Job Fairs Suck

[Vallikat]

I just came back from a job fair with 35 different employers and had to hear several different versions of the following crap:

I'm sorry we have no positions that meet your skills at this time, but here, take this nifty pen and chip clip (yeah...chip clips...why? I dunno!!) with our logo on it so you can be reminded of this rejection every time you write a note or eat chips. *bright smile* It was great meeting you and good luck!!

Arrrggh!! By the time I left I was ready to kick someone's teeth in. Do you know what the problem is, really? The problem is that my 15 years of practical experience is meaningless without a college degree. Kids fresh out of college are getting interviews and I'm getting sent home with a hand shake and "our brochure". Most of them wouldn't even take my resume. "You can apply online if you see something that meets your needs".

Idiots!

Grr



Ok, that's enough self pity one day.

[Merkaba]

*hugs* You have no idea how many rejections I've gotten. Heh...

[Kryat]

that sucks valli but dont worry ull get a good job here soon i support ya

[Darth Bootay]

Valli, do not feel bad. I once got turned down on a graphics job in favor of a kid fresh out of college who couldn't draw a straight line with a CAD program to help him. Difference between us? He was five years younger, male, had no experience (practical or otherwise) and had a BS in English Lit. I know because he was my neighbor.

But the funny thing is, just when you're ready to abandon all hope, just when you think you'll be working retail at age 50, something like the dot.com boom happens and all sorts of bizarre and interesting opportunities happen for people just like you and I-- the ones with experience instead of a piece of paper that says you paid far too much for the opportunity to make far too little.

...and OMFG, Merkaba you live in BEL AIR??? Like right next to Fallston Bel Air? I used to shop there LOL!

[Merkaba]

...and OMFG, Merkaba you live in BEL AIR??? Like right next to Fallston Bel Air? I used to shop there LOL!

Yes ma'am.

[Aameul]

Job fairs are mostly a waste of time (especially if your resume has some less-than-positive stuff on it, like employment gaps, etc, like mine did) but if you're unemployed, they DO get you out of the house and meeting people and feeling like you're doing something to improve your situation.

You've probably already heard this from someone but an absurd percentage of jobs, like 70 or 80%, come through referrals and personal contacts. People told me that all the time while I was unemployed and I never believed it until I got my job - through a friend of my sister's, who referred me to another company looking for someone with my sort of background. We've hired 5 people in my office since I started, including me and one other guy how started when I did. Of those, 3 were referrals and all of them have worked out. The other two were random resumes, and one has worked out, but the other was fired in a matter of months, which is unheard of for a gov't contractor. Referrals work well for both employer and employee, so they are used extensively.

[Boinky]

The last time I was looking for work and went to a Job Fair most of the folks I talked to there basically said "It's best to just check our website for jobs". Makes you really happy you took the time & paid the parking fee to go out there.