I can't find a job!

[iceman85]

Hello everyone, last May I graduated from a great college with a degree in Marketing, I felt good, I felt like I could go out and find a great job. I quickly found that nobody would hire me because my only experience was as a customer service manager at a supermarket, a computer technician for my school and interning for the New England Patriots.

 

I was told time and again, I came off well but others had no experience, I would keep trying, and never hear back, I did everything, use my network, ask friends of friends, apply to everything I knew I could do. I would have the occasional interview, i've estimated over the past year i've had 10-12 face to face interviews.

 

I lost my job in January as the supermarket manager, I have been unemployed ever since. I recentley did really well and go to the third interview for management training for Enterprise, but couldn't go on because I had a few speeding tickets on my driving record from when I was 19-20.

 

Now I have no leads, I am sick of applying, interviewing and never hearing a word. I feel like a total failure to my parents, my family, my school, myself. I spent all this time and money to get through college and not even jobs that I could get in High School respond back to me.

 

I lost my health insurance, i'm struggling to pay back my student loans and every day that goes by I know that its another day closer to another graduating class and when I put in an application they will look at me and see that I havent held a job since January and that I havent had a "real job" in my field ever and I graudated a year ago and im unemployed. I feel like i'll be in even more of a hole now, and its just depressing.

 

I dont know what to do, I feel like everything i'm doing just isnt getting me anywhere and that im hopeless and my degree was worthless

[renaissancewoman101]

Don't feel bad. The job market is very bad right now. Lots of people being laid off and those people can't find jobs either. Unemployment is high now. Just read the news and see the numbers

[Ruede]

Wow... amusingly (though not so amusingly) I've been in the same sort of position. I'm coming out with an English M.A... felt confident initially, but after trying for a couple of positions I knew I would be good for and never getting even a call back, I recently broke down about it. What's strange, though, is that I thought that if I had a marketing degree / communications degree I might be able to get one of those jobs. Apparently not! With the recent economic issues, it's almost like you have to have experience coming out of your bazooka. Hopefully, I made you feel at least a bit better, knowing you're not the only one.

[lavenderdove]

Most unemployed people can't find a job right now... it is just the state of the economy, where it is shedding jobs rather than creating them.

 

The good thing is that once the recession turns around, employers frequently discover they are understaffed to meet the increased demand, and there is an explosion of hiring to staff up again.

 

So you just have to hang in there and not take it personally. Millions of people are in your boat now, and no one will hold it against you for not finding a job in a terrible recession.

[catfeeder]

I found my best jobs over the years by working temp jobs and marketing myself from within company walls.

 

Nobody cares what type of job you hold right now--whether it's data entry or mailroom clerk--very few top notch unemployed people are working at their full capacity during this recession, and the smartest people in decision-making positions know that score.

 

Every temp job is a dice roll with zero to lose and a few bucks an hour to gain. Reserve the time to put on the costume and get out there for computer tests and paper work. Reward yourself after each one by doing something inspiring, even if it's throwing on some gym clothes and walking the park. If you're diligent at making the rounds, something will eventually come in (regardless of every agency's claims that they're bone dry) and you will be the first one called. Meanwhile, use the labs in these places to bone up on skills and befriend as many of the office staffers as you can.

 

You learned how to market, so think outside your textbooks and don't use negativity to sabotage your mindset. That's like doing your competitors' job for them.

 

Head high, and in your corner.

 

PS. If you're collecting unemployment, temping will extend the length of time you're able to collect.

[thejigsup]

You are now up against people with experience, and that makes it hard for new graduates. Just get any old job to pay the bills until the economy improves, whenever that is.

[Wolf_22]

Don't feel bad about it iceman. I know it's hard to do, but keep your chin up. I promise you that sooner or later, you'll find something. It's not at all uncommon nowadays to be unemployed for an entire year or more, so maybe that will give you some comfort? Regardless, I was unemployed for almost that long (~8 months or so) and wound up calling it quits to return to school and prep myself for a Masters degree. Who knows what will happen...

 

As for you, just keep sending things out and sooner or later, you'll find something. I know you will. Things don't last forever, and when you end up finding a job, you'll probably wish you were unemployed again so that you could watch the good late shows! HA! I know I think like that sometimes!

[Aries73]

It's hard to compete against people from halfway accross the world who will work for half of what Americans will work for.

 

Let's not beat around the bush. Corporate America sees us as liabilities and will use Indian and Chinese internationals to turn us into de facto slaves with nowhere to turn.

 

Sometimes I think the only way to stop this madness is to take out CEOs one by one until they finally realize the price of playing with other people's lives like this.

[Wolf_22]

It's hard to compete against people from halfway accross the world who will work for half of what Americans will work for.

 

Let's not beat around the bush. Corporate America sees us as liabilities and will use Indian and Chinese internationals to turn us into de facto slaves with nowhere to turn.

 

Sometimes I think the only way to stop this madness is to take out CEOs one by one until they finally realize the price of playing with other people's lives like this.

 

Not too right, but not too wrong, either. I fear it's just the beauty of the economic beast and when you have someone who requires a lot of money to do something versus someone else who will do it for less, you can't argue that no virtue exists for the company responsible for hiring the more affordable individual. Like I said, not too right, but not too wrong...

[iceman85]

I'm still ploding away, but with a new graduating class coming in a few weeks I feel like i'll just fall between the cracks and be overlooked becuase i've been out there so long. I am applying for part time work and even still I don't hear a word.

[Wolf_22]

Stop worrying about other people and just keep focusing on what's in front of you. Use this time to primp your documentation and perfect your portfolio. Do everything from getting good networks going to doing odd-jobs to get extra references. Hell, go as far as using flash cards for things that might help you know your stuff better. Just keep going forward and keep thinking forward.