Have to say i'm really getting depressed lately at trying to find a job. Going online and doing searches to looking around locally i'm pretty much stuck. Searched several local places around me, within walking distance, and other places online. Keep that "entry level position" button checked at all times for searches and always turn up these things which I just can't qualify for. Worst slap in the face i've seen was a nice statement saying "No work experience necessary" then at the bottom under requirements it says "medical background."

Even during the holiday hiring season I feel like i'm getting no where.

Anyone else in a similar predicament in trying to find a job and turning up nothing?

Most student summer jobs have already been taken by this point, but fast food will hire *anyone*. Surely you've tried looking there?

Yeah, I've been applying at various places in my neighbourhood for a few weeks now.

Only one place ever got back to me and it was to say that they don't have a job available.

Tried looking everywhere that I can, and haven't gotten any luck. Even tried to get a job at a restaurant as a bus boy/dish washer and had no luck since the manager did it himself. Only place I probably haven't tried is the convenience store near me, but from what i've seen that place is family owned/operated.

Worst thing is I fear my so called "education" is holding me back since I have an Associate in Arts degree. Would go and get a Bachelor Degree in something, however, i'm reading articles left and right that just says it won't help. Feel sorry for these graduates that are basically being lied to saying "education = job" when really that isn't 100% the case. One person has like $24k in debt and can't find a job even though he has a Bachelor degree.

I spent 5 years in the local sheet metal apprenticship program the day I had enough hours to graduate I was let go. That was 23 months ago. The economy is so bad the companies that have work will not hire anyone that they haven't worked with or trained in the past.

You're not not the only one in that boat. I've been looking for a job for the past year and a half.

Not surprised one bit, and it seems to be a growing trend. Employers are trying to cut costs by hiring people that are already trained. I would expect this to dry up the pool of potential workers out there except that won't happen. There will be people that have a relative in a business that can give them a job even if that individual doesn't want it.


Graduated from my local CC in 2005 then took a year off to do some "soul searching" as my professor put it. Tried to get a job in the gaming industry, however most jobs I qualified for were in California which wouldn't work out. Been looking for a job for close to 5 maybe 7 years right now with little to no luck.

Seems that sugar coated world we lived in as kids didn't really exist at all. "Get an education and you are guaranteed a job" is what we were told.

What is everyone trying to go for as a job and what are your qualifications?

It's not that it "won't help" or "will help" but that it may help. And it all really depends what you get a Bachelor's degree for.

For example, in August I'll begin studying computer science at my local state university. And when I get out of school in four years, I know that I'll be almost guaranteed a good job since the demand here (and really, all over the US) for programmers is so high. If however I got a degree in something like history I might not be able to get a job anywhere at all - aside from the gas station down the road, anyway.

To say nothing that college is a good way to get internships and network, which are what you need to get a good job these days.

Anyway, my usual advice for people looking for a job involves using a laptop, finding a small business using WEP-based wifi for "security", cracking it in front of them, and then fixing it for them

i would recomend getting an osha fork operator license, you may not realize it but there is a demand for fork lift operators every where. Your not guaranteed to get a job right away, but you WILL get a position if you have that license.

I don't think it's holding you back, you just haven't gotten enough education yet. Provided that an Associate Degree where you live is similar to what it is in the Netherlands (and according to Wikipedia it is, I think; pretty much half or less of a college or university education, generally speaking) than an AD is worth next to nothing academically. You'll need at least a Bachelor, and a Master if you went to a university if you want your education to be taken seriously.

The problem isn't that there are no jobs for people with Bachelor or Master degrees, the thing is that many students who just graduated expect to be handed their dreamjob right away, and go back to their parents and live on welfare when that fails. If you're not too critical, finding a job isn't very difficult if you have a degree (speaking for the Netherlands of course).

Have you looked into whether there are any temp agencies in your area? In most cities there are dozens of these companies, you can sign up with all of them and call the reps daily to inquire about gigs.

Often a temp position can lead to a permanent position, since you are already there, doing the work, and the employer knows you personally.

this, my work place is trying to hire 3 of the 6 temp workers we've had during the spring.

Ya ya, i've read about WEP and its vulnerability. Even used an app downloaded to my phone to scan for wifi signals which show their encryption settings. However, that is as far as i'm willing to even go since I don't want to get jailed for hacking.


Reminds me of when I looked for jobs on the CIA website. Wasn't too happy that the only job I could apply for was something a person with a GED could do, but I probably should have tried to get it. Though I don't exactly have $$$ to live off of to move to a new state "hoping" i'll get that job.

Paraphrasing SheridanR, anything that I do now "may" only help to get me a job instead of guaranteeing it. Without a guarantee I worry about wasting what money I have from my uncle's policy he so graciously gave to me.


Haven't seen too many temp agencies around me, if any, but it wouldn't hurt to look around. There's one place that says "Job Listings" near me, and it seems legit; however, i'm dubious since those fly-by-night people are everywhere.

Question is, do they work with positions needing a college degree?

I'm going to be graduating in two years, and I'd like to take the path of least resistance towards finding a job. Only problem is, I'm not sure if temp agencies handle specialized labor...

I find trying to get a job nowadays is very impersonal. It's harder to get a job because rather than a physical application they have you fill out an online application. So it's easier to be declined the job you applied for.

I asked for a paper application at Target and they said they only use those for disabled people. What? Wouldn't it make more sense for a disabled person to fill out an online application?