70 Job Rejections and Zero Job Prospects

wozup12 on 25/10/2017 - 18:02
Last edited 25/10/2017 - 19:19 by 1 other user

Hi Ozbargain community!

I apologise in advance for this not being a discussion topic that talks about which 80K car I should buy to make sure my new workmates respect me, or one that asks what. I should do with $100,000 that I have in my bank account…

My issue is quite the contrary, I have been looking for a job for about 6 months and despite many, many resume screens, online assessments, video interviews and assessment centres, I have come up empty handed and no where near any closer to getting a job. I'm going to assume there will be a lot of people telling me to figure out what I am doing wrong and fixing that before I go ahead, but the thing is, I get cut at all different stages. Some companies love me in the interview, but then don't progress me through once I get into a group setting. For others, its the other way around. Even though I've been to multiple interviews, HR for many companies don't give out feedback either and I really have no idea where and how I should better myself. In regards to companies and positions, I have applied for roles in multinational firms as an analyst and little boutique firms as an administration assistant and everything in between. I don't really know what else I can apply for!

My education is also quite limiting in the sense that they were quite broad (and expensive) with no specific specialisation making it difficult to actually apply for positions that aren't general…After finishing up my Bachelor of Science degree from Melbourne Uni with a major in engineering. Essentially I absolutely hated this degree and just pushed it out because I was already more than halfway and the way the Melbourne Model is set up, the whole thing wasn't very transferrable. From there, I thought it was a great idea to be pursue an MBA so I could make up for lost time. I absolutely loved the course and really want to pursue a career in operation and management, but I didn't realise how competitive it would be! My scores are alright (distinction averages for both degrees) so I don't feel like that's keeping me from it.

So 6 months and a whole tonne of HECS debt later, I am stuck working as a hospitality manager and hating every second of it. I did this whole thing full time while I was studying, so my social life took a major hit. I thought it was going to get me a job really easy out of uni because of some transferrable skills and my hard work and dedication, but the 50+ companies that I have applied for don't seem to think so.

All in all, I guess I am just a bit lost, frustrated, depressed and don't really know what's going on with my life, so anyone that can pass some advice, wisdom or even a job my way, that would be pretty great. Each day just gets that bit more hopeless and it kinda sucks!

TL;DR Can't find a job, have 2 quite worthless uni degrees and don't know what I'm doing wrong… help!!

Education & Work

Comments

  • dcep on 25/10/2017 - 18:05
    +1

    are you scientist or engineer ?

    • wozup12 on 25/10/2017 - 19:36
      +1

      With Melbourne Uni, you take one of their 'new generation' degrees which are very broad and focus on a major rather than actually specialising in something. If you want to get accredited to become an engineer, they force you to do a 2 hear further on masters if you actually want to get accreditation…

      So the answer to your question is neither, I think.

      • peterpeterpumpkin on 25/10/2017 - 20:24
        +1

        To be honest, I think you'd be having an easier time if you completed your engineering specialisation and became an accredited engineer. But I completely understand where you're coming from.

        Plain ol' Science degrees aren't nearly as glamorous as they paint in high school. If you're not a lab rat, clinician or salesperson you're pretty much left with generic consulting positions, which appears to be your current ambition. Much like an Arts degree, a Science degree often serves no purpose without post-graduate internment (e.g. PhDs).

        Unless you're applying for financial or computer systems analyst roles you'd think the MBA would be enough. But I suppose for entry level analyst positions who doesn't have a double degree these days…e.g. this guy posted just before you.

        • wozup12 on 25/10/2017 - 21:09

          Definately agree… I thought because I hated engineering so much that there wasn't any use pursuing something that I hated… All of my friends that did go through the master's process have jobs now and can't seem to fathom why it's so hard to get a job. The course was also about half the cost.

        • peterpeterpumpkin on 25/10/2017 - 21:59
          -1

          @wozup12: Yeah I just read your old post.

          You're lucky that you have a bit of an idea of the type of job you want (or don't want). Many people can't figure that part out.

          If you're a guy, I wouldn't beat yourself up over failing to get an admin assistant job. I have female friends without degrees that would get these positions in prestigious organisations and yes, some even worked their way up just like in the movies. But in the UK at least (where I applied on a Working Holiday Visa) the percentage of males working as admin assistants is apparently around 3%. It's often easier for males to get data entry and call centre roles in those same organisations, where you can start networking. Being better than everyone else at everyday things like Excel can get you noticed.

          I'm sure you'll get in one way or another. Good luck!

      • HighAndDry on 07/11/2017 - 12:25

        JHC - what the hell is the point of a degree if it's so vague and unrelated to any real life vocation? Not even ragging on you, as someone just out of high school I wouldn't expect you to look to much into it, but the uni's themselves should know better. "New generation" my ass.

  • 87percent on 25/10/2017 - 18:10
    +5

    My opinion is that nowadays it's not WHAT you know, it's WHO you know. LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter whoever it takes to get your foot in the door

    • wozup12 on 25/10/2017 - 19:42

      Hi there!

      I have tried to do that, but the graduate market is just so saturated nowadays that the best people can do is offer a letter of good character. I applied for a graduate program for a consulting firm where I knew the director… Got to the shortlist of the final 10, out of a few hundred grads… Didn't make it any further.

      Also managed to get on the good side of the hiring manager at a major bank. So far 6 rejections for entry level banking roles…

      Also tried LinkedIn, with the $60 premium features ad on to no avail. Any tips on how to better effectively use my network…? Haha

      • Oz8argain on 31/10/2017 - 13:49

        Sometimes even if you demonstrate very well that you are the best fit for this role, depending on how the HR person feel that day, they could hire or reject you. I've literaly heard from my friend that because she complemented HR lady' lipstick colour, it made the interview process really easy and got hired (grad program, multi national firm).
        Don't be down about the rejections, because most of the time it comes down to chance. Say you always get to the final 50 applicants everytime, and you guys compete equally for 1 position, thats a 2% chance of success and 98% chance of failure. Do that 50 times (assuming you get through the initial interview/testing rounds everytime), its 0.98^50 = 0.364, still 36% chance you don't get a job even when its fair!! It's just a bit unlucky, keep playing the numbers game.

  • Quantumcat on 25/10/2017 - 18:18

    You may have to specifically ask for feedback to get it. You could also try a labour firm.

    • mskeggs on 25/10/2017 - 19:34
      +1

      You should be able to get feedback from headhunters, they will also help present you in the best light and help you present yourself in the strongest way.
      It is good to talk to headhunters on the phone, and meet them for a preliminary interview/chat before you meet their client.

    • wozup12 on 25/10/2017 - 19:46
      +1

      Generally once I've been rejected, the hiring team stop responding to my emails. Those that do send the generic 'we recived a high volume of applications and are unable to provide individual feedback'. Out of the 2 companies that Ive received responses from, the comments contradicted my strengths and weaknesses. Lol

      Any tips on labour firms I should have a look at? Most generally get a bad rap so I've been trying to avoid them

  • askme69 on 25/10/2017 - 18:33
    +3

    Australia is not necessarily the lucky country.

    Try government jobs.

    • wozup12 on 25/10/2017 - 20:11
      +2

      22 grads fighting for one grad position, but it's obviously our love for avocados thats keeping us from home ownership. :P

      Tried a few… There's not a lot there for businessey types unfortunately. The engineering ones require the qualifications too

      • Qkumber on 26/10/2017 - 20:31
        +1

        Level crossing removal authority has heaps of jobs and having engineering background would be suitable for a lot of their positions. Hudson, Hays and Addeco are some of the agencies that have government contracts for VIC Gov. I hire staff in VIC gov and our science based entry level positions ($60k) that require a science or related degree have around 100 applicants with around 50% having masters or a PhD or both. Instead of advertising a lot of managers are preferring to hire through the agencies as they provide 2-3 from each one which is much more manageable as it significantly reduces the time for reviewing applicants. Registering with an agency could open up a lot more positions that aren’t advertised and you don’t need to do an application for each one. They also prep you before an interview and even try to find out the types of questions that will be asked in the interview. Good luck and you will find something.

  • onetwothreefour on 25/10/2017 - 18:41

    Have you ever had a job I. E. Do you have any experience at all? I'd be reluctant to hire anyone without any experience.

    Maybe it's the roles you are applying for. Try going for the most junior job just to get a bit of experience. I used to work in a call center, they hire anyone who can have a conversation with someone.

    • activ8newbs on 25/10/2017 - 19:16

      I second this.

    • akaakmdm on 25/10/2017 - 19:30
      +4

      OPs post mentions that he's working as a hospitality manager

      • onetwothreefour on 25/10/2017 - 19:50

        Thanks, sorry i only read the tl;dr, i guess my point stands but he needs to get office experience if he's going for office jobs.

    • wozup12 on 25/10/2017 - 20:26
      +1

      I've applied for jobs mainly in business admin, being operations, support, team member and admin staff… Nobody wants to hire me. I definately stuffed up with the degrees I chose, effectively cutting me out of so many specific jobs just because I've done something so general..

      And yes, no expireince in any big business type stuff and nobody wants to hire me for entry level roles… The hamster wheel is neverending. It's funny that I get through to final interviews for big corporate analyst positions, but don't get past the resume screen for administration assistant at a local firm…

      • onetwothreefour on 25/10/2017 - 20:35
        -4

        There must be something more to it. I don't have a degree and I've never been out of work since i started full time in 1998.

        • wozup12 on 25/10/2017 - 20:49
          +7

          Unfortunately times have changed. The government decided to uncap University places the year I started, so all the universities care about is pumping out as many grads as they can.

          Call me pessemistic, but I think the situation is going to get much much worse. It's not like it used to be

  • RedRedWine on 25/10/2017 - 18:52
    +2

    Have you considered unpaid work experience for a few weeks(part-time hours)? Shows you have the initiative and adds skills/experience onto your CV.

    • wozup12 on 25/10/2017 - 20:30
      +2

      I'd be more than happy to do something like that, but I haven't really found anything that I feel relates to what I want to do… Being out of uni for a few months now, the society connections and volunteering opportunities aren't as well advertised to me and I'm having trouble finding them… Not sure if I'm making excuses though. Do you have any boards or forums that might be useful?

      • [Deactivated] on 26/10/2017 - 16:05

        Whirlpool Forum ?

  • tsunamisurfer on 25/10/2017 - 18:58
    +7

    OP…

    Don't be disheartened, almost everyone goes through this rite of passage in life. Many people are in the same boat, employers want people with skills and experience, which leaves people without less jobs over many applicants fresh out of Uni.

    The positive thing is you are getting interviews which puts you ahead of most. So it seems your CV is at the very least good enough to warrant closer scrutiny.

    The one thing I would suggest is, if you are concerned about your wide ranging studies, cater your CV to the job you are applying for. If its an engineering job, don't include the other studies you have done unless it is relevant.

    Each interview you go to is a positive, don't see it ias a negative, because you are getting practice with interviewing, its an important skill.

    Learn what employers want and demonstrate how you can give them what you want.
    Have real life examples of how a problem was presented to you, what you did and the final (positive) outcome.

    The fact that you have a job right now is also a positive because you can demonstrate your ability to work autonomously, follow company protocols, communicate clearly, work in a team and have attention to detail.

    I have no other advice other than to keep trying. All you need is one chance to grasp and get your foot in the door and climb up if you are good.

    All the best.

    • wozup12 on 25/10/2017 - 20:54
      +1

      Thanks for this,

      I know I am doing better than most and I guess I am fortunate that I do have a job that can sustain me, but after so many rejection emails hit your inbox, it's a bit hard to not get a bit hurt…

      I saw an article in the age saying a guy applied for 25 jobs with his IT diploma and couldn't get anywhere… Ive applied for 3 times as many and still don't have anything. Something's got to give way soon, right?

  • barbarella on 25/10/2017 - 19:40
    +2

    Great advice above ^
    Just thought I would add…
    Do you present well visually? eg. clean and tidy without dreads and that sorta stuff

    • onetwothreefour on 25/10/2017 - 19:51
      -1

      Maybe he has a face tattoo

      • wozup12 on 25/10/2017 - 20:54
        +2

        Sorry to spoil the speculation, i do not have any tattoos at all.

      • FattyHope on 10/11/2017 - 15:31

        lmao I died of laughter reading your comment

    • wozup12 on 25/10/2017 - 20:56
      +1

      I'm clean shaven, turn up in a suit and tie… My hair isn't a mess… So I guess not?? Maybe there's something someone isn't telling me though…

  • toniyellow on 25/10/2017 - 20:22
    +1

    It sounds like you are doing the right things and have probably read a lot of advice already but some thoughts

    • go back to the uni that gave you the MBA and ask for help
      The productivity commission reckons the uni should give you a refund or replacement if you don't get a job, so all unis have just had a scare about employabilty
      http://www.theherald.com.au/story/5008576/schools-unis-hospi…
      Whilst I don't agree with their idea to turn unis into a job factory with a money back guarantee, there should be support services post graduation. many unis do have this, or are waking up to the idea in a hurry. I read Monash even started their own recruitment company.

    • take the MBA off your resume when you apply for admin assistant roles and see if that changes the response.
      It will hurt, especially as you paid so much for it, but they may just think you are going to leave at the first opportunity for something better.

    • you're not alone. postgrad is the new undergrad apparently, and it is still tough
      http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:O8rcuqr…

  • Htu08 on 25/10/2017 - 21:08
    +1

    Don't be too disheartened, it took me over 6 months (12 months in between finishing my last subject and finding a job I was interested in) to find a job and I know people who have graduated and still are stuck in jobs that aren't career orientated.
    I think that the market is extremely hard and it's super competitive. I think some things to consider would be in regards to what you expect from your first job in that particular industry. I understand you're looking at a range of positions, but perhaps you should push towards the entry level jobs as they're the easier ones to obtain in regards to your experience.
    Also, you should cater your resume towards your target jobs, as the MBA may make you appear to be overly qualified for some positions you're applying for and signal to employers you just need a step in the door and will leave asap.

  • AlienC on 25/10/2017 - 22:03

    You don't need a degree to flip some stuff on gumbay or etree and there are tonnes of online web design work if you don't want to build an app.

    I can think of some other alternatives but I don't want to get banned or sin binned.

    • [Deactivated] on 26/10/2017 - 16:09

      X dealers need an arts degree

  • PAPower on 25/10/2017 - 22:32

    Hey OP,

    Sorry to hear. I don't even have a proper residency status in Australia and I can get desired jobs so you should not be too pessimistic.

    I'm sure that performing at hospitality manager could help you to leverage your future job prospects. Just focus on what you're doing at the moment, be good at it and opportunities will come to you, you don't even have to look for it.

    Large hosp. groups usually have shared services which could transfer you to secondments or alike. So if you can't get into business admin., engineer, try to get into large hosp. groups (Compass, Mantra, Marriott, etc.)

    Final thoughts: work for yourself, take your time and find entrepreneur opportunities, don't spend time and money on job seeking and headhunters, not worth it.

  • JaneM on 25/10/2017 - 23:00
    +5

    Hi OP,

    My husband (with decades of experience in his field) was out of work for approximately six months on one occasion. I know he felt very disillusioned. Finding a job can be just as difficult for those who are getting on in age. My husband put his name down with multiple job agencies and was happy to do full-time, part-time, casual, contract work etc. He ended up doing short-term contract work for a long while, and in the meantime he kept applying for jobs until he found more permanent employment. My advice would be to put your name down for short-term contract work in your desired field. If you are able to find this kind of work you will be able to get some experience as well as begin to network. I wish you well in your search for work. Don't give up, you never know what tomorrow will bring. :)

  • lowFi on 25/10/2017 - 23:25
    +3

    Graduates outnumber actual grad jobs in the order on 50 to 1. To give you an idea how competitive it is, when I got into a round with a top tier consulting company I was going up against an Olympic rower, an assistant lecturer, guys that have interned in start-ups and other people with industry exposure already and most of them are sitting on a 6.5+ average if not a straight 7.0. There were thousands applying for 16 jobs in my intake(it was a while ago). So it's not you, the field is unbelievably competitive.

    Now that the gloom news is out of the way here's what I would suggest you can try.

    1. If you can make it through the front door you should congratulate yourself, you've done a whole lot better than most of the field. Interview are a time to show off you qualities. Be prepared, most interviews I've been to tend to follow a set structure; validate the experience, check the communication and soft skills,then a few situation/behavioral questions i.e. How to manage conflicts, priorities, how you approach certain situations. Walk in prepared to answer these questions, give example from you current experience where possible and if you haven't had experience have a think of what you would do when the situation arise.
      (I won't cover group activities it's a pet hate of mine, I think it favours psychopaths and peacocks)

    2. Everyone wants to work for the known brands, multi-nationals and groovy start-ups mainly on the east coast. There are also loads of businesses looking for talented people and there's also companies beyond the east coast metros that can't find skilled people. If you're into admin and now sure where you want to specialize try a large family company they're a great place to develop and there's buckets of opportunities you wont get for years in a more structured and bureaucratic environment. If I were after a job I'd look to relocate to Canberra because it's a smaller market but has a higher concentration of government departments and multinationals that service them. They even pay bonuses for people to move their so that give you an idea of how less competitive it is. This was the case a 2 years ago not sure now but most role I see in that area are paying a premium.

    3. Tailor every cover letter and resume you send out. You can sniff out shotgun resumes in a heartbeat. If you can't put the effort in to making it relevant to the person hiring you they're not going to waste their time either. Your resume gets 45 seconds of HR eyeball time, so make it count. Do your home work, use their lingo, make it dead simple for the HR guys to join the dots between you and their ideal candidate. Not sure what the ideal candidate is ring and ask. See if they can provide a sample resume you can reference. It make it easier for you to target and for them to read. Entry role may have task based focus on the resume. Managerial roles tend to lean towards outcome/achievement based layouts. Leave out things that people don't need to know. High school stuff. the week weeks you were a gym instructor at band camp. Even qualifications that are not relevant or make you overqualified. Putting in your MBA when applying for an admin assistant tells me this job could possibly be a filler till something better comes along.

    4. Treat every rejection as a learning opportunity, I sucked at everything in the job seeker process when I first started. At the beginning I churned through 100s of applications, after a while you get know the game and how to play your part in it.

    All the best on your job hunt. Later down the track take some time and give back to the next generation of grads through your university alumnus program.

  • Quantumcat on 26/10/2017 - 01:15

    Try spamming applications to every grad program you can find. Having been through a grad program will make it much easier for you in the future I think.

  • Hardlyworkin on 26/10/2017 - 07:22
    +1

    How many people do you know that work in companies/industries you want to work in? The difference between you and the. Person who got the job… Maybe that person knew someone there.

    If you are only focusing on what you know than who you know then you are just a number. What you do outside of work might be the key, how often you put yourself in situations to meet new people. Whether that's through your current job, sporting teams, volunteering, church etc.

    As previously suggested look for some volunteer work. Get door knocking, make people know you. People like to limit the risks, if you don't have the experience and nobody knows you from a bar of soap then you are a risk… Make yourself less of a risk and less of a number.

    What's a sign of madness?? Change things up!

  • jhmtaylor on 26/10/2017 - 08:57

    If you speak to recruiters, they will tell you that you are over qualified and under experienced. Many young people have the same problem.

    If I was you, the first thing I would do would be to drop the MBA off your resume until you have established a career.
    You have not said what sort of industry you are interested in so can I suggest insurance. They are always looking for technically qualified people, the industry pays relatively well, many people in the industry are under qualified and so promotion prospects are good.

    Before going for a job interview research the job and the industry thoroughly. I think if you have been for 70 interviews/job in 6 months you are spreading yourself too thin. We obviously don't know how you interview but I would be speaking with a recruiter to see how you can improve.

    Least and certainly not least consider your personal presentation, good hair cut, clean shaven, conservative suit and tie, polished shoes, no body jewellery or visible tats gets you a head start.

  • pascher on 26/10/2017 - 09:04
    +3

    Hey there Op.

    I don't know why anyone has not mentioned it before but please keep your chin up.

    https://www.beyondblue.org.au Feel free to hit these guys up or any of the other institutions out there.

    Not finding a job can be very depressing and I want to firstly congratulate you on the acknowledgement you have that you are not feeling the best.

    I can tell you from my own experiences that I have been fired from multiple roles and had periods of out of work circumstances where I did not know what or where I would be headed. I was fortunate enough to get some good advice and make some positive changes.

    I have three bits of paper similar to you, and besides hanging on the wall of my mothers house, I would say they are about as useful as the on special sorbent. The one thing that helped me get ahead was looking for a job and role in a non major centre.

    You need to go where the work is, get the experience and then come back to something bigger and better.

    It makes it much harder if you have a partner and or kids to tag along or leave behind. But you need to create your own path.

    I am sure you will find something and it will be great.

    Feel free to message me if you need to vent or the like, there are many people that will help you out in life and some that may not… be sure to keep mentors close and develop some mentees too along the way. You will learn lots from both.

  • Candour on 26/10/2017 - 09:13

    I salute your intelligence. Your degrees are not wated. work in your job for the moment. research trading and investment websites and see if you have a flair for some conservative creation of separate income streams from trading/investment. If you can succeed on your own you don't need an employer.

    get a job in a related field eg broker etc.

    education is overrated in oz and your time will come.

    God bless.

  • azonki on 26/10/2017 - 10:02

    Once you have a job, you can then move to another.
    Use your hospitality position as a positive - don't hate it or make anyone aware that you hate it.
    It has given you valuable experience in the real world, far removed from academia.
    And following success in this field - dealing with senior management, managing staff, working under pressure and to very tight schedules, etc. - you now feel it's time to move on to something more challenging.
    Always be positive.

    Worked for me.

    Also look at entry level sales positions.
    With your education, the role would be more that of a consultant.

  • srhardy on 26/10/2017 - 10:27
    +1

    the rules:

    you can never earn less if you work for yourself
    you can never get the sack if you work for yourself
    you always agree your worth more, now you have the chance to prove it
    smart people, leverage others to make them money
    once you work for yourself, your the boss, so delegate as much and as often as you can
    your now a CEO (says so on the cards you got printed)
    now you interview others, or you interview for a personal person that does

    your now a useful person, you have done all this and not needed a single reference!

    Always work for yourself, working for others always sucks

    • malouphix on 26/10/2017 - 12:10
      +1

      ^^^this

      Otherwise, think about the defence force (Intelligence, Officer … etc…) if starting your own business it's not your thing - but you never know if you don't at least try.

      Don't stay at home, go out to events and meetups, network, volunteer, meet as many people as you can.

  • dsodeyama on 26/10/2017 - 11:05
    +1

    My personal advice is stay active where you can set personal goals that you can accomplish.

    When I was out of a job for a long period when I moved over here (and I mean for over 2 years), I was very depressed and felt sorry for myself all the time.

    I finally got off my butt and started to do martial arts.

    I found that learning a new form, able to perform what I was taught, etc. gave me a sense of accomplishment that translated into better attitude and body language.

    Plus I found myself with company that I could feel connected to and supported me through various means.

    I'm not saying martial arts is your answer but I think it would probably help if you could focus on something positive for you holistically (not just academic) that you would enjoy and get a sense of accomplishment.

  • hotmustardsauce on 26/10/2017 - 15:44

    just apply for grad programs.

    You should be looking for a role whilst you're in uni not once you graduated.

  • mizbiz on 26/10/2017 - 15:48

    Hi OP,

    Here are some tips i found that helped me.

    1. If you submit an application online for a position - copy and paste important parts of the job advertisements (such as selection criteria and qualifications) onto your resume, reduce it to the smallest font possible and change it to white so it cannot be seen. A lot of online submission are often not read by a person each time and scanned by a computer program. That'll help you from being eliminated in a employer's phase one screening.

    2. Despite the tip above, take some effort to personalise each application for a job. You can tell the difference when you don't do this. I had applied for less jobs than you and found that even with my fewer applications I still was able to copy, paste and edit a few things (rather than write something from scratch). I'm sure you can do the same amongst your 70 applications.

    3. I found the most responses I got were jobs I had applied for from the ethical jobs website. Often large companies that advertise on sites like Seek have such a huge influx of applicants and scan applications before a real person even starts looking. I'm hypothesising Ethical jobs are often smaller organisations where HR is a person that reads every application and seem more responsive. There are many different types of jobs and most of the organisations are great places to work and look glowingly on a resume. I strongly suggest you have a look. This is where I found my current job.

    4. See a career counsellor. I didn't see one but I was close to it if I had not found a job.

    Wishing you all the best.

  • DarthAntz on 26/10/2017 - 16:05
    +3
    1. apply for teaching jobs overseas. JET programme is taking applications for Japan. Get the adventure experience away from all the horrible feelings you associate with working at home. after 70 applications, you are doing it and you are capable of apply for jobs. Ive taken a $25k/year paycut to teach overseas, and its the best decision with the most opportunity and reward beyond what i could anticipate. I have been fortunate with my placement, and i take the opportunity every day to learn something new i can use to better myself and the people around me.
    2. Read 'what colour is your parachute'. find it at your library even. Great hints, and i learned that 60% of jobs come through word of mouth and association, rather than applying for jobs. So use attitude and best communication to ask those around you for support in job prospects and available positions.
    3. Your resume and cover letter will be more attractive with less to read and details/information more specifics to the role, as mentioned by others in this post. If you cant explain yourself in paper in less than 30 seconds, your resume goes in the TL;DR pile.
    4. Attitude is your most marketable prospect, as you need to fit in the role (skills) and the workplace (attitude). Do some private research on improving your attitude. people dont want to hire 'first timers' in the office because their 'i dont know what to do, how to function, how to stay busy and valuable' attitude is so unattractive and miserable. avoiding these traits will get your attitude ahead.

    If you are working full time in a job you are hating, you are contributing 100% of your working talents and skills to misery. People see employing you as employing an unhappy, unfulfilled person. Only you can change this through your own intiatives. Value the effort you have made, as its completely necessary to experience a suckful job in all of our lives, and write goals you can work towards to overcome the experience you are living now.

    Once you are on the otherside of your current feelings and position, you will have people around you that you can discuss job propects with, skills you can role model to those in your position, understanding of leadership in the workplace and the stamina to survive a workday/week/disaster all caused by you. Think forward.

    All my blessings

  • CandyMan on 26/10/2017 - 16:10
    +1

    1. Register with employnent agencies, that might get you a casual job that might lead go a permanent job or at least gain you some experience

    2. Go th e extra mile before the interview.
      Speak to the panel members/manager before the interview so that you know more about the job and expectations. They will also get to know you netter. Ask if you can visit the workplace before and/or meet the panel before the interview. If they say no at least they know your keen

    Good luck

  • chumlee on 26/10/2017 - 16:12
    +1

    Try applying for pharmaceutical sales jobs. Lots of positions and they prefer science graduates

  • 1300cc on 26/10/2017 - 18:49
    +2

    i have a diploma in network engineering (tech support, admin) and i started a volunteer job without a pay for 3 months, after 1 week i finished my volunteer work , they called me and offered me a 6 month contract and the rest of the story i ended up working with the same company for 7 years.

  • davel on 01/11/2017 - 16:08

    Unless you finished top of the class grad jobs won't be option.

    Ive hired a few guys for me personally, and i think this is quite generally, work experience plays a bigger factor, then comes the personality and education.
    I personally believe the mistake was the limited work experience MBA, its honestly useless unless you have your own business to fall into (or a family business).

    Furthermore you probably need to define broadly what you want/enjoy doing and find a career path to enter, then from there unfortunately you may need to lower your expectations and take a really crappy role to get your foot in the door and work your way up over time.

    Theres no easy way around it, i was stuck in a similar dilemma however I worked during my bachelors and masters which many employers looked upon favourably.
    Im not trying to brag but I'm running my own business after leaving finance and getting frustrated like yourself and now have more than 30 people working for me.

    Don't give up, you'll look back at this in a few years and it won't even bother you, most likely will make you more hungry to succeed!

  • malich on 02/11/2017 - 16:57
    +1

    I advertised for an entry level job in financial services on seek recently and had no reasonable candidates. We ended up hiring a referral.

    Here's what I noted:
    -In the interviews, people stated that they had career goals which were entirely unrelated to the job on offer. Big turn off as an employer.
    -Some applicants were under-dressed. A polo is not appropriate interview attire
    -Some had done 0 research on our company

    Of the ones we didn't interview:
    -Some didn't have cover letters. I need to know why you want the job and you can't convey they in an resume. The job ad also stated that we would only consider applications which had cover letters.
    -Some were under-qualified

    • monkeybusiness on 02/11/2017 - 23:48

      Thats interesting. What sort of financial services role is it?

      Given the number of graduates all going for a entry level role and not one person let alone a handful stood out?

      • malich on 03/11/2017 - 08:39

        Not one.

        We only had about 30 applicants from seek.

        • monkeybusiness on 03/11/2017 - 22:01

          Just curious. What was the role advertised?

  • [Deactivated] on 03/11/2017 - 10:21

    Try Streets ice cream factory, I hear they will be hiring new people
    You will work for peanuts and sprinkles right

  • GourmetFoodie on 04/11/2017 - 17:37

    Firstly I suspect your CV is too generic. You need to help make it stand out. What extra curricular have you done? Volunteer work, internships, clubs, leadership roles etc.

    Secondly, how much are you prepping for the in persons? Are you doing practice interviews with people? How are you dressed? How do you smell and groom yourself? Is English your first language? You need to figure out if there is something about you that is causing a negative judgement.

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