Job Search tips

[erinshelley21]

Busy season officially starts tomorrow and the countdown to me moving on is officially on.

The offer to work for my friend is still on the table and as of right now, thats all I have. I have applied for 10 jobs. Out of the 10 I have had 1 interview which led to a no. I've had 5 rejections without even interviewing. I got an Indeed notification that one company looked at my app but I didn't hear anything else. The other 4 I still haven't heard anything, but one I just applied for last week and the other the app deadline was last Tuesday.

Is this normal? Do I suck?
Are there other websites that you recommend to use besides Indeed and LinkedIn? I've also been watching on a handful of company websites near me that interest me or have a good reputation.

[xctsclrx]

It's normal in my area. A lot of companies have programs to search resumes and will reject without ever having a person look at it. Where I live you almost have to have someone walk a resume through the process and recommend you personally. It's pretty competitive. I think when I was job searching I applied for at least five a week for awhile. I was very entry level without any experience though. I'm coming up on five years now. Might be easier now. Not sure

[waverly]

My field is difficult but I sent out 40 applications before getting my first interview and I got that job. It took 5 months.

[sdlaura]

At my firm we typically hire people that come recommended by someone - rarely just from a resume. Can you reach out to people at the places you want to work who you have anything in common with (went to same high school or college or any connection) and ask for an informational interview? Or if they’d be willing to speak with you for a few minutes about their firm? If you can have someone who already works there send along your resume, that should make a big difference.

I’ve also heard you should tailor your resume using certain keywords in each job listing, so that the computer programs that search for them will pick up your resume. Good luck!

[erinshelley21]

sdlaura for one company I had a former coworker of my moms speak to HR on my behalf, which was just 2 weeks ago. The interview I got was with the help of my mom who works with them on other things. That didn't work out I think because of the timing and me needing to be available for this busy season.

[erinshelley21]

I think I am just dealing with FOMO if I take the job working with my friend. It really is a pretty sweet set up and could be great financially in 6 months-a year. Over the weekend and Monday I had the mindset that if I didn't hear back from any of the other places I applied then it was meant to be. Now it has morphed into me thinking there is something wrong with me and I'm going to have to take the job just because it is my only option.

[2chatter]

When I review resumes sometimes the ones from people who have owned their own business are hard to understand what they are seeking and where they are at in their job search - do they really want to work for someone else? I’ve gotten burned a few times by people who didn’t really want that, or simply could not make the transition. Does your resume clearly indicate that you want to be an individual contributor and work for someone else? Does your cover letter explain that? It might help.

It’s also a volume game and networking is your best bet - are there any events where you can meet agencies or could you walk in with your resume? My sister does insurance and they have hired walk ins because it shows that they are go getters, which is a critical skill. I don’t totally understand what you do, but if it’s an option it’s worth a shot! Call people you have professional relationships with and get out there! (Easy to type, hard to do....)

[erinshelley21]

2chatter I think the only way I would remain in the insurance industry is if I took the offer from my friend. I put on my resume that I am ready to see what I can do with my experience as a business owner at another company. Its worded a little better than that.

I was afraid it would be a volume game. To keep my commute under 30 minutes one way the market is a little scarce.

[idahome]

I know it’s a basic point, but resume formatting makes a difference. Don’t include an objective and skill sets (personally, I think objectives are out-dated...makes it difficult to do the key word searches that recruiters favor).

Following up on your resumes is also important. Otherwise, they just get lost in the trash. Don’t call the main office number; find the actually recruiter to call.

Even in more challenging geographic regions it’s the networking that wins. Comb through those 2nd and 3rd connections and get an introduction.

Good luck!

[erinshelley21]

idahome I've wondered about following up on applications and if that was effective at all or if it can come off as annoying.

[2chatter]

erinshelley21 - the whole as a business owner thing would be the red flag to me — it sounds like you are wrapped up in that, even though we totally know you aren’t. I’d instead use active statements to drive toward your goals In the cover letter, specifying the kind of role you want and not through the lens of being a business owner. Others may have differing opinions though!

[vavavictoria]

erinshelley21 I agree about the business owner thing. Whenever I’ve seen that on resumes it makes me think about whether they will be able to play well with others and adapt to not being the boss anymore. I don’t know that it would stop me from interviewing but it isn’t necessarily a plus to me in my industry.

Also get on LinkedIn if you aren’t already and follow every company you are interested in. A lot of recruiters use LinkedIn and that’s actually how I got the job I just started a few weeks ago.

[erinshelley21]

vavavictoria that's good to know. I took the objective off my resume this morning. I'll follow companies on LinkedIn. I've had quite a few recruiters reach out for they've all been for insurance agent positions. I feel like I'm backed into a corner.

[vavavictoria]

erinshelley21 it is definitely hard to move into a new industry. I just made a big jump within my industry. I have a decent amount of experience but it’s the opposite of what my new role does. I mainly got the job bc of some niche knowledge and connections. I wish i could think of some good pointers for getting into something new. Maybe look for something more entry level with the ability to move up quickly?

[erinshelley21]

vavavictoria the positions I've applied for have all been worth companies that have experienced a lot of growth.

I am an impatient person so this job search thing is really testing me. I want results and feedback right away and I'm finding that's not how this works.

[twinmomma]

One thing I did during my last job search was to go with a "skills based" resume instead of a traditional timeline version. That helped me mask the fact that I had only worked at one place forever, but moved through the ranks there. It also let me apply for some non-traditional roles that I knew I could pull off, even though my past job titles didn't make that obvious.

[polecat8]

erinshelley21,
You'll find that your timeline to get a job is not the same timeline as the company's to fill the job.
I applied for a government job that would have been awesome. They offered me the job two months after I already took another position because they were taking too long to make a decision. I dodged a bullet on that one because that department has had 2 furloughs in the past 4 years.

Everything works out for a reason!

[erinshelley21]

polecat8 I am a firm believer of everything happens for a reason. Unless it's me lol

[justcheckingin73]

Just a note about you questioning if you suck Because you don’t. I’m sure you know this but job searching is so so hard. I think you’ve gotten great advice but sometimes it comes down to the hiring person’s personality which is so hard to overcome. Some people like this on a resume, some people like that. Ugh - it’s frustrating! I was unemployed for almost 2 years and let me tell you, my already shaky confidence took a huge nosedive. I truly thought I was worthless and no one would hire me. What it took was someone I knew. And then I struggled for 10 months trying to find my way at that company and finally realized it was not a good fit. Which was also a confidence shaker but I had to realize that I’m not good at everything and I don’t fit in everywhere.

I got my current job because I know my boss from a previous company. And she had told me about this role a year before. It took that long for the company to get over their issues and then she was able to hire me. I’ve been here almost two years and it feels like yesterday. It still hasn’t been easy but it’s such a better fit for me. 

Try not to let this process get to you. You’re asking for advice, making improvements and that’s the best you can do. Timing is also important and not something we can control. It sucks though, I’ll give you that!

[erinshelley21]

justcheckingin73 I had no idea finding a job could be this challenging mentally. Like you said, there are many things that play into it that I have zero control over.

I just talked to my mom and I guess her company is actually helping with the hiring process for one of the jobs I applied for. I knew they were a client of my moms firm, but my mom doesn't work with them. Again, shes going to do some digging lol. Apparently I need my mommy still.

[justcheckingin73]

Jun 29, 2018 11:51:22 GMT -5 erinshelley21 said:

justcheckingin73 I had no idea finding a job could be this challenging mentally. Like you said, there are many things that play into it that I have zero control over.

I just talked to my mom and I guess her company is actually helping with the hiring process for one of the jobs I applied for. I knew they were a client of my moms firm, but my mom doesn't work with them. Again, shes going to do some digging lol. Apparently I need my mommy still.

Lol. In this case she’s part of your network 😉. 

[erinshelley21]

Reviving this for an update.
Today I came to the realization that if I don't take the insurance job then I'll probably regret it. I had in my head that I was going to call tomorrow and tell my friend I'm in. Then I got a call from the company that I've applied for 3 jobs with and had a former coworker of my mom's recommend me for the latest. I have an interview Tuesday afternoon! It's a very reputable company in the ag industry so I'd still be working with farmers, which I love, and DH knows a handful of people who work there and has never heard anything bad. They also treat his FD really well. So, we'll see if I get offered the position and if it beats working at home with the potential for limitless income.