So devastated about not getting a job...any suggestions?

[whatiwant]

I graduated in May, and have been looking for a job everyday online for the past two months. I am looking for an entry-level analyst position, but I am open to pretty much any position related to finance/accounting at this point.

I have tried to post my resume and applied on Indeed, careerbuilder, linkedin, my university's career website, craiglists, all the companies websites I am interested. But I am just not getting any replies or just automatic replies saids the positions have been filled or not available. I also tried to call the hiring manager but sometimes the call won't get through or they are not the person.

So after two months now, I feel a little deflated. I feel like maybe I should lower my standard just to accept any decent part-time job to support myself. I even applied Oscar, and some retails, fitness center. I am so anxious to hear anything from them, but day by day, nothing ever happens...*sigh* what should I do? Am I looking at the wrong places? Where can I get any jobs? I want to be independent and not be a useless bum for my parents.

Please contact me if anyone who have any career opportunities in the Chicago. Thank you

[sparkles4]

A few months ago I was just like you, couldn't find a job, applied to dozens of them online and got maybe one reply. It was really depressing! I've since learned that applying online is probably the worst way to get a job. I would recommend going to a career fair, especially as a recent graduate. Many colleges will host them and employers will come there to recruit specifically for entry-level positions. I went to one and set up fourteen interviews in one day, and now have five job offers. Networking is also good. If you have a friend or relative that works in finance, they can point you in the right direction.

[calidreamin0]

Honey,I've been looking for more than a year now. You have a long ways to go before you can be deflated

Just keep swimming.

[Wolf_22]

I know what you're going through. I lost my job back in May of 2008 and have been relying on both my grandmother and student jobs to "get by." Like sparkels4 said, try to network and get away from the damn computer because the stupid career sites that they have anymore suck. Period (at least from my experience).

Take, for example, my college's CAREERLink website that currently has a job posting for someone requiring a babysitter (not even full-time, but part-time!). I mean, hey, if someone needs someone to watch a kid, then that's all fine and dandy, but shouldn't there be safeguards against people being allowed to post jobs like that on something called CAREERLink!?!? GIVE ME A FRIGGIN' BREAK!

I'm sure none of it has anything to do with the fact that this economy blows and that it's filled to the rim with looser employers...

[alli]

I heard it takes the average person 4 months to find a job, so don't feel like a failure; you are right in the group with everyone else. You really should have started fixing up your resume and applying for jobs before you graduated but I guess you can't do much about that now.

I say get someone to review your resume and give you tips to make it look the best you can. Here's some things I was told to do. After fixing my resume, I got like the next job I applied for:

-Put your work experience at the top, and education at the bottom. Putting your education info first makes you look inexperienced & fresh out of college.

-DON'T include your graduation year. Again, it makes you look inexperienced since it is so recent, and there is no rule saying you have to include it.

-Include your GPA (if it's decent) and any honor societies you may have been in under the education info

-Keep job descriptions minimal and understandable to the average person. Writing detailed, lengthy job descriptions that are very technical are difficult for the average person to understand and stay interested in. If you mail in a resume that is packed with as many words as you can fit, they are not going to be impressed that you couldn't say enough. They will probably not even bother reading it and just move on to the next one. Less is more. Try to keep your job descriptions to 1-2 sentences & make sure people who know nothing about that job will have an idea of what you did when they read it.

-Apply for jobs that are not listed on a job search website. That is where everyone goes to apply. It's like trying to make yourself stand out in rush hour traffic. Think of specific places you want to apply for, go to their website, search for the "job openings" button and apply through that route.

Again, job searching is a lengthy and frustrating process. It took me just over 4 months to get a job, and its not what I was even originally searching for. Don't give up; you're doing fine. Try to apply for several jobs everyday, and don't get your heart set on any particular job because it takes a while. It is a rare occassion when an employer actually calls you, but eventually some of them will and you will find a job. Good luck!!

[lavenderdove]

Right now in this economy, the average person is taking anywhere from 6 months to a year to find a job. That is one reason they've extended the unemployment benefits to over a year in most states, because it can take that long.

I recently found a job, but i applied to at least 100 positions, and most of them didn't call back at all. But the one i was really matched for did call, and i did get the job, though it took several interviews and 4 months before i got the offer.

So you have to just keep at it... treat looking for a job like a fulltime job, and every single day surf all the job websites for new job listings and apply, apply, apply.

When the market eases up, usually there is an explosion of hiring, but that probably won't be for a while, so meanwhile you have to just keep applying.

[lavenderdove]

btw, now is harder for entry level people, because there are so many experienced people who have been laid off that you are competing with. So don't get discouraged. There is nothing wrong with you, just the job market is super slow right now.

[whatiwant]

Thank you for all the great tips everyone! I actually have some ppl proofread my resume. But I think the suggestion about tailoring the resume too look more experienced will really help. About career fairs, most of the ones I went were kinda just getting infomation, but the recruiters don't seem to schedule interviews with anyone at all. But I think I guess keep trying and try everything. Wow I'm really overwhelmed. How did those of you live through that months before landing a job? I am so bored out of my skull already. I am the type of person that likes to keep myself very busy.

[lavenderdove]

You need to find some structure in your day. What hobbies to you enjoy doing?

Plan out your day to spend a couple of hours surfing/contacting for jobs, then schedule other things to do during the day. A regular workout at the gym, reading a book or seeing DVDs, learning how to do something new you always wanted to do (gardening, carpentry, working on cars).

Do something nice for your parents. Is there some fixup work at the house you could do? Build a deck for them? Replace light fixtures? There are lots of books available about things to do around the house that anyone can do.

You can also do some volunteer work for a few hours a week. Volunteer work is still considered work on your resume, and the people you meet there can be used as references for jobs.

[jsx730]

Try to avoid getting a job that's outside your career-scope or "below" what you're looking for.

I don't have much to add outside of what the previous posters have said, but look here: [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

I work for the federal government (not DFAS) while I'm getting my 4 year Accounting Degree, and the plan is to end up working there. They have locations all around the states.