Wait... Do You Actually Want Me to Apply For This?

[starrypawz]

Not really a gripe just something I noticed.
Is it me or do certain companies make it really hard to actually apply to work there?

When I signed on at the Job Centre I was given two positions to apply for one at a Pets at Home and one at Halfords. I signed onto the Pets at Home one really easily but the Halfords one... D:

I was told 'oh look apply online,' so I go and it states 'for this job please go into the local store for an application form', when the store in question isn't exactly 'local' (it's like a town or two over) but I decided to troop over to my local Halfords to see if I could get an application, fill it in and then go up to the branch I'm meant to be applying for. Then my local branch went 'Oh, we take in a CV and then will send through and application'. So I somehow need to get up to this 'not quite local' branch and try and get in up there.

Then today I was walking through a shopping centre near me and grabbed a page of job listings and found one for Bench I thought 'oh easy enough, worth a shot' yet again it says 'Apply online' so I go and do so, said job listing isn't on the board. But there's a phone number next to the job ad so I'll be ringing that soon.

Anyone else had any stupidly hard to apply for job applications? Or is it just me?

[kaoskat]

Hubby has been having a really hard time with them. Seems alot of places give a run around.

[BrightSide]

I can't say I'm old enough to truly be able to relate, but I'll share one recent fact which made me sigh..

I couldn't even get a job at McDonalds.

Applied online, went through all of the forms.. I'm a straight A student with enough things on my CV, yet absolutely no response which they said I'd be given. Oh well, I don't really want to be tossing saturated fat for a few pounds.

[Eviecorn]

I've had this issue with the regular work force, but interestingly enough if you want a teaching position, they make it extremely easy to apply ... does this tell you something? 

[starrypawz]

I can't say I'm old enough to truly be able to relate, but I'll share one recent fact which made me sigh..

I couldn't even get a job at McDonalds.

Applied online, went through all of the forms.. I'm a straight A student with enough things on my CV, yet absolutely no response which they said I'd be given. Oh well, I don't really want to be tossing saturated fat for a few pounds.

Ah no. D:
I'm trying to avoid applying for fast food places as I know I don't really have the skills for such an environment as I couldn't work at that sort of speed and being dyspraxic is a bad idea near boling hot deep fat fryers and the like....

Evicorn: Hmm... that is a wonder, maybe they're just really desperate for teachers.

[Moony]

Before I got my job I had applied to at least four other vet clinics. One of them had a like a test that you had to do spelling and alphabetical order things and also what would you do type of situations. The other places took my resume and never called me back! This was almost two months ago! I'm so glad the place that I actually got an interview at hired me on the spot lol. Job searching is super stressful!

[Syrcaid]

I worked through a staffing agency because of that problem.

[Nerdfins]

It took me a year after graduating with my BS in Computer Science before I landed a job, and I worked at Macy's during that time.  I had this conversation a few times.

Customer: So, what school do you go to/what major are you?
Me: I have my Bachelors in Comp Sci.
Customer: Wait, what?!  And you're working HERE?!
Me: Yeah, the economy sucks.

I remember once a customer had their college age kid with them, and they looked absolutely dismayed to hear how even with one of the "most wanted" degrees I was struggling with the job hunt.  Poor kid.

[xeevee]

I am used to applying for government jobs, which are always very complicated, you have to write you're application addressing specific criteria individually, but there are normally only 5 and 2 of those are the same for everyone.  Well anyway, one day I see a job at a food co-op at my university, the hours were semi-flexible, it was on campus, and you could take your kids along if you needed to.  Complete perfect for a mum of 2 kids who is currently studying. 

I look at the application, it had 23 selection criteria.  And this was a retail job, not a government job. Really all it needed was, 'can you talk to people nicely?' 'Do you know what a food co-op is?'.  It took me forever to fill out.  I did get an interview, but unfortunately didn't get it even though I was the interviewers preferred candidate because the board of directors wanted to hire a person who was already working there.  Gah!

[starrypawz]

I am used to applying for government jobs, which are always very complicated, you have to write you're application addressing specific criteria individually, but there are normally only 5 and 2 of those are the same for everyone.  Well anyway, one day I see a job at a food co-op at my university, the hours were semi-flexible, it was on campus, and you could take your kids along if you needed to.  Complete perfect for a mum of 2 kids who is currently studying. 

I look at the application, it had 23 selection criteria.  And this was a retail job, not a government job. Really all it needed was, 'can you talk to people nicely?' 'Do you know what a food co-op is?'.  It took me forever to fill out.  I did get an interview, but unfortunately didn't get it even though I was the interviewers preferred candidate because the board of directors wanted to hire a person who was already working there.  Gah!

Gah indeed.
Just rang up the branch of Halfords I'm trying to apply too, I have to go up there in person and give them my CV as they don't actually have application forms. :/

[Kiwi]

Yup - hubby has been applying for jobs online (as instructed), then he'll get a mini pre-interview on the phone, all for the person to say "well we aren't hiring for that position right now". Um what? You only put the posting up yesterday, how could you not be hiring? GRRRRRRR!

[NovelNerd]

I've had this issue with the regular work force, but interestingly enough if you want a teaching position, they make it extremely easy to apply ... does this tell you something? 

Easy to apply, but difficult to get the job even after you drive three of four hours for interviews.

[rayedelsol]

I've had this issue with the regular work force, but interestingly enough if you want a teaching position, they make it extremely easy to apply ... does this tell you something? 

Easy to apply, but difficult to get the job even after you drive three of four hours for interviews.

I want to know where they are hiring teachers. [Just curious, I am lucky to still have my post] My school district and every one within two hours of me just lost a bunch of teachers. The economy has been killing teaching jobs. We [in education] felt the hit first in Florida, because most of our income comes from property tax, and when the housing market fell, so did our income.

[Echo_Shell]

Here lately we've been running into what feels like a scam.  You call a number you find in the newspaper classifieds and rather than connecting to a potential employer, you end up on the phone with an entirely unrelated company who'll put you in touch with this potential employer for a "one time fee" of just under $200.  Like I said, feels like a scam.  Unfortunately, it seems like this company, honest or not, has taken over most of the posted jobs our paper now carries.  So there goes the classic last resort for those of us who need jobs asap, most of whom do not have $200 lying around somewhere in the event of this sort of obstacle.

[melodys_angel]

For me, if I want to try to find something that isnt in my field of study (the mundane cashier or food worker), ill get auto-rejected because im 'over qualified'.  I ended up going back to school because I couldnt find anything int he field I chose..that was back in 2006.

Just keep patient and persistant if you get the runaround, it will work in your favor in the end 9/10 times.