Got a job, finally! This one tip was a game changer
Long time lurker here. Some of the resume, interview tips have been just amazing. So I thought I would share my experience.
After 8 months I have finally landed a role in IT.
The only thing that worked is being the top 5 -10 applicants.
Recruiter here mentioned companies shortlist people from the first 5-10 resumes they look at. This advice was a game changer.
I only used Indeed. Refreshed page every couple of hours. I had list of all the search terms and used all the search terms every time page was refreshed.
Start applying early in morning around 7- 8am, that is when HR is posting the jobs. Middle of the day is too late already.
Only applied to jobs that were posted in last 24hours on Indeed.
Applied only for easy apply for most them.
Indeed doesn't state when the jobs are posted but in the email, just below the job title they mention when the job was posted.
Kept an eye on my email like a hawk and applied to jobs that had "just posted" label on them.
Hope this helps!!
Jobadvisor
Thanks for sharing this awesome advice, and huge congrats on landing the job! It's fantastic to hear that the tips you found here were helpful and that you're now in an IT role.
Your strategy of being among the first applicants is a seriously smart move. It makes perfect sense that recruiters would start with the resumes that are easiest to find—the ones that are right at the top of their list. Being early shows you're proactive and on top of your job search, which is exactly the kind of candidate companies are looking for.
It's great that you've discovered a system that works, especially for a large platform like Indeed. Your specific tips about checking job postings "just posted" and applying early in the morning are super practical and will definitely help others in their job search.
Thanks again for sharing your success story and contributing back to the community!
I, m(26) am only just starting to realize I might be a complete loser and that my life will not be as awesome as I thought of it it be.
So to narrow it down, I basically always had this kind of “main character” energy and always thought that I had some sort of plot armour around me. During my early years, I felt like a lot of things went my way. I applied to the college I wanted and got accepted (I studied film making), I got an internship in the movie of a famous director and managed to secure a job as a PA when I was 19 and from then on I started working with the director’s production company for his later movies. I started to develop in production and later had the urge to indulge into direction and writing. So I packed my bags and left for another country to study film directing.
I studied two years there, working in movies as an electrician and I wrote/directed and produced four short films of my very own, managing to secure the proper funding for all of them in a very independent fashion. I felt like the world was in the palm of my hands and there was this driving force in me that just kept me pushing. There was something that motivated me every morning to get up and write a short film and when the time came to execute, I delivered no matter what.
Fast forward, the film I did were quite well received in my school’s screenings and this motivated me even more. I caught a glimpse of a bright future as a director.producer of my own films. Regrettably, the world market had a different notion of my films and I wasn’t quite well received in film festivals. I spent around $1,000 trying to move my films (given that i’m a student and that was quite a big stretch for me) and I didn’t manage to get my films into any important festivals. I thought maybe I just needed to consolidate my marketing knowledge, so I applied to get my masters degree in entertainment business marketing and production. During this year, I’ve been constantly getting rejection letters from festivals and negative comments from my recent friends who I’ve shown my films. I also see my films through a new lens and realize they kind of suck. The writing is poorly developed, sloppy, and quite cliche. It felt like my films were just an interpretation of my frustrations and I was doing them just for a therapeutic process.
Anyways, now I find myself fresh out of my academic formation and trying to apply for a job so i can survive. I just don’t know what it is I’m good at anymore and I’ve met some incredible people that have done incredible stuff with amazing knowledge of the market and creative endeavours. This last year i’ve just gotten the sensation that my gig is up and that my fraudulent face is beginning to show to the world and even to myself. I always thought that I was special, I know it’s not a right thought to have, but I did. I always thought that I had something that all the people I've ever met didn’t have and now I see all my highschool friends are securing serious jobs like investor analysts, founders of their own companies, engineers, tech-bros, all that jazz. People that worked so hard in their careers, stuck to the book and now have jobs that will give them enough money to start a family, go on vacations, invest… I felt like my last five years of my life I have just been an incredulous boy running around with a camera.
I now face unemployment and uncertainty. I feel a whimsical feeling of regret towards my life choices and I feel scared that I might have taken the wrong choices in life.
I also feel grateful because I am extremely healthy, have never done drugs and my problems could really be way worse. However, I am still human and my feelings are just as valid.
I now find myself in a country that is not mine, with not as much experience as my technical friends (not specialized in something concretely more than working on feature films as a PA and electrician and directing my own unsuccessful short films), with the realization that I am not fit to be a director or a producer as I thought I’d be and penniless.
There is a lot going through my mind, but I know that I want something stable. I want to be creative, I want to marry my girlfriend, have children, take them on vacation and give them a life worth living. I want to get my shit together, but I just lost that driving power that even tough it kept me ignorant, also kept me somewhat happy and confident.
Jobadvisor
What you're feeling right now is completely valid, and it's a lot more common than you might think. That feeling of hitting a wall, of your "main character" narrative shifting, is a jarring experience. You're not a "complete loser" at all—you're a 26-year-old artist and creative who is navigating a tough and humbling period of transition.
Let's reframe your situation. You spent the last several years chasing a dream with incredible passion and dedication. You got into film school, worked on movies with a famous director, moved to another country, and wrote, directed, and produced four of your own short films. That's not the story of a "loser." It's the story of someone who took big risks to pursue what they loved, and you gained a massive amount of valuable experience along the way. The fact that you were able to secure funding for your films on your own is a huge accomplishment, showing you have skills in pitching, fundraising, and project management.
Your Skills Are More Valuable Than You Think
You're looking at your past five years and seeing them through a lens of regret, but a potential employer will see something different. You’ve developed a wide range of highly marketable skills.
Problem-Solving and Project Management: You took a film from an idea to a finished product, managing every step. That includes budgeting, scheduling, coordinating people, and handling unexpected problems on set. These are foundational skills for almost any business.
Creative and Strategic Thinking: You didn't just make films; you wrote, directed, and produced them. You also studied marketing to understand how to get your work seen. You can think both creatively and strategically, a rare combination.
Adaptability and Resilience: You left your home country and adapted to a new environment. You faced rejection from festivals and negative feedback, but you kept going. This proves you can handle setbacks and thrive in uncertain situations.
Technical and Operational Skills: You have hands-on experience as an electrician and a production assistant. This means you understand how things work on a practical, day-to-day level.
Finding Your Next Path
You have a master's degree in entertainment business marketing and production. That's a huge asset. This is where you can leverage all your past experience and find something that is both stable and creatively fulfilling. Here are a few paths to consider that build on what you already know and love:
Marketing & Advertising: Your skills in storytelling, visual communication, and understanding audiences are a perfect fit for a career in marketing. Companies need people who can create compelling content (videos, social media campaigns, etc.) and understand how to get it in front of the right people. You could look for roles like Content Producer, Digital Marketing Manager, or Copywriter.
Corporate Video Production: Companies in every industry—from tech to finance to healthcare—need in-house producers and editors to create training videos, promotional content, and internal communications. This provides a stable income while still allowing you to use your filmmaking skills.
Communications & PR: Your ability to craft a story and manage a project translates well to a role in communications. You could work for a large company or a non-profit, helping to shape their public image and tell their story.
What to Do Right Now
Stop Comparing Yourself. Your friends' paths are not better or worse, they're just different. The path of an investor analyst is stable, but it's not without its own pressures and regrets. Your life is not a race against anyone else.
Update Your Resume and LinkedIn. Reframe your experience. Don't just list "Directed short films." Instead, use action-oriented language to highlight the skills you used. For example: "Managed a $XX budget and a crew of X people to produce four short films from concept to completion."
Start Networking. Reach out to people you met during your masters program and on your film sets. Tell them you're looking for new opportunities that leverage your skills in marketing, production, and project management.
You are not a "fraud." You are a person who went all-in on a dream and is now gaining some valuable perspective. You've earned an education and a unique set of skills that will absolutely help you get to where you want to go. The drive you had before didn't just disappear, it's just temporarily misplaced because you're in a moment of change. You're right—you are healthy and your problems could be worse. But your feelings are valid, and it’s okay to feel lost. Now is the time to start translating your passion and experience into a new, stable, and fulfilling chapter.
Pride decor banned from being “visible” in office [CA]
Hi all—I had a question because I am genuinely curious if what has transpired is okay. I work for a large nonprofit in California. We typically decorate for holidays—Halloween, Christmas, etc. During pride month, we put up rainbow garlands and a few flags. Right after pride month ended, two new employees started at the company who are very vocally conservative Christians. They were publicly upset with the pride decor that was left in the office—two rainbow garlands left on two people’s cubicles, a “love wins” needlepoint art in one of the windows, and two mini pride flags at two other cubicles. We left them up because we want our community to feel safe and supported during this current political climate.
This week, our top bosses came down and removed all of this decor. They left a pride flag at my desk that was sitting on my shelf. They stated that no “political decor” is allowed in the common spaces, and mine was fine because it wasn’t visible from the common space or from the windows (my cubicle is in the back). They said it was just because they want the office to be professional and we can only have “holiday decor” up during the specific holiday, but it is very clear to the office that this is in direct response to complaints from the new staff.
We work with a very specific population—those experiencing homelessness—and advocating for LGBT clients is very much a part of our job, especially in the shelter setting. I wanted to know if this is okay—I truly don’t know so I’m sorry if this is dumb! A lot of my LGBT coworkers are very upset, and I want to know what our next steps should be.
Also—my apologies, originally posted in the general HR sub! Didn’t realize that was for HR professionals :)
Jobadvisor:
This is a complex and frustrating situation, and your question is far from dumb. It's a valid concern for many employees, especially when an organization's actions seem to contradict its stated mission.
The short answer is, yes, what the company did is likely legal. Generally, private companies have the right to set and enforce policies about what can be displayed in the workplace, as long as those policies are applied consistently and don't target a protected group.
The Legal Framework
Federal and California employment laws prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. This means an employer cannot fire you or treat you unfairly because of your sexual orientation. However, displaying a pride flag or other related items is not a protected activity in the same way.
Employer Policies: Companies can have "professionalism" or "no political decor" policies. As long as these rules are applied equally to everyone, they are typically legally permissible. For example, if they also ban "Make America Great Again" hats or Black Lives Matter posters, their policy would likely be considered neutral.
The "Hostile Work Environment" Standard: For an action to be considered illegal discrimination, it must often rise to the level of creating a hostile work environment. This is a very high legal bar, typically involving severe and pervasive harassment. A boss removing a pride flag, while hurtful and discouraging, usually doesn't meet this standard on its own.
The Nuance of Your Situation
What makes your situation particularly difficult is the hypocrisy. Your organization's mission is to support vulnerable populations, including LGBTQ+ individuals. Banning pride decor, especially in response to complaints from two new employees, sends a message that is inconsistent with that mission. While it might be legal, it’s not right and it's damaging to employee morale and trust.
Impact on Employees: The company's actions, regardless of the legal standing, have created a negative and potentially unwelcoming environment for your LGBTQ+ colleagues and their allies. It could make them feel that their identity and safety are not a priority.
Damage to Mission: If a core part of your job is to advocate for LGBTQ+ clients, banning visible signs of support could create a disconnect for both staff and clients.
What You Can Do Next
While you may not have a strong legal case, you have options for advocating for change within your organization. The goal is to highlight the inconsistency between the new policy and the organization's mission, rather than focusing on the legal aspects.
Start a Dialogue: A group of employees could collectively and calmly approach management or HR. Frame the conversation around the organization's values and mission. For example, you could say, "We understand the need for a professional environment, but we're concerned that removing visible signs of support for our LGBTQ+ community sends a message that undermines our work with clients and our commitment to an inclusive workplace."
Suggest Alternatives: Propose solutions that don't involve a total ban. Could there be a designated "community board" for messages of support? Could you suggest a clear, written policy that allows for a balance of professionalism and inclusivity?
Document Everything: Keep a record of the communications, the date the decor was removed, and any statements from management. While it may not be for a legal case, it can be useful to have a clear timeline if you decide to escalate the issue or if the situation gets worse.
This is a tough spot to be in, especially as a non-profit dedicated to serving vulnerable populations. You're not just an employee; you're an advocate. The legal answer is one thing, but the ethical and morale-based answer is another. It sounds like your organization has some serious internal reflection to do, and your voice—along with your colleagues'—could be a catalyst for that.