Anyone jobless for a long time before?

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Sidetrack a bit, what do you guys think of using recruitment agencies as a fresh uni grad to find a full time job. Was thinking of agencies like recruit express, kelly, capita etc.

Asking this because in general have a bad impression of them when I was looking for part time job

Unless you are top quality and going only for MNC or banking grad/mgt programs, I don't think it is advisable to avoid recruitment agents.

A lot of staffing for low level entry level executive jobs are outsourced to these agents, ignoring them totally will effectively wipe out 80% of the exec jobs out there and make your job search much harder.

Besides if you already graduate without a job, what loss is there to approach the agents? Are you really so busy that you can't take a phone call or make a trip down their office even if some of them don't turn up anything useful?

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Sidetrack a bit, what do you guys think of using recruitment agencies as a fresh uni grad to find a full time job. Was thinking of agencies like recruit express, kelly, capita etc.

Asking this because in general have a bad impression of them when I was looking for part time job

From my experience, the recruitment agencies do not have a position available. What they do is actually collect resumes by posting dummy ads. They will then match a job based on your profile from the jobstreet, jobsdb etc. posted by the employers directly. What they did is actually sit down in front of the computer and do mix and match. Don't pin too much hope as employers are not stupid enough to pay them one month commission for a job they can do themselves! Then what is their HR for if they engage them?

Originally Posted by Unregistered

thanks for all the advice, will take note.

yeah, not jobless. but ive been searching for a job since semester one because my goal was to secure one before graduation. and its not like i did nothing about it; i constantly got out of my comfort zone and applied as much as i can.

i've been rejected from a few, those that i really wanted. and it really makes me sad. but i pull myself up and work hard for the next best that i have. today i just know that i got rejected again for the role that i wanted. i went for their ac, they were hiring 4, and there were 5 of us, though there was another session during june. and honestly, even with all these effort that i put in, all these hardwork, it really sucks to know that i still cannot make the cut when the odds are in my favor. i mean, i dont even have 1 single job offer. not even one. it really puts me down day by day, and i've been trying very hard to push away the thought that i'm not good enough, because ultimately, it's all because of this stupid factor called luck.

its so mentally draining and tiring.

Don't worry to much, if financially still able to support yourself. I graduated last year and only got a job recently. Keep getting rejected for the last one year. The question is still haunting me even when i got a job now. People will ask you why are you jobless for so long or what have you been doing. I strongly believe its all luck. Some don't believe, especially those living in their ivory tower.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

I graduated in 2013, applied everyday for a month. Couldn't wait so jumped on a $7/hr job. Fast forward 3 years I'm in a good place with basic of 5k. Sometimes you just have to go down the stairs before you climb up.

basic 5k?! i graduated in 2007 and with 8 yrs of exp, still getting 4k+ only...care to share which industry are you in?

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Don't worry to much, if financially still able to support yourself. I graduated last year and only got a job recently. Keep getting rejected for the last one year. The question is still haunting me even when i got a job now. People will ask you why are you jobless for so long or what have you been doing. I strongly believe its all luck. Some don't believe, especially those living in their ivory tower.

I feel the same way. I was jobless for a few months after graduation. Started doubting myself. Worst time of my life. It will be ok once you clinch the first job. Fast forward 1.5 years now and I'm getting 6k per month and doing extremely well! Good luck and persevere.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

basic 5k?! i graduated in 2007 and with 8 yrs of exp, still getting 4k+ only...care to share which industry are you in?

Are u an engineer to only get paid 4k?? Even accountants get around 5k after 3 years of working

Originally Posted by Unregistered

From my experience, the recruitment agencies do not have a position available. What they do is actually collect resumes by posting dummy ads. They will then match a job based on your profile from the jobstreet, jobsdb etc. posted by the employers directly. What they did is actually sit down in front of the computer and do mix and match. Don't pin too much hope as employers are not stupid enough to pay them one month commission for a job they can do themselves! Then what is their HR for if they engage them?

You are so right. I recently get a call from a recruitment agency. I thought they might be able to get an interview for me. But after a brief meeting with the recruitment officer who promised to send me a revised resume (as the recruitment officer told me how I should write my resume in a professional way to impress the employers), I never hear from them anymore. Then I saw they put up advertisement after advertisement for the same position ! So ya, you can never pin hope on them, esp when looking for full time permanent jobs. They are a waste of your time !

Originally Posted by Unregistered

You are so right. I recently get a call from a recruitment agency. I thought they might be able to get an interview for me. But after a brief meeting with the recruitment officer who promised to send me a revised resume (as the recruitment officer told me how I should write my resume in a professional way to impress the employers), I never hear from them anymore. Then I saw they put up advertisement after advertisement for the same position ! So ya, you can never pin hope on them, esp when looking for full time permanent jobs. They are a waste of your time !

The professional recruitment firms do not operate in this manner. They establish contacts within the industry that they operate in, among many different firms. They frequently get in touch with the HR or hiring managers in these firms to extract open positions, after which they will market out on job portals. They are paid commissions for their time and efforts spent trawling through the hundreds of CVs that get sent in and doing the preliminary legwork of QCing the applicant before putting forward recommendations to the hiring firm.

I have personally been placed in 2 full time perm roles through recruitment agents.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

I feel the same way. I was jobless for a few months after graduation. Started doubting myself. Worst time of my life. It will be ok once you clinch the first job. Fast forward 1.5 years now and I'm getting 6k per month and doing extremely well! Good luck and persevere.

Glad that you are doing well but there is no need to paint an unrealistic picture for him. There are so many variables to consider behind the simple 'fast forward 1.5 years now and im getting 6k'. Are you in sales-related role, what industry are u in, how much did u start off as?

I started off as a fresh grad in the finance industry, in a investment research role at a lowly 2.7k back in May 2013. I wasn't lucky or as smart as many posters paint themselves out to be, to start off with 4k+++ jobs right out of school.

Currently, I have moved across 3 banks and am now in a Compliance function at a European bank, having made 80k (including bonuses) for FY2015. Key lessons are to never stop believing in yourself and to never rest on your laurels.

thanks for all the encouragement.

i guess im just mentally exhausted of constantly going through the same thing over and over again. like, i know i have to keep moving on, i know i have to get back up and fight, i know what i should do. but sometimes its not that i dont want to motivate myself up, it's just... tiring. not sure if you guys get what i mean. and yeah, started to doubt myself and all as well, getting annoyed at every single thing.

actually, im going overseas from 5-22jun, and since the beginning of the sem, i just wanted to clinch a job before leaving, or at least an offer. but i still can't just get that one single offer, only constant rejections. and after each rejection, i tell myself its okay, get back up and move forward. but yesterday's one was bad.. i guess because it was the odds, like 5 choose 4, and im the 1 who didnt get chosen. so it really makes me question everything that im doing, and doubting myself as well. but i guess it's a 50-50 thing, in a sense that my mindset was 'tired' and i didnt really give my best there. and the 3 interviewers i had were actually grilling me quite badly. bad luck. seems like its 20% hard work, 80% luck.

but with all that being said, i believe it's all a matter of time. im sorry that i emitting negative energy out here, but thank you all for your support. i'll be fine soon