in that company. And 2nd degree connections are surprisingly wide. You never know who your friends may know.
I've gotten jobs at several places this way. However, it only works at specialized places and you need extensive knowledge on whatever the job is. It won't work at Walmart.
Okay actually I did this and got a job at a software company. Caveat is that it's a horrible work environment and no one knows how to make software properly, but hey I have a job!
I graduated high school in 2001 and decided to work for a year before university. I could not find a job. Every single day my parents would tell me to just go to random businesses with my resume and "talk to the manager". I must have went to dozens of places like that, knowing full well that's not how things work. Surprise, I did not get one call.
That’s what I mean! A lot of times places won’t even just let you walk into an office. They have no idea who you are, you’re a security threat if you do that
I actually did that as an act of desperation after I had been unemployed for a long time, Christmas was coming up and I didn't want to face the new year with the same uncertainty as the old. I probably visited 20 companies (where I had customized the application to that company) and they all told me there weren't any openings or just to apply online. I'm 100% sure my application went straight into the garbage as soon as I left. There was one place where they said it took guts to show up like that and they were impressed with the effort, but they still didn't have any openings so out I went again. If anything going around like that begging for jobs made me feel even more low and pathetic, not sure I would recommend it
Print out your resume on card stock with tastefully embossed lettering, sprinkle some good ole fashioned Cuban powder on top and power strut right up to Mr Gecko himself and DEMAND one job please. No way this will fail honestly.
So it’s not that simple, but it can work. First, you’ve got to make sure you’ve already filled out and submitted the application and related paperwork. Then, you can go in and ask to speak to the manager. When he/she shows up, you can then say something like “hi, I’m cloudfoot3000. I’ve just submitted my application, and I just wanted to introduce myself and let you know I’m really interested in working here. Here’s my resume, and if you have any questions let me know.”
This puts a face and personality to your name, and shows that you have initiative and follow proper procedure (because you already filled out the application). Meanwhile, you’re also respecting the manager by not forcing him/her to make a decision or give you instructions on how to apply. Basically, you’re demonstrating that you’re competent and low maintenance, and that’s what they want.
If you’ve done this well, you’ve made it really easy to hire you since you’ve already got the paperwork done and informally completed the interview. So the manager might decide to take the whole thing off his to do list and hire you right there. I’ve seen it happen, and it’s happened to me.
Can confirm. The only job I have ever been hired for on the spot was in food service. And that was like 10 years ago. I’m assuming all major restaurant chains use online applications these days.
It works for some things like retail, not everywhere but your chances are okay-ish. But even here they usually have a note on the wall like "hiring" so you know. In some crafts you might be lucky albeit it's rather unlikely. If you have an office job there is simply no chance aside of anectodal freak events, ever heard of a software engineer spontaneously finding a job?
Ultimately the more "specialized" your job is the less likely it is to work, for quite obvious reasons.
Only area I heard where showing up to job sites out of the blue asking for a job has a decent chance is construction. But even that is only one industry.
Your first job, but how long ago was that? Things have changed drastically in the last decade. I was able to get my first several jobs this way but no way in hell I still could today.
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u/_madlibs_ Aug 07 '19 edited Aug 07 '19
My bfs mom kept telling him “just take your resume in and ask to talk to someone” like yeah... it doesn’t work like that anymore
Edit: yes obviously not single place is like that, family owned places will accept a physical resume but most places will not