Well, no news on the job front. I did just almost have a panic attack– my phone rang with a call from a number I didn’t recognize. But instead of being my potential future employer, it was some guy asking if I was still selling some kind of wheels on Craigslist. Turns out he had the number wrong by one digit.
Just my luck.
So I’m still waiting. Impatiently waiting, mind you, as I applied for the first job exactly a week ago and the other on Saturday. But that doesn’t stop me from checking my phone every two seconds and making sure the jobs are both still available on the respective company’s Web sites.
The real reason I am so impatient and nervous is the lack of human contact in job pursuing these days. When I applied online at the first company, I just had to fill in a form with the essentials. This section was followed by links to attach a resume, cover letter, and any additional attachments a position might require. A few minutes later, I received an e-mail letting me know that my application was received and I would be contacted if I fit with their needs.
Enter company two. This time around I had to create a profile before the job search. Company two was a bit more detailed, asking for not just the essentials but additional details like salary requirements, educational history, and legal standing. I also had to paste my cover letter and resume into this form. It was only after filling in the details that I could look around and find the position I was interested in. I finally found it and clicked apply, expecting another round of questions. To my surprise, the “apply” button merely switched to “applied.” Of course, a few minutes later I received the standard thank-you-for-applying-we-will-be-in-touch email.
Really?
Call me old fashioned, but I want to talk to a person. While I understand that people are busy, I want to be able to find a job online, walk into a place, and hand my application to a human. At this point I wouldn’t even know who to contact to follow up on my applications, which leaves me completely at the mercy of the company. Which is just how they like it, I’m sure.
I mean, I get it. I don’t want a bunch of idiots calling me at all hours asking for an update on their application. But I find it very sad that all human interaction has left this rather important process. Company one is being slightly helpful- they provided a link where I can check the status of my application at any time. Of course it only gives details like “New,” “In Process,” and “Not Selected.” Unfortunately, I found out about the last one when I didn’t get the last position I applied for with the same group… sad day.
As far as company two goes I am completely groping in the dark. I have no idea if and when I will be contacted. And if I don’t get the job, I have no clue if I will even receive some sort of communication, or if I will just be left hanging. Even though rejection sucks, I really would like to know if I am still a blip on their radar or if I should move on.
Anyway, today’s post was pretty much just a big rant on what I perceive to be issues with this process. But it all leads to a bigger picture; job searching is not the only area losing essential human contact. So many places these days from grocery stores, to banks, to schools, want you to do everything online. I bag my own groceries; next month I’ll be able to make deposits with my scanner instead of visiting my local branch. I don’t call information anymore, I just look it up online.
So tell me, how is it that we are all still stumped on why jobs in America are disappearing?
Ah, welcome to the age of technology. I can tell you that almost every company makes you fill out online applications, including places where the job does not require you to work with computers per se. My guess is that they're trying to weed out people who don't know how to use computers, but at the same time, they're blocking job-qualified people from applying if they don't know how to use computers. It's a double-edge sword, if you ask me. And many companies don't even offer their phone number on their website, should you have questions – they make you fill out an online email form. Then they send a form email back to you saying your inquiry has been received but due to the volume of inquiries they get, they can't respond to everyone. Nice, right? I do have to say, that I love the technology in my grocery store – I can scan my items, put them in bags while I'm shopping and pay without ever speaking to anyone. It just makes the process faster. However, there are people there I can talk to if need be, and they are actually willing to help. Technology is great for many things, but it does indeed cut down on face-to-face human interaction.
Huh, I never thought about it from the angle of pre-testing our computer skills, but it totally makes sense. I just figured they didn't want to deal with a bunch of people all the time.
I'm totally jealous of your grocery shopping- we have self-checkouts at the end, but you still have to take everything out of your cart and scan it before bagging it. I've seen the prototypes for what I think you are talking about- it sounds amazing!