I've spent months searching for a job in my field, and I've accumulated a ton of stories and situations I want to share. Why not share them on the most popular job search site?
So, I spent six years studying organic chemistry and biotechnology. The plan was to work in pharmaceutical production or something related, like making perfumes or cosmetics. That's the first downside – I couldn't narrow down the type of production, so my job recommendations are all over the place – oil, food production, and metals.
Fast forward a few months, and I was desperate to find a job in my field. I kept sending out applications, but the site's recommendations kept suggesting I apply for roles like lab technician, assembly line worker, or social survey operator. Not exactly what I had in mind.
And don't even get me started on the job listings themselves. I came across one factory that had job postings with no salary information – not even a mention of benefits.
Let's face it, sometimes you're lured in with flashy job descriptions, but try guessing your actual job responsibilities. And don't even get me started on job postings that are so colorful and packed with buzzwords, you might feel queasy. Not to mention the ones that require experience, but you're applying for a job with no experience.
Another new problem is the AI-powered job assistants that don't know the concept of sleep or fatigue and send you notifications at all hours of the night and early morning, even when there's no job opening.
Of course, you won't get hundreds of responses like you would in the IT industry, but don't be too excited about the 'respond first' notices either – there are plenty of job postings that are just a waste of time. If you notice that no one's responded to a job posting within a few days, it's likely they're not even looking for anyone. And don't be discouraged if you get rejected – it's just part of the process.
When I see a job posting that's updated regularly, it's a bad sign. Either there's a high turnover rate or it's just a way to collect resumes and waste people's time. And, of course, you've got to do something about it – like reporting these employers or removing their ads if they're not responding. I'm not exactly an expert on the employer side of things, but maybe they should be given the option to remove their ad and transfer the remaining paid days to a new posting, or pay less for a new one.
Functionality-wise, this is definitely the most user-friendly site where you can easily hide or duplicate your resume by just changing the job title and adding a few details specific to the position.
With the ability to see how many views your resume has gotten, boost it in search results, and see who's actually interested in you, it's a great feature. Just remember that your resume might not be a good fit or someone might have just browsed and left.
Personal stories:
Recently, I read an opinion that nowadays employers don't want people with experience, but rather young and naive individuals they can take advantage of. To some extent, that's true. I mean, I was offered a schedule of 2 days/weekend/2 nights/3 days off with a salary of 50,000 rubles by a major enterprise in our city.
The advantage of this job posting was that, despite the fact that the factory is located in an industrial area, it's only a few stops away from my place. The fun started when I couldn't find the entrance – they'd removed the Rospischeliosk and I had no idea which porch to use.
I managed to find the right place just in time, but as I rushed to the interview, I realized I wasn't the only one invited for that time slot. So, I ended up waiting in a live queue.
When I finally got into the room, I was greeted by a woman who was literally falling apart on a chair, offering me to take a seat. It's worth noting that none of the people present introduced themselves, and it wasn't until the woman mentioned words like 'IR spectrum' and 'chromatography' that I understood she was supposed to be the manager.
After the standard small talk, they told me that I wouldn't get any breaks or time to sit down and rest during my 12-hour shift, and that I'd likely be working overtime. And all this was said with a tone that made me feel grateful for the offer.
Things got even more awkward when I realized that the company is actually a group of several factories under the same brand, and I had forgotten to mention lubricants in the company name. To make matters worse, there was no pre-test before the interview.
I tried my best to maintain my composure and follow the rules of etiquette, but the conversation was tense. The next day, the HR person asked me if I was satisfied with the interview, and when I said 'yes', the conversation just stopped. No response was given, but a few months later, I received an invitation to what I'm pretty sure was the same job.
Story #2
It's essential to be prepared for the possibility that even if your resume and application have been reviewed and you've been invited for an interview, the HR person might have no idea what they're looking for.
That's exactly what happened to me – I spent two hours traveling to the other side of the city, only to have to walk for 20 minutes to get to the location, and then I was left sitting for 10 minutes. The interview was held at a dairy product factory, and the person who called me in was the head of HR, who had reviewed my application and decided that I was completely unsuitable for the job.
The funniest part was that out of the 10 minutes of the interview, about half of it was spent discussing the HR person's incompetence, as she was trying to convince me to take the job despite my background in pharmacy, which they didn't need.
Story #3
I've been throwing my resume around to a few other cities since our local pharmaceutical factory is pretty small. A couple of weeks after the interview, they remembered me and said they'd send over the necessary documents and a list of local doctors I should see. But then they called back a few hours later, saying they'd found a candidate from their own city and would be considering them instead.
Story #4
HR departments will come up with all sorts of creative ways to find the perfect candidate – I've even seen them reject people based on their zodiac sign (Scorpio, to be specific). But I once took a personality test and, on the interview with the HR rep, she asked me to tell her about the factory where I'd be working. I managed to mumble something, but it was my second or third interview, so I wasn't exactly on my game. Needless to say, I got rejected and have been getting rejections from them ever since – I just keep throwing my resume at the factory.
HR people are a fascinating bunch, and if you haven't watched some video about their job, you might be surprised to learn that they often don't follow through on their promises to get back to you within a few days. More often than not, they just go dark, and when you do get a rejection, it's always the same generic message – they're sorry, and getting rejected is like winning the lottery.
Most HR people have no idea what they're looking for, and with a degree in Chemical Technology like mine, I've found myself having to explain my qualifications to them, over and over again. It's like they don't even understand the different branches of chemistry – pharmaceuticals, food science, oil, ceramics, nuclear... the list goes on. And they just keep calling, wasting your time.
Story #5
Another thing that's really frustrating is when they post a job ad for one position, but what they're really looking for is someone else entirely. And if you see a job posting for a courier with a salary of $200,000, there's a good chance it's got nothing to do with the actual job – it's probably some shady stuff, and $200,000 a month won't cover the years you'll spend in prison. There are plenty of those kinds of job postings online.
I've got a weird story to share. I actually applied for a tech role, and things took a turn. The manager didn't show up for the first interview because she was supposed to be in Moscow, and on the second one, I found out they were expanding and needed hardware specialists instead of tech experts. The job description didn't match what they were looking for – five-day workweeks were out the window, and the hours were 12 hours a day, at least for now. They promised career growth for tech experts, but who would be working on those machines? There was no separate job posting for hardware specialists.
It just so happened that I was studying in a different city, where I currently live, so the manager kept getting my alma mater wrong, and I had to correct her. I also joined the conversation at a pretty heated moment, with HR discussing things in a rather... colorful way. Luckily, my camera wasn't on, so I flew under the radar. They promised to send me a decision by Monday, but I'm still waiting.
Story #6
I was browsing for a side job at a big IT company, which people like to call the 'pi***** office', and they had an opening for a chat manager. Of course, it was really a job that involved making calls, but after the first conversation with HR, I got rejected. Then, a week later, HR #2 called me and said she had no idea about any rejection. You can guess what happened next – I got rejected again.
As of now, I'm preparing to move to a Siberian city with a population of 200,000 people for a job I didn't really want, but at least they're offering to cover my rent and give me 44 days of vacation because of the extreme climate. It's taken me over six months to find this job.
