Why won't anyone let me work for them?

[highfihoney]

You'll do fine Seth. Just don't eat any Jelly Donuts.

My alltime hero,i'd give my right leg to be half as cool as R Lee Ermy.

 

[majorloser]

Never heard of the guy

 

[stratman]

Ahhh, the Major and his toys.

 

[adwilk]

Hmm... this thread is interesting to me...

You have an associates degree and cant find work in a decent sized city in the land of opportunity. Something is wrong here, man...

I feel your pain and you situation sucks but at some point, no excuses, no explanations.

Part of growing up is taking responsibility for your own actions and keeping yourself accountable. There is obviously something your doing wrong if there are individual out there with less experience and education getting "decent" jobs.

Save some exceptions, employers will not hire a desperate man.

Here is my advice, call those that have interviewed you and make the following statement/question

Mr. whatever My name is .... On whatever date you were generous enough to interview me concerning an available position with your company. I have to be honest, I havent had much luck in my search for employment and I do value your opinion. I was hoping that perhaps you could provide some insight on some things i could work on in the future to improve my interviewing skills or makeup of my resume.

If they dont remember you, theres your answer...

If they do, listen up. Make notes and remember to thank them for their time.

One big key for somebody your age is to be VERY humble. It can be difficult to balance this with confidence, but its crucial.

Read "the little red book of sales" by Jeffrey Gitomer. Learn to sell yourself.

 

[Joe Schmoe]

I have spent more than my share of time on the job search treadmill, and it totally sucks. I feel your pain.
It doesn't help that we are in an economic downturn (one that could easily become a recession or even a depression soon.)

 

[Tarub]

If the illegals can find a job here easily... so you can.

 

[NYyankeeboi]

It's funny but I dont see many talking about the current state of the economy, or lack of it. It's in bad shape and most likely going to get worse before it gets any better.

I did see someone say earlier, its who you know, and my god there is more truth in that statement than a degree. I am so glad I never got caught up in the college thing, you go from being a starving college student, to a starving consumer.

I doubt I would be self-employed, and own a home in Los Angeles at my age if it wasn't for who I knew to help get me where I am today, also what I knew. It's not the amount of money you make, its all in what you do with it... However, be persistent, which is part of my fave quote....

"Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination are omnipotent. The slogan press on has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race. No person was ever honored for what he received. Honor has been the reward for what he gave."

- (John) Calvin Coolidge

Good luck and stick with it....

 

[jinjuku]

I suppose I can give that a shot, but it seems like it would be shooting too high.

That statement right there is one of your problems. You are on a tech savvy board, your a tech savvy person. Apply it to something like car sales. It's the classic feature (a tech detail you know) and benefit (how it helps the person that IS going to buy the whatever from you).

What is your degree in?

PM me when you get a chance...

 

[jinjuku]

Seth, you said you were expelled from University. Since you brought it up, could you expound on that.

There is are several pieces of data that isn't matching up from your posts. I think we are keen on helping, but you need to give us a little insight (not a lot) into who 'Seth=L' is.

 

[highfihoney]

If the illegals can find a job here easily... so you can.

This is true,work is there for those who really want it,it might be s#!t work but what the hey.

Ill never forget my friend in school,he took a job cleaning the peep show booth's at the local porno shop,we used to go tease him while about the neck high waders & full length bright green rubber gloves he wore.We also would never accept change for a dollar from him,no tellin weather he found a quarter on the floor or not.

He always worked though & had cash in his pocket,hard to fault a guy for that.

 

[ParadigmDawg]

It is a very rough market out there right now as many have said and it requires a lot of perseverance to land a job. I have hired ~60 employees over the past 5 years and now I find myself setting on the other side of the table. I would consider myself very marketable but the market is just not there right now. My situation is likely different from yours but the fundamentals remain the same.

First and foremost come up with a game plan. You should be spending 8 hours a day networking. A call should be made to every single person you know, tell them your situation, what you have to offer and ask them to give you 3 mores contacts. It is best if you develop a personal commercial and have 3 versions (2 minute, 10 minute and 20 minute) Use the 2 min. for your initial phone call, it should state why you are calling, what you have to offer and end with a thank you for your time. The 10 and 20 minute version will just go deeper in your accomplishments. As you can see, your network will grow quickly as you gain these new contacts. The 10 minute version will be your answer to the question that is always asked first during an interview “Tell me about yourself” remember, this is not the time to talk about your love of stereos and shagging hoes, it is answering the simple question of “how will this guy help me solve my problems”.

Take the next couple of days and really develop your game plan. Write a list that consists of:

Problems that face you in your job search
Financial concerns
Professional reputation
References
What is important to you
What do you have to offer (this should be a big list of everything you have accomplished in your lifetime)
Skills
Outstanding qualities

Once you have lined up all your ducks, go back and revisit your resume. Is it describing all the key points? Is it telling someone that they need to know more about you?

How bad is your credit score? Is there anything else that is on your background check that will be seen as unfavorable? What kind of gaps are there between jobs or school?

Whether or not you feel like you interview well, go buy the book named “Knock them Dead” and brush up on the Q&A’s. Most interview questions aren’t about a right or wrong answer but how you answer is the key.

Let me know if there is any other way I can help you. I am looking for a job myself so I know what it’s like The estimate from my career counselor is that it will take 4-8 months for me to land what I am looking for. This should be different from what you are looking for and you should land a job pretty quickly if you align everything.

 

[majorloser]

Seth,

If you have a clean driving record, no criminal history and can pass a drug test YOU WILL FIND WORK!

Again, you need to learn how to network. In other words, pimp yourself.

I don't care how low you think the job is, always wear a tie to an interview.
Don't fiddle around with your hands or other object in an interview.
Always look at the person speaking.
Always ask reasonable questions about the company (shows interest)
Always get the names of those who interview you.
Always address them as Mr. or Ms. (blah blah)
Always use a firm handshake with a man.
(don't offer your hand unless they offer theirs first)
ALWAYS send a personallized thank you letter to the people who interview you.
(pick up business cards to help remember names)
Your resume needs to focus on your skills, not your education or experience since you're young.

Most important of all:

Look at every interview as an opportunity to meet people and hone your skills.
Even if you don't want the job, it's better to get an offer and turn it down than lose out on an opportunity for something better.

 

[emrliquidlife]

Hi Seth;

I think the input you have gotten so far is quite good. The only thing I am concerned about is how you are explaining any negative things that are brought up in the interview.

Lets say they ask about your college experience. Are you telling them about the expulsion?

You have to take any negative and spin it into a positive.

E

 

[Johnd]

Good advice from both the major and Mr. Gable here seth. I don't think much could be added to what has already been written. So get a shave and "go out and pimp yourself."

But realistically major, how many amongst us here are not criminals, miscreants and general purveyors of mayhem?

..no criminal history...

 

[Johnd]

Hi Seth;

I think the input you have gotten so far is quite good. The only thing I am concerned about is how you are explaining any negative things that are brought up in the interview.

Lets say they ask about your college experience. Are you telling them about the expulsion?

You have to take any negative and spin it into a positive.

E

Academic records are protected, so they wouldn't have knowledge unless so revealed.

You never want to lie or be deceptive, but it is not deceptive if not directly asked. If not specifically asked, spin it. Something like: I've decided to forego my academic career at this juncture so that I can begin making money.

 

[Tom Andry]

Personally, I think putting "Audioholic" on your resume as a hobby or "special skill" could easily be misinterpreted

 

[Buckeye_Nut]

A young kid just out of school cant get a job doing ANYTHING? I don't buy it, and I don't think you're being completely honest. Maybe you're just not trying as hard as you claim and all you want to do is complain.

Maybe what you really need is a swift kick in the butt to get you motivated. With unemployment rates as low as they are now, there are plenty of employers out there starved for good entry level help. Even though economic growth rates have slowed recently, this is still a job seekers market!!

Get off your bum, stop whining, and get to work!!

Newspapers are pretty bare these days with respect to job postings. You should find plenty of job opportunities on www.careerbuilder.com and www.monster.com websites.

If you're getting plenty of interviews and still cant get hired, you need to take a close look at yourself and how you present yourself. It may be something as simple as your haircut/your dress/appearance that is scaring employers, or your body language/attitude/ and spoken words. Whichever it is, you need to figure out what you're doing wrong and correct it. Presentation is very important!!

Good luck... Hope that helps

 

[Johnd]

You write this:

A young kid just out of school cant get a job doing ANYTHING? I don't buy it, and I don't think you're being completely honest. Maybe you're just not trying as hard as you claim and all you want to do is complain.

Maybe what you really need is a swift kick in the butt to get you motivated. With unemployment rates as low as they are now, there are plenty of employers out there starved for good entry level help. Even though economic growth rates have slowed recently, this is still a job seekers market!!

Get off your bum, stop whining, and get to work!!

Newspapers are pretty bare these days with respect to job postings. You should find plenty of job opportunities on www.careerbuilder.com and www.monster.com websites.

If you're getting plenty of interviews and still cant get hired, you need to take a close look at yourself and how you present yourself. It may be something as simple as your haircut/your dress/appearance that is scaring employers, or your body language/attitude/ and spoken words. Whichever it is, you need to figure out what you're doing wrong and correct it. Presentation is very important!!

And then conclude with this:

Good luck... Hope that helps

Ouch! Whew. You're not employed as a motivational speaker, are you Buckeye Nut? That's just kinda harsh, don't you think? Particularly before we know all the facts? Anything else you wish to get off your chest before (if) seth signs back in? I'll grant you that some of what you write may be warranted if what you presume is true...but we don't know that, do we? I was especially taken aback by the "scaring employers" comment. Whew. Either way, your post is far from motivational, as you have so presented. Nor is it supportive.

I do know that seth has been expelled (for reasons unknown), has been looking for employment to no avail (for reasons unknown), retired from Audioholics promptly before that expulsion, only to rejoin 12 hours later (for reasons unknown...really), and has not signed in in the last 3 days (for reasons unknown). There are obviously some serious issues present, and they may very well not be rectified through this forum...your post seems to trivialize those issues.

 

[davidtwotrees]

Seth has always been top notch in my book. Financial stress sucks. It wears you down. It makes you feel small. I know what Seth is going through on that front. I am self employed and had a tough year finding work myself. During one tough patch a fellow contractor suggested Craigslist. I was impressed by how many people were looking for help. Often they needed help quickly. All kinds of work.....from day labor to driving delivries. Not sure if craigslist is big in fortwayne, but it is here in Chicago. Hang in there kid.

 

[Highlander]

Always use a firm handshake with a man.
(don't offer your hand unless they offer theirs first)

Eh? Why on earth not?

ALWAYS send a personallized thank you letter to the people who interview you.

Disagree. I'd interpret it as crawling.

Your resume needs to focus on your skills, not your education or experience since you're young.

Disagree. Being young, seth's education is likely to be one of the few things he can discuss.