Tuesday, April 11, 2023

Hammerfall 2.0: On Job Searches

 (As a side note, it appears that this is going to become more of a topic than I had originally anticipated.  Apologies if I am overdoing it  - it seems to be the major thing going on my life at the moment).

The past week has been a series of getting ready for job hunting and job hunting.  Hopefully none of my readers have had to do this recently; I thought if helpful I might share what the process is like now.

Once upon a time - in my memory - the process was quite different.  One found addresses (at least on-line even then), carefully crafted a Curriculum Vitae, painstakingly wrote an individual letter to go for the job, selected a good weight paper for printing, and then shipped the whole thing off to the potential employer or, in some cases even just walked in.  That changed a bit in 2005 when I was looking:  job aggregator sites had become a thing as well as company websites, but one e-mailed the letter and CV instead of presenting physical copies.

Things have come more than a long way since then.

Even aggregator sites, while still in existence, are likely on their way to the historic heap of history as Linked Out will do exactly the same sort of thing for you and quite likely has the bulk of your potential job seekers there already.  You can search by region, industry, job type and time of posting.  Push the button, and there is the list.

Scanning through the listings, I usually tend to look (in order) at location, required experience, and required education (one of the things that The Plague did for work is that companies could suddenly extend their reach of potential personnel; that said, there are far more likely to be people with the desired experience and education than I).  For those that appear to be possible matches in those areas, I then look at the descriptions.  After looking at all of that, if something appears a match, I hit apply.

Applying these days is a roulette wheel in terms of how it is done.  Some jobs simply upload the CV from Linked Out for you.  Some will take you to the company site and others to a third party site, where one first uploads the CV and then has to go through and correct the CV for the ways it does not transfer correctly (thanks, AI) - it is probably worth looking into creating a second sort of CV specifically for uploading to cut down on the time I am spending on this.  This is where the time (and aggravation) comes in; redoing the same sort of thing time and time again is nothing but annoying. 

Another "addition" these days is the voluntary completion of personal identification information,  disability, and veteran status. These are all "opt out" questions and I used to do; I now do each and every one as I assume that anything that is not complete gets a "mark" in the system.

Then you hit "Apply".  And then you wait.

This is the most discouraging part.  With the advent of the InterWeb, there is usually no simple way to find out the status of your CV in the system.  I assume at this point most things are scanned by some sort of software that looks for key words and, if they are not present, pushes them out of the system.  For those that include the key words, these may make it to a HR representative, who also has the option to push it out of the system.  If it passes that bar, it then goes to the hiring manager, who then also has the option to push it out of the system.

By my count, that is three different opportunities to have something rejected.  And almost completely anymore, it is done in silence. 

I remember from the last time in 2009 the sense of distress that came when not hearing anything on a weekly basis.  One can only check one's e-mail so many times for any update.  Then, the endless waiting.

I have managed this in the past by 1) Keeping a spreadsheet of each and every submission with the status (such as I know it; this also helps with not applying for the same job twice); and 2) Having a set amount of work I will do on it.  In my case, it is a minimum of looking and applying for two a day.  If I have done that, I have "done my job" (I will note that after the initial bolus, it actually drops to about this amount as new listings are less frequent coupled with above requirements scrubbing out a number of the positions).  

It is a marathon, I keep reminding myself, not a race.  

Follow up note: Thanks to Ed, Resident Optimist of this blogspace, I went and looked up my state's unemployment website.  By their calculations (if I have done them correctly), the amount I would qualify for during the amount of time I can claim unemployment (26 weeks) appears that it would actually cover the gap for the period based on The Ravishing Mrs. TB's revised budget.  Also (apparently), one can earn up to 25% of one's unemployment benefit without a reduction in the benefit.  That means I could pick up a little more work (somewhere between 10 and 12 hours) to help extend things farther.  Now, on to health care...

20 comments:

  1. TB, if it's a major thing in your life, then please write about it as much as you wish. I say that, suspecting that your dedicated audience will agree. That's what friends are for, right?

    I've been out of job hunting for quite a few years, and wonder if I'd be up to the task at this level. When Dan was still driving, everything was online via company websites. The most frustrating part was having to give an account for every day between driving jobs. He finally figured out to fill in "farming" as the reason, which is true although probably not how they imagine farming.

    My daughter is going through the same process you are, using LinkedOut. She's a senior software developer and has the advantage of being female in a male-dominant career field. Another advantage is that she doesn't have to relocate and can be international in her search. Tech jobs were once considered a secure path to the future, but her current company hasn't been able to pay her in months. Hence the job search.

    We're all praying for you! And looking forward to what Providence provides.

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    1. Leigh - Yes, that is what friends are for; I worry my longer focus on this particular subject may not make for good writing or good reading - although to be fair, part of the hope as with the documentation of the issues with my parents is to leave a sort of record for someone else in the same position.

      I would say that job hunting, while set up to be "easier" than ever, is one of the more depressing things to do over a long period of time, at least the way we are now doing it. Sending things off not knowing if there will be a response, having no-one to follow up with - this is the equivalent of ordering on-line, except that we do not get a delivery at the end of day. I do like Dan's innovative "farming" as a description for time between jobs. That either provoked a chuckle or cocked eyebrow on the other end.

      I am sorry to hear about your daughter - I can imagine this would be a terrible time to be in tech at the moment. The international aspect has good and bad aspects to it: good in that you can work anywhere, bad in that you are competing (literally) with the world. I cannot imagine going months without paying and still working.

      Prayers are much appreciated. There are considerable signs that this is of God, although to what end I cannot now see.

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  2. Nylon124:44 AM

    Seconding Leigh TB, job loss/search IS a major event in life, your blog, your preferences. NOT overdoing it IMHO.

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    1. Thanks Nylon12. To be honest, I think bloggers (at least the ones that do this for love and not money) often feel a high degree of responsibility to their readers. We want to write something you want to read, and these sort of subjects are not always the happiest. Appreciate the support.

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    2. Passing Peanut6:19 AM

      Take heart; this attitude makes the blogger infinitely more humble and compelling than the majority who currently work in the professional entertainment industry apparatus. Whether joyful musings or baleful contempt, it's at least believed to come from a place of authenticity, rather than one that struggles to remember that its audience is comprised of flesh-and-blood people.
      Speaking of, I need to stop making excuses for myself and go read your "Collapse" series.

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  3. Anonymous5:46 AM

    Mr. TB,
    1. remember to stay networked to former workmates and associates. They need to be reminded regularly that you are in the search in some way. My experience 20+ years ago provided the local employment I desired.
    2. your search strategy appears sound to me. You are at the mercy of computer algorithms and layers of HR induced scrutiny. Your carefully crafted “Curriculum Vitae“ is impressive I’m sure. It is of little benefit until the right person reads it, yet it remains impressive.
    3. One or both of those paths will produce for you.
    My experience from +20 years ago l resulted in contract work which kept my experience somewhat current. The things I learned at the company I contracted for, plus the opportunity which finally arrived from my old workmates network gave me opportunity to shine at my preferred company b/c of the slight gimmick of the techniques picked while contracting.

    Replacing a professional job is a daunting task TB. All most friends and acquaintances can offer is kind words and prayers. You may be faced now with the hardest work of your life and you get paid zilch. Do all you can to keep up your optimism.

    Franknbean

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    1. FnB - Thanks for the suggestions. The networking is always the hardest one for me, as I am by nature someone that is highly introverted. I have to remind myself (daily, now) to reach out and connect/reconnect with people.

      I have heard - many years ago - that there was some sort of "Formula" to how long it generally took to replace a job by salary. I do not recall the precise breakdown now, but at the time it was something like one month per $10,000 of salary. That was a very long time ago and the numbers have likely gone up significantly, but even at $20,000 or $30,000, that would easily be a four to twelve month search.

      Optimism - The thing I struggle with the most just in general. The support is greatly appreciated.

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  4. I haven't looked for a job it 20 years so I can only imagine how it has changed. Back when I was looking for jobs though, I was quite the contrarian. While most of my peers brought resumes and cover letters to interviews, I brought a duffle bag full of things that I had designed over the years, some the actual thing and others, like the concrete culvert manufacturing facility, I just brought some representative prints. Then as we covered my work history or they asked questions pertaining to one job or another, I would pull out the appropriate item and set it on their desk and talk about it. When I went down this route, I don't think I was ever not given the job. At the final hammerfall though, I had to submit resumes online to even get an interview in the first place. But once granted an interview, I brought my duffle bag and was always given the job.

    It was my way of standing out in a crowded field.

    I enjoy reading about your search for a new job so keep writing about it.

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    1. Oh, that sounds like a lovely way to do things Ed. Unfortunately my line of work is a more theoretical concept - although I do like the idea of standing out. I will have to cogitate on that.

      Appreciate the support for writing. I have no idea how long it might take, but it could become a regular feature.

      Delete
  5. Anonymous10:08 AM

    I know my son who's hires for his department they pull from every recruitment tool out there. Super duper specifics goes first to headhunters. In his field, highly regulated, there are only about 7 thousand to pull from so it seems like he's always looking. And as always you have a cheering section behind you.

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    1. For that kind of field, I would be they are always looking. Probably highly competitive.

      I did get my first notification of rejection today. It took 48 hours, so likely it was an AI/Computer kickout.

      Delete
  6. Anonymous4:20 PM

    The stainless steel rat trick is to AVOID "LockedOut" as much as possible. That's giving the employer's HR dept the absolute power to pick & choose those that best fit this week's victim narrative.

    The worst thing is they create a profile on you. You cannot see it or correct it. It follows you for life.

    They will HAPPILY black-list you for some nefarious reason, and you will not know about it and cannot get off that black list. You'll apply & apply & apply - and get nowhere. "The extremely high standard of other candidates" will be their only response as to why you didn't progress to interview.

    I use Locked-Out to find who's offering suitable jobs in my area, and approach the employer directly and NEVER mention Locked-Out. Typically you can apply directly to the company or dept. Any company that _insists_ on applications through Locked-Out are not worth working with.

    Best of luck with the search TB. Use your network, approach employers directly - out-manoeuvre the inhumane HR algorithms.










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    1. Anon- Thanks for the advice; unfortunately (at least in my industry) if I do not have an updated account, they will wonder (They look. They always look. Even I have looked in the past to see what people have on their professional profile). On the bright side, this current job came from Linked Out, so it does work (sometimes).

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  7. Reading this gave me PTSD, thinking back to the last time I was looking for a job. Pretty much every job I have ever had has been due to knowing someone. Next to God, who has been incredibly kind and merciful over the course of my working life, there is one person who has most significant in my career, a guy who took a chance and hired me in 1998, and who played a part in two subsequent jobs since then, including the one I have now. I owe him so much, and I would do anything for him. I have tried to be the same kind of manager, one who cares about people. I'm currently in the "hiring manager" position right now, with about 20 applicants sent my way from HR. For every resume/CV I review, I try to put myself in that person's place. When I interview someone, I tell him/her that if the position with me does not work out, I'll see if I can forward their name to someone else. I don't know if I'm even supposed to do that, but I do it anyway.

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    1. Bob, I try to push the PTSD away by focusing on other things. This is the second time since 1990 I have found myself without a job: the first time was for two months, the second was for 4 months (which, I suppose numerically, means this will be 8 months if we are doubling every time).

      I was the beneficiary, as you were, of someone that took a chance on me in 1999 and gave me a job in Quality Assurance (and whom, like you, played a direct part in the following two jobs). You do not forget people like that and emulating them is indeed the highest form of repayment we can offer.

      Sometimes I think people that have not searched for jobs in years forget what it is like to be desperate for a job.

      Honestly, I would rather get written up for offering to forward a name on internally than many of the other possibilities one can get written up for. I have the same sort of thought with how I shared information when I was a manager: I probably overshared, but that is because I remembered how it was as an individual contributor when things that directly impacted my life were never shared with me, so at least I could get ready for them.

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  8. Prayers are with you. Be very attentive, and make sure you take time to clear your mind.

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    1. Thank you John. I am searching now, partially because I fear in six months the odds will be much worse (to be fair, they are almost much worse than two weeks ago; the market is being flooded). I am limited my search to very specific geographies as that is what I am able to consider at the moment, with the understanding that if it does not work out, that is not a bad thing. Better finding a way to make it here for the short term than finding myself somewhere I simply do not wish to be simply because of a job that can go away (I hear that happens...).

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  9. Job hunting...I can't say I miss it. The last time I wrote a CV was in the 1990's! And things were still offline when I was job hunting! I remember going to job placement agencies, taking tests there and being sent on interviews. I wish you all the best, I bet it can get discouraging!

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    1. Thank you Rain.

      I realized that I have not interviewed in 7 years, so this should be an interesting process.

      It can get discouraging. I am trying to manage that by limiting my expectations of what I can get done in any one day, accepting that not every day will produce something to apply to, and limiting my e-mail check in follow up such that I am not checking something every 15 minutes.

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  10. I am sorry you're having to go through this, TB, but I think what you share is very helpful to your readers. My sons have experienced this electronic way of applying for jobs (it's really all my youngest has known), and even though they've explained how discouraging and depressing it is, I have not heard it explained in this much detail. I can see more clearly why it was such a soul crushing experience for my youngest son recently.

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Comments are welcome (and necessary, for good conversation). If you could take the time to be kind and not practice profanity, it would be appreciated. Thanks for posting!