[Umbral_Seraph]

Jobs at my level here won't hire me because I don't speak Spanish. Lower level jobs here won't hire me because I have too much education for the positions. Jobs elsewhere won't hire me because I don't already live there. Argh....

[Jan1212]

It's so frustrating, it's hard not to go crazy

[littlemssunshine]

What kind of job are you applying for, if you don't mind me asking?

[DenisDonnacha]

I hope something works out for you, I've never understood the whole idea of being "over qualified/educated" for a job, if a person is suitable and willing to work... hire them! It's ridiculous.

[Umbral_Seraph]

^^^Yeah, I've never understood that either.^^^

My degree is in civil engineering, so that's what I'm applying for. (Aside from any attempts to get some kind of a temp placeholder job.)

[SisterSRN]

Originally Posted by Umbral_Seraph

Jobs at my level here won't hire me because I don't speak Spanish. Lower level jobs here won't hire me because I have too much education for the positions. Jobs elsewhere won't hire me because I don't already live there. Argh....

I can totally relate. I'm a social worker and half the postings want someone Spanish speaking. And every job wants very specific skills & experience. I have tried for lower level jobs but get no response....

It's been year and 4 months and my unemployment benefits run out the end of this year. Wish I could say something positive but this sucks! I have never had so much trouble finding a job before.

[ladytiger]

i still have that problem a degree in network admin no experience in the field and no certifications. a low level job that isn't hard to do and they will not hire me. no experience blah blah yea experience is really working against me.

[Umbral_Seraph]

^^^I've all the needed certifications for my field, plus one that's good for nearly everything to boot, and yet still....^^^

What's also increadibly frustrating is the sheer length of time so, so many of these places take to reach any decision at all.

[tokiwartooth]

I totally know how you feel. I ended up having to leave my advanced degree off of a lot of the applications. But for civil engineering that'd be kinda hard. I wouldn't have thought it so hard to get a job in civil engineering without speaking spanish. I've seen lots of postings on career websites looking for engineers. I'm an environmental scientist and it took me years to finally land a position in my field. Before that, I worked menial jobs, like fast food and retail. I was a crew member at McDonald's, a customer service associate at Kmart, and a cashier at Lowe's. Lowe's was actually an awesome place to work. It's a sucky situation to be in. Another problem I've run into is employment ads saying they will take someone with little or no experience, but then hiring someone with experience. How are we supposed to GET experience if no one HIRES us?? I'd say maybe take an entry-level spanish class, but that could be expensive and time-consuming. I'd say get a Rosetta Stone tutorial, but those things are ridiculously expensive. Myself, I just kept applying, sometimes relentlessly, until something finally opened up. I resigned myself that I might have had to move if I got a job in my field if it was in another city or state. I'd say to lie about speaking spanish, but then if you get caught or are in a situation where you have to speak it, you'd be screwed. Have you tried a job placement agency? I know they may not be the greatest and sometimes they cost, but it's a possibility. The local employment office, although I never had luck with them, could be another option. Sometimes they can do a search for you. But if you're like me, you might have to take a menial job in the meantime while you continue to search for a position in your field. That might give you time to take a spanish class. If it is something like retail or fast food though, it might be better to leave off the advanced degree. I know I'm probably not that helpful, but I hope I helped a little.

[Umbral_Seraph]

Well, not speaking Spanish is really only a problem where I live. I have yet to figure out why nearly everyone requires it for an engineering position. (the local government being the worst offender about this, it's a requirement for every position in every agency.) Not going to get all worked up about local places not hiring me, I have no intentions of staying around.

[tokiwartooth]

I don't blame you for not sticking around. I got the heck out of Myrtle Beach because the only work there was in retail or fast food. That is weird about the Spanish thing. I had never heard of that as a requirement either. I've seen job ads posted from all different areas and none had said anything about it. My work as an environmental lab tech didn't require it thank goodness, bc I don't know it either, and I have no intentions of learning it any time soon.