OT: Having a hard time getting a job.

It's not you. It's the job market. I was in the exact same situation when I graduated. I applied for hundreds of jobs, and accepted low-paying retail jobs and internships, then left them as soon as I got a full-time offer. Sadly, it's the type of environment right now where you have to fight tooth and claw for anything.

Don't give up. Apply for every job you find. Send out dozens of resumes every day. Eventually one will pay off.

Have you gone to employment agencies? They can really help. And temp offices! It's easier to get hired on as a temp, then you can impress them with your work ethic and hopefully get recommended for full time by your boss.

I'm sorry. This job market really sucks. I've got tons of experience, was laid off at the end of January and still no job. Still looking, pretty hard. Plus, I'm sympathetic to being a new grad and having a hard time finding work - I graduated during the Nixon recession and it took me 10 months to find my first job, and that was through a friend of a friend.

Since you have some advertising in your background, may I suggest a membership on Creative Hotlist?
http://www.creativehotlist.com/advancedsearch/jobs
I've gotten my best leads from there, have gotten several phone interviews and actual in-person interviews. They do list copywriter positions. You can search by state; searching is free. It's about $35 for six months to put up your resume, profile and some samples of your work. If you're interested you can see some of my work at: http://www.creativehotlist.com/portfolios/i/overview/group2/193229

www.coroflot.com is another job board that lists advertising copywriting.

Join your local branch of the American Advertising Federation and go to monthly meetings. Practice your 30 second elevator speech about your skills and backgrounds and use it every month. The people in your local club can steer you towards openings.

Job seeking is part of why I am working on losing weight. I figured it's just one more thing getting in between me and the right job. I can't change the fact that I'm 61 LOL.

Last time I was looking for work , I went through an agency. They found me a temp contract within 2 months, that eventually turned into a full time job.

ETA - I went through an agency because I lacked the language skills most companies required in my area (I'm functionally bilingual, but my french isn't good enough to work in an all-french office). The agency was able to find me a company where that didn't matter.

A lot of the best jobs are never posted anywhere - they go through agencies to have them weed out the candidates for them.

I graduated with a BA in Health Care Admin in 2011. I got a temp job at the Cleveland Clinic which I was very lucky to get. (it really had nothing to do with Health Care, it was data entry. But I took it anyways because of the Cleveland Clinic.)

I moved to Illinois to follow my husband (he's military) I applied probably 20-30 places a DAY. I finally got a call back and I work for in-home health agency as a scheduler. This is something I will NOT be doing the rest of my life. But you have to start somewhere.

Like others said, try to get into a temp agency they can really help you out.

Just be wary of the whole "further education" thing. I've got a job as a professor at a fairly big university, and I've seen students graduate with an MA or a PhD who have ended up stocking the shelves at Walmart. Seriously.

While I certainly don't discourage going to grad school to get a higher qualification, please think about it long and hard. And research the program really well. Because there is by no means any guarantee that it will get you where you want to be and you could just end up wasting another $100k.

^^This is what's keeping me from starting my Masters. I've already been burned once. I can't afford to have MORE loans. :sad:

I know you said people reviewed your resume, but what about your cover letters?

I am in the same boat. I have a Masters in Criminal Justice and 4-5 years of clerical and administratice experience and I cannot get an entry level court or police admin job. Jobs are few and far between right now. I understand where some people are coming from with a little more education, but with our economy, that almost seems to have hurt me. Instead of jumping into the field when I got my BA, I waited 3 more years and now I am in a deeper hole financialy and the economy is worse. I have struggled to even get a minimum wage job in the past. It is just not nice out there. I agree with going to a temp agency. They will help you out in a lot of ways. As little fun as it is, I know a lot of call centers are probably hiring tight now. It would at least get you money coming in while you search for a better opportunity. Also, go to governmentjobs.com and look in your area. All city and county jobs will be posted there and if you can get into a city job, you will be better off.

Just here for support, letting you know that you aren't alone it is hard to find work these days I have benn on and off again employed for the last 3 years and mostly off work. I found some work in temporary work here and there. Right now I'm starting a job with a company who is a contractor for IBM. I still say they are a temp agency even though they say otherwise.

Yes! There is a publishing company that I'm in LOVE with. Like, it's my dream job. And I recently sent out an application to be the receptionist (who has no creative input. Solely there to answer phones and plan schedules.)

If your interested in publishing, I highly recommend attending a Publishing Institute. I attended the University of Denver Publishing Institute, and it was by far the best decision I have ever made. By attending, it sets up with the perfect network of professionals to get a job in the field, boosts your credibility, and looks amazing on your resume. Plus, a lot of publishers look for graduates from the Publishing Institute. I get job postings almost daily asking for a graduate from this school.

My suggestion: network like crazy. A lot of times in the job hunt, it's all about who you know. It may seem counter-intuitive, but start doing informational interviews with people. Make connections. Follow up. This could be a huge help for you down the road. If you have an in at a company and end up applying to an open position, let that contact know and chances are they will help you out.

This +1

I have worked in recruitment for over 10 years, and I am always pushing the managers within the business for who they know, who have you met/worked with etc.

It is more difficult to make these connections at a graduate level, but make sure you are involved with networking events, have a decent online presence (eg LinkedIn) as examples.

Don't be afraid to go through unorthodox channels if needed too. By that I mean calling on relatives or friends to see if they know of anyone in the company you're interested in. A referral from a person within the business (should) always be treated with more effort than a general application - especially in these times of relatively high unemployment.

Really and truly - this is your answer. There are so many applicants for every position you have to find a way to stand out.

Create an awesome LinkedIn profile - use the apps, start a blog and link it to your profile. Find events on LinkedIn, Meetup and Eventrbrite. Connect with people, take an interest in what they're doing and build relationships. Successful networking is not fast, but it does work!

In the interim, offer freelance services ghost writing blogs or writing website copy.

It's tough, but hang in there! Good luck! :-)

Have you tried a head hunter?

Use careerbuilder.com , apply to jobs, most of them are posted by headhunters. Once you apply, you'll get a call from them and they'll ask more about your background etc etc.

Once they have a profile, then they'll submit you for jobs.

But still apply like how you normally do.

I'm not posting this for sympathy, I just need to get some things off my chest and hopefully someone can offer me some advice / motivation / support

I graduated in May with a B.A. and job experience relative to the jobs I'm applying for (about 4 years total experience). Thing is, I haven't heard back from any jobs and it's been months. All the jobs I applied for I'm either qualified for or OVER qualified for.

I know about application etiquette, like you should follow up after a few weeks of sending in your application, and after you get an interview you should send a hand written note. But all the jobs I'm applying for specifically say, "Follow ups are not necessary and will not be returned" or "No phone calls, please," so I obviously don't want to annoy the employer, but I want to convey that I really want the job. How am I supposed to know what I'm doing wrong if they won't reply back?

My resume has been reviewed by previous employers and my professors from university, so I don't think that's the reason.

To top it off, I'm back living with dad who constantly complains that I wasted $100k and that I'm unmotivated, blah blah blah. I really don't know how to improve this situation. I've even applied to minimum wage jobs and would be happy to have them. I think the stress of being unemployed is also affecting my attempts to lose weight.

I received a good education, have job experience, and a good personality. Is there something more I can do to make myself stand out? Any advice would be appreciated.

Only thing I can say is stay persistent.
When I was looking for a job I applied EVERYWHERE! (Probably more than once)
Been on tons of interviews (over 60 - no exaggeration) and second interview and thirds. Probably had a 2 - 3 % success rate for job offers. But if you want it badly enough you will apply apply apply

I was in your exact position before I finally got my current job last year. After graduating college, I applied for jobs for 6 months before going back to school (advertising portfolio program). After graduating the second time, it took me almost 2 years to find a job despite and internship, interviews and tons of applying. I split my time between applying to field relevant jobs and just any job I could do no matter the pay. It took a longtime to find BOTH.

You have to just keep trying. In the meantime, find things to do. Give yourself small projects and tasks. Doing that will fill your free time. By doing so, if you're like me, you may even come up with other avenues of making money relevant to your skill set. I suggest this to everyone in that boat because I learned it's probably the best thing I did for my mental health during that time...

Also, it doesn't help to revise your resume and however else you apply to jobs. For my field I have to have a portfolio of work. I reworked my portfolio multiple times and was able to improve my craft which lead to much better meetings even before I received a job offer.

I don't know your field but also look at specialized job sites. Most of the most relevant jobs I applied for were on those websites. I did apply for jobs on the normal sites but many of those were just, "I need a job and I think I'm qualified so I'll apply."

Feel free to message me if you'd like to talk more. I didn't want this to get too long. I'd be more than happy to help because I know the feeling all too well. Sometimes thinking back, this past year is still kind of surreal to me

Rules are for people who dont have the initiative to think for themselves; they are sheep. Employers are looking for lions.

Register with LinkedIn and become involved with the community in which you have an interest. It is a very good way to get started and learn who the people are. You gotta ask.

Make contact with anyone in the target company and invite them to lunch and question this person about the key people in the organization. Ask about the industry. Ask about professional organizations and upcoming professional events.

Investigate trade organizations & see if there is any opportunities to volunteer for any reason for functions. Check into internships.

Gleam the media for trade shows (including LinkedIn) pertaining to your profession and do whatever you have to do to attend. Once there be a predator and stalk the aisles, take notes, pass out business cards, set up a Vcard in your phone, carry a bag so you can pack literature.

As a potential employer I want those who will make my job easier. I am looking for someone who stands out from the crowd. I have hired more than a few who irritated me with their persistence. Let the rejection roll off your back and advance your agenda.

Be assertive, be aggressive, be motivated; take every advantage of your limited opportunities. If you cant run with the big dogs stay under the porch. Remember, rules are for sissies and employers want warriors.

Feel free to contact me.

bump