Mastodawn

Edit! A lot of people engaged with this and it's clear many are in the same/similar positions. I therefore thought it might be useful for me to share that Open University offer quite a few free online certified training courses - www.open.edu/openlearn/free-courses

There is also a wealth of (free) training material (for learners and teachers) available from MIT at ocw.mit.edu and (free) certified online courses at openlearning.mit.edu/courses-programs/mitx-courses

Everything from HR and management to neurodivergence, aerodynamics and astrophysics, Python, genetics, diversity and inclusion, infosec, STEM, law, Black-centric courses, research methods, languages and education, Scottish Parliament, etc. 😊

If, like me, you've been actively seeking a job recently, you will likely be aware of the impact Ai has had on the job market. Virtually every other day is a msm news story about qualified and/or experienced people making hundreds of applications without getting anywhere.

Personally, although I've had a few interviews that didn't quite land (one I didn't really have enough experience, the others were pulled or lost funding), I've now applied for over 300 jobs over the past year. At this stage I'm quite philosophical about it and recognise it's not a reflection of my value.

Along with all the other current crises, there is now a looming employment and skills crisis. This is being framed as a benefits culture led by overdiagnosis of neurodivergence. Which makes me so very very cross it's difficult to put into words. I know that's not true. You know that's not true. *They* know that's not true. It's just a convenient demographic to throw under the bus to detract from the catastrophic damage being wrought by this new gold rush.

Urgh.

I've started typing this out a few times recently and always deleted. It's not something I feel very comfortable talking about. But I am really struggling with this and I figure that if I am there might be others. And I believe in visibility and not suffering in silence - been there and it was awful.

I know things will change at some point. And I know I've spoken to some of you separately irl about this (and thank you so much for your support), but just wanted to fire a beam out across Fedi to anyone else in this shitty situation. You are not alone. Always happy to chat offline if this is kicking your ass as much as it is mine! X

As a hiring manager for an engineering firm I struggle with the “I’ve applied to a hundred firms and gotten no where” being a product of AI. AI may be compounding the problem but simply applying and not hearing back has been a problem for decades. There are layers there that create this problem. Some is AI. Some is volumes of online job postings that are not real, already filled, or solely exist as evergreen recruitment tools. Some is the volume of applications. Some is just bad luck or timing.

For me AI is compounding the problem but is not the full problem. The real issue, from the job seeker side, is the assumption that completing an online application equals applying for a job. For me, I don’t think anyone has really applied until they have physically connected with a person at the target firm. Making a human connection is the best way to beat AI and get past the pile of hundreds of applications that a job seeker’s resume gets buried in. When I post an engineering role for hire I’ll get hundreds of applications but will likely interview and hire the candidate that used their network to bring their application to the top of the pile.

Best of luck in your job hunt. It’s a crappy system out there but you can find workarounds.

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Samy Mar 24

@NJWookie @TheBreadmonkey
That’s how I was approaching it. But my connections within the companies were told I ought to use the „regular“ application portal, and then it got lost in the pile with everyone else, which is „fair“ on one hand but also means all my extended network is not really helping that much. But agreed, it is still a better chance than randomly firing applications into the abyss.
And it’s one reason why I am hoping freelance will be different somehow. Maybe naive on my end.

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The Wookie Mar 24

@samy @TheBreadmonkey

Good luck with the freelancer approach!!

What kind of work do you do?

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Samy Mar 25

@NJWookie @TheBreadmonkey
Used to be an architect (houses, not IT), but have worked on digital products, teams and lifecycles the past 15 years. If you have a complex product or team situation and need someone to identify the problems and then solve them, I am your person.

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Samy Mar 25

@NJWookie @TheBreadmonkey
Mostly remotely and with international teams…

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B Kahn Mar 24

@NJWookie @TheBreadmonkey

At age 77 I don't plan on more job-hunting. But if I was looking, I would physically drag my body into the workplace of interest and somehow or other make contact with a human or two or three. We've had a family business since 1991. A fair number of employees have worked for us (they tend to stay for many years)--and in the end an employer is hiring a person, not a piece of paper. So 'physically connecting with a person at the target firm' is spot on advice. 🙏