How do people get Jobs these days?

[Chezza]

My first job was a casual Salesmen at a t.v./ electronic store. I got lucky by befriending a teacher at tafe who knew an employee there and put a good word in for me. I was studying at the time.

 

My second job was a casual position at a hardware store but selling large appliances. It gradually became part time. This was also due to a connection. This was my mum knowing the manager there. I was studying at uni at the time.

 

Third job I got in myself (technically current). A phone salesmen in a marketing firm. I got my full degree in Marketing. I dare say I was far more qualified, hard working and fair than most colleagues but I was naturally the least paid and took orders by people who didn't even pass all of high school nor followed protocol.

 

After 3 years of slaving myself in a shitty high pressure, soul crushing job a Marketing internship position has opened up. I'm currently doing and enjoying it. I'm hoping to get a permanent position there and working hard to show my potential.

 

I was trying to get a Marketing job for years but I also got hit with 2-5 years experience for a graduate position BS.

 

Just keep trying man, and try network with people when possible. Always work hard and focus.

[Phobus]

My "getting a first real job" experience is eight years old now, but it was battling the same problems stated here. Basically, unpaid work experience for at least a couple of months seems to be the only way into a given field. As soon as you can claim that you have some experience at something, they'll consider you. Degrees just don't carry enough weight in most fields because you're still effectively a raw material to be moulded, and no company is willing to put the time in.

 

Interestingly, when I did my second big career change (back to IT, but this time in the Cloud), I actually did get on a "graduate" scheme where having a degree was the only given qualification required. Going by the age of most of us there, myself included, there was still some filtering by experience though.

 

Some of the advice given here is very good, though. Definitely apply to jobs you think you can do even if you don't meet the criteria. An unqualified idiot may write the job spec, but there's every chance you'll talk to somebody who knows better if you make it to interview. Some companies also hire people for one job and then shuffle them to something more suitable.

 

I'm not a fan of recruitment agents, but they do at least get your CV/résumé out there and may even help you make it more presentable.

[Dubbag]

Don't look at me, I work at Burger King.

[seed]

36 minutes ago, High On Berserk said:

Colleges and universities are for drowning people in debt.

 

Not here though, we don't have that kind of bullshit, we have our own brand of it.

[Graf Zahl]

1 hour ago, High On Berserk said:

Colleges and universities are for drowning people in debt.

 

Make that "American colleges and universities".

[MFG38]

8 hours ago, P41R47 said:

If nothing goes well...
You can always be an artist!

 

Sure, because that's easy.

 

Do you have any idea how much hard work and luck it takes to make a living in that field? You can be creating art and establishing your own artistic identity for several years before your talent gets recognized. And without some networking/marketing skills, you can basically kiss that dream goodbye. Same applies to any other creative field - the music field is especially saturated with musicians striving to become the next big thing but failing for one reason or another.

[NoXion]

I didn't take my GCSE exams and therefore didn't go to university, so I utilised the strategy of just throwing my CV at any vacancy that was at least vaguely pertinent to me. This resulted in a series of underpaid jobs that I didn't like, interspersed with periods of unemployment. It wasn't until last year that I landed a full-time, permanent job that I actually like. Being a vehicle data researcher for a fleet management company isn't the most glamorous of jobs, but it's indoor work with no heavy lifting that actually pays somewhat decently if you're an adult with no dependents. It's got the right balance of being interesting enough without having too much in the way of on-the-job responsibility, so that I find it neither too boring nor too stressful. Considering I've spent most of my adult life drifting from one temporary or crappy job to another, I might not have the best experience, but I'd say it's the best job I've had in over ten years.

I think the key to my success was persistence. The kind of job I have now is probably the best I could have hope for, and I kept on looking for it no matter how much those dickheads at the Jobcentre kept breathing down my neck and trying to force me into some crappy zero-hours minimum wage-slavery bullshit.

[Master O]

5 hours ago, High On Berserk said:

Colleges and universities are for drowning people in debt.

 

"It's called the American Dream, cause you have to be asleep to believe it." - George Carlin

[NuMetalManiak]

If I recall the "entry level with two-years+ experience" is something regarding salary moreso than experience. Which means it is okay to apply for something entry level as long as you have at least 80% or so of qualifications and want to get in it (but probably not if you already have the experience for it because it won't pay as much).

 

A recommendation I have is look at employee reviews. That way you can gauge just how the place you're applying to is from those who have firsthand experience as current or former employees. If many people agree that employees are happy with it, it's certainly a go.

[P41R47]

4 hours ago, MFG38 said:

 

Sure, because that's easy.

 

Do you have any idea how much hard work and luck it takes to make a living in that field? You can be creating art and establishing your own artistic identity for several years before your talent gets recognized. And without some networking/marketing skills, you can basically kiss that dream goodbye. Same applies to any other creative field - the music field is especially saturated with musicians striving to become the next big thing but failing for one reason or another.

I'm a writer.
I write since i got twelve. I published some poetry and essays, and short tales.
Do you know me?
No? That what i thought :D
So read between the lines of this comment, too ;)

HINT: i'm pretty good at cynicism, but not the actual, the old one. Ancient!

[Guest MIND]

4 hours ago, MFG38 said:

 

Sure, because that's easy.

 

Do you have any idea how much hard work and luck it takes to make a living in that field? You can be creating art and establishing your own artistic identity for several years before your talent gets recognized. And without some networking/marketing skills, you can basically kiss that dream goodbye. Same applies to any other creative field - the music field is especially saturated with musicians striving to become the next big thing but failing for one reason or another.

Aha! This x 100!. I like obscure music. Industrial, Punk Rock, some Metal, etc. Some of my music idols have either directly or indirectly told me that making that type of music for a living these days is damn near impossible unless you're willing to give up your artistic integrity and become some generic Hollywood clone, because let's face it, most of what's out there is all the same anyways.

 

Lead singer of Rammstein: I wouldnt start a band today

 

Other lead: I hate just about every aspect of this business, I'd be a fool if I was in this for the money you know.

 

That's my cue that I made the right decision by not taking that path

[Horus]

8 hours ago, Phobus said:

Basically, unpaid work experience for at least a couple of months seems to be the only way into a given field

Which is absolutely terrible for social mobility. Many can’t afford to do this

[zen4040]

beats me, did a crappy low income job a year ago and haven't been able to find work since.

6 hours ago, MFG38 said:

 

Sure, because that's easy.

 

Do you have any idea how much hard work and luck it takes to make a living in that field? You can be creating art and establishing your own artistic identity for several years before your talent gets recognized. And without some networking/marketing skills, you can basically kiss that dream goodbye. Same applies to any other creative field - the music field is especially saturated with musicians striving to become the next big thing but failing for one reason or another.

yup, currently trying to get into that field, and it seems just as hopeless so far.

[DuckReconMajor]

Reminds me of this smbc theater

 

 

[warman2012]

Eh... Thing I could suggest is spam fuck the offices, camp out in the parking lots, and stalk the bosses (yes I know this is extreme, what can you do these days?). I always hear stories of teens and people in their 20s still living with Boomers being told to "Go talk to the hiring manager, keep going till you see someone." Ok, every once in a while I hear a "success story" where someone got lucky doing those things, but that was just it, pure luck. That tactic, while maybe viable at grocery stores and other minimum wage places, isn't going to jive in big cities with professional offices having 6 secretaries and possibly a security desk. The way it is, the only way you are going to get an interview is if they want you. You gotta go through the online filter wall these days. Boomers just don't get this, they think they know everything when they probably haven't had to look for a job since the 80's/90's.

 

Do unconventional things like posting a professional video of yourself on Linkedin showcasing your skills, try advertising yourself while making cat and dog vids (they get millions of hits on youtube), panhandle in the streets asking for a job, or hell even do a GoFundme asking for a buck but really just asking for a job. Its unconventional stuff you gotta do these days to get in. Extreme, but true I am afraid...

[Lizardcommando]

11 hours ago, MFG38 said:

 

Sure, because that's easy.

 

Do you have any idea how much hard work and luck it takes to make a living in that field? You can be creating art and establishing your own artistic identity for several years before your talent gets recognized. And without some networking/marketing skills, you can basically kiss that dream goodbye. Same applies to any other creative field - the music field is especially saturated with musicians striving to become the next big thing but failing for one reason or another.

Yup, and on top of that, I cannot stress this enough (and this is something I will always bring up whenever I see this topic), you have to have an updated portfolio. Keep that shit updated, keep working on your craft. Live, eat, breathe, shit art. 

 

Take it from a failed professional artist, without a professional grade updated portfolio, you can forget about working in any art and design career. Be prepared to get laughed out of your interviews, unless you happen to know somebody who can get you in the front door, but even that is super rare. I do know a few buddies who have found some success in their intended artistic fields, but they more or less agree with the above statements.

[Guest MIND]

5 minutes ago, Lizardcommando said:

Yup, and on top of that, I cannot stress this enough (and this is something I will always bring up whenever I see this topic), you have to have an updated portfolio. Keep that shit updated, keep working on your craft. Live, eat, breathe, shit art.

 

Take it from a failed professional artist, without a professional grade updated portfolio, you can forget about working in any art and design career. Be prepared to get laughed out of your interviews. (unless you happen to know somebody who can get you in the front door, but even that is super rare).

I'm so happy I ditched that fucking field. The professional music business, or PC Hollywood doesnt sound much fun at all. I doubt anything I'd create would even be allowed to be shown.

[High On Berserk]

I think we can all agree on one thing: things are little bleak these days as it comes to job.

 

[Guest MIND]

24 minutes ago, High On Berserk said:

I think we can all agree on one thing: things are little bleak these days as it comes to job.

 

We can agree on another thing. Leech on to your boomer parents for as long as possible as punishment for the terrible economy they gave us. XD

[High On Berserk]

4 minutes ago, MINDDomkr said:

We can agree on another thing. Leech on to your boomer parents for as long as possible as punishment for the terrible economy they gave us. XD

I have only one thing to say in response to this: Damn straight!

[Guest MIND]

11 minutes ago, High On Berserk said:

I have only one thing to say in response to this: Damn straight!

LOL. We've inherited a giant mess. What's the point of even trying to fix it when you have parents who will house and feed you for as long as possible?

[Guest MIND]

Remember the days when you could buy a house for about 50-100k? Yeah well those days are fucking gone xD

 

So until until things change I feel ZERO sympathy for "leaching".

[seed]

10 hours ago, MINDDomkr said:

LOL. We've inherited a giant mess. What's the point of even trying to fix it when you have parents who will house and feed you for as long as possible?

 

Lmao if you think all parents are willing to do that.

 

That's a pretty upsetting thought honestly, last thing I need is to be dependent on someone else my whole life, oh and to also live according to their rules. Trust me I'm there and IT FUCKING SUCKS, you don't want this.

[Graf Zahl]

The real irony here is that in many fields there's a real shortage of talent, yet everybody only looks for perfectly skilled people and nobody is willing to teach. At some point all these companies will have to shut down because they'd be unable to do the work if they themselves don't ensure that the supply of workers doesn't dry up.

 

[seed]

3 minutes ago, Graf Zahl said:

The real irony here is that in many fields there's a real shortage of talent, yet everybody only looks for perfectly skilled people and nobody is willing to teach.

 

This so much.

 

They all expect you to know everything already, no one willing to teach, even when the shortage in many fields here is rather dire, they have no desire to invest in your training whatsoever. Well good luck then, perfect people are hard to find.

[High On Berserk]

2 hours ago, Graf Zahl said:

The real irony here is that in many fields there's a real shortage of talent, yet everybody only looks for perfectly skilled people and nobody is willing to teach. At some point all these companies will have to shut down because they'd be unable to do the work if they themselves don't ensure that the supply of workers doesn't dry up.

 

Everyone wants profits without investing first. I think it's safe to say we as species are doomed.

[NuMetalManiak]

2 hours ago, seed said:

 

This so much.

 

They all expect you to know everything already, no one willing to teach, even when the shortage in many fields here is rather dire, they have no desire to invest in your training whatsoever. Well good luck then, perfect people are hard to find.

More like outright impossible. Billions of people exist in the world and yet they expect the most perfect people who obviously don't exist in their one company. Also the idea of "start immediately once hired" (which is in a few descriptions I read) is an immediate red flag. Even if you had the experience starting immediately doesn't make sense if you're hired into a brand new company.

 

There are just so many red flags to find when finding the job you want, gotta look at job descriptions to see if their full of crap, company reviews to see how others felt, and contracts (once hired) to see if you're going to be binded by some weird shit.

[seed]

30 minutes ago, NuMetalManiak said:

and contracts (once hired) to see if you're going to be binded by some weird shit.

 

Indeed, but this one especially, a surprising number of people never read the papers they sign, they treat them like the Terms of Use and Licensing information from an installer, scroll down to the bottom and press accept...

[Vorpal]

You can safely ignore all "MUST HAVE X EXPERIENCE" lines in a job posting, unless it's managerial or project lead. The people with the broad skillsets that they are asking for, ARE ALREADY EMPLOYED SOMEWHERE, and they are hired via headhunting (directly contacting and making an offer to the person you want).

 

The "needs experience" lines serve two functions: explaining what the employer wants you to ultimately be doing, and filtering out people who are unsure about the job by scaring them off. Additionally as others have said it's also probably written by the front desk telephone monkey. 

[Guest MIND]

5 hours ago, seed said:

 

Lmao if you think all parents are willing to do that.

 

That's a pretty upsetting thought honestly, last thing I need is to be dependent on someone else my whole life, oh and to also live according to their rules. Trust me I'm there and IT FUCKING SUCKS, you don't want this.

Not a big deal. Want to blast your music loud? Put on headphones. Want to walk around naked? Wait until your parents have to go out and do chores.

Then again, I don't date so I don't have to worry about "bringing people back home".