what are your most frustrating experiences with job hunting

Well I am looking for customer service or to work at a call center. The problem is I am 22 and have never had a job so most places probably says well he has zero experience so lets trash his resume. The only useful thing on my resume at this point is the fact that I volunteer at a homeless shelter Tuesday - Thursday but that hasn't gotten me anywhere because it doesn't relate to the jobs I am applying for.

But all I an do is keep trying at this point.

 

This person was a QA Tester- not the same as a QA Engineer, but possibly some similarities:

CAREER PROFILE

FOCUS AREAS: QUALITY ASSURANCE TESTING, LANGUAGE TRANSLATION, TEAM MANAGEMENT

Skilled Quality Assurance Game Tester and Translator, with Strong Experience in the QA Testing Cycle, Localization, and Submission Procedures. B.S. in Business Administration Degree, with Honors.

* Quality Assurance Testing – Recent success in QA testing for high-profile companies, including Disney Interactive Media and Activision/ Vivendi. Experience in testing for PC, Xbox 360, Wii, PS2, PS3, DS, and DSi systems. Full understanding of Lot Check / Nintendo standards for Wii and DS. Skilled in identifying, reporting, and regressing bugs.

* Language Translation – Bilingual in Japanese and English. Recognized by employers for providing excellent Japanese-to-English and English-to-Japanese translations. Rich understanding of foreign cultures and protocols.

* Employee Training & Guidance – Prior background in training and mentoring team members, helping to improve performance. Capable of supervising and leading teams in meeting organizational goals.

* Personal Accountability – Noted for attention to detail, punctuality, dependability, and flexibility. Perform equally well in team-based and independent assignments. Willing to work extended hours as needed.


CAREER HISTORY


NAME OF COMPANY – Glendale, CA – 2009-Present
QA / Loc / Certification Tester

Complete multi-player and ad-hoc testing for Wii, DS, and DSi consoles. Conduct Japanese and North American localization testing; assist in certification testing processes. Translate documentation from English to Japanese. Assist in test script preparations, video compilation for ESRB, and tester training activities.

Highlights:
* Handled testing workload designed for 2 individuals on a key project.
* Used a meticulous approach to identify previously missed errors and facilitate corrections.


NAME OF COMPANY – Los Angeles, CA – 2009-Present
Translator

Translate database and documentation information from English to Japanese and Japanese to English.

Highlights:
* Completed top-notch test translation for Sony that led to requests for similar future work.
* Maintained 100% record of turning in assignments on time.


NAME OF COMPANY – Northridge, CA – 2007-2008
QA / Compliance Tester

Performed multi-player and ad-hoc testing for Xbox 360, PS3, and Wii consoles, as well as compliance testing for Wii and DS. Pinpointed and reported bugs while regressing existing bugs. Followed test scripts and check lists diligently to ensure adherence to guidelines/processes.

Highlights:
* Identified important bug on key project that led to manufacturer’s directive for repair.
* Earned the ability to work overtime based on high bug count.


NAME OF COMPANY – El Segundo, CA – 2007
QA Tester

Conducted ad-hoc and multi-player testing for PCs, Xbox 360, PS2, and PS3 consoles. Identified, reported, and regressed bugs. Performed Online Gamespy testing for released game.

Highlights:
* Volunteered to test specific areas untested by others.
* Frequently contributed to projects beyond assigned ones.


NAME OF COMPANY – Pasadena, CA – 2002-2006
Office/Clerical Support Associate (2004-2005; Student from 2002-2004 and 2005-2006)

Completed data entry and office support activities as a student worker.

Highlights:
* Personally requested for specific tasks based on dependability and accuracy.
* Gained valuable experience in meeting deadlines and managing multiple tasks concurrently.


PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT


UNIVERSITY – Boston, MA
Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Honors Graduate

SCHOOL OF VISUAL EFFECTS – Hollywood, CA
3-D Courses, Various

COLLEGE OF DESIGN – Pasadena, CA
2D Art, Maya Software, and Photoshop classes

COMPUTER & LANGUAGE KNOWLEDGE / SKILLS
Gaming Standards: Lot Check and Nintendo (for Wii and DS)
Database: DevTrack, TeamTrack, TestTrack
Computer Languages: HTML, Javascript basic
Foreign Languages: Fluent in Japanese

 

Yep, it stinks. What you might can do at the top of your resume, after your heading (name, address, etc.), is put:

CAREER FOCUS: CUSTOMER SERVICE / CALL CENTER

** Skilled in interacting with individuals from a broad range of backgrounds, listening intently to their needs, and providing excellent service.
** Knowledge of customer service practices and principles, including gathering information, responding to specific requests, resolving problems individually as well as escalating selected issues to upper management, and matching customers' needs with the most appropriate products and/or services.
** Dependable, trustworthy professional. Maintain a high level of integrity and take on extra responsibilities to help achieve goals.
** Understanding of the fast-paced nature of a call center and the dedication it takes to meet service goals within this environment.

With these, you're saying that you have the skills and knowledge; even if you've used them in a homeless shelter or community activities, skills are skills. So you could state something like these w/o being deceitful, and the reader would get a strong impression of you as a customer service-oriented person.

 

Just want to thank dandorotik for providing such great advice and assistance to the thread. When you are job-hunting you are under such stress that it often seems that the entire world is against you, but seeing acts of kindness such as being displayed here can provide a much needed boost.

 

Thank you this is some very good advice

 

Glad to help. When I went through my really down-and-out period in 94 (lost my job at Cypress Creek High School, couldn't get back into my field, living near poverty), my inspirations went by such names as Olajuwon, Horry, Smith, Maxwell, Thorpe, Jent, Cureton, Herrera, Brooks, Elie, Cassell, Petruska, Tomjanovich, Smith, Dawson, etc. I am not lying when I say that my major inspiration for bringing myself out of the worst period of my life was the 94 Rockets, particularly the Suns series (the Choke City thing). Like I said, Rockets brothers gotta help each other.

 

Indian recruiters based out of Jersey trying to cram you into a position.

 

While I don't discount ur analysis of the staffing agency......you did insult them. There is no reason to tell them that their agency doesn't deal with professionals such as urself.

 

it does sound like an insult, though... even if true and even if not intended to be insulting. i'm not sure why you would have said it at all?

 

I did one of the worse interviews ever a few years ago.

I was interviewing to be a server at Olive Garden, and during my first interview the assistant manager asked why I was leaving the restaurant I currently worked at.

I told her well I'm much younger than everyone and I'm the only non Hispanic person so I don't really fit in and I'd rather work with people I have more in common with.

She then said well I'm older and hispanic how does that make you feel? And I said well.. Awkward now. Never got that second call ha.

Hopefully now that I'm about to start applying for jobs with my degree I've learned from my mistakes.

 

I'm with you on this one. She is potentially making money off you after all. If I was the end client and a good candidate got dropped because of that I'd be upset.

 

true that, and i'm not saying she's good at her job - though given the number of people looking for work, she probably placed a candidate and got paid anyway.

but people are like that sometimes, so you got to watch what you say..

 

My wife interviewed for a nursing job she was ridiculously qualified for. Wierdly she talked first to the person who would be her supervisor who wanted to hire her and told her that.

A few days later she talked to HR who started off, Well Ms. , why did you decide to be a nurse? My wife laughed, could not believe it and replied: " I don't know. It was so long ago I can't even remember, thinking what a moron! Fortunately sense prevailed and she got the job where she still works today. She likes to tell the story.

 

Hitler? Really? The man was a maniac who had capable generals under him.

Alex the Great or Napoleon. Maybe Genghis Khan.