Posted on 06/02/2006 by the cynic
Viewed: 289 times
This sort of relates to my last post on "what does it take," but I think merits a separate post since I'm wondering about others' experiences.
I'm not having this problem so much anymore since I have a connection at a staffing agency who is really working hard on my behalf, but I still have it with personal contacts. Everyone tells me, "Monster.com won't work, you have to talk to everyone you know and everyone they know, and they'll connect you to something."
So I start talking it up. Mom knows a friend who knows someone out here, so I contact that person. They say, "Well, you can come and chat with me, but we don't currently have any positions open. We'll hold your resume though in the off-chance that we do start hiring again." Gee, thanks.
This happens about 10 more times.
Then I talk to another connection, who says, "Oh yes, I know what you can do. Send your resume to the HR department at Major Corporation A, Major Corporation B, and Major Corporation C. Hope you land an interview. Good luck!" I write back to her asking if she could actually talk to somebody since she has the connections--that was the whole point of using my contacts. She never writes back.
During my last temp job, I talk to people in the department. Again I get told to "send and pray" (send the resume out and pray for a response).
My husband's first job was through his dad. It was right after 9/11, and they assumed he could become successful through daddie, just like so many in the corporate world do. He gets laid off after 7 months. So much for that.
Finally, I land a job--from a headhunter who contacted me on Monster. I'm losing that job soon, but at least I got it. My husband also gets his job--a very good one to boot--from posting to Monster. (his connections screwed him up too).
What are your stories about so-called "networking" that didn't work, or "contacts" who wouldn't contact? Not saying it doesn't work for anybody, just looking for other bad-luck stories.
POST A COMMENTavid reader(06/02/2006)
Some constructive criticism for ya: You're not going to want to hear this, but as frustrating as it may seem, you just have to keep trying. You wrote that people said: "Well, you can come and chat with me, but we don't currently have any positions open. We'll hold your resume though in the off-chance that we do start hiring again." That's the best you can ask for! You can't expect that every lead is going to open the door. What you are doing by talking to these people (which is great, by the way) is opening windows for yourself. You never ever know what a lead will bring. A person you talked to months ago could remember you or finally get an opening and think of you. So saying "Gee thanks" is not a helpful attitude to have because you will inevitably start treating any future networking opportunities with a devil may care attitude and that will be how you come off. And I am sure you don't want that. Continue to treat each one as if it were "the one" that will land you a job and you will be remembered as a shining individual rather than a half-hearted "I expect a job now but I know you can't help me anyway" type. Best of luck to you. From your posts, you sound like a valuable asset to any company. Keep trying!!!!
freedomringer(06/02/2006)
It is that way in every field, but that is how people get hired. I work in biotechnology and people get positions by knowing someone in the lab etc. It is hard to get a job just on a resume alone, although I did with my current job, so it can be done, you just have to have the right skills at the right time. Oh, and really good references. I know for a fact that my references actually got me the job and not so much my resume. My advice is to choose your references carefully and use people who you have personal and professional relationships with. I mean use people who care about you. It is hard as an adult to make "good solid friendships" but it is possible. Good luck, I am currently thinking about moving on from here and I have been giving my references alot of thought. Think wisely!!
the cynic(06/02/2006)
The problem is that these people weren't acting as connections, they were only giving suggestions as to "where to apply." So in other words, they were behaving as a human Monster.com. We all know about HR and resumes, so telling me to just blindly send out resumes isn't much more useful than Monster. The thing is that I know people who have had their "connections" actually talk to higher-ups for them and get them into the company, and I've never had such luck. I've only been steered in the direction of a company, and then put into the resume pool with everyone else. Oh well.
the cynic(06/02/2006)
Freedomringer--See that's the kind of thing I'm talking about. But nobody was doing that for me--they were forcing me to do the blind resume routine again. I realize that you don't always get a job based on your resume alone, but that's what I'm being asked to do. And people assume a lot based on a resume ("Oh, it doesn't say this keyword, so forget her," or "Oh, she's overqualified/underqualified because she has a degree in X," without even talking to me first). They wouldn't even point me in the direction of job openings, just random HR departments that may or may not have openings.
the cynic(06/02/2006)
I'm talking along the lines of (for example only, since I'm not in this field): "Oh, so you have some writing experience. Email your resume to the New York Times and hope they call you!" (when you have no journalism experience). Or, "Go on the Goldman Sachs website and email a resume randomly to HR. Hope they call you with some open positions." Not useful.
freedomringer(06/02/2006)
cynic, I feel your pain and anxiety. It is a dog eat dog world out there and it is close to the worst feeling in the world having to look for a job because your job is ending. I wont fill you with cliche of "something will come along" but it took me a almost a year to find another job in my field and I had to move across the country. In the interim I worked three jobs to make very little money to cover my expenses, I did not have health insurance and my work week was almost 70 hours, Sunday to Sunday. I was near death when I was offered this position, I think my current employer could sense my desperation and with my references he offered me the position with out a face to face interview. Sometimes you must go through H@!! before you goet to a "good place". I will be wishing you well and hope that this weekend something might roll around. Good Luck!
the cynic(06/02/2006)
Freedom--THANKS! Actually, I do have some hope right now because I have a great relationship with the employment agency that got me this job. They are honest folks and have proven themselves to me by placing me in teh past. I might even get some interviews already next week! Wish me luck. Maybe I just had some useless friends and relatives in the past. :P
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