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After submitting over 30 job applications, and getting just one interview I'm beginning to suspect that the claims of Australia's economy doing well are hot air.  I found out yesterday that for a position I was encouraged to apply for by 4 people who worked there, including the ceo, I wasn't even short listed.  Every job I apply for I'm either over qualified or under qualified.  Or the money dried up.  Or the position was filled internally.

Does anyone else have experience applying for jobs lately?

by njh on Tue Mar 16th, 2010 at 01:47:51 PM EST
Yep, I've not been able to secure a new job in the last 18 months although I haven't done as many applications as you.  I'm being made redundant in 2 weeks.  So, looks like self employment is the way forward for the time being.

Ad astra per aspera
by In Wales (inwales aaat eurotrib.com) on Tue Mar 16th, 2010 at 01:55:28 PM EST
[ Parent ]
I wouldn't even like to begin the number of applications I've written, But the number of replies I've had has similarly come to the magic number zero.

Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Tue Mar 16th, 2010 at 02:08:06 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Oh no, how could I forget, I had a single interview I'd forgotten about.

Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Tue Mar 16th, 2010 at 02:08:54 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Even so, given the dim-wittedness of the kids receiving IT training from us, the fact that you can't get an interview suggests something terrible in the IT world.

keep to the Fen Causeway
by Helen (lareinagal at yahoo dot co dot uk) on Tue Mar 16th, 2010 at 02:14:50 PM EST
[ Parent ]
too expensive, and having had a year off sick that you have to admit to on application forms dosnt help. (That and there not being an enormous amount of jobs out there)

Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Tue Mar 16th, 2010 at 02:18:45 PM EST
[ Parent ]
If you're better, don't admit the health issue. Just brush over the traces and leave it at that.

keep to the Fen Causeway
by Helen (lareinagal at yahoo dot co dot uk) on Tue Mar 16th, 2010 at 02:38:09 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Or apply for an office job that talks about understanding computers. Once you're in, blow them away with your ability to move their business on using net-savvy.

Try learning Access of Excel and get the certification. Not too many people about who really know those.

keep to the Fen Causeway

by Helen (lareinagal at yahoo dot co dot uk) on Tue Mar 16th, 2010 at 02:39:49 PM EST
[ Parent ]
You weren't off sick for a year.  You took a year's sabbatical to update your knowledge base and skill set.  

You HAVE learned stuff here, right?

;-)

by ATinNM on Tue Mar 16th, 2010 at 03:01:40 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Yes, I've been applying mostly in IT too.  Part of the problem appears to be ineptitude in the hiring process - they can't good from bad and rely on poor quality signaling like MSCE type awards rather than real experience such as free software development.
by njh on Tue Mar 16th, 2010 at 06:06:08 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Hey, don't knock poor quality signalling like MCSE. some of us would never have got a job in IT without experience-poor qualfications

;-))

keep to the Fen Causeway

by Helen (lareinagal at yahoo dot co dot uk) on Tue Mar 16th, 2010 at 06:42:55 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Ah the good old Must Consult Someone Experienced

Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Tue Mar 16th, 2010 at 06:57:42 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Ya gonna be all right rent-wise ?

keep to the Fen Causeway
by Helen (lareinagal at yahoo dot co dot uk) on Tue Mar 16th, 2010 at 02:11:31 PM EST
[ Parent ]
For a few months yes.

Ad astra per aspera
by In Wales (inwales aaat eurotrib.com) on Wed Mar 17th, 2010 at 05:00:41 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Wait, I thought you had just recently been made Director of an NGO...
appointed Director post, a voluntary position, for a disability organisation here in Wales
Um, okay, voluntary means it was unpaid so you still need a "day job" so to speak.

Sorry to hear you're being made redundant again. As you know I spent about 15 months in and out of unemployment and I wouldn't wish that upon my worst enemy. I hope you find something soon. Self-employment is precarious as ways forward go...

The brainless should not be in banking -- Willem Buiter

by Migeru (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Tue Mar 16th, 2010 at 02:15:38 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Over half of the interviews I had 2 years ago were for nonexistent positions. People like to interview people to pick their brains or to get inside information on the competitor the candidate comes from.

The brainless should not be in banking -- Willem Buiter
by Migeru (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Tue Mar 16th, 2010 at 02:17:14 PM EST
[ Parent ]
I sent out probably 150 applications before I finally got a bite five months later from my current employer.  And that was in 2007, before the shit really hit the fan.

My coworker sent her application into the feds two years before they interviewed her.  The jokes almost write themselves with the Office of Personnel Management.  Thankfully, the Obama people seem to at least have a clue that it's shit -- which puts them lightyears ahead of Chimpy and Clenis, but it still needs a massive amount of work.

The wife's been without a full-time job for going on three years.  I think I'm going to have her read this thread so that she knows she's not the only one.

Conservatives want live babies so they can raise them to be dead soldiers. - George Carlin

by Drew J Jones (myfriends@thisispancakes.com) on Tue Mar 16th, 2010 at 05:28:57 PM EST
[ Parent ]
My son was in this position (looking for a job) recently, and, by working with a "recruiter," finally got a position as a "contractor," which means that he works for a body shop that matches people to jobs. He's trying now to convert it into a regular position, but it seems that this halfway-between-permanent-and-temp setup works pretty well for everybody involved. He can get fired at any time, but would then have a good shot at another position with the same body shop.

Bottom line, find a recruiter.

by asdf on Tue Mar 16th, 2010 at 08:18:29 PM EST
[ Parent ]

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