How do I find a job?

Macx · Dec 8, 2010

Dude! Times are tough, lots of folks struggling. Spend some time identifying exactly what is a barrier to you. . . (jobs don't care about grades 9.7/10ths of the time and the .3/10ths that do are in academia. Seriously. Consider working out of field, do whatever you can get your hands on and start angling for what you want, what you really, really want & where you want it.

jeremymahurin · Dec 8, 2010

Have you tried posting on freelance sites such as elance dot com, scriptlance dot com, guru dot com, odesk dot com. You could try getting some work on there, even if you have to do it cheap. That would build your portfolio and can often lead to a full time job with one of the employers you do a job for.

Hope this helps.

Mrs. Luther073082 · Dec 9, 2010

liars_paradox said:
Update:

I finally got some interviews with some programmers, who asked me technical questions. I did terribly on both interviews. It turns out there were some things that I needed to review and yet didn't think to review them the night before. Next time, I'll just be sure that my laptop is available to look all of these up since I could do this on the job anyways if I had to.

I'm not sure what it was exactly that was the problem on these 2 interviews, the fact that I didn't know or that I didn't have any confidence in my abilities? To be honest, I didn't do as well in school as I wanted. There were some times in which I did pretty well in school, at least in my senior year I had mostly A's in all of my courses and a couple of B's.

But, there was one really terrible year that just knocked my gpa down dramatically. The gpa was the reason why I moved back in with my parents, so that I could focus on school and get it finished with.

So, I finished school and got my degree, but no job. I don't know what it would take for me to get a job right now, going back to school and trying to get a masters of science, volunteer in opensource projects, get expensive certifications, or just learn to believe in myself and have this positive attitude and things will magically work out for me?

Just consider those interviews practice. I went to so many interviews before I got a job. I did horribly in some of them, too. Part of the reason I think I have a job now is because in this last interview I was the one asking the questions -- the interviewer didn't get much of a chance to ask me anything that would throw me off.

SportsJunkie25 · Dec 9, 2010

Welcome to the real world!

I'd say sign up at your local school district and become a substitute teacher until you land a job you want. It's easy money and it's an easy job...if you're in a good school district. If you're in a bad school district, I'd suggest you sub for special ed because you'll be an "asst" in the classroom and you won't have to deal with bad kids...for the most part. Also, special ed doesn't mean they're mentally challenged. Special Ed = Students with ADD/ADHD, slow readers, slow learning math, etc. Mentally challenged = The students most people think of when they think of "Special Ed".

With your degree, it's going to be hard to get a job if you don't have relevant work experience. Sorry to break it to you--Most companies don't care about college degrees; they just want someone with relevant work exp. The only time your degree is useful is if you're being considered for a promotion or if you're in a field that requires certification (i.e. Doctor, technician, lawyer, engineer, etc.). If you're not in a field that requires certification, companies will hire the cheapest labor they can. And, that's normally someone without a degree who has work experience. Trust me. It's all about $$$ and companies know people with degrees will require more $$. So if your degree is not a must, it won't help you.

I hope you worked in the industry, or at least volunteered, during college. If not, in this economy, you'll have to pray for a miracle. Just being honest. I wish someone would have told me all of this stuff when I was in college. But, nope! People (and society) make it seem like all you have to do is go to college, graduate and get a job in your field. Psych! It doesn't work like that...

Good luck! And don't be afraid to contact companies you want to work for and offer to volunteer. A lot of volunteer gigs lead to full-time positions. Companies like to hire people they've worked with...or know how you'll perform on the job. That's why it's "...not what you know, but who you know!"

liars_paradox said:
My questions isn't something that can be clearly answered in a Christian context, but one that, I think, can be answered in a more general context. And, that question is what other ways are there that are available for me to find work with beside sitting in my room on a computer? Because, I've been looking for work on the internet and either I haven't looked hard and long enough on the various websites out there or that I'm going about this the wrong way. Additionally, my dad and I argue and one of the things we argue about is how I should go about finding work. He says that I can't find one sitting within four-walls but he never explains what other ways are there except being "out" or whatever it is he says.

I know my dad is like most people and doesn't know how to express his thoughts in as many words for someone like me to understand so I'm hoping that someone who might be better able at explaining things and may have experienced a similar situation to that of my own might be able to offer some helpful advice.

Background information regarding my problem is that I am a graduated with a B.S in computer science in July of this year and I am currently looking for any job that my education would have prepared me for. This would go beyond just software development/engineering but testing, "support", etc. Anything that would have made my education worth while pursuing and would be able to afford me the ability to pay off my student loans and still allow me to have my own financial means to survive.

F8vlogger · Dec 9, 2010

I think you should try praying and listening to Gods plans for you. I often went and did my own things, but when i started listening and trying to live for God opportunities arrose. One way to do this is make yourself available for opportunity.

God has a plan for you, but you have to go out and get it! Don't get discouraged!

eastcoast_bsc · Dec 9, 2010

It is a brutal market out there. I like the people who make comments like, "Work at McDonald's" These comments are completely void of any thought. I guess an apt description is knee jerk.

I live in Massachusetts, which is a High Tech and Bio Tech Mecca; hiring has drastically slowed.

I have had two interviews recently for technical support positions, they don't even have the courtesy anymore to even e-mail me, as to whether the position has been filled.

I went back to school after my last lay off, and now have a 4 year degree in Accounting/Finance. Still nothing.

Rents in this area are over $1000.00 a month for a 1 bedroom. McDonald's would not even put food on the table. They seem to be only hiring kids and illegals.

I would recommend hitting Monster, Hot Jobs, and some of the aggregate sites, such as Indeed.com.

The cost of living has spiraled so out of control, that low end jobs are not going to cut it.

liars_paradox · Dec 14, 2010

Melissa1208 said:
Have you gone to job fairs?

Not since after graduation. I did go to a few during my sophomore year but hadn't managed to go to any during my senior year. I do recall that at one job fair during my senior year that there wasn't that many jobs available for my field at the fair.

But, hopefully there will be more at future job fairs. I might give it a shot sometime in the future.

Melissa1208 said:
I have gotten full time jobs by going to the location in person, BTW.

I also got my last job due to volunteering. As soon as I graduated college, I was offered a position because they already knew my work ethic and such.

My friend who graduated from nursing school had to move after she got married and it took her from December last year until earlier this month to get a job. She got it by volunteering for a few months. She graduated at the top of her class and had a lot of experience and still had issues finding a job, even in nursing. It is just tough looking for employment right now, for anybody.

Volunteering is a way to develop your network, as well, and to get some references if you do not have any.

Right, I'll keep that in mind. I guess that I might want to research more open source projects and see which ones catch my interest and volunteer for those. The people involved might also provide references for me and I would more projects to place onto my resume.

jeremymahurin said:
Have you tried posting on freelance sites such as elance dot com, scriptlance dot com, guru dot com, odesk dot com. You could try getting some work on there, even if you have to do it cheap. That would build your portfolio and can often lead to a full time job with one of the employers you do a job for.

Hope this helps.

Thanks. It sounds like you know something about people who are looking for programmer jobs.

I've looked at those websites before, but haven't done too much with them. It seems that they deal with mostly web programming which I haven't had too much experience with. But, I suppose that I might try them out.

My major focus right now, however, is getting a real job. But, I will keep them in mind.

Melissa1208 said:
Just consider those interviews practice. I went to so many interviews before I got a job. I did horribly in some of them, too. Part of the reason I think I have a job now is because in this last interview I was the one asking the questions -- the interviewer didn't get much of a chance to ask me anything that would throw me off.

I didn't know that you were looking for work too! Well, I wish you good luck on your job searches as well.

But, you're right, it's better that I look at the interviews as practice rather than failures. At least with this way, my morale will be better than what it has been.

eastcoast_bsc said:
It is a brutal market out there. I like the people who make comments like, "Work at McDonald's" These comments are completely void of any thought. I guess an apt description is knee jerk.

I live in Massachusetts, which is a High Tech and Bio Tech Mecca; hiring has drastically slowed.

I have had two interviews recently for technical support positions, they don't even have the courtesy anymore to even e-mail me, as to whether the position has been filled.

I went back to school after my last lay off, and now have a 4 year degree in Accounting/Finance. Still nothing.

Rents in this area are over $1000.00 a month for a 1 bedroom. McDonald's would not even put food on the table. They seem to be only hiring kids and illegals.

I would recommend hitting Monster, Hot Jobs, and some of the aggregate sites, such as Indeed.com.

The cost of living has spiraled so out of control, that low end jobs are not going to cut it.

So, what was your degree in before? Did you start working before you got your degree or did you go back to school for another degree?

But, that sucks that they haven't been calling you back to let you know if the position has been filled. I've had that experience before, and normally it would require that I call them back to see if the position is still open or not.

SportsJunkie25 · Dec 14, 2010

F8vlogger said:
I think you should try praying and listening to Gods plans for you. I often went and did my own things, but when i started listening and trying to live for God opportunities arrose. One way to do this is make yourself available for opportunity.

God has a plan for you, but you have to go out and get it! Don't get discouraged!

I've tried/am trying that and still nothing. Am I missing something?

I did apply to get my Ph.D. and I'm sure I'll get in, which is good b/c it's basically 4-5 yrs of free school plus a monthly stipend...but I'd prefer not to go back to school. I just want to start working and get on with my life! But, maybe God has a Ph.D. in store for me instead of a job? Eh...we'll see.

bliz · Dec 14, 2010

Think about volunteering your computes skills now. This gives you something to add to your resume, and another source of a reference that are current.

Meanwhile, do you have someone who can look over your resume and help you improve it? Many churches and other organizations are offering seminars on job seeking skills like interviewing and resume writing.

Nate91 · Dec 14, 2010

I've been looking for a job via the internet for 8 months now, still no luck. Most places I call about applying for a job they tell me to apply online, I feel like i'm running out of options.

TigerKanga · Dec 14, 2010

I think the CIA is hiring if you go to their website you can apply.

Nate91 · Dec 14, 2010

TigerKanga said:
I think the CIA is hiring if you go to their website you can apply.

Wouldn't one need to have special requirements?

Mrs. Luther073082 · Dec 14, 2010

liars_paradox said:
I didn't know that you were looking for work too! Well, I wish you good luck on your job searches as well.

But, you're right, it's better that I look at the interviews as practice rather than failures. At least with this way, my morale will be better than what it has been.

I was looking for work from May until last month (when I finally found a job). I definitely sympathize on the interviews, though -- I hated them so much. I got way too worked up over them.

liars_paradox · Dec 15, 2010

SportsJunkie25 said:
Welcome to the real world!

I'd say sign up at your local school district and become a substitute teacher until you land a job you want. It's easy money and it's an easy job...if you're in a good school district. If you're in a bad school district, I'd suggest you sub for special ed because you'll be an "asst" in the classroom and you won't have to deal with bad kids...for the most part. Also, special ed doesn't mean they're mentally challenged. Special Ed = Students with ADD/ADHD, slow readers, slow learning math, etc. Mentally challenged = The students most people think of when they think of "Special Ed".

With your degree, it's going to be hard to get a job if you don't have relevant work experience. Sorry to break it to you--Most companies don't care about college degrees; they just want someone with relevant work exp. The only time your degree is useful is if you're being considered for a promotion or if you're in a field that requires certification (i.e. Doctor, technician, lawyer, engineer, etc.). If you're not in a field that requires certification, companies will hire the cheapest labor they can. And, that's normally someone without a degree who has work experience. Trust me. It's all about $$$ and companies know people with degrees will require more $$. So if your degree is not a must, it won't help you.

I hope you worked in the industry, or at least volunteered, during college. If not, in this economy, you'll have to pray for a miracle. Just being honest. I wish someone would have told me all of this stuff when I was in college. But, nope! People (and society) make it seem like all you have to do is go to college, graduate and get a job in your field. Psych! It doesn't work like that...

Good luck! And don't be afraid to contact companies you want to work for and offer to volunteer. A lot of volunteer gigs lead to full-time positions. Companies like to hire people they've worked with...or know how you'll perform on the job. That's why it's "...not what you know, but who you know!"

I tried to ignore your post, but I really disagree with some of what you said here.

First off, wouldn't I need to have a teaching license to become a teacher? If I didn't go to school for teaching, then I would have to go back again so that I could become a teacher, right?

Second, no matter what you say, it's still better to have a college degree when you're trying to get a job in the software development field. Do you even work in the software development field and are talking from experience, or is this just your impression of things? It is NOT at all easy to get a job in software development without some sort of assurance to the employer that you're not going to be a waste of their money.

The college degree provides that assurance - along with job experience. If you're someone without job experience, then how do you get the job experience in the first place? They don't normally just hire random people, who had never worked before and who have no educational qualifications, from off the streets to develop software for them. It's rare for someone who had no formal education to become a software engineer, so this why having a college degree is so desirable by people.

liars_paradox · Dec 15, 2010

One piece of advice that I could really find useful is how to answer "What are your weaknesses?" question. I don't want to actually tell them what my weaknesses are because then they might not want to hire me.
How would I actually be able to go about answering this question without ruining the job interview?

heron · Dec 15, 2010

Some of the better companies don't plaster ads all over job databases -- they wait for people who come to them. If you can think of an ideal place to work, research it and send your resume every few months.

GaryP · Dec 15, 2010

Join the Army.

Mrs. Luther073082 · Dec 15, 2010

liars_paradox said:
One piece of advice that I could really find useful is how to answer "What are your weaknesses?" question. I don't want to actually tell them what my weaknesses are because then they might not want to hire me.
How would I actually be able to go about answering this question without ruining the job interview?

I have no idea what to tell you on that. I had been wondering myself when I was still job hunting. I always was just honest about my weaknesses, but I guess honesty wasn't something everyone wanted. I didn't have to deal with that question on the last interview. Maybe tell them your weakness is answering that question

Everlasting33 · Dec 16, 2010

liars_paradox said:
One piece of advice that I could really find useful is how to answer "What are your weaknesses?" question. I don't want to actually tell them what my weaknesses are because then they might not want to hire me.
How would I actually be able to go about answering this question without ruining the job interview?

I've been through months and months of interviews and when asked, depending on the interview, I have said, "I think, at times, I could relax more and not take myself so seriously."

I've researched this topic thoroughly and while its annoying to play with the politics of an interview, the person interviewing doesn't want to hear "I'm lazy." or "I have anger issues." Something like, "I am a perfectionist and I dont like to make mistakes" is a solid answer.

eastcoast_bsc · Dec 16, 2010

GaryP said:
Join the Army.

Great decision, maybe she can come home to Ma and Dad with no legs or arms.

I am a former soldier, and with the way the military treats their veterans, I would not recommend it.

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