Last Sunday I had a telephone interview for a management position for a tutoring center. Unfortunately, it did not go well. They were obviously looking for someone with more management experience. I applied to ~50 places last week so I’m not that torn up if they don’t reply, but it does bring up a frustrating point-
Some places I am applying for only offer full-time/benefits for their management. That’s fine, I’ll apply to be a manager. But oh! They want someone with more experience. So how the heck do I even START? :mad:
I had thought that having experience in the job field itself (Education) would amount for something, but I’m learning the hard way that it seems like employers don’t even care about that kind of experience. My current job has zero upward mobility (you can’t be promoted up to manager) and I didn’t get a position as manager (by applying) at my job for the exact same reason.
I’m still looking for a full-time job, and trying to be as flexible and as persistent as possible. I would think with a BA degree and unemployment fairly low it would be easier to find a job. Then again, I haven’t been looking for that long. I guess I’m just looking forward to something different/stable.
Wait until you get older. Then the catch will be that they want experience, but if your resume shows more than the ten years’ history they want they then consider you “probably too expensive.” Or, which is worse, when you get a* lot* older, you may be rejected because they don’t want to insure you medically. Older folks have more medical problems.
I really do wish you luck in your quest, but you should get over the idea, if you have it, that fairness has anything to do with “human resources” departments.
One of my friends is having trouble getting jobs of any sort outside of temping because of her master’s degree. It’s in classical archaeology. She’s got teaching experience via being a teaching TA while getting the degree, but because she doesn’t have a teacher’s certification, she’s SOL for the majority of jobs that’d be a good fit for her. I’m hoping my upcoming LIS degree doesn’t put me in an “unhireable” boat as well.
Well, it does make you hireable for LIS jobs. However, of course, they prefer experienced people. So you shouldf try to get experience, if you don’t have any already. Part-time or voluntary work does count, even if not as much as paid full-time work, in the LIS area.
I had a job interview last week, in which I recieved several mini-lectures on the importance of the job I was applying for to that institution, to the community, and to the world at large. I also was informed that I lacked experience, in several key fields, and it would be nice if I spoke Spanish.
By the time the interview got to the point where I got to ask questions, the only question I really wanted to ask was “If I’m so hopelessly underqualified for the job, why’d you bother interviewing me?”
The answer? In my opinion, since no, I didn’t ask the question, is simple: Money. Their budget is not sufficient to get someone who has experience in all the relevant areas, and speaks Spanish to take the job. Someone like that can get hired a number of other places. So they interview people like me, make us miserable, and hire someone with some of the qualifications.
Generally employers who want to pay less or have other compromises to consider will hire people without experience. The closer to this description a possible employer is, the liklier they are to relent on the experience requirement they stated.
I’m in sort of the same boat. I’m finishing up my master’s degree in communications. My resume shows a lot of broadcast experience, which doesn’t fly because there aren’t many jobs in broadcasting where I live, and I can’t afford to be pigeonholed.
What I’m doing, with guidance, is to re-write my resume into three different versions: One emphasizing management, one emphasizing teaching and speaking, and the third emphasizing writing and communications in general. Hopefully, this will get me a decent job.
Not to push or anything, but you can get leadership experience in the military. With a bachelor’s degree you can go in as an officer. You can also get student loan repayment if you go in as an officer. You may get it as an officer, I’m not really sure. You also get full time benefits such as life insurance and free medical and dental. Again, I know military service is not for everyone, but it is an option.
Ah, but Sgt Schwarz, “Lieutenant” is not the same title as, say, “Shift Manager.”
With the advent of filters, more and more companies are unable to locate someone who used to be a “Factory Manager” when searching for a “Plant General Manager”.
My own job searches go great if I’m interviewing with someone from my own field, but like shit if a psychologist is involved. If there’s a mechanical filter, forget it. A couple times I’ve gotten the job “against HR’s impression” because the future boss and teammates were chorusing “we want HER!”
During my last job search (2005) I was informed that I’m too experienced for “lab tech” (why pay full salary when you can get a recent graduate “aprenticed” for half minimum wage); not experienced enough for “lab manager” because although I’ve done all the functions of one, well, I’ve never been one. The jobs I’ve had 2001-now? Telling lab managers how to do their job :smack: I don’t understand it, but hey, the pay’s nice.
Yeah, I’m currently unemployed too (at least until tomorrow) and it’s a ridiculous world.
The Catch-22 that I like has to do with unemployment. You apply for jobs and don’t find any. They tell you to apply for more, maybe broaden your search. You find a job that wasn’t what you wanted, but it’s employment, so you get it, hate it, now you can’t collect unemployment if you quit. :smack:
I honestly make more money on unemployment than I would working full-time at minimum wage. :eek:
Yeah, a coworker that I was laid off with is finding the same problem. He worked as a Cage Cashier in a casino, and accounting stuff was a very big part of his job, but everywhere he applies they want a BS in Accounting, 5 years experience, etc. etc. Someone might want to let them know that someone with those qualifications is going to find a job that pays quite a bit more than $12.50 an hour.
But it DOES beg a question I’ve never understood…How close do you need to come to warrant the effort of filling out an application?
Sounds very much like an IT job that I was trying for. They wanted an expert in all things IT. Servers, Active Directory, Networks, PCs, databases, applications, everything. And true EXPERT level at that. They were willing to pay about 25% less than what I was making at the time as a contractor (this was a FTE position, with benefits), and though I’m good, and know a lot of very talented folks, nobody has that range of skills, and will work for that little money.
Thankfully the company for which I was a contractor picked me up full time, with a very minor decrease in pay (more than offset by the paid benefits, i.e. Health insurance for the whole Butler family)