She should have stayed in Malaysia

Another warning to stay the hell away from Boston, Stinkassachusetts. Nothing good to be found here, folks. [Link to original page here]

At least give True Fit credit for admitting they want someone YOUNG

Screenshot courtesy of StinkedIn...

King Fish Media: More stink in Stinkassachusetts

King Fish Media advertised for a senior graphic designer with a direct apply on LinkedIn back on January 22, 2016. The ad received 94 applicants. 

So, what did they do a few days later? Why, advertise the same job on Indeed, of course! Because...um...well, who the hell knows why anymore...

"These HR managers should be thrown out on their asses!"

A commenter from this article brings up quite a few interesting points, especially the third one questioning the mortgage business...

Graphic designer, administrative assistant...what's the difference?

So, they want a graphic designer, but they don't want to pay a designer's salary so they change the title to "administrative assistant" (I guess they forgot to change the headline to match). 

Even more disturbing is what I saw at the bottom of the page...

So much competition for such a piss-poor salary!

Yes, LinkedIn is a joke

All these years in IT and I’m still waiting to meet one person who actually found a job through this network that supposedly connects employers with professionals. I know they must be out there somewhere, but you’d probably be more likely to discover big foot in your back yard or see aliens flying over the desert before that ever happens. Continue reading...

I also have yet to meet anyone who's found a job on this dumb site. 

Back in 2014 when I learned that resumes are now scanned by an algorithm rather than a person, I hired a resume writer to make my resume algorithm-friendly. Last year I reached out to her again to see if she'd be interested in helping me update it a bit. Instead of answering the two little questions in my email to her, she went and snooped on my StinkedIn profile and proceeded to lecture me to the nth degree in her reply. I had put something like "No recruiters, please" on my page, which is something I'm seeing LOTS of people doing (because, let's face it, recruiters suck), she blasted me with "I am appalled at what I'm seeing on your LinkedIn page" followed by two paragraphs' worth of how important StinkedIn is in finding a job that would make any snake oil salesman proud. That's when I realized this woman doesn't know jack shit about the world in which we live. [Based on some of the other things she said to me, I'm tempted to call this sick woman out publicly here, but her Yelp rating is flawless so I'm not going to be the one lone "weirdo" to complain. I'm just going to be a lot more careful about whom I share my personal details with in the future (I have a weakness where I talk/type too much sometimes --remember, I was born and raised in Pittsburgh, ranked America's friendliest city on more than one occasion -- and I often forget that nobody wants to be your friend these days).]

Had I bothered to reply to her, I'd have said, "Over these past few years, do you know how many recruiters or hiring managers have made the effort to view my profile after receiving my resume? NONE!" And this phenomenon continues through the present day -- I've applied for about a dozen jobs over the past few weeks...I have zero viewers on StinkedIn. Which is a shame, really, as I have four very nice recommendations written by some very high-ranking former clients and co-workers. But, that kind of thing is meaningless today. 

It's nice to see more and more people commenting about the uselessness of StinkedIn these days. This one's from The New York Times (seems pretty accurate to me)...

This one was actually left on Recruiting Daily... 

A question for Crimson Hexagon

This dumb company has been advertising the same design job since February 2016 (it's now July). I applied and, of course, heard nothing. In addition to sharing the now-standard "get lost if you're unemployed" field, I'd like to address the stupid "In a 100 words or less" part. Hey, Crimson Hexagon, how about YOU tell ME why you would be a great place for me to work? Right now, if I were to judge you solely based on my application experience, I'd give you an F.

Nvidia's hiring managers do not read cover letters

Nvidia advertised the same senior graphics designer position many many times over the past two years. I applied to three of these separately posted (but identical) jobs on their website back in 2015. In February 2016 they *again* advertised this same job, this time as a direct apply on LinkedIn. Note the whopping number of applicants at 179 (the unemployment rate at the time was being reported as 5%; is it normal for a job to receive so many applicants during times of "full employment?").

After seeing it appear yet again on their website, I decided to send them a little note via email:

I am writing in response to the Senior Graphic Designer position you have been advertising for the past eight months. I applied for this role last July and again in December. I am a senior-level designer with 18 years of experience, and I meet every single qualification listed in the job description, including the 3D requirement. Strangely, you did not find me worthy of so much as a telephone screening. Today, EIGHT MONTHS LATER, I see that you are still advertising this position (albeit under a different "job number").

Clearly, you are having issues in finding the "perfect candidate" for this role. Eight months is more than enough time to find a qualified candidate in a job market where designers are a dime a dozen. I'd like to know what are the true qualification requirements for this job. Unless I hear otherwise from you, I will conclude you are following the well-known practice established by Silicon Valley of disqualifying applicants based on age; it's been reported that the average age at NVIDIA is 32, and I am well past that age.

Either that, or this job is completely fake. If it is, be warned, people are taking notice of jobs that appear ad nauseam across the various job boards for months and months.

Here's the splendid response I received from their HR dimwit:

Thank you for your email dated March 31.  I looked into this further with the recruiter.

The first Senior Graphics Designer position requisition opened in July 2015.  A second Senior Graphics Designer position requisition opened in November 2015.  Both requisitions had different hiring managers.  The first requisition was eventually filled in November 2015.  Then, another need for a Senior Graphics Designer for another team came up during November 2015; hence, the second position requisition was opened for that team.

Neither requisition currently supports relocation to Santa Clara, CA or financially supports travel for on-site interviews.  Therefore, the recruiter did not review out of state resumes, which included your resume.  At this time, NVIDIA has no interest in moving forward with a phone screen or interview with you given the current position does not currently support relocation.

In the future, if you find a new position requisition that supports relocation and is in line with your skills, please feel free to apply for the position.

Thank you,

Stephanie Luck, Human Resources Director  

Hmmmm...my cover letter explicitly states "I am available to relocate immediately and without requiring any relocation assistance" (my father lives in Oregon, hence it would not be too difficult of a move for me). You also do not need a special work permit or visa to move from one state to another within the USA -- you don't even need a passport!

Thanks, Ms. Luck, for letting us all know that hiring managers at Nvidia do not read cover letters. 

Analysis Group: We can't value you if you're unemployed at the time of your application

Boston Beer Company: Another company that won't hire the unemployed

Btw, Boston Beer Company, the applicant's current annual salary is none of your business. No, it's NOT.

Mintz Levin requires your graduation date on their online application

Gee, for what do you suppose they use this date?

Holiday Inn Orange Lake Resort: Where "Are you currently employed" is more important than "Have you ever been convicted of a criminal offense?"

Magellan Health asks the most important question first

SeaChange International wants to know if you are currently employed

Another decrepit company in the decrepit state of Stinkassachusetts. How many people clicked "No" and were contacted for an interview? I'm guessing zero.

We are all guilty here

From the comments section of Moyers & Company's "Restoring an America That Has Lost Its Way"

Use Malakye.com to easily reject bad candidates...

...for instance, if they're unemployed...

...or they're "too old"...

Companies post fake jobs in exchange for tax credits

Comment from "Why Some Still Can't Find Jobs As The Economy Nears 'Full Employment.'" Careful, Corporate America, folks are taking notice of the fake jobs you keep posting (I myself suspected tax breaks were involved).

Salaries continue to stink in Stinkassachusetts

$15/hour is two dollars less than what I earned at my first design gig in 1997, and one dollar more than what I earned during a temporary data entry gig I took back in 2013...

How many years does it take to become an "expert?" Zero!

Clearly, they're not "experts" in any of this, either -- it's Cinema 4D, not Cinema 3D, sheesh...

Marcus & Millichap wants to hire a bright YOUNG individual...

...because an OLD individual can't possibly be bright! (See original job post on StinkedIn)

Lowes, 1360 S. Washington Street in North Attleborough

Back in early 2014, Lowes posted a few job openings on their website at one of the locations near me. I said to myself “screw this online app crap,” I've filled out loads of these online apps and it's getting me nowhere, so I’m gonna go to that store and apply in person (or, at least, perhaps talk to the manager). I pulled into the lot and, sure enough, there was a big banner saying they’re hiring. So I walked in, and approached the woman behind the counter at the customer service desk at the entrance. 

This woman first ignored me, then didn’t even attempt to smile at me as I “interrupted” whatever she was doing. I asked if I can fill out a job application, and she looked at me like I had sprouted an extra head, stating sternly with a nasty scowl on her face that the only way to apply is on their website, and if I don’t have a computer I could go to a library to do it. I said I have a computer, I’m just sick of online applications and I know my app won’t be seen by anyone. She didn’t have one fucking thing to say to me in response, just continued to give me a nasty look as I walked away in disgust. Fuck you, nasty woman at Lowes. And, fuck you, Lowes.

How often does a minimum-wage retail worker at Staples smile?

In the fall of 2013, I applied for the first of what would be many minimum-wage shit jobs. This one was at Staples. At the end of the “application” I was required to take a “test.” These are a few of the offensive demeaning questions asked of me. First, I barfed. Then, I cried.

"How often do you smile?" What am I dealing with here, a company or a cult? (I was relieved to be dismissed as unworthy for this one.)

Fuck you, HW Staffing Solutions

Back in 2013, when I first became desperate and began applying for general office work, I applied online for an office admin job through HW Staffing. I received an email shortly afterwards from a woman at the agency saying I “appear to be a great fit, how soon can you come to our office and fill out the application?” They were located an hour’s drive away, so I responded I’m on my way, should be there by noon (it was 10:45). I was more than halfway there when at about 11:15 the email came thru on my phone, “I just got word that the position is no longer available. The Client filled the position with an Internal Employee. Thank you for considering the position. My true Apologies.”

I spent the rest of the day trying to regain my composure and finally replied, ending with, “I really don’t know what else to say about this experience, except that I truly hope you and your staff do not suffer from such poor treatment from agencies like yours as I have received these past two years in trying to survive in this new economy."

Since then, I’ve changed my mind – I DO HOPE that EVERY staffing agency employee ends up going through the same hell I have these past few years.

ATSs and blacklisting

A few years back, someone over on the Indeed forum posted a link to a pdf of a Taleo user manual, where it shows on page 14 that companies can use these systems to BLACKLIST you from their company. That link is now dead but I did take some screencaps. If you’ve applied over and over to one company and continue to be ignored, this is why. I suspected as much, and am not surprised at all. But my bigger question remains unanswered, that being is there some integrated network amongst all companies using the same system where they share their blacklisted applicants?

It would be really nice to have one of our useless media outlets do some FUCKING INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM and expose this disgusting practice. Of course, what we really need is a Congressional investigation but that’ll never happen as that would be infringing on “job creators’” liberties (or some other stupid shit).

"Surviving the post-employment economy"

If you are 35 or younger - and quite often, older - the advice of the old economy does not apply to you. You live in the post-employment economy, where corporations have decided not to pay people. Profits are still high. The money is still there. But not for you. You will work without a pay rise, benefits, or job security. Survival is now a laudable aspiration. Continue reading...

"Only privileged assholes think you can just drop all your shit and 'follow your dreams'~"

Funny how people still peddle that whole "you gotta pursue your dreams!" bullshit, but when you do exactly that and you fail, you hear from the same assholes, "Serves you right for pursuing the arts!" (or whatever category, but let's face it, it's usually something in the arts).

Back when I was still using Tumblr, this massively stupid post showed up in my dashboard. I was glad, however, to see the many comments debunking this bullshit, which I’d like to share below in further hopes of convincing young kids to be smart and NOT do as the dumb GIF set says. Anyone who says "you don't need money to be happy" is clearly one who is not currently in need of money. 

[Also interesting that one commenter points out the figure $75,000 as being the wage you need to live comfortably here. I can attest to this as that’s exactly what my salary range was from 2008 to 2012, when for the first time I was "comfortable” as a member of the middle class; I was able to pay my bills easily each month, no longer carried a credit card balance, quickly paid off my car loan and accrued a savings account with enough cash in it to carry me through two years of unemployment.]

People from middle and upper middle class can say these things and get away. People who don’t know what starting capital is can say these things. People who literally don’t know what its like to have nothing or to live in poverty can say these things. You can’t follow your dreams without some start up cash from somewhere. And most people don’t have that. Like if money was no object and people could just ~live their dreams~ then why are there children starving in 1st world nations

* 

It’s the social economic version of “just stop being depressed”

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“All you need is a house and food and a laptop”. And internet for the laptop. And electricity. And plumbing. And heat. And possibly has for your car. Oh and tabs and emissions if you have a car. Travel if you live away from family/friends or have a job that requires it but doesn’t pay for it. And, hm, what else? Oh yeah! Medications. Doctor appointments. Replacement for things like canes and wheelchairs if they break and your insurance doesn’t cover it (oh, and if you’re self employed, you have to pay for insurance, too).

Not only is this super classist, it’s ableist as fuck.

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It has been economically and psychologically studied that unless you make 75000 dollars a year, you're not happy. That's the amount of money every year that you need to be really happy. So no, saying “following your dreams” doesn't cut it. my dad grew up in poverty and had to work his entire damn life doing shit he didn't want to do, and now hes like 53 and he's FINALLY happy because he's making money. He had to give up his dreams in order to get out of poverty. So YEAH, money doesn't buy you happiness, but unless you make 75000 a year then you're not totally safe.

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“own a yarn shop” - Wow, yeah, ‘let them eat cake’ much?
And just supposing it’s that easy, this is forgetting the huge amount of time work it takes to start and run a business; it’s not like entrepreneurialism is something you do on the side in between your knitting. And okay, let me explain why people are tempted to try and gain “worthless scraps of paper”: GOODS AND SERVICES

 * 

Only privileged assholes think you can just drop all your shit and ~*follow your dreams*~. The rest of us have to shovel our way up from the fucking bottom just to dream of seeing sunlight one day.

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Something I’ve always hated about this mentality (aside from the money/privilege aspects already mentioned) is that it totally disregards the fact that you need to have some bare minimum of talent in order to be successful, even if it is something you are wildly passionate about. Given the chance, I would spend every day of the rest of my life creating dance. I love to dance, and anyone who has seen me perform can tell you I’m actually not bad. I am passionate about it, I am a pretty good actor, I can choreograph and rehearse a pretty decent contemporary number in roughly 8 hours. I love to dance.

But I probably never will make my living off of it. My body isn’t built to be a professional dancer; I’ve got shorter legs than torso, I am short, and some of my musculature is just flat out biologically non-conducive to dance. I don’t jump high enough, land soft enough, or turn fast enough to ever do it professionally.
The dance world is HIGHLY competitive already, and that is without the sudden influx of people we’d be warring against if everyone started following the “just do what you love” mentality that is being espoused above. Even as a boy I would have to fight tooth and nail to be recognized in my field with the meager talent I have now.

It seems condescending when talented artists make these cute little comic strips that showcase their considerable skills in visual art, and then tell people “just follow your passions! I did! Look how happy and fulfilled I am!” without ever touching on the fact that they themselves are obviously TALENTED ARTISTS!
And “getting creative” still requires that you have some kind of skill related to your passion. On Tabatha Takes Over s5ep9, you see a perfect example of this “do what you love” crap not panning out at all. A woman quits her job and opens a manicure salon. The problem being that she doesn’t actually know anything about aesthetics or how to run a salon. She opened it because she had the money, and she loved getting manicures. (This is a theme that comes up over and over again on Tabatha’s show; “you wanted free manicures so you opened a salon.” “You really like fro-yo, so you opened a restaurant.”) Beyond that, you can see more examples of people “just following their passions” when the salon technicians don’t actually know what they are doing. The owner’s “passion path” has now made it possible to set more people on their “passion path”, without the necessary training. It’s the blind leading the blind. The owner has no idea what she’s doing, so she has no idea what to ask from her staff, so those girls who are following their passions think that this is how you succeed in this field and all they’ve done is followed their passions straight down a path into a failing business.

“You like knitting? Open a yarn shop!"….. do you know anything about accounting? Customer service? Overhead? Suppliers and contracts? The legalities of having employees? How to schedule or do payroll? Every aspect of a field requires a certain skill set, and while it is great to follow a passion, it needs to be a passion that you can market well, or tailor to your skills. If you don’t have the talent necessary to succeed in a field, then you very well may not succeed.

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One more comment from me here...I'm a passionate knitter, been knitting for 40 years. Spent loads of my middle class money on yarn from a certain seller in Turkey. I can assure you there is NO money to be made in opening a yarn shop.

"Older job seekers face age discrimination, some face death"

Sad stuff courtesy of Zingularity (scary that the two victims in this story are right around my age)…

I’ve known two friends who died over the last year because they were unemployed. One was an architect, the other an engineer. They were both laid off early in the recession and could find no gainful employment, not even temp work in their field, no matter how many resumes they put in or how many interviews they went on. They exhausted unemployment insurance, savings, retirement savings, and charity. Is it at all unsurprising that eventually, they might have succumbed to depression from time to time, or had a difficult time getting fired up about that next job interview?

Over and over, as months turned into years, they had to make brutal financial choices, power bill or medications, gasoline for the car to get to an out of town job interview or risking a lapse on car insurance, etc. The very first thing that gets sorted to the bottom of the deck when you are facing that Faustian bargain are routine check ups and basic meds. One of them had developed borderline diabetes, one day they got into the bath tub, apparently their blood sugar crashed, they passed out, hit their head on the side and drowned. The other one got up one morning, was sitting on his bed, fell forward and there was no one there to reposition his body, check his airway, or call 9-11. They were 49 and 47 years-old respectively. They both probably fell prey to conditions that could have been easily prevented, or at least detected and managed. Neither had been to a doctor in years. 

When this happened the knee-jerk reaction of almost everyone I saw, in one way or another, was to try to figure out some way that it was the deceased’s own fault. They didn’t try hard enough to get a job, they had a bad attitude, they got depressed and drank too much or laid around too much, their expectations were unrealistic, they didn’t know how to manage money — that last one is particularly hilarious. I would love to see how one manages money when fixed monthly expenses vastly exceed monthly income. Without engaging in fantasy, like step one: find an apartment or buy a house costing $50 a month...

People would hang this post mortem diagnosis on the flimsiest of evidence, some offhand comment one made on the phone about wanting to get a pair of used ski boots. That single hearsay comment was used to justify the conclusion that that guy just didn’t have his priorities straight. Even though he never got any boots, he just supposedly mentioned one time to one friend that he saw some on Craigslist. 

What Was He Doing Wasting Time On Craigslist Looking At Used Ski Boots! Aha! He Wasn’t Even TRYING. That explains everything. 

And this wasn’t done by detractors or cruel people, this was what transpired among the closest friends who dearly loved the these guys. Because I assure you, this isn’t rare, it’s human nature. I’ve experienced it first-hand, blame and shame the unemployed or underemployed. 

There was only one guy I know, in one case, who tried to intervene near the end and get one those friends some help. And the rest of us should have taken that concern a lot more seriously than we did. 

They were victims of the recession, a recession they had no hand in at all, and they are just two out of uncounted thousands of middle-aged unemployed who never had a fucking chance.

“I Got Thrown Away”

I continue to be disturbed whenever I run across another article about someone going through the exact same crap I have these past few years. The similarities are chilling, right down to the rejection by Target.

50 Is the New 65

Older Americans Are Getting Booted from Their Jobs and Denied New Opportunities

Jan, a marketing executive from southern California, is just 51, and she has already learned the heartbreak and frustration of age-related job insecurity. She was flying high as the head of marketing for a large financial planning firm when she was laid off in 2009 at the age of 47. The recession had done its damage, and her firm had to let some people go — mostly the youngest and oldest employees. Jan understood why the layoff happened, as sad as it was. Her firm gave her great recommendations and kept her on as a consultant for a year. But she was not prepared for what happened when she tried to find another job. First Jan applied for positions similar to her previous employment at banks and other financial institutions. Nothing. Keeping upbeat, she widened the net, applying for all marketing and communications jobs advertised in a 40-mile radius of her home. Still nada. Finally, she started applying for retail jobs and was shocked to find that she could not even land these. Jan got an interview at Barnes & Noble, but the store didn’t call her back, and she wondered if all the young people on the floor had something to do with it. She tried a local bridal shop, thinking that she was the same age as the mothers of the brides and would be a good fit. They didn’t hire her. Even Target turned her down for a job as a store clerk. No reason was given. That’s when she started to panic. Continue reading...

Let’s play “Spot the Old Fart" at LevelUp

One day back in 2014, I applied for a design job at LevelUp. Boy, did I feel foolish after seeing this picture of their work force on the front of the careers page...

How many people in this picture are over the age of 40? I can’t find even one.

Let's check and see if their diversity has improved two years later...

Nope.

The uselessness of LinkedIn

Of course, this is just *one* example...

One day back in 2014, I came across this job on StinkedIn. 

Many years ago (when I was still a member of the middle class) I vacationed in Ireland. Excited at the thought of living there but knowing chances of being considered were nearly impossible, I went ahead and hit the “apply” button. After registering in their oh-so-wonderful Taleo system, here’s what I was greeted with…

Hmmmm, this job was posted a mere four hours ago on StinkedIn. Did it get filled in those four hours and the HR rep was in an incredibly productive mood? Or was this job not even posted by a human being, but rather an algorithm? Or did the recruiter just post this fake job just to harvest resumes, and nothing more?

Hmmmm (*again*), there’s a contact button right there on the right…

Let’s see if I can contact this HR guy and see what’s going on. Oh, but lookie what I get after hitting the “send an InMail” button…

And it's doubtful you'll get that floor sales job at Target…

From the comments section of PBS Newshour Making Sen$e 04/23/14

Screw you, Cosi

This online application bothered me on so many levels. Number one, we are in a “gig economy” now, where many people are “independent contractors” or just plain old “self employed.” How do you cram this unconventional work history into this rigid form? Number 2, demanding to know my salary is out of line. What I earned in a past job is NONE of your business, Cosi. No, it’s not. End of discussion. Number three, you have no need to demand the personal information of former bosses at this early stage of the application process. No computer system in this world is safe from being hacked, plus how can I trust you that you won't use this information for other purposes? I never input the names and phone numbers of people I worked with as that's a serious breach of trust and puts their personal information at risk of being hacked or misused. It’s bad enough my own personal information is vulnerable. FAIL, Cosi.

It's better in Ghana

Back in early 2014 when I was excitedly awaiting word from Target about my job application, I stopped by a local Best Buy and struck up a conversation with the young salesman, asking if they were hiring. We got to talking, he was still in college, I gave him the usual “don’t major in design” lecture (he’s not), we talked about the bleak economy and he said that when he graduates he’s going to move to his father’s native country to find work. I asked what country was that. He said Ghana.

Wow. He has to move to Ghana for economic opportunities because America couldn’t offer any. 

I think that’s pretty fucked up.

Deloitte wants to know how old you are

This company is truly disgusting. Note how they demand to know the year of my graduation in their online application that I completed in 2014. 

I guess this is how I got placed on their hiring "blacklist" for being too old (based on their website full of images of pretty young girls, it’s clear that “old” means over 30).

In July 2015 I saw this job appear (no, I didn't bother applying, I've had enough rejection from this company), and as of today (May 2016) it continues to appear on their website:

FIFTY TO SEVENTY-FIVE PERCENT TRAVEL???? Who in the world is going to be able to commit to that? You know what, I could commit to that, as I am unmarried and have no kids (and because of my advanced old age will likely never have kids) but they won’t hire an “old fart” like myself. Seriously, take a look at this and count how many people here look like they could possibly be over 40:

Remembering Boardman, OH

I was reading a HuffPost article about a Matt Tabbi book (“America Has A ‘Profound Hatred Of The Weak And The Poor’”). At the bottom of the page was one of those little slideshows, this one was titled “Cities With Greatest Increase In Concentrated Poverty.” Out of curiosity I clicked through. Number 3 was Youngstown-Warren-Boardman. I stopped and stared long and hard at the image for that one (pictured above).

I remember Boardman. Recall that I grew up in a mill town north of Pittsburgh on the Ohio River. I remember my mom and I making the hour-to-90min drive for a day of shopping at a mall in Boardman back in the early 1980s (where I lived it wasn’t uncommon to drive an hour or more for that kind of outing). The mall had a Strouss’ department store, which was a nice change from the local Kaufmann’s.

I always enjoyed the ride, Ohio was…Ohio. Flat, but clean, some farmland, nice roads. This is not the Boardman I recall from those years…

Very sad.