Help for the Unemployed -- for a Price!

When I was in college, I saw a lot of agencies that required that you pay them to help you find a job.  It was ridiculous and I totally avoided them.  You can find plenty of free resources through career center, etc.  I would never pay anything to get a job.

Since being unemployed, I've really had my eyes opened ... from what I thought about my former employer and co-workers to the recruiters who really work for the company -- not for the candidate to the vultures who like to take advantage of you when you're down, to the politicians who do a lot of talking but no real acting.  I'll post that on a separate thread some time soon.

It's a shame that people will prey on you when you seem to be the most vunerable.  I hope everyone who is unemployed finds a great job quickly.  Good luck.

Just good old-fashioned capitalism.  Everyone's out to make a buck and screw you.

Good luck on your job search, though!

Well that's when vultures like you the best, when you're down.  And you're right, they really work for the companies, not for you.  You're just another resume they are going to send, right along with all the others.  But they've got to hook you with their sales job. I'm sorry you're having a difficult time, but it is an eye-opening experience and thank goodness you've got your eyes wide open!

Most of these are not even legit businesses, but prey off those in hard times.

I have seen some new venues from real people trying to help out others.

Some Copy businesses have been offering to make 50 copies of your resume for free.

Some businesses have been helping out people on the downs, by giving them short term under-the-table work (1-4 days) to help them out with extra money.

just some different things to try and help people, there are actually some good iseas out there. And being offered from business owners trying to help people out without any strings attached.

It is sad to see the scammers though, but those bottom feeders will always be around...

Exactly, Dan R, beware these sham outfits, check on them before you get involved.

It's the nature of money.  People are motivated to do whatever it takes to get your money and anyone else's money that they can.  It makes people feel as if they were only able to gain at someone else's loss (like a zero-sum game).  This is one of the many lies that money tells us.  You have to expect such scams though that is really sad.

You will often feel like you are alone in your situation, that no one cares, that no one will help you.  Please resist that feeling because it, too, is a lie.  Not just your real Gather friends but strangers out there in the world also will help in whatever way they can.

Oh, really.  Like who?  I've been looking since mid-march, getting virtually no help from my former employer who claims to be committed to re-deployment, co-workers and friends, recruiters and these "vultures".

If you know of anybody who can legitimately help, please share.

Dan,

I know very little about your situation and constraints.  Please believe me that it would give me great pride to be able to help you get an even better job.  There must be others out there like me who enjoy being able to help.  I know you have thought through your situation a million times and that you have already done everything you could think of to get another job.

You know your situation far better than I ever could.  You are smart and determined and you will overcome this.  And I will bet that when you have surmounted this obstacle, you will be able to point to several people who helped, not for money, but just because they are good people.

I remember how I hated being unemployed and with two small children to take care of.  It was misery.

Should be illegal!  You may want to see what the Better Business Bureau has listed for these companies!

Have you checked with your local adult continuation training department?  They usually hold resume classes, interview basics, etc as a seminar.  It may cost a little... but NOTHING like $1000!!

I recommend two books (from the library, of course) by Dan Miller.

1. 48 Days to Work You Love

2. No More Mondays

Dan provides out-of-the-box thinking on how to find your next career, not a JOB.

That's crazy.  You can find a job yourself for a lot less money.

There are people who make a living at taking advantage of desperate people and make a profit from their pain. If you had $300 you wouldn't need their help. What these places are doing is not illegal but immoral. Stay away from them and spare yourself the grief of being ripped off.

Since I am in a position to hire new people (No, I have no openings now), I'll share some of my techniques. 

I do NOT look at education pedigree.  I don't care if a person is from MIT or a state college.  I do not look at what he made previously.  A person is worth what his skills and experience can generate.

I DO look at: 1) appearance and behavior, 2) Use of common sense, 3) Skills and experience, 4) average time employed by one company.  If he/she is 40 and has hopped around every two years, he's too unstable, 5) if I can find out car he drives or own a house or rent.  These are good indicator of how flashy his/her lifestyle is.  In our profession conservatism is the main course.

I can spot a potential candidate with "hireability" within 5 to 10 minutes of first meeting - with a firm, but not squeezing handshake, and a good demeanor.  I never hire a whiner or someone who attacks others on a personal level.  That's my opinion.

Jeff ... I'm guessing that you're a hiring manager.  The trick is getting through the websites and HR managers and into your office.

I do go through many resumes, but many seem to blend in with each other - and HR managers do filter many other resumes.  Therefore something in the resume must stand out - cite a major accomplishment (diverted a meter from Earth's path, or helped feed 5,000 people with some bread and fish).  Do mention the reasons why there are blank spots in your experience (like I took off a year to go sailing around the globe - I actually hired this guy).  Include consulting jobs also.

One very important factor is your effectiveness in communication - listening is very important.  If I ask for A and I get B as an anser, I know he's not listening.  Communicate well verbally as well as body language.

Great of you to share this info Jeff!  Hopefully someone looking for a job will benefit from it!

By the way, I discard any resume if I find more than two spelling/ grammar mistakes because if the candidate cannot write correct English, he/she may be a risk. I usually filter out people who cannot communicate well with a 20 minute phone interview. Then after this selection process, I conduct a face-face interview with at least 3 or 4 candidates with at least 3 colleagues, and we score each candidate with a score sheet using a scale from 1 to 10. The highest cumulative scorer gets the job.

That is not right, not right at all.

Good luck, Dan.  I'm rooting for you.

I'm in the same boat-wishing you luck!!

Right back atcha Mari!

What a shame that these sort of businesses are permitted to thrive in today's economy.

I am sorry about the loss of your job but obviously you are smart enough to discern between legitimate businesses and those that are not.

I wish you all the luck in getting back to the world of the employed. :)

they are preying on peoples fears....they would be better using the staffing agencies that get paid by employers or doing yahoo etc...

I agree...

Last time, I was out looking for outside work, I typed resumes on a real typewriter, mentioned all education, including courses which weren't accredited and walked to some places drove into DC, which is horrible.  I went to the local library everyday and studied up on a lot of things, cause it's free.  Got called for interviews and called back, before I realized I wouldn't go back to work in DC, too expensive anyway-ended up being hired by a local neighborhood drug store, which I used to go to all the time and read their newspapers, stocks and news, rather than pay for a newspaper and that's where they hired me, lol- guess that's one way to get rid of those annoying people who read your books, newspapers etc. and leave.

Anyway, times are really tough now, these days I FEEL, are different and more difficult.  There probably still always looking for Government clerks or some other kind of clerk in DC, but I won't go there anymore.

Believe me, I know it isn't easy-when your out of work and really scared of where the next job, monies or hope is going to come from, but there must be hope somewhere in your mind, or as someone else around here said, you'd put up with a lot rather than being out on street.

That's "no comfort, but at the risk of being unforgivable boring just don't give up hope.

And those people are predators, your right.

Thought you were a doctor?! You should be in demand dan.

i only know from SAG, they tell all their members, if you are asked to pay upfront for work, don't do it!

I've seen what some of those companies offer and...well, they also hire people from Craigslist with no experience to help them do those professional resumes.  Not worth it.  I took some update computer classes a few years back, and as part of the class, an HR person came in to give us tips on resumes.  What she said was nothing like what the people doing professional resumes say.

Anything that wants you to pay is a scam plain and simple...  RUN the other way.  They don't do anything for you that you can't do for yourself FOR FREE.

There are also companies that will "help you get financial aid for college" all they do is fill out the FASFA online for you (also free to do yourself).

I'm not defending this type of opportunistic venture for entities to make profit at expense of unemployed people, but in a way this type of venture has a demand in this capitalistic environment.  Since there are millions of people, even if 0.001% of those seeking jobs contacted and paid for this snake offer, the snake would make money.  Its an irony of free enterprise.  But as I said, I don't condone a business that takes advantage of people in unfortunate circumstance.  This is equivalent of very ugly payday loan business.

And of the high-interest loan business ... that will lend you close to $10,000 but charge 25% interest -- loanshark rates.  The only saving grace is that nobody will break your kneecaps if you miss a payment -- they'll just kill you slowly with interest.

Being unemployed is no picnic, as I found out when I lost my job 15 years ago, with 4 dependents (including 3 little kids). Fortunately, I had 3 months in expenses saved up, and saved us from calamity. I was willing to take any job.

We cut our lifestyle to nothing, and lived on rice and beans on day and beans and rice the next day. Thermostat was reset, and we stopped dining out. No vacations, of course, but my father was dying of cancer 1,000 miles away, so I had to travel back and forth, including his funeral.

I worked like a dog from 8 to 5, getting dressed ready for an interview within 5 minutes after being called. I contacted everyone I worked with or worked under at least once a week (even on weekend). I called HR of all the local companies daily, looking for anything that might open up in the future. It paid off as one manager called me to interview me 6 weeks after I was laid off. I was hired with 10% cut in pay. Persistence paid off, and didn't take "no" for an answer.

Sometimes I think we are to paronoid in giving people a job.. If someone is out of work, chances are they dont have alot of money to run to one place for a drug test, to go to another for a police background check .... then sit and wait 2 to 3 weeks on a job that 100 others applied for...

There once was a time when none of this mattered.. You could go into a place and be hired the same day... Those were the good old days and guess what , it was all done with an application not a resume.... and not all people have a computer especially if you have to make cut backs due to not having a job... so there goes more gas and time going to the library... Makes no sense to me....

You will find your own way Dan, you don't need to pay for a job.

Best of luck to you.

networkikmg with friends. 

Get the word out.  We've been through this, and it works out, but lookls bleak when it is happening.  I'll pray for you.

I ran across a lot of scams when I was looking for a new job too.  What worked for me was applying to well known corporations directly from their websites.  Most of those jobs are not advertised anywhere else.