Damn! I did forget something.
I posted that the 99 no’s are “good” and then didn’t post why! They are good in the sense that they give you the opportunity to get rid of the “stage fright”.
FTR, I spent quite a while after I graduated from college (and trying to break into a completely new field), I was unemployed or underemployed for close to 2 years.
I have been through the same thing you all are posting about. You get to the point where you are so desparate that if you see someone (in a grocery strore or whatever) with a logo on their jacket from a company for which you’d like to work you get an almost uncontrollable urge to walk up to them and beg THEM to help get you on!!!
It’s horrible, and it does take a long time for the pain and scarring to subside. No doubt about that at all!!
I finally had to take somewhat of a Sam Kinnisen (sp?) stance on it. I was living in a smaller community about 150 miles south of my home town of Anchorage an “oil town” but a tight knit "only certain people can get a job in the industry town.
I finally had to say to myself (aaaaa aaaa AAAAH [sam kinnisen] there are no JOOoooBBBBs here!!! I have to move to where the jobs are).
I moved back home and went to work almost right away. It took me nearly 6 years to recover from debt and the psychological repecussions.
I had a lot of obstacles along the way. Hang in there guys. I don’t know if the “moving to where the jobs are” is an option for you or not. If you already live in a well populated area?
Also, there’s always “padding” and some harmless fibbing on the apps. For the poster who said he knew IT systems, but the companies were picky about “their” specific system?
Are you going ahead and applying for those jobs no matter what the advertisement asks for?
Most companies “ask” for the most they can get, and the rest are “preferences”. Of course they won’t SAY so, but those that are negotiable.
I mean come on! Companies know that no employee is going to be an expert in every area, so they look for the best they can get. The rest boils down to how well the applicant presents themselves.
First, on the initial resume and cover letter, and secondly in person at the interviews.
I spent much of my 2 years unemployment learning how to write resume’s and cover letters, how to interview, how to answer those pathetic questions.
What is my worst weakness? Why, I’m an alcoholic, I’ll be missing most monday’s and friday afternoons, why? will that be a problem? SHEESH!!!
By the way, answering that idiotic question (should you be unlucky enough to get some “Dilbertish” manager that asks it) with trying to use a strength as a weakness (i.e., "I’m a perfectionist and tend to be too hard on myself where work is concerned) is no longer the “correct” way to do it.
Even the dumbest managers see right through that one. The best response is to quickly, in 2 or 3 words, name some non work related weakness, and then “blow your own horn” a little bit by telling how you conquered (past tense) it.
For instance, I once answered that one with my (real life) problem of how impatient I am with other drivers (specially dumb ones) and how I had (emphasis on past tense in the interview, though in truth I haven’t yet totally conquered it) a bad habit of “yelling at” other drivers under my breath.
I told them I used a psychological method of training oneself out of a bad habit and then finished up by saying "when I find myself falling into a pattern of any sort of bad habit, whether at home or work, I find that this is effective to keep me on the straight and narrow (paraphrased).
I know the last thing you all want to do is “dwell” on this sucky situation. But I know that, for me, checking out every book on the subject and making learning to interview and jobseek, my job, well, it worked.
Last but not least, personality, personality, personality. I may be “stating the obvious” to some of you, but maybe some people honestly don’t realize.
When you interview, you are a mellow and blank page. I know, I know, that’s stupid and pathetic. But, it’s part of the game. Particularly if you have a strong, or “unique” personality (not bad in and of itself, but can come off potentially “wrong” in an interview).
For instance, I am a true “Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm”. I’ve been called Pollyanna, Blondie, Giggles, (sigh, you name it). My sunny outlook and upbeat, giggly, personality (coupled with unfortunatly the voice of a 10 year old) is a plus once my coworkers get to know me and realize it doesn’t mean that I’m also a ditz.
But in an interview? I’d kill myself before I’d giggle. And I concentrate hard on lowering my voice a few octaves. And believe me, I’ve had to practically bite my own tongue off to force myself to deliver a “professional” response rather than one that was more “me”. Wait until you are hired to “be you”.
I hope this helps you guys. Trust me, I’ve been there. I hope I’m not making you all feel worse (as you perhaps think "damn!!!, but I’ve DONE everything she’s talking about!!!).
Last thought? Get thee to the library. Research, research, research.
Good luck all.