Well done! I’ve just had yet another rejection, simply on the grounds that I’ve been unemployed so long.
I just got the call today. I got the offer and it’s only a $2K pay cut a year from what I was making before my layoff in January. The hard part about the layoff was that I had a vacation planned (India) at the end of March to the middle of April. So, the job search was hard to plan around that.
I had one real interview in those two months with a company I was sure I was a shoo-in for. I had all of the qualifications, the job was a little bit simpler than what I was just doing and, on top of that, the hiring manager was friends with my previous manager who had moved to that company. I had a phone interview and then came in for a 3 hour interview with 4 separate people. It was exhausting. But I felt good coming out of it. The next day, the word comes down the pike that there is a company-wide hiring freeze and possible layoffs which would be the first time in its 86 year history. Fffffffffudge.
When I got back from India, I put my nose to the grindstone and put my resume up on all of the websites, apply at 4 different temp companies (which went nowhere and there were two others which never even called me back after numerous inquiries). Good luck all!
My severance package from my almost 10 years of service is due to be over at the end of next month and a friend from my old company says that she knows of a position opening and says that I should apply for it. It’s in a department that I’ve always wanted to get into and the position is entry level. Out of a pool of 80 applicants, 4 are chosen by HR to have in person interviews. I talked with my friend the night before mine and got coached in not only the details of the position, but the personalities of the boss as well as all of the co-workers. I got to know the keywords of the department and its needs (macros and pivot tables) and made sure to use those during the interview and updated my resume to include them.
At the interview, the hiring manager starts off with a bit of warning that threw me off of my game. The position I was applying for was vacated by a person and was empty currently. However, she got a call from her boss who was thinking of cutting the position, so the interview might be completely moot.
After the interview, I sent an email to the hiring manager thanking her for taking the time to meet with me and expressed my interest again in the position (I knew she needed to fill the position soon so I didn’t want to wait for snail mail). After that, I got an email back yesterday stating that she got the go ahead to fill the position and she’ll let me know later this week. I thanked her for keeping me in the loop (which was extremely earnest as I was happy just to get an update, even if it said nothing, it was still nice to hear something).
I got the call from HR today offering me the position where I had a hard time controlling my excitement and was dancing around the dining room while I was accepting. Later, my friend that helped get me in told me a bit of the background stuff. Out of the 4 people applying for the position, 2 were internal (which the manager decided against since she said that “they already have a job”) and the other external was a person who previously made much more and would be taking a large pay cut and the manager thought that that person probably wouldn’t be happy for long.
The icing on the cake is that I get my benefits back (no more COBRA) and that after working there a month, I’ll have worked at the company officially for 10 years meaning that I’ll get another 5 vacation days. (I hope that this post doesn’t come off as gloating, but I’m really, really happy and can’t contain it).
You have earned gloating rights! Totally awesome for you!!
Well done!
Woohoo! Congratulations stpauler! Wishing you luck and joy in your new career! 
I know I haven’t posted to this thread in quite some time.
In April, I was hired by the US Census to work on the address canvassing operation. That lasted for a few weeks before it ended for lack of work; the Census in my area overhired, and so there just wasn’t enough work for everyone.
A few weeks ago, though, I got a call out of the clear blue sky asking if I wanted to go back to work for the Census as a partnership assistant. This is the PR aspect of the Census; my job entails working with community groups to increase the Census’s visibility and hopefully improve cooperation in certain traditionally hard-to-reach demographic groups. I just wrapped up training yesterday. The job pays $1.50 more an hour than the address canvassing job, plus mileage, and it’s supposed to last until next May.
This is, of course, what I went to school for, so I’m pretty happy about the job. It’s also nice to be working for people who genuinely care about the Census, and not people who just needed a job. There will also be a lot of work available, so I’m anticipating being able to work full time and get some money in the bank.
And congratulations to the other people who have found jobs!
Two people!!! TWO who got jobs!!!
Come on…let’s keep this going!
Edit: THREE!!! THREE PEOPLE!!!
Congratulations, stpauler and MsRobyn! And stpauler, if I may, it sounds like you attacked that job opening in a very smart and effective way. I think people in the hunt could pick up a few really important tips from studying your last post carefully.
I used to organize our job fair booth as a sort of a side job at one of my previous employers. We didn’t have a formal recruiting team, so I sort of became the Director of Recruiting in addition to my normal duties as Director of Bullshit.
The thing to realize about a job fair is that the booths are typically manned by whatever junior employee got stuck with the task. Most likely they will immediately give your resume a “yes”, “no” or “everyone else”. And they typically will not want to give out business cards because they don’t want to have 500 people following up with them over the next month.
So your strategy should be to know as much about the companies you are interested in beforehand. Try to find out what their specific needs are before you go (ie look at their postings on other sites). Expect to have about 30 seconds to make a decent impression. Also, find out what the people you are talking to do. If you are an accountant and they are technology people, they will probably not be interested. Also speak clearly and confidently and don’t look or act weird.
Thanks for the tips.
Hello, everyone. (“Hi, purplehorseshoe!”) I’m glad to see this thread here, but I have to sheepishly admit I skimmed a little of it. My deepest and most sincere sympathies to the people posting their stories here. May I join?
I got laid off a full year ago. Jeebus, it hurts to type that. I went the semi-denial route for a long time (“I got laid off several weeks ago” was my standard answer until it occurred to me that **a full half-year **no longer counts as “several weeks”) but things have gotten so bad out there I figure, what’s the shame anymore?
I was lucky enough to land a temp job. When I started, they told me it would last “about 6 to 8 weeks.” That was back in February. I’m still here. (They, um, seriously underestimated the scope of the project.)
Pros: paychecks have kept coming, which is a very good thing since I had, I think, two unemployment payments left before being completely shitouttaluck for months.
Cons: every day I get a little stupider. This is without question the most tedious and boring job I’ve ever done, and I temped a lot during summers in college and know what it’s like. Mind-numbing beyond all holiness. If I weren’t able to click over to the Dope and those crazy lolcats sometimes I’d have lost my mind long ago. A high school freshman could do this job, and I don’t say that lightly!
I’m trying very hard to suck it up, not whine about the mindlessness of the tasks, and appreciate getting paid, but the fact is, it’s been psychologically difficult since I wasn’t mentally prepared to keep at it this long. I got the job with NO notice (“When would you like me to start?” “How’s this afternoon?”) so I kind of shoved my life to the side, thinking I’d resume all these things in a month or two. Now these piles of life have been neglected for a full half-year, and I’m amazed at how much that little fact has started to wear on me.
I’m glad I don’t have kids or any serious health issues <knocking on wood>. I’ve been one of the Millions of Uninsured Americans for a year, and I’m bloody damn sick of it. And I’m STILL one of the lucky ones.
Do I need to have some sense slapped into me? For whining? This job *should *(ha!) be over in about three weeks, though I’ve heard that before. After that … I don’t know. Back on unemployment, I guess. When I was first laid off there were plenty of job postings and I kept myself quite busy responding and even interviewing a little bit, but they’ve just … gradually faded away. Tapered off. Some of my most trusted job boards have come up with nada recently. I’m registered with two temp agencies, figuring I’m probably a bit overqualified but anything to keep the proverbial wolves from my door, and I never hear from them. (We check in w/ each other, just “Hey, you still available?” kind of stuff.)
I just try not to think about the whole no-health-insurance thing. If anyone would like to suggest a low-cost health insurance plan outside the employer/employee system, I’d be grateful.
And hey … thanks for letting me rant.
I didn’t get the job. They changed the job description and hired someone with more experience in one area than I have.
I’m so depressed.
Oh geez. I’m so sorry, Peace.
God Peace, I’m so sorry.
Welcome to the misery purplehorseshoe
purplehorseshoe, if you’re willing to settle for a barebones plan, you should be able to find one. Check with some of the larger insurers in your area; they generally will deal directly with the public.
Hey guys!
I haven’t posted in here, though I’ve been lurking. I’ve been praying for all of you, but felt guilty even adding my situation as I was managing fairly well. Up until last month I’d been pretty lucky, getting contract work (OK, temp work) that kept us afloat. It’s been five weeks since my last assignment ended, and I’m getting really scared.
Purple told most of my story, no insurance x 18 months, a terrifying situation. Thank goodness my daughter is insured through her Dad!
I got one offer two weeks ago but it was a low-ball by $30,000. Yikes! I couldn’t begin to cover the bills with what they are offering! I had to turn it down, but I felt either way I went I was being irresponsible.
I’m reaching the close on another deal - the boss is currently agitating from within to get me the salary I’ve asked for. OH Please, oh please, oh please, oh please, oh please, oh please, let this come through! It’s the perfect fit for me, and the boss and Director both seem to think so too.
If it doesn’t come through, I really don’t know what will happen to me and the Celtling. I can make it one more month and that’s it. As a contract worker I haven’t earned any unemployment credits in the last year, and the amount wouldn’t cover half my rent anyway.
I’ve been stuck in this expensive rental house ever since Celtling’s Dad left because no one will give a new lease to someone without a permanent job. It’s a death spiral.
I’m terrified.
Oh please, oh please, oh please . . .
I know of a data-entry/meeting coordinator job in downtown Seattle. I don’t know what it pays.
I needed to resurrect this thread so that I could resurrect my spirits. I’m going on a year here. I’m still putting off bankruptcy (just ignoring all the calls I’ve been getting), haven’t paid the mortgage in two months. My parents will end up renting me an apartment when I get an eviction notice (anyone know how long I have?) Unemployment is less than a hundred a week. I’m already receiving food stamps and health care on the state. I’m still applying for anything even close to what I can do. I have received no calls in months and months. I’ve gained so much weight cause I’m just not moving around like you do on a job and it’s fucking 113 degrees out here today so it’s not like I can go take a walk! I started smoking again. Like I can afford that, right?
Sorry to be such a downer but this really is unreal.
I need some good karma, man. I believe in President Obama, but, dude, it really sucks out here. Let’s smoke a doobie and figure out how to fix this situation. Actually, smoking a doobie LEGALLY would fix this problem!!
I am getting close to one year as well, although I never had a “real” job to begin with.
Is there anybody in the world hiring entry level that isn’t a door to door salesman job!!! Or a goddamned telemarketer!!!
I don’t want to work at this retail store my whole life! I went to college dammit!
I have, quite literally, zero hope. None. I have no faith in myself or my abilities in getting a job. So the economy bounces back…who cares? I will be so far removed from school that no one will hire me, just a new grad, and I can’t afford to do anything about it.
When will it get better
I have an interviewnext week! Up in Lancashire.