what are your most frustrating experiences with job hunting

"I need more experience, but how can I get experience if no one will hire me?"

Used to be the story of my life.

 

Interview for job.

Interview seems to go very well.

You seem perfectly suited for the job.

The company seems perfect for you.

Everything seems like a slam-dunk.

....

.... but then they don't call you back and they hire some one else?!?!

 

3 days to go on my job and nothing on the horizon...I feel you. There are positions tailor made for me, people who know me and highly regarded within the company yet I sit here with nothing.

 

Not calling back one way or the other is just unacceptable. It's flat out rude.

When you deal with bigger organizations, the overly adhering to the qualifications is comical. I interviewed for a position and the boss wanted to hire me (a large organization). HR denied her request because I had graduate degree and that job description did not require one...i know, it makes no sense. At the end of the day, they had to change the job title so I could be hired. Of course, since it was a new title, HR had to post the job for 30 days.

HR is r****ded. This is an absolute truth.

 

maybe you should wait for them to ask before you answer

 

Why?!?!?

Why is this so true at every company?!?

 

I hate this FEELING.. my pet peeve about job hunting is that most companies or stores do not do walk in application anymore.

 

All of my frustrations with the hiring process revolve around this truth as well.

It seems obvious to me that imposing a layer of bureaucratic nonsense between the prospective employee and the hiring employer would dilute the quality and efficiency of the process, and yet...

Personal pet peeve: giant nebulous on-line resume systems that make it virtually impossible to get your resume to the person who actually needs to see it. Instead, some no-name loser in HR reviews the resume via keywords or something and forwards it on to the guy doing the hiring. Talk about a crapshoot...

Because they obviously have no real skills, and exist solely due to the bureaucratic machine.

 

No kidding. Beyond background/drug tests, the HR dept should have nothing to do with the process. Let the managers that will actually be working with these people filter the resumes.

 

Disagree with you guys completely. In fact, HR should measure pee pee size and boobie size to boot.

 

Everyone says you shouldn't just submit your resume online because it will never be seen by anyone, but what else are you supposed to do when that's literally the ONLY way the company allows it to be done?

All the stupid job search books say you should get out there and NETWORK, but how are you supposed to do that if you're applying at a company where you don't know anyone and there is absolutely no contact information whatsoever listed for anyone working there? It's not like the old days where you could just go door-to-door shaking hands and handing out business cards. You can't even get by security at most places of business without having an appointment with someone.

 

Telling you to call back just to tell you no thanks.

 

Was going to say that I've always had a pretty good experience job hunting, and then you mentioned this. I couldn't agree more. I've always considered internet applications just slightly better than throwing your resume out on the street and hoping the right person picks it up. If someone tells me to apply online, I usually take that as them saying that they're not interested.

 

Ironically, I just closed this thread only to find an e-mail in my inbox from some faceless corporation trolling a resume I posted on Monster last year. It asks me to submit my resume online ('Cause they... don't have it?) for three different positions: technical services, quality assurance, and business consulting. I'm a writer. How the hell do these HR people hire anybody worth a damn.

 

Jesus Christ, this.

And this.

I've been thinking about starting my own thread b****ing about job hunting but I never got around to it, mostly because I'm tired of explaining that, yes, you can be an RN in Houston, TX and be struggling to find a job.

Again: I'm an RN. In Houston. And I can't get anyone to even LOOK at me because I'm a new RN with no experience. They're hiring experienced RNs left and right, but inexperienced RNs like me are getting nowhere.

Emails, phone calls, job fairs, even showing up in person have all resulted in the same thing: "Go to our website and submit your application into our ridiculously redundant online system so we can ignore you without actually talking to you."

Seriously.

Think about the Texas Medical Center. Think of every hospital system we have: County (Taub, LBJ), St. Lukes, Methodist, etc. Each one of these systems has at least 10 individual hospitals under its banner. That's literally thousands of RN positions and despite my ridiculous grades and 10+ year work history as a real grown-up, I can't even get to the butt-sniffing stage.

I've had a grand total of TWO interviews. I didn't get one position and I'm waiting to hear on the other. Still keeping my fingers crossed.

If this doesn't pan out, I have to seriously consider moving to an area where the need is greater, because the market is freakin' flooded here. Austin, too.

I hear San Antonio is hiring new RNs. Ugh. Spurs fans....

Edit: I just got a text from an LVN friend. She has a friend in an RN program somewhere here in Texas who was told to "not even look" for jobs in Houston.

Excuse me while I go bash my head against something.

 

guys guys guys, its not what you know, its who you know... rookies...

anyways, on the way to an important job interview, got pulled over and 30 minutes late to interview.. never got a call back =(

 

Spoiler

The Oatmeal: http://theoatmeal.com/comics/interview_questions