Job Searching... What joy

[thresher]

In my continuing quest to find that perfect job I have come across a few “hiccups” if you were to call them that. That is. I have my resume posted on Monster and I continue to get hits on it as well as e-mails and phone calls about my qualifications. However, every job that people seem to be offering me is in the sales industry. And frankly that’s something I'm trying to get out of at this very moment. I’ve gotten them all, from inside sales and marketing to door to door sales. Some promising outrageous salary potential and others well... how to put it. I would be better staying where I am.

So for those that have gone through this. How did you find that perfect job? What resources did you use to help yourself find it? And then how did you go about applying/approaching the employer. I have been blessed as I have only had 2 jobs my entire life. I'm 22 now.

What I have been looking for is some form of entry level job in one of two things. Some form of lab technician with either a biotechnology company a biomedical lab. I know most of these companies require specific certifications to move up in the company and that I am working on. As I will soon have my associates in science, and will continue to study the sciences. Eventually getting my degree in biochemistry or something along those lines.

I have had 3 job interviews within the last year. And each time I leave the interview I make sure to get everybody’s name, leave them a copy of my resume and then do a follow up call about 2ish weeks later to see what their decision was. Well so far I have struck out.

I have also had one job offer through a staffing agency. However the guy I was talking with was very pushy. To the point he went through and scheduled an interview for me without even asking. And then telling be about it the day before. Needless to say I wasn’t able to attend and because of that who knows what could have happened. Hey it was only a temp to hire job anyways so who knows what could have happened… right (well that’s what I keep telling myself that is).

What about staffing agencies? Are the worth it. I have gotten on the list of one. However, I am very skeptical because all the keep offering me are temp jobs and or temp to hire jobs. To me there is no difference after my term they can just dump me and hire a new person. Why leave a full time job for a potential job that might be full time or might be just a temp thing. Right?

Any suggestions to an inexperienced person looking to land that perfect job? Also I would like to think my resume is ok however, I am kind of getting the feeling that it is lacking out there so are there any iFishers that would like to give it a look over for me and suggest ways to could improve it. That and the other thing I have always struggled with are cover letters. I have read lots of information online about them and how to form them. But when it comes to sitting down and busting them out I always seem to freeze up. So from your experiences what makes a good cover letter as well?

Any feedback and PM’s are more then welcome so feel free to share your current and past experiences. Also if you have any hot job leads when it comes to some form of lab setting work I would be interested.

[PGJPJ]

I used Monster, and it landed me my current job as an engineer.

I don’t know what your situation is, (single/married/kids) but I would probably forget about finding the “perfect job” right now, and finish school. At least finish a batcher’s degree. You just have to make the commitment to be poor for a few years, and power through your classes. But of course, if you have kids you have to take care of your family first.

[Chris61182]

Originally Posted by thresher

As I will soon have my associates in science, and will continue to study the sciences. Eventually getting my degree in biochemistry or something along those lines.

My best advise is to do precisely that, finish/get your degrees. Not only that but take the time to get to know your professors, they often have some awesome industry contacts (that whole, it's not what you know, it's who you know).

This is actually how things have worked out for me. In reading a famous person in the industry's blog, I saw that they had switched companies. I mentioned this to my professor who then informs me that he knows this person well. Long story short, said famous person visits the university, receives a handful of resumes, a few months later some internship offers get sent out (here's the who you know), did the internship (prove the what you know), got a job offer.

[IDWITHELD]

Sometimes you have to work through some cruddy jobs before finding what you really like or need.

How did I find my (current) dream job? Got fired from my previous two jobs.
Opportunities often don't look like opportunities.

[Gus Orviston]

I live the other side of the spectrum, I was blessed with finding my job early and have not jumped around. But I have hired a lot of people in my time, and I can say a resume gets you to the door, and it is the person/character that I am listening to at that point. So getting to the door is key step. And I would use Temp agencey possibly to get you to the right doors.

I know you think companies will churn through them, well the temp position is for that if I don't have headcount growth. There are only so many positions and growth is bounded. So while you are there treat it as an interview. I have hired my best staff from temp companies - a contract worker is doing well and clearly a performer, so when a position comes free I want to snatch them up.

for an interview you got to come with a can do attitude, do not attempt to show you know everything, attempt to talk above the interviewer, don't be cocky, be eager, demonstrate you can learn what is needed, and have an impact. Heck I have hired people with the wrong degree just because they demonstrated they had a clue, could learn what was requested of them, were comitted and were obviously going to be valueable.

what is your degree you are pursuing in?
gus

[Trick]

The education is important and your job history is important as well. By that I mean...."did you show up for work on time?"......"did you miss alot of days of work?"...."are you willing to stick with a company at the lower levels long enough to get the advancement opportunities later?"

I'm in a posistion where I hire and past job history/ length of tenure is the first thing I look at. It can make or break the applicant. I'm not going to invest in training if I see this person jumping ship in a short amount of time.

The simple fact that you've stuck with only two companies in your young career is very promising to perspective employers. Work on the education and you'll have it made!

[saber_jack]

I too would focus on your education. Try and find a job on campus in your field. It will be an invaluable reference when you do start a search for your career. Depending on you situation you can qualify for financial aid to help you through school.

Pm me your resume and I will take a look at for you too if you would like....

Saber-Jack

[Dave G]

Education education education, if you have a degree and work in that degree, great. I work for the State and management is just bonkers about education. You apply for a job and you have "customer service" skills "Burger Tech" and they see you have a Bachelor Degree, you will be the most qualified and get the job.

[Chromaflage]

1. In addition to having your resume' on Monster, do searches on Indeed.com - that site searches many job boards at once and you can even register for emailed updated searches.
2. Oregon employment division web site
3. Craigslist
4. Oregonian
5. Register with Linkedin.com - it's a networking/job seeking web site
6. Register and sign up with staffing agencies - those that are employer paid
7. Get in with trade association groups within your field of interest for networking.
8. Attend Job Fairs - dress accordingly and take resume's with you and be prepared to interview on the spot.

Half the battle is getting in the door for an interview. Make sure your resume' and cover letter are tight, appealing and enticing without revealing too much detail - leave the detail for the interview....use the resume' and CL to get in the door.

I walked out of my last place of employment without as much as a lead or potential prospect and found my current job within 2 months. Best career decision I've ever made. But I followed what I outlined above.

Good luck!

CrF

[FishnMike]

Being that you want to go into a tech field you will need at min. your B.S. While getting that B.S. take every oppurtunity to gain related experience, even if it is unpaid or low paying. The education is the minimium to get you in the door but the experience is priceless to a potential employer. Not sure if you have seasonal food preperation in your area, like a canery. If you do they hire lots of summer help and there are usually lots of laboratory type jobs for quality control type work. May not be exactly what you want long term buts its lab experience.

As has been noted by others here, networking is very valuable as people in business rely on recomnedations from friends and associates heavily. Keep knocking on doors.

FishnMike

[SlimeyLimey]

I agree with ALL of the suggestions posted above, and would like to add a few thoughts...

Through the years, personal contacts and networking have brought me success in finding the jobs I've been after. At your young age, you may not have a lot of contacts under your belt, but utilize the ones you do and keep track of them as they develop.

As for posting your resume on job sites or specifically at employers with an online application process, be aware that MANY of them will utilize automated review tools to search your resume (before ANY human hands/eyes touch it) for “key words” that are posted within the job description. Be sure your resume contains as many of those key words as you can honestly fit into your experience and work history. Tailor each resume to the job you are seeking, and if including a cover letter don’t reiterate every detail that’s in your resume.

I see saber_jack offered to review your resume…take advantage of such help, and/or seek knowledge of what good resume techniques are so that yours is on target with current industry standards.

When you gain an interview, dress well (you can always ease up later depending on company policy), know your strong and weak points, look people in the eye, and don’t try to BS your way in the door.

Good luck!

S :tongue:

[Joe C]

Originally Posted by Chromaflage

1. In addition to having your resume' on Monster, do searches on Indeed.com - that site searches many job boards at once and you can even register for emailed updated searches.
2. Oregon employment division web site
3. Craigslist
4. Oregonian
5. Register with Linkedin.com - it's a networking/job seeking web site
6. Register and sign up with staffing agencies - those that are employer paid
7. Get in with trade association groups within your field of interest for networking.
8. Attend Job Fairs - dress accordingly and take resume's with you and be prepared to interview on the spot.

Half the battle is getting in the door for an interview. Make sure your resume' and cover letter are tight, appealing and enticing without revealing too much detail - leave the detail for the interview....use the resume' and CL to get in the door.

I walked out of my last place of employment without as much as a lead or potential prospect and found my current job within 2 months. Best career decision I've ever made. But I followed what I outlined above.

Good luck!

CrF

In addition to all of those, just google the city you're looking in and "biomedical" and then go to every company's website and look at their career or recruitment pages. You're bound to find companies you've never even heard of. If they don't have jobs available send a resume w cover letter to their HR department explaining your situation and what you're looking to do. Worst case scenario, they say no. In some cases they may refer you to another company who may be interested. Best case scenario you get an interview.

I'm in the same boat, I've been trying to get interviews for a job in my field. I've sent out about 50 resumes in the last two months and right now I have three interviews in the next week. Of course, I just need one to say yes.

[James in Idaho]

Since it sounds like you're in school, visit with your campus career center. Career counseling has come a long way since when I was in college, where we were "allowed" to see the career folks our last semester. They can help you with things like your resume, interviewing skills, and they are the ones that schedule career fairs/employer visits, etc. Oh, and the more education the better.

As someone who hires college students your age (and I'm responsible for the College Work Study program university/community wide) there are things I look for in a potential employee. Show up to talk to me ON TIME, be dressed appropriately, and be well groomed. If you're pierced or inked, take 'em out and cover for the interview, and a "clean cut" haircut works better than dreadlocks. Look at me when you're talking to me, shake my hand, and don't try to bs me. I'm old, I've hired and fired kids your age since before you were born. Good grades count (tells me you are capable of a serious commitment), I want someone smart enough to learn the job. Have someone else read your resume, if you have poor grammer or misspelled words I doubt I'll talk to you. If you're hired, SHOW UP ON TIME, ALL THE TIME! Any time I get a call for a reference on a former student employee, the one question that I'm going to get asked is about your attendance. I know this makes me sound like a hard butt, but I've had some great kids work for me that have gone on to great careers. I'm loosing one today, he starts his nursing profession on Monday. Good luck with both your job search and your schooling. Man, to be 22 again!

[Just_learning]

Look through your school first. The best advice I can give you is to fork out the $250 for a professional resume writer. I did it after working for a year and a half in a miserable job after college. It got me on the radar and within 8 months I took a job at a Fortune 200 company working in their Corporate Risk and Finance department....I am 25 and the youngest in my department by at least 10 years- having an impeccable resume is key to getting your foot in the door.

Your resume is your sales pitch, make sure that it has ZERO errors in grammar and spelling. I cant tell you how many resumes I have received where the school is spelled wrong or where I am left wondering about the mental capacity of the applicant.

PM me if you would like the number for a head hunter.

Also check out www.employeeevolution.com its a great site for young people starting out. Also, make sure you look at BENEFITS before you take a job. Those are more important than the pay IMO.

After your interviews, send email, or letter...immediately after you leave.

[Danno]

With people suing companies left and right for employment issues and even though Oregon is right to fire state , many companies are using the temporary employee route to screen prospective employees for keepers. 9 times out of 10, if you are a hard worker, play along with the politics and have potential, you will get hired out of the temporary ranks.

It's to the point where some are doing the temporary route even for engineers. For someone that's only 22, if you have confidence that you going to succeed at a position, take on a temporary position. Just keep an eye on the benefits side of the equation because most of the temp companies will screw you there unless you take care of it up front (sign on bonus, higher rates, etc).

[thresher]

Yea thats kinda the feeling i was getting with this last temp agency that i was told (not asked) to interview with. It seemed like he was more intrested in getting his bonus check/finders fee as he was very pushey. And just gave me a feeling that he was trying to screw me. And because that was my first experience with something alon those lines he has also kinda turned me off on any staffing agency as well... with my lack of experience with any kind of these services.

[Barviewrocks]

If you want to stay in Oregon, join the Oregon Bioscience Association, and learn to do informational interviews as you meet people there. Take the opportunity to do an internship at the companies you are interested in. Finish your BS and make sure your grades are good so you can go on to a masters or Phd.

There are over 200 bioscience companies in Oregon. It is competitive and almost everyone has advanced degrees and 3+ years of experience.

If all else fails and you cannot get any traction, find out who are the fisher persons and take them fishing. You can get a lot of information from people driving to the coast or in a boat for 5 hours. We used to take customers fishing when we could not get their time ;-)

Best of success to you.

[OceanBlue]

Thresher, it sounds like you are a successful and sought-after sales person. I know you're trying to get out of sales, but maybe it's exactly what you need to do in order to get "inside". Have you thought about getting into pharmaceutical sales? I hear it's pretty lucrative. And it gets you a lot closer to the industry you want to be in.

I started with answering phones, moved into sales (which was my background), then into operations (because I couldn't stand sales anymore), then fulfillment, vendor management, and eventually marketing. Now I manage the very call center where I started many years ago (although it's outsourced now). Bottom line is that it's where I wanted to be. I just had to take a pretty crooked road to get here.

If you really, really want to jump out of sales while you're still working on certifications, I'd highly recommend you look for operations or project management type of jobs. You can apply your sales experience to both of those areas. Making a sale is very much like managing a project. Each of your clients is a project that you're trying to complete (close) by a certain deadline. Try it on and see if it fits

[Seefood Man]

"How did you find that perfect job?"
Start your own company. Even at that, there is no perfect job. However, if you work hard and become a success then you have to be proud of yourself and the others that made it possible. On the other hand, if you don't succeed, then you only have yourself to blame. Good Luck ! your young, go for it!!!!!!!!

[Seefood Man]

"Any suggestions to an inexperienced person looking to land that perfect job?"

I re-read your post and noticed this tone. If that is what your sending to your prospective employer you might want to change it to something like this;

As I EARN my degree and the experience required to be successful in my field, then after I am qualified, I might find that perfect job.
Again Good Luck to you

[1pump]

And I would use Temp agencey possibly to get you to the right doors.

My girlfriend started at the VA as a temp and now she's a bona fide federale. It only took about 9 months as a temp to weasel her way into the hallowed halls of government. And she doesn't have a college degree.

Her friend at the GSA is an intern, which means she has to work toward a degree while pretending to work for the Feds. So she's getting a BS at the expense of the taxpayers. BS......kind of ironic.

[SouthCoastStu]

Second the Federal Gov't., good hours, benefits and pay (with experience and education). Go to http://www.usajobs.gov/ and check it out. In your situation you may want to look into the Student Career Experience Program (SCEP). Lots of 55 year old baby boomers pulling the plug right now, creating openings.

[soulrider]

private sector? education....networking....education.....networkin g....and then maybe some education, especially in the industry you are trying to break into those two are the big ones.

[EZOP]

http://www.usajobs.gov/ worked for me. I had four offers, out of five that I applied. I work in operations with Dams, so there is always alot of Dam jobs available.

[willametteriveroutlaw]

Originally Posted by thresher

What I have been looking for is some form of entry level job in one of two things. Some form of lab technician with either a biotechnology company a biomedical lab. I know most of these companies require specific certifications to move up in the company and that I am working on. As I will soon have my associates in science, and will continue to study the sciences. Eventually getting my degree in biochemistry or something along those lines.

Finish college then look for a job. I am really glad I finished school. You'll find that once at a university you can finish college rather quickly and get internships in the field you want which will put you squarely in line to get a new job in the field you want. Its an investment that pays off in the end.

[Queeg]

oh man, the only thing worse than working is looking for work!

best wishes ...

[Troutinator]

when I was laid off a few years ago I found out real quick that most of the "big boys" in the high tech field around here are doing the temp-to-hire thing. Also known as "try before you buy". In a previous deployment I was brought on as a temp, stayed temp for 9 months then they made me a sweet offer for a regular position... they knew what they were getting and so did I!
So don't be too quick to dismiss temp staffing, there are a lot of great jobs that starting from a temp position is the ONLY way to get into them.

[thresher]

Ive just registered with that linkedin website and i can say i am very impressed with it. And cant wait to see what people have to say about me. As i have a number of contacts on the site all ready.

Thanks for that tip. As far as others, ill be sending my resume out here to those that said they would be nice enuf to look it over for me here in the next few days.

Thanks again