Finding a job

I took time off to have a kid and go back to school, now I'm trying to find a job and everyone is asking why I have no employment for a few years umm.. I was taking care of a kid and doing pt school so it took me like 5-6 years to do my BA... I'm trying to find a job for the past 6 months with no luck... I don't understand, I have great experience, great references, great GPA, but I just can't get hired. One company lead me on for two months, made it seem like I was going to get hired interviewed me 5 times just to go with someone else another company didn't want to proceed with an interview cuz I accidentally failed a typing test (my cat jumped on the keyboard, and I had one attempt to pass). I'm a good employee! Im smart and I work hard! Please hire me... please give me a chance...

13 Comments

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Government

Jan 18, 2022 at 5:11pm

There are 3 levels to try, but municipal can be really good. There are about 16 municipalities in the lower mainland. I spent 15 years working for one of the local city governments, doing something I liked with lots of good people. I realize you may have tried already, but it's good to file a resume for a specific job title, then keep updating it every couple months. It can take a year or more. I waited about that long for a job as a Communications Officer once with the province. I had a BFA.

9 11Rating: -2

Inexcusable

Jan 18, 2022 at 5:46pm

Is this a confession or a long list of excuses?

0 0Rating: 0

What kind

Jan 18, 2022 at 6:31pm

Of job are you looking for?

4 1Rating: +3

Thoughts in no particular order

Jan 18, 2022 at 6:41pm

-employers don’t care about GPA
-if you have zero work experience, then it will be incredibly difficult to get your first job. You might need to lower your expectations and just take anything to get work experience.
-volunteer to get work experience
-if you blew the typing test, you blew it
-keep applying. It’s a numbers game.

11 2Rating: +9

There Is Such a Thing As

Jan 18, 2022 at 11:51pm

Being too honest.
The answer to your problem is simple: lie.
Lie about years worked, lie about experiences, get a friend to pretend to own a company that she had to shut down and lay you off- to vouch for you. Etc etc etc. Just be sure the gaps are filled.

I've gotten all kinds of jobs by lying and falsifying experience.

8 12Rating: -4

Ageism, really

Jan 19, 2022 at 12:46am

A combination of office temping and part-time volunteering will help with the work experience part. The former brings in cash and helps with growing contacts. Online courses (there are free ones) show that your mind still functions. This skills accumulation should be ongoing. Be a presence on LinkedIn.
After 35, it gets exponentially harder. It's not you. We have a horrible ageism problem in our culture. Hypocritical as the ones calling the shots are the very age group who deny opportunities to older people yet expect to be respected for their "experience". So much for empathy. Can't get around stereotypes without some good old fashioned nepotism, so start temping & learning now.

1 0Rating: +1

OP

Jan 19, 2022 at 8:24am

The typing test was just to be put on an on call list with the city of Burnaby.. and I've applied for every job with Vancouver with no calls... but it was a well known law firm that led me on for like two months. It's not excuses, I've been looking for a job for 6 months now can't find anything.

I don't understand what I'm doing wrong... I spend an hour applying to each job, writing a nice personalized cover letter and nothing. I'm willing to put up with abuse as that's what I did for the past 4 years I just need a paycheck...

0 0Rating: 0

@There Is Such a Thing As

Jan 19, 2022 at 12:04pm

So no one can get a first job because everyone applying for a first job lies about experience and is associated with, basically, mafia-style friends willing to lie for them.

I grew up in Vancouver, and I am 99% certain that none of my friends or I got our first jobs by lying. Or our second jobs, etc.

If I told my mother/father that I was thinking about lying to get a job, they would look at me like I was, like, missing part of my brain.

I guess missing that part of the brain helps you get hired. God help us all.

0 0Rating: 0

@ There is such a thing as

Jan 20, 2022 at 7:44am

What you suggest is pretty disgusting. Integrity is hard to come by these days apparently.

0 0Rating: 0

Typing test

Jan 20, 2022 at 10:19am

If something went wrong with the typing test, I think many employers would let you try again. Maybe you explained and asked for a second chance already. Personally I was surprised how many employers would give me another chance if I explained my situation to them.

0 0Rating: 0

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