Job help.

After going to countless interviews it seems as though I am going nowhere fast. I am in the middle of being a more than entry level but not quite being experienced. Im so frustrated!!! Has anyone been in this situation? How did you overcome it? Did you find a job? Also, if you know anyone that is looking for an experienced professional in the financial services industry, please have them contact me asap. Thanks again!!!

[knight_shadow]

Originally Posted by SensativAF

After going to countless interviews it seems as though I am going nowhere fast. I am in the middle of being a more than entry level but not quite being experienced. Im so frustrated!!! Has anyone been in this situation? How did you overcome it? Did you find a job? Also, if you know anyone that is looking for a experiences professional in the financial services industry, please have them contact me asap. Thanks again!!!

That's where I was in 2009.

Sending out countless applications/resumes was my game plan, but university networking is what was successful for me.

[DeltaBetaBaby]

Originally Posted by SensativAF

I am in the middle of being a more than entry level but not quite being experienced. Im so frustrated!!! Has anyone been in this situation?

What does "not quite being experienced" mean? Do you have experience in your desired field, or not? Are there entry-level positions available in your field?

[ree-Xi]

Originally Posted by SensativAF

After going to countless interviews it seems as though I am going nowhere fast. I am in the middle of being a more than entry level but not quite being experienced. Im so frustrated!!! Has anyone been in this situation? How did you overcome it? Did you find a job? Also, if you know anyone that is looking for a experiences professional in the financial services industry, please have them contact me asap. Thanks again!!!

What kind of networking are you doing? Networking by far is the most successful way to find a job. Your fraternity/sorority, college placement office, alumni associations, professional associations, community agencies, government agencies, personal contacts (start using LinkedIn if you haven't already), and even employers themselves (check their website and see if they have job listings. Many times, jobs aren't advertised).

You might have to open up what type of job or company you are willing to join. I don't know exactly what you are looking for, but let's say that in addition to working for a financial services company, you might look at financial service jobs at "any" company. Law firms, corporations, banks, hospitals, universities, non-profits, etc., all employ people in financial roles.

And it's only a minor mistake (above, it should read "an experienced professional"), but make sure you proofread (not just spell check) every piece of communication you send out - resumes, cover letters, emails, thank you letters, etc.

Good luck!

Originally Posted by DeltaBetaBaby

What does "not quite being experienced" mean? Do you have experience in your desired field, or not? Are there entry-level positions available in your field?

Hello,

There are certain levels in a person’s professional career that can be mapped out as entry level, mid level, etc. I’m not entry level but I’m not mid level. What I’m experiencing during my interviews are the employers are going for the college grads. Because I’m not mid level I guess they are not quite sure where to place me.

Originally Posted by ree-Xi

What kind of networking are you doing? Networking by far is the most successful way to find a job. Your fraternity/sorority, college placement office, alumni associations, professional associations, community agencies, government agencies, personal contacts (start using LinkedIn if you haven't already), and even employers themselves (check their website and see if they have job listings. Many times, jobs aren't advertised).

You might have to open up what type of job or company you are willing to join. I don't know exactly what you are looking for, but let's say that in addition to working for a financial services company, you might look at financial service jobs at "any" company. Law firms, corporations, banks, hospitals, universities, non-profits, etc., all employ people in financial roles.

And it's only a minor mistake (above, it should read "an experienced professional"), but make sure you proofread (not just spell check) every piece of communication you send out - resumes, cover letters, emails, thank you letters, etc.

Good luck!

Thanks!!

[Michelle_Toye]

I'm having the same problem I go to interviews but so far no luck. I've doing evrythiing I can to get a new job. I sit in front of the computer answering job request but no luck I live in Washington,D.C. I would like to get in the government in Washington D.C. but people who work for the government say the same thing it's all in who you know. So what can I do?

[AnotherKD]

Originally Posted by Michelle_Toye

I'm having the same problem I go to interviews but so far no luck. I've doing evrythiing I can to get a new job. I sit in front of the computer answering job request but no luck I live in Washington,D.C. I would like to get in the government in Washington D.C. but people who work for the government say the same thing it's all in who you know. So what can I do?

If you air in front of the computer and reply to job vacancies that way, I would work on your typing skills. And govvie jobs are found on usajobs.com.

[DubaiSis]

In Washington it should be EASY. Get involved in political campaigns, both party and issue. And understand volunteering for a political campaign means doing the grunt work. Trust me, if you show up as promised and do the grunt work as assigned, you will be appreciated and remembered since you will be an oddity. The trick with using campaigns as a stepping stone is you pretty much have to be on the winning side for that to work in the short'ish term.

For others, make sure your resume says what you think it says and what it SHOULD say. I tried to change careers some time ago and was having a terrible time. A temp placement recruiter totally rewrote my resume and I had a job within days. It's not that she lied on my resume but took elements of my experience that I would consider insignificant and she put them front and center as though they were a primary part of my previous job. And on that note, I strongly recommend working as a temp. It will introduce you to career options you might never have considered. But as above, you have to do the crap work for little money. But if you do that, you will be appreciated and remembered.

[AnotherKD]

Originally Posted by DubaiSis

In Washington it should be EASY. Get involved in political campaigns, both party and issue. And understand volunteering for a political campaign means doing the grunt work. Trust me, if you show up as promised and do the grunt work as assigned, you will be appreciated and remembered since you will be an oddity. The trick with using campaigns as a stepping stone is you pretty much have to be on the winning side for that to work in the short'ish term.

For others, make sure your resume says what you think it says and what it SHOULD say. I tried to change careers some time ago and was having a terrible time. A temp placement recruiter totally rewrote my resume and I had a job within days. It's not that she lied on my resume but took elements of my experience that I would consider insignificant and she put them front and center as though they were a primary part of my previous job. And on that note, I strongly recommend working as a temp. It will introduce you to career options you might never have considered. But as above, you have to do the crap work for little money. But if you do that, you will be appreciated and remembered.

I echo the part about re-working the resume. Have all sorts of different people look at it, as they will all have different views of it and could help you figure out different ways to highlight different things.

However, I bolded something in the post above. It *should be* easy in DC regarding finding a federal job. It's not that easy. There is a lot of competition for unpaid internships, and most volunteer work doesn't lead to job offers within the organization. The one thing that volunteering really helps with is networking and meeting people from other orgs that may have openings in the future. Most federal jobs around here aren't associated with one party or another, but volunteering for any cause will greatly help with networking and lead you to other options.

[agzg]

Yeah it's not easy to get a job in DC at all. I had friends with master's degrees who temped for 2 years while interviewing for jobs. Some folks got a job right out of the gate, but they were the ones with military experience and/or very, very specialized skills.

No that I'm sure this person is real.

[DubaiSis]

I'm sorry, I didn't make myself clear. The reason to volunteer isn't to get a job doing that thing, it's to meet people. I would think Washington, more than just about anywhere else, is about connections. It has a population of HIGHLY educated people who have come from literally all over the world to just be a part of the action in any way they can and are willing to take crap pay for that privilege. A person would be wise to give herself every possible advantage. Or move away, gain that valuable experience in a dramatically less interesting place and move back when your skillset matches their need. For instance, you could go to Georgetown, then move back to Arkansas and become governor and then move back to Washington to become president. HA!