Your boomer parents after giving you the most outdated job-seeking advice of your fucking life [Day 86]

Back when I needed a job I showed up on a construction site, asked politely, and they put me right straight into operating a crane. Just get out there, pound the pavement, shake some hands. You'll be hired in no time.

Just give them a firm handshake and look them in the eye. I'd like my parents to sit in on some of the developer interviews I've had.

Apply to jobs in person. Attach your resume to a brick, and throw the employer's front window.

My parents work ethics are very early 1900's. Be positive, be consructive, be thankful, never say anything negative, always do 110%, be humble in every situation, no mater what happens.

I get a small satisfaction, when I tell my father that I refused a promotion, because the position was a bullshit and a trashcan of unpleasantness, or that I resigned because the workplace atmosphere was not healthy. His face is always worth it.

Classics aka why are you complaining:

• "Back in my day the job market was also tough“
• "When I was applying for a job I had to send out 120 handwritten applications“
• "When I made one mistake on the typewriter I had to rewrite the entire cover letter“

They also almost had a heart attack when I took a couple months after college to interview because they didn’t understand that there’s like 5-7 interview rounds on average.

And when I told them I have an offer they were like "wow accept immediately otherwise they’ll rescind it“. And when I told them that I’ll just use that offer as leverage for other potential offers they thought I‘m delusional and acting entitled lol

''You have to call them back!'' Who am I calling Deb? The algorithm that processed my 60min quiz that needed to know about any dreams I've had about my teeth falling out, and how many featured George W Bush in my childhood garage? It doesn't even know how to answer a phone!!

This is the second day recently that I missed, so there'll be two tomorrow and two the day after to make up for it. I'm just really distractible; sorry.

Something like 15 years ago, I was in grad school and my elder boomer father in law told me "when it's time to find a job you can shave your beard." Only this wasn't a beard, it was just me not having shaved for a week. Is that what he would prioritize if he were hiring someone?! I've met few people in my life who are less in touch than that man

My grandfather always told me to knock on the backdoors (!) of random businesses and ask if they need a "computer repair guy" or a "CNC programmer" (I learned to be a software developer).

My parents thought having a degree alone will land you a job. By the time I graduated, the paradigm had shifted and interviewers are asking if I had any previous work experience to prove that I have good work ethic. Problem is, growing up, my parents never allowed me to work so I never had anything to show for. Even after graduation, they advised me against getting any jobs "underneath" me. It took awhile before I went against my parents advise and finally getting a job related to my degree. The trails of bad advise did not even stop at job-seeking but that will be another long story.

In any case, I realised that my parents are a bunch of insecure nouveau riche (they grew up poor and I can sense they have hint of elitism now that they moved up the socioeconomic ladder) who did not set me up for life well. I told myself I won't listen to them and rail against them giving me any more advise. I think they realised their mistakes a bit too late now.

Edit: a word

Yes go into a business and have them look at your like you've got two heads while you've already been denied by an AI.

Oof this hurts

are those of us with boomer parent(s) still getting job advice? mine already retired haha

People don't appreciate what they have if they have food and place to sleep and full day to do anything they want.

I never understood that, I am the same, worried about things I shouldn't. Ambitious for what ? Earn 10-20% more ? Your mind will tell you "good job", now spend on stupid things to feel better.

Like I have a choice. If I need to find a job I don't have a choice because I am poor. That means It's 99.99 chance I will be poor for the rest of my life. Deal with that and enjoy that you have extra 8-10 hours of your life back because after 20 years of work those might been remembered as best years of your life.

There are many people like you on this planet, miserable, looking for their place, maybe instead of looking for job find them and talk with them, maybe you will find same ideas and build something.

Scared to talk ? Try to write something, I wrote something here.

And look, if enough of you stop looking for a job the job will need to start looking for you because those rich asholes can't do anything themselves and they need lot's of slaves.