If your dh (or you) has recently gotten a job...

[Aubrey]

How did he/you find it? Monster.com? A friend of a friend? A headhunter?

 

I have suspected for some time now that job search approaches have changed significantly in the last ten years, but I'd like to hear some first hand accounts. :bigear::001_smile:

 

Thank you...and congratulations!

[Mama Geek]

My dh got his 6 mo to 1 year contract through a friend. The last job was a 3 month contract and that was through a friend. (That started last October.) Before that we both got contract jobs through a company I had previously contracted with. Dh's last 3 jobs have all been in the same industry but in vastly different locations. He is also willing to go almost anywhere the money is good and we can be together.

[Hedgehog]

Dh is a contractor, and his jobs come either from agencies or contacts.. contacts are better 'cause then he gets better rates ;)

[Mejane]

We may have a different experience because dh's field is so specialized and the companies at which he can work are few, but he either hears of openings through personal contacts within the industry or is approached by headhunters. His present job was got through a rec from a friend. I do think this is more the norm nowadays.

[MindyD]

My dh's new job (as well as every job he's had since we got married) was through a contact. It's all about who you know nowadays. In fact, now that I think about it, the part-time job that we do together is something we found out about from a friend, and they recommended us.

[Desert Rat]

Dh got his current job through a friend of a friend's post on FB.

I got my jobs cleaning through word of mouth and referrals.

[texasmama]

I returned to a job I had in the past, about eight years ago. The contact people had changed so I had to go through the entire process of reapplying and all that entailed (it was really like starting from scratch), but my past experience got my foot in the door for consideration, which leld to an interview when they had an opening for a course instructor, and then I beat out another candidate. I have been offered a course each semester since then.

 

Have you looked into tutoring through an agency or pirvately? I have a local friend who works for some sort of agency (out of her home) which does tutoring for high school and college students. I think it would be a good fit for you. I don't know if the company is looking for people or really much about it, but let me know if you are interested, and I will hook you up with her.

[bnbacademy]

It's all about who you know nowadays.

 

I would agree with this. My dh applied at a job recently and it was all because of who he knew. He ended up staying in his current job, but we had the distinct impression that employers want personal references where a current employee can "vouch" for you.

[kalanamak]

If working for the government isn't against your beliefs or desires, there are websites of job openings. Our state has a good one, and I know there is one for the feds as well.

[Plucky]

Even minimum-wage jobs are now done through contacts a lot of the time. My 17ds has been offered 2 jobs this month from people he knows trying to lure him away from his current employer. Most of his friends don't even have jobs, but they aren't trying very hard to find one either.

[Tap]

He will likely take the offer this summer, but it requires him to be away from the family a lot, so it may not be worth it. Dh is employed right now, but will likely lose his job this summer.

 

Other people from dh's company/same position have been looking for jobs since fall and have had no luck. They have utilized newspapers, Craigslist, Monster.com or similar, headhunters/recruiters, friends/contacts, and anything else they can come up with.

[Wabi Sabi]

My dh has volunteered for a local non-profit and was on their email list. When they had a job opening several months ago they sent out an email about the position. Dh ended up contacting them and has now been employed there for about 5 months.

[Renee in NC]

My dh got his job by applying due to a listing on the internet. However, my father (who works for the same organization) talked to his boss, who talked to the boss who was over the hiring, which got dh a definite interview. In addition, he had another friend in the same general department who is a supervisor - he put his two cents in as well. He was well-qualified for the job, but I don't think he would have gotten an interview without the contacts inside the organization.

[Aubrey]

I returned to a job I had in the past, about eight years ago. The contact people had changed so I had to go through the entire process of reapplying and all that entailed (it was really like starting from scratch), but my past experience got my foot in the door for consideration, which leld to an interview when they had an opening for a course instructor, and then I beat out another candidate. I have been offered a course each semester since then.

 

Have you looked into tutoring through an agency or pirvately? I have a local friend who works for some sort of agency (out of her home) which does tutoring for high school and college students. I think it would be a good fit for you. I don't know if the company is looking for people or really much about it, but let me know if you are interested, and I will hook you up with her.

 

Right now I'm asking for dh--he's been applying for jobs over Monster, Career Builder, etc for several years now w/ no luck. He really doesn't know anybody, so I've been trying to convince him that he needs to apply to places in person OR find a headhunter--something other than the insanity of doing the same thing over. and. over. w/ no results.

 

Tutoring is something, but in my home, I think people would be less than thrilled that I've got my own kids here, & wherever I go, it doesn't offer benefits. Which is fine if dh is well-employed, lol.

[LittleIzumi]

Hubby is currently working at a company where he was hired from a contact (me :lol:--I worked there at the time). He and I both switched positions in the company as well. Mine was offered to me but he applied for & got a position in a neighboring department & they knew him already.

[Crimson Wife]

We may have a different experience because dh's field is so specialized and the companies at which he can work are few, but he either hears of openings through personal contacts within the industry or is approached by headhunters. His present job was got through a rec from a friend. I do think this is more the norm nowadays.

 

:iagree:

My DH re-joined the company for which he worked from 2006-2009. A former colleague told him that someone had left and DH called up the hiring manager. The manager was in the process of interviewing internal candidates but jumped at the chance to bring DH back on board. Had DH not made that phone call, they would likely have picked one of the internal candidates.

 

His previous position he found via a head-hunter. Of course, the head-hunter had no way of knowing that 15 months later the firm would go through management transition and decide to re-organize :glare:

 

My last paid position I found through the job bank of the professional organization to which I belonged. The company never bothered to list openings on general job boards like Monster.com. They used the professional organization job bank and word-of-mouth referrals. They also participated in the co-op program at a local university where they'd hire students part-time during their final semester and then if the person was good, hire them on full-time after graduation.

[blakereese]

I do think that it is about who you know and contacts. All of the jobs my DH applied for when he was unemployed had HUNDREDS of applicants. So obviously if there is someone who knows you and can vouch for you or at least get your application/resume to the top of the pile then you can have a better chance.

 

DH has been doing a lot of consulting jobs lately and every job has been through a friend or a contact in the business. I am lucky he is very social and always tries to make a friend, because it has helped us out in so many situations. He is really good at networking.

 

I don't know what business your DH is in, but would something like LinkedIn help? My husband has made a lot of contacts and had job offers through there. It is sort of like Facebook for professionals (simplified definition of course). Employers can search profiles and you can "chat" and network with others in the same field.

 

Hope your DH finds something soon!

[Aubrey]

So this seems to be a consensus: monster, career builder, etc are worthless. Yes? My sis was arguing w/ me, saying that companies wouldn't post there unless it worked for someone. But...she's been employed at a good job in a small town for several years--since before this recession started. I didn't really think monster worked well before that, but now? I don't know--*does* it work for anyone any more? Or is it just a fish-farm for the fake jobs?

[Aubrey]

I don't know what business your DH is in, but would something like LinkedIn help? My husband has made a lot of contacts and had job offers through there. It is sort of like Facebook for professionals (simplified definition of course). Employers can search profiles and you can "chat" and network with others in the same field.

 

Hope your DH finds something soon!

 

Dh is on LinkedIn, but from your description, we've obviously missed the point! I thought it was just to est contacts w/ people you know, mainly for the sake of having current contact info for people who might be good references, etc. I didn't know there was any real "activity" there. OR meeting *new* people.

 

On the networking side of things--LinkedIn sounds like a good place to start. What else can you all recommend? We tend to know people from church and college, which has been unhelpful in the job arena.

[Word Nerd]

DH found out about his job through the Craigslist employment listings. I found the announcement for the job I have currently online as well.

[Crimson Wife]

I forgot to mention that it's been our observation that if a high-level position *DOES* show up on a public job board like Monster.com it's because the hiring manager has a bad reputation in the industry (like one of DH's old bosses) and/or is being uber-picky.

 

DH keeps seeing listings for and getting head-hunter calls about this one position for which he interviewed back in December. When he tells the recruiter that he already interviewed there and got rejected, the recruiter sighs and says that the firm keeps rejecting every single candidate they've sent over to interview. :rolleyes:

[texasmama]

What is your dh's college degree in? His qualifications? We know some local folks, and I can nose around.

 

When dh has been looking for a job in the past, Monster.com, et al were not productive. He mostly found out about opportunities through his industry contacts. He has owned his own business for about three years now.

[....]

I've posted this so many times now that people are probably tired of seeing my post. :tongue_smilie:

 

1. My husband called and told EVERYONE he knows that he lost his job and to see if their employers were hiring (this is ultimately how he found this job).

 

2. He had a professional resume written and hired an employment consulting co. They walked him through everything, right down to interview etiquette. It was worth the money for him.

 

3. He isolated companies that he wanted to work for, wrote letters to the vice-presidents introducing himself, etc and had an interview this way.

 

4. We had a rule...once he lost his job, he had to spend business hours of every available business day actively looking for a job - making phone calls, getting his interview done, buying a new suit, etc.

 

It took him 7 months to start working again using this method, but he had 2 job offers and the 2 companies were basically fighting over him (which was cool!). He has been with this company for exactly 2 years now and he's been promoted a couple of times. It's a great company to work for and he's very happy.

 

Anyhoo, there's our story in a nutshell. Honestly, you're probably better off looking for a job now than my husband was back in 2008 (when everybody was shutting down). It was a horrible market then. It seems to be a lightening up now (he's hired several people recently for his department).

 

Best of luck!

[....]

When dh has been looking for a job in the past, Monster.com, et al were not productive.

 

:iagree: My husband is convinced that those websites are a scam or just junk.

[bbsweetpea]

My step dad was out for over a year and worked with a temp agency. He ended up getting 3 job offers all at once in a 3 month period through the agency. I am not sure the field you guys are looking for but around here most tech jobs are found through temp agencies.

[G5052]

DH and I were talking about this yesterday. I graduated from college a looong time ago and have only had a few gaps here and there when I had babies. And all but one job came from applying for a position that was advertised and then having an insider put in a good word. DH is the same way. Only once did he actually get a job "cold," otherwise it was all networking.

[Aubrey]

What is your dh's college degree in? His qualifications? We know some local folks, and I can nose around.

 

When dh has been looking for a job in the past, Monster.com, et al were not productive. He mostly found out about opportunities through his industry contacts. He has owned his own business for about three years now.

 

BA History; minor English

 

Experience: business operations, purchasing, logistics, customer service

 

Qualifications: great people skills, great computer skills

 

I'm glad to at least have someone else agree that he needs to leave monster. :banghead: :lol:

 

Also--we're willing to move anywhere.

[bbsweetpea]

I asked my husband where he looked and how he got his job. He has had this one for over 6 years but before that he went through a couple years working 3-4 "small" jobs to help make ends meet.

 

He applied everywhere he was interested in.

He told everyone he was looking and asked if they had ideas.

He signed up at a temp agency and unemployment agency to get leads

 

In the end he got a very good job through the temp agency. Before he landed this one he worked as a waiter during the evenings on Monday-Thursday, weekend night manager at a bowling alley and at a call center during the week. All of these jobs at the same time. He wanted to make sure he stayed working and provided for us (we had just had our first child when he was laid off).

[Aubrey]

I've posted this so many times now that people are probably tired of seeing my post. :tongue_smilie:

 

1. My husband called and told EVERYONE he knows that he lost his job and to see if their employers were hiring (this is ultimately how he found this job).

 

I've convinced him to do this next. (I think)

 

2. He had a professional resume written and hired an employment consulting co. They walked him through everything, right down to interview etiquette. It was worth the money for him.

 

3. He isolated companies that he wanted to work for, wrote letters to the vice-presidents introducing himself, etc and had an interview this way.

 

I'm trying to convince him to do this.

 

4. We had a rule...once he lost his job, he had to spend business hours of every available business day actively looking for a job - making phone calls, getting his interview done, buying a new suit, etc.

 

This is the hard part: dh has a job. It's just an awful one. The longer hours you work, the greater your *chances* of making $$. Nothing's guaranteed, though.

 

It took him 7 months to start working again using this method, but he had 2 job offers and the 2 companies were basically fighting over him (which was cool!). He has been with this company for exactly 2 years now and he's been promoted a couple of times. It's a great company to work for and he's very happy.

 

Anyhoo, there's our story in a nutshell. Honestly, you're probably better off looking for a job now than my husband was back in 2008 (when everybody was shutting down). It was a horrible market then. It seems to be a lightening up now (he's hired several people recently for his department).

 

Best of luck!

 

Yes, I'm hoping things are turning around. Dh seems like he might be the tiniest bit optimistic, which makes all the difference.

[texasmama]

BA History; minor English

 

Experience: business operations, purchasing, logistics, customer service

 

Qualifications: great people skills, great computer skills

 

I'm glad to at least have someone else agree that he needs to leave monster. :banghead: :lol:

 

Also--we're willing to move anywhere.

 

I will pass this on to my dh. I think our dh's would get along great, BTW. My dh is obsessively interested in history, though his degree and all of his work expereince is in business. He, too, has "great people skills", and his expertise is in operations/customer service.

[Aubrey]

I will pass this on to my dh. I think our dh's would get along great, BTW. My dh is obsessively interested in history, though his degree and all of his work expereince is in business. He, too, has "great people skills", and his expertise is in operations/customer service.

 

THANK YOU!!!

[MrsBasil]

My DH recently got a job off of careerbuilder and got callbacks from several companies he applied to on their website or because of a help wanted ad.

 

But..he doesn't have a degree, they are driving(CDL), warehouse, or logistics type jobs, and the pay was under 50K a year. It sounds like you're looking for more professional jobs though.

 

My brother works with a lot of recruiters and headhunters through his job and helped DH revamp his resume. The format I was taught in high school and college is apparently obsolete. :tongue_smilie:

[Rosie_0801]

The last company dh worked for dissolved, and his former boss recommended him to his current boss. It still took months for them to employ him. Basically they interviewed him, told him a great long list of things he ought to learn and sent him on his way. Every month or so, he'd ring the chap who interviewed him and update him on his progress. Finally they employed him, and sent him off a few weeks later to do a short course so he's now a qualified software tester.

 

I think job search engines are good for seeing trends in what recruiters are looking for. We were having a think about dh's career progression plans over the weekend, so I looked at the ads to see what the most required assets were. Now he can go ask others in the industry whether getting a certification in those things will help his chances.

 

For actually applying for jobs, I wouldn't bother with anything on a job search engine unless it also appeared on the company's actual website. Of course, most of the jobs don't even tell you what company you are supposedly applying for a job with. :glare:

 

What about government graduate jobs? Here the government (state and federal) run graduate programs every year and you don't have to be a recent grad.

 

Rosie

[Shellydon]

I get 3-4 phone calls each week from headhunters asking me to fill a position. The last 2 people DH hired at his work was through posting the open position on his company's website and getting resumes.

[Scarlett]

How did he/you find it? Monster.com? A friend of a friend? A headhunter?

 

I have suspected for some time now that job search approaches have changed significantly in the last ten years, but I'd like to hear some first hand accounts. :bigear::001_smile:

 

Thank you...and congratulations!

 

Right there with you Aubrey. My dh lost his engineering/design job 3 days after we got back from our honeymoon. :tongue_smilie:

 

He's been working full time way ever since....keeping up our friend's rental properties. Very difficult to find the time to search for another/better job while working full time but of course we are thrilled to have the work to pay the bills, so whadda ya do.

[rafiki]

.

[cathmom]

I get 3-4 phone calls each week from headhunters asking me to fill a position. .

 

3-4 calls a week! What kind of work do/did you do?

[nd293]

Contacts and reputation (and here I think attitude - how you are to work with - counts for more than simple work-related knowledge).

[QueenCat]

We may have a different experience because dh's field is so specialized and the companies at which he can work are few, but he either hears of openings through personal contacts within the industry or is approached by headhunters. His present job was got through a rec from a friend. I do think this is more the norm nowadays.

 

:iagree:Same here. Dh's field is also very specialized. Pretty much works the same in his industry, with personal contacts and headhunters.

[WishboneDawn]

It's all about who you know nowadays.

 

Yup. Let everyone know you or your spouse is looking for a job. My husband found out about his current job through a relative. He got it on his own merit but never would have known the opportunity existed if not for that relative.

[JoyfulMama]

Last 2 positions dh accepted with both found by headhunters, who had contacted him. Now, the headhunters found his resume by his posting on Monster or some other site.

 

I went directly to the website of the companies I wanted to work for, and posted a resume for a specific open position. Now, I will tell you that I know I was second choice for the position, and luckily the first person wanted more money than they were willing to approve.

[OrganicAnn]

I know one through headhunters and two others through knowing people. About the headhunters, I heard someone say recently that they wouldn't hire someone because they would have to pay the big fee to the head hunter. I don't know how much the fee is, but if it is a choice between two equal candidates, then the one without the headhunter might win out. Also it might depend on what level you are dealing with. It is a high level, they might be much more likely to use headhunters.

[I.Dup.]

Dh got a job 6 months ago through a friend who runs a large fruit packing plant.

 

I got a job a couple weeks ago from a woman I met online through a forum!

 

However, the job dh had up until 8 months ago (he had the job for 2 years, it was a contract position) was found through Monster. It was a GREAT job.

 

But yes, I do think a huge part of it is "who you know."

[Chris in VA]

Mine's just a little job--dog walking. I make about 1K a month and am gone 10-2. That sort of job can easily be found either on Craigslist or by applying to web pages of businesses.

 

My son found his summer job on snapjobs dot com. You punch in your zip code and how many miles away you want to search, and they list for you. Free, of course.

 

But I am not sure how professional searches go nowadays.

[texasmama]

Aubrey, I just tried to pm you the following but got a message that you have exceeded your storage.;)

 

Can you email dh's resume to me? I will pass it by my dh and see if he thinks he knows something that might be a good fit. Are benefits crucial or would anything paying decent money be a consideration? Also, has he applied with FedEx? They are a great company to work with and although many positions are part time, I believe everyone working 20 hours a week or more is eligible for benefits. The hours can be worked around another job if needed. I have known someone who did that.

 

I removed my email addy but if you pm me, I will send it to you.

[Aubrey]

Aubrey, I just tried to pm you the following but got a message that you have exceeded your storage.;)

 

Can you email dh's resume to me? I will pass it by my dh and see if he thinks he knows something that might be a good fit. Are benefits crucial or would anything paying decent money be a consideration? Also, has he applied with FedEx? They are a great company to work with and although many positions are part time, I believe everyone working 20 hours a week or more is eligible for benefits. The hours can be worked around another job if needed. I have known someone who did that.

 

I removed my email addy but if you pm me, I will send it to you.

 

I forgot to answer your questions in the pm. Benefits are crucial *eventually* but right now, anything w/ almost-decent $$ would be considered. :lol:

 

FedEx: no...he can't work in a warehouse because of the dust, etc. Last time he tried something like that, he was can't-breathe-almost-hospital-sick for a month (asthma, allergies, etc.).

[alpidarkomama]

DH signed up for the job listing e-mails on Indeed.com (pulls from job listings all over the place). He also checked professional journals in his field. The job he ended up getting was listed in both places, and he didn't get it through personal contacts. His field (instructional design) is somewhat specialized.

[Brenda in FL]

Recruiters and lots of networking using Linkedin. Most times the recruiters contacted him - other times he contacted them if he found a suitable posting. Once his name was out there in his field he received a lot of calls.

 

It still took 15 months though! He had one contact at the company that hired him (someone he worked with on a joint project at his old job). He initially inquired for one position through a recruiter and called his contact there, but the company was looking for someone with different experience. However - even though they never interviewed him - they remembered him when a different position came up 4 months later and they had their recruiter contact him. By the end of the month he had moved and started work.

[Brenda in FL]

I know one through headhunters and two others through knowing people. About the headhunters, I heard someone say recently that they wouldn't hire someone because they would have to pay the big fee to the head hunter. I don't know how much the fee is, but if it is a choice between two equal candidates, then the one without the headhunter might win out. Also it might depend on what level you are dealing with. It is a high level, they might be much more likely to use headhunters.

 

I think this may also depend on the field. DH is in medical devices and almost all the companies did their recruiting through headhunters.

 

However - you need to be careful that the recruiter really has been retained by the company to find qualified candidates. DH became very good at figuring out the difference!

[Brenda in FL]

Dh is on LinkedIn, but from your description, we've obviously missed the point! I thought it was just to est contacts w/ people you know, mainly for the sake of having current contact info for people who might be good references, etc. I didn't know there was any real "activity" there. OR meeting *new* people.

 

On the networking side of things--LinkedIn sounds like a good place to start. What else can you all recommend? We tend to know people from church and college, which has been unhelpful in the job arena.

 

There are also job postings on linkedin. DH had several loops specific to his field that we would check on a regular basis. Maybe he needs to spend some more time checking out all that LinkedIn has to offer. The recruiters DH worked with all seemed to use LinkedIn extensively.