Feeling unappreciated (job applications)

@LovesFoodthe same thing happened to me! I was also interviewed for a postgraduate study program and got some generic email through UAC saying I was rejected. I was really disappointed because I had attended that university before and volunteered for them previously. I thought I had done well in the interview and my marks were almost perfect throughout my years of uni. I too felt that they could have at least explained what they were looking for and how to improve my application for next time. I remember someone who was on the admissions team had previously said that they were looking for someone with years of experience, so I think they rejected me because I didn't have a variety or a lot of experience. I'm thinking of applying to more universities this year. I'd really like to get into that university though because I prefer their course and there are people there whose research interests align with mine. I know that it is a huge achievement for us just to get to the interview stage. I was told that at that university, 600 people usually apply, they interview 60 of them and 25 are accepted into the course.

I'm hoping to reapply again, hopefully with a better reference once I've done some more volunteering. One of my referees kept making excuses up until the last minute to avoid giving me a reference even though I had done months of unpaid work (which I technically should have been paid for) for them and they had previously promised to write me a reference in return. That was really disappointing.

It also really annoys me when I spend ages researching a company and writing a cover letter with nice things to say about their business and why I would be a good fit for them, only to receive no response. It also makes me feel really down to not get a response after an interview. I keep revising my CV and adding details to it such as the fact that I helped to organise an event that raised a few thousand dollars for charity and that I have been an unpaid carer as I don't have any paid experience, as well as listing the courses I have done. I knew it was going to be hard to achieve my dream career, but I didn't think it was going to be that hard to get a paid job. Employers don't really seem to consider my university marks and experiences at all. I'm going to keep trying because I'd like to end up doing something I love and not something unrelated like some of my friends have ended up doing after graduation.

Hope something works out for you too!

@WheresMySquishy  Congrats on getting an interview! I was told pretty much the exact same thing regarding the post grad study - that so many people applied etc., I think that’s part of the reason I was so disappointed with the generic response. I agree I think I missed out partly due to lack of experience, so my aim was to gain as much experience as I could this year... and now i’ve run into these issues with the jobs. All employers seem to want experience so I don’t know where to begin. Damn that really sucks about that referee sorry to hear about that, I could only imagine how frustrating that would have been. 

Yes I have experienced the same. Some employers do not respond at all which is so hard. I agree, I didn’t think it would be that hard to get a paid job but I’ll have to keep trying. Good luck with it!

@LovesFoodthanks! I'm sure you did well in your interview too and that we were just edged out by the applicants with more experience. I have read a study that suggested that people have a significantly higher chance of getting accepted following an interview for a course after reapplying. I'm not sure if it applies to the courses we applied for but let's not give up.

I get what you mean about jobs needing several years of experience! It's so frustrating. I find that entry-level jobs are rare. I even applied for some jobs specifically targeted towards university students but received no responses. I think that employers demand too much from candidates nowadays. Once, I applied for research internships through my university. I had prior research experience and was interviewed only to be told they were looking for very specific kinds of research abilities and skills, which I had no idea how someone my age was supposed to have. I think it was easier to get positions in our parents' days. I have known a lot of people who have even gone interstate in the hope of getting positions and experience. I feel like universities should provide more opportunities so that we can get more experience before we apply for postgraduate courses and jobs.

Hey @WheresMySquishy thanks for your reply! God, it definitely sounds like you've been through heaps of situations like this so it's really comforting to see I'm not alone 

Yeah, it's just sad cause the rejection I got yesterday morning was from a really big and well respected hospital, and their volunteering service just seemed like a complete mess. I was mistakenly asked to interview twice, and then staff reassured I would receive an email about training soon which got my hopes up, and instead was I given the rejection email. 

I had a good vent with my friend tonight and that really helped. Hope @WheresMySquishy  and everyone else in a similar position finds something right for them soon! 

Hi @skyedre! That sounds really bad. I'm sorry you had that experience. I really don't know how employers can act like this. I couldn't treat someone like that because I would be embarrassed by my actions and feel unprofessional. What happened to common courtesy, honesty and decency?

You might have dodged a bullet judging by their disorganisation. I have found that the way employers treat candidates in the interviewing process tends to reveal what working for them is going to actually be like. I found the boss of a place I volunteered at kind of rude in the interview, but I took the offer anyway. It was meant to be a 'work experience' role but instead I was made to do tasks I had never done before without any training and criticised for not being good enough. Even worse, the boss made me wash her dirty dishes! I know it sounds mean but she was a total slob.

I definitely think some places are better than others in terms of how they treat volunteers. I was recently offered a volunteer position and straightaway they took my photo, gave me a handbook about the position and told me that they would organise a training day for me. I thought they were ghosting me when I hadn't heard back from them for a while, but it turned out the person in charge was just on holidays and they were still processing my application. This organisation seems to have a long history of taking volunteers and seems a lot more organised than many of the places I've volunteered at before which is always a good sign.

Side note - that hospital could be the one my sister is in the process of being admitted to! Their administration is appalling. Her admission has been delayed at least three times, including at the last minute. This is after we already waited months just to get an appointment. At one point we were told to put our lives on hold and call every day to see if there was a bed available, which was especially difficult because she requires an ambulance transfer. Even the doctor she is under, who is the head of the department and one of the top people there, was frustrated by how they treated us. Apparently they always have these problems. This hospital take a lot of volunteers so it could have been them. You're not the only one who's had a frustrating experience. Sometimes you might wonder why this is happening to you but I think these experiences are surprisingly common and you're not alone.

@WheresMySquishy thanks so much for sharing your experiences! Yeah, I'm thinking now that maybe I did dodge a bullet, so not so caught up over it anymore  

Good luck with everything with your sister! Hopefully the hospital gets their act together and she can be admitted soon 

Putting my hand up @skyedre @WheresMySquishy. Having finished my degree, I'm still searching for a job. In my case it's more sending out letters and going to places hoping they will at least have a discussion about music therapy, but it still hurts when they don't bother to respond to letters or applications.

@WheresMySquishy I really hope that the hospital organises themselves so that your sister can get the care that she needs.