5 Myths That Are Crippling Your Job Search

I'm sick of dealing with stupid HR people who know nothing about the job they're advertising (software programming in my case) - If you miss a keyword, they assume you're not qualified, so you never hear from them.

I'm also sick of those HR departments who expect glorious cover letters - Here's my qualifications, I can do the job, so hire me dam-it. You're not my girlfriend, so why would I write you a letter?

HR people are also some of the few people I'm seen who can smile and talk about how employees are the company's most valuable asset while they're cutting other people's throats, figuratively speaking - I guess real serial killers can do that better, but HR people are a close second. I don't trust them when they talk that trash, any more than I trust a politician.

And how about those HR departments that make you fill out a complete web-based application that takes an hour for each application. Why the heck do they expect job seekers to spend all day filling those dumb things out when there's a 5% chance we'll even get an interview, and a 0.01% chance we'll actually get the job? - Wait till after the phone interview, and if you still want me, THEN I'll fill out your web forms and tell you which Elementary school I went to, and my employment history that goes back 20 years.

Oh, did I mention "multi-tasking", "fast-paced", "multiple projects" in the job description? - They're all junk jobs because they laid off so many people that they expect one person to do five people's job and work 80 hours a week.

As you can tell, I'm completely po'd at the whole process so don't expect me to be perky and giddy in the interview - I'm doing it for a paycheck. They have poisoned my desire to be excited about any job. Companies these days have no loyalty to their employees, so I feel no loyalty to them.

That may all sound like a poor attitude, and you're right - I used to have a good attitude when I was 25 years old, but now that I'm 55, I have found that companies these days treat software programmers like a commodity, which ruins any chance of anyone liking their job.

Like other commodities, they import software programmers from every 3rd-world country you can imagine, rather than training American workers, because only a starving person from India or Bangladesh would put up with their micro-managing and 80-hour weeks.

It's no wonder that so many people enjoy being out of work - The alternative is a real bummer, unless you're working for yourself.

Which is my point - Work for yourself. Don't sell your soul for even $45 per hour, which was my last rate of pay - It isn't worth it.

Charlie of TX 8:03PM August 16, 2010