A rejection less than an hour from applying.

I am used to being rejected. Rejection is life for me. However, being rejected less than an hour after applying means they didn't even look at my resume. This just happened from a company called "Nalco". http://www.nalco.com/

I am going to call them tomorrow and tear into them. Not like I care if they hire anyways.

Jerks. God I have never hoped for karma to be reality more in my life than during this recession.

This was also one application that asked for my age for "stat purposes". Yeah I hope once this recession is over karma bites all these people in HR doing the rejecting. and they struggle.

Stat purposes my a**

america and new wave, I know it's hard and we have all been rejected, but be careful ripping into people, you never know who knows who and where someone may wind up working, it could really bite you in the end. Not to make light of rejection, please don't think I am doing that, but at least you heard something. For three years I have not been given that courtesy. I have had a total of 12 real interviews, 2 phone interviews and silence from the rest and I have sent more than 3000 online applications and countless resumes via email and regular mail.

I used to think the whole age discrimination started around 50 but I was wrong. I am looking on their website of photos of employees and most look young.

MaryKay wrote:america and new wave, I know it's hard and we have all been rejected, but be careful ripping into people, you never know who knows who and where someone may wind up working, it could really bite you in the end. Not to make light of rejection, please don't think I am doing that, but at least you heard something. For three years I have not been given that courtesy. I have had a total of 12 real interviews, 2 phone interviews and silence from the rest and I have sent more than 3000 online applications and countless resumes via email and regular mail.

The rejection doesn't bother me, just that they couldn't have looked at my resume and other information in less than an hour. More than likely it was some machine that rejected me.

So many are scanned to pick up the key words, just like Career Builder and Monster, Sologig et al. I get the most bizarre postings for jobs, Chemical Engineers, Staff Physician?? No where to I list having a degree in either of these but they pick up key words. Just don't get too down, we are all in this together. At some point, it will become an employees market not an employers market. We should all remember the people and comments from those who thought we weren't good enough to hire, that's our best revenge. Unfortunately, we have a bit of a wait for that.

I don't want to make a joke at your expense, but WOW, you should get some award for that!! Holy cow, my folders are full of rejection letters, but less than a hour. Must have been that your resume didn't have a single buzz word on it. Or, that f ing computer just spits out REJECTION, REJECTION all day and night.

I put several buzz words in it but apparently didn't have the right ones. I still think that it's because they asked for my age.

I always thought it was illegal to ask your age.

It is but employers claim they need it for stats. Employers ask many illegal questions.

New_Wave_Princess wrote:I am used to being rejected. Rejection is life for me. However, being rejected less than an hour after applying means they didn't even look at my resume. This just happened from a company called "Nalco". http://www.nalco.com/

I am going to call them tomorrow and tear into them. Not like I care if they hire anyways.

Any time one applies for a job and is certain of a rejection, then you have nothing to lose by being polite and diplomatic and also aggressive to deliver a message as take a stand as to your attributes and qualities for employment. But it must be educated and an intelligent statement. Because the only thing it could do is say hey! I like this persons savy! But then if you have been abused and insulted and rejected, then being diplomatic but take a stand and deliver a message that you are a human being and your have strong qualities and attributes and do not deserve to be insulted for any reason. It may not get you hired but it will certainly give them something to think about before rejecting another person..

It could be the age thing. It is illegal in NJ,DE, PA and MD. I don't know about everywhere. Many applications tell you it's optional, as is race, but it is definitely an employers market, so they do as they please, it would be hard to prove and they know it. I look at it this way, if that is the practice of that company, you are better off. When the application process is shadey, what would it be like to work there. You are better than that and would not want that type of atmosphere.

New_Wave_Princess wrote:This was also one application that asked for my age for "stat purposes". Yeah I hope once this recession is over karma bites all these people in HR doing the rejecting. and they struggle.

They claim it is for EEO tracking. They ask your age, sex and race. Sneaky way to get around it. I didn't think you had to answer it though. It is illegal in all states to ask all that, especially your DOB until after you are hired.

Report them after you tear them to pieces on the phone!

I actually think EEO tracking is used to hire certain groups to be honest. For instance there is speculation I have Native American and Hispanic blood and when I list myself as either one I often get more responses. However I really think the age thing is the reason I am getting rejected. Then when I was on Linked-In I was reading all these posts from people stating that the hiring manager at their company doesn't like to hire over 30 because their skills are "outdated".

New_Wave_Princess wrote:I actually think EEO tracking is used to hire certain groups to be honest. For instance there is speculation I have Native American and Hispanic blood and when I list myself as either one I often get more responses. However I really think the age thing is the reason I am getting rejected. Then when I was on Linked-In I was reading all these posts from people stating that the hiring manager at their company doesn't like to hire over 30 because their skills are "outdated".

EEO tracks all information, age, sex, race, disabilities, veteran status. I used to have to do EEO reports when I worked in Human Resources. It was tedious. Now with everything online, they can get that information right from the beginning.

DesperateInRI wrote:

New_Wave_Princess wrote:I actually think EEO tracking is used to hire certain groups to be honest. For instance there is speculation I have Native American and Hispanic blood and when I list myself as either one I often get more responses. However I really think the age thing is the reason I am getting rejected. Then when I was on Linked-In I was reading all these posts from people stating that the hiring manager at their company doesn't like to hire over 30 because their skills are "outdated".

EEO tracks all information, age, sex, race, disabilities, veteran status. I used to have to do EEO reports when I worked in Human Resources. It was tedious. Now with everything online, they can get that information right from the beginning.

I once worked on an EEO database at my former employer because the HR people had no idea how to do it (they weren't very bright). Do you know if your company used it to hire based on it? Years ago I worked at a company where they did use it to hire.

New_Wave_Princess wrote:

DesperateInRI wrote:

New_Wave_Princess wrote:I actually think EEO tracking is used to hire certain groups to be honest. For instance there is speculation I have Native American and Hispanic blood and when I list myself as either one I often get more responses. However I really think the age thing is the reason I am getting rejected. Then when I was on Linked-In I was reading all these posts from people stating that the hiring manager at their company doesn't like to hire over 30 because their skills are "outdated".

EEO tracks all information, age, sex, race, disabilities, veteran status. I used to have to do EEO reports when I worked in Human Resources. It was tedious. Now with everything online, they can get that information right from the beginning.

I once worked on an EEO database at my former employer because the HR people had no idea how to do it (they weren't very bright). Do you know if your company used it to hire based on it? Years ago I worked at a company where they did use it to hire.

No, all that information was acquired after the person was hired. As I said, this goes back to the days when you actually sent a resume through the mail to a company or applied for a job in person.

Truthfully, if they look over our resumes and see graduation dates, employment dates they can get pretty close to estimating ages without asking the question anyway. If they require your SSN for the application they know your age.

If a company has interest in your particular skill set, they are going to call you and either do a pre-interview or set up the interview. Many companies HR people admit that they run ads several times a year to have resumes and potential applicants on file because people do tend to leave jobs at certain times of the year. College grads accept positions in May and leave in August and September to either move on or go to grad school, even though they say they are looking for full time employment. When companies roll out budgets for the new year, they tend to start advertising in November/December if their forecasts show they will need additional help. Some HR depts. are really proactive and keep resumes on file to fill emergency needs. Look at your online boards, Monster, CareerBuilder, LinkedIN, even Comcast, some of the same jobs are there well over two months, they are not seriously looking for those positions. If I see something that really sounds good, I check out the company and I drive there and drop of a resume personally. I make sure I make contact with the receptionist and I tell her that I was downstairs or next door for an interview and knew that the company was looking for an operations manager and thought I would just drop off my resume. Sometimes they will give you the hiring managers name, sometimes not. If I get a name, I wait a week and call. I inform them I dropped off my resume and was touching base, making sure they received it. . . I have gotten interviews that way, not always, but it was worth a shot. You can't take it personally when you send an online application and resume and don't get anything. They get hundreds and thousands a day and it does take time to review. Sometimes it's luck, yours landed on the top of the pile, the receptionist remembered you, they need someone right now because someone quit with no notice and your resume was right there in today's pile, sometimes it is just that simple. I know this, I did this. However, I will say, I took the time, even if I did it from home to call or write to each applicant, I think that is the right thing to do. However, these are not ordinary times and they are overwhelmed as well.

You just have to stay as positive as you can, which is hard at times, but giving up is not an option and not every hiring manager is awful, although some are. I look at it this way, they have your resume, they can see your skill set, your length of employment at previous positions, if they are not interested in you because you collected unemployment or are over 40 or 50, ask yourself this - do you want to work for this company? Look at the company, do they advertise for various positions monthly, indicating heavy turnover? If they do, it says they are not the happy place they want you to think they are and do you want that job. You have to remember as well, we think from a place of almost desperation, we will accept anything, but, after three years of unemployment, 1+years of no benefits, my biggest fear is going back and hating every aspect of the only job I could get because we have kept ourselves together through all this and to go back to work and start earning a living again under those circumstances would be just as devastating mentally as not being employed. There are companies out there that take the attitude that you should be grateful to have this job and will convey that in every aspect of your day. There are others who will see you as a contributor and as a part of a team, the latter will take the time to contact you, train you, work with you on making you a part of that team. Those are the serious places you want to work. So when people reject you quickly or for reasons of age and unemployment, you have to move on and be glad you didn't get picked, because going back to work should be a good thing not a penalty or a punishment. That's how I get through the rejection process. I won't let them get to me anymore, please don't let them get to you.

MatyKay you are right. I guess it just gets to me because I want to work so bad yet am getting rejected time and again.

I know it's hard new wave, in three years, I have had few responses an three actual interviews. Certainly put me in my place. Not that I thought I was the greatest thing ever, but I have always thought of myself as employable. Just hang in there and it will come. You are not alone at all. Take a breath or walk away for a day, don't post any resumes unless you see something that suits you to a T. Then start fresh next week.

Also, I don't know that you are being rejected, I just think the volume of resumes and applications is so great, we are all being overlooked, not rejected. I also found out today that many HR Depts. who advertise set cut-offs on their emails, after they receive x amount of applications, they just auto respond thanks, but no thanks type of thing. Not something I would do, but I guess the volume gets so high they wouldn't be able to respond quickly enough or clear the emails quickly enough to keep the mailboxes from filling.

Take it easy and don't let them get you down. And if you find you are, just jump on here and vent away.

Monday, Congress is back, so join us for a blitz day and let's try and get some help and JOBS, JOBS, JOBS!!!

MaryKay wrote:I know it's hard new wave, in three years, I have had few responses an three actual interviews. Certainly put me in my place. Not that I thought I was the greatest thing ever, but I have always thought of myself as employable. Just hang in there and it will come. You are not alone at all. Take a breath or walk away for a day, don't post any resumes unless you see something that suits you to a T. Then start fresh next week.

Also, I don't know that you are being rejected, I just think the volume of resumes and applications is so great, we are all being overlooked, not rejected. I also found out today that many HR Depts. who advertise set cut-offs on their emails, after they receive x amount of applications, they just auto respond thanks, but no thanks type of thing. Not something I would do, but I guess the volume gets so high they wouldn't be able to respond quickly enough or clear the emails quickly enough to keep the mailboxes from filling.

Take it easy and don't let them get you down. And if you find you are, just jump on here and vent away.

Monday, Congress is back, so join us for a blitz day and let's try and get some help and JOBS, JOBS, JOBS!!!

I didn't know about the limit but am not surprised. I just spoke to someone at Kelly and she told me for every job they get hundreds apply. Employers know this so they are super picky. Strangely, I just got an email that one of the Chicago stations is hiring a marketing person so I will apply to that.

Good for you. Let us know how you make out.