Job Search Venting Thread

[helpme2010]

My husband has been turned down for minimum wage jobs because he's "over-qualified". Well, DUH! He's, in his 40's and held a professional position for many years - of course he's more qualified than the 18-yr old dimwits who applied for the job! He's also more responsible and motivated, since he has a family to help support! But they won't hire him because they think he'll go somewhere else as soon as he gets a better offer. From where?!? His profession has been downsized to the point of obscurity and the jobs are NOT coming back. He just wants a bloody paycheck at this point!

Dee, this issue drives me a little nuts. Of course your husband will and should take the better, higher paying job when it comes. I think its sad that we are expected to take the minimum wage job because its the only thing available, yet we are also expected to then take a permanent backwards step in life and stay with that minimum wage job??? Are you kidding?

The one problem I see with this approach is taking the low paying job, then trying to find a way to interview with better jobs, while still keeping the low paying job. I have tried this and it is extremely difficult. How am I supposed to meet with the other company, while working a full time job? They don't schedule interviews after work hours, and often the other job is too far away to get to, I live in Southern California, where it could easily take an hour to get from one job to another. Then you still need a couple hours of interview time, waiting time, etc.

[Dee]

My husband has been turned down for minimum wage jobs because he's "over-qualified". Well, DUH! He's, in his 40's and held a professional position for many years - of course he's more qualified than the 18-yr old dimwits who applied for the job! He's also more responsible and motivated, since he has a family to help support! But they won't hire him because they think he'll go somewhere else as soon as he gets a better offer. From where?!? His profession has been downsized to the point of obscurity and the jobs are NOT coming back. He just wants a bloody paycheck at this point!

[tobee43]

i just read the sadness article done by cnn...about being jobless and hopeless in america....what an absolute shame....it surveyed unemployed people, followed them for a few years...i mean it was not a huge study, but to me an indicator of what's going on through out the country.

by the sounds of THAT research it does not sound that great for our futures...at least not for people my age....

[tyson24]

Recruiters have also been known to ask if you have been on any recent interviews lately, then ask where and what the interviews were like. That way, when they are sending them these candidates, they have some knowledge of the interview process to pass on to that candidate. I read some reviews on the company I went to, and I almost didn't go. They described my office to a T. I just figured that I would use it as an interview opportunity/practice, worse case scenario. It didn't even turn out to be like that.

I know that an opportunity will come, and that all this searching won't be in vain.

[shark66]

I'm stopping by just to say "hang in there" and keep the faith in yourself as difficult as it may be when no doors are opening whatsoever...

During the only segment of my life when I was unemployed some seven years ago I heard the term "overqualified" one too many times for my liking. Haven't understood it then, and still don't get it now...

I always felt that employment agencies/headhunters etc. were a huge scam, at least the ones I had the misfortune of being exposed to back in those days...and it's got to be worse now by any measurable criteria...

I wish I could offer all of you more than just well-wishes and prayers, but I can't.

I wish I were in the position to hire at least one of you fine people, but I'm on someone else's payroll myself.

You need new jobs, new opportunities.

I need to get ten more years out of this one - which is not going to happen and I'll be in the same boat with all of you guys and gals - maybe sooner than any of us can anticipate...

Good luck to us all.

[helpme2010]

I get upset with recruiters when they have called me into their office saying they have a job and that I must fill out an application and stuff with them first. Only they didn't have a job, they just wanted me in to fill out the paperwork and add to their database. I was so pissed by this that I stopped meeting with recruiters until I have proof they have a job available and interviewing with the recruiter is only the last step in the process.

Recruiters don't realize that it costs me probably $10 in gas, a half a day in driving, interviewing, etc. and more time preparing for the interview. Plus the cost of cleaning the suit, parking fees (some places won't validate, sometimes costing $6 - $15 in parking fee) - you got to love Los Angeles. It can take 1 hour or more driving time each way (a few times over 2 hours each way).

Another thing that annoys me is if I show up to an interview and there are one or two people sitting there applying for the same job (that shows a lack of class by the hiring company).

and Discouraged has a good point about companies that interview us or refuse to interview us, then whatever hiring decision they made was wrong. Either the employee they hired sucked or the hiring company sucks and can't provide the resources necessary for the employee to succeed. Either way, I constantly see the same companies posting for the same jobs for years.

My final complaint was with several companies that actually interviewed to get tips on how to handle the work assignments. They wanted me to give them the ideas and even create a full plan that they could simply take from me without paying for it. I worked for a couple employers that actually pulled this crap so they could get free ideas without having to pay for it. They would also call vendors pretending to want to buy their services, but only taking the ideas given to them and never giving them the business.

[tyson24]

Recruiting/staffing companies do this so that they make bonus. They have a bonus structure. A certain amount for placing people and a certain amount related to how many new people they can meet with inside the office. To get them to come into the office, they have to make them believe their is a job for them. They probably placed someone in that job the minute it became available, but advertised it for the dragnet, as the previous poster stated.

I got fooled by a recruiter a week or so ago. I told him before leaving, "I hope you make bonus..." He knows my degree is in HR and he knew that I knew what he was up to

[discouraged]

One more. The county has testing for certain jobs throughout the year. Last year I applied for the Financial Worker test and passed but was not high enough on the list to be hired (they start with the top 10 and move down as jobs open) I was 50 something and they didn't get to me. Now they posted it again and this time I do not have the qualifications to take the test. Huh? What changed from last year to this year when I obviously did pass the test?

[discouraged]

I think they use it as a drag net to see what's out there and there actually aren't any jobs. The one I liked the best I think was when, first I submitted my resume, they had me come in and with a bunch of screaming kids in the lobby had me fill out the same information. It was for $12 an hour and maybe that was the test because they did not hire me, thank Godf!

[helpme2010]

My former company is one of those that has been posting the exact same ad for the exact same job for over 2 years. The same job, over and over and over. Why? Because they are a horrible company to work for, the mgr of this very small division absolutely SUCKS and they can't keep employees!

Thanks Chicagoannie. For the first 5 years of looking, I kept wondering, why do these companies do this? Are they not finding an employee or are they finding an employee and then firing the employee. It would drive me up the wall. Especially if I had a friend or family member look up in the wanted ads and tell me, "hey so and so is hiring, why can't you get a job there?".

[chicagoannie]

My former company is one of those that has been posting the exact same ad for the exact same job for over 2 years. The same job, over and over and over. Why? Because they are a horrible company to work for, the mgr of this very small division absolutely SUCKS and they can't keep employees!

[helpme2010]

I have been absent from this board for awhile, just focusing 100% day and night on job searching. I wanted to post up a thread to vent out a little steam and maybe other job searchers can vent as well.

What I hate about job searches:

1. When a company posts so many requirements for a position (many not realistic - I bet if Bill Gates applied or even God for that matter, they would be turned down for not having enough experience)

2. When you can meet every requirement, except one item (and each company has a different one item that you can't meet).

3. When you actually meet every requirement and have the exact experience, but they still send you a rejection letter saying they are looking for a more qualified candidate.

4. When you have to fill out 50,000 pages of information about yourself on a recruiter or company website, spending hours, and they could have easily extracted this right out of your resume. And the ultimate insult, after doing this, they don't have a job for you.

5. The same exact companies keep posting for the same exact jobs (and this has been happening for 5-10 years). Makes you wonder about your job security with that company, and what kind of boss you will be working for

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