applying places and not getting interviews?

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I've been looking for a new job lately since I'm only getting 11 hours a week where I currently work, so I can't move out or anything. I also got turned down for disability so that's out of the question. I've been applying places throughout town the last few weeks, turning in applications a couple of places a week. I'm getting a little frustrated however since last week I applied a few places that were hiring but nobody called me for a interview. Does anyone know why this might be?

I have the benefit of being educated, already having a full-time job (they say it's easier to get a job when you have a job), and living in a county with unemployment even below the low national average. I still can barely get interviews.

It's a big issue for me. The problem is that a lot of employers use automated application scanners to check for buzzwords, rather than actually reading applications.

There are a lot of unemployed people these days, so the places that are hiring usually have a lot of people applying for those positions. Inteviewing everyone would take too much time, so they only choose the best options for interviews.

A few applications/a week isn't a lot, either. Some send tens without even getting an interview, some hundreds before getting a job. Just keep trying.

You need to apply for gobbs and gobbs of jobs before you get an interview.

Where I work, we have a really high turnaround, and it seems like workers keep flooding through...so I would recommend trying a temp agency or two. If you don't like where they send you, you can just request something else.

That reminds me of a joke I once heard...

The "human resources" manager receives dozens of applications for the same job. As the first stage in filtering them, they shuffle the applications like a deck of cards, then "cut the deck" and just throw the applications that they cut from the top of the pile straight in the trash.

A colleague sees them doing this, and asks; "That seems a bit unfair and random, why do you do it like that?"

The reply; "We don't want people working here who are jinxed with such bad luck."

So that's why I always have a hard time getting a job.

Sounds pretty accurate.

When you applied for disability, did you have any documentation? Did you have a clinical diagnosis of autism? Did you have a doctor's note stating that due to your condition, you would be unable to work? If you had this documentation and were still declined, did you appeal? If you visit the social security website, they recommend filing an appeal instead of filing a new application. People who file new applications work from a disadvantage because it's noted in their records that they had previously been declined.




I'm a Career and Technical Education teacher and have some experience with teaching people how to find a job. I really think that high schools need to offer a 1 semester course in life skills. This would include lessons on how to write a letter, how to write a cover letter, how to find a job, how to apply for a job, and how to interview. I also think that students would benefit from learning how to balance a check book.

First, the good news. If you're in the United States, our national unemployment rate has dropped to 4.1%. It's been 18 years since we've seen an unemployment rate this low. Back in 2000, the unemployment rate was 3.9%. Depending upon what sort of job you're looking for, employers are scrambling to find qualified applicants.

So here are some questions for you:

Question 1: What sort of jobs have you been applying for ... and are you actually qualified for these positions? Dio you have prior work experience for the positions you've applied for? If not, you should lower your sights and apply for an entry level position.

Question 2: Have you submitted a resume and cover letter with your job application? If you submitted a resume, prior to submitting it, did you have someone proofread it for mistakes?

Here are some fun facts.

1) 53% of HR directors think that resumes do not provide a complete picture of an applicant's qualifications.

2) 29% of these HR directors think that all job applications should be accompanied by a resume and a cover letter.

3) 39% of these HR directors want to see an on-line portfolio that documents your ability to do the job you're applying for.

4) Be aware that HR departments frequently do background verification checks for applicants they might be interested in. An astounding 75% of all HR directors have caught applicants lying about their prior work history, skills, and/or education. Lying on a resume will automatically disqualify you as an applicant.

5) 8% of all resumes are incomplete with gaps in the applicant's work history, gaps in education backgrounds, or a failure to provide a listing of references with appropriate contact information.

6) 4% of all resumes are poorly written. [i]I keep resume samples on file at work. Under "skills," one of my favorite bad resumes said, "Hardly working." The applicant probably meant, "Hard working" ... and I'm sorry but hard working isn't a skill. It's a character trait.

Other epic mistakes I've seen on a resume are unprofessional email addresses, like (and I made this up as an example since I would never give out someone's real email address), "[email protected]."

Under the objective heading, one person actually wrote, "I want to be great at what I do and make a lot of money." This objective doesn't show any commitment to the job or demonstrate what he/she could do for the employer. It's also vague and does not specify what position this person was interested in.

7) 18% of all HR directors also report that applicants have unrealistic expectations regarding their level of pay.

As a former employer, you wouldn't believe how many applicants we got for wait staff, prep cooks, line cooks etc. Who has time to read all of these applications.

One thing I learned to do very quickly was to discard all of the bad applications.

Under "What position are you applying for?" I always discarded any application that read, "I want any job that you think I'm qualified for." From my point of view, it wasn't my job to figure out what you were qualified for. It was that person's responsibility to tell me what he/she wanted to do and it was then my job to screen the applicant to see if he/she met the minimum qualifications.

Under "What days are you willing to work?" I discarded any application that didn't indicate the applicants willingness to work any day of the week for any hour of the day. As an employer I needed employees who were flexible.

Under references, I usually discarded any application that listed mom or dad, Uncle Joe, or Pastor Bob. I wasn't interested in character references. I was interested in references from previous employers. Anyone who had a prior work history was expected to provide references from work related references. People who didn't do this were red flagged and their applications were filed in the trash.

Question 3: Have you done any follow ups or have you been sitting by the phone waiting for it to ring?

Just because an employer hasn't called you back doesn't mean that he/she isn't interested in you as an applicant. Some employers are overwhelmed with paperwork. It doesn't hurt to do a follow up and to call and see if the position is still open.

Question 4: Have you ever been convicted of a crime?

Although ex-cons have (in theory) "paid their debt to society" by having served time, the sad reality is that some employers won't hire an ex-con. To be fair, certain types of convictions would disqualify you from certain types of jobs. A bank robber or someone who embezzled from an employer would not be able to find a job in banking. A pedophile cannot be employed as a teacher or for any position that might involve children.

If you have conviction on your record, it's best that you apply for jobs that have nothing to do with your conviction.

A kid starting out doesn't have work references to provide unless you count volunteer experience.

You also have to keep your Facebook page clean. Employers DO look at your profile on there!

If you have the misfortune of having a common name, i've searched mine on facebook and came up with about 30 results, so that could be a reason, because i've never used facebook and never will

GOOD POINT!

I once had a friend, I'll call him John Brown which is not his real name, who applied for a teaching job with a large school district. He had a friend who was a principal in this district and when the principal learned that John Brown had applied to his district, he called the HR department and directed them to hire John Brown.

On the first day that teachers reported to work, the principal went to John's classroom looking to greet his old friend. My friend is a skinny middle aged white guy. The guy in the classroom was much younger. He was also black. His name was also John brown.

When the principal checked back with HR, the HR people found that they had THREE John Browns who had applied for jobs.

My own name, while not John Brown, is also fairly common. When I googled my own name, 264 million results came back along with dozens of pictures of people with my name who were clearly not me.

(Smile)

Lots of good advice here! I'll just reiterate what Fireblossom said, you need to fill out lots of applications.
Another good thing to do is to call and ask if they got your application if you haven't heard back for a bit. There's lots of good advice online too about getting a job. I actually start my first job this Saturday so there's hope, just keep a positive mindset! Good luck!