Applying for jobs is exhausting and soul-crushing

[Metanoia Prime]

Small update for me.

You can get a bit more of my current experience here: https://www.resetera.com/threads/how-soon-after-an-interview-do-you-follow-up.396742/

In short, I interviewed with the hiring manager on 03/09 and with a potential colleague on 03/12. I haven't heard anything back as of now, so I sent the email below out. I'm hoping to at least have a timeframe communicated to me so I can stop pacing my office, lol.

Good morning [Hiring Manager] --

I wanted to follow up on the Commercial Bank Relationship Manager position and see if there are any questions I can answer for you with regards to my suitability for the position. I am still very interested in the role, and want to reiterate my belief that I am the candidate best equipped to help you continue to expand the Commercial Bank footprint in the region.

After speaking with you and [Potential Colleague], it became evident to me that my unique background and ever expanding set of skills will help me to fill the job requirements effectively and support the vision you have for this budding group. I understand that hiring the right talent is critical, so I'd be doing myself a disservice if I didn't pursue this opportunity and communicate my continued interest to you.

I remain eager to learn about next steps. Any updates that you can share would be greatly appreciated. I look forward to hearing from you and appreciate your time and consideration.

Please feel free to reach out to me at any time.

All the best,
[Me]
[Phone #]

Click to shrink...

 

[GameAddict411]

I'm a bit uncertain if I should accept a job offer.
I'm unemployed at the moment and got a job offer nrecently. The job is in a pedagogy university and I think that position would be nice for me, since it is a public institution and not a profit-oriented company. In my previous job, I worked for a global company and came very close to a burn-out, so I think a job like this would be very good. Even the supervisor admited that they have a more relaxed and less stressful environment then in private companies.

The problem is that the commute is 1h40m long (one way). I could move somewhere close to the work place, but I really love here where I live in the moment.
I would only work 4 days (80%), and 1 day per week I can do HO. So if I would choose to commute, I would only need to commute 3 times per week. But I'm still nervous if that is enough to screw up my quality of life.

Click to shrink...

As someone who commuted an hour one way it was a fucking nightmare. Don't do it. No matter how much you love where you live, it's not worth it. Either get a job nearby or move.

 

[Munti]

As someone who commuted an hour one way it was a fucking nightmare. Don't do it. No matter how much you love where you live, it's not worth it. Either get a job nearby or move.

Click to shrink...

Thanks for your input and advice :)

 

[chicagocubsfan]

Had 4 separate interviews with a place and didn't get the job. Pissed but at least it's decent experience. Haven't really had many serious interviews lately. Been at my current place for over 5 years-really negative environment though. Guess it's back to the drawing board.

 

[BronzeWolf]

Getting tired of FAANGS encouraging me to apply to fill their diversity and inclusion quota. The interviews are grueling, I actually have to spend a vacation day to go through the rounds, and it amounts to nothing really.

 

[Gaf Zombie]

Finished up my 7th interview earlier today for a job that I really want. Fingers are crossed.

I also had an HR screener interview later in the day for a role I'm 'meh' on. The last question was the dreaded, "where would you like to be salary wise?". I answered, "the highest you can pay me." Doubt I get a second interview but I wasn't lying.

 

[Plum]

Maybe I might make a new thread for this but, damn, I've got no fucking clue what to do when it comes to finding a new job. I absolutely hate it.

For context, I live in a relatively very small town in a low-population county in the UK. There are transport links to some bigger towns and cities but they take ages, especially without a car. So, since I don't have a driving license (thanks, COVID!), my options are limited unless I move out (which is risky... thanks COVID!), but I don't truly want to move out as I can easily live in my parent's place for at least another year or two.

I've been working in a basic Customer Assistant role in a local supermarket for the past 1 1/2 years, and honestly I've done fuck-all when it comes to progressing there. No training for supervisor roles, no real diversifying or anything. This is partly because I'm a fuckup who can't ask people for shit, and partly because COVID has made working in that place an utter shitshow for me mentally.

So I'm stuck here having a good Business Management (specialisation in Marketing) degree from a good university, but fuck-all when it comes to relevant experience. As such I just have no goddamn clue what to actually do. What should I be applying for? What should my plan be? I've got no idea whatsoever, because it seems like any jobs out there are either ones I can't/don't want to do, or jobs that I might be able to do that would put me down a career path I don't necessarily like (I really don't want to get stuck in sales for the rest of my life, fuck that).

It just feels like I've got no decent route anywhere and I'm completely stuck in a rut. I'm not earning enough money to save and take advantage of my total rent of £0.00, and every month is another month where my only real achievement grows further and further away.

I don't know if anyone on Era can give me any advice here but, damn, I need some help or something. I can't go on living in the situation I am because it's just soul-destroying, really.

 

[firehawk12]

Maybe I might make a new thread for this but, damn, I've got no fucking clue what to do when it comes to finding a new job. I absolutely hate it.

For context, I live in a relatively very small town in a low-population county in the UK. There are transport links to some bigger towns and cities but they take ages, especially without a car. So, since I don't have a driving license (thanks, COVID!), my options are limited unless I move out (which is risky... thanks COVID!), but I don't truly want to move out as I can easily live in my parent's place for at least another year or two.

I've been working in a basic Customer Assistant role in a local supermarket for the past 1 1/2 years, and honestly I've done fuck-all when it comes to progressing there. No training for supervisor roles, no real diversifying or anything. This is partly because I'm a fuckup who can't ask people for shit, and partly because COVID has made working in that place an utter shitshow for me mentally.

So I'm stuck here having a good Business Management (specialisation in Marketing) degree from a good university, but fuck-all when it comes to relevant experience. As such I just have no goddamn clue what to actually do. What should I be applying for? What should my plan be? I've got no idea whatsoever, because it seems like any jobs out there are either ones I can't/don't want to do, or jobs that I might be able to do that would put me down a career path I don't necessarily like (I really don't want to get stuck in sales for the rest of my life, fuck that).

It just feels like I've got no decent route anywhere and I'm completely stuck in a rut. I'm not earning enough money to save and take advantage of my total rent of £0.00, and every month is another month where my only real achievement grows further and further away.

I don't know if anyone on Era can give me any advice here but, damn, I need some help or something. I can't go on living in the situation I am because it's just soul-destroying, really.

Click to shrink...

I will say that you should apply to jobs that are remotely within the realm of possibility if you are interested in them, because often people are asking for a unicorn candidate that doesn't exist.

The other thought is to go back and retrain into something you know you want to do. The opportunity cost for this is lower the younger you are at least (I say this as someone who did this in their late 30s).

Or finally, embrace the "work to live" philosophy and treat your job as a means to an end, not the end itself. I know people who don't really attach themselves to work whatsoever and use work to achieve other life goals that their job is meant to fund.

I've been there... whatever you do, good luck.

 

[colonelpork]

I've been applying for video editing jobs since I got laid off from my first ever full-time job last year, and finally got an offer for one this week. Much better pay than my previous job and it came with great benefits. Was so fucking excited that I called my dad and went on a celebratory run and everything.

Unfortunately, my excitement quickly died down when I realized the company was a multi-level marketing company that had a shady reputation. I should've known, since in their second interview with me, when they showed me some of the video content, it gave off that ESPN Sportcenter-knockoff feel that you'd see at MLM exhibitions and conferences, and just comes off as gross to me. Not to mention they also said they filmed in a 600 seat theater they have where they hype up the sales reps. Apparently from what I've seen from online testimonials, the sales reps and work atmosphere is like a cult. It's my own fault for not researching the company before applying, but man, talk about a fucking disappointment.

I took the last two days to think about it and do some research, even called my dad again to talk it through, since they wanted an answer by today, and I'm planning on declining the offer. It's one of the hardest decisions I've had to make, as finding a job as a video editor has already been difficult enough in such a competitive field (not to mention all the stupid test projects you have to do to show you're qualified, which surprisingly, didn't happen in this case). But I'm not going to compromise my integrity for a shitty company like this.

I had two more interviews this week for even better paying video editing jobs (and jobs in which the companies seem MUCH better), with one interview coming up next week, but I have this lingering expectation of nothing coming from them since I've dealt with so much rejection this past year, even from film editing gigs I've been willing to do for free (I'm also in a weird place where I'm trying to transition into scripted post-production, but still wanting to try to find a full time video editing position so that I have a steady job while doing so).

Anyways, not really looking for any advice or asking any questions, just wanting to vent. I don't have much to add other than state the obvious: don't do like I did and wait until the last minute to research a company. Or else major disappointment ensues.

 

[hydrophilic attack]

i have been out of a job since graduating with my phd in occtober. but i just got the call today and i got an offer! feels good. at first i really needed a break, but i'm excited to get back to work in my field after half a year at home. i did the opposite of most advice and only applied for two different positions that i was really interested in, rather than take a scattershot approach and send my resume everywhere. it worked out for me.

 

[vypek]

Getting tired of FAANGS encouraging me to apply to fill their diversity and inclusion quota. The interviews are grueling, I actually have to spend a vacation day to go through the rounds, and it amounts to nothing really.

Click to shrink...

I had a very similar experience recently. Got messages from multiple recruiters from the same company after I attended an event. It took a second recruiter talking to the first recruiter for me to get an update about 5 weeks later telling me that I wasn't selected for the role. Really disappointing because I like the company and from what I've been hearing from people's first hand experience, they love working there. Now I've been invited to more events run by the company or sponsored by the company but I'm already thinking that it isn't going anywhere.

 

[Brandino]

I'm in the process of being laid off from my company. My position has been eliminated. So I have 45 days to find a new role in the company, or be laid off with 4 weeks of severance pay and my vacation time paid out. Not the worst situation to be in, and they are actively helping me find a new role at the firm.

Still socks though cause my wife had to cancel her trip to India to visit her grandfather. He's not doing to well

 

[Deleted member 24907]

Getting tired of FAANGS encouraging me to apply to fill their diversity and inclusion quota. The interviews are grueling, I actually have to spend a vacation day to go through the rounds, and it amounts to nothing really.

Click to shrink...

Same. Saaaaame.

I applied to a position that was advertised as "we're looking for underrepresented minorities!" I got blown off, straight up. The entire interview, which they set aside a WHOPPING 30 minutes for, had both a coding and behavioral question. The interviewer told me he knew this was not enough time and to not bother writing code, so we kinda talked through it? Then we sped through the behavioral question and the guy yeeted out of the meeting. Got the standard rejection letter 2 weeks later.

These FAANGS can suck my shit. They think we don't notice when we're being used as diversity interview quotas but blown off entirely. But we notice, you numbfucks.

 

[Plum]

I will say that you should apply to jobs that are remotely within the realm of possibility if you are interested in them, because often people are asking for a unicorn candidate that doesn't exist.

The other thought is to go back and retrain into something you know you want to do. The opportunity cost for this is lower the younger you are at least (I say this as someone who did this in their late 30s).

Or finally, embrace the "work to live" philosophy and treat your job as a means to an end, not the end itself. I know people who don't really attach themselves to work whatsoever and use work to achieve other life goals that their job is meant to fund.

I've been there... whatever you do, good luck.

Click to shrink...

Thanks. I've found some jobs in my nearby town that I could do; a one-year term as a personal banker, for instance, would be much better than what I currently have. Though at the end of the day there just isn't much in general even if I expand my horizons, and it really sucks. There is always the option of moving out but a year or two of being able to save £500+ a month due to no rent is a much better proposition for me than wasting that money and more on accomodation.

I could retrain but, I mean, I fear that I'd just be back at square one if I do that; I've got no clue what the fuck I want to do with my life. In a perfect world I'd be doing something creative, something like that, but I realise how monumentally unlikely it is that I'd ever get any headway into those fields, especially when I've wasted somuch time doing fuck-all whilst people much younger than me are much more advanced in almost every way. Though frankly as a milquetoast white dude with a non-existent social life I've not exactly got the life experience to make anything decent anyways, so that's something.

As for the 'work to live' philosophy, that could work, yeah. Honestly I don't want to just live my life to work, but I still have to. I don't know. I just feel completely aimless and like I'm just looking to 'get through it', whatever that means. This pandemic has fucked everything up for me even harder than it already has, and that's not to mention worries about how hard things are most definitely going to get in the future. It's just so disheartening not having anything real to look forward to :(

 

[Plum]

Welp, can't even get past the first stage of getting a basic Bank Customer Service job. Went through a digital survey and "you are not fit for this role because of the answers you chose."

I'm such a goddamn failure.

 

[Deleted member 6263]

I'm in the process of being laid off from my company. My position has been eliminated. So I have 45 days to find a new role in the company, or be laid off with 4 weeks of severance pay and my vacation time paid out. Not the worst situation to be in, and they are actively helping me find a new role at the firm.

Still socks though cause my wife had to cancel her trip to India to visit her grandfather. He's not doing to well

Click to shrink...

Damn, sorry to hear about that :\ Hoping her grandfather gets better soon and that she'll be able to visit.

Welp, can't even get a basic Bank Customer Service job. Went through a digital survey and "you are not fit for this role because of the answers you chose."

I'm such a goddamn failure.

Click to shrink...

Are you answering as yourself or as someone who the company actually wants? These surveys are meant to weed out people who are even slightly middling in their opinions. If the surveys are like a 1-5 scale type thing with 1 saying something like "do not agree at all" and 5 being "agree completely" then don't shoot for 2 or 3 kind of responses. They're basically wanting a yes/no man when it comes to corporate policies.

Don't beat yourself up, keep trying!

 

[Plum]

Are you answering as yourself or as someone who the company actually wants? These surveys are meant to weed out people who are even slightly middling in their opinions. If the surveys are like a 1-5 scale type thing with 1 saying something like "do not agree at all" and 5 being "agree completely" then don't shoot for 2 or 3 kind of responses. They're basically wanting a yes/no man when it comes to corporate policies.

Don't beat yourself up, keep trying!

Click to shrink...

It was a "Here's a Scenario and 4 Responses. Pick the best and worst responses out of the 4." thing. Very vague and entirely subjective, but I figured that having been in customer service for a year and a half now I'd do well in the predominantly customer-service focused questions :( Clearly not, but looking back I don't know where I possibly went wrong. Like, how do I know whether the company wants a focus on customer-service here, or a focus on timeliness, or something else entirely.

Oh, and there were a few basic maths questions, and knowing my dumb ass I might have gotten one of those wrong by accident.

 

[Loan Wolf]

Are you answering as yourself or as someone who the company actually wants? These surveys are meant to weed out people who are even slightly middling in their opinions. If the surveys are like a 1-5 scale type thing with 1 saying something like "do not agree at all" and 5 being "agree completely" then don't shoot for 2 or 3 kind of responses. They're basically wanting a yes/no man when it comes to corporate policies.

Click to shrink...

Oh, I've always gave an honest opinion about myself with those agree/disagree assessments. I'll keep that in mind if I do these for an application

 

[Deleted member 6263]

It was a "Here's a Scenario and 4 Responses. Pick the best and worst responses out of the 4." thing. Very vague and entirely subjective, but I figured that having been in customer service for a year and a half now I'd do well in the predominantly customer-service focused questions :( Clearly not, but looking back I don't know where I possibly went wrong.

Oh, and there were a few basic maths questions, and knowing my dumb ass I might have gotten one of those wrong by accident.

Click to shrink...

what a weird survey! I would never think to use that as a means to only just be considered for the position. It's like...you can learn all of this things after you get the job through day-1 training you know?

Still, I'd encourage you to not be too hard on yourself!

Oh, I've always gave an honest opinion about myself with those agree/disagree assessments. I'll keep that in mind if I do these for an application

Click to shrink...

This is my understanding of those surveys, anyways. I'm not saying it's a hard and fast rule but every kind of preliminary questionnaire I've been given was always meant to make sure the company is hiring a goodie goodie. Hope it's helpful for future job apps!

 

[Loan Wolf]

This is my understanding of those surveys, anyways. I'm not saying it's a hard and fast rule but every kind of preliminary questionnaire I've been given was always meant to make sure the company is hiring a goodie goodie. Hope it's helpful for future job apps!

Click to shrink...

I always thought it was a mix of fitting the mold of the ideal candidate and assessing if you're consistent with your stances; the surveys I've done had some repeated questions sometimes

 

[Plum]

what a weird survey! I would never think to use that as a means to only just be considered for the position. It's like...you can learn all of this things after you get the job through day-1 training you know?

Still, I'd encourage you to not be too hard on yourself!

Click to shrink...

Yeah, I thought it really weird as well. For instance the question could ask you to pick between "Give up and hang up on the customer," and "Just talk bullshit and hope you don't fuck things up" (Paraphrasing) when it comes to the "worst response," to a 'Customer asks question you don't know about' scenario. Both are equally shitty responses but what the hell is the 'worst'?

I'm definitely trying, but it's really hard not to feel like a failure given my circumstances. I know I should be doing more to improve myself but it's so bloody hard :(

 

[Deleted member 6263]

I always thought it was a mix of fitting the mold of the ideal candidate and assessing if you're consistent with your stances; the surveys I've done had some repeated questions sometimes

Click to shrink...

That's kinda exactly it, yeah. Retail/banks (depending on the bank, I guess - just look at what Plum had to deal with) will hammer you with the same question but slightly re-worded in the hopes that applicants with consistent black/white beliefs (on paper anyways) are sent through because even though they want a hardworking person, they also want someone they can reasonably trust to not steal from them.

Yeah, I thought it really weird as well. For instance the question could ask you to pick between "Give up and hang up on the customer," and "Just talk bullshit and hope you don't fuck things up" (Paraphrasing) when it comes to the "worst response," to a 'Customer asks question you don't know about' scenario. Both are equally shitty responses but what the hell is the 'worst'?

I'm definitely trying, but it's really hard not to feel like a failure given my circumstances. I know I should be doing more to improve myself but it's so bloody hard :(

Click to shrink...

I'm guessing hang up would be the worst but it's just a guess lol You can bs your way through a conversation while also, eventually, getting the customer talking to someone who would know the answer. But you're right, this sounds like an asinine way to measure potential candidates - almost too corporate-y and robotic. But that's customer service in general, you're bound to a handbook and there's not a lot of wiggle room for straying from if-then type scenarios.

You may have dodged a bullet, who knows! Keep trying, homie.

 

[firehawk12]

Thanks. I've found some jobs in my nearby town that I could do; a one-year term as a personal banker, for instance, would be much better than what I currently have. Though at the end of the day there just isn't much in general even if I expand my horizons, and it really sucks. There is always the option of moving out but a year or two of being able to save £500+ a month due to no rent is a much better proposition for me than wasting that money and more on accomodation.

I could retrain but, I mean, I fear that I'd just be back at square one if I do that; I've got no clue what the fuck I want to do with my life. In a perfect world I'd be doing something creative, something like that, but I realise how monumentally unlikely it is that I'd ever get any headway into those fields, especially when I've wasted somuch time doing fuck-all whilst people much younger than me are much more advanced in almost every way. Though frankly as a milquetoast white dude with a non-existent social life I've not exactly got the life experience to make anything decent anyways, so that's something.

As for the 'work to live' philosophy, that could work, yeah. Honestly I don't want to just live my life to work, but I still have to. I don't know. I just feel completely aimless and like I'm just looking to 'get through it', whatever that means. This pandemic has fucked everything up for me even harder than it already has, and that's not to mention worries about how hard things are most definitely going to get in the future. It's just so disheartening not having anything real to look forward to :(

Click to shrink...

I think the thing to think about is putting yourself in a position to give something a shot. Or even if you can't pivot to a new career in a field you want, you have an outlet that allows you to be creative that allows you to exercise some of the skills you can't use professionally.

We see all the success stories on YouTube and Twitch, but there are exponentially more people who don't make it, or at least learn to be content with a few hundred views on their content and still do it anyway because it's what they enjoy doing. I have to imagine that's true of any creative fields too, so I'd just look at it as setting a short term goal for yourself that you can look forward to while you try to become more financially stable.

 

[StrangeRoboMemory]

Been hoping to get out of my current job for a long time; I've spent the last few years slowly crawling my way through a bunch of half-jobs and almost-theres, for the chance to eventually hit my dream job. I was kind of reconciled to giving up and going back into teaching, when suddenly, my dream job got posted this past weekend. I couldn't believe it. It's everything that I'm looking for and my background/experience fits the posting to the letter.

Sent out my resume and cover letter just a few minutes ago, spent all weekend and today revising it and making it killer. I don't want to psyche myself up too much, but landing this would be lifechanging for me, for many reasons. Wish me luck.

 

[cecilpaladin32]

Been hoping to get out of my current job for a long time; I've spent the last few years slowly crawling my way through a bunch of half-jobs and almost-theres, for the chance to eventually hit my dream job. I was kind of reconciled to giving up and going back into teaching, when suddenly, my dream job got posted this past weekend. I couldn't believe it. It's everything that I'm looking for and my background/experience fits the posting to the letter.

Sent out my resume and cover letter just a few minutes ago, spent all weekend and today revising it and making it killer. I don't want to psyche myself up too much, but landing this would be lifechanging for me, for many reasons. Wish me luck.

Click to shrink...

Good luck! Even finding a job that one doesn't absolutely loathe is a pretty big deal for many people, much less one they actually covet.

 

[Munti]

Have a 1st world problem.

I think it is important to mention my backround: I used to work for a big global company with huge salary, but kinda felt stressed and burned out, and now I am unemployed. I am looking for a part-time job now (80%) to prevent myself burning out.

I've got a job offer from a university. I accepted but haven't signed the contract yet. The working culture seems to be very nice and relax, and my (maybe) supervisor is very cool. It is not profit-oriented, and I think I would not feel under pressure there. The only problem is that the salary is very low. The lowest since I left university. It is so low because of the industry, but also because it is in a remote area where salaray is normaly much lower then in the big cities. I could survive with that salary though, but I would not be able to save a lot. There's also not much options to develope, but that's fine.

But now I've got today 2 invitations for 2 other jobs. One is again for a university. And the other one is for the central bank.
For the university job, I don't have enough info. But for the central bank, the salary would be very high and I could live very comfortable, even with working 80%. Of course I will take the job I've got from the university now, but if one of the other two jobs would offer me a position, I might change the job (even though I would feel super bad to leave a company after a very short time).

I have two options, in case I would get all positions:

A) Work for the university: Get a low salary, but therefore more working in a more laid-back environment and don't be stressed so much. Not-chasing-the-money lifestyle. Secure job.
B) Taking the job at the central bank: Getting a very high salary and doing a career, but risking to be in a very stressful environment, be exhausted after work, be worrying for the next day, and don't have a good life-work balance. (It doesn't mean that it has definitely to be stressful).

So I don't know what I should prioritise. It might be important to add that a career and have a lot of money is not that important for me. I don't identify myself with work. For me are free time, less stress and have a worryless life more important.

 

[Mesoian]

GHOSTED BY FOUR COMPANIES!

Lord...HR people, at least send out a form letter saying no if you're not interested, for fuck's sake.

 

[ash32121]

After 4 months of sending out resume like it my job.

Finally hear back from Exalon, after 2 god damn months, they schedule me for a SOPD test next week, hope everything goes well

 

[DarkenedSoul]

Just lost my new job less than a week in with a consulting company because they couldn't find me a client to work for. This is after close to a year of being unemployed. Legit debating whether it's worth being alive right now.

 

[nightstalker962]

Just got an offer today from a huge Fortune 500 company. Now my ass will be clenched until the background check is finished.

 

[UnoriginalNick]

Just lost my new job less than a week in with a consulting company because they couldn't find me a client to work for. This is after close to a year of being unemployed. Legit debating whether it's worth being alive right now.

Click to shrink...

If anything it shows you're hirable, just gotta keep at it. You'll find a suitable place soon, most work places are set to be back by summer.

 

[Quad Lasers]

I just got a written offer today for a role that pays 20k more than my previous salary after being out of work for 6 months and I'm now officially resume-pilled.

Cover letters are fucking stupid and I'm never writing one again. I don't think a single one of the interviews I took had any sort of cover letter associated with them.

 

[nonoriri]

Maybe I might make a new thread for this but, damn, I've got no fucking clue what to do when it comes to finding a new job. I absolutely hate it.

For context, I live in a relatively very small town in a low-population county in the UK. There are transport links to some bigger towns and cities but they take ages, especially without a car. So, since I don't have a driving license (thanks, COVID!), my options are limited unless I move out (which is risky... thanks COVID!), but I don't truly want to move out as I can easily live in my parent's place for at least another year or two.

I've been working in a basic Customer Assistant role in a local supermarket for the past 1 1/2 years, and honestly I've done fuck-all when it comes to progressing there. No training for supervisor roles, no real diversifying or anything. This is partly because I'm a fuckup who can't ask people for shit, and partly because COVID has made working in that place an utter shitshow for me mentally.

So I'm stuck here having a good Business Management (specialisation in Marketing) degree from a good university, but fuck-all when it comes to relevant experience. As such I just have no goddamn clue what to actually do. What should I be applying for? What should my plan be? I've got no idea whatsoever, because it seems like any jobs out there are either ones I can't/don't want to do, or jobs that I might be able to do that would put me down a career path I don't necessarily like (I really don't want to get stuck in sales for the rest of my life, fuck that).

It just feels like I've got no decent route anywhere and I'm completely stuck in a rut. I'm not earning enough money to save and take advantage of my total rent of £0.00, and every month is another month where my only real achievement grows further and further away.

I don't know if anyone on Era can give me any advice here but, damn, I need some help or something. I can't go on living in the situation I am because it's just soul-destroying, really.

Click to shrink...

This is belated but I just randomly clicked on this thread and wanted to ask if you've ever considered email marketing? That is my field and I am in the US (though I contact with other email marketing folks via my job and a decent few are in the UK) but from my experience the field is in pretty high demand and I see higher than other marketing positions that are remote work. It's not always the most exciting but there are opportunities to be both creative and analytical. I stumbled into the field but I see a lot of requests from nonprofits needing people to set up their email marketing systems so there seems to be a lot of opportunities for experience. Feel free to message me if you want to ask any questions (tho once again I'd only be speaking from the US perspective).

 

[RolandGunner]

I just got a written offer today for a role that pays 20k more than my previous salary after being out of work for 6 months and I'm now officially resume-pilled.

Cover letters are fucking stupid and I'm never writing one again. I don't think a single one of the interviews I took had any sort of cover letter associated with them.

Click to shrink...

Congrats! Getting hired with a nice pay bump is a great feeling. Kinda makes the time off feel like an anxiety filled vacation.

 

[nightstalker962]

Maybe I might make a new thread for this but, damn, I've got no fucking clue what to do when it comes to finding a new job. I absolutely hate it.

For context, I live in a relatively very small town in a low-population county in the UK. There are transport links to some bigger towns and cities but they take ages, especially without a car. So, since I don't have a driving license (thanks, COVID!), my options are limited unless I move out (which is risky... thanks COVID!), but I don't truly want to move out as I can easily live in my parent's place for at least another year or two.

I've been working in a basic Customer Assistant role in a local supermarket for the past 1 1/2 years, and honestly I've done fuck-all when it comes to progressing there. No training for supervisor roles, no real diversifying or anything. This is partly because I'm a fuckup who can't ask people for shit, and partly because COVID has made working in that place an utter shitshow for me mentally.

So I'm stuck here having a good Business Management (specialisation in Marketing) degree from a good university, but fuck-all when it comes to relevant experience. As such I just have no goddamn clue what to actually do. What should I be applying for? What should my plan be? I've got no idea whatsoever, because it seems like any jobs out there are either ones I can't/don't want to do, or jobs that I might be able to do that would put me down a career path I don't necessarily like (I really don't want to get stuck in sales for the rest of my life, fuck that).

It just feels like I've got no decent route anywhere and I'm completely stuck in a rut. I'm not earning enough money to save and take advantage of my total rent of £0.00, and every month is another month where my only real achievement grows further and further away.

I don't know if anyone on Era can give me any advice here but, damn, I need some help or something. I can't go on living in the situation I am because it's just soul-destroying, really.

Click to shrink...

I'm not sure if this is an option for you, but consider enrolling in a masters program and then applying to paid internships. I've never had a ton of luck with getting regular jobs easily, but paid internships are a lot easier to get, at least in the U.S.

 

[Quad Lasers]

Congrats! Getting hired with a nice pay bump is a great feeling. Kinda makes the time off feel like an anxiety filled vacation.

Click to shrink...

Thanks, I appreciate it.

Feels kind of slimy even saying I got that much of a pay bump since I damn near tripped into the job listing and they offered me way more than I was actually asking for. But I think this specific instance really reinforced how circumstantial and arbitrary job hunting actually is. It's all so incredibly, comically fake, because all it takes is for some no-name company to shit out a ridiculous job posting on LinkedIn/Indeed for you to start poisoning your own brain with ridiculous concessions.

And then a week later a big company is like "uuuh you want bag of money?"

 

[Keuja]

Just got an offer today from a huge Fortune 500 company. Now my ass will be clenched until the background check is finished.

Click to shrink...

Congrats! It's stupid but even when I really have nothing to worry about, the background check always worries me... Probably because it is a completely opaque process on which you have absolutely no control.

 

[Deleted member 4461]

Thanks, I appreciate it.

Feels kind of slimy even saying I got that much of a pay bump since I damn near tripped into the job listing and they offered me way more than I was actually asking for. But I think this specific instance really reinforced how circumstantial and arbitrary job hunting actually is. It's all so incredibly, comically fake, because all it takes is for some no-name company to shit out a ridiculous job posting on LinkedIn/Indeed for you to start poisoning your own brain with ridiculous concessions.

And then a week later a big company is like "uuuh you want bag of money?"

Click to shrink...

Isn't that a fact. The whole game is meaningless.

Even if you are legitimately good and well-trained for your job, the rules and compensation are just so different from company to company.

 

[Plum]

This is belated but I just randomly clicked on this thread and wanted to ask if you've ever considered email marketing? That is my field and I am in the US (though I contact with other email marketing folks via my job and a decent few are in the UK) but from my experience the field is in pretty high demand and I see higher than other marketing positions that are remote work. It's not always the most exciting but there are opportunities to be both creative and analytical. I stumbled into the field but I see a lot of requests from nonprofits needing people to set up their email marketing systems so there seems to be a lot of opportunities for experience. Feel free to message me if you want to ask any questions (tho once again I'd only be speaking from the US perspective).

Click to shrink...

Thanks for the tip, and I suppose working remotely is always an option. The main issue is that I simply don't know where the hell I'd even find stuff like that; it's not listed on any sites and I don't really know where else to go. It would definitely be nice to get some experience and cash rolling in even if I'd be unable to move away from my parent's place.

I'm not sure if this is an option for you, but consider enrolling in a masters program and then applying to paid internships. I've never had a ton of luck with getting regular jobs easily, but paid internships are a lot easier to get, at least in the U.S.

Click to shrink...

I could, but it's incredibly costly for something that may not even be worth it. For instance my friend did a Masters and he's been unable to find any sort of job, let alone a job he's now-qualified for; and that's with more experience doing 'actual' work than me. I'll have a look at paid internships, but the issue is that my area coupled with my lack of ability to drive (thanks, COVID, for not letting me fix that in 2020 like I wanted!) would make it so much more difficult than someone already-established.

 

[nightstalker962]

Congrats! It's stupid but even when I really have nothing to worry about, the background check always worries me... Probably because it is a completely opaque process on which you have absolutely no control.

Click to shrink...

Thanks! Yea, I think most companies just pull criminal records. Ain't no one got time for calling past employers.

 

[ty_hot]

Finished my experience period (3 months), in my first job, when the employer can kick your ass out of there paying less taxes 😅 I graduated in Civil Engineering 6 years ago, did an internship in an area I have no interest anymore (probably never had) and then went abroad to do a Ph.D. (that I haven't finished yet). It was haaaard to find this job, no prior experience in the field and an incomplete Ph. D. were not great looks in my CV, but I'm glad it worked out well (after 15 months jobless...).

Good luck for you guys looking for new opportunities. Not sure I can give any general advice, but in my case what they liked about me was that I was really into the type of work they do, which I could show both by talking about and pointing at prior experiences in my CV. I don't think that is something one can easily fake, so unless you are desperate I'd not apply for positions you never imagined yourself working.

Some people like to "get experience in interviews" but I think at some point you get diminishing returns out of that and at the same time you end up pilling up job rejections that can influence your self esteem.

 

[Dre3001]

So I have a love/hate relationship with my current job. Recently, due to COVID, last year there were a number of layoffs and my team was absorbed into a new part of the company. Since our team was absorbed, the new director over our department has really soured my love for the company and position.

I was consistently one of the highest performing members of the team and worked on a number of very large projects and had a steady amount of assignments coming in. However, since the change, the projects and worked that have been coming my way are largely administrative. Not to mention there are large politics at play with who gets what projects and assignments.

For the most part I have kept my head down out of the politics and delivered on tasks and assignments. I voiced my concerns on the work and there was minimal changes. I had a meeting with my director recently and there was the discussion on promotions and raises. With everything last year there were no raises or bonuses which is expected but the company did find time to promote a few coworkers.

This year, I was told that they would be working on a larger raise for me around performance review time but that they werent planning on any promotions. For me this was largely frustrating as it ties to everything happening since our team was merged with me taking a backseat simply because I dont play into the politics of the office.

Fast forward to this week and I received a job offer in the same field but in a much more senior role with a path to management. The only catch being its in a different city, although a relocation package was apart of the offer they put together.

I largely like my company and where I live but im torn on this new offer. Any thoughts on this? A part of me feels like im being a bit irrational due to wanting to leave over being passed over a promotion.

 

[ShyMel]

I largely like my company and where I live but im torn on this new offer. Any thoughts on this? A part of me feels like im being a bit irrational due to wanting to leave over being passed over a promotion.

Click to shrink...

People leave jobs because they were passed over for promotion all the time. And from your post, that is not the only thing that people would leave for (team being absorbed, concerns not resulting in changes for the better).

 

[TheXbox]

Hey all, looking for some resume advice. My company recently split into two separate businesses and rebranded itself after the split. I ended up going with the "new" company, i.e. the business that was split off from the original entity. Should I treat this as two separate jobs on my resume? My role and title have not changed and I started working at the original company (pre-split) one year ago.

 

[Violence Jack]

I'm so damn desperate to get out of my job, and I can't even get jobs that I'm qualified for. Hell, I have a Master's Degree along with 7 in demand certifications and that still doesn't seem to matter. They just look at my resume and see a well educated person who has done nothing but IT help desk bullshit for the last 15 years.

 

[alextakesaction]

Finally got a job, but am very nervous about what it's going to be like working there. For the past 13 years I've worked professionally in theater behind the scenes. Not only is this line of work incredibly fast paced, but time is very precious. Small tasks get completed in a very timely manner, and because time is so precious, a lot of care and attention gets put into what gets done.

In a week I'll be starting in a managerial admin position at a very prestigious hospital. I was excited because I figured 1) It's a hospital, so it'll be more fast paced than a financial firm or something. 2) It's a very prestigious hospital, so there will be a high bar.

I've had to do a ton of intake stuff (that I'm not being reimbursed for, which I find crazy.) In the past 2 weeks I've had to reach out to HR waaaayyy too much to get mistakes corrected regarding time sensitive things like appointments, locations of things, my own personal information, even my first day of employment. Each time I reach out, I hear nothing from them for 3 or 4 days. Things like "In your previous e-mail, it stated my health and wellness appointment a week from now would take 2 hours. You've scheduled my appointment for 10:30am. You've also scheduled my appointment with HR at 12:15pm, 20 minutes down town by bus. Please advise." No answer. 4 days later I sent another e-mail with the words [RESPONSE REQUESTED] in the subject. The answer? "The appointment doesn't actually take 2 hours, we just say that so you can budget time appropriately."

Is it common for e-mails to go this long without being answered in the corporate world? I get it if it's a tough ask, but in all my cases they're very simple fixes that could be rectified in minutes. In my particular example...if they needed to reschedule because of the mistake I'd understand, but would expect a "Sorry about this, please standby for a rescheduled appointment." Then I'd be happy to wait 4 days for a response. But to wait 4 days just to say "Sorry, we fixed the spelling of your name, you can now fill out this time sensitive background check" seems...not encouraging.

Am I worrying unnecessarily? Is this just what it's like in the corporate world?

 

[Sargerus]

GHOSTED BY FOUR COMPANIES!

Lord...HR people, at least send out a form letter saying no if you're not interested, for fuck's sake.

Click to shrink...

From my experience, if after an interview they just don't contact you within 4-7 commercial days just move on to the next application.

 

[Saifu]

GHOSTED BY FOUR COMPANIES!

Lord...HR people, at least send out a form letter saying no if you're not interested, for fuck's sake.

Click to shrink...

FFS, how hard is it for HR to send out automated emails of rejection!?
The least they can do is not leave applicants hanging...

 

[Dre3001]

People leave jobs because they were passed over for promotion all the time. And from your post, that is not the only thing that people would leave for (team being absorbed, concerns not resulting in changes for the better).

Click to shrink...

Thanks, I still havent given a decision yet. I'm wondering, would it be worthwhile to try and have a meeting with my manager and mention I was approached for a new role at another company and see if that will change their decision?

Or would that not be worthwhile?

 

[Brandino]

So, I was told towards the end of March, that my position was being eliminated due to budget cuts. I was given 45 days to find a new position within the company, or I will be let go with severance. Got lots of stress there. Been applying to several positions within my company, but they have all passed on me. I have one that looks likely, but their keeping me waiting on telling me if I got it or not. Now, if I haven't gotten it, they're pretty good at telling me quick so I can move onto the next thing. So I hope this is a case of no news is good news. The hiring manager told me he would let me know at the latest Wednesday. So hopefully I hear good news tomorrow.

In the mean time, I'm also looking for jobs outside of my current employer. I have a phone interview with Google next week. Has anyone here gone through the process and can give me a heads up on what to expect? I've been practicing coding challenges for Google on leetcode, but this seems different. It's a 45 minute call, and we're using google docs for some/all of it. So I doubt this is just a coding challenge and it's pass/fail. I really don't know. Can anyone fill me in? This is a software development position.