Feel like a failure...

LegacyUser

Hi all,

I've come to the US as a J1er this Summer and I just feel like such a failure I've spent days and days since I came in the blistering heat going from pillar to post handing in Resumes and filling out applications for jobs doing literally ANYTHING and I've heard nothing back from anyone. I've applied forany job I can find on Craigslist and again, heard nothig back. I just feel like I'm so unemployable that nobody wants me. Its like my 2 years retail experience means squat and they won't even give me a chance to see how motvated I am, well, how motivated I was before this disaster.

Its so hard to keep positiv about things. I have friends who arrived in the country and gt work straight away. I know a girl who got fered a job without even having to ask, and here I am busting myself and getting nowhere!

Does anyone out there have any tips on how I can MAKE someone want to employ me? I'm just so depressed thinking about how hard I worked to get here and now I'm doing the same thing I'd be doing at home anyway... Its so deflating

Miss Fluff

If you come accross as miserable in person as you do in your post then it's no wonder you're not getting any offers. Retail is all about being friendly, approachable and likeable so if you're going in and handing in resumes feeling deflated at everything, angry with the "blistering" sun and generally miserable at the "disaster" (:rolleyes:) you find yourself in the middle of then you won't be getting any job offers any time soon.

Tomorrow is a new day. Put your best foot forward and maybe ask your friend how they approached finding a job and see if you can get any tips from them

sambuka41

FailureUS wrote: »

Its so hard to keep positiv about things. I have friends who arrived in the country and gt work straight away. I know a girl who got fered a job without even having to ask

Can any of your friends give your CV to their managers? Or do they know anyone who knows about others jobs? It seems to be the same world wide, if you want to get a job its WHO you know. Network as much as you can.

Don't take it too personally, the recession isn't just in Ireland. Your working hard at looking and it will pay off soon.

beks101

OK, OP I'm guessing you are very young and this is your first J1.

I did several in my time and believe me it can take more than days...it can take weeks, sometimes more than a month to get something, the key is to not take it personally and to enjoy yourself as much as you can in the mean time. Keep at the resume-dropping and in particular keep an eye out for those 'help wanted' signs....then go in and work your Irish charm! But trust me, you are there for a few months and regardless of work it is an opportunity of a lifetime...get out there and have fun! Don't wait until you land work.

Make sure you ask for the manager in each place too and talk to him/her directly, smile, eye contact, flaunt the accent and be as upbeat, outgoing and positive as possible each time. Also, as someone mentioned try to get your friends to hook you up with something or to let you know if their employer is looking for someone new. But please have fun! I have so many amazing J1 memories that have little-to-nothing to do with the crappy jobs I had on each of them and I'd give anything to be able to go back and relive the craic all over again!

magick

One thing i would advise you to do, is get in contact with ur local Irish community center, their u can find a good network of people that might be able to help you on the job front.

nyarlothothep

Don't worry, its not easy getting a job in the US on the J1, some people have gone through the same experience and this would be 6 years ago when the economy was perceived to be good, it doesn't reflect on you as a failure, also remember that the unemployment figures are very high so you're operating within a messed up situation which shouldn't really be that way except for societal failure.

LegacyUser

Thanks for the replies so far.

To the person who said if I come across as miserable in real life etc, I'm not stupid! Each day I go out there I put my best foot forward! I'm friendly, honest and humourous, when I'm sitting in a first round interview onsite the interviewer and I seem to have a good rapport, but then nothig comes of it! Its just anytime I nearly have something sorted, something happens on their side that means it can't go through!

I know the J1 is about having fun, and I am having fun, but I'm a worrier, and I don't want to have to spend the Summer scrounging! Just every so often I get down and I have to wonder what is it about me thatis so unlikeable, or that makes me unhirable!

Even when I go to open interviews, I see other J1ers there, wearing shorts and t-shirts, unprepared, and I have researched the business, I'm wearing professional attire to come across well, and it still doesn't work! I really am trying so hard but I can't take so much full on rejection! Sorry if I sound miserable, but that's not why I'm not getting anywhere, there's something deeper about me that employers seem to dislike

LegacyUser

As someone who did several J1s in several US cities, the best bit of advice I can give you is to smile, be cheerful, positive and confident.

I've ended up getting sponsored by a company I worked for on a J1 a few years ago, and they told me the reason they sponsored me over other European girls was because the Americans had a perception that European girls are 'stuck up', due to not being as outgoing and smiley as American girls. They felt a lot of Irish girls come across as a bit glum, and I'm suspecting the likelihood is you are walking into shops, etc handing in your CV and they are getting this same impression from you now.

In my experience the American retail industry likes to see a chirpy, bubbly, cheerful, confident person applying for the job. I lived with several friends in the US, some had all of the qualifications in the world but found it impossible to get a job due to being a little too reserved, shy, quiet, while some of my friends with the least experience walked into excellent jobs by making their future employer believe they could do the job and had the confidence and belief in their own ability.

So, perk up OP. Don't stroll around looking glum and fed-up. Don't walk in applying for a job and assuming you won't get it. Of course it's natural to feel a bit crap after weeks with no luck but these potential employers don't know it's been a couple of weeks for you. Make them believe this is the first and only job you are applying for, and make them want to call you back.

Good luck!

ongarboy

Hi OP, I've done the J1 and the year in Oz and I found the best way to go was to sign up with as many employment/recruitment agencies as possible. I don't believe the old fashioned method of calling into workplaces on spec or emailing unsolicited CVs is the most productive way of job hunting. Employers, if busy will not want to see candidates unannounced. Agencies will have a large database of actively hiring companies on their books that you will never see in the Job ads etc.

The fact that you have 2 years retail experience under your belt should be an advantage. Most J1'ers often have no formal experience. The agencies will often place you in positions without you having to do an interview with the actual employer as the agencies themselves will conduct the interview/screening if the jobs are just temporary. While you can sign up for agencies that specialise in retail, why not give other agencies that specialise in catering/hospitality/office or clerical a go too? I remember my first J1 job in San Francisco was filing and labelling ( I had no office experience). It also meant I had evenings and weekends off -something you wouldn't get in retailing.

Also, don't assume being turned down for jobs is because they don't like you. We've all been rejected in interviews and it wasn't because were were not likeable people. It's just that someone else was more impressive or considered more suitable. I know after a run of bad luck, it's hard to not get down but be persistent and focus on the agency route. It's what all my mates did as well and we all got jobs out of it eventually. Also, don't turn down 1 day or1 week assignments as they can lead into longer term jobs. (a one week job in Sydney turned into 7 months for me ). Best of luck!!

Faith

I did a J1 a few years ago. I was one of the first to get a job out of my friends, and it still took me about 3 weeks. My best friend had 4 years of waitressing & barista experience and she didn't get a job until the start of July (we arrived on June 1st).

Do you have a social security number yet? In my experience, many places won't consider you until you have that.

Secondly, make sure you're not supposed to be filling in application forms. We were in California and EVERYWHERE had application forms and would ignore CVs.

Places like Abercrombie & Fitch will give almost anyone a job, but it may just be 8 hours a week. Play up the Irish thing, but downplay that it's a J1 because at this stage J1'ers have a bad rep.

Keep at it. You'll get something soon.