Problem - Looking for work

[Hulkman]

Hello all,

I have been having a rough time looking for work. I been trying all kind of websites and targeting various companies with my resume.

Could anyone list some of the best sites to post resume and search for jobs. I live in Toronto, Canada and I do have a solid resume.

Job sites I am currently using is Indeed, Monster and Linked IN and some hiring agency sites

Any advise is greatly appreciated
thanks

 

[Sic]

looking for a job is a fulltime job in and of itself - good luck bro

 

[Drallin]

Hello all,

I have been having a rough time looking for work. I been trying all kind of websites and targeting various companies with my resume.

Could anyone list some of the best sites to post resume and search for jobs. I live in Toronto, Canada and I do have a solid resume.

Job sites I am currently using is Indeed, Monster and Linked IN and some hiring agency sites

Any advise is greatly appreciated
thanks

Are you doing personal networking? A large percentage of jobs get "filtered" by having a resume emailed directly to HR by someone at the company and/or just never get posted.

Check with your school/professional/whatever friends that are local to see what's up in their companies. Don't ask for anything initially - look up "informational interview." If you sound like you've got it together with them, they'll poke you if they hear of something. Or if you see something at their company, you can ask them about it.

Check linkedin for 2nd tier people that might be interesting to talk to, and ask your friends to make introductions (do step 1 of social stuff with those friends first).

Sending in resumes etc., is relatively low yield.

 

[Cybris]

Best advice I can give is shotgun. Send resumes out everywhere. Also on your resume don’t just list skills and past jobs. You need to list how your work contributed to improving metrics, productivity, roi. That will get you past the AI readers you also need to know what buzz words to include in your resume that the recruiting programs search for do some research and make sure to include those words.

Resumes are also just to nail down an interview not to get the job.

 

[Redmonkey]

First off, double check your resume. You may feel it is strong and it might be strong with your qualifications but if you are not getting any hits make sure it's not something in it that is causing you not to get responses. Pepper it with "power words" These are words in your sentences that match what is listed in the job opening. This will help get your resume past the first filter.

All major companies have job listings not in Indeed etc. Go to the company sites direct. And quite a few are remote. It's ok to take a lower job cause you can always go up from there.

 

[Whodis]

You don't say what you do. Do you have skills that could pick up contract work? E.g. Tech skills, project management, etc.?

If so, maybe also look for contracts rather than jobs and end up working for yourself, running a small business.

 

[Colonel - USMC Retired]

Hey Hulkman!

I'm in he same boat. I was a Senior Ops Manager for Amazon up until last December. I'm fortunate that I have a military pension to keep me going, but "have a big house and a big house payment", ha ha. I've been looking for something since and have been learning a TON of stuff I never considered before. I have a ton of qualifications (33 yrs of military service with 20 as a senior officer, PMP, MBA with a Project Management focus, Six Sigma Green Belt, Executive Management certified, 3 years of positive work at Amazon in a senior position, etc, etc, etc). I started applying to jobs that I KNOW FOR A FACT I was more than just qualified for, but got rejection after rejection saying stuff like "Thank you for your application, but we are not moving forward with you."

Frustrating is an understatement...

Since then, I've been tailoring my resume to specific jobs. There are lots of options out there to help, but I personally landed on Huntr.co to help make sure that my resumes are specific to the jobs I'm looking for. It's a bit costly at $40/mo, but I figured it was worth the investment if it was going to help me get back into a job. I've only been using it a couple of weeks and have had two phone screens so far (both offered me an opportunity to move, but I don't want to leave where I'm at). I have an onsite interview today and another phone screening tomorrow - so to say it has helped, yeah it has.

The other thing noted here is the networking piece - I had previously applied to a position that I know for a fact I would crush, but didn't tailor my resume and it won't let me reapply. I looked on LinkedIn to find someone I knew that worked for the same company and sure enough, found a guy that used to work with me in San Diego! I reached out to him with an updated resume, he forwarded it directly to the hiring manager, and THAT is the phone screen I have tomorrow! Find friends that can help move you along!

I hope that helps. Best wishes to you on the job hunt and let us know how it goes!

 

[Redmonkey]

Hey Hulkman!

I'm in he same boat. I was a Senior Ops Manager for Amazon up until last December. I'm fortunate that I have a military pension to keep me going, but "have a big house and a big house payment", ha ha. I've been looking for something since and have been learning a TON of stuff I never considered before. I have a ton of qualifications (33 yrs of military service with 20 as a senior officer, PMP, MBA with a Project Management focus, Six Sigma Green Belt, Executive Management certified, 3 years of positive work at Amazon in a senior position, etc, etc, etc). I started applying to jobs that I KNOW FOR A FACT I was more than just qualified for, but got rejection after rejection saying stuff like "Thank you for your application, but we are not moving forward with you."

Frustrating is an understatement...

Since then, I've been tailoring my resume to specific jobs. There are lots of options out there to help, but I personally landed on Huntr.co to help make sure that my resumes are specific to the jobs I'm looking for. It's a bit costly at $40/mo, but I figured it was worth the investment if it was going to help me get back into a job. I've only been using it a couple of weeks and have had two phone screens so far (both offered me an opportunity to move, but I don't want to leave where I'm at). I have an onsite interview today and another phone screening tomorrow - so to say it has helped, yeah it has.

The other thing noted here is the networking piece - I had previously applied to a position that I know for a fact I would crush, but didn't tailor my resume and it won't let me reapply. I looked on LinkedIn to find someone I knew that worked for the same company and sure enough, found a guy that used to work with me in San Diego! I reached out to him with an updated resume, he forwarded it directly to the hiring manager, and THAT is the phone screen I have tomorrow! Find friends that can help move you along!

I hope that helps. Best wishes to you on the job hunt and let us know how it goes!

You could call your shots at Raytheon.

 

[blahblahblah84]

Most jobs in my former field (IT) are filled through contacts and networking.

I'm retired now, but in the previous 20 years I never hired a single person through an online posting. Posting a job online triggers hundreds or thousands of resumes (I made that mistake a few times).

Because of the volume of responses from online advertisements, a first level filtering is usually done by software or HR. The only way to get through these initial filters is to make sure your resume has the correct matching terms. Make sure your resume uses the same words and phrases as the advertisement if possible.

Unfortunately though, as others have said, networking to find those 'backchannel' jobs is how 90% of jobs get filled.

Another consideration is whether you might appear overqualified for a job. Employers are reluctant to hire people that might get bored quickly, or jump ship at the first opportunity. There is an investment in hiring, onboarding and training a new employee. Consider dumbing down your resume for some postings, or making it very clear that you are willing and happy to do a less advanced job than before.

Anyhow, good luck with your job hunt. It's very frustrating, but it WILL work out in the end.

 

[Colonel - USMC Retired]

You could call your shots at Raytheon.

Unfortunately they aren't here in Des Moines.

 

[Redmonkey]

Unfortunately they aren't here in Des Moines.

They do tons of remote stuff.

 

[OldGuard]

My best results have been using TheLadders.Com. Yes, it is a paid service, but the jobs are a much higher level than Monster or other low end listings. Only 6 figure jobs are listed. No, I do not work for them or get anything from referrals, I just know that my last search 2.5 years ago yielded many interviews and 4 job offers. I would use this service again if I was looking now.

 

[BobGrabber]

Unfortunately they aren't here in Des Moines.

DSM in the house! Pick me up a tenderloin sandwich from Smitty's Wells Fargo and Aetna both have significant offices in West Des Moines. My daughter was just hired at Cigna, and they are remote.

 

[B_I_G__D_A_D_D_Y]

I reached out to him with an updated resume, he forwarded it directly to the hiring manager, and THAT is the phone screen I have tomorrow!

Semper Fi Marine. I have high hopes that the cost effectiveness of competence is making a comeback in American industry.

 

[vandersl]

All these replies and not one reference to 'one cool trick' (up until now). I am impressed by the restraint.

Anyway, sorry to hear of your situation. No good advice on how to get through the HR / software firewall to someone real inside an organization. I worked at a soulless company for many years, and despite being the one posting the positions I was never able to get direct access to the resumes, or figure out what algorithm HR used to forward on the ones that they did. Success rate on those was pretty low as it was. As others have said, I did manage to circumvent the HR wall for people I already knew, or for kids of co-workers, which is unfortunately how a lot of this gets done.

My best advice in general, as useless as it is for you now, is to look for your next job while you still have your current position. Not only is searching from a position of strength valuable, it is sometimes the only way to get ahead in organizations that offer the standard 2-3% raise to everyone year after year, but offer higher rates to new hires. Often, we are too comfortable in our positions and, even though we see the writing on the wall, hold on while we know reductions are coming. Can't affect me, right? These companies have no loyalty, so don't give it back to your detriment.

Best of luck to you.