Job hunting morale
It's been months now. I've been applying to dozens of jobs per day, adjusting my application to the position, working with agencies, getting feedback from recruiters, trying to network, improving my skills, volunteering as a research coordinator, etc. I've had interviews but unfortunately haven't received any offers. I know it's a matter of time and luck, but I just don't know how to keep my morale up at this point. Does anyone have any recommendations to share for myself and others going through this struggle?
Six months. 400+ applications. Handful of interviews. Just got an offer.
I've met a lot of recruiters over the past months and they all say the same thing. It's WEIRD right now. Lots of jobs, lots of applicants, lots of mismatch. They sift through hundreds of resumes per day.
Oh I know, the whole ATS-schpeal is something lots of agencies express nowadays with the number of applicants. Still, it feels like a problem to ignore a resume that uses an alternative expression or a slight modification to a keyword. Good job on getting the offer though đź‘Ť
The fuck are you applying for? I'm in education and I got my current position by cold-calling the department head and saying that I was interested, but only for three hours.
I was pushed forward to hire in 1.
I mean, good for you, but you're clearly in the minority of fields to have the ability to do that. I'm also in a relatively small field so it's fairly easy to get interviews, but most aren't in the same position.
IT
Same boat… even applied at Target for seasonal work prior to holidays and nothing…
10 years of military/healthcare service and 3 years of data analysis experience. Nothing. Anywhere. It’s getting kind of brutal just to survive now.
I would go back to school but my last university screwed me out of my GI Bill by submitting paperwork late and not telling me. Months later I get mail from VA saying I owe them a thousand dollars for a course I dropped after the cut off, even though I had dropped it in time. Without a job I had now way to pay it back, and now I’m pretty sure I can’t use what’s left.
Yeah I can't even imagine what the unemployment experience must be like in the US, not that I'd fully be able to explain in the first place. But the same struggles as in Canada and then some, especially with privatized healthcare/universities gouging you and everything else going on.
What is your education level? You're looking for a research coordinator position, do you mind if I ask in which field? If you're post doc I don't know where to begin, if you're bachelor's you may want to consider going for a lower level position somewhere you really want to work, you'll be a much better candidate when a position opens, or a new position is created with you in mind to fill it.
The research and development field has been hammered with cuts and uncertainty the last year, everyone is reorganizing and tightening the fiscal belt. Especially industries that were thriving during covid time (other industries have looked at those fields and have also panicked-layed off, rather than hiring the experienced people that are looking for work).
If you're fresh out of college it's not going to be a good time.
What country are you in, and what field do you want to work in?
Edit: it will get better, and you will find yourself looking back from where you are, and be amazed at the journey you took to get there. Every volunteer position you take will be part of your story, and the people you work with will remember your actions, save you'll meet them again some day and have wonderful "remember when" and "whatever happened to" conversations
I've been applying to research assistant and administrative assistant positions in healthcare and industry, though my field in psychology. I currently have a bachelor's degree so I'm not really expecting any higher roles than that, but just want to get some more experience and pay more of my student loans before going off to grad school. I'm in Toronto so there are plenty of those jobs, but lot of competition. I thought I'd have better chances having managed the research project, co-developed design, and written a manuscript, but hell I'm still struggling
A ton of competition and local universities are freaking out over the loss of international students money with the federal changes.
Have you tried looking at various operations/analyst type roles in Toronto outside your usual search? You'd probably do decently well in those roles. Even project management.
Yeah I've been applying for some operations and analyst roles, though not as much as the healthcare/science/nonprofit stuff, but I definitely should try anyways. I guess I am a little discouraged not having a background in finance or anything, but I've worked retail and warehousing/factory work before so I could try to find positions closer to those industries (not that I'm begging to go back).
And funny that you mention it, but iam taking Google's PM Coursera too and utilizing the tools in my current research work, for experience and to improve project processes. I hate the corpo style of PM classes (at least Google's presentation of it) but I do enjoy managing projects. Demonstrating this kind of Initiative and experience hasn't given me much of an edge though. Just sheer bad luck on my end I guess
Yeah. My comment was shitty and didn't really add to the conversation.