The job hunt has become my Master of Puppets.....

I have taken severe issue with the whole job application process. I am calling on you, my friends who have graduated to bigger and better things for assistance. The same bigger and better things that seem to elude me, being just out of my reach.

Sure, I can rest on my laurels and blame the economy for my lack of fruitful employment at a position conducive to the fact that I busted ass during the last four years in the hallowed halls of academia to earn a degree, while acquiring "related experience" at the same time.

Sure, there are two sides to every coin. I can also blame myself for not doing enough. Maybe I should have joined every single on-campus club available, from the college Republicans AND Democrats, to the business leaders and the gay/straight alliance. Would that have made my resume more marketable? Is that what they want???

Today, I will make a conscientious attempt to apply to over 50 jobs. I already applied to around 10 jobs from the KAPLAN test-preparation company in the last 12 hours before bed. This is a company I found on the many job search engines to which I am a member.

The object of the day is to apply to as many of these jobs as possible. The pathetic nature of the beast is the fact that I truly believe this won't generate any interviews. They won't see the real me behind the e-mail application they will skip over in attempt to find as many attention-grabbing resume buzz-words as possible. I don't foresee, in the near future, this coming to a blissful conclusion. I'm trapped in this perpetual maze that subjects me to going around in complete circles, unable to break free. This whole job hunt has truly become my master of puppets.

Come crawling faster
Obey your Master
Your life burns faster
Obey your Master, Master

Master of puppets I'm pulling your strings
Twisting your mind and smashing your dreams
Blinded by me, you cant see a thing
Just call my name, `cause Ill hear you scream
Master, Master
Just call my name, `cause Ill hear you scream
Master, Master

Technology has brought upon many changes in the job hunt. No longer do you scan the classified ads in newspapers to see all the potential job matches that suit your expertise. No snail-mail letter mailing anymore, sending your resume, cover letter and samples of your work. The higher the technology capabilities, the lower the attention span for information consumption. They now have e-mails to work with. Meaning that, if they don't find words that turn them on like the robots they are, they simply delete the e-mail, forgoing the attachments of the samples of your work that truly define who you are as a worker and your potential. Pathetic, isn't it?


To further illustrate my point, I applied to Wegman's, the grocery store where my brother has worked for several years. He applied via an application on paper that used to be available in the store. Now, they exclusively accept applications online. So that's how I applied about two months ago, with no response. So you're starting to not have a choice with your method of application. I have a college degree, my brother does not, but he's a hard worker and he had the opportunity to meet the people who are in charge of hiring upon the submission of his application, so they liked what they saw. Resumes are getting more and more clout that they don't solely deserve in this new age of media consumption.

I don't know what to think anymore, is it just the hard luck that seems to follow me around? Or am I simply unqualified to be employed anywhere??? I turn it over to you, my friends who've graduated college with me. The job market is awful, but a lot of you have gotten jobs. Did you know somebody where you applied beforehand? Did you juice up your resumes like Jose Canseco did with his baseball career resume? Or were you just lucky? I make this an open forum, so any help/advice you can impart would be just excellent. Also, any questions/comments are welcome too. I thank you in advance for your help.

Hell is worth all that, natural habitat
Just a rhyme without a reason
Neverending maze, drift on numbered days
Now your life is out of season

If I don't get a job (a.k.a. more real-world experience) soon, then my resume will be out of season, then what's next? Burger flipper at McDonald's or school janitor???

(Music/Lyrics by Hetfield, Ulrich, Hammett, and Burton)