I just got rejected for yet another job

I honestly feel as if I could break down and cry. What is wrong with me? Why am I not getting hired? I have a good resume with lots of experience in my field. My cover letters are tailored to each company and well-written. I received an academic scholarship to business school. I am networking, reaching out, doing all the "right" things. And nothing. I feel hopeless. At this point I don't know what to do -- the rejection hurts. Big time. I feel as if I'll never hold down a job again. I am not sure what's wrong with me. It's getting hard to project confidence. Any advice, job-seeking DL'ers? Is it the economy, or am I somehow stupid/poorly qualified/lazy/etc.???

Perhaps it's your interview style. Find someone connected who you have a friendship with, and practice the interview. I have seen some well qualified people suck at interviewing. Good luck
OP, I know it's hard to not take it to heart, but the economy is really in the shitter and there are many very talented, capable people who can't get hired. If you think there may be something wrong with your resume, maybe see a career counselor to give it a look over. Otherwise, try to look at is as though you're an actor; most actors will audition countless times for a job before ever booking anything.
The economy does suck. Employers know they have the advantage since many more candidates than usual are seeking the same jobs. Holidays are coming. Apply at big retails stores as holiday help. It's something to consider as a holdover.
This is a bold thing to do but I have a friend in a similar situation who did this...contact your interviewer in a friendly, above all, objective manner and ask why you weren't hired. Put forth you really want to know and are open to any insights. It helped my friend but he was lucky in the guy wasn't frightened by his direct question. He was able to ask without any emotion or demand behind asking. If you are bottomline straight forward, and direct, it's possible you can get an honest answer.
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I second checking on your interview style. My two best staffers had amazing interviews, but lackluster resumes and cover letters. Good luck OP, I hope it works out for you.
WHERE are you looking? Big city, too much competition; small town, not enough jobs.
Join the club, OP. most of the places I've interviewed with haven't even bothered to reject me. The whole looking for a job is depressing.
Don't cry out loud. Just keep it inside, and learn how to hide your feelings.
Carole%20Bayer%20Sager
It's not you personally OP. It's just that these days there's always someone younger and cheaper available.
R4 makes what looks like an interesting point, but with so many people (particularly in HR) skittish about lawsuits, I wonder if anyone would give you an honest answer.
OP can't get hired as a street hooker. Johns can be so cruel.
What positions are you applying for, OP?
OP, it's a simple matter that there's a lot of competition and many jobs are already filled when the mandatory process of an open search is done. You're swimming upstream. Obviously the problem is that you're in the wrong field for your region. Tweak your experience and skills for what's really needed and look for niche markets you can aim at that don't have so many people pounding the pavement around them. Also, do take a good, hard look at yourself - style, communications, whininess, neediness, pushiness, know-it-all-ness, subservience - and then take it all together and remember that being yourself in a quiet, confident, positive way is ALWAYS the best method in interviews. Unless you're interviewing with idiots. Consider moving. Consider volunteering in non-profits around your area of expertise. Consider magick. It will work out fine.
so few jobs out there OP don't loose hope keep trying
OP, how old are you? If you are over 40, your age could be getting in the way.
Hang in there OP, applying for jobs is hell on the self-esteem. Not a fun time to be applying right now. Sorry to have to say this, but you may need to lower your expectations and apply at a position you don't really want to. I can say that it eventually worked out for me (worked my way up).
F&F r14
OP, Never Give Up. The hardest times and jobs I thought I did not get in retrospect, a better opportunity came along - just when it was not expected. Patience is virtue is hard to swallow when you are worried about the future. The unfortunate part is wanting resolution. The energy of planning for and going to interviews and disappointment are never fun although You must keep an Open Mind. You should apply to all jobs which seem even remotely like the one you want to have. You probably do this already. It may not be fun, although you could call and ask what set the canidate(s) apart for jobs you did not get and what could increase your cances in the future. I do not know if a past interviewer would help or not. Maybe they would use term "better fit." better qualified," however you may get a little insight which is proactive vs. wondering. Keep your spirits up no matter what. Keep a routine of applying and following up and also allow yourself time each day to exercise, eat right and relax and even enjoy the "free time" you now have. I learned that it is better to enjoy the time vs. worriing about future. I doubt you want to move to North Dakota, although I have read oil industry is paying big bucks for unskilled jobs. I would also ask your best friend if they have any suggestions or do mock interview to see if they see anything to suggest. I hope some of this helps! My best job offer and job came after a period of not being able to get a job and great worry. After that time, when unemployed, I tried to make the best of it and look forward to what could come next.
Apply for jobs that might seem "beneath you" but could get your foot in the door at a growing company. They do exist but you may need to aim low.
OP, I may be taking a 15K less salary with a job I am interviewing for. It happens. But, it's a job. I know how you feel. I have been rejected many times. Just keep moving forward.
When God closes a door, somewhere he opens a window.
Maria Von Trapp, after a second bowl of chili
R21, get a life, you loser. Hang in there, OP. Lots of great advice in this thread.
Been%20there
OP, I could have written the exact same post. I think the worst thing about this whole process is not knowing why the hell you're not getting hired. You can't improve on the next time because you just have no clue. I've heard about asking for feedback from them, but I honestly don't think employers would bother with that given how litigious our society is.
OP, today I was rejected from a great job with superior benefits. I have no idea what I did wrong in the interview because I thought it went extraordinarily well. Also, the hiring manager and I have a mutual acquaintance. I have been unemployed for over a year and suicide looks like an appealing option at this point. I wish I had some sage advice to lend you, but I haven't a clue on how to navigate through this shitty economy.
Binge%20eating%20all%20day
R22, get a sense of humor.
OP, I know how you feel. I was out of work since 2008. Lived on unemployment, then a lot of temp jobs. Finally got a permanent position three months ago. The economy is just so fucking bad that employers can have their pick. It's not that you lack skills or education or anything like that. It's probably that other candidates have offered to do potential jobs for a lot less money and benefits. Hang in there; you WILL find something if you stick it out. In the meantime, keep honing your interview skills and redoing your resume and cover letters. Eventually, the timing will be right and something will come your way.
Dude, I can't even get a second part time job at Wolmart. They all want open availability.
r21 - that was Mother Superior who said that
Liesl%20Von%20Trapp
Dude - check out craigslist.com. Peace bro.
You need a way to separate your resume from the stack. You need contacts and you need to work them. Not many people are getting jobs without personal introductions or personal referrals.
Looking for work is horrible, OP. I don't envy you at all.
It may not have anything to do with you. Many employers are not hiring from among the currently unemployed and it sucks. There should be incentives for employers to hire from the unemployed over people just looking to change jobs.
R28, I beg to differ. I'm pretty sure that Maria said it - possibly to Liesel.
OP, I'm also in your same boat. 4 months unemployed. Sent out countless resumes. Even sought a counselor to help fine tune my resume and cover letter. Still very few call backs, and even fewer interviews. I've been told the chilling words that I'm "overqualified." Now that I've removed the word "Senior" from my former job title, I've been getting a few more responses. I'm in my mid 30s, so seeking a mid-level career choice seems appropriate. The hard part is that I didn't have much savings, and it's almost up. I fear reaching the point of not being able to pay my bills and rent. Cashing out my 401K may be a last desperate option. The whole thing is made worse that when I was laid off, my former job gave me no reason about why they were letting me go, and kept singing my praises as they booted me out the door. The main thing this whole, awful affair has taught me is to save save save money, no matter how secure you think your job is. Sadly, I could have easily saved with my lucrative former job but, never imagining I would be laid off, I didn't. Live, learn and keep pressing on.
OP, by the way, hang in there. I have a husband who has been unemployed for three years and several friends. It's hard on the psyche but with unprecedented unemployment it is everywhere.
No r33, Mother Superior says that to Maria, when she went back to The Abbey asking for guidance wanting to be a nun again. Its at the same scene where MS also says : "Is there anything you cunt face" And then MS sings Climb Every Mountain
Mary%20Martin
R27, it's Walmart. I took a shitty retail job when the unemployment ran out and as R27 says these retail stores all want you to be available 24/7 for them. I've watched the manager at the store I've been working at dead file any application that had any limits as to when the person could work. These companies don't want to have to bother to try and work with employees. I've also heard this same manager bitch and complain about people not showing up when they are scheduled. I'd love to tell her that maybe if you worked with people a bit you might get some consideration. She also complains that people don't call her back when she calls at the last minute looking to fill slots in her schedule because she's not scheduled correctly. One week I might be scheduled 32 hours (the max) the next I might get 4 hours. It's unbelievable what these places want for $8 an hour.
I posted earlier and wanted to add, while looking for next job, great time to try to have personal project unrelated to job to use part of your time. Maybe going through closet, desk, organizing computer files, music, etc. The sense of personal accomplishment and being able to complete your own project is good for your own attitude and sense of accomplishment.
As r37 says, they want you 24/7 but don't guarantee you any hours. We are in a mess.
There's nothing wrong with you OP. It's the economy. Everyone is just getting by.
And R36, Maria repeats it later in the film, "The Reverend Mother always says when the Lord closes a door somewhere he opens a window." But she says it to the Captain.
Enough with the Sound of Music shit. It wasn't even funny in R21's post.
r42 How dare you put Sound Of Music and Shit in the same sentence!
Surrender%20your%20gay%20card%21
Are you in a small town or large city? What's your field op?
Climb every mountain, Search high and low, Follow every highway, Every path you know. Climb every mountain, Ford every stream, Follow every rainbow, 'Till you find your dream. A dream that will need All the love you can give, Every day of your life For as long as you live. Climb every mountain, Ford every stream, Follow every rainbow, Till you find your dream A dream that will need All the love you can give, Every day of your life, For as long as you live. Climb every mountain, Ford every stream, Follow every rainbow, Till you find your dream!
OP, be happy that you got to the interview part. I've been applying for jobs for over a year now and haven't gotten called in for a single interview. My resume is great but for every 1 job that is posted, I'm fighting with about 600 other people.
Same boat here. I know I was flubbing my first few interviews because I was so desperate to get the job, then I found my groove, but now I'm so beat down from rejection, I'm finding it hard to feign any enthusiasm when meeting face to face. I like the suggestion of creating small personal victories to revive what little self-esteem I have left. Thankfully I did just pick up a seasonal part-time retail position. It's nights and only $9/hr, but who knows, perhaps I'll find a niche I was once unaware of. It's frustrating, to say the least, that I have friends that are able to network while keeping their top-level executive positions and are finding other positions with more pay without ever having to be humbled by unemployment. It's still an 'old boys club' - one that I've never been a part of. Good luck, OP.
You need to start your own business. Fuck working for someone else. If you went to business school then you know how to be an entrepreneur even if you feel you don't have the personality for it. Well, get the personality for it. Remember, just a small number of people have all the money in America so don't bother marketing yourself to people who are BROKE.
I have been applying for jobs, have gone on a few interviews and apparently the professional courtesy of sending a formal letter of rejection has gone out the window. I just have to surmise that since I haven't heard anything in two weeks that I didn't get the job. And yet applicants are still expected to waste time writing a bullshit cover letter that's tailored specifically to the job they're seeking.
I%20hate%20HR%20people%20so%2C%20so%20much.
Guys, I wish you all the best of luck. Keep the faith!
Are you fat? You sound fat.
HR Robots are indeed very annoying. I've had HR people who love me in interviews, are impressed with all my qualifications, but then reach one random line item at the bottom of the initial job description that I lack experience in and say I'm not a fit, despite me being qualified in every other way. HR Robots have no sense of matching personality types or finding jobs that people can learn from and grow in. They don't want people who are overqualified, yet don't want people who can grow. They look for direct lateral moves that fill in a checklist 100%.
Yes, I am fat...r51. So?
Don't give up, OP! I predict you will land a gig soon!
Sidewinder
You lazy bum. There are plenty of jobs at McDonalds and Walmart.
herman%20cain
If you're qualified, have a good resume and are a good interviewer, it might not be anything more than chance. EVERY job you apply for has many qualified applicants. The chances of being hired are simply low, especially when you don't have an "in:.
I stopped doing cover letters a long time ago. They either want you or they don't, so I skip that preamble. I won't waste my time on the morons that are often in charge of HR in companies. My current boss is one of those morons. She can't hire good people to save her life and it drives me crazy. There are precious few good HR people out there, because everybody thinks they can do HR. I concentrate my time on making my resume a mirror image of the job posting. That usually what their system is looking for. Ive gotten more interviews that way.
That might be a good idea, R57. I've noticed that, too. When their system is able to pull the same key words, I tend to get more calls. Do you submit resumes as a doc or PDF?
After a stint with AT&T, I can suggest that many corporations advertize jobs that are already filled from within. I don't know if the government has some sort of equal opportunity rules that require advertizing of jobs and doing interviews, but I've seen AT&T already have a selected candidate via NETWORKING (a friend of someone in a higher position at the company). Then the company goes through the motions of interviewing desperate people who are highly qualified. So they are treating these people like patsy's, just to make themselves look good. Typical dehumanizing corporate tricks in the good old USA.
Yes, and gubment jobs are kept open so the department can keep the money in the budjet. for reals.
Do not take it personally. Research companies outside the box which are hiring. Make those companies your target. You will find a job.
Stop wearing eye shadow and rouge. That's a start. Then stop with the Adam Lambert hair style. If you want a job, check out the free supplements you get in the mail, showing what today's "normal" mainstream family looks like. Try to make yourself look as much as possible like the dads in the pictures (except not the swimming pool ads, obviously). Dress well in a traditional sense - dress casually only AFTER you get the job and are told it is OK to wear business casual. Bette Midler sang a song that I woefully cannot remember the lyrics..."You gotta have X" she would sing. Take the music and sing "You gotta look straight to get that job you want..." You can make a big gay statement and thereby lose the job, even in San Francisco.
While it can't hurt to check your interview style with outside observers, don't fall for the Cain/Bachmann poison and start blaming yourself. In an economy like this, smart, personable, experienced, hard-working people are being rejected over and over. Good luck to you- I know how it is and wish you well.
Seriously, OP, you are not to blame for this. Have you not heard the news that unemployment is at a high lately? At this point it's more the luck of the draw. I am employed in a job I detest. I do have the luxury of lots of downtime at it and I have been applying and submitting and interviewing for everything. Not a single offer in two years. I DREAD the idea of being unemployed because I don't know where I'd apply. I have an extensive resume in my field and strong experience and yet I seem to not be considered for things. As others have mentioned, the main reason for not getting hired has been due to the companies hiring from within. I think companies know that in this phase people are willing to take ANYTHING so they are getting much pickier about whom they make offers too out of fear of the person finding "more suitable" employment and then bailing.
I think you care too much. These fuckers should be kissing your ass, instead you don't let them know that THEY are the lucky ones. Now, get an attitude! That's what you need.
R4, if you're still here - I'm curious. What did the recruiting manager tell your friend who asked for feedback? Companies are so afraid of lawsuits these days, I'm surprised if your friend heard more than "You were fine..."
I%20asked%20once%2C%20too
I have a Master's degree and I have been rejected because of this. I have also deleted both of my degrees from my resume and have recieved phone calls from prospective job offers.
I don't have a degree but have two decades of experience and still don't get called. If you are over forty, you are screwed.
I just interviewed for a job today, and although the interview went well, I actually hope I DON'T get it. First, the job sounded chaotic and crazy, and I think I would be miserable in it. Second, it's only part-time with no benefits. Third, the schedule sucks - I would have to work 2 full days and 3 1/2 hours another day. Now, I could deal with this if the job was in town, but it's 40 minutes each way. I don't want to drive 40 minutes just to work 3 1/2 hours, especially with the price of gas and what a waste of time it would be. If I'm gonna drive that far, I want to work a full day. I really need a job, but do you think this would even be worth taking considering all the cons? What would you do?
Advice Please!
it's not what you know, it's who you know. or they need to hire immediately and you are at the right place at the right time.
Do you have a fat face like Tiffani Thiessen? Employers don't like fat faces.
If you do volunteer work make sure it's something that you will benefit from, as they will ask a lot out of you. Volunteering is almost a racket now, getting enthusiastic people to bust their asses for free. And remember, if you get injured they will not cover your medical expenses. You will be expected to work longer than they tell you--if they say it's for four hours you may be there for six. If you are working with the poor remember that they can become violent and some carry transmissable diseases. Work with the homeless if you need a boost of gratitude, you will never forget what you see. Many organizations are run with Fraus who love to 'delegate' over the volunteer activities. Beware. The Herrs will be checkin gout your rear end and ask you to perform tasks that require bending and sqautting. For these old farts, delegating volunteers is akin to a free porno show. And remember, you may have to stay out in the sun all day with your tasks and that can take its toll on your face. Always wear a wide brimmed hat and stay hydrated.
been there, done that, bought the t shirt
Dear Sheneequa, face it---you are going to have to change your name.
I am a blue collar worker (truck driver) and have noticed quite a few new drivers with degrees who couldnt find white collar jobs, if you are about to exhaust your money and resources you might want to consider trying something new I know it's not for everyone but I make over 80,000 a year and am pretty happy.
Could someone please tell me why some places would waste time, paper and postage to mail me a paper rejection letter in the mail when they have my email address and could simply email me instead? How stupid are the places? Things like that make me realize they must not have much common sense so I wouldn't have enjoyed working there anyway.
Earrings and caftan for the interview!
Anonymous