Why is when we want a need a job we are desparate and why is it when we want a job we can’t find one. I am so sick of being told that I am such a wonderful person but sorry you don’t have enough experience!!! What the fuck is the problem…how is one supposed to get experience if NO ONE is willing to give it to you!!!
—Pissed Off!!!
This article appears in Feb 5-11, 2009.
Ahhh, the eternal vicious circle..bites don’t it?
Employment referrals are the prime way to get a job.
unfortunately, you have to already have a job to meet colleagues that can perhaps refer you in the future or a plethora of friends whom you can draw from.
Actually knowing someone on the “inside” is the key to business…. and to sex… so it’s good to remember.
volunteering is a good way to get experiance.
What I really love is that most corporate employers don’t give out work references anymore (apparently it’s a legal thing, if an employer gives a positive work reference and you go commit fraud, the employer who gave you the reference is liable) so I love it when you go to apply for a job and they request 3 work references and 2 of them have to be from your past two employers (This is what the Casino wants. Seriously. To count cash, you need to have two positive work references from your past two employers) that’s what I don’t understand. I find employers lightening upon the experience factor, perhaps the reason being that you shouldn’t have to have 10 years work experience to work at a call centre servicing cell phones? The reason for this is because the job market is flooded with Gen Xers who have tonnes of experience in the service sector and the Baby Boomers are s-l-o-w-l-y retiring/dying out of the proper jobs, which will mean the Gen Xers will get those jobs, leaving the jobs open for the under 30 set and then not requiring the experience because they need butts in seats/ people at the tills/ people in the warehouse.
Welcome to Nova Scotia. All the jobs I’ve had are by knowing people. And applying for new jobs, which require an insane amount of work related references, is annoying. I’ve only had two jobs, so I can’t fill the requirements of references – even though I could do the job.
I agree with Kernalbob, it may take a while before you can reasonably ask the people for whom you volunteer for a reference, but it can eventually help pad out a limited amount of references. Just pick something you’ll actually enjoying volunteering at, people will be more hesitant to give you a reference if they think you’re just helping out to get a reference. i.e. don’t have a bad attitude.
I found that persistance really is key here. As a student who comes back to Halifax in the summer, it usually takes me about a month to find a job. At first, the jobs are terrible: low wage, long and odd hours, and little to no breaks (which is especially tough when you are on your feet all day). That said, last summer I got an amazing job that paid well ($10/hr), had nice regular hours (9 to 5, Monday to Friday), gave me a decent lunch break, and the whole time I could only think “Wow, I’m not qualified to do this!” but I did a great job and got credit for doing so. So basically it comes down to: persistance + dealing with shitty jobs + working hard = getting a good job next time. Also, when you have a shitty job to begin with, everything after it seems amazing.
or sleeping with the interviewer.
just sayin
Hmmm… maybe someone should read the newest job bitch… just sayin…
Certain government departments won’t allow their employees to provide references, which is why I’m fuk’d for references from my co ops. I had amazing evaluations, yet none of my supervisors can provide references. I feel like stapling my evaluations to my applications when I send them in sometimes…
I have other references that are *awesome* but they’re not from jobs in my actual field, and prof references don’t carry much weight with employers when a) you want to be taken seriously and b) they’re up against people with work-related references.
Volunteering is a good idea though. You might not get references, but if you’ve created professional work for whomever you’re volunteering for you can add that to a portfolio and as long as you have proof you volunteered it’s pretty much looked at the same as actual paid experience.
Still though, employers want too much fucking experience for the jobs they’re offering. Myself and a good friend went to a job fair at a certain call centre (admittedly for shits and giggles) and our combined four university degrees and over 20 years of customer service experience (including some call centre experience!) did not make us qualified for a lousy $11/hr job answering the fucking phone and selling some cell phone minutes. At least that’s what their email said. They declined to comment when I questioned it and they told my friend he did poorly in his interview, which was funny because he never HAD an interview, but I digress…
It’s just frustrating when every job description you look at look lists duties you can honestly say you have experience/training doing, and then see a “2-4 years experience required” point under “qualifications,” which usually means they’ll hire someone with 3-5 in the end.
And we wonder why people go/stay on social assistance for so long *eyeroll*
You know what’s funny? There’s an ad in the paper for something very similar to what I do now, and I’m already grossly underpaid (which is why I started a business, but I digress), and they’re offering 15K LESS per year than I make.
The education and skills ALONE are worth WAY more than they’re offering, let alone that the job description lumps together 4 positions into one.
Employers in general want more for less money, the sad part is, SOMEONE will take that job, so they’ll continue to get away with doing this crap.
Many SMALL minds hold top positions in this hole of a province. It works both ways. Often you are overlooked because you have so many years experience in the field that they figure they can’t afford you and they don’t even invite you in for an interview to ask. Worse, you have almost 2 decades of related experience but it wasn’t EXACTLY the same so, again, you’re overlooked. NS sux.
With an attitude like that, I wouldn’t hire you, let alone be your friend. There are plenty of jobs out there for the educated.