The Dreaded Job Search

Gone are the days of simply walking into a company, asking if they are hiring, filling out an application, and waiting for the call for an interview. Gone are the days of finding numerous job listings in the newspaper. And gone are most job offers provided by knowing someone who knows someone. Instead we face an electronic application and resume' submittal system, compete against hundreds of people throughout the world for the same positions, and never even see the person we are applying with. Our chances of landing the dream job, or even just the jobs that will pay the bill, have become ridiculously slim. Even being able to find the jobs has become difficult. Company's used to be able to put "Help Wanted" signs in their windows to attract applicants, but now with the hordes of people looking for work, doing this would just cause a bombardment of resume's and sifting through unqualified applicants. Newspapers used to have "Employment Opportunity" sections filled with available jobs, but today there are numerous websites that must be browsed each day to find newly posted job listings. To make it worse, there are so many that it becomes difficult at times to keep track of them. Monster.com, careerbuilder.com, snagajob.com, and local employment agency websites are just some of the websites that maintain a high traffic of job seekers.

Today I walked into a job fair and 30 minutes later walked out with diminished hopes of it being of any assistance in my trying job search for something better. I am constantly questioning how to make myself a better candidate for the jobs that are available. When asked if I have hands on experience while applying for work in my field of education, I have to answer with a simple "no". Strike one. When asked if I have any education while applying for a position that I have some hands on experience for, another simple "no" follows suit. Strike two. So this leaves me with the jobs of retail sales (if I am lucky), fast food, and the dreaded customer service call centers. So how is it that a person can get the hands on experience necessary to get the job if nobody is willing to take a chance on them? How about, during my next interview, I say, as I grovel on my hands and knees, "I will work for you unpaid for two weeks to prove myself!", and see if this comes with any different results. Oh-Wait! Would this just show my desperation to land a job? Or the company's desperation to get free work done? If I have such a belief in myself that I can do the job without error, then maybe my two week offer is not such a bad idea.

I will keep you posted. -destiny