The Evil Parrot Unemployment Guide: job searches

There are tons of resources out there to help you find work. Many are more hype than practical. Like a certain website whose commercials feature young twentysomethings frolicking with glee over their newfound "job" and boasting that you're twice as likely to find a job if you post on their site. Aye. The sad truth is that I've posted resumes on Monster, Careerbuilder, Dice and several other local spots in South Florida and her in NYC with minimal if not sparse results (though I've noticed my spam has increased). Even sadder, I can honestly say (I really mean this with no malicious intent) that I have NEVER met anyone that has every gotten a job off of these sites. Sure I've been solicited by temp agencies and military recruiters, but I've never gotten as much as interview based on any resume I posted on these sites. Well, there was this one time, when someone called for an HTML programmer and played that "guess how much I'm willing to pay you" game. Needless to say, I lost. Probably some shady, exploitive joint. Thankful for little mercies. I suspect the only people getting work from these sites are probably Ivy Leaguers and Fortune 500ers with impressive experience in the fields of finance, management, chemistry and medicince. I'm probably wrong about this. Probably.

So what has worked for me. Go on a local level. Many public agencies are posting their jobs online and is accessable by the public. I've gotten several interviews that way (and eventually a job). Local libraries, DMV, post office, public works, et cetera are great sources of employment. College career placement. I'm enrolled in an email list at my alumni's career placement and on a monthly basis they waste little effort in sending me job vacancies and on-site interview info. For the graduates, check your alumni's career placement center and see if they perform similar email services. If they do, then enlist yourself in the service. Most that are worth their weight in gold will do this as a free service for their former alumni. Many times these folks have privy to exclusive listings that you won't find online. I have gotten several interviews through this system and even a job in the past (though it didn't work out well ... the company had financial problems).

Pounding the pavement. I know, an ancient concept. Though the world wide web has put a world of opportunities at our fingertips, not everyone has jumped on the bandwagon. Many local businesses are still basically offline hence no online listing of job vacancies and it is a matter of strolling into the business and noticing their ads (I've come across one such posting for graphic designer). It is important to note that not only bakeries, delis and supermarkets post "Help Wanted" signs. So be prepared to do some walking, driving or using public transportation extensively. To besides, the fresh air and excercise will be good for you.

Lastly, your resume. Thanks to the "wonderful" world of outsourcing, many of us techies have had to scale down and diversify. Several of my mates have traded in their MCSE, A+ books for real estate certification, selling insurance and some have gone back to school to study pharmacology and nursing. I suspect this may hold with many other occupations. My primary background is in electronic and computer hardware. I however have experience in graphic design and webpage content editing. During my years in college, I held many clerical jobs to pay my way through school. My last job though technical can be considered as customer relations on a core level. I have three sets of resumes: web/graphic design, clerical/customer relations, and technical. And they've all been worded appropriately (e.g. there are things that I exclude from my clerical that I would put on my technical and vice versa). Of course, I list my education degrees on ALL resumes (don't worry they'll find out even if you don't). My current job is nowhere related to my field of study but it is a step up from my last job and significantly beneficial. I'm actually deciding to pursue my masters in that field. Life's funny that way.

Most of all never assume that anything is below you. For crying out loud, I had actually put in an application with places like Home Depot and Target. Yes, with a technical degree and all. As someone once said, "outsourcing is good for the economy". Bloody brilliant (sarcasm alert). Desperation is an interesting thing, mates, but sometimes it would take you to places that might give you a better perspective on things. Like me.

Tags: life, employment, unemployment, labour, people, living