Job hunting experiment.

Harpy Eagle

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Feb 22, 2017
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A worker in Florida applied to 60 entry-level jobs in September and got one interview.

On September 1, he sent job applications to a pair of restaurants that had been particularly public about their staffing challenges.

Then, he widened the test and spent the remainder of the month applying to jobs — mostly at employers vocal about a lack of workers — and tracking his journey in a spreadsheet.

Two weeks and 28 applications later, he had just nine email responses, one follow-up phone call, and one interview with a construction company that advertised a full-time job focused on site cleanup paying $10 an hour.


I found this interesting as my son has found much of the same problem. Lots of people advertising for help, but few of them seem to be hiring.
 
I really don't know what to think. I have seen people say they have applied to many jobs and not got a single call back also but I also know employers that can't seem to find workers. A friend of mine runs a restaurant paying $13-$14 and hour and he says he can not fill all the positions.

I offered to work a couple places complaining they could not get employee's, I said $20 an hour and I'll work part time. None were interested.
 
That's exactly what's been going on. Most hiring is from temporary staffing agencies. It's like a company town where everyone gets paid before the worker gets the scraps. Blackrock owns everything media included. They have everyone spewing lies about lazy workers, when the truth is they wont pay them.
 
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When applying for entry-level jobs you have to SHOW UP and FILE YOUR APPLICATION IN PERSON! Especially with restaurants. They want to see you, talk to you, and make sure you would not be an embarrassment (or worse) for the establishment.

This "study" was intended to find what it found. Findings not surprising.
 
When applying for entry-level jobs you have to SHOW UP and FILE YOUR APPLICATION IN PERSON!

Simply not true. Most jobs do not even have a way to apply in person. Have you applied for a job lately? That is the way it was 20 or 30 years ago, not any longer.

They want to see you, talk to you, and make sure you would not be an embarrassment (or worse) for the establishment.

That is what the interview process is for.
 
You have to be somewhat gifted at communicating to have a lot of success job hunting online. You have to set yourself apart somehow, and not everybody can do that with just text. That's just my opinion though.
 
You have to be somewhat gifted at communicating to have a lot of success job hunting online. You have to set yourself apart somehow, and not everybody can do that with just text. That's just my opinion though.

This is true, but then again if businesses are really as desperate as they say, seems at least they would give people an initial interview.
 
When applying for entry-level jobs you have to SHOW UP and FILE YOUR APPLICATION IN PERSON! Especially with restaurants. They want to see you, talk to you, and make sure you would not be an embarrassment (or worse) for the establishment.

This "study" was intended to find what it found. Findings not surprising.

It's been a long time since you applied obviously. Many places only take apps online or as noted above, hire initially through temp agencies.
 
This quote seemed a little strange:

“Workers have said companies struggling to hire aren't offering competitive pay and benefits.”

Competitive with who?

Does that mean people who are only worth $10 an hour based on their qualifications, but they expect $20 with a host of benefits?

Otherwise what?

The sit home and watch tv?
 
Around here, we are having one or 2 job fairs a month. Thats a lot compared to yesteryears
 
Around here, we are having one or 2 job fairs a month. Thats a lot compared to yesteryears

But are people being hired out of them? When I got out of the Marine Corps I went to a shit ton of job fairs for a few years till found my current career. Never got hired out of one, very rarely do you even get an interview.
 
But are people being hired out of them? When I got out of the Marine Corps I went to a shit ton of job fairs for a few years till found my current career. Never got hired out of one, very rarely do you even get an interview.
Im not sure, man. I know they were advertising that most positions will be filled on the spot.
 
This quote seemed a little strange:

“Workers have said companies struggling to hire aren't offering competitive pay and benefits.”

Competitive with who?

Does that mean people who are only worth $10 an hour based on their qualifications, but they expect $20 with a host of benefits?

Otherwise what?

The sit home and watch tv?

When I retired I told my wife I would find something part time as a transition. I went to work for Enterprise Rent a Car for 2 to 2.5 days a week. (generally not even 8 hour days). I should note first of all that I had to apply online. There was no other choice.

I would pick people up, take them somewhere, go to other places and pick up cars. When slow I would help clean a car. It was a great job for me. Not hard and I was able to check out and drive all kinds of new cars. (I really liked the Volvo XC 90's).

After bugging me 3-4 times my ex-employer made an offer hard to refuse. I could work when and if I wanted to. They send me the OT schedule on a Thursday and if there is a day I want to work, I can. I didn't want to go back but I make more in one day at my old job than I did 2.5 days at Enterprise. The funny thing was I worked 12 hour rotating shifts. 14 out of every 28 days. Me and another person offered to split a job. He would work 7 and I would work 7. They were not interested. Now I work 4, LOL

They are now having a hard time filling the Enterprise job. It's part time and the pay is $10.25 an hour. That's not enough for most people.
 
Im not sure, man. I know they were advertising that most positions will be filled on the spot.

That is good. My son went to an open interview period for a local grocery store and even that was not hiring on the spot and most open jobs were 30 to 40 miles away at different stores. Not many people will drive 60 to 80 miles round trip for 9 bucks an hour.
 
When I retired I told my wife I would find something part time as a transition. I went to work for Enterprise Rent a Car for 2 to 2.5 days a week. (generally not even 8 hour days). I should note first of all that I had to apply online. There was no other choice.

I would pick people up, take them somewhere, go to other places and pick up cars. When slow I would help clean a car. It was a great job for me. Not hard and I was able to check out and drive all kinds of new cars. (I really liked the Volvo XC 90's).

After bugging me 3-4 times my ex-employer made an offer hard to refuse. I could work when and if I wanted to. They send me the OT schedule on a Thursday and if there is a day I want to work, I can. I didn't want to go back but I make more in one day at my old job than I did 2.5 days at Enterprise. The funny thing was I worked 12 hour rotating shifts. 14 out of every 28 days. Me and another person offered to split a job. He would work 7 and I would work 7. They were not interested. Now I work 4, LOL

They are now having a hard time filling the Enterprise job. It's part time and the pay is $10.25 an hour. That's not enough for most people.
Ok, one size does not fit everyone

But most low wage workers are not in your situation
 
Ok, one size does not fit everyone

But most low wage workers are not in your situation

My example proves little to nothing. No argument from me but I also know a lot of people working under the table today. You aren't going to take a job paying $11 dollars and hour when you are making $10 under the table.

Now I have argued with people why you should but realities are, they will not.
 
That is good. My son went to an open interview period for a local grocery store and even that was not hiring on the spot and most open jobs were 30 to 40 miles away at different stores. Not many people will drive 60 to 80 miles round trip for 9 bucks an hour.
hell naw
 

A worker in Florida applied to 60 entry-level jobs in September and got one interview.

On September 1, he sent job applications to a pair of restaurants that had been particularly public about their staffing challenges.

Then, he widened the test and spent the remainder of the month applying to jobs — mostly at employers vocal about a lack of workers — and tracking his journey in a spreadsheet.

Two weeks and 28 applications later, he had just nine email responses, one follow-up phone call, and one interview with a construction company that advertised a full-time job focused on site cleanup paying $10 an hour.


I found this interesting as my son has found much of the same problem. Lots of people advertising for help, but few of them seem to be hiring.
This is true. It is a weird phenomenon. Jobs posted. You apply and never hear back. I was speaking to a friend of mine who owns a busy auto repair and towing shop and he was going on how he was short staffed. He advertised for workers, but the ones who applied were not what he was looking for. It seems to me that for all the talk of the need for employees, employers are being extremely selective. I suppose give the high salaries being bandied about, it makes sense they would be.

Some are calling this "the great mismatch." The mismatch is between what employers are looking for and what skills the applicants have.

See,

 
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