The Job Search Process

[Andrew206]

What about the job search is most frustrating for you?

 

[Gritches]

Trying to explain away massive gaps in my work history. I don't know why they give so much of a crap about that.

 

[Nervous Rex]

Interviews. If I don’t have a prepared answer to every question, I start to flounder.

 

[Gracey]

having to be great at interviews rather than great for the job itself.

Having to satisfy an agency to put you on their books before getting anywhere near the company you want to apply to.

Active, live job adverts on sites like indeed and jobcentre plus then getting onto the website of the company you’re actually applying to to find the vacancy closed two weeks previously.

My interpretation of the wording used in the adverts. Like needing an NVQ at levels 2 or 3 (health and social care) to; what I’ve presumed to be, clean up bodily fluids on a mental health ward?
(Two years at college (to gain NVQs) to know the risks to self and others from contamination?)
A recent advert I’ve read wanted a Btec in an engineering field to operate a counterbalance truck in a warehouse for national minimum wage?
I must have misinterpreted the adverts?

That’s all I can think of for now.

 

[Progster]

When I was looking for a job about 6 years ago, the most frustrating thing was sending off loads of applications and not even getting a reply or interview, because no one wanted to hire a women in her 40s with a background of teaching abroad and little experience in anything else - and that was without even mentioning the Asperger's.

 

[Gracey]

When I was looking for a job about 6 years ago, the most frustrating thing was sending off loads of applications and not even getting a reply or interview, because no one wanted to hire a women in her 40s with a background of teaching abroad and little experience in anything else - and that was without even mentioning the Asperger's.

This can be frustrating.
I often think why to I have to apply in disguise?
What’s wrong with just being me?

 

[tducey]

Interviews. I've always been told I give a good interview but I do feel nervous after having 1.

 

[Mattymatt]

Everything about the job search is demoralizing. I don't think I like any of it. But it's an effort that must be put in if I am to get anywhere. Although a few ideas are churning in my head to maybe see if I can buy stuff and flip it for a profit. Lately I've seen a lot of things on Let Go and Craigslist that I might be able to buy and flip. I won't make a killing but it's worth a shot.

 

[Rich Gray]

What about the job search is most frustrating for you?

Interviewing is by and large the most difficult thing for me. I tend to get hired in groups of people, so I must appear to be good enough to be given a shot. Once hired, I eventually tend to end up doing quite well.

I made a horrible stock person at the grocery store, but I tend to do well in a call-center (tech support, customer service, or sales. . . I am now an insurance agent).

This requires me to take good notes, break down ideas/procedures, rebuild them, and ask lots of questions. I make sure to let the people I ask that I am are collecting ways to do things from everyone in order to find the ways that works best for me . . . or if I don't use their method, then they may feel slighted. I often find efficiency problems in a system doing this . . . sometimes huge ones.

 

[Rich Gray]

Interviews. If I don’t have a prepared answer to every question, I start to flounder.

Now the rules for interviewing are different. Interviewing is where you brag about yourself . . . while trying not to look like a jerk who is full of himself or herself.

I applied for a different position (promotion?) last year, I received an interview, and I was having an brain-fuzzy-day. The interviewer asked me questions, and I think I took a long time to answer them. He asked me what my strengths were, I paused, and said that I was smart. I am quite sure one should just about never say that, and that I should have given examples.

 

[midlife aspie]

The interviews do suck. I would frequently have to pause and reflect on answers to some questions. That kills your chances for sure. Had I known all I really had to do was apply for a position with the USPS, I could have skipped the waste that was college. I'm career with them now and was able to move from clerk to maintenance and making $42k/yr working 6am to 2pm Tue-Sat. Got Federal health benefits too, even a pension. The work is easy and no one stands over me. Finally financially stable. Lots of people are retiring and positions are opening up.

 

[Mia]

Have been on many types of interviews, and never know what kind it's going to be. Will they do psychological profiling on the spot? Stress interviews? Technical interviews? The worst ones for me are the conference interviews with eight to ten people asking questions. I'm good with one on one interviews, but not so good with multiple person interviews.

Might be good to inform yourself about the types of interviews out there:

https://careers.workopolis.com/advi...f-job-interviews-and-how-to-prepare-for-them/
Prepare yourself for three different types of job interviews. Find out how.

 

[Rich Gray]

The interviews do suck. I would frequently have to pause and reflect on answers to some questions. That kills your chances for sure. Had I known all I really had to do was apply for a position with the USPS, I could have skipped the waste that was college. I'm career with them now and was able to move from clerk to maintenance and making $42k/yr working 6am to 2pm Tue-Sat. Got Federal health benefits too, even a pension. The work is easy and no one stands over me. Finally financially stable. Lots of people are retiring and positions are opening up.

My father-in-law works for the USPS as a mechanic in a sorting facility. I have a friend that needs insurance, and I always thought that it would be interesting for him to marry her, then she would get insurance . . . and a pension!

 

[Rich Gray]

Have been on many types of interviews, and never know what kind it's going to be. Will they do psychological profiling on the spot? Stress interviews? Technical interviews? The worst ones for me are the conference interviews with eight to ten people asking questions. I'm good with one on one interviews, but not so good with multiple person interviews.

Might be good to inform yourself about the types of interviews out there:

https://careers.workopolis.com/advi...f-job-interviews-and-how-to-prepare-for-them/
Prepare yourself for three different types of job interviews. Find out how.

We had to take a test so that it may be normed. The test had HORRABLE questions in it. The one that stood out the most was "Do you look for loop-holes" . . . with the idea that looking for loopholes was bad. This basically read to me as "Do you think with your brain?" I wrote the test maker a list of observations, and they offered me an interview!

learning about my brain and taking these OCS and ADD medicines seems to have really helped me. Also I had a job in tech support where I would debate all-day-long on the interwebs, that really helped my writing.

 

[Mia]

This basically read to me as "Do you think with your brain?" I wrote the test maker a list of observations, and they offered me an interview!

'Do you look for loopholes.' Likely they were attempting to establish if you look for a way to break the rules. Yet when I read that question, I begin to think of other ways to approach a problem. So glad you offered a list of observations that might change their way of perceiving the answers to a question.

 

[RetiredDinner]

Not being able to apply for dream jobs because I lack official qualifications, even though I'm more qualified than a lot of people who do have the official qualifications. I honestly tried applying for social jobs like stores, but I've only had 1 call back, where I didn't get hired because they found someone else. I even applied for a call center, but I wasn't pushy enough to be selling stupid products nobody on earth wants for a reason.

I'm just 17, and I'll go to college to (try to) get the proper official qualifications, but it's just a pain that I have to wait so long, since I want to do it now.

 

[Mary Anne]

Everything about the job search is demoralizing. I don't think I like any of it. But it's an effort that must be put in if I am to get anywhere. Although a few ideas are churning in my head to maybe see if I can buy stuff and flip it for a profit. Lately I've seen a lot of things on Let Go and Craigslist that I might be able to buy and flip. I won't make a killing but it's worth a shot.

I been selling some possessions on eBay. I detest the listing process, and all the entire shipping options gets pretty complex. Some people LOVE doing eBay all day 7 days a week, and make a 6-figure income per year. As for profitability, it’s ok, but since I dislike the process, It’s not a great feeling of “Wow, look at all the profits!” It’s worth trying though.
How’s the job search?

 

[Mary Anne]

Not being able to apply for dream jobs because I lack official qualifications, even though I'm more qualified than a lot of people who do have the official qualifications. I honestly tried applying for social jobs like stores, but I've only had 1 call back, where I didn't get hired because they found someone else. I even applied for a call center, but I wasn't pushy enough to be selling stupid products nobody on earth wants for a reason.

I'm just 17, and I'll go to college to (try to) get the proper official qualifications, but it's just a pain that I have to wait so long, since I want to do it now.

What is your dream job? Just know that it’s vey tough competition these days to get jobs- for everyone - of any age.

 

[RetiredDinner]

What is your dream job? Just know that it’s vey tough competition these days to get jobs- for everyone - of any age.

IT. I've been trying to pick between programming and general systems administration. The first one would be more interesting yet more difficult and time-consuming, the second one would be laid back and leave me enough free time to enjoy my life like I want to (not saying all systems administrators have simple jobs, but I have a friend who does that and I'm pretty sure his international company isn't the only company with an easy to manage infrastructure).

I've been programming for about a year now, and I sadly don't feel like I've been progressing fast enough to be a professional programmer after 1 college course. That might be my own insecurity and over expectations in what the average programmer is capable of though.

 

[Mary Anne]

IT. I've been trying to pick between programming and general systems administration. The first one would be more interesting yet more difficult and time-consuming, the second one would be laid back and leave me enough free time to enjoy my life like I want to (not saying all systems administrators have simple jobs, but I have a friend who does that and I'm pretty sure his international company isn't the only company with an easy to manage infrastructure).

I've been programming for about a year now, and I sadly don't feel like I've been progressing fast enough to be a professional programmer after 1 college course. That might be my own insecurity and over expectations in what the average programmer is capable of though.

I have no idea what either entails, but I do know that they are both highly competitive. Programmers are so common, that they do not command high wages anymore. Children start learning “programming” in kindergarten! I don’t even know what that is, LOL!