Lucy the Valiant Posted July 1, 2012 Share Posted July 1, 2012 DH was laid off. We are frustrated. He has been following up on every single lead, working every small temp job that comes our way, trying to get interviews, etc. The problem is that many companies list their employment opportunities online, but there's no phone number or address (that we can find) to go follow up with someone, so his resume just gets tossed into a huge stack of applicants. :( We are networking as much as we can. He is a good worker. We have started a small LLC home business in the laid-off time. I am working part-time. Are there other ideas for "going out and looking" for a job? (Be gentle with us, please; this is extremely difficult for us, and we are at a loss.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stripe Posted July 1, 2012 Share Posted July 1, 2012 :grouphug: I have heard a lot of job listings online are not even real, that the companies are sending out feelers or otherwise pretending to hire. I wish you all the best with all my heart. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emzhengjiu Posted July 1, 2012 Share Posted July 1, 2012 :grouphug::grouphug: I have no advice for you that you don't already know, but I am praying that your husband will find a great job. I'm in the same situation and it's hard. Follow every lead and talk with everybody about opportunities. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted July 1, 2012 Share Posted July 1, 2012 Google the company to find the address and phone number, and call and ask who is in charge of reviewing resumes, so you have a name to address the cover letter to. That is what I have always done. The best best best way to find a job is via word of mouth. Most companies are filling jobs before they ever post them online. Network, network, network. Spread the word via facebook, email, etc that he is looking for a job. Say what field or what skills he has. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mama Geek Posted July 1, 2012 Share Posted July 1, 2012 What does he do? We were in a hotel the other day in LA and a blue collar working was looking for work in the oil industry. He ran into someone in the lobby that was working locally and was able to find out who was hiring. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Elf Posted July 1, 2012 Share Posted July 1, 2012 :grouphug: That sounds tough indeed. I'm sorry. :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DianeW88 Posted July 1, 2012 Share Posted July 1, 2012 Always follow up an online listing with a visit to the company's website and a phonecall to the company. Ask to speak to the person in charge of hiring, then ask for details about the position and send your resume to that person's email. Does you dh have a college degree? If so, his alma mater should be able to help him. The university my dh and I graduated from has a huge online data base of jobs posted by the school and other alumni who are in the position to offer jobs. Also, many employers will post their openings with universities. If you live near an LDS employment center, there are free classes that are offered on resumes, finding a job, interview skills, etc. They are not religious and they are open to anyone at no cost. This is a course that other employment agencies would charge hundreds of dollars for. Check your local white pages under Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and see if there is a listing for Employment Center. Look into the option of relocating if the job market is depressed where you are. Search for jobs in other cities and states and see what you come up with. If you're open to moving to a new area, you'll be surprised at what you can find. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy Jo Posted July 1, 2012 Share Posted July 1, 2012 It's frustrating indeed. My DH actually just went the self-employment route. Last year was tough, this year looks to be a bit better though. Have you tried the Job Service or temp agencies? They can help. (As a warning I had a temp agency admit to me that one of their "current" jobs was actually a past job - they were just fishing for more resumes.) The college job boards might help too, if he can use them. How desperate are you? (I'm not jesting - I've been desperate recently.) You can always try your local grocery stores, Mart-type stores, etc. - it's honest money. We did a paper-route last year (utter failure, cost more than we made, but if we'd had a smaller, bike-able route OR a more efficient vehicle it might have worked). We ended up not trying for cash welfare assistance (long story) but they bragged that they got everyone working that came in. I can't remember what office handled the actual job searching though. I'm sorry you're going through this. It's frustrating when people (thinking of the ones who haven't been jobless in YEARS) simply say "go out and get a job" - without knowing how hard that is right now. You aren't alone if that helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CalicoKat Posted July 1, 2012 Share Posted July 1, 2012 DH was laid off. We are frustrated. He has been following up on every single lead, working every small temp job that comes our way, trying to get interviews, etc. The problem is that many companies list their employment opportunities online, but there's no phone number or address (that we can find) to go follow up with someone, so his resume just gets tossed into a huge stack of applicants. :( We are networking as much as we can. He is a good worker. We have started a small LLC home business in the laid-off time. I am working part-time. Are there other ideas for "going out and looking" for a job? (Be gentle with us, please; this is extremely difficult for us, and we are at a loss.) Online is the way to go out looking. Also we've found that your temp agencies are being used to screen new hires for companies. The only way to get an interview is to go through them first. At least that's what it is here locally. Find out which agencies and companies have a working relationship. It's also about who the temp agency knows. :grouphug::grouphug: My DH also chose the self-employment route. It's still rough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plink Posted July 1, 2012 Share Posted July 1, 2012 :grouphug: I have heard a lot of job listings online are not even real, that the companies are sending out feelers or otherwise pretending to hire. I wish you all the best with all my heart. On the other hand, we recently created a job for someone who applied for a position they were over-qualified for, so don't loose hope! Google the company to find the address and phone number, and call and ask who is in charge of reviewing resumes, so you have a name to address the cover letter to. That is what I have always done. The best best best way to find a job is via word of mouth. Most companies are filling jobs before they ever post them online. Network, network, network. Spread the word via facebook, email, etc that he is looking for a job. Say what field or what skills he has. Our business (and many, many others) hire companies to handle all of the pre-screening of our applicants. We don't even look at 9/10ths of the resumes that are sent to us, there are just too many ~ SO standing out is important. Make sure that you use the key words from the posting in your resume - this is NOT OPTIONAL. The firm can only know what you say explicitly. The screeners may not know/understand the position that they are hiring for, so saying something similar to, but not exactly what is asked for in the ad may prevent you from getting through the first stage, even if you are well qualified for the job. This sounds ridiculous, but it is the way of the world now. Making a personal contact at the company is good, but random cover letters sent to employees found via. google don't usually make much of an impression. If you can get someone on the phone you will have their attention - ask an intelligent question about the position and explain your excitement about the company and what it makes/stands for/offers. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TranquilMind Posted July 1, 2012 Share Posted July 1, 2012 DH was laid off. We are frustrated. He has been following up on every single lead, working every small temp job that comes our way, trying to get interviews, etc. The problem is that many companies list their employment opportunities online, but there's no phone number or address (that we can find) to go follow up with someone, so his resume just gets tossed into a huge stack of applicants. :( We are networking as much as we can. He is a good worker. We have started a small LLC home business in the laid-off time. I am working part-time. Are there other ideas for "going out and looking" for a job? (Be gentle with us, please; this is extremely difficult for us, and we are at a loss.) Well, we are old school, I guess, but I'd physically go into nearby locations to attempt to find a job. Perhaps network with everyone he's ever known. I realize this is entry level, but my 15 year old daughter got a job at Baskin Robbins this year when many of her classmates were unable. She went into the location, struck up a conversation with the girl at the counter, who seemed to like her and recommend her. Boss called her back a couple of weeks later. She's the only 15 year old they hired. I got a job when I was 15 the same way, interestingly. At any rate, I realize your husband is not looking for an entry level job, but relationships are KEY. Whoever you know and interact with may know someone who is hiring. Maybe temporarily you can sell something on Craigslist or perform some service for which he is skilled. Looks good on resume too to indicate business sense. I wish you the best! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TranquilMind Posted July 1, 2012 Share Posted July 1, 2012 Google the company to find the address and phone number, and call and ask who is in charge of reviewing resumes, so you have a name to address the cover letter to. That is what I have always done. The best best best way to find a job is via word of mouth. Most companies are filling jobs before they ever post them online. Network, network, network. Spread the word via facebook, email, etc that he is looking for a job. Say what field or what skills he has. This is a great idea, to find the names of the actual individuals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomatHWTK Posted July 1, 2012 Share Posted July 1, 2012 What is his skill level and area of expertise? Different levels of jobs have different processes. KWIM? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justamouse Posted July 1, 2012 Share Posted July 1, 2012 Google the company to find the address and phone number, and call and ask who is in charge of reviewing resumes, so you have a name to address the cover letter to. That is what I have always done. The best best best way to find a job is via word of mouth. Most companies are filling jobs before they ever post them online. Network, network, network. Spread the word via facebook, email, etc that he is looking for a job. Say what field or what skills he has. :iagree::iagree::iagree: You're going to have to broaden your circle of people you talk to and know. Start chatting people up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G5052 Posted July 1, 2012 Share Posted July 1, 2012 :iagree::iagree::iagree: You're going to have to broaden your circle of people you talk to and know. Start chatting people up. Networking and an inside contact may be the key. In tighter times, many prefer hiring someone that is not an absolute stranger to them. They want more than a resume, a few interviews, and a few references. The reality is that all of those can be "scrubbed." DH and I have both had a number of jobs over the years, and only a handful came "cold." The vast majority came from knowing someone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NicksMama-Zack's Mama Too Posted July 2, 2012 Share Posted July 2, 2012 that your dh could participate in that show off his skill set and connect with people in his field or semi-related fields? My dh volunteered to help someone on a personal project. This person was impressed with my dh skills and invited him to a few events where he was introduced to this person's workmates. Eventually, they talked to their boss about him and this boss talked to HR and then he was told to get a resume together and now he's working with these folks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desert Rat Posted July 2, 2012 Share Posted July 2, 2012 (edited) We rode that roller coaster for 16 months and completely understand your frustration. I grew up in a time that you dropped off your application/resume, waited a few days, called and asked if they had any questions. If you got the interview, you sent a thank you note a few days later. Now, you send your resume via email to a nameless/faceless black hole where it sits and stews with other resumes. There is no one to call, no way to follow up. The only advise I can give is make sure your resume is spot on. I have a degree in English and feel pretty competent as a writer, but I have to tell ya, my ego took major hits, too. Dh and I are a team. We work together. By the time he got hired, I had 15 different resumes on file. I dumbed down; I puffed up; I emphasized this or that, deemphasized this or that. I figured out that he was being eliminated simply because of his base salary at the previous job (we will never, ever see that pretty number again!), so I fudged it. The company went under anyway (construction). I made sure to send stellar cover letters and we used a pool of 10 different references depending on the job. During one interview, he was actually told that he had too much experience. He asked the man interviewing him how long he had to be unemployed before that experience didn't count anymore. The man didn't have an answer for him. He had guidelines he had to follow. I feel that he found dh a threat and didn't want to hire someone who could replace him. Vegas still has 12% unemployment, but construction companies can't find framers or lathers. They've all moved. In the end, he got a job that a friend heard of from a friend on FB. Don't discount social avenues, FB, here. Dh bent over backwards and walked through fire, but he got the job. He still has it. He makes half of what he did before, but double what he made on unemployment. So..... Good luck to you. I know the stress you are under and can only tell you that this, too, will pass. We came out the other side stronger and healthier. I still look back and wonder how the heck we made it. The only thing I can come up with is love and laughter. Both saved us. Hugs! Edited July 2, 2012 by Kalah Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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