Originally Posted by Malik112099 I got an email to set up a phone interview for a job I submitted to recently. Any little bite feels good at this point. EDIT: Scheduled for tomorrow at 10:30am.

Good luck!

Originally Posted by Squall835 Good luck!

Thanks!

I actually got a call about some data center position yesterday, would be ing perfect for me, I just hope I hear more about it. It was from this head hunter I've been talking with, and she's flaky as hell. Most of the time when I email or call her she never gets back with me. I called her early this morning and she never did call me back, probably won't either. Honestly the hardest part of looking for work is not getting discouraged, because it's extremely easy to.

Oh and on the subject of job sites, do not, I repeat do not make an open careerbuilder account. You can make one to apply to things with, but don't make it viewable to just anyone. As soon as I did that I started getting calls from places wanting to hire me to do sales. Last one was shady as hell, lady led me on about who they were and what they were looking for. Looked them up and it was some insurance company, what little info they had on their careers section was about sales and offered a number to call. That gets annoying as hell, aseptically when you tell them what field you're in and they just ignore it.

Yeah, I've had quite a few calls/emails about the wonderful world of insurance.

Not getting discouraged is HUGE. I started feeling a little panicky a while ago but that helps no one. I'll do some research on this company tomorrow morning, have a phoner and press on with the search. Caffeine is helping. A lot.

10:35 and no call yet. :-/ Ill give it till 10:45.

I have to go turn in an application at another place. Friend of a friend told me a guy there was expecting me. We'll see how that goes.

Anyone get nervous when they ask what your pay requirements are? Sometimes the job description is so muddled I cant tell if they want entry level or experience. So its hard to tell if I'm applying for something in my pay range or not.



EDIT: 10:40 now......thinking about calling the "help" number in the email in 5 minutes and asking for the guy by name.

EDIT2: No call. I called them and left a voicemail.....Off to turn in an app in person....

Just either tell them the pay range you're honestly looking for, or just say you'd rather discuss it later.

Went to the place. Guy was at lunch....little did I know I would be asking for on of the head guys. Left my pre-filled out app and resume. Did the name drop game and we will see how it goes.

Am i the only one who thinks that all resumes in the future will just be a list of impressive people you know?

Originally Posted by Malik112099 Anyone get nervous when they ask what your pay requirements are? Sometimes the job description is so muddled I cant tell if they want entry level or experience. So its hard to tell if I'm applying for something in my pay range or not.

I don't anymore. I'm at a point in my career and follow the industry enough so that I know what's fair and when an offer is too low. It's a bit difficult when the job description is muddled, but that can usually be cleared up in the phone screen. I've actually had two cases fairly recently where my salary expectations were WAY off the position offered. I told the guy straight up that he was out of line. When questioned how much out of line, I told him double.

It's no wonder he couldn't find someone competent to fill the position after 9 months of searching.

Originally Posted by eldergamer It also seems hard finding someone for a position. We've had an evening and night shift Medical Technologist position open at work for about a month now. We've had maybe two interviews for both positions. We've also had several people cancel their scheduled interviews (for whatever reason) as well.

As a person that has worked 17 years of graveyard I'll tell you why that is. It's the shift. No one wants to work those hours. Hell I don't want to work those hours. I've spent 17 years trying to figure out how to get off those hours. I've missed a lot of my kids growing up years cause of that shift

The place called me back that didnt call this morning. Guy asked if the interviewer ever called me. I said no and he apologized a ton. He rescheduled the interview and promised he would find out why I wasnt called.

I got a Telecom/Networking degree 13 years ago but barely used it since I got out of college. I wasn't ready for a full time job out of college and too immature.

I got a degree in accounting which I've kinda used as a purchaser/warehouse at my last job.

It's been 1.5 years tomorrow since I've been laid off from my last job. I've gotten a few jobs at banks which didn't work out for about a month each, and a seasonal job at sears as a cashier last xmas.

Sometimes I wonder if I will ever find a job. I've been going for inventory/warehouse/retail jobs. About an interview a week, but no luck. There's just too many people looking right now.

Originally Posted by Malik112099 You want the job or you want to be the robot?

i'll take either one at this point. i'm so sick of my life.

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Originally Posted by eldergamer It also seems hard finding someone for a position. We've had an evening and night shift Medical Technologist position open at work for about a month now. We've had maybe two interviews for both positions. We've also had several people cancel their scheduled interviews (for whatever reason) as well.

I will say evening medical technologist was the best 2.5 years of my life. Easy job, very good pay, etc.

I ended up at as a medical technologist for a while after college when the company I had interned, co-op'd, and worked part-time during the school year, was circling the bowl and wouldn't hire me. I graduated with that as a sure thing the fell apart and ended as a Med Tech for a while. Planned on doing it short term but then the engineering offers I was getting were all pretty much less pay or 6 month contracts. I didn't want to leave the sure thing for less money an having a contract (with no benefits) hang over my head.

I did eventually get an engineering job with the pay I thought I deserved, but even with the big bump in pay it is a much more stressful job.

In the long run engineering has huge oppurtunities for advancement when compared to Med Tech, but for someone who wants decent pay without as much stress, I think Med Tech is a pretty good field.

It's been almost nine months since I've been laid off from my last job as a CSR. It was the most I ever made from a job (a little over $33K+/yr), but I can't seem to find another job that will earn anything close to what I made previously. I currently have an offer for a warehouse position for $9/hr. I'm unsure if I should take it. Since it's a day job, I'm going to have trouble going on interviews when I eventually decide to look for new work. Luckily, I still have some savings; Money hasn't become an issue yet. However, I can't decide. Continue being unemployed/searching for work for almost a year (maybe even more) or take a low paying job?

Originally Posted by cruzfactor It's been almost nine months since I've been laid off from my last job as a CSR. It was the most I ever made from a job (a little over $33K+/yr), but I can't seem to find another job that will earn anything close to what I made previously. I currently have an offer for a warehouse position for $9/hr. I'm unsure if I should take it. Since it's a day job, I'm going to have trouble going on interviews when I eventually decide to look for new work. Luckily, I still have some savings; Money hasn't become an issue yet. However, I can't decide. Continue being unemployed/searching for work for almost a year (maybe even more) or take a low paying job?

That's always the catch-22. Keep a gap in your resume or fill it with something that's going to be inapplicable to the field you want to be in? Some employers value the fact you went to work - others don't give a shit if you've been flipping burgers or whatever because it doesn't make you more experienced in whatever field they're in.

Yeah, that's a slippery slope. I've been worried about a 2 month gap in employment. It is all gonna come down to the individual preference of who's hiring.

Guys, don't even worry about anything less than a 12 month gap in employment. Everyone knows the economy is tough.

Just be prepared to explain what you did in those intervening months. If you can say something like "I used the time to gain this new skill or got a certificate or took a class," it won't look like you sat on your ass and played video games.

Even better: "I worked (some job that is hard but beneath your level of experience or education) while taking ___ class while actively looking for a job like this, blah blah blah."

Originally Posted by Dokstarr I will say evening medical technologist was the best 2.5 years of my life. Easy job, very good pay, etc. I ended up at as a medical technologist for a while after college when the company I had interned, co-op'd, and worked part-time during the school year, was circling the bowl and wouldn't hire me. I graduated with that as a sure thing the fell apart and ended as a Med Tech for a while. Planned on doing it short term but then the engineering offers I was getting were all pretty much less pay or 6 month contracts. I didn't want to leave the sure thing for less money an having a contract (with no benefits) hang over my head. I did eventually get an engineering job with the pay I thought I deserved, but even with the big bump in pay it is a much more stressful job. In the long run engineering has huge oppurtunities for advancement when compared to Med Tech, but for someone who wants decent pay without as much stress, I think Med Tech is a pretty good field.

And here I thought I was the only one!

Working as a med tech is pretty easy, once you're trained and get to know the routine. It's the same thing. You're going to be looking at the same cells or seeing the same results for the rest of your life.

It's only stressfull if you don't know how to multi-task and mange your time well. Unfortunately, I work with people who have been there 30+ years and get totally flustered and panic any time they have to deal with more than three specimens at a time.

There really isn't an room for advancement unless you want to be a supervisor and double check everyone's work.

Originally Posted by cruzfactor It's been almost nine months since I've been laid off from my last job as a CSR. It was the most I ever made from a job (a little over $33K+/yr), but I can't seem to find another job that will earn anything close to what I made previously. I currently have an offer for a warehouse position for $9/hr. I'm unsure if I should take it. Since it's a day job, I'm going to have trouble going on interviews when I eventually decide to look for new work. Luckily, I still have some savings; Money hasn't become an issue yet. However, I can't decide. Continue being unemployed/searching for work for almost a year (maybe even more) or take a low paying job?

Can't you call in sick or something to go to an interview?

Just happened on this thread as I am currently employed but rather unhappy with my job situation. Looking through people's struggles, I really feel for everyone going through rough times. I've been trying to gut out my current job until something better comes along, but I've been actively looking for several months with no luck. I've wanted to quit the job I was at after 2 months. I've been there for nearly 10 at this point.

Originally Posted by cruzfactor It's been almost nine months since I've been laid off from my last job as a CSR. It was the most I ever made from a job (a little over $33K+/yr), but I can't seem to find another job that will earn anything close to what I made previously. I currently have an offer for a warehouse position for $9/hr. I'm unsure if I should take it. Since it's a day job, I'm going to have trouble going on interviews when I eventually decide to look for new work. Luckily, I still have some savings; Money hasn't become an issue yet. However, I can't decide. Continue being unemployed/searching for work for almost a year (maybe even more) or take a low paying job?

The future is uncertain. I've taken two jobs I've hated and totally out of my field to stave off unemployment as long as possible after initially struggling to find work out of college. My current salary is barely half of what the positions I was grabbing interviews for straight out of college were. You never know when that next interview might or might not come, and not taking a job assuming that something better will come is not a surefire bet. I've had that mindset myself, and for me, it has not panned out thus far.

Originally Posted by confoosious Guys, don't even worry about anything less than a 12 month gap in employment. Everyone knows the economy is tough. Just be prepared to explain what you did in those intervening months. If you can say something like "I used the time to gain this new skill or got a certificate or took a class," it won't look like you sat on your ass and played video games. Even better: "I worked (some job that is hard but beneath your level of experience or education) while taking ___ class while actively looking for a job like this, blah blah blah."

As much as I'd love to agree with this and don't want to come off as a huge pessimist, this varies by industry/company. There are several companies that have unofficial policies that they will only consider candidates who are currently employed. There are a few states that have laws against this and a few more planning legislative action, but it's something that's very hard to prove.

It's great to take classes/certification, especially if unemployed, but you might not have the opportunity to explain that if you're screened out from getting an interview to begin with .