re: Are younger people applying less often to jobs?

Do you think the whole "ex con" thing has anything to do with this?

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but since I did not have the physical degree "in hand" yet, HR didn't let him hire me.

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I've had three jobs since I got my first degree and I have yet to be asked to show it even though they all required one. Pretty pissed honestly lol

Just applied at the school board and almost got disqualified because I didn't put a copy of my actual degree in the packet.

Trying to find a job here sucks.

I'm about to pack up and move to Houston or Dallas.

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I suppose it depends on the competition, but I've found that competent people can work their way into a position if they don't have direct experience. Usually more effective at smaller firms, but it's been a viable career starter.

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Applying to smaller firms is what I would recommend. It is easier to get in front of a human.

Also, don't be afraid to move to another city if necessary.

I'm laughing now because it turns out they are shutting down this factory due to crap financial planning. The factory had not even pushed the first finished product thru the door. I would have been laid off right after getting hired. Somebody got a bad deal

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Applying to smaller firms is what I would recommend. It is easier to get in front of a human.

Also, don't be afraid to move to another city if necessary.

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Agree with both. It's much easier to get in front of a decision maker in a smaller company/firm.

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But in general, I've always been told that hiring managers write their job descriptions as a wishlist and don't expect everyone to meet every checkmark.

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As a hiring manager, I can tell you that this is 100% the truth. To those having trouble finding a job because "3-5 years experience" is listed as a requirement, don't let that scare you away. I use that as more of a recruiting tool to bring in qualified individuals that don't run away at the sight of that, regardless of their prior experience.

In my mind, any applicant that sees that and thinks to themselves "I can do/learn this job at the same level as someone with that experience" and applies anyway is someone I want working with me - or at least given an interview.

I can also attest that you can be the best employee in the world, but if your résumé is crap you won't get ANYWHERE. Keep your résumé as short and concise as possible. I hate receiving a 3-4 page watered down résumé that I have to read through and highlight points.

The challenge comes in keeping it short while finding a way to maximize literally every work-based accomplishment you've ever had. For instance, if you're applying for a sales position, list your monthly/quarterly sales at your current/last job and word it as if it's a milestone or benchmark of sorts. If you're the 2nd, 3rd, highest, etc. seller, list that even if your current/former company doesn't treat it as a big deal. Always find a way to list your accomplishments and high points, regardless of how they were treated or not treated at the time.

You would make a great manager at my old company. You just outlined their business plan.

Hire new grad.

Pay new grad "decent" salary.

Send new grad into field for 80 hours a week.

Profit.

Oh, and at the end of the year, give employees "bonus" which is based on their billable hours over a certain percentage of their salaried hours.

Hey homies, that's called overtime pay.

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So you think requiring 3-5 years of experience for an entry level position conveys the right message to potential employees with less than 3-5 years of experience?

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I mean, I never list it as a hard-lined requirement as much as a preference. But yes, if someone is willing to read that and still apply without that experience, it says to me that they fully believe that they can learn the position and are eager to do so. It also says that they're not intimidated by their possible co-workers that would have said 3-5 years experience.

Personally, I'd much rather have someone that's a blank slate and excited/eager to learn vs. someone that's been in the business and has little desire to learn and better themselves. But that's just me personally.

Ok, cool. At least I give those without experience an opportunity, where most others just skip right over them. Not sure how that's "backwards," but I'm not here to pacify anyone.