Ouroboros Posted June 10, 2011 Share Posted June 10, 2011 From talks with some older women and men unless you apply in person and hand over hard copies of everything then you didn't actually apply for a job. This might be true at some places maybe where those handling employment are particularly elderly. Even if this were true then I would think one shouldn't want a job at such a place where coworkers won't do their due diligence by checking on online applicants. Link to post Share on other sites
Feelin Frisky Posted June 10, 2011 Share Posted June 10, 2011 I'm not getting your message. Older people know from experience how simply submitting resumes goes. Most employment coaches will tell anyone of any age to never just apply for something and sit back and hope. No matter how good a resume is written, it will become camouflaged by lots of other resumes and easy to just reduce you to a piece of paper. You want to do what you can to be seen as a human being and some one who projects potential to excel. So, if there's any apparent distinction in age, it's knowledge and not fear. It may be fear on the part of those who simply want to type something on the internet and then cross their fingers in silence. Link to post Share on other sites
Author Ouroboros Posted June 10, 2011 Author Share Posted June 10, 2011 At least baby boomers and older see an application or resume submitted via the internet as not applying at all and you should expect no response. It is only real to them when one hands a paper copy of a resume and/or application form to a living, breathing, flesh and blood person. Link to post Share on other sites
Feelin Frisky Posted June 10, 2011 Share Posted June 10, 2011 At least baby boomers and older see an application or resume submitted via the internet as not applying at all and you should expect no response. It is only real to them when one hands a paper copy of a resume and/or application form to a living, breathing, flesh and blood person. I'm a boomer and there were times where I used every job service there was on the net. I don't know how you can be so sure that every older people believes and does as you say. As desparate as things are today I'm sure there are many older workers out there floating resumes on line liberally and taking advantage of any opportunity no matter how slight--without actually going somewhere to represent themselves. They know about Monster and all the other services--free and for fee. What's your real point? Are you saying older folks are stupid for not thinking Internet job applications are enough or that they are skeptical that they work at all? I didn't have a negative attitude and applied for lots of jobs ca 2001 but nothing ever became of any of my tries. NOTHING. I got my jobs in recent years by way of the trade school I attended. If you go to a specialized school which has a good reputation, things change from you seeking work to you being recommended to someone who is looking to fill a role. My choice was architectural CAD work specializing in 3-D structural steel detailing--this after many years of banking and free lance journalism and publishing. Anyone can go back to school, change career, perform well and go where people are looking for someone with the latest knowledge. Internet resumes are not the most expeditious path to employment--sure, use them but never sit back and wait if you really need to be employed. Link to post Share on other sites
SpiralOut Posted June 12, 2011 Share Posted June 12, 2011 I wish I knew of more companies that did it this way. It seems most places I apply to want me to apply online and don't want hard copies and sometimes they don't even want me to call them! This is especially true of larger companies. Smaller companies seem to be much more open to personal interaction between job applicants and management. I'm not so sure that this is a generational thing so much as it is a company policy thing. Link to post Share on other sites
Author Ouroboros Posted June 13, 2011 Author Share Posted June 13, 2011 The people I talked to, who were 60+, made a particular point out of indicating that online applications weren't real applications. I would have ignored it if it had happened once but it didn't and they came out with this on their own. It was also a bit odd because some of them are still working in technical fields. One of them had some limited access to the internet in the 70's through his university. He worked for a large corporation which required regular use of a computer in the 80's and 90's when many people didn't even have a personal computer or know much about them. Though I have seen how he handles a computer and the word gingerly comes to mind. He even used online dating to find someone recently after his wife passed. Quite a contradiction in my mind. Link to post Share on other sites
jmsclayton Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 HI I am 43 and before 1998 I got a job with no problems wihtout a computer. The computer has been my drawback from getting a job because of online testing and red tape. I never had to do online testing and red tape in my own US country to get a job. SO I do not like applying online. I cant get my foot in the door due to the online testing. So yes the older people are right as far as I am concerned given my experience. Judith Link to post Share on other sites
grkBoy Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 From talks with some older women and men unless you apply in person and hand over hard copies of everything then you didn't actually apply for a job. This might be true at some places maybe where those handling employment are particularly elderly. Even if this were true then I would think one shouldn't want a job at such a place where coworkers won't do their due diligence by checking on online applicants. They are living in the past. Nowadays companies want to deal with the public as little as possible with as little staff as possible. Applying online and filling out those long forms is easier for them. They get the information organized their way in one standard form, and they can run searches for keywords (usually skills). Many older folks I've encountered hate it because they want to walk in, hand them a resume formatted the way they like, and even try to make a sale in person. Unfortunately, the world changed on them. Especially on LinkedIn I see many complain how they can't lay out their profile like they did their resume. Um...LinkedIn is a social media site and database. Put in the information and use keywords so people find it on searches. Link to post Share on other sites
Tayla Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 They are living in the past. Nowadays companies want to deal with the public as little as possible with as little staff as possible. Applying online and filling out those long forms is easier for them. They get the information organized their way in one standard form, and they can run searches for keywords (usually skills). Many older folks I've encountered hate it because they want to walk in, hand them a resume formatted the way they like, and even try to make a sale in person. Unfortunately, the world changed on them. Especially on LinkedIn I see many complain how they can't lay out their profile like they did their resume. Um...LinkedIn is a social media site and database. Put in the information and use keywords so people find it on searches. Pardon but what research company did you retrieve your data from to concur that "nowadays" Online apps is the way to go. Pharmaceutical, medical industry rarely hire without a face to the application. Basically getting in front of the HR personnel. True that in the teaching fields they encourage online applications yet they 99.9% of the time do so to research the person and get their ducks in a row to proceed with an interview. Yes certain "fields"/Trades can apply online as their training is knowledged skilled and not necessarily directly involving the public service. We can boil this arguement down to the differences in perspective based on the generations. Bearing an open mind doesn't take age so much as wisdom, and unfortunately an open mind for some ages just doesn't quite flourish. There are often various avenues to partake in getting ones foot in the door, personal recommendations, business links, and colleges. To each their own in how they apply but ultimately an application without a face has less of a chance...so yeah, get in front of the interviewer before making a baseless generalized opinion.... Link to post Share on other sites
Citizen Erased Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 HI I am 43 and before 1998 I got a job with no problems wihtout a computer. The computer has been my drawback from getting a job because of online testing and red tape. I never had to do online testing and red tape in my own US country to get a job. SO I do not like applying online. I cant get my foot in the door due to the online testing. So yes the older people are right as far as I am concerned given my experience. Judith They're not right though, things have changed since 1998, if you're in an office you require computer skills. And there is plenty of courses and opportunities out there to learn. Clinging to the past and refusing to think you shouldn't have to change because of what things used to be like is responsible for you not getting a job. Link to post Share on other sites
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