Been applying for jobs

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I've been applying for jobs! I've never had a job before. It's scary and exciting. Only problem is that I have this constant anxiety about my phone ringing or checking my emails.

Not sure what the outcome is going to be, but I really need to find something as at the moment me and my partner can't afford rent on her wage alone. I've been applying for programming jobs. I find that job specifications seem to ask for some superhuman who is absolutely fantastic at 100 things, which probably a handful of people in the world satisfy, it's kind of funny.

Good luck.

When I first started working, I had that same anxiety about emails and telephone, mostly telephone.
Luckily the guy who referred me to the job let me go slow and he would make return calls for me sometimes. I eventually got to the point where I could do all of the incoming and outgoing calls related to my job. Yes, I still feel anxiety over it, but, it doesn't stop me anymore, I just get it over with to get rid of the anxious feeling.

I like my work now, it's more SystemAdministration, before I was doing a lot of support on multiple projects and dealing with a ton of people.

And, yeah, don't get me started on the ridiculous job requirements. I applied for one a couple years ago that sounded pretty advanced, but, then, when we talked paygrade, it was all I could do not to laugh. I couldn't pay my student loans on that, let alone support my family. Sheesh.

Just an update. I've got a job interview! Pretty nervous, I guess it'll be my first job interview ever. Not sure what to expect. From their correspondence, they sound pretty positive about me as a candidate, so that makes me feel more relaxed. This was one of the few jobs I applied for which didn't have a rediculous list of requirements, it seemed pretty relaxed and open to different kinds of applicants. One thing that worries me is that the job hasn't had its salary advertised, so I'm suspecting they'll try to negotiate a salary with me during the interview. I feel that the best bet is to say a number higher than what I expect to be paid, because they should always say "no. we'll offer you this", yet if I say a number too small they'll just be like "sure ".

Good luck!


A good environment is worth it's weight in gold.

And, yeah, salary is such a sticky issue, good luck with it.

Absolutely! When discussing salary I tend to say that it's more important to me to be happy in my work, the salary isn't so important to me. Then I let them decide. I never tend to earn much more than minimum wage but I'd prefer to earn minimum wage in an easy job. It seems the more they pay the more demanding of you they are.

Aradesh please let us know how your interview went Have you been to it yet?

don't be intimidated by job ad descriptions like that. Part of the reason they're written like that, IMO, is to intimidate some into not applying - because they don't want unconfident people more than they don't want unqualified people. Confident people can likely learn what they need to and get the job done.

Also, the job is posted because they don't know anyone with those qualifications and no one that works for them has a friend or contact that's available with this qualifications - so they need to find someone.. the best someone they can find. The job ad is their WISH LIST of the qualifications that their ideal PERFECT candidate would possess, but in the real world they have no choice but to settle for the best applicant. So, put your best foot forward and apply for the job(s) in confidence, and you might just get an interview and an offer if they can't find anyone more closely suited to their wish list of qualifications than those that you possess.

Good luck!

Thanks for the feedback all!

Hmmm. Interesting points.

elsaflowers: I like that. You'd give a really positive attitude to the employer... That you're only willing to do a job that you'll enjoy, and that theirs is possibly such a job. I'm almost in that same boat, however I will be living in a fairly expensive location where minimum wage, plus my girlfriends wage, would still struggle to cover rent + bills. But in principal, I'm with you.

goldfish21: I like your interpretation of it as being a wishlist. I must admit that at times I have been put off applying, but not so much due to lack of confidence but because I suspect the HR department will throw my application in the bin before sending it to the actual department! But I guess there is no harm in trying!

I had the interview by the way. I thought it went well, but they never got back in touch with me Ah well, it was an interesting experience and I learnt a lot. I have another interview next week - having spoken on the phone they sounded very positive, so we'll have to see what happens.

This happens a lot unfortunately It's downright bad manners IMO as it doesn't take much to send an email so people aren't left hanging on. Good luck for next week

Thanks!

I'm a college student and also looking for a job. It's really hard because I don't have any paid experience in my field and most people in my major are a lot more social than I am. I'm studying to be a pastry chef (not much social interaction) but it's a hospitality program and everyone else is a social butter fly. Over all, it's just hard and I really want a job because my Grandma just died and I want to be distracted from it.

Hi all I just thought I'd update this thread. I finally got a job I start in a few weeks.

Going to interviews was an interesting learning experience. I also had many phone interviews (didn't like those) and some skype interviews (didn't mind them so much).

Some things seem random though, like some phone interviews that I thought went terrible, they ended up getting back in touch, and other things that I thought went really well didn't lead to anything.

Congrats on the job!

Any big take-aways from the job hunt? And what industry did you end up in?

Haha... I've had similar experiences over the years.

It's hard to read others, especially during interviews with everyone being so serious.

IT, software development in particular.

I guess so however it is hard to explain what I learnt from the process. Being persistent seems important, as you might have to apply to many things over a period of time unless you're lucky. Also I think it's good to not worry about doing every little thing right in an interview, there are just too many "you must do this, you must not do that" things to think about. At the end of the day it seems to be that you get the job when the right person decides that they 'like' you, and that isn't really within your control, so it's good to be yourself.

There were also answers to questions that at first i struggled to answer or find good examples, but after a number of interviews and phone conversations with employers, I'd figured out things to say to them. But in spite of this sometimes an interview just seems set-up to give you a hard time, or an easy time, and so you shouldn't be too upset with yourself if an interview goes badly.