I wrote this for another site but it'll feel good to post it again.
You get up in the morning realizing it's another day with no income (or limited income thanks to the good people at the unemployment office) and have to face the fact that it's another day you're not working. You have the well-meaning people who ask if you've found a job yet. If I had found a job, you'd know it because you wouldn't be asking me at 10 am if I found a job, now would you? Even worse is how if you are unemployed more than a week people think you are a loser because after all they were walking down the street and a CEO gave them their job because they liked their tie or some ridiculous story like that.
You grumble, sit down and start perusing the classifieds or online ads. Half the ads are basically headhunting agencies trying to justify their existence so they put ads out for jobs that don't exist. Then you see all the crappy sales jobs that are 100% commission so you not only work, but you do it for free. Even better is when people tell you to do volunteer work. Ok, so I'm supposed to work for free and not use the time get a job that pays? I'll be right on that.
You finally see some jobs that interest you so you apply only you never hear from them again. With email and attachments its not so bad but with postal mail you get very conscious of the price of stamps. Let's not forget how everyone tells you to spend money for 100% cotton paper that costs a fortune when you know you'll go through a ream of the stuff to get that one interview.
Then you get the interview and you get to play all the horseshiat games. It starts when they tell you what time to show up because unemployed people never have personal commitments. Then you get there 15 minutes early like all the jobhunting guides suggest and they keep you waiting for half an hour. Then you get to deal with stupid ass questions from HR jackasses.
"If you could be a tree what kind of tree would you be and why?"
"How many pennies could fit in the cargo hold of a 747?"
"What is your greatest weakness?"
"What is the last book you read?"
"Why do you want to work here?"
and of course my favorite...
"Where do you see yourself in five years?"
Seriously, WTF is with any of these questions? They are all bullshiat and yet if you call them out on it, then you're the bad guy. How about asking me about my farking job qualifications? One of my favorite interviews ever was where I knew I didn't want to work there. The technical managers asked me questions about the actual job. Some HR bint asked me "If you could be any animal, which animal would you be and why?" and I had a smirk.
"A piranha." She looked at me puzzled and asked why. I told her it was so I could bite her for asking a stupid question that had nothing to do with my ability to perform the job. The best part was the snickering from the tech types.
Oh and that's not the end of it. Then you get the salary question. They know how much they want to pay but rather than be up front and say we want to pay you 30k a year, they'd rather you lowball yourself and get 20k because you're too damn afraid of pricing yourself out of a job that you'll take that crappy wage and consider yourself lucky to be working.
Is it any wonder why I'd rather suck on the sweet teat of government money where the most I do is say "SURRRE Mr. Unemployment Office Guy, I'm looking REALLY hard for a job, now gimme my check."
Eddy Wrote:"A piranha." She looked at me puzzled and asked why. I told her it was so I could bite her for asking a stupid question that had nothing to do with my ability to perform the job. The best part was the snickering from the tech types.
Oh, that's a good one!
I totally hate all those stupid questions too. But unfortunately you just have to suck it up and answer them according to whatever the career-advice websites tell you is the right answer. It's just a game and they want to make sure you know how the game is played.
The other option is to somehow figure out some niche that hasn't been filled (like the Snuggie) and start your own company. That way at least your boss won't be an a-hole; just your clients.
QVC is in PA: maybe you could design a line of jewelry and market it through them.
I hate interviews-I have to do them for my second internship. I don't even know why they bother when everyone is supposed to give pretty much the same answer.
I love your posts Eddy. Honestly, you should be writing Professionally AND getting paid well for it!
Eddy Wrote:Then you get the interview and you get to play all the horseshiat games. Then you get to deal with stupid ass questions from HR jackasses.
"If you could be a tree what kind of tree would you be and why?"
"How many pennies could fit in the cargo hold of a 747?"
"What is your greatest weakness?"
"What is the last book you read?"
"Why do you want to work here?"
and of course my favorite...
"Where do you see yourself in five years?"
Seriously, WTF is with any of these questions? They are all bullshiat and yet if you call them out on it, then you're the bad guy.
No sh!t.
I mean, at your job interview 5 years ago had you answered the lame, "Where do you see yourself in 5 years?" question, would they have liked to hear you state
the truth?
"Hmmm, I see myself unemployed, sitting at yet another bullshit interview, being asked the same idiotic questions by yet another jackass."
beachbum Wrote:I love your posts Eddy. Honestly, you should be writing Professionally AND getting paid well for it!
Thanks! I appreciate it. Seriously, I would love to write for a living but I don't know how to get started.
One of the biggest misconceptions are idiots who think that all people who are unemployed are just too lazy and unwilling to work. These idiots think that there are jobs readily available for anyone who really wants a job.
A question I hate the most at interviews, which is always asked, is "What's your salary expectations?" I always feel like screaming out "Just tell what the damn job pays, and I'll tell you if it's acceptable or not." Why do I have to make a wild guess what the job pays? I swear that in order to work in H.R. or for a head hunter, there must be some kind of test to prove how much of an asshole a person is and the bigger the asshole, the more qualified they are. The standard textbook "What's your strengths and weaknesses" and the "What do you see yourself doing five years from now" questions rank pretty high too in the WTF category. The way I see it, the "What's your weaknesses" question is another way of saying "Give me reasons why I should NOT hire you". Duh.
Eddy, What you wrote is so true. It's pretty much the that I was feeling when I was unemployed
The question about naming your greatest weakness is the one I hated the most when going for interviews. It's worst if they are asking for two of your weaknesses. I always tried to be careful at that one so I wouldn't ruin my chance of getting a job. For exemple when I applied for customer service I made sure not to mention hat I'm impatient. It's clear that you would not have a chance with that kind of answer.
Dog Holliday Wrote:A question I hate the most at interviews, which is always asked, is "What's your salary expectations?" I always feel like screaming out "Just tell what the damn job pays, and I'll tell you if it's acceptable or not." Why do I have to make a wild guess what the job pays?
Oh god, tell me about it. Just list a range if nothing else. If I see a job is from 13k-15k (no joking at the Univ. of Pittsburgh) I'll walk on by, but if I see it's 25k firm then at least I'll look at it.
One of my favorite interviews was when I applied for what was supposed to be a tech support position at Brodart, which was a library supplier in upstate PA. I went through the interview with flying colors and they offered me the job on the spot. Problem was that the job was 80% travel (business travel sucks major ass) and even better was it was 6.75 an hour and you had to have a bachelor's degree. Yes, that's right. Less than a lunch at a low to mid-range restaurant. I openly laughed at them and wished them good luck in getting someone. (To be honest there probably was commission involved but they did not mention this.)
The sad thing was two weeks later they called me and upped their offer to a whopping $6.85 an hour. That's right. A whole ten cents. I didn't even bother returning the call.
Why the hell can't employers just give a damn number already?
Because they want you cheap. It totally sucks. Why can't they just people a decent, living wage, and forget about saving money in that way? Low pay is a direct de-motivator, which means they will be replacing that person soon enough -- just pay well, and hire the person you want who will last in the job!
DH faced many a pay issue while he was unemployed (he's now working, thank heaven!), although it's only his second week on the job). In government, it appears the NEW thing is for higher paying positions in municipal government to announce no salary at all. The problem is, their idea of "higher pay" is in the $20s, while our idea of "higher pay" is in the $40s. Bear in mind, we're talking jobs for people like my DH, with decades of experience, and degrees out the wazoo -- they SHOULD pay more than the $20s! But he goes to all the trouble, interviews, dresses up, impresses, then they offer him $23k. I don't think so! It's insulting that they see mid-career people as so dime-a-dozen -- which I imagine they are these days, what with the baby boomers needing to work longer because their portfolios are decimated -- but when they offer you such a low pay at his level/age/skills, and that keeps happening, again and again, it just makes you want to slit your throat -- the life insurance will pay more than these asshats will!
Eddy Wrote:Dog Holliday Wrote:A question I hate the most at interviews, which is always asked, is "What's your salary expectations?" I always feel like screaming out "Just tell what the damn job pays, and I'll tell you if it's acceptable or not." Why do I have to make a wild guess what the job pays?
Oh god, tell me about it. Just list a range if nothing else. If I see a job is from 13k-15k (no joking at the Univ. of Pittsburgh) I'll walk on by, but if I see it's 25k firm then at least I'll look at it.
What you're talking about Eddy is you know or have a good idea what a specific job pays in each place. What I'm talking is about jobs that you have no clue what the pay range is, and they play the "Guess what we're paying" game, which is very common. For example, a specific job in a company with a good union might pay $25/hr. and another place down the street might pay $8/hr. for the same position. There would be no point to asking for salary expectations if the post the salary. I have no clue what each and every company pays for every position, so I can't even give a range. Do you have a secret or certain website(s) to find out exactly how much each and every company pays for various positions? If a place is unionized, how do you get a copy of the union contract to find out how much each job pays?
The strategy I use is, when asked for salary expectations, I don't shoot myself in the foot by giving them a specific number. I ask them if they can give me some idea or range what the job would pay. Some places play hardball and refuse to give you any idea what the pay is and demand a guess, while others might give hints as to the pay scale, so that you can give an educated guess. If I was running the country, I would make a law saying that companies must reveal the salary when posting a job. It would make life easier for both the job seeker and employer if they had to say up front what the pay is.
I had to bump this thread cause I just found out today that my only brother is now out of a job.
And he is a frickin Dentist.
But when you stop to think about it. What with all of the unemployment going on, and people losing health insurance left and right. It is bound to trickle down to the health care industry and of course Dentistry would be the first to suffer.
After all how many people here really LIKE going to see the dentist to begin with, lol
Not many, I bet.
So, now not only is my husband still suffering from not being able to find a decent paying job.
Now My brother is is the same boat.
When will this madness end??
(10-25-2009 04:10 PM)Truckerswife Wrote: [ -> ]I had to bump this thread cause I just found out today that my only brother is now out of a job.
And he is a frickin Dentist.
But when you stop to think about it. What with all of the unemployment going on, and people losing health insurance left and right. It is bound to trickle down to the health care industry and of course Dentistry would be the first to suffer.
After all how many people here really LIKE going to see the dentist to begin with, lol
Not many, I bet.
So, now not only is my husband still suffering from not being able to find a decent paying job.
Now My brother is is the same boat.
When will this madness end??
I have friends who are Nurses and are out of work. Now, just about everyone believes that NURSING is a job that is recession proof. The reality? It is not.
The vast majority of offices and clinics do not use RNs anymore. They use medial assistants and LPNs.
Hospitals want Nurses, but they want very specific experience...which narrows the job pool applicants dramatically. Many will only hire RNs part time, so they don't have to pay them any benefits. Kind of ironic that a Hospital doesn't want to provide their own employees health care insurance! Other facilities will pile on the patient case/work load at a dangerous level, which in turn causes Nurses to burn-out and
choose to leave.
Beachbum... get them to apply in Canada. Ontario is currently desperate for nurses and I believe it would be easy for them to get a job across the border (they need to take an equivalency test I think). There are no guarantees, of course, but if they are willing to move then they keep talking about nurse shortages up here.
(10-25-2009 04:10 PM)Truckerswife Wrote: [ -> ]So, now not only is my husband still suffering from not being able to find a decent paying job.
Now My brother is is the same boat.
When will this madness end??
But ... according to the newspapers the "recession is over". HA!
Your brother the dentist is out of work, yet the two dentists in town are flaming morons. One won't see paitents unless they start with him as kids; and the other has a 6 month waiting list -- if you are on medicare cause he doesn't take insurance.
I hope your brother and husband find something!
Sorry to hear he is out of work. It's bad when a dentist can't get employed.
I know what you're going through Eddy. I've been in and out of the job market most of my working life. I had one job that lasted 10 years, but the rest were 1 or 2 years each, and I spent about the same amount of time unemployed.
What burns my ass is anytime I'm unemployed, people start on the "go back to school and get retrained" bandwagon. I've gone back to school numerous times for retraining and I've got enough college diplomas to wallpaper a room and I've taken retraining in a wide variety of fields, trying to cover all the bases. But everyone thinks that's not enough diplomas and I must go back and get more whenever I get laid off. To hell with making a living and getting out of financial ruin-school's more important than making money. Whenever I'm job hunting, employers only look at one thing on a resume-job experience. If an employer or head hunter calls, the only question they ask is "What experience do you have? How many years of experience do you have in [xyz]?" Nobody gives a damn what diplomas I have. When I mention to them I have diplomas in this, that and the other, the only comment they make is: "But how much experience do you have in each field? We're looking for someone with a minimum of 5 years experience in [xyz]. Call us back when you get 5 or more years experience."
Wow - TW - I'm sorry to hear this.
faeriecat - I notice that too - the media is trumpeting that the recession is over but 1 in 10 people are out of work! If the recession is "over" what will happen during the next one? 1 in 5 people out of work? Is this the new normal or something?
beachbum - I agree. I looked into doing a second masters - totally not worth it. When you add in the high costs of tuition and the number of years it takes to get a degree - forget it. And you are right - employers don't care about degrees. It's what you've done.
(10-26-2009 08:37 PM)Dog Holliday Wrote: [ -> ]I know what you're going through Eddy. I've been in and out of the job market most of my working life. I had one job that lasted 10 years, but the rest were 1 or 2 years each, and I spent about the same amount of time unemployed.
What burns my ass is anytime I'm unemployed, people start on the "go back to school and get retrained" bandwagon.
(snip!)
Ugh! Tell me about it. People say the same thing to me. They don't seem to understand that if you are full time in school you don't qualify for unemployment (not available for work) and that if you have a degree you don't qualify for financial aid other than loans so you have the risk of spending a lot of money for possibly a net loss if you can't get a job upon graduating.
The other thing I hate is that everyone just assumes you know exactly what you want in a job. I'm approaching 40 and to be honest I still have no clue which is why my work history is so horrible.
Thanks Eddy Cats & beachbum. I Know this economy really sucks.
And ITA with Beachbum about the nursing situation. I too, have 2 very good friends who are nurses. One of them is doing OK, cause she is a Psych nurse. But my other pal, who is an ER nurse worries every day if her job is on the line.
What with hospital cut backs and lay off's the poor staff never knows where the axe will fall next.
ITMT My poor hubby is still out of work. (see time checker below)
and If he does not find a job by March we will be royally screwed.
Unemployment is not forever at least not in Ohio.
So, Please keep them well wishes coming that he finds a job that can Pay the bills.
My Brother? well, we are estranged, so his ass is his problem, lol.
But. I do feel bad for him. I will just never give him the satisfaction of letting him know that, lol.
I hear ya Eddy. I've been laid off four times in the past nine years and it sucks ass. Looking for a job sucks. Interviews suck. Those stupid questions suck. "If you were a tree...?" Really? Do people actually get asked that? How are you supposed to answer a dumb ass question like that?
Interviews are like dating. You lie and are on your best behaviour and hope that they like you enough to call you back for another interview or get the job. They lie, you lie, and in the end, after about six months of steady dating, everyone realizes that everyone else lied and you're stuck in another dead end job where you get no respect and that pays shit money.
Employment agencies are the worst. I think I posted in another thread that after applying for job advertised by an agency and then finding out, when called about it, that the job was "on hold", I once again realized that agencies don't advertise real jobs. Ever.
We set up a time to go in and interview (for any up coming jobs they may have) but after a couple of minutes I thought to myself, "Not again. I will not waste two hours of my time taking their stupid fucking computer tests to prove what I know and to prove that yes, I really can type 80 WPM and yes, I really do know how to cut and paste in a Word document." Fuck you and all your stupid tests and then never hearing from you again.
I emailed the guy back and told him forget it. In the past nine years I've registered with countless agencies and not once, NOT ONCE have I ever - ever - been called to an interview for an actual client of theirs and trust me; it has nothing to do with me because I have excellent skills and am a pro at interviews. I ought to be - I've been to enough of them.
/highjack
Anyway, ITA with you Eddy. One hundred percent.