Still Searching. . .

UNEMPLOYMENT HITS HOME: Frustrations of a Job-Seeker

According to The Morning Call’s March 11 edition, the Lehigh Valley unemployment rate has now hit 5.2%. When I moved back East in November from Seattle, I was confident that I would find a job within two months, since I had begun to apply for jobs here well before my move. I thought my extensive experience, solid work history, and excellent letters of recommendation would enable me to quickly find work (it took me less than 6 weeks to find a job in Seattle when I moved there 5 years ago).

To my surprise and dismay, it’s been over four months since I arrived, and I’m still not working. I’ve tweaked my resume numerous times and sent out follow-up e-mails or phone calls for each application.

It’s hard not to get discouraged, to maintain self-confidence and belief in my skills, when each day I get up and immediately check online for openings, send out resumes and individual cover letters, and hear nothing back. What’s worse is if I do get an interview and receive no response, or if weeks or months go by before receiving an acknowledgment. What’s worse than that was applying to my alma mater and receiving a mass-produced rejection letter, instead of the courtesy of a phone call to a former student – and this was after an interview!

On top of the stress lack of work and income brings, some of the things that have happened during this job search have been bizarre, if not ethically questionable. One company had me take an online personality assessment that included blatant political questions. What do these questions (not to mention those so vague or general that a true/false response is impossible) have to do with job performance?

Then there was the insurance sales job that was clearly arranged as if it were to be a 2-hour interview with 2 company representatives, but when I arrived, it was to a roomful of over 20 candidates at 2 long tables, treated to a sales pitch during which the speaker said at least five times, “Not to toot my own horn, but I made [blah blah blah] my first month.” (I left after 45 minutes of this 2-hour cattle call, and if my job hunt hadn’t been going on so long, I wouldn’t have subjected myself to even those first painful 45 minutes).

I had my first interview in November and didn’t find out until January that the position had been filled. I had another interview in December and a second interview a month later. Having worked only at places (until April 2007, when a merger took place that extended the hiring process at my workplace) where the time between initial interview and hire was two to three weeks, I’m amazed at how long the process takes here, and it seems to be universal. It’s difficult enough to have the process extended like this when you have another job and have to give at least two weeks’ notice after you find out whether or not you achieved your new position, but to be kept on tenterhooks after interviews, when the applicant has no income seems inefficient at best and inhumane at worst. The obvious response to this is that you shouldn’t quit your job before having another one lined up. In my case, it would have been hard to do this long-distance, as I couldn’t afford to fly back and forth from coast to coast knowing that I had an expensive cross-country move coming up.

It’s very tempting to opt out of the work place entirely and go into business on my own. Since I don’t have the money to do this after an expensive cross-country move, COBRA costs, and being out of work so long, I will continue to hone my resume and send it out, follow up and hope that something comes through in weeks, not months.

North Carolina doesn’t have such harsh winters . . . hmmm. . .maybe I should investigate the unemployment rate in Asheville?