jobshop's Blog

Hi,
Nice try Murray. It good that you are trying to help, but I haven't heard anyone address a major point.
So far your advice has been about the mistakes job seekers make. What I have found is that a help wanted ad generates such a large response that the company or recruiter is just swamped with resumes. I have gone on interviews where I was told: "You are one of ten people that were called out of the five hundred responses we received to the ad."
What this tells me is that the company has the luxury of finding (in their eyes) the perfect fit for the position. Their isn't any way to know what their vision is for the position beforehand. So one could do everything correctly over a long peroid of time in a job search and still not land a position.
I have also found that recruiters are under pressure to produce and a certain percentage are surly and use hardball approaches to recruits. Some have told me, just send the resume, don't call us-we will call you.

Hi Murray! I want to take the time to tell you about a trend that is in Michigan. I became unemployed in August of 2007 and I actively sought employment for the near 2 months that I was unemployed. I went on three job interviews and was finally contacted by a staffing agency that sent me on a temporary assignment to a company in downtown Detroit. The companies that I interviewed with were all white and I am African American. When I walked in the door of these businesses and I didn't see any people of color, I became suspicious as to why. When I went to the company where I am now and I looked around, I saw racial diversity and I knew that I would be hired. I know that many companies are looking for people that fit their "corporate image", but I feel that ever since affirmative action was struck down in Michigan, more companies are slow to hire people of color and they are getting away with it. Each company told me that I have an impressive resume, experience and I interviewed with them anywhere from an hour to three hours and was interviews by six different people; took a spelling test, grammar test, and filled out applications only to be contacted a few days later and be told that I was passed over for another candidate. It has become hard to find jobs in Michigan because of the economy no doubt, but this combined with the fact that Michigan is filled with hateful whites, angry blacks and is racially polarized is very discouraging. I believe that until Michigan begins to deal with the issue of race, it will continue the downward trend that it is on – much like 1950’s and 60

Murray, I appreciate your help but I have to tell you that it is pretty bleak out there. I was laid off in 2007 and have been actively looking for an Administrative Assistant position since. I have signed up with four different contract companies, both permanent and temporary, I have daily alerts for all the major (and minor) internet sites and I submit my resume at least 20 times a week to potential companies. I have been on several interviews where I am one of many seeking the position and I am still looking. I am willing to take part-time, full-time, temporary, any pay and yet I am still looking. I also have experience working at OU so I checked out your HERC sight. Guess what, no jobs available. I have over 15 years of high level administrative experience and no one is interested. I am also over 50 and believe that is part of the problem. It is difficult to keep a positive attitude when you are being constantly rejected.

April 8,2008

You know it's pretty sad for this section to be filled with nothing but discouragements instead of encouragements, and I agree with everyone commenting in front of me who is using this opportunity to simply VENT!
I've been off work for nearly a year I have 15 yrs. in the medical field,gifted talent of every kind,cashier,retail,dialysis,dietary,artistic,and phone skills and NO ONE is hiring. Depression is at a all time high, with the economy,mayors,jobs,foreclosure,killings,and health insurance it looks as if the only ones that are making money are the prostitutes.

I received this ALERT today from an Unemployment site.

ALERT- Call Your Congressperson Today to Vote for Extended Benefits!

Good Friends –

Many of you have been patiently e-mailing asking when Congress will finally take action to extend jobless benefits. Well, this week, as early as tomorrow (Thursday, May 8th), it’s likely that the House of Representatives will vote. So, now is the time to call your Congressperson and spread the word to your family and friends to do the same.

As we reported earlier on www.UnemployedWorkers.org, a bill called the Emergency Unemployment Compensation Act (H.R. 5749) passed the key committee in the House of Representatives with strong support from both Democrats and Republicans. It would provide 13 weeks of federal extended benefits to workers in all states and another 13 weeks (or 26 weeks total) to workers in those states that have an unemployment rate above 6 percent.

In the past couple weeks, several leading newspapers, including the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times and others have issued editorials strongly supporting the measure. In addition, leading Republicans, including Governor Schwarzenegger in California, have recently called on Congress to extend benefits, as has the National Governors Association.

Like many bills that become law, the bill to extend jobless benefits will be part of a larger package of measures that have to move out of the Congress and go the President. So, this week the leadership of the House of Representatives decided to include the extension of jobless benefits along with a short lis

openperson.. I hope this gives you some hope. This was on Sander Levin's site yesterday. There is some progress for Unemployment extensions, IF the President doesn't veto it! There are thousands in your position, just in Michigan alone... Read this ---

For Immediate Release
May 15, 2008 FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Cullen Schwarz
Office: 202.225.4961
Mobile: 202.225.0471

House Approves Extension of Unemployment Benefits
226,000 Michigan Workers Will Be Eligible for a Benefit Extension

(Washington D.C.)- The House of Representatives today passed an extension of unemployment insurance benefits to help the growing number of jobless workers nationwide and to stimulate the economy. The extension, which was taken up as an amendment to the War and Domestic supplemental funding package, would extend unemployment benefits for 13 weeks across the country and 13 additional weeks in high unemployment states like Michigan. Congressman Sander Levin, a vocal proponent of extending unemployment benefits, spoke on the House Floor today in favor of an extension.

“The number of long term unemployed Americans is almost twice as high now as it was in the last recession,” said Rep. Levin. “I come from Michigan with a high unemployment level. I think it’s time that the minority and the president get out of the offices they reside in and get into the shoes of typical American families.
“And I now read a letter that came from a person in Roseville whose husband has lost his job as a machinist, and I quote:

“With the job market as bleak as it is today, the fear t

I have been looking for steady work since March 2007. I have an Assoicates in Electronic Technology (November 2007) and am currently going back for my Bachelor's in Electronics and Communications. I have had tons of interviews, they go superbly well (verified by the interviewer). But end the end I get the, "The interview went great, your a very nice young man, your skills are excellent...... but, someone came in with more experience, so we're going to go with them." No mind you this happens with jobs that are repeatedly stated by the company to be entry-level. If my entry-level skills were not good enough, then was the position entry-level to begin with?


Also, I'm beginning to think that I am not getting jobs, because and I hate so much to go this route, because I am black. I have seriously gotten looks from interviewers that are shocked to see, what I can only take as a Black-American with a Degree and a high G.P.A., trying to get a job with their company. I speak highly intelligently and anyone that knows me, can and will tell you how well-spoken and nice I am, and would love to hire me if they were interviewing me for a position.


I'm also realizing that companies in Michigan are taking advantage of the economy, knowing that there are people of all education levels trying to get jobs and basically making everyone take a step down; Ph.D's to Master's, Master's to Bachelor's, Bachelor's to Associate's, Associate's to High School/ Certificates, and High School to no diploma jobs.

So what's the problem?!?!?!?!

Hi Murray
Sometimes i which i was white because white people have better chances in mchigan than black people my husband had a confortabe job for a while he went back to school to get his master and has more qualification than his boss who was recently tranfer to supervise my husband he write up my husband for any little thing he does finally he fired my husband for no reason and the black lady working with my husband was tranfer to detriot and was replace with white person my husband job too was replace with a white guy it is very sad.unemployment which he was approvedfor six month, two weeks ago we got a letter from the unemployment agency that the company redetermined my husband case they would want to take all thier money back, we have a court case with them my husband his defending himself since we can not afford a lawyer his being out of job since 01/31/2008

Unemployment extension update:

Dear Friends,

As many of you have heard by now, the Senate passed the UI extension overwhelmingly last night. The measure now heads to President Bush, who's expected to sign it next week as part of the war supplemental package.

The extension would provides for an additional 13 weeks of benefits for workers who have exhausted their regular state benefits without finding jobs. The bill is unchanged from what passed the House two weeks ago.

- There's a look-back period to capture workers who have already exhausted benefits any time after November 2006; and the 13 week extension will be available to workers who run out of their jobless benefits between now and March 2009.
- There are certainly some compromises in this bill that we didn't like-e.g., no extra weeks of benefits for high unemployment states and inclusion of a requirement that individuals have to have worked at least 20 weeks or its equivalent before they were laid off to be eligible.

But, this is nevertheless a major achievement: Among other things, this is the earliest extension that has been passed in decades. Most recently, Congress waited a year after the 2001 recession began before enacting an extension. Moreover, as many as 3.7 million unemployed workers will benefit from this extension.

It is our firm belief that this extension would not have come so soon if it were not for the active voices of jobless workers. We are particularly grateful to folks like Florence from New York, Tina from Michigan, Chantel from Maryland, Ginny from Virginia (who drov

I was unemployed for many months (and I have a degree and a pretty good head on my shoulders!) and this was a wake-up call that it was time for me to be my own boss. If you are like me and tired of the rat race, job insecurity, and looking to make a positive change in your life and pocketbook, visit www.yourbusinessisfreedom.com to learn how to start your own business for $20 this month! Good Luck in your search!