So...I take my flash drive over to the local copy center to print off my cover letter and resume for a position that directly requested it to be mailed in.

I know...a bit odd in today's tech savvy society.(My home printer is on the blink, and only the scanner part of it works right now, and obviously can't afford a new one.)

There is a lady behind the counter that had to be somewhere in her 60's, and we engaged in some light conversation about the "changing times".

She told me she has no less than 200 regular customers that come in to have single copy resumes printed.  Anywhere from once a month to 2x a week. There is another copy center just up the highway and I'm sure they have just as many if not more customers because they have a "brand" name.

She mentioned the days of old, when a job seeker could come in and have 50-100 resumes printed out in a single order, match the envelopes, and they didn't see them again, and it wasn't really all that long ago. We all know now that each cover letter and resume needs to be tweaked for each particular job opening. We can spend 2 hours on one revision.

Times sure have changed.  I too remember that era.  Was only about 10 years ago.  I was mid 30's then, and that's how I landed my office managers position at the radio station. But it was nice to talk about the "remember when" times. 

End of this nostalgic moment.

There's competiton like never before these days. Just stay focused and positive, I'm sure you'll land a better job.

Pegg,

   Keep on keeping on, and keep in mind the other opportunities you may have.

Paul

I don't see any "other opportunities" Paul.  Last time I was unemployed it was 2006 and I landed my last gig in 6 weeks.  It's now one month shy of a year that I've been unemployed.  It's not looking good. 

I went to lunch with an old co-worker yesterday, (still employed so far) and we talked about how it was one year ago this month that the blood shed started at the company and at this time over 5000 jobs have been shed and as I type this, more are being notified today in New Jersey that they will be out of work effective immediately.

And the cutting isn't over.  More blood will spill in this company until they are at least worth in Market Cap what they owe in their debt.

AHHAAArrrrrrrrrrrrgggggggggggg.

Them "good ol' days" didn't take a year of daily searching either, but at over 15% as a state and over 16% in the county, extension legislation is being looked here.  Thousands per month are exhausting benefits in the county.

1983 was the last time %'s were this high here, which was the year I moved to Houston for a job.  Nowadays also, greener pastures aren't as optional.  My brother's searching many states for opportunities.

Anything now as a foot in the door and plan to move up.  Serious workers who are willing and like to work with the right attitude are still needed.   I've got many employees going nowhere for a long time and just barely a couple getting the idea how tough it is and have learned to step up, who will get recommended for advancement.

I do not mean to hijack you thread Redd but I just interviewed for a job and I was told at the end of the interview that the only draw back that she could see was that I had was to happy and out going  :o this is not the first time I have heard this. This is also one of the reasons I lost my last job. What is this world coming too when having an upbeat out going personality is a bad thing. She acted like it would offed the other people in the office.  :-? I know I am broke and really need a job - should a act disparate when I interview? I mean when did this change?

I think I would have said something along the lines of...

"I understand your concern about my jovial personality, however I'm sure that the work environment would quickly transform me into a bitter and emotionally reclusive wage slave in no time."

Kilroy 2.0 wrote on Aug 28^th, 2009 at 11:27am:

What is this world coming too when having an upbeat out going personality is a bad thing?

Were you interviewing for a position as a funeral director?

Brew, Redd LMAO

I would be funny if I did not need a damn job. The other thing I keep hearing at interview is you really should go into sales. Well this time, because she had already made the comment about my personality, I said well if I can't sell you on hiring me I guess it really would not be a great job for me.

Edited to add the job was for a project manager at Oscar Meyer how funny is that.

Pegg, am in complete understanding of the length of time and effort during these changing times required for re-employment.  Since changing myself late 2007, I've kept looking at other options out there and have a good idea of what you've been seeing. 

Very unfortunately, many new-hires we've had are sons, daughters, nieces, nephews, even friends of company upper strata.  Their suitability can have shortcomings.  I cannot believe this placement is in disregard of a narrowing, rigorous hiring examination by a tiered, eliminating interview process that you, I, and the many long-diligent job hunters prepare for to remain among the prospectives offering the best potential.

but...

In concern, I called my brother for whatever moral support, being he dropped from lucrative standing.  Far-reaching contacts made a couple years ago in his auto industry job hired him.   A company at very distant reach, from Shanghai.   Parts manufacturer who recently made inroads on the new Camaro.  From industry experience, he'll be their North American rep and was in Disneyland when I just called, celebrating with the wife and kids; off to Shanghai for a month afterwards. 

Being from Detroit, considering the American-made mood of the late 70's-early 80's when things were last this bad, who'd of ever thunk, but yes, times are changing.



Always, good luck and my best.

I hear ya Sister!  I need a job too.  I've been told that "at least you are getting interviews, which is more than most are getting"...but interviews don't pay the bills.

Gena,

Here is what someone had to say about your situation.


Quote:

The interviewer knows her office and knows that your friend is not a "cultural fit". If everyone else at the office were "happy and outgoing" she'd have been hired. But she did your friend a favor. By not hiring her, she saved her from being turned into one of the unhappy ogres that populates her office.

Redd wrote on Aug 28^th, 2009 at 12:30pm:

Gena, Here is what someone had to say about your situation. Quote: The interviewer knows her office and knows that your friend is not a "cultural fit". If everyone else at the office were "happy and outgoing" she'd have been hired. But she did your friend a favor. By not hiring her, she saved her from being turned into one of the unhappy ogres that populates her office.

Oh trust me, I know this. Like I said this is one of the reasons after three months I was let go of my last job. It was horrible there. NO music, NO laughing, NO etc..
I guess I just don't understand why! Why everyone is so miserable and why employers encourage this and why this seems to be the norm now. :-[

i couple years ago i quit my job at driving for bst to drive for an owner operator. he told me i could have my choice of loads and could go wherever i wanted. as it turned out my choices only took me about 350 miles and took a whole day of calling agents who didn't care if you ran or not too get them. it was allot of busting my ass and sitting around in truckstops a few hundred miles away from home with no fuel to go anywhere. after about 5 weeks of this i gave the guy who owned the truck an ultimatum. he either changed companies or i would have to seek employment elsewhere. i suggested he lease the truck on with pacer. i was really good friends with an agent and i could get some good paying loads. he lied to me and said he would do it then sold the truck.

my friend at pacer hooked me up with a company down in dallas. they bought me a bus ticket from columbus to dallas and after 24 hours of being cramped up on 5 different buses i arrived in dallas and walked  miles to the motel. i could either get a cab or eat. i was a broke ass  yankee walking down the road in  dallas in the middle of the night in my old black boots pulling my suitcase. next day they picked me up and took me to the terminal. they gave me a nice big late model peterbilt outfitted with chains, tarps, straps, 2 big yellow beacons on some oversized banners. i started hauling oversized loads. windmill parts, big excavating equipment. 16' wide 15' tall. i'll chain 'er down and get it there. i was making $3000 evry 2 weeks. i was going from california to connecticut  to utah to texas to washington to florida. i was officially a big time truck driver and i made it home about every 2 weeks for about 2 or 3 days.

freight steadily slowed down till after 9 months i was making about  $700 every 2 weeks and after every run id spend about 4 or 5 days in the truckstop and was away from home about 5 to 6 weeks at a time.

then i quit that job to haul cars. a guy picked me up in dallas and i came back to ohio. i hauled cars till that dried up then i went back to flatbed for the same guy.
didn't get much flatbed freight we parked the flatbed and started to pull a van for petsmart. after the load  went through 3 brokers and got to me it paid about $100 a night. one night i fell off a dock in cleveland walking around behind a store looking for the manager and i twisted my knee real bad. i laid there on the dark concrete for about 15 minutes before i could get up. then i limped over to what i thought was the petsmart door and beat the shit out of it. i got somebodies attention and they got me unloaded. i had one more stop to make then i headed toward home. i stopped about 2 hours away from home and went to bed. my knee was killing me. when i woke up it toke everything i had to get into the drivers seat. i couldn't even pull my leg up over the gearshift to get it lined up with the fuel pedal. i sat there for a minute and i called my mom. (shit is bad when i have to call mom) then i sat there in the drivers seat facing the passengers side and i cried.

   i realized no matter how tough i was or how much knowledge i had or who i knew did not matter at that point. trucking had officially kicked my ass. a buddy of mine came out and drove the truck back to columbus dropped the trailer and parked the truck at moms.

  around this time i met a guy who drove for conway. he said they were hiring so i limped on in and filled out an app. i tool one last flatbed load out to phoenix and called them every 3 days. when i got back the job was mine. no more sleepers. no more agents. just drive the truck and come home everyday. 5 12 hour days home everyday and every  weekend. another month i'll be getting medical benefits, stock options, 401k and a pension plan.

  i dunno what you might get out of this story but try to be optimistic. i'm not sure how soon things will get better but they will get better. hang tough ;)

Gena,

Try applying for a job in a school. They like it when you smile alot. I think that'show Lisa got hired so fast this spring. Last week was her first week with the kids and one of the nice kids asked her if her smile was for real, cause it never goes away. In some jobs it really is a gift. Don't lose yours just cause somebody made a negative comment!

Charlotte

Pegg, just saw on the newsbreak that the Noel Group will be hiring 40-50 people for Call Center Representatives (which is what I used to do when I worked there 13 years ago).

They said you can apply in person or on their website.

Don't know if you saw it too, but wanted to give you a heads up.

:)mel

Thanks Melly, but they already weeded me out as over qualified for the entry level positions. Been down that road already. 

Maureen is the HR Director, and she used to be the HR director at the Journal when I got hired there.

She is keeping me on a short list should something more along my skill set open up, but they do most promoting from within.  Still networking with her though.  Something may come of it.

Maybe a change of geography is needed? 

Thursday we screened 156 applicants, interviewed 50 and hired 25.  Still need to hire another 50 people this month. 

Have you considered moving to an area with a better job market?  Some companies offer relocation stipends or a hiring bonus to help defer the cost of moving.

What's the industry you're in Donna?

Been here in N.C. less than a month. And after about a half dozen "Insurance/Financial" replys to my resume on Career Joker, I have an interview for an onsite manager position at a local plant.

I need this real bad, how about some good vibes?

Canadian; Oh' Geez, I'm needin this real bad, don't ya know, Howa aboot some of those vibes, eh'?

Thanks all!

QnHeartMM wrote on Sep 5^th, 2009 at 10:18pm:

What's the industry you're in Donna?

The wireless industry.  I am a Tech Supervisor for  T-mobile.

We set out to hire 100 new people this month in our Frisco center.  We are halfway there. 

Hiya Donna,

Moving takes money, of which I don't have.  Yes there are some companies who will front relocation costs, however, in this economy, very few are doing that unless you are some sort of high level engineer or IT guru and they can't find someone local who is qualified.

Is T-Mobile a company that offers a relocation package?  Just curious.

Entry level, No.  But for Supervisors and above, yes.  You have to commit to working for one year at that location.

I totally feel your pain sister....