Page 1 of 4
1
2
3
... LastLast
  1. #1
    Deleted

    almost 1 year without a job after graduation

    Last June, I graduated from college, with a professional bachelor's degree in information management and multimedia. I started actively looking for a job somewhere late September, because, due to my autism, I had access to a few government aid methods that could help me land a job, but I wanted to make sure I had them before starting to look for a job. I started submitting applications online, both via mail and via specialized websites, 3 times a week (recommendation from the persons who supports me in this), and went to multiple job faires that were easily accessible for me. I mostly submitted apps for jobs involving Java development (a programming language), since that was the job I was interested in the most, but quickly branched out to incorporate .NET (another language that i'm interested in). I have tried to submit these requests in different styles, sometimes mentioning my autism, sometimes not, to see if it would have an effect on interest.

    But in the end, up to this point, I've received around 10 actual invitations for an interview, out some 30-odd sent. Only one of those actually gave a positive response, but they couldn't hire me till April (I got the response late November). Once I got this message, I started to look for a job abit slower, sending about 1-2 apps per week, again on recommendation from my supporters). Around February, i started contacting the company again, but the person who said they were interested in me no longer worked there, and the person who replaced him has only responded to the first of my mails so far, saying that the project was shifted to May. I sent 2 more mails during April, but none of them got a response. In the end, i started actively looking for work again last week.

    Now, I'm looking for a job in ICT, but I got 2 major stumbling blocks. The first is my autism, which for a lot of companies is a deterrent, because I've gotten far less replies to apps where I mentioned my autism than to those where I didn't. The second also has to do with my autism, namely that I'm so confused with the rules in traffic, and especially how there are so many people that don't adhere to them (running the red or orange, sudden braking or lane changing, driving excessively slow or fast, tailgating, that kind of stuff), that I'm actually afraid to get a driver's license. this limits the jobs I can get, because a large amount of ICT employees are consultants, who drive from company to company, and without a driver's license, I cannot realistically do that. I actually had at least 5 or 6 companies call me because they found my resumé online (note that this was an automated resume where I couldn't enter that I don't have a license), only to back down when I mention I don't have a driver's license.

    I'm also reaching a dangerous point at which long duration unemployment can seriously hurt me: both Java and .NET are evolving languages, and if you're left out of the loop for extended periods of time, unless you do research yourself you are missing all those new options that they offer, and how they can affect your project. In addition, a 1 year blank doesn't look good on your resumé.

    yeah, i'm likely just sounding like a whiner here, and I know it's full economical crisis still, but i wasn't expecting it to take this long. I mean, there are over a thousand job listing in Belgium for developers. granted, that's not just Java and .NET, it also includes jobs that aren't for Juniors and over 3/4 are too far for me to realistically work, but still...

    is anyone else in a similar situation, where they graduated last year but haven't yet found a job?

  2. #2
    Deleted
    This is what happens when the education system lies to people, telling them that trivial bullshit is what employers value and want. I find it funny that the Governments around the world insist they're on the right course, yet the largest group of unemployed are those who've just left the education system. Doesn't that smack of "something is wrong with the education system"?

    I feel sorry for you, I thankfully got out of the education system before I finished and now doing fantastically well. I hope you find work soon.

  3. #3
    almost 1 year without a job after graduation
    dude lol
    this is 90%+ of the people I know no matter what year it's been for many different reasons....multiple reasons being...

    1) Can't be bothered working after being at school for 15+ years straight non-stop
    2) Taking the time to go overseas/enjoy life for a year or so before looking for work
    3) They generally don't feel like working and their parents just keep looking after them until they're forced into actually getting a job
    4) The person did a course that 300,000+ other students have done the past 3 years.......and theres like 5000 positions for that job in the entire country, of which like 80% are full anyway. (fail)

    The last 10% are the people who got internships while at school and just went from being partime+school to fulltime in the same position.



    edit: I just noticed you said you had autism....well yeah I understand your position now. Im afraid it's very hard for people with even slight cases of autism to find and maintain fulltime work. It doesn't mean you're doomed, you'll just have it MUCH harder than others. There are disabilities you can claim from the government for that.

    In before people say bill gates / steve jobs / richest/most successful man in history had autism....that's rare as fuck. Most people with slight cases of autism end up jobless most of the time due to their thought patterns. Best example is of what the OP here went about his driving...to a normal person thats just an excuse for being lazy...but for someone with autism thats actually of grave concern, they generally believe all of that < and you don't want him on the road with that thought pattern, just waiting for something bad to happen.
    Last edited by Friendlychap; 2012-05-08 at 01:47 PM.

  4. #4
    Deleted
    You mention your autism, but not how it would affect your day to day duties as a programmer. That's why when u mention it casually employers might back off. So I would recommend not mentioning it at all. If you get an interview they're reallise what's up. Then its up to them do decide if they can work with that.

    Also, the corporate world is completely different than the academic world. People get judged by experience and accomplishments. Since you just graduated with no related workexperience you're not the first pick. I guess you're looking for a consultancy job, well those require the most experience of them all.

    Depending on your pogramming skills you might wanna look at some freelance jobs involving java/.net so u atleast have something to show for. It also "keeps you in the loop" since you're probably going to run into a few problems you can't solve.

    But since you're looking for both Java and .net jobs, my guess your actual knowledge of these languages is limited. With the current job climate, companies are reluctant to invest in juniors. Combined with your autism you don't make a strong case for yourself.

    I know this is not really helping you directly, but try to get some experience in either of those languages, mix in groups discussing that language, and try to build a network from here. The easiest way to get a job is being reffered by a friend, not by posting your resume on a website.

  5. #5
    Life is harsh my friend

    Its all about luck, connections, and being in the right place at the right time

    all that youthful optimism will be grounded out of you as you get older when you realise what a dog eat dog world this really is and that old bullshit saying hard work will get you places is a lie. Its all about who you know and how lucky you are its sad but true

    but gl i hope you do find what you are after

  6. #6
    Herald of the Titans Kuniku's Avatar
    15+ Year Old Account
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    UK
    Posts
    2,515
    It took me almost 3 years after graduating to get a "proper" job

    The problem now, is that SO many people are coming out of uni's with degrees, many of them micky mouse degrees at that, so its no longer "LF graduate for job" its now "LF graduate for job, link ilvl and 'chieves"

    If you don't have 3-5 years experience, you'll struggle to get a job out of uni.

    I had to settle for a college leavers job, rather than a graduate job, just so I can get that experience to go with my degree. So I'm being paid a lot less than a graduate might expect. But in 1-2 years time I'll have that experience, and can either pester my boss for graduate pay, or start looking for that graduate job.

    ---------- Post added 2012-05-08 at 03:13 PM ----------

    Also, look for internships/work experience placements, try to fill your time with expereience, even if its unpaid!

  7. #7
    Pit Lord Doktor Faustus's Avatar
    10+ Year Old Account
    Join Date
    Jul 2009
    Location
    UK of Earth World & Northern Fat Land
    Posts
    2,420
    My first degree is wholy irrelevant to what I now do.

    You have to take what life gives you, and adapt to your new environment.

  8. #8
    The Patient
    10+ Year Old Account
    Join Date
    Feb 2012
    Location
    SW Florida
    Posts
    312
    I graduated in 2007 and it took 9 months to find a job. Some of that was the location not being very friendly to my degree in CS and some of that was 2007 was when the economy was starting to / had turned sour.

    While it may sound harsh, it isn't a companies job to hire you in spite of your disabilities when there are other qualified candidates. While techncially they cannot discriminate against a disability, they can always find reasons another candidate is 'more qualified'.

    You seem to be focusing a bit too much on why you can't do a job rather than why you can. Are employers asking about your license (or lack thereof?). Are they asking if you have autism? There is no need to disseminate this information in an interview unless it is pertinent to a question asked. Re-evaluate your resume and compare it to stellar examples of similar entry level resumes. Re-evaluate your attitude and the type of interviews or persona you give your potential employers. And if at all possibly try to turn your disabilities into a success story: 'I suffer from autism and am still able to accomplish all of this, that's why i'm your perfect candidate and won't let you down' rather than 'I suffer from autism and may have some problems on the job.'

    As an aside, I would say that seeking a job out that you know involves travel and not being comfortable with driving is probably an incompatible thing, and something I personally would avoid seeking were I you. If the job doesn't involve travel, and you are able to make it to work on time each and every day, no one will care if you have a license or not. There are three people in this office I work in of 25ish people that ride a bike to work or take a bus. No one cares how you get there, just that you. do.

  9. #9
    Welcome to America. This is how it is here. It will only continue to get worse, if we continue to elect the same old, establishment politicians. The goal of the republicans/democrats is to ruin us and make us poor, so we rely on them and their rich friends/bankers.

    I have no idea how any college grad could ever get a job in today's America.

  10. #10
    Good luck. Remember, you're competing for these jobs with out-of-work people that have YEARS of real-life experience compared to none for you.

    Hopefully after November, that disaster in the White House will be gone and we can finally see some companies really start hiring again.

    Oh, you want to really up the chances of getting hired, be willing to move. That kills most people.

  11. #11
    Deleted
    Quote Originally Posted by twh View Post
    Welcome to America. This is how it is here. It will only continue to get worse, if we continue to elect the same old, establishment politicians. The goal of the republicans/democrats is to ruin us and make us poor, so we rely on them and their rich friends/bankers.

    I have no idea how any college grad could ever get a job in today's America.
    I don't even live in America, i'm European. I even mentioned that i was looking for a job in Belgium.

  12. #12
    It is extremely common that you will get a job that has nothing at all to do with your degree. Just shove your resume down everyone's throats.put it out on job sites ( I am not familiar with any over in Europe but I am sure there are some) just take what you can get even if it is just something to hold you over until you find something else.

  13. #13
    It's hard for most people. I'm very fortunate that my field has very high demand and lots of positions companies desperately trying to fill and I was able to get a job four weeks after graduating. Most of my classmates in my degree program had job offer before graduation.

    I can't offer any advice particular to your job search, but I can just say: keep busy. You must have a cool idea for something, start working on it in the mean time. It will help you keep your skills sharp and your mind occupied.

  14. #14
    Merely a Setback Reeve's Avatar
    10+ Year Old Account
    Join Date
    Oct 2009
    Location
    Houston, TX USA
    Posts
    28,800
    10 interviews on 30 applications and 1 expressed interest is actually a pretty good record.
    'Twas a cutlass swipe or an ounce of lead
    Or a yawing hole in a battered head
    And the scuppers clogged with rotting red
    And there they lay I damn me eyes
    All lookouts clapped on Paradise
    All souls bound just contrarywise, yo ho ho and a bottle of rum!

  15. #15
    Quote Originally Posted by Combooticus View Post
    Life is harsh my friend

    Its all about luck, connections, and being in the right place at the right time

    all that youthful optimism will be grounded out of you as you get older when you realise what a dog eat dog world this really is and that old bullshit saying hard work will get you places is a lie. Its all about who you know and how lucky you are its sad but true

    but gl i hope you do find what you are after
    My dad grew up on a dirt floor in Southeast Kentucky. There were times when he went hungry because they couldn't afford food and rent at the same time. At 18, he went to Michigan on a bus with a single month's rent in his pocket, which he made washing dishes at a local diner. He put in an application at Ford Motor Company who had been advertising openings all over the country. He worked 60-80 hours a week for 31 years. He lives on oceanfront property in Florida and drives a Viper.

    He went where the jobs were. He didn't know a single person there.

    Basically, what you posted is complete garbage. The problem isn't a lack of opportunity. The problem is a lack of drive and willingness to give up the video games and partying to work 60+ hours a week. The children of that generation are spoiled, entitlement babies. When life hits them in the face, they crumble and cry in the fetal position. It's everyone else's fault. Always.

  16. #16
    This is why unemployment statistics are not as balanced as they say. College graduates, who have never had full time jobs because they were attending college, don't even appear on that list. It's worse today than it was a few years ago. The area I used to live I couldn't even get a job at McDonalds because they had so many people and applicants. I went to an interview that had around 30 people, and they could only hire about 3 and they hired people that were friends of the managers/other employees leaving the rest of us to the dust. I am just glad I haven't gone to college yet...I wanted to go so I could become a teacher but then in my area, and many other areas in the country, teachers started getting laid off left and right. And at the time I was thinking of going I talked to another lady who got her teaching degree and she had been looking for a teaching job for about a year and still hadn't landed one and was pretty much forced to be a waitress just so she could make ends meet.

    Colleges lie when they say, "Come here and get a degree and land a job months after you graduate!" For highly needed jobs, then sure you could land a job. Anything in the healthcare department is always an in demand job so landing a job doing something in that field would be easy. Technology jobs seem to be what most people study these days however, so landing something in computer programming may be a bit more difficult depending on where you live and what's available in your town/city. Plus you are competing with more people for only a few positions available.

    You having autism does not help because sadly employers will look at you like a risk. So much for equal opportunity employment. Not having a car is also going to hold you back. Sadly, as scary as it is, you need to get one. Either that or move to an area where there is enough public transportation to get you anywhere you need to go in the city. I am lucky where I live because we have enough public transportation for me to get from where I live in Florida all the way to Miami if I needed to. But I can get to anywhere in my city within 30 minutes on a bus ride, which is also really nice.

    I am sorry it's been hard for you. My friend is graduating this weekend from college and she has been trying to find possible employers for her degree, but she still hasn't found any. She has a feeling she'll be stuck being a steak N Shake waitress for a while. Right now, it's hard for anyone to find a job. People say unemployment has gone down but that's because peoples unemployment has either run out, and the unemployment rates don't even account for people like me who have never had a full time job and became unemployed. I am still unemployed and every now and again I get asked to help out with cleaning out my husband's bosses store and stuff and he pays me some cash...other than that I have no job and I have looked and looked. It sucks being under-experienced to a point where your application just seems to get overlooked.

  17. #17
    Quote Originally Posted by twh View Post
    Welcome to America. This is how it is here. It will only continue to get worse, if we continue to elect the same old, establishment politicians. The goal of the republicans/democrats is to ruin us and make us poor, so we rely on them and their rich friends/bankers.

    I have no idea how any college grad could ever get a job in today's America.
    Its not just America, nearly everywhere is becoming like this. Uni/college is promoted constantly, people pay 10's to 100's of thousands of dollars for it and come out jobless or working a 30k a year job while trying to pay off their nearly useless(in the sense of not getting a job from it) schooling.

    With populations growing, more jobs being replaced by automated systems or tasks that would normally be split between multiple persons, being done by one because of advances in computer programs or other means, its only going to become harder to find meaningful work. Hell even getting a job as a burger flipper or factory worker are becoming harder and harder.

  18. #18
    Deleted
    Quote Originally Posted by Monk Brewslee View Post
    This is what happens when the education system lies to people, telling them that trivial bullshit is what employers value and want. I find it funny that the Governments around the world insist they're on the right course, yet the largest group of unemployed are those who've just left the education system. Doesn't that smack of "something is wrong with the education system"?

    I feel sorry for you, I thankfully got out of the education system before I finished and now doing fantastically well. I hope you find work soon.
    I think it says more about the companies and places that employ people, that have extremely unreasonable demands on what you should have done and be able to do to get a job.
    It's not the education that's entirely at fault, it's also the job market which doesn't employ well-educated people.

  19. #19
    I pretty much assumed it'd be 1-2 years of starbucks + internships anyways. GL and get experience.

  20. #20
    Get your drivers license.

    I understand your fear - It's actually a rather common problem. The best solution is to find a driving instructor that knows what they're doing, and build that confidence bit by bit. And remember: 99% of accidents occur because the driver did something stupid. So stop worrying about other drivers and focus on yourself and you'll be perfectly safe.
    Quote Originally Posted by Tigercat View Post
    Don't use facts, they unsettle peoples' prejudices, and once that happens the flames start.
    Quote Originally Posted by krethos View Post
    Its Science, just ask Albert Einstien, he invented Space

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •