CASEY RYAN VOCK, Reporter's Notebook
Applying for jobs just isn't what it used to be.
And that was the case before the recession made lives miserable for the millions of recent college graduates hoping to make use of their degrees.
Over the years, employers have increasingly relied on technology to help screen potential employees.
Although there are some who still blindly send resumes to human-resources departments, most people applying for jobs nowadays will eventually find themselves staring down an electronic application form on the Internet.
The idea behind Web-based applications — often outsourced to third-party companies and usually devoid of human touch — is that they save organizations time and money in the hiring process, allowing recruiters to easily screen and select candidates.
However, as someone who has applied for more than 100 jobs by way of online applications, I am convinced that method has in no way made job hunting any better for the unemployed. In fact, I would argue that this approach creates additional challenges for recent graduates trying to make the best use of the time they devote to applying for vacant positions.
I've embraced technology as much as the next person, but it is hard to see through some of the muck — and even more difficult to see any benefit to applicants. I have some horror stories that reinforce my distrust and corroborate my fear that good candidates everywhere are being skipped over.
I recently read of an opening at a well-known company here in Plattsburgh. Exhilarated, I followed the link to the application page, which was managed by a separate company.
When I finally reached the application, I had only 30 minutes before I had to leave for one of my part-time jobs. So, I clicked the "Save" icon, which promptly triggered a window that informed me I could return to the application and finish it at a later time. At that point, the only information I had provided was my name and address, but no resume, so obviously no work experience or education.
About 20 minutes later, I received an auto-generated e-mail from the actual company in Plattsburgh (not the career site) that told me I did not meet the criteria for the job.
How was it that these two companies could work together so quickly in determining that I was not qualified for a position, especially considering I hadn't submitted a resume? The answer is simple. They couldn't have.
Confused and irritated, I called the HR department of the local company to ask them how I could have received such an e-mail when I never submitted the application for consideration.
The woman had no answer but kindly suggested that I just try it again.
Other situations have also tested my determination: I've applied for jobs only to find out that the position had been filled weeks earlier but remained on company sites.
I've been directed to sites by HR staff only to spend the next week chasing a job posting that, I would eventually learn, never existed.
I've also spent an entire day filling out an application and a resume form — which is the single-greatest time-consuming activity in my life right now — only to accidentally refresh the page and lose all of the information.
I was once told by a managing partner at a national accounting firm that, in order to get a job in this dire economy, job seekers need to apply to 14 positions each day.
But how does one decide to spend that time when even the simplest of steps, such as submitting a resume, has turned into a cumbersome and detached activity?
These are the kinds of frustrations faced by anyone in search of a new job. When these kinds of hurdles arise with frequency, it can lead job seekers to eternal hopelessness and self-doubt.
If you find yourself discouraged, however, don't be. Newly released figures by the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics indicate that 5 percent of those holding bachelor's degrees were unemployed in February. There are millions of other Americans who are probably feeling defeated, just as you may have during your search.
The one piece of advice I am consistently given — and upon which I am starting to place more value — is to stay optimistic and persevere. Pessimism starts a downward spiral that can destroy your chances of launching a great career.
It is absolutely crucial that you don't lose sight of what is really important: your personal health and happiness.
While struggling to find a job, other aspects of a job seeker's life can suffer: their physical and mental health, relationships, finances — the gamut. So, as difficult as it may be, try not to let your career pursuits make you an unhappy person.
A close friend's recent career move captures this way of thinking. He took a job at a Fortune 500 company right out of graduate school, with a salary of almost six figures.
But a few months into it, he revealed the truth to me: He hated the job.
Last Friday, that friend accepted a job with a Central New York brewery, distributing beer for the company throughout the Washington, D.C., area.
When I asked him about the big move, from tax-policy analyst to seller of kegs and cases, he just said, "You have to do something that gives you a thrill."
While that can be easier said than done, it seems like he's on to something.
Casey Ryan Vock is a former Press-Republican staff writer and current contributing writer. He received his bachelor's degree from Plattsburgh State and holds two master's degrees from Syracuse University.
