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What type of job should I get?

Danger! Will

Danger! Will

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jan 30, 2003
232
0
Phoenix, Arizona USA
I've worked for Airtouch, PrimeCo, US Cellular, Verizon Wireless, Macy*s, Dillard's, McKesson Specialty, and GO Daddy.

I've applied for entry level positions and never get a call or email back.

Does anyone have any advice on how to get an entry level position in a whole new area or field?
 
Yes. Put less positions and companies on your resume. Looks like you jup around a lot. People will usually shy away from a "jumper" because they figure you will get bored quickly at an entry level position.
 
CEAbiscuit said:
People will usually shy away from a "jumper" because they figure you will get bored quickly at an entry level position.
Click to expand...

agreed. how many jobs really doesn't matter, but how long did you work at each company? i'd like to see commitment if i was gonna hire someone.
 
you really shouldn't be applying to entry level positions, you have too much experience and age to be entry level. :eek:
 
Looking at some of the jobs you've had, I'd remove the Macy's and similar positions from the resume and focus on the Telecom ones (Verizon, et al.) It seems that's certainly a trend you could focus on and at least give you some advantage if you are applying to positions in that industry.

Have you considered the TeleCom industry?
 
In the U.S. I think just recently within the last year they raised it to 40. It was 36 I believe.

Military really isn't a bad way to go. If I had made it in when I was 18 I'd still be in there probably. I'd have 22 yrs by now and on my way to a good retirement from them and still young enough to start a second career with what I learned while in the service. I would have been an M.P.

Oh yea the reason I didn't make it in is/was because I'm 90% deaf in one ear and 45% deaf in the other with severe high pitch tone loose.
 
FXRS said:
Military really isn't a bad way to go.
Click to expand...

I was going to join the South African air force(Pilot) up until recently, but I don't think the experience is as fulfilling as the US.

How does a 40 something survive basics, basics is meant to indoctrinate you into the military way. For someone who has become set in their ways it must be difficult.

Danger! Will said:
i'm looking for something less than full time to return to school.
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To the original poster, you can pretty much do any career you want. As long as you have a good work ethic and perseverance.
You say you want to continue studying, you should choose a job that aligns itself to what you want to study- and maybe the company will help you pay
 
FXRS said:
In the U.S. I think just recently within the last year they raised it to 40. It was 36 I believe.

Military really isn't a bad way to go. If I had made it in when I was 18 I'd still be in there probably. I'd have 22 yrs by now and on my way to a good retirement from them and still young enough to start a second career with what I learned while in the service. I would have been an M.P.

Oh yea the reason I didn't make it in is/was because I'm 90% deaf in one ear and 45% deaf in the other with severe high pitch tone loose.
Click to expand...

let me rephrase one bit for you.

If I had made it in when I was 18 I'd still be in there probably (if not sent to some hell-hole and killed). I'd have 22 yrs by now (if not sent to some hell-hole and killed) and on my way to a good retirement from them and still young enough to start a second career(if not sent to some hell-hole and killed) with what I learned while in the service.
 
BarryW said:
I was going to join the South African air force(Pilot) up until recently, but I don't think the experience is as fulfilling as the US.

How does a 40 something survive basics, basics is meant to indoctrinate you into the military way. For someone who has become set in their ways it must be difficult.
Click to expand...

I did Basic when I was 18, but we had a few prior service guys in their late 20's or early 30's go through our training cycle. They already "got" it, so other than the run (and you get more time when you're older" and road marches, it's not a big deal. The indoctrination works anyway.

When I went in, it was the obvious path to being a programmer, since my parents couldn't afford college and I didn't see any way to work my way through without any real skillset.
 
let me rephrase one bit for you.

If I had made it in when I was 18 I'd still be in there probably (if not sent to some hell-hole and killed). I'd have 22 yrs by now (if not sent to some hell-hole and killed) and on my way to a good retirement from them and still young enough to start a second career(if not sent to some hell-hole and killed) with what I learned while in the service.
Click to expand...

That the chances you take when you sign up to serve your country. Its the price of freedom. During WW 2 shorty after Japan attack Pearl Harbor my dad in-listed "knowing" he would be sent to several hell holes. I wouldn't have a problem at all "sent to a hell-hole and killed" for the freedom of my country and the future freedom of my children.

Now back to the original poster. The best advice I guess anyone could give is just find out what you really want to do. Its hard sometimes but you'll know what it is when you stumble on it. I went to school for electrical mechanical and now I work in a local hospital as a Maintance Tech. BORED out of my mind!!! I and the rest of the guys I work with do everything from shoveling snow to changing light bulbs. Most of the time is just silly stupid stuff. Nothing to really to challenge ones self. To me that is frustrating. Most people want a challenge and to feel like they did something useful.

So now, since I enjoy being on a computer so much, on my off time and when I have free time at work I've been trying to learn C++ and javascripting at home. Maybe I'll find a field of work in that. If not its still fun to learn.
 
Danger! Will said:
I've worked for Airtouch, PrimeCo, US Cellular, Verizon Wireless, Macy*s, Dillard's, McKesson Specialty, and GO Daddy.

I've applied for entry level positions and never get a call or email back.

Does anyone have any advice on how to get an entry level position in a whole new area or field?
Click to expand...

Get a job/career with the US Postal Service. Great benefits, and great pay for the work you do. I get paid $13.00/hr to do data entry for them, which is decent enough for me being only 19 and a full time student. Letter carriers get paid more (though you do work a lotttt of hours, so you'll also get overtime pay).
 
FXRS said:
That the chances you take when you sign up to serve your country. Its the price of freedom. During WW 2 shorty after Japan attack Pearl Harbor my dad in-listed "knowing" he would be sent to several hell holes. I wouldn't have a problem at all "sent to a hell-hole and killed" for the freedom of my country and the future freedom of my children.
Click to expand...

I commend your father for doing something brave, but dont confuse WWII (a real war with actual bad guys) with Dubbya's insane need to invade every country he doesnt like the look of. Dying for your country is one thing, but dying in a country you've helped invade for no good reason is just stupid.
 
Not going there in this thread on the views of the present war. Its not fair to the o.p. and this isn't the correct forum/place.
 
Danger! Will said:
From what I remember if you are gay or any of those variants you can not server your country...At least not without lying about it. They do ask.
Click to expand...

Ask not if you country can give you a server, but what server you can give for your country! :D

You can't do it if you've got one eye or flat feet, or are very obese either- let's not turn this into a political discussion.

CEAbiscuit said:
Yes. Put less positions and companies on your resume. Looks like you jup around a lot. People will usually shy away from a "jumper" because they figure you will get bored quickly at an entry level position.
Click to expand...

Actually, my rationale was always that I didn't want to be going through the hiring process again so quickly. I think most folks interviewing would think the same thing.

Given identical candidates, the one who's likely to stick around is always the one that gets first shot- not that you ever get identical candidates. Hiring isn't cheap and isn't part of anyone outside of HR's daily activities. It detracts from time spent on real projects and real work and the disruption isn't something most people want to have too often.
 
FXRS said:
Not going there in this thread on the views of the present war. Its not fair to the o.p. and this isn't the correct forum/place.
Click to expand...

agreed, but you started the serve the country bit in relating it to this highly unpopular war

my father went from an internment camp in world war II to the us army in the pacific theater and he served his country against an aggressive force bent on world domination and it's an insult to him, and to others who fought against the nazis, fascists, and communists (all of whom were dangerously close to taking over much of the world, and possibly holding on to it for several generations)

i don't think going into iraq in 2003 for now disproven links to 9/11 terrorists and wmd's, as the reason, is the same thing and i think the voters most recently spoke out in 2006

'nuff said :)

Danger! Will said:
I've worked for Airtouch, PrimeCo, US Cellular, Verizon Wireless, Macy*s, Dillard's, McKesson Specialty, and GO Daddy.

I've applied for entry level positions and never get a call or email back.

Does anyone have any advice on how to get an entry level position in a whole new area or field?
Click to expand...

if you are 30, like many here have not noticed, you have not "jumped" around that much per se

ok, now that's cleared up

next, i would try and go to the temp agencies like manpower, the job board at the EDD and at local area colleges, as well as co-op programs that may be at any of those places

and always ask around from family and friends

i am well into my 40s and my first job was from my mom's piano partner who also managed a pizza place (i was 15 and i realized i would never want to work around food)

...i found my next job, or rather long term job/career, in landscaping, from my girlfriend's mom

...a waitress at the deli told me about the college i eventually graduated from, and a neighbor opened a door which will now make me an attorney

i did not find any of those life changing moments in a want ad in the newspaper

i am not saying you can go through your whole life based solely on personal connections, but that's been my case so far

anyway, good luck and try all those things, and also try the want ads, too since you never know when a major transition is on the way...and major transitions happen all throughout life
 
63dot said:
if you are 30, like many here have not noticed, you have not "jumped" around that much per se
Click to expand...

Nine jobs? That's jumping- best-case he started at 16, worst-case 22. Let's say he started at 16, that's still less than two years at any employer on average. If he started later, it gets worse, down to less than a year if he started working after college. That may work in retail, food service and low-level hospitality, but it's not good for technical or corporate.

63dot said:
ok, now that's cleared up
Click to expand...

Um not really. Especially if his length of stay isn't significantly trending longer in the later jobs.

When I hit 30, I was on my third employer. When I interviewed at my third employer, I'd averaged about four and a half years per employer, when I left my third employer I'd been there eight years, and I stayed at the next one for 4 years. Even if you count the self-employed -> starting a company thing as two separate employers, I've still got a 4yr/employer average with 2 years working for myself as my shortest stint by a full two years.

Granted, all my jobs have been in the same career field, and that also makes it significantly easier to get past the HR cut, but for someone in hiring mode, that says "he's going to stick around."

While this may not help the original poster, the others reading the thread who are in "I don't like it here, I'll take the first thing out" mode may want to ponder how it's going to look downstream.

Over the years, I've looked at hundreds of resumes, and without seeing some specific skillset I'd probably pass on someone who's got that much movement. If you've had twice as many employers as me, and you're that much younger than me, I'm not seeing the advantage to spending an hour on interviews unless there's something really compelling assuming the other candidates don't have similar movement.
 
So far you haven't mentioned what you really want to do... which is the biggest question you need to ask yourself.

I've been thinking about this myself over the past year (am 32 now) - and while I have a decent career, it's not satisfying in many ways and I'm making plans to change what I do... perhaps starting my own business in a year or two.

If you're not sure about what you really want to do with the rest of your life, read this book:
http://www.amazon.com/How-Find-Work-You-Love/dp/0142196290

... and, although somewhat unrelated, this book is a good read and is helping me to stay motivated and work towards my goals:
http://www.amazon.com/Shut-Stop-Whining-Get-Life/dp/047177345X

That's probably not the advice you were looking for exactly, but something to think about as you're looking for a new job.

Good luck! :)
 
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