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No Time
No Time UberDork
11/5/24 8:45 a.m.

Holidays are coming up, any UPS or other local companies looking for seasonal help?

It could be a way to get the into the group of job searchers that are employed and break up the unemployed bias SVreX pointed out. 

SV reX
SV reX MegaDork
11/5/24 8:48 a.m.

...plus, there is a big advantage to a E36 M3ty job.  When you go job hunting and the employer says "Why do you want a new job" you can answer "Because my job is E36 M3ty".  Believe it or not, they will understand that, and respect it. It lends credibility.  "Oh yeah. I can see why this guy wants a new job. Makes sense".

Right now, you have to try to figure out how to explain the gaps in your employment, or your business you shut down, or why you would take a job stocking shelves with your IT experience. If you had a E36 M3ty job you wouldn't have to explain anything. The message you would be sending is "This guy is a hard worker. He came into some tough times, and did what he needed to do.  We could use a little more of that around here".

Right now you are just another complainer on the internet. 

docwyte
docwyte UltimaDork
11/5/24 9:38 a.m.

In reply to DirtyBird222 :

I'd be all over that then.  Especially considering all the corallary benefits you get on active duty, plus the pension.

NY Nick
NY Nick SuperDork
11/5/24 9:43 a.m.

I don't want to pile on but I am going to a little. It sounds like you want "THE job" and not "A job". I think that is admirable, it's always good to want to have the best lot possible. It's just hard to do that when you have "NO job". 

I have seen it in hiring, if a candidate has no job they will get low balled or there is no urgency in hiring because they are perceived to have less choices. Also the long gap is a long term problem. People will say it isn't but as a hiring manager you see a candidate with a long break and a meh story about it and it is an issue. Same thing with job hopping, 3 in 5 years and it is a red flag. 

You probably need to go backwards to get back in the swing and then you can move forward, take a job, even if it sucks. Grind it out to the next better role. 

Sincerly wishing you the best of luck. This stuff is hard.

z31maniac
z31maniac MegaDork
11/5/24 9:55 a.m.

Like others have said. You think I enjoyed being laid off in 2015 (after also giving up my house, dog, and getting a divorce)?

I took a E36 M3ty contract job, making much less money, no benefits, in a Union shop. I'm not sure if you've had the pleasure of working in a Union shop when you are not part of the union. To say the union guys are shiny happy people that treat you like E36 M3 is an understatement. 

Then I was able to get another job in town that aligned with my previous experience, still less money than what I was making from the place I was laid off from. But benefits (although incredibly expensive since it was a small business compared to where I had previously worked), PTO, and a good manager. Knew the President on a first name basis. 

Gutted it out there for almost a year before I got my current gig after having been laid off from TWG about 19 months prior. 

I didn't take either of those jobs because they were what I wanted. I took them because I don't have a trust fund and I needed to keep money coming in to pay my bills. 

ShawnG
ShawnG MegaDork
11/5/24 10:21 p.m.

Average entry wage at Tim Hortons is $17 / hour, it's a job and (from what I've seen being a customer for many years) You don't even have to make an effort to get the order right.

mfennell
mfennell HalfDork
11/6/24 11:31 a.m.
Indy - Guy said:

In reply to GameboyRMH :

I don't know how much of that is internet lore vs. reality.  Of all the different  Amazon  drivers who have delivered to our house, they all seen to be in a reasonable state of cheer / happiness.  Or at least I've never seen one and thought to myself, Wow, they look miserable.

That's been my experience as well.  Maybe it's a regional thing - some sites run better than others?

That reminds me that I've been meaning to put up a sign suggesting delivery drivers leave packages on a bench on the stairs coming down to my house, saving them about 10 steps down/up.  

Amazon sure does micromanage those drivers though.  I told a driver he didn't even have to get out of the truck since I happened to be standing at the mailbox and he could just hand me a package.  Nope.  He had to get out so the GPS recognized that he was on my property!

Puddy46
Puddy46 HalfDork
11/6/24 12:19 p.m.
SV reX said:

...plus, there is a big advantage to a E36 M3ty job.  When you go job hunting and the employer says "Why do you want a new job" you can answer "Because my job is E36 M3ty".  Believe it or not, they will understand that, and respect it. It lends credibility.  "Oh yeah. I can see why this guy wants a new job. Makes sense".

Right now, you have to try to figure out how to explain the gaps in your employment, or your business you shut down, or why you would take a job stocking shelves with your IT experience. If you had a E36 M3ty job you wouldn't have to explain anything. The message you would be sending is "This guy is a hard worker. He came into some tough times, and did what he needed to do.  We could use a little more of that around here".

Right now you are just another complainer on the internet. 

Funny enough, a friend of mine went down that path.  Got laid off from his engineering gig, so he took a job with UPS to keep up with bills.   But he also took his resume with him on every trip, so when he delivered to an engineering office, he'd ask to leave his resume and to be considered.  I think he was only delivering for two or three months before he got hired into a company that he delivered to. And this wasn't *that* long ago.

DirtyBird222
DirtyBird222 PowerDork
11/7/24 7:54 a.m.
Puddy46 said:
SV reX said:

...plus, there is a big advantage to a E36 M3ty job.  When you go job hunting and the employer says "Why do you want a new job" you can answer "Because my job is E36 M3ty".  Believe it or not, they will understand that, and respect it. It lends credibility.  "Oh yeah. I can see why this guy wants a new job. Makes sense".

Right now, you have to try to figure out how to explain the gaps in your employment, or your business you shut down, or why you would take a job stocking shelves with your IT experience. If you had a E36 M3ty job you wouldn't have to explain anything. The message you would be sending is "This guy is a hard worker. He came into some tough times, and did what he needed to do.  We could use a little more of that around here".

Right now you are just another complainer on the internet. 

Funny enough, a friend of mine went down that path.  Got laid off from his engineering gig, so he took a job with UPS to keep up with bills.   But he also took his resume with him on every trip, so when he delivered to an engineering office, he'd ask to leave his resume and to be considered.  I think he was only delivering for two or three months before he got hired into a company that he delivered to. And this wasn't *that* long ago.

That's genius but isn't it tough to even get a UPS driver gig? Or is that lore of yesteryear? 

Puddy46
Puddy46 HalfDork
11/7/24 10:01 a.m.

In reply to DirtyBird222 :

I think his saving grace was it all happened around Christmas, so he took a temporary gig as a package runner, and was paired with a full time driver.  

93gsxturbo
93gsxturbo UberDork
11/7/24 1:55 p.m.

Get your welding cert and come to the states I will put you to work. And it pays a hell of a lot better than Tim Hortons or Amazon delivery.  

In all seriousness if anyone in the Midwest wants to be a production welder in Milwaukee area please let me know.  First and 2nd shift opportunities available. 

Also looking for qualified machinists, customer service support, drivers, material handlers, mechanical, electrical, and industrial engineers, certified weld inspector, field service techs....you name it.  

GameboyRMH
GameboyRMH MegaDork
11/20/24 6:21 p.m.

Relevant report just released:

https://www.axios.com/2024/11/20/american-workers-stuck-jobs-resentment

On my own job hunting, I didn't get an offer for the NOC job, I also looked into UPS driver jobs (they seem to be reasonably doable as long as you stay at a running pace when you're out of the van), UPS has their own jobs site but there were none listed within feasible commuting distance.

I've tried not to let that interview cause me to lift off the gas with job applications, I've sent off lots more since then, but over the last week it seems like the job posts are really drying up, I'm just seeing the usual residue of fast food jobs. I could probably bear a combination of minimum wage pay and interaction with customers, but throw in the chaotic schedules that those all come with and it's too much. Going to try to apply to a lube tech job and a sysadmin job tonight.

GameboyRMH
GameboyRMH MegaDork
11/20/24 6:55 p.m.

One other trend I've picked up on recently: Either companies are churning through employees like crazy (which wouldn't mesh with that previously posted report) or the "ghost jobs" issue is way worse than it appears. I've noticed that companies are re-posting jobs months after the postings expired and eventually disappeared, including many I've applied to. So either people are only lasting a few months there, or companies are putting ghost jobs up in rotating intervals to hide how long they've been doing it and avoid running out of positions they're posting fake openings for. I've applied to a couple of these a 2nd time including a mechanic's helper and a corporate IT job just in case.

There are a range of insidious reasons that companies are posting ghost jobs, but the most potentially damaging effect in the grand scheme of things might be the way it skews national labor statistics. If job growth was cumulatively stalled or even contracting right now the only way a country might be able to get solid information on that would be through next year's income tax filings (which AFAIK most countries don't even do). Posting ghost jobs leaves the notoriously fuzzy unemployment stats to fight with as many fictional openings as companies care to spam the boards with.

No Time
No Time UberDork
11/20/24 10:14 p.m.

In reply to GameboyRMH :

Sounds a lot like a conspiracy theory. 

I could see a posting being removed for multiple reasons that are not nefarious:

- budget shifts put the posting on hold

- lack of or diminishing response or quality responses as posting ages 

- project priorities change, and position become lower priority to fill or new needs take priority. 

If a posting is aging out and responses are diminishing, it makes sense to take it down. Not really different than when the housing market is slow you will see house listings taken down after a period of time, and then reposted at a later time that resets the "time in market"

Hiring can also be a slow process, I recently watch a posting where the hiring manager had >75 resumes he reviewed to reduce down to 3-4 individuals he felt were worth interviewing (and the posting expired during the process). I'm sure if the 3-4 aren't the right fit the posting will be put back up. 

ShawnG
ShawnG MegaDork
11/21/24 9:08 a.m.

If they've hired a new guy who is still on probation, they're probably still taking in applications in case that guy doesn't work out and they have to kick him to the curb.

Just move down the list to the next one.

chandler
chandler MegaDork
11/21/24 9:27 a.m.

I've never posted a fake job; ever. It costs money and serves zero benefit. If I post I am looking to hire.

Duke
Duke MegaDork
11/21/24 10:00 a.m.

In reply to GameboyRMH :

You're not going to step right into a UPS driver position.  They promote drivers from within; you need to start as a package handler first, and work your way up.

 

ShawnG
ShawnG MegaDork
11/21/24 10:05 a.m.

Why don't you just apply for a cushy, government, union job?

Put your time in, get all the sweet benefits, be pretty much untouchable once you've been there a while. Just punch the clock and get the cheque.

My wife works part time for Canada Post. They're on strike right now but she got called in the other day to sit in a post office that isn't doing anything and be a warm body. There was one customer all day.

Seems perfect, no expectations, no disappointments.

z31maniac
z31maniac MegaDork
11/21/24 2:19 p.m.

I just read an article from the CEO of a company who helps people find jobs, build resumes, etc. He said the "ghost jobs" thing does happen, but it's a very, very small portion of postings.

What would be the point? They aren't really data mining. If you have a resume up on multiple public sites, they already have your contact info and work/education history. 

Unless you think they are really trying to find out the ethnicity, disabled, or veteran status of those applying. But even those are voluntary questions. Heck on Indeed, you can hit "Quick Apply" so basically all you do is confirm your contact info and it sends them your resume.  

 

wae
wae UltimaDork
11/21/24 2:22 p.m.
Duke said:

In reply to GameboyRMH :

You're not going to step right into a UPS driver position.  They promote drivers from within; you need to start as a package handler first, and work your way up.

 

Giggity.

Boost_Crazy
Boost_Crazy SuperDork
11/21/24 4:04 p.m.

In reply to GameboyRMH :

One other trend I've picked up on recently: Either companies are churning through employees like crazy (which wouldn't mesh with that previously posted report) or the "ghost jobs" issue is way worse than it appears. I've noticed that companies are re-posting jobs months after the postings expired and eventually disappeared, including many I've applied to. So either people are only lasting a few months there, or companies are putting ghost jobs up in rotating intervals to hide how long they've been doing it and avoid running out of positions they're posting fake openings for. I've applied to a couple of these a 2nd time including a mechanic's helper and a corporate IT job just in case.

 

 

There are a range of insidious reasons that companies are posting ghost jobs, but the most potentially damaging effect in the grand scheme of things might be the way it skews national labor statistics. If job growth was cumulatively stalled or even contracting right now the only way a country might be able to get solid information on that would be through next year's income tax filings (which AFAIK most countries don't even do). Posting ghost jobs leaves the notoriously fuzzy unemployment stats to fight with as many fictional openings as companies care to spam the boards with.

 

My company does this, as do many others. There is no nefarious reason behind it. They simply post a job until they get enough applicants to go through, and close it once they have enough. If they hire from that batch, it stays closed. If not, the reopen it until they have enough for the next round. I believe it is to maintain the appearance of "fairness." I think it's a horrible way to run a business. You are literally hoping the best candidate applies during a short, random window. And you might even have that applicant, but closed the window on them because someone in the first group was "good enough." When I ran businesses and did the hiring, I was ALWAYS hiring. I wanted to see everyone that was interested in working for me. Sure it was a lot of work, but it meant that I had access to the best candidates. If a great candidate came around, I'd hire them even if I wasn't looking to fulfill a position. I'd make one for them if they were good enough. It also sent a message to the existing employees. "We aren't hiring" tells them their job is safe and we have no interest in replacing them, regardless of performance. "Always hiring" tells them that they are replaceable. This let me build very good teams. It didn't take long before the problem of too many applicants took care of itself. Bad applicants saw the quality of my employees and saw they would not fit in, and didn't bother applying, saving us both the time. 

GameboyRMH
GameboyRMH MegaDork
11/21/24 9:01 p.m.

In reply to Boost_Crazy :

That makes sense. Making employees feel replaceable to spur them on to perform better has downsides though. If I was working at a company and saw an ad up for a position I'm in, I'd think I needed to stay at the top of my game to keep it. But I'd also think that I need to start looking for more secure employment elsewhere rather than aiming for a long-term future at that company, especially if I thought I was already doing well at that job. My last job was like that.

It could also disincentivize workers from helping each other out - both because workers who are doing well and could train others might not be secure enough about their own performance to do anything but grind away at their own work, and they might be more inclined to let somebody else get caught at the back of the pack so that they'll be safe a little while longer.

GameboyRMH
GameboyRMH MegaDork
11/21/24 9:03 p.m.
ShawnG said:

Why don't you just apply for a cushy, government, union job?

Put your time in, get all the sweet benefits, be pretty much untouchable once you've been there a while. Just punch the clock and get the cheque.

My wife works part time for Canada Post. They're on strike right now but she got called in the other day to sit in a post office that isn't doing anything and be a warm body. There was one customer all day.

Seems perfect, no expectations, no disappointments.

Oh I'm keeping my eyes out but they're rare as hen's teeth and generally not easy to get when they do pop up. The only downside is the weirdly toxic workplaces at a lot of Canadian government offices.

ShawnG
ShawnG MegaDork
11/21/24 9:34 p.m.

In reply to GameboyRMH :

I've heard nothing but good stuff about working for Canada Post.

You start as on-call, part-time and work your way up.

Steve_Jones
Steve_Jones UltraDork
11/21/24 9:39 p.m.
GameboyRMH said:

In reply to Boost_Crazy :

If I was working at a company and saw an ad up for a position I'm in, I'd think I needed to stay at the top of my game to keep it. But I'd also think that I need to start looking for more secure employment elsewhere rather than aiming for a long-term future at that company, especially if I thought I was already doing well at that job. My last job was like that.

That's because you look for the negative reasons vs the positive ones. Maybe if you figured your job was posted because they wanted to move you up, you'd have more success. Instead you decided you needed a different job, how'd that work out?

There are a few employers that have posted on this thread, and all of them have said "it's your attitude and expectations" and all we have to go off of, is what you write about yourself. I'm sure in person, everyone here would get along, and share a beer and stories, but in writing, you come off as pretty negative and entitled. I'll assume in real life, that's not you, but it sure comes across like it in your posts. 
 

We all want you to be successful, and happy, but you have more reasons and excuses on why the world is against you than 95% of the people I know. 

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