Applying for jobs is exhausting and soul-crushing

Hmmm having a real tough time this week. Took a week and some change off (ending Wed) of the looking at job stuff currently here in Japan since the kids I taught from their first year are graduating and wanted to focus on giving them some awesome stuff and parting speech.

But part of me wants to stay, but today was thinking it might be best to just leave... keeps going back and forth in my brain. I love me some teaching but the horror stories about other companies got me a bit shook. But also see the potential in working for other fields if I stay a bit more and change...

will sure up the linkedin and resume more I guess and poke some companies I guess. Anyone know details on how HR teams work usually? I know some accept all resumes and make offers at certain positions, even if you don't fit for what you sent it in for... Also need to keep reminding myself not all jobs are posted in the common spots @.@

So are headhunting agencies actually helpful in getting anything meaningful or are they just a waste of time?

Here is the situation I could use some advice on.

A month ago I spoke to a manager at my company about a new role they were creating and want me to fill. I was told they were going to start the process and they would keep me updated. Two weeks ago I ran into the manager and their boss and they mentioned to each other (in my presence) that they had to finalize the job description to present to HR.

A month has passed by since the initial conversation. Is it a reasonable time frame for me to email and ask if there has been an update/keep myself on their radar?

I was planning on a super brief email just to check in.

SpottieO said:

Here is the situation I could use some advice on.

A month ago I spoke to a manager at my company about a new role they were creating and want me to fill. I was told they were going to start the process and they would keep me updated. Two weeks ago I ran into the manager and their boss and they mentioned to each other (in my presence) that they had to finalize the job description to present to HR.

A month has passed by since the initial conversation. Is it a reasonable time frame for me to email and ask if there has been an update/keep myself on their radar?

I was planning on a super brief email just to check in.

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

100% yes, fire away.

Kyrios said:

So are headhunting agencies actually helpful in getting anything meaningful or are they just a waste of time?

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

Depends. One got me an offer from Experian for a high level position out of nowhere.

Was hit up by a recruiter that I used to work with. Got 3 phone interviews in(all which went well) before they said they wanted someone more senior for the position. Ugh

Add me to Team Job Hunter.

Going on three months unemployment right now, but I've got two interviews lined up this week. I'm feeling optimistic, though it's hard to shake off the pre-interview jitters. I always get so nervous (even for phone interviews/screenings). Been reading up on techniques to keep myself calm before the big show: controlled breathing, exercising, meditation, eating a banana (lol), reviewing common interview questions, reviewing "tricky" interview questions, etc.

Is there anything in particular you guys do to keep your nerves under control?

GKSilKamina said:

reviewing common interview questions, reviewing "tricky" interview questions, etc.

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

When you do this, you should copy all the questions from other people who interviewed for the position from Glassdoor and then write out your answers exactly how you would say them. I've found that they never actually ask me any of those questions, but it helps a lot for prepping for their questions in general, and you might be able to bring in some information from one of those answers you wrote down for something else.

Kyrios said:

So are headhunting agencies actually helpful in getting anything meaningful or are they just a waste of time?

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

Depends on the field and your credentials.

Thanks, Luna!

GKSilKamina said:

Add me to Team Job Hunter.

Going on three months unemployment right now, but I've got two interviews lined up this week. I'm feeling optimistic, though it's hard to shake off the pre-interview jitters. I always get so nervous (even for phone interviews/screenings). Been reading up on techniques to keep myself calm before the big show: controlled breathing, exercising, meditation, eating a banana (lol), reviewing common interview questions, reviewing "tricky" interview questions, etc.

Is there anything in particular you guys do to keep your nerves under control?

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

Preparation always works best for me. Whenever I have to speak in front of another person or group of people, my nervousness directly correlates with my preparation. If I did my studying beforehand, I'm chill for the most part. If not, RIP.

So yeah, I think looking into the type of questions you need to answer, looking up the company you're interviewing for, etc... should help a lot.

Best of luck.

What should I do if there is a 3 month gap by now since my last internship? All I can get is internships these past 3 years in hopes it adds up to something for full time. Trying to hold on hope for years, walking outside helps with the stress at least.

IchigoSharingan said:

Depends. One got me an offer from Experian for a high level position out of nowhere.

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

Kill3r7 said:

Depends on the field and your credentials.

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

Ok, thanks guys!

So I got a part time job at Meijer, a follow up after seasonal work at Best Buy, but I'm seemingly getting further and further away from my real goal which is any job in the Game Industry.

I've been applying to jobs for coming up on two years now, graduated with a BS in Game Design in May of last year, applied all throughout that scholastic year and a bit before that. Probably 80 applications at this point. Internships, entry level, junior positions, QA, etc. Nothing. Hell, I just applied to an internship moments after the listing was posted and got a rejection letter two days later.

But here's the thing, I interview well. I've been offered a job on the spot for every job I've gotten, whether that be sales jobs, or teaching for a tech summer camp, and even got fairly far with the Game of War people before I realized my Excel skills weren't up to snuff.

What's extra fun is now I'm living with my mom... who I have an unsteady, unfriendly relationship with, so the more I struggle getting out of here, the more it feels like I wanna die.

GKSilKamina said:

Is there anything in particular you guys do to keep your nerves under control?

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

What's the worst that can happen? You just don't get it. Not a big deal. There are hundreds of thousands jobs out there. Realizing that you are NOT dependent on landing that particular position should alleviate a lot of stress. It's not an exam you have to ace to be able to continue to go to college or something. See it more like trying a few cloths when you go shopping and they might not fit, so you return them and try some others.

I dunno, I'm never nervous because there are no stakes involved in my mind.

PurpleMoustache said:

So I got a part time job at Meijer, a follow up after seasonal work at Best Buy, but I'm seemingly getting further and further away from my real goal which is any job in the Game Industry.

I've been applying to jobs for coming up on two years now, graduated with a BS in Game Design in May of last year, applied all throughout that scholastic year and a bit before that. Probably 80 applications at this point. Internships, entry level, junior positions, QA, etc. Nothing. Hell, I just applied to an internship moments after the listing was posted and got a rejection letter two days later.

But here's the thing, I interview well. I've been offered a job on the spot for every job I've gotten, whether that be sales jobs, or teaching for a tech summer camp, and even got fairly far with the Game of War people before I realized my Excel skills weren't up to snuff.

What's extra fun is now I'm living with my mom... who I have an unsteady, unfriendly relationship with, so the more I struggle getting out of here, the more it feels like I wanna die.

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

Do you want me to look over your resume? I have some experience in games.

Update for me: tomorrow is the decision day for the offer I have, and I'm most likely going to take it. I just found out today that one of the companies I've been talking with, the spot is in Seattle, which is fine but not really what I expected.

Septimus Prime said:

Do you want me to look over your resume? I have some experience in games.

Update for me: tomorrow is the decision day for the offer I have, and I'm most likely going to take it. I just found out today that one of the companies I've been talking with, the spot is in Seattle, which is fine but not really what I expected.

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

My college's job person is currently looking at it, I'll take you up after she looks first. Thanks!

What does a financial background check mean exactly?

Sectorseven said:

What does a financial background check mean exactly?

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

Credit check.

Kyrios said:

So are headhunting agencies actually helpful in getting anything meaningful or are they just a waste of time?

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

Waste of time...for me personally. There are a few legit ones but those are few and far between. The worst are the people that work in an Indian boiler room and just spam your phone all day for jobs located across the country. They don't even bother reading your resume.

deussupreme said:

Credit check.

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

Does it just mean they're looking to see if you're in default on something, or do they want you above a certain credit score?

Sectorseven said:

Does it just mean they're looking to see if you're in default on something, or do they want you above a certain credit score?

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

Not sure. Could be different based on the employer. Some employers use it to help verify your job history, but don't quote me on that.

Just got rejected from an offer that I thought was a shoe-in. I had a feeling that my 2nd interview didn't go well but I was slightly optimistic about my chances. Shit sucks but oh well. Will go back to the drawing board over the weekend and start from the beginning again.

I'm actually getting laid off today. Getting five weeks severance and I qualify for unemployment. I have an interview with a company next Tuesday that I'm not sure I want to work at, but I'd get a 10k pay bump from where I'm at now. I also am scheduled to have a phone interview for another job sometime next week, and a company who took our contract reached out to me and asked if I was interested in working with them and to send over my resume. Lastly, the city said I passed their initial screening for a job with them, and I should be hearing if I'm getting an interview with them sometime next week. I'm excited, strangely.

I'm on my last semester of masters studies in IT. Getting a job is easy, but getting a GOOD job is difficult as shit. My biggest problem is how time consuming every process is. Big consultancy firms and tech companies have insanely long processes that take up so much time, and more often than not they have a thousand applicants for a graduate program with a mere five spots. Competition is super fierce. It's not so much soul crushing to me as it is exhausting.

Hey y'all. My husband is wrapping up his engineering degree and I wanted to see if this was the official job search thread or if there was another one? I seem to remember another one but it didn't turn up in search.

Dr. Monkey said:

Hey y'all. My husband is wrapping up his engineering degree and I wanted to see if this was the official job search thread or if there was another one? I seem to remember another one but it didn't turn up in search.

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

This has become the sole default one, yeah.

Host Samurai said:

Waste of time...for me personally. There are a few legit ones but those are few and far between. The worst are the people that work in an Indian boiler room and just spam your phone all day for jobs located across the country. They don't even bother reading your resume.

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

Yeah I'm sure not all are great. Well since I've originally posted, I've gotten help from a family friend who has a management job and he's been helping me re-work my resume and cover letters. And I have to say I feel a lot more confident now, which is huge for me.

Can't wait to really start sending them out with a much better feeling.

Just an update on my job hunt: One of the interviews went well and I was offered a job. Just need to finish submitting the background check and drug test. Feeling pretty relieved right now!

Does anyone have a decent CV template they use within word?
All the ones I've looked into online seem to be either super basic and generic or rally OTT and not suitable.

I used an amazing one (from an old thread here or from GAF someone created called resume_scrubbed.ai) but realised recently that it looked and was setup great within word but if it was printed out the layout was completely broken and was so messed up.

It was this template:
https://i.imgur.com/SxME5uC.png

I use the Europass CV template, adaptated to my needs. It has a nice basic layout and looks great when printed.

I use that GAF template, but yeah, it's really fickle with editing. It works if you save as PDF before you print, though.

I'm at the point for looking for a new jerb. I work at a community fitness center as a personal trainer, instructor, and floor staff. I like what I do, but management is making us adhere to these "standards" they created out of nowhere. Every little thing must be documented. Talk to someone on the floor? Document the time and person. Then call members every two weeks to check up on them. Documented CPR "training" every shift...that doesn't even recertify me. Oh and yesterday they sent an email saying if they catch anyone on their cell phone it's an automatic write up because we have to be held to a higher standard and always be professional. There's a lot of other little things that make me feel suffocated because I can't just do my job.

How hard is it to get a job in san Francisco? I have customer service experience

I'm tired of searching. I had a couple potential connects from people working in the field I want to get into, but I haven't heard from them in weeks. I just feel like such shit today.

Kickmaster Kim said:

I'm tired of searching. I had a couple potential connects from people working in the field I want to get into, but I haven't heard from them in weeks. I just feel like such shit today.

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

Don't feel bad, ever since I left my job nearly a year ago, I've applied to nearly 1000 jobs on Indeed alone, and had maybe 10-15 legit interviews.

Still looking and it's absolutely soul crushing.

peteykirch said:

Don't feel bad, ever since I left my job nearly a year ago, I've applied to nearly 1000 jobs on Indeed alone, and had maybe 10-15 legit interviews.

Still looking and it's absolutely soul crushing.

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

I fear I might end up like you. I was once job searching for 4 years straight. I don't want to do that again. I am way too fucking old to still be living in my mom's house and being yelled at like a little ass kid. I have no social or romantic life and no car. I keep fucking up and sometimes feel like I'll be stucjk here perpetually or end up homeless, my mom threatened to kick me out twice before and her patience might not hold uip for another year or two.

To update my old post from Gaf, I landed a job! It's not what I was doing before (Petroleum) but it's with a petroleum company. Making a bit less, but since the petro market is coming back I'm going to keep looking in the near future. Pretty happy where I am right now, though.

2 years of unemployment was a mixed bag. I lived cheaply and didn't really worry about money, so the free time was great (outside of job hunting), but actively making sacrifices to save my shrinking savings was a bummer. Nice to be getting a paycheck again, and the work is easy and not stressful.

Kickmaster Kim said:

I fear I might end up like you. I was once job searching for 4 years straight. I don't want to do that again. I am way too fucking old to still be living in my mom's house and being yelled at like a little ass kid. I have no social or romantic life and no car. I keep fucking up and sometimes feel like I'll be stucjk here perpetually or end up homeless, my mom threatened to kick me out twice before and her patience might not hold uip for another year or two.

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

I'm so lucky I have the love of my life and she's super understanding and makes enough for both of us to get by, but I feel beyond useless.

It's frustrating because it's not like I'm an idiot.

I have a Bachelors and a Masters. Though my Masters is kind of useless, it's in Education, but honestly going back into the classroom is something I have absolutely no interest in.

My last job, I was the lead bookkeeper, admin assist, office manager, and about 3 other jobs rolled into one. Did it for 6 years, and did an amazing job. I'm afraid I'm over qualified for entry level jobs, and I don't have enough experience for something more senior.

Officially over 2 months out of a job. Easily over 100 apps sent in. Morale has been up and down but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't enjoying the down time.

Have an interview this week which they promise is the final one.

I recently got a part time job at a office retail store but I don't know if I am going to stay long or not as I hate the up selling culture of this place. They want us to up sell everything from warranties, ink subscriptions, membership sign-ups, etc. and they have these dumb quotas we have to meet every week/month. I'm totally not a people person. The pay is only slightly above minimum wage and it really bums me out.

I do have a Bachelor's degree in Studio Arts, but this was at a time where I was clueless and and had no idea what I wanted to do in college. Since I graduated, I haven't really been interested in doing art, but I've always held out hope that maybe my degree can help get me a decent job that pays a fair amount more than minimum wage. Unfortunately, it doesn't really seem like it as most places I've applied to just glance over it. I sad.

Anybody here work in Real Estate? I've got a friend who does it for a living as a Broker Associate, and they gave me a lot of really good advice. It's a career path I'm strongly looking at and eager to start studying for.

Thought I'd ask for opinions here first before making a separate thread.

Gaf Zombie said:

Officially over 2 months out of a job. Easily over 100 apps sent in. Morale has been up and down but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't enjoying the down time.

Have an interview this week which they promise is the final one.

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

What are you interviewing for?

superphil said:

I recently got a part time job at a office retail store but I don't know if I am going to stay long or not as I hate the up selling culture of this place. They want us to up sell everything from warranties, ink subscriptions, membership sign-ups, etc. and they have these dumb quotas we have to meet every week/month. I'm totally not a people person. The pay is only slightly above minimum wage and it really bums me out.

I do have a Bachelor's degree in Studio Arts, but this was at a time where I was clueless and and had no idea what I wanted to do in college. Since I graduated, I haven't really been interested in doing art, but I've always held out hope that maybe my degree can help get me a decent job that pays a fair amount more than minimum wage. Unfortunately, it doesn't really seem like it as most places I've applied to just glance over it. I sad.

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

What are you mainly looking for now?

Don't know where else I should write this, I was looking for some advice.

I've been working as 1st/2nd line IT support at a Museum for over a year now, it's about 8 miles away and I take public transport to get there. Taking the train there can be a nightmare sometimes as London Overground can be very unreliable. The salary is decent (£25k), and I love working here for the most part - my manager is a good guy who mentors us, lots of networking and server related training. Also my manager has hinted that once he teaches us the last bits and bobs of the Museum's network he might leave just after summer, he was mostly hired to fix the network related issues in the Museum a few years ago.

Anyway, I've been offered a new role at a university doing mostly 1st line. The salary is a bit better, at £27k, but the location is literally 10 minutes walk from my home. I won't have to worry about travelling/expenses at all. They have a specialised team that deal with 2nd and 3rd line related jobs, so I don't know if I will get much exposure/training as I am getting in the Museum.

What should I do?

Techno said:

Don't know where else I should write this, I was looking for some advice.

I've been working as 1st/2nd line IT support at a Museum for over a year now, it's about 8 miles away and I take public transport to get there. Taking the train there can be a nightmare sometimes as London Overground can be very unreliable. The salary is decent (£25k), and I love working here for the most part - my manager is a good guy who mentors us, lots of networking and server related training. Also my manager has hinted that once he teaches us the last bits and bobs of the Museum's network he might leave just after summer, he was mostly hired to fix the network related issues in the Museum a few years ago.

Anyway, I've been offered a new role at a university doing mostly 1st line. The salary is a bit better, at £27k, but the location is literally 10 minutes walk from my home. I won't have to worry about travelling/expenses at all. They have a specialised team that deal with 2nd and 3rd line related jobs, so I don't know if I will get much exposure/training as I am getting in the Museum.

What should I do?

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

Tough call. The 10 minute walk could do wonders for your potential stress level. It sounds like you work with good people at the museum, and that's the biggest gamble here in my mind -- hoping that the university employees you are working with will be good people, as well. As far as the limited exposure/training, I think this actually could be a benefit -- if they are paying 2k more for Tier 1, you can study on your own and get into a more lucrative position eventually with whatever they pay for Tier 2/3, rather than what you are doing now at your current salary.

twentytwo22 said:

Tough call. The 10 minute walk could do wonders for your potential stress level. It sounds like you work with good people at the museum, and that's the biggest gamble here in my mind -- hoping that the university employees you are working with will be good people, as well. As far as the limited exposure/training, I think this actually could be a benefit -- if they are paying 2k more for Tier 1, you can study on your own and get into a more lucrative position eventually with whatever they pay for Tier 2/3, rather than what you are doing now at your current salary.

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

Thank you, that's a good point actually. In the Museum we are doing far more than just 1st line, even though in our job description it's all 1st line related tasks. My manager said it was HR blocking the pay rise, he was supposed to talk to his boss about sorting something out for us.

I'm going to think about this one a bit more.

Anyone have any experience applying for internal job positions? If so, did you tell your current boss, contact the hiring manager beforehand, etc.?

Context - we were just notified of a position opening up that would be a big step up for me and I really, really want to get it. The position is not posted publicly yet but will be soon.

Stalwart said:

What are you mainly looking for now?

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

Mostly data entry, bookstores, and clerical/administrative office kind of work. Other than that, I'm kinda aimless.

So, guys, I have an interview with a branch of the US government that is known for sending astronauts to space tomorrow afternoon :O
It's for a software engineer internship, and the interview supposedly will be 90% behavioral questions, 10% technical. Any advice?

Armadilo said:

How hard is it to get a job in san Francisco? I have customer service experience

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

jobs everywhere, just apply

I feel like I'm at my breaking point again.