Job searches

[DroVal]

Unfortunately I have been out of work since 2007. At the time I left my job at Wal-Mart to take care of my Grandfather during his final phase of life. I was with him for 9 months before I had force him into Hospice care since I could no longer for him in his home in Vegas like he wanted.

I moved back here to AZ and in with my family and can not find work to save my life. A little back ground on me will help with some of the reasons why. I have an allergy to the sun which doesn't allow me to spend long hours outside in direct sun light anymore, along with another undiagnosed dermatitis of some kind (I say undiagnosed because I cant get doctors to agree on what exactly it is. Sunlight, heat, sweat, and dirt also aggravate this condition. Yes I know I live in the wrong state with these issues, lol.

That being said my job skills are limited. I have only ever worked retail and or warehouses/stockrooms. Not a very attractive resume for someone at 37 yrs old.

Back in the day searches seemed easier. Go to X company, ask if they were hiring, fill out application, and move on. Now a days if you walk into some place and ask about employment they refer you to the internet. Internet job searches have become horrible. Click to apply for whatever job and you unknowingly end up filling out forms for something completely unrelated to the job you thought you were applying for. I have gotten so leery about this that I often skip ads for jobs.

I am registered with several temp agencies and apply to jobs weekly that I should be perfect for, but never get responses. My resume is up to date. I am registered with Monster and a few other job sites.

I apologize for being long winded here, but I was wondering if any of you had any suggestions. I figured I would ask here since there have been a threads about folks being out of work or just finally finding work. I'm at my wits end with this and things are starting to get real tough around here money wise.

Anyways, thanks for letting me ask and I appreciate any help yall can think to offer.

DroVal

 

[4spdragtop]

I hear you about the internet job posting. I have applied for quite a few positions in the water treatment field for which I have a college diploma in. Probably applied to about 50 positions, without 1 single interview. Unfortunately the internet is the way things are done now-a-days. Check for companies websites specifically that you would be interested in looking for, as opposed to "job banks". Once you find a company that is hiring, apply in person, drop off resume and cover letter. Get a biz card of the person from Human Resources. Even if you cant see that person face to face, you will have their contact info(ph ext and email). Follow up with that person to let them know you have dropped your resume off and are enthusiastically looking for work. Make sure that you explain your work gap(caring for Grandpa). Also do research on the company you have applied to. Guaranteed they will ask you what you know about their company. On a side note, a good parts/warehouse person is a plus for any company. Unused space for a company is a waste of money, so being able to utilize almost every square inch of space means more $$ for them. Sorry to hear about the allergies, and I hope this helps. Someone else may chime in here with more tips/pointers! Chin up and good luck!! By the way you did a very good/kind thing for your Grandpa, Karma will come back to you!

Steve

 

[ramenth]

First of all, let me extend my condolences for your grandfather.

I can understand your frustration about employers using the internet for the application process these days. It eliminates the human element I've always used to my advantage in starting the job of selling my skills to get an interview. A handshake and a smile can go a long way.

That being said, have you tried your local department of labor for guidance? Many here offer classes on using the internet for job searches and how to navigate through all the BS you'll find. They also offer advise on which websites are the most used by employers for which skill sets, etc. With increased competition for every position they can also help tighten your resume and offer advise on which skills you may need to focus on, which things you might need to downplay, etc.

Many employers also prefer using the DoL for jobs listings, relying on the department to narrow down the list of potential applicants to who may be better suited to a job. This opens a host of employers that refuse to use the internet, but won't publicly list the job, either.

Good luck.

 

[DroVal]

Thank you both for the kind words and for the advice. I haven't tried the apply in person approach with companies that I see hiring online. Figured they would frown on it, but will give it a go and see what happens. I also tend to stick with the job banks, company sites, temp agencies, city sites, and forget about state department. Did some looking around (I'm surprised I haven't ran into these before) and found that we have what they call One Stop Job Shops. It is AZ Workforce Connections. They have orientations a few times a week. So Monday I will be starting there. Thanks again!

 

[Mopar to ya]

I sold my bar in October of last year and have been out of work since. I have applied for hundreds of jobs, whether I am qualified or not. The impersonal-ness of the internet world makes it so hard. All they see is a few words on a screen or paper. If I get a personal interview, I will get the job. Getting that interview is the problem. I have a friend with a shop I work at part time and he is building another shop that I will be running. I am okay financially. I was at the point of finding a job on the internet, researching to find who and where it is, and then going down in person to see what they thought of my resume'. It sucks, but if you can't get to them persionally, or know someone in the company, you are screwed.

 

[Oklacarcollecto]

Thank you both for the kind words and for the advice. I haven't tried the apply in person approach with companies that I see hiring online. Figured they would frown on it, but will give it a go and see what happens. I also tend to stick with the job banks, company sites, temp agencies, city sites, and forget about state department. Did some looking around (I'm surprised I haven't ran into these before) and found that we have what they call One Stop Job Shops. It is AZ Workforce Connections. They have orientations a few times a week. So Monday I will be starting there. Thanks again!

We have Workforce Oklahoma and that is where many of the good jobs come from. Also look at municipal government, county government and state government for a possible job. Any colleges in the area because that is also another good spot to find in door employment. The spefic areas I just listed normally comes with an excellent benifits package and the jobs aren't normally affected by the economy.

 

[Frankie]

Is there something you can do that would allow you to go into business for yourself? Anything? You'd be surprised at what people are willing to pay to have work done for them.
If you do that, be sure your are either incorporated or start an LLC, and have liability insurance.

 

[DroVal]

I sold my bar in October of last year and have been out of work since. I have applied for hundreds of jobs, whether I am qualified or not. The impersonal-ness of the internet world makes it so hard. All they see is a few words on a screen or paper. If I get a personal interview, I will get the job. Getting that interview is the problem. I have a friend with a shop I work at part time and he is building another shop that I will be running. I am okay financially. I was at the point of finding a job on the internet, researching to find who and where it is, and then going down in person to see what they thought of my resume'. It sucks, but if you can't get to them persionally, or know someone in the company, you are screwed.

Glad to hear that you were able to find something. I guess I will have to start knocking on doors again. I honestly thought that they would frown on this since I usually get the "go to our website" response when I inquire about work.

 

[DroVal]

We have Workforce Oklahoma and that is where many of the good jobs come from. Also look at municipal government, county government and state government for a possible job. Any colleges in the area because that is also another good spot to find in door employment. The spefic areas I just listed normally comes with an excellent benifits package and the jobs aren't normally affected by the economy.

Thanks, I will look into these. I'm pretty close to ASU and a few of the community colleges.

I applied yesterday for a stocker/unloader position with K-Mart last night. This is a job I have nearly 10 yrs exp. with and I got a Thank you, but no thank you email response today. I don't get it. Sorry needed to vent a bit there.

 

[Oklacarcollecto]

Thanks, I will look into these. I'm pretty close to ASU and a few of the community colleges.

I applied yesterday for a stocker/unloader position with K-Mart last night. This is a job I have nearly 10 yrs exp. with and I got a Thank you, but no thank you email response today. I don't get it. Sorry needed to vent a bit there.

Today is Saturday and I am sure any hiring would have to go through corporate. It takes a while with big chains.

Don't pass up on the other list I gave you. Everyone of those government places need janatorial services.

 

[gtmopar]

Check with the Department Of Rehabilitation. Your health condition would be considered a disability and they help folks with getting city, state and government jobs. I know it sounds shitty but use your disadvantage to your advantage! Worth a shot man, you just have to show enthusiasm about finding work and they might be able to help you or point you in another direction. Good luck man.

 

[BigWhip]

Sorry about your grandfather.

Here is a good site to look for a job in any state in America. I hope this will help everyone in need.
http://federalgovernmentjobs.us/

 

[DroVal]

Thanks everybody. I'm definitely keeping at it, just frustrated. And thanks for the suggestion on the Department of rehabilitation, will check it out.