Why can't I get a job? Recent Grad, 3.7 GPA, Good Exp, Year and a half of searching..

Quote from stinkyfelix:

I would NOT do the above. That's a good way to get on the firm's DND list.

At the firm I used to work at, the Managing Director had 3 office phone numbers. One of them is the public number, the other two are for established clients, other executives within the company, calls of a personal nature, etc.

He would never answer the public number. It would always go to voice mail. His executive secretary would listen to all the voice mails and screen them. Same went for email. If an established client couldn't get ahold of the Managing Director, they would call his Executive Secretary directly on his/her line. The Executive Secretary was everything from gatekeeper to bulldog to problem solver. In our company, an Executive Secretary would make $75 to $95k before bonus. When some of our junior analysts found out about the salary level for the Executive Secretaries, they wanted to apply.

When a position was open the official procedure is to notify HR. HR would post the job for a minimum of 5 days. Everyone, internal and external candidates would apply online. Potential internal candidates would call others in the dept and ask if the Managing Director already had someone in mind for the job or if this was truly an "open" position. You get the idea of how it really works.

In todays work environment, a hiring Managing Director definately would have someone in mind. There is alot of unemployed experienced talent available willing to work for less $$.

Sorry, but the chances of being hired off the street with your resume is very slim and the little trick that was suggested won't work. It will backfire.

A better way would be to call and identify yourself as an applicant for x job that was posted online. If the Executive Secretary is in the mood (the tone of your call is very important) he/she might pull up your online application and give it a 2 second glance. If nothing stands out on your application it goes back into the abyss... That's the way it works. Good Luck
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Best reply so far, I have the same experiences with the company I used to deal with, I hated offices politics, it is truly team play ground, if you want to be a outcast, you will never go anywhere. well, you better learn the term, nepotism. Hate it,but it is useful in time of needs. :D
 
INeedAJob, why don't you go to Japan and teach English? Look into the JET program. They like young people for these English teaching positions, JPY is very strong now, you're exempt from taxes, the job leaves you with a lot of free time, and you don't need to know any Japanese.

Instead of chasing skirt with all your free time, like most of the JETs do, use it to study trading. Practice your ass off trading the Hang Seng and/or the KOSPI and return to the US as a trader with some capital from your years as a JET.
 
Not sure the post is genuine but if it is you should find a job eventually. You have got plenty of things to show to these ahole recruiters , btw how did yoiu get and keep your series 7 and 63 ?


As for the job market, instead of throwing everything at it like the govt does I say cut taxes, and people should readjust their lifestyle, stop trying to keep up with the Jones, consume less or not at all, and if they don't find a job, grow your own stuff in the backyard .
Free yourself from all this shit, do your own thing people are slaves, they want a job to get money to get stuff, to be like other people get their ipod and their nice car, their nice house. But they live like slaves. Fuck that.
 
I have an economics degree from Stony Brook University with a 3.72 GPA. I have good experience, including a Series 7 and 63. I have been out of school for a year and a half now searching for a full time salaried position and have had zero interviews. I have sent out thousands upon thousands of resumes, not one call back.

My resume is good. I have had it reviewed by dozens of people, including some in charge of hiring at financial companies, although none that were in a position to help me in more then advice.

I know I am a great candidate. I am a fast learner and was at the top of all my classes, but can not get my foot in the door anywhere. I have used every contact I have to no avail (including some big names).

Will someone tell me where they are hiding the job listings that actually call you in for interviews so I can show how good I really am?
quote by INeedAJob


Because you are a state school graduate going after jobs that are mostly the reserved for Ivy Leaguers or other top schools e.g. Stanford i.e. there educational experience is more credible and they are very well connected i.e. alumni. Off the top of my head I can't think of one Stony Brook graduate with a top job ( nationwide ).
 
Quote from dealmaker:

Because you are a state school graduate going after jobs that are mostly the reserved for Ivy Leaguers or other top schools e.g. Stanford i.e. there educational experience is more credible and they are very well connected i.e. alumni. Off the top of my head I can't think of one Stony Brook graduate with a top job ( nationwide ).
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Look a little harder, my Opthomologist makes close to seven figures and graduated from SUNY SB undergrad & Med School.

The economy/job market only fell into the shitter recently, there are plenty of of Stony Brook grads with decent jobs.

Posts like yours remind me to take 95% of this site with a grain of salt.
 
Look a little harder, my Opthomologist makes close to seven figures and graduated from SUNY SB undergrad & Med School.

The economy/job market only fell into the shitter recently, there are plenty of of Stony Brook grads with decent jobs.

Posts like yours remind me to take 95% of this site with a grain of salt. -quote by Surdo




Please read carefully it says nationwide TOP job, not private practice then its opthamologist.
 
Here are a few edges.


Get the Rosetta Stone of Chinese and start learning but already include that you know how to speak Chinese. Also saying you been to China could not hurt. Same with Spanish.

Learn an older programming language. This might land you a niche job that could lead to better things. I know 2 people who have done this.

Dont say you are from long island.


Also I would pick being a PA over a Pharmacist any day. Less school, better hours and better pay.
 
Here is my reasoning.

He tried getting in the door through human resources and he didnt get the job. One casual and friendly phonecall inquiring about the position could not hurt.

No one keeps a "DND list". If the hiring manager is simply not interested, then he will keep the call short and sweet, thank him for inquiring and move on to other tasks. By noon, he probably wont even remember who he spoke to.

Lets say he lands on the magical black list then this is probably not a place he wants to waste his time at. If the manager's feelings get hurt over a friendly phonecall inquiring about positions, then you dont want to work for that guy. Trust me on this. It would be an endless battle to work for such an insensitive jerk. In fact, it would have to be an outrageous sum of money for me to work for a jerk who keeps black lists of guys who call inquiring about jobs.

There is nothing he can do to harm his current status which is basically unemployed (without actually collecting unemployment). Emailing and faxing isnt working then try calling.

If I were him, I would start working on a 30 second "elevator speech" and hit the ground knocking on doors and cold-calling. I might add that "cold calling" is how leads are generated in certain sales operations.

If I were still at the gig of managing and hiring then I would welcome such energy. Most managers have a few guys in their operation who basically have no energy and they want to replace them. So a young guy who wants to work and comes knocking would be a pleasant experience.

Quote from stinkyfelix:

I would NOT do the above. That's a good way to get on the firm's DND list.

At the firm I used to work at, the Managing Director had 3 office phone numbers. One of them is the public number, the other two are for established clients, other executives within the company, calls of a personal nature, etc.

He would never answer the public number. It would always go to voice mail. His executive secretary would listen to all the voice mails and screen them. Same went for email. If an established client couldn't get ahold of the Managing Director, they would call his Executive Secretary directly on his/her line. The Executive Secretary was everything from gatekeeper to bulldog to problem solver. In our company, an Executive Secretary would make $75 to $95k before bonus. When some of our junior analysts found out about the salary level for the Executive Secretaries, they wanted to apply.

When a position was open the official procedure is to notify HR. HR would post the job for a minimum of 5 days. Everyone, internal and external candidates would apply online. Potential internal candidates would call others in the dept and ask if the Managing Director already had someone in mind for the job or if this was truly an "open" position. You get the idea of how it really works.

In todays work environment, a hiring Managing Director definately would have someone in mind. There is alot of unemployed experienced talent available willing to work for less $$.

Sorry, but the chances of being hired off the street with your resume is very slim and the little trick that was suggested won't work. It will backfire.

A better way would be to call and identify yourself as an applicant for x job that was posted online. If the Executive Secretary is in the mood (the tone of your call is very important) he/she might pull up your online application and give it a 2 second glance. If nothing stands out on your application it goes back into the abyss... That's the way it works. Good Luck
More...
 
Quote from retaildaytrader:

Here is my reasoning.

He tried getting in the door through human resources and he didnt get the job. One casual and friendly phonecall inquiring about the position could not hurt.

No one keeps a "DND list". If the hiring manager is simply not interested, then he will keep the call short and sweet, thank him for inquiring and move on to other tasks. By noon, he probably wont even remember who he spoke to.

Lets say he lands on the magical black list then this is probably not a place he wants to waste his time at. If the manager's feelings get hurt over a friendly phonecall inquiring about positions, then you dont want to work for that guy. Trust me on this. It would be an endless battle to work for such an insensitive jerk. In fact, it would have to be an outrageous sum of money for me to work for a jerk who keeps black lists of guys who call inquiring about jobs.

There is nothing he can do to harm his current status which is basically unemployed (without actually collecting unemployment). Emailing and faxing isnt working then try calling.

If I were him, I would start working on a 30 second "elevator speech" and hit the ground knocking on doors and cold-calling. I might add that "cold calling" is how leads are generated in certain sales operations.

If I were still at the gig of managing and hiring then I would welcome such energy. Most managers have a few guys in their operation who basically have no energy and they want to replace them. So a young guy who wants to work and comes knocking would be a pleasant experience.
More...

Listen, the 2009 real world works quite different from the 1980s stories & movies. The person whom you are quoting obviously has worked at an Investment bank recently, while I am not sure whether you have had any recent corporate job experience.

You have a lot of "ifs" in your advice but no real knowledge. The fact of the matter is that no MD or VP has time to deal with energetic men or women trying to get hired. The fact is that most corporate buildings in NYC have strict security, especially financial firms, so you can forget the elevator speech strategy. Some elevators are even password or keycard protected
The fact is that these institutions have long evolved from their inception in the 1980s, and have several barrier mechanisms against the cold caller or walk in applicant.

If the thread starter really wants to break through, he needs to go hang out, work out, relax, etc. where these people are. Which is why some of the best advice he got is that he has to relocate where the action is and get involved.

My advice to the thread starter is to stop looking at the old and look at the new. There are emerging industries where your sales experience can be of value. Alternatively, technical skills are of demand, if you are willing to learn.
 
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