Rant and Help needed

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Posted: Wed Jun 24, 2009 2:49 am

Hey everybody...

I have been to this forum on and off on the past few years, mostly reading and doing my stuff from home, following all of your tips and advices. But on the last 6 months, my life has gone completely haywire.

Explaining, i am a not-so-long graduate in Public Relations here in Brazil. I graduated in early 2008 and held a job at an IT consulting firm for the whole of that year. The owner was a friend of my family and he needed someone to take care of all his marketing and internal communications. This was a great experience and one that i will never forget, because he had enough trust to hand me a position as a manager even tough i had only internship experience at that point.

Anyway, in December we hit a terrible spot, with the still ongoing financial crisis. We lost about 70% of ALL clients on that month, either by they going bankrupt or by switching to lower costs firms (witch was tougher to bare, since we had in November an 90% positive work evaluation). The firm was no more and i was without a job...

BUT! Thanks to social security, i had some money that i could use to stabilize me in the city while looking for another job. But ever since then, due to my early start as manager, i have listened to this sort of phrase more than often...

"I'm sorry, but it seems that you are over-qualified for this job" - When i look for lower level positions

"I'm sorry, but you lack more management experience" - When i look for similar levels positions

This has gone on for 6 MONTHS! and at least 20 Job interviews that i had. Not even a single one of them cared to ask why i was applying for a lower position. Always the somewhat rude remark that i may be "too good" for them.

The final nail to my coffin came this week, i decided to try an advertising agency advanced trainee program (since it's been less than two years since my graduation, i still fit their requirements). After spending my last two Social Security paycheks on a trip to their city, one to do an exam and another to an group interview, they call me and say that i don't fit because i had a management position in the past...

The kicker is, they had my resume since the WHOLE THING BEGAN! They KNEW right from the start that i already worked in management. So WHY MAKE ME WASTE MONEY THAT I NEED TO TELL ME THIS! Why didn't they just blocked my application from the start.

Anyway, i'm now back at my folks home (not the most delightful experience for a 23 yr old single male). My friends and former coworkers think that i should try getting an MBA (impossible by the way, since i now have ZERO income and can't afford one) or try some overseas work for a few years, to improve my resume for higher level positions...

So, that's where i am right now, i have re-written my resume and a cover letter to send to some firms in Canada (I have relatives there, that should ease up on the visa issues, as well as adaptation). But i can't still like the fact that to get a job in the area that i love, i have to go away from my country and start over in a new one... That is just simply not RIGHT!

Anyway, sorry for this whole bile rant, i just want some input in what i should do. I mean, of course i would love to see a new country but i just can't stand the fact that i'm doing this due to some idiotic procedure... You all think i should keep trying here, or just start sending these resumes and hope that someone will make an employment offer for me to get a temporary worker visa?

Posted: Wed Jun 24, 2009 3:22 am

Quote:

You all think i should keep trying here, or just start sending these resumes and hope that someone will make an employment offer for me to get a temporary worker visa

Do both, keep sending out the resumes, go online and look in Canada, New Zealand, Australia, hell, anywhere.

And think about looking sideways at what work as well. Your skills fit into how many different occupations?

Public relations covers all sorts of things, Front of House in a Hotel? Maitre D in restaurants? You've got IT qualifications that fit into sales and marketing, the possibilities go on and on if you think laterally.

Good luck, and I hope it happens soon for you

Posted: Wed Jun 24, 2009 4:11 am

Quote:

Public relations covers all sorts of things, Front of House in a Hotel? Maitre D in restaurants? You've got IT qualifications that fit into sales and marketing, the possibilities go on and on if you think laterally.

Actually, thats the thing, while PR is a very ample field, my university education taught me mostly communication and marketing strategy and planning. You see, i'm not really desperate on money issues right, because my folks can help me for now, as well as i still have some money stored for these kind of situations. What i'm more concerned is that i'm six months without work, this is damaging my career on the long run. That's why i'm focusing on sending applications for advertising agencies and PR Consultants. I need this relevant experience so that when i come back here, i can take a good job and maybe resume my academic research... (i'm planning on becoming a professor on my late years)

Posted: Wed Jun 24, 2009 3:05 pm

I know the last thing someone in a bad situation wants to hear is someone else's sad story. However, I tell you so you can see that I really do know where you are, although my story is slightly different.

I worked for 35 years and then had a catastrophic illness that left me unable to work for over three years. When I apply and interview for jobs in my career field, I hear either "You're over-qualified" or "You don't have any recent experience." The "over-qualified" thing is because they're afraid you'll take their job out of desperation and quit them as soon as you find the job you really want and are qualified for. The other is because apparently they think I've lost all my skills in a comparatively short time and they might have to retrain me. Rolling Eyes

Irishemigrant had some good suggestions about thinking sideways. You might want to bear in mind that some parents get a little tired of adult children living with them. (Here in the US they're called "Boomerang Kids.") They would never say anything, but the resentment starts to build. Besides, doesn't it kind of cramp your style as a young single person?

Keep looking, in Brazil, Canada, wherever. Somewhere there's an employer who's saying, "If only I could find a young go-getter with a little management experience, but not too much ... "

BTW, I have just had a great interview, and I think I have the job - not in my old field at all, but in a field that feeds my new passion. Very Happy

Posted: Wed Jun 24, 2009 3:49 pm

Hang in there, I was out of work for 3 months, took me 150 job apps and only 3 interviews out of that lot, to get my job now.

It is depressing yes, but keep at it. You will get something. Why not do some temporary/contract work in the meantime.

Quote:

What i'm more concerned is that i'm six months without work, this is damaging my career on the long run

You're only, what 23, 6 months now might seem like a lot, but it won't harm your career long term at all.

Posted: Wed Jun 24, 2009 4:30 pm

Quote:

I worked for 35 years and then had a catastrophic illness that left me unable to work for over three years. When I apply and interview for jobs in my career field, I hear either "You're over-qualified" or "You don't have any recent experience." The "over-qualified" thing is because they're afraid you'll take their job out of desperation and quit them as soon as you find the job you really want and are qualified for. The other is because apparently they think I've lost all my skills in a comparatively short time and they might have to retrain me.

Wow, sorry to hear about that...
Most of the time i hear stories about that, it's just so terrible that most companies human resources departaments have been doing... This whole humanistic approach is nothing less than human...

Quote:

Besides, doesn't it kind of cramp your style as a young single person?

Tell me about it! I was used to go out on fridays and return 3:30AM or even later, now i can't do that anymore, but staying without work is the most troublesome part for me. I love my job, it's something that i take great pleasure in doing so.

Quote:

Keep looking, in Brazil, Canada, wherever. Somewhere there's an employer who's saying, "If only I could find a young go-getter with a little management experience, but not too much ... "

I'm doing that right now, yesterday i was very upset about the whole thind at the advertising agency, but today i calmed down and called them about new opportunities, they said they will call me today if they think another smaller office they have in another city has an opening.

Quote:

It is depressing yes, but keep at it. You will get something. Why not do some temporary/contract work in the meantime.

Well, since i still had a few connections at the old city, i'm getting some smaller freelance work by e-mail, mostly copywriting ads or reviewing communication policies. But here freelance work pays too little. I'm taking a week to plan again all my steps, to keep a cool head about it...

Just on another consideration, i know that in the middle of this economic crisis, immigrants are being somewhat mistreated because most people think that they are stealing natives jobs. I would like to point out that it is not my intention to do so. I'm using my competence acquired in Brazil to compete hand in hand with canadians. I'm not just taking a lower wage and hoping to beat them in the economical factor, that would be just using their situation to my leverage... And i think that is just plain wrong

Posted: Wed Jun 24, 2009 11:04 pm

Believe me I know how you feel mate, I was made redundant last week and the job market is not a nice place at the moment. All you can do is keep on sending out the resumes and looking everywhere possible, home and abroad. Something will come up eventually.