• PM_ME_VINTAGE_30S [he/him]
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    5 months ago

    Desperately hoping this is sarcasm, but in case it isn’t, I have applied for over 350 jobs in my field and gotten zero offers. I’m trying like hell to get to work but employers will not take me. If it were that simple, I’d be working.

    To clarify, by

    but no one has a fucking “job” that … even lets me participate in society for free

    I really meant that I can’t even find unpaid internships, training programs, or any way to participate in my field unless I literally start from scratch by myself.

    • Possibly linux
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      85 months ago

      Employers can’t find good candidates either. The entire system is broken and AI made it so much worse. In person events are the only way these days

      • PM_ME_VINTAGE_30S [he/him]
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        135 months ago

        Yeah, so I’m prepping like hell for the upcoming Career Fair at my school, but I really don’t know what else to do. I’m not a “social butterfly”.

        • @[email protected]
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          95 months ago

          As someone who escaped that hellhole a while back the secret is networking.

          I’m a very introverted person who hates small talk and showing off, so it was miserable, but all of the interviews I got, except for one, out of my 250-350 applications were solely from networking. I started going through my contacts and shit, and I was looking at who I knew in the field, or might have connections in it. Worked wonders.

          • PM_ME_VINTAGE_30S [he/him]
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            75 months ago

            I started going through my contacts

            Yeah that’s my problem. I’m an extremely insular autistic person with basically zero contacts. Other than my dentist or Lemmy, I haven’t had a semi-serious conversation with anyone in literally weeks.

        • @Ledivin
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          85 months ago

          The unfortunate reality is that you need to be personable first, and knowledgeable second. They’re both important, but you can’t get in the door without the first. Try to find a common ground with the interviewer or whoever you talk to at the fair, it will boost your chances 1000x

        • @[email protected]
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          25 months ago

          a “social butterfly” is someone who bounces around a lot, interacting with many people but connecting deeply with none.

          Your generation needs to be careful using that term as the gold standard for social skills. It’s not entirely a good thing.

        • Possibly linux
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          05 months ago

          I hope you aren’t paying to much for school. A college degree is important but I see a pot of people get the degree and fall on there face.

          What I would recommend is to do a practice interview with a career coach. Most universities have a career center.

          Also have related hobby type stuff you can point to if you don’t have a not of experience. Be ready to learn and enjoy what you do.

    • @[email protected]
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      25 months ago

      Just to try to help here: have you considered applying for a job abroad? There’s a few countries that have labour shortages in a lot of areas, mostly European countries.

        • @[email protected]
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          25 months ago

          Not that it really matters to speak other languages, but it does help.

          I know that a lot of German companies constantly need new personell and have a lot of engineering firms (I believe you study /have studied engineering)

          • PM_ME_VINTAGE_30S [he/him]
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            25 months ago

            Yeah I am studying engineering. I have a bachelor’s so far but I’m doing a master’s now and I’d do a PhD if money/employment wasn’t an issue. I’ll look into German companies (again).

            • @[email protected]
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              15 months ago

              As for PhDs, I don’t know the system in the USA, in Germany you can become a part-time teacher for your subject at university. Which means that your PhD is free and you get payed a little, normally enough to provide for your everyday and rent. Maybe there are doctorate programs geared towards US students.

              Also maybe this info by the German Federal Ministry for Foreign Affairs can be helpful.

              If you have any further questions on working in Germany, pls do consider asking on the English-speaking German subreddits for further information. They are quite a big community and should be able to offer more info and in particular more detailed info for your craft.

              Anyhow I wish you good luck and maybe we can welcome you in Germany.

      • PM_ME_VINTAGE_30S [he/him]
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        75 months ago

        No one wants to hire me because (1) I don’t have the experience they’re looking for, (2) I have zero people in my network, and (3) I don’t have the social skills to overcome all the other negatives. It’s very simple. The problem is that overcoming these 3 items simultaneously has proven to be almost impossible.

        • @[email protected]
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          5 months ago

          I’m in the same boat as you. We should have tea and biscuits while planning armed resistance against the billionaire class.

          • PM_ME_VINTAGE_30S [he/him]
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            5 months ago

            I don’t know which jobs you’re looking at,

            Engineering

            many jobs require problem solving skills. And it seems you have none

            Lmao I have problem-solving skills out the wazoo, and I have projects and hobbies to show it. But it’s never enough to overcome my lack of a network and general weirdness.