Job hunting timeline

Good evening ENA!

 

I wanted to get some input on what an appropriate timeline is for applying to jobs.

 

I'm looking to start mid-June so 3 months from now. I'm a grad student with work experience so I'm not necessarily targeting entry level jobs but rather the types of jobs posted on corporate job boards.

 

I understand that those roles are posted because they need to fill them, but I also know that companies are a bit slow with the hiring process typically.

 

I have been applying for a few months now without much luck but it's starting to pick up now. I'm nervous because I graduate in 2 months. My question basically boils down to this: am I applying too early, and that explains my lack of success? Has my timing been right and possibly my resume is terrible? Am I about now entering the sweet spot for summer employment?

 

Thank you this is literally haunting my dreams, so some more opinions will help me either way.

No, I don't think you are applying too early. Lots of people I know starting applying 6 months before graduation. Most places, if you got the job, understand you might need some time to graduate. But usually, myself included, it took many months to find a job in our respective fields.

I've been applying since November. By my estimates I've applied to over 200 jobs. About a month ago I had an interview and I had a different interview last week, so I feel like progress is being made. A few internal recruiters (i.e. internal to the company I apply to) have responded, which is promising (they rarely seem to respond). One even told me I'm overqualified.

 

Argh. It's stressing me out so much. I went to grad school to buy me time after I got laid off. My classmates are all getting jobs and I'm not having luck.

 

ETA: is it possible I could be kicked from the online system due to my intended start date? I'm applying to jobs that have literally hundreds of applicants, so they can be picky.

I got hired in March before I graduated grad school. You want to have a job lined up on your way out of college. Definitely start now.

 

What field are you planning to work in?

Had to have this discussion with my girlfriend when she was getting frustrated applying after the New Year (she'll be done with her residency in July). Generally speaking, unless you're talking a very temporary and scheduled position like an internship, residency, or quota-driven public sector job, it's rare enough that a business knows several months in advance they'll need a position filled. It definitely happens, but considering the extended time allotted, the competition is very, very heavy and the market is saturated now more than ever. That doesn't necessarily mean you're wasting your time, though. It may so happen you apply for a position that will end up vacant right when you need a job. It might not. It does stand to reason that the closer you get, the more probable things become, but I wouldn't let that deter you.

 

Basically, applying early doesn't hurt you. And if you apply somewhere now and end up seeing a posting in May, don't let that stop you from giving them a call then. Take some deep breaths. You've got plenty of time.

I have been applying for literally months, which is why I'm panicking now. I absolutely want to have a job lined up, but nothing is materializing. I'm getting mixed guesses from friends - resume sucks, I present myself badly, my timing is too early, or my industry is too competitive.

 

I tend to think I'm likeable in person. I've been told I'm charismatic and easy to get along with. I've also been told my resume looks great - but who knows how genuine that is.

 

I'm looking to get in to oil and gas. That industry is currently struggling quite a bit.

 

I guess I'll add another question... what other industries would you target?

I have been applying for literally months, which is why I'm panicking now. I absolutely want to have a job lined up, but nothing is materializing. I'm getting mixed guesses from friends - resume sucks, I present myself badly, my timing is too early, or my industry is too competitive.

 

I tend to think I'm likeable in person. I've been told I'm charismatic and easy to get along with. I've also been told my resume looks great - but who knows how genuine that is.

 

I'm looking to get in to oil and gas. That industry is currently struggling quite a bit.

 

I guess I'll add another question... what other industries would you target?

If you're worried your resume is an issue, there are many cheap, if not free workshops that will help you along the way, particularly if you're currently attending a university. It might even be worth it to drop a few bucks in hiring a graphic designer to format a streamlined and visually appealing resume for you, keeping the base file two pages if at all possible. Every industry is different, but I will say that, as someone who contracts and needs to refresh his workload every six months, a brief but well-tailored email to which my resume is attached has been tremendously helpful. If you've got the time to do some subtle tweaks to tailor your actual resume to individual employers, even better.

 

As far as what industries to reach out to, you'd probably have better luck with a professor who's recently worked or preferably currently working within your field of study. Unfortunately, it's often the case even career counselors in universities are out of touch with the real world. We could take some stabs if you gave us some details, but it'd be pretty coincidental if any of us was in a position to give you some credible insight there.

If you're worried your resume is an issue, there are many cheap, if not free workshops that will help you along the way, particularly if you're currently attending a university. It might even be worth it to drop a few bucks in hiring a graphic designer to format a streamlined and visually appealing resume for you, keeping the base file two pages if at all possible. Every industry is different, but I will say that, as someone who contracts and needs to refresh his workload every six months, a brief but well-tailored email to which my resume is attached has been tremendously helpful. If you've got the time to do some subtle tweaks to tailor your actual resume to individual employers, even better.

 

As far as what industries to reach out to, you'd probably have better luck with a professor who's recently worked or preferably currently working within your field of study. Unfortunately, it's often the case even career counselors in universities are out of touch with the real world. We could take some stabs if you gave us some details, but it'd be pretty coincidental if any of us was in a position to give you some credible insight there.

 

After I got laid off, my company set me up with a career transitions service and they redid my resume. I honestly love it, I think it looks great and is just different enough to stand out. My campus career center doesn't like it but that's because it doesn't fit one of their 3 templates.

 

I tinker with my resume for almost every job I apply to. I use a website that compares my resume to the job posting and tells me which words to consider using.

 

In theory I think I'm doing everything right...

 

I like your idea re: professors. I'll see if they can help.

I have been applying for literally months, which is why I'm panicking now. I absolutely want to have a job lined up, but nothing is materializing. I'm getting mixed guesses from friends - resume sucks, I present myself badly, my timing is too early, or my industry is too competitive

The field I went into had multiple job opportunities. Not everyone can do mental health, work with individuals with disabilities, etc. so it had a much higher job market. I basically got to choose where to work because of it.

 

I don't know what the job opportunities are like in your field, but I was under the impression that it's growing. I would talk with your school's career center to have your resume looked at and work on interviewing skills. In addition I would also contact your local workforce agency to get second opinions (IMO they do a better job that a college career center when it comes to resumes and mock interviews).

When they say 'over qualified' is tends to mean 'we don't want to pay for your level of achievement'.

 

Are you seeking in an entirely new field, or are you seeking upward in your field of experience?

I'm looking in a field I've worked in in positions I feel qualified for. I've applied for a few that feel like they were tailor made for me. Some admittedly have been a bit of a stretch, but not much of one. I have really only applied to jobs I think I would be good at.

 

But I am getting more luck now... from the responses here, no one seems to think timing could have been an issue?

No timing is not an issue. Companies that hire on campus or through campus interviews actually are planning ahead and do know full well that you won't be starting until you graduate. Many many companies hire like this and will hold interviews as early as 6 months ahead of graduation. The job offers that they write typically will be conditional on timely graduation.

 

Timing aside, if you are not getting interviews, like it or not, your resume is the problem. Why are you resistant to advice from the campus career office? If your resume doesn't fit their templates, chances are, it's not being read properly by computer software, which means your resume is never seen by human eyes. It's not just words on your resume, but your format that affects things. As for trying to match your resume to the job ad, be careful with that. If you do too much, it will come across as fake.

 

Simple rule of thumb is that if you aren't getting interviews, it's your resume. If you are getting lots of interviews but no job offers, it's your interview skills.

I'm not applying for jobs through my career center. Not many anyway - they are more entry level. I have experience so I'm targeting other work.

 

That's why I'm thinking timing could be an issue. I'm currently looking for, and have been for months, jobs posted on regular job boards. Presumably they are posted for near term filling, right?

 

I wasn't getting anything but now it's starting to pick up. Couldn't that indicate timing too?

 

The career center feels so rigid with their resumes. They only want 3 formats whereas a $3,000 service formatted my resume. That's mostly why I'm asking if it's timing. I took my resume to the career fair and almost every recruiter said "I love your resume and I hate turning you away but we are only hiring interns now"

Here's a more succinct message I guess. When a job gets posted on a job board, when is their targeted hiring date?

Timing may or may not be an issue. Different industries are more reliant on graduation cycles than others.

 

I know you mention you have experience, but in an internship out of the question? Personally, I loathe the practice, but while a bit hyperbolic, there is a reason many claim "internships are the new interview." Same line of reasoning applies to entry level positions. What are you considering your ideal entry level? Is this less a worry about being jobless when you graduate, or simply not having a job you'd consider more or less ideal?

I would absolutely consider an internship if there was potential for full-time. I've mentioned that and they all go "ehhhh". But I have an info session/pre interview tonight for a company that hires only interns and you can progress to full time.

 

By entry level, I mean the jobs are awful schedules meant to be quick training programs. I would do one, but I wouldn't like it. They are often shift work, 16 hour days, multiple weeks at a time with very little time off. It's silly, but I'm going to be 27 and I would like to meet someone. That kind of work wouldn't make it easy.

The challenge about Job searching is most positions are filled through referrals from agencies and employees. And don't take no response back to your resume seriously because some companies just post positions to test the market.

 

I would recommend getting help from your local state career center who has tons of connections with employers so you can be referred and not apply as a outsider

Just an update!

 

I think timing did end up being an issue. I basically only had sparse success until about a week before graduating. Now, I'm having so many interviews that I can't even remember all the positions/companies without checking my calendar - 3 unique interviews last week, 3 unique this week, and one follow up scheduled for next week (so far). I'm expecting another follow up or two next week.

Excellent. Good luck on them all. Sounds like you'll have your pick.

Now, I'm having so many interviews that I can't even remember all the positions/companies without checking my calendar - 3 unique interviews last week, 3 unique this week, and one follow up scheduled for next week (so far). I'm expecting another follow up or two next week.

Excellent. Good luck on them all. Sounds like you'll have your pick.

 

@wiseman2, thank you! I'm hoping so. I'm really excited about all 3 opportunities this week. The ones last week are more meh, but I would be happy with most of them.

One last update! YAY!!

 

I had a number of interviews last week that all went well. One was for a role I was mildly excited about, but would put me in a location I didn't care for.

 

Apparently my interview went so well that they wanted to lock me down. They correctly interpreted that I wouldn't take that initial role if a better option came up so they created a position for me! It's basically my ideal job. The company is great, this new location is ideal, and the job description is exactly what I wanted.

 

They sent over the offer this afternoon. I'm so excited

Amazing! Congrats!

I'm so excited

 

I am excited for you! Please keep us updated. chi

Thank you both!

Great. Congratulations!