Cars and Computers

[Paragon Fury]

So in my fruitless search for employment post-graduation, I've come across three incredibly frustrating things that occur nearly everywhere and lead to not being hired, and they're starting to piss me off more and more, because they often they have no impact on your ability to actually do the job.

1: The requirement to apply online. I'm sorry, are you just too lazy to keep some paper applications on hand for the people who show the motivation to apply in person? What about people who don't have computers, or can't afford to have Internet? Are they just not allowed to have a job there, regardless of what the job actually entails (IE: Working at Price Chopper)?

2: Not having a car/driver's license. This one is getting to me the most; OK, so some of us are bad at driving/never got our license/are too poor to afford a car+license. Unless the job actually requires you to operate a motor vehicle, so long as I can arrive at the job on time reliably, what difference does a car/driver's license make? My legs aren't broken - I can walk or bike there. And there is this wonderful invention called the bus, which can get me where I need to go as well.

This is particularly annoying in cases where the job obviously doesn't require the services of a driver's license (Why exactly, would one NEED a driver's license to be a Collection Tech at the Red Cross, or do stock at a warehouse, or work in the IBM Manufacturing plant?). I mean seriously, WTF? A driver's license has no impact on my ability to perform the job in question, so how are they allowed to use it as reason to not hire me.

(Double annoyance points for those stores who DO have paper applications who then tell you that you need a driver's license to get back and forth to work.....when you clearly just walked there under you own power.)

3: Finally....the "lack of experience" denial. Huh.....a recent, fresh-from-college-graduate lacks work experience?

No shit Sherlock. Thats why we're looking for freaking jobs. This would be an understandable denial if the jobs making the denial made sense - IE: High-end/highly technical/sensitive jobs that would obviously require some sort of prior experience/education.

But when you get denied for CASHIER AT FYE, or staff at a simple restaurant (not a fancy place, mind you) or even STOCK PERSON because of "lack of experience", you'll excuse me if I want to punch a hole in something.

I mean, really?

(Funnily enough, a friend and I made the observation that this very thing is why we see so little change/innovation in the game's industry; basically no one is hiring "fresh blood" - they're only hiring older people who got fired/laid off/left other developers, rather than anyone who have fresh/new ideas/experience).

You know, people in American are bitching hardcore about the jobs situation in America.....mainly blaming it on the government. But as someone stuck in the middle of trying to get a job in this environment.....I'm inclined to say it may be the companies and jobs themselves who are more at fault than the government or the people.

 

[Fappy]

1. There are places you can go to use a computer/internet for free. Pretty sure most Libraries in the US do this.
2. I never knew that was an issue. Pretty silly, I agree.
3. They don't tell you this, but you really need to get your foot in the door while you're still in school. Almost everyone who graduated around the same time as me is only employed in the field they studied because they either interned somewhere during school or did a lot of related work during school. What this really comes down to is: it's about who you know.

 

[Heronblade]

You know, people in American are bitching hardcore about the jobs situation in America.....mainly blaming it on the government. But as someone stuck in the middle of trying to get a job in this environment.....I'm inclined to say it may be the companies and jobs themselves who are more at fault than the government or the people.

Think about it for a moment from the perspective of the employer. A lack of available jobs in the low end of the experience/training spectrum mean huge stacks of applications for the management to sort through. I know a man who received over 1,200 applications for the sake of two job openings recently, more than half of those were unhireable for one reason or another. Having some baseline requirements, even rather odd ones, can really help them find the time to go to sleep at night.

For example, requiring online applications allow them to automatically weed out the unqualified without wasting time interpreting chicken scratch.

 

[Esotera]

The online thing is to help them filter out applications, unfortunately supply very much outstrips demand in most fields, so companies have their liberty. As for the second issue, I admit that it annoys me as I can't drive, but I haven't had a company require me to hold a license yet.

As for graduating, try getting placements/internships, or absolutely anything you can that's accredited through your college. It's not impossible and the good ones lead to jobs.

 

[Paragon Fury]

As for graduating, try getting placements/internships, or absolutely anything you can that's accredited through your college. It's not impossible and the good ones lead to jobs.

The sad part here is that I too poor to get any of those - I can't afford to move and can't afford/physically can't travel since I don't have a license/car.

How ironic......being too poor to work.


Wonder how'd that go over on the campaign trail?

 

[DoomyMcDoom]

As for graduating, try getting placements/internships, or absolutely anything you can that's accredited through your college. It's not impossible and the good ones lead to jobs.

The sad part here is that I too poor to get any of those - I can't afford to move and can't afford/physically can't travel since I don't have a license/car.

How ironic......being too poor to work.


Wonder how'd that go over on the campaign trail?

I know how it is to be too poor to work, at the moment I'm slowly starving to death, and will be homeless in about 2 weeks, and no matter how many places I apply,I can't get a job because I don't drive, or because I only speak english, living in new brunswick, in canada, I'm from the west coast where bilingualism doesn't exist outside of military bases, and here if you don't treat this recently separated English colony, as new france, you can't get fuck all jobs.

Also the lack of experience thing, a local grocery store wouldn't hire me because apparently 5 years behind a til in other environments means that I couldn't possibly do a job that they regularily hire 15 year olds with no experience at all and shit people skills for all the time, I think it's because I'm not the type they hire all the time, in other words I'm not a perky girl, or an effeminate male.

Also had a restaurant refuse me for a dishwashing position for lack of drivers license, even though I lived 2 blocks away... that's like 5-7 minutes at casual stroll speed on foot.

 

[Daveman]

Yeah, applying for jobs sucks.

At least there's nepotism!

 

[Bvenged]

Well, I'm kind of in the same situation as you when it comes to finding a job relating to lack of experience, but you could always get a month or two free work placement to obtain that alleged "experience" you need which usually turns out to be nothing like your actual prospectful job.

It's still a vicious cycle though: You can't get a job because of a lack of experience, but you can't get the experience because you can't get a job.

As for points 1 & 2:
You can gain free access to a computer anywhere through libraries, internet cafe's or job centres.

Owning a driving licence is a funny one. I've been asked for it before in a job that's a 20 minute walk from my house or a 2 minute bus ride on an "every 10 minute" route. It's wasn't for ID purposes but to see how quickly I could get to work with short notice. Still though, that's unnecessary. Worst-case just say getting this job will help fund your licence or something.

 

[Scarim Coral]

Well with 1, you do realise that they will get THOUSANDS of application right? No matter how small the company is, given to the recession anyone will apply to anything.
Sure it lazy but let get real, if you were the manager or whoever in charge with the interview, are you going to look through hours worth of application? Sure it's not nice but the online application is made to thin out the herd making it more convient for them to give an interview to. Try to see it from their point of view.
Beside there are places that provide free internet like the library or cafe or better yet an job agency. With the job agency, the employee will help you out with the online application if you're umfamiliar with the pc like with many adults out there.

Oh I do competely agreed with 3 thought.

 

[Shoggoth2588]

1: Like others have said: go to a Library for free internet access.

2: Do you have a state Identification Card? If you don't have a driver's license, you can use an ID card instead. It isn't so much an issue of you getting to work as it is an issue of confirming your identity. Surely you needed to provide identification to get into college after all.

3: For that one you can use scholastic experiences that may apply. Have you participated in any fund-raising events? If so you can put in some customer relations experience. Did you have a part time job while you were getting your degree? That would count as job experience.

The most important rules of course are these: aim low and, scatter-shot. Get to the library and spend X hours just shooting off resumes to every place you can possibly think of; McDonalds, Wendy's, Wal*Mart, etc. Also try getting into a temp agency. If all else fails go in for volunteer work so you can at least claim experience. Finally, it's almost October so find the nearest Haunted House/Trail/Forest/etc and get in with that. If nothing else you can put down 'professional actor' or something like that in your resume and get some money through October.

Happy Hunting.

 

[Crises^]

1: Library or a friends computer but they should allow walk in application tbh.

2: I can understand the driver license for some jobs like warehouse because they might want to teach you to drive a forklift and if you can already drive it will be alot easier for them to teach you.

My job requires a drivers license for instance as the server tech for the company I am on call 24/7 and may need to driver to the servers or into the office if Logmein isn't a viable option.

But for things like till work and such I cannot understand why a drivers license would matter, maybe because they would like you to be able to come into work at a short notice and a car helps that.

 

[Esotera]

The sad part here is that I too poor to get any of those - I can't afford to move and can't afford/physically can't travel since I don't have a license/car.

How ironic......being too poor to work.


Wonder how'd that go over on the campaign trail?

Pull a few strings with absolutely anyone you know, family, friends, or just random people, and at least one of them will have something. I can't really give you any more advice apart from don't give up, and keep going, as it will eventually pay off.