Why Job Boards Do Not Work

Job Boards Don't Work...period

Career Builder, Monster, etc...my opinion is they don't work and I recommend avoiding them at all cost.

Considering the time you spend inputting your demographic information for free so they can resell it, your better suited to try and determine the potential employer yourself, circumventing the whole job board route and contacting someone directly at the business either via mail or phone.

What was initially a good idea back in the day has become nothing more than a way to harvest personal information about people from the web for free for resale.

If I have to skip one more forced pop up ad for Phoenix University I will go totally ape shit.

Take for example the two choice opportunities I received today. ( see above picture predicting my dismal future)

Pizza Delivery OR the US Air Force !!!

WTF?

Moreover what the frig to they mean by for pizza delivery driver I am and I quote a...

"Good Match"

WITH 3 stars no less....ugh

Keep in mind I have program management level experience in IT with over 17 years of employment in IT. Which they know, or their equivalent of Hal 9000 knows.

"I am sorry Dave, your a pizza delivery driver"

My experience with hours of manually inputting my employment information OVER and OVER and OVER and OVER as to job experience, skills, certifications, etc communicates my lifetime of achievements, accolades and awards in to their massive databases and by the exacting parse and search criteria the job boards utilize after decades of fine tuning their ability to match potential employees with employers to ...



...me being either a pizza delivery person or enlisting in the military.

Now the job boards could and would of course say "Well it's how you set up your search criteria...blah blah blah"

No it isn't, but whatever. What other choice do I have other than personal networking?

Obviously from having the skill set of a pizza delivery driver I can only network personally with the guy at 7-Eleven and my Dungeons and Dragons group of the fellow unemployed.



The Detroit News' Sunday edition has about 6 IT positions, so by that logically extrapolation of the jobless rate here in Michigan I can assume about 243,522 people applied to each one.

Pizza delivery doesn't look all that bad under these circumstances.




Welcome To Detroit

Detroit at 22% Unemployment - A Depression

Say what you want about the slightly seedy ads in the back of the Metro Times (unless of course you like and need transgendered massages) but they hit the nail on the head again with their most recent cover story.

______________________________________________

During the worst of the Great Depression, unemployment in the United States peaked at 25 percent. That was in 1932. Today, that number is at 8.5 percent. Even if you accept what the critics say — that current statistics don't truly reflect how many people are out of work or underemployed — we still have a long way to go before we see Depression-like unemployment.

Unless you live in Detroit.

Even in a state that's the worst in the nation in terms of unemployment — 12 percent at last count — Detroit's situation is catastrophic by comparison, with a rate of more than 22 percent.

More...

______________________________________________

Source

Welcome To Detroit

Unemployment - MICHIGAN IS THE WINNER!

Rank	State	Rate
1	WYOMING	3.9
2	NEBRASKA	4.2
3	NORTH DAKOTA	4.3
4	SOUTH DAKOTA	4.6
5	IOWA	4.9
6	UTAH	5.1
7	NEW HAMPSHIRE	5.3
8	NEW MEXICO	5.4
9	OKLAHOMA	5.5
10	LOUISIANA	5.7
11	KANSAS	5.9
12	MONTANA	6
12	WEST VIRGINIA	6
14	HAWAII	6.5
14	TEXAS	6.5
16	ARKANSAS	6.6
16	VIRGINIA	6.6
18	MARYLAND	6.7
19	IDAHO	6.8
20	VERMONT	7
21	COLORADO	7.2
22	ARIZONA	7.4
22	CONNECTICUT	7.4
22	DELAWARE	7.4
25	PENNSYLVANIA	7.5
26	WISCONSIN	7.7
27	MASSACHUSETTS	7.8
27	NEW YORK	7.8
29	ALASKA	8
29	MAINE	8
31	MINNESOTA	8.1
32	NEW JERSEY	8.2
33	MISSOURI	8.3
34	ALABAMA	8.4
34	WASHINGTON	8.4
36	ILLINOIS	8.6
37	MISSISSIPPI	9.1
37	TENNESSEE	9.1
39	KENTUCKY	9.2
40	GEORGIA	9.3
41	FLORIDA	9.4
41	INDIANA	9.4
41	OHIO	9.4
44	DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA	9.9
45	NEVADA	10.1
46	CALIFORNIA	10.5
46	RHODE ISLAND	10.5
48	NORTH CAROLINA	10.7
49	OREGON	10.8
50	SOUTH CAROLINA	11
51	MICHIGAN	12

Welcome To Detroit

God Hates Detroit

And so the worm turns...

It's been a few months since I have posted but I have been very busy.

Firstly, Obama was elected president, cigarettes went up about a buck a pack, gas went down about a buck a gallon, unemployment in Michigan went from about 8 or 9 to an almost unprecedented 11.6% reported.

That is probably low, I mean those are the people reporting to unemployment that they are looking for work, it does not count those that unemployment has run out for and still can't find a job, illegal workers, those whose retirement fund is gone and being forced to return to work, etc.

If you were to press me for a guess I would say it's probably running at about 20% in Michigan in reality.

Of my 4 best friends and myself, 3 of us are out of work so that is a little higher than the state rates it. So 3 of 5 unemployed, of the 2 left one has been forced to take a pay cut and the other is the only guy left in his building, about 20 others at his employer have already been laid off.

Tales all too common in Michigan.

I found work but only for about 6 months, then laid of myself.

Michigan has to under go a massive renaissance to recovery.

Total abandonment of the auto industry as a partner in the future with Michigan.

State movement towards diversifying employment as to avoid economic susceptibility.

Massive price hikes in out of state hunting and fishing licenses and permits.

Blah, blah, blah I guess I could rattle of a hundred ideas but known are likely to come to fruition anytime soon. The Michigan state economy probably will not recovery for a decade or more at this point.

Which segues into my next point...the Detroit City council is inept and wholly responsible for the blight and plight of Detroit for the foreseeable future.

Some, not all, but some on the Detroit City council are the most bigoted, prejudiced, rude, under qualified idiots and national laughing stocks that God could supply.

God hates Detroit.

Perform a search at Youtube on the city council members and let the hilarity ensue.

Last headline I had the courage to read before the newspaper shifted from daily publication to a few days a week that we have now was that 109,000 left Michigan last year...nice...I feel like the last asshole to leave a party late AND miss my chance with the last drunk girl.

So its back to my search for employment, only this time I opened the net a lot farther.

I decided that if given the opportunity I will take my family and leave Michigan as well.

I have lived here my whole life and the last 15 years have been by far the worst, economically speaking.

This last sin tax for example, hardly fair.

Its been proven over and over that the lower the annual money making ability of a person the more likely they will be a smoker. THAT means this tax on cigarettes is directed at the least educated, lowest income citizens of the state.

Agree or not, that is exactly what it is.

Michigan has planned its budget relying on the fact that a certain number of its citizens will pay sin tax on cigarettes.

Now, people forced to quit because of economic reasons has left the state with a budget hole that had to be filled by....raising the tax on the remaining smokers.

Funny enough that is the same thing that is happening to the housing market here.

People are leaving Michigan, the homes are either turned into the bank or sold for far less than it's previous value and this creates a deficit in local governments that relied on housing to ALWAYS been in demand in their areas.

So when that tax base is suddenly lower?....just like cigarettes, the housing tax goes up to make up for the loss in budget dollars.

Only this time everyone is hurting

God hates Detroit.


Welcome To Detroit

Franalysis? Will It Hurt?

Examining my site stats indicates something rather interesting.

An astounding 20% of you come to my site for my article about Franalysis.

The article.


It is rather bland as I had no experience neither good nor bad with Franalysis just one email and nothing since.

You may be helping someone else out with your comment so feel free to leave one please.

Some considerations:

Did you receive spam from Franalysis?

Are/were you looking for their services?

Were you job hunting and were contacted by Franalysis?

Did you hear good or bad things about what Franalysis provides as a service.

________________________________

Like I said I had no experience with them personally, I was looking for a job and received some sales pitch spam from them, haven't received anything else since which is rather refreshing, I looked them up on the Internet like a lot of you did apparently and found very little really, which is probably why everyone is hitting my site for information on Franalysis/

Here was the little discussion I did find in a franchise chat forum.

Well lets help someone out...leave a comment...Franlysis must be emailing all or most of the 20% hitting my site.



Welcome To Detroit

Time To Get Back To Work

Well Good News, I have a job offer.

The grim statistics are:

Unemployed since mid June, about 95? days. The current average in Michigan is 17 weeks.

612 email replies to my inbox from inquiries by me for employment.
The bulk of which 80%? were erroneous emails and spam from job boards.

I applied to anywhere from 2-20 places per day online, average of about 4-6.

My pay will be roughly 65% of what is was formerly although I think I will like the position better, which was a deciding factor.

Total interviews obtained from 3 months of daily M-F online effort was 3 with one return for a 2nd interview so 4 total.

Total leads from networking contacts (co-workers, friends.)was 1 job offer out of state for about 50% of former pay.

___________________________________________

So if I could give any advice to anyone out there it would be this.

Job boards are a incredible waste of time to the tune of about 99.6% inefficiency.

Leads from the newspaper performed best in terms of replies to inquiries.

Personal networking also had returns I would rate as  poor although I still think this would normally be the best route to gain employment.

Persistence, persistence, persistence...had I lost initiative or just plain gave up as I saw so many of my friends and co-workers do it would have been detrimental to my ever finding anything even remotely in my field of expertise.

I also turned down one job offer that was so ridiculously low as to hurt my career and self esteem for years, so do not be afraid to say no.

I recommend learning how to say thanks but no thanks, it is allowable to not be happy with an offer.

Remember it is the employers job to find someone as cheap as possible who can perform the job, yours is to find the highest paying offer possible you can adequately perform.

______________________________________

This blog started out as a diary more or less of the trials and tribulations I had while looking for work.

It has since become more of a sounding board for injustices either local to Detroit or national to the U.S. as I peprceived them and commented upon, pulled entirley from the news media at large.

Welcome To Detroit

FYI Its Five Hundred And Twenty Five

Just FYI for those watching the job hunt:

I have received 525 replies to email inquiries and online applications since mid-June of 2008.

I have received 2 interviews from contract houses from these communications

I have also registered to over 75 job boards and corporate websites.

I have two more tentative interviews scheduled for this week.



Welcome To Detroit

Franalysis? WTF Is Franalysis? Sounds Like It Hurts.

Well in my job hunt my name and personal information has been sold yet again apparently to a company called Franalysis.

Sounds like a place where they do things to your colon but I guess is some kind of franchising clearing house.

One thing I have come to realize is that if "the sell" is in any way shape or form ambiguous it's probably not what I am looking for, namely a job.

So back to Franalysis, they have a disclaimer on their email threating me to not copy or redistribute the email, another flag that I don't want anything to do with it.

It further states if I am not the proper recipient to destroy the email.

Well I have been in IT long enough to know that is easier said than done, nothing is ever permanently deleted. 

I have had to perform enough data recoveries to recover evidence against employee policy infractions to know better than that.

I am not going to throw my PC into a trash compacter and then burn it either, so delete with have to do I guess.

Nothing showed up on Ripoff.com about Fanalysis, a good sign as far as I am concerned there.

Saw some discussion on a franchise website which was positive, always hard to tell because sometimes employees tout their own business impersonating happy customers.

But I will take it for what it's worth Franalysis seems to be a consulting firm that partners your money with franchises for a percentage fee and is on the up and up.

Either way, I am not a business owner, don't want to be a business owner, not a venture capitalist and my information was yet again sold either with or without my knowledge or consent.

I have no way of policing the hundreds of job boards and corporate websites I have had to enter my information on to ever know, I still need to look for a job and not for who sold my info.

I guess I have been unsubscribed, I followed their instructions in the email and saw that it was my first name, last name and email that was sold.

Received message on browser - You have been unsubscribed from "My Subscribers".

According to the screen it was a company called Streamsend

Whew its a lot of work reading my email....

Welcome To Detroit

Arnold Vs.Union, Rumble In The Yard

Prison guards threaten Schwarzenegger with recall

The union representing California's prison guards said Monday it was starting a recall attempt against Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who took office after the previous governor was recalled in 2003.

Mike Jimenez, president of the 30,000-member California Correctional Peace Officers Association, said Schwarzenegger has been a failure since replacing recalled Gov. Gray Davis.

He said the union was seeking a recall vote because its members have gone two years without a new labor contract and because Schwarzenegger didn't exempt its members from an executive order intended to reduce pay for tens of thousands of state employees to deal with the state's budget crisis.

Many guards increase their salaries significantly with overtime.

This year's record-long budget impasse, with lawmakers at odds over how to close a $15.2 billion deficit, only adds to the union's disillusion over Schwarzenegger, Jimenez said.

"This governor, he stands for nothing," Jimenez told The Associated Press shortly before the start of a union news conference. "He's a dismal failure in every sense of the word. This failure on this budget puts him over the top."

Jimenez said the union would file a notice of intent to recall the governor Tuesday. It would need more than 1 million signatures to put a recall question on the ballot — a relatively small hurdle for one of the state's most well-funded and influential unions.

Source

_________________________________

I don't know how this will pan out I must admit.

I think the Governor is doing the right thing by adjusting the budget to fit the monies coming in the door however distasteful it may be to people, frankly ALL state employee are accountable to all the rest of the states citizens in my opinion.

I also think unions are just about dead in the water in this country, I live in the "Motor City" and the UAW and Teamsters here have had their teeth and claws removed long ago by the bureaucracies that run them, just toothless lions that roar and roar and roar and in the end do nothing.

Welcome To Detroit

No Jobs In Michigan, Last Fry Cook Job Taken

Monday, time to update you all on the job hunt.

There are no more jobs in Michigan.

____________________________

At 12:37 Pm 9/7/08 G.M.T the last job in Michigan, Deep Fry Cook for Popeye's Chicken, was filled by Hernandez Rico Vasquez.

Said Hernandez of his windfall "You go now, we have no public restrooms, you go now."

Assistant Secretary of Labor for Michigan, Ann Cambs was reportedly retiring upon hearing the news that her job mission description was no longer applicable.

"Well I guess I will go back to community college and get the degree in interior decorating I have been debating over all these years, boy did I make a bad career choice." Said Ann when questioned about her future plans.

Ann will be joining the estimated 11% of Michigan unemployed. 

1,125,325 of which applied for the job Hernandez secured earlier yesterday.

Source

__________________________________

Welcome To Detroit
Please submit story

Some Movement On The Job Front

Some positive movement on the job front, I had an interview Friday with a contract house that seemed positive and I believe they are going to start shopping me around.

It is such a hugely, employer market that this is good news for me...I suspect for every job opportunity in Michigan or the metro areas, that dozens if not hundreds of applicants are submitted.

Anyhow I have "sensed" a very slight upturn in the economy as far as job opportunities I am seeing online and in the paper...very slight and nothing scientific mind you.

I think it may be tied to optimism about the election, but thats just my 2 cents....wish me luck.


Welcome to Detroit

Job Search News

Well I got a couple of good news bits on the job search...well not good but an improvement...well not a couple more like one.

I received an email from Express Employment Professionals, unfortunately they were anything but.

Per their email I called them back to review my resume, Francesca Marie Julianne Romero Stephano Smith (not her real name) took my call.

I explained the email and asked to speak with the person on the email, Betty Mae Gonzalez Cortez Alfredo Johnson (not her real name either), thinking it may just have been a form letter and there was no Betty Mae Gonzalez Cortez Alfredo Johnson.

Well I still don't know, Francesca Marie Julianne Romero Stephano Smith said she was in the middle of an interview and would call me back in 10 minutes and took my number down....never heard from them again.

Just not good cricket as they say over the pond...over here in we call it unprofessional.

My second contact via email by another contractor was a lot more optimistic. I won't name the contract house but my contact seemed eager and was going to start shopping me around...I liked that conversation.

It was what I like to call "the crazy filter" call...they call you to see how you speak, conduct yourself over the phone, discuss some skills you may or may not have...you know just generally see if your a raving lunatic or not.

So nothing concrete but still I am hopeful...I don't want to leave Michigan...I like it here.

Since about June 15th or so I have submitted daily anywhere from 2-20 online applications Monday through Friday...I estimate I have applied to over 300 separate positions.

Just keeping it in perspective for you.



Welcome to Detroit

Regional Director For American Income Life

OMG...I have an email from....(shiver)....the Regional Director for American Income Life, a Torchmark Company.

Thats right eat you hearts out you little small filthy working class people.

A genuine, heartfelt, bona fide offer for a outstanding individual like me.

Lets look at their website.

________________________________

The server at www.tmkrms.com is taking too long to respond.

* The site could be temporarily unavailable or too busy. Try again in a few
moments.

* If you are unable to load any pages, check your computer's network
connection.

* If your computer or network is protected by a firewall or proxy, make sure
that Firefox is permitted to access the Web.

WTF?

When I check their privacy policy I get the same thing.........http://www.tmkrms.com/privacypolicy.asp

Well how could that be they state in my email they are a top Forbes 400 company that truly believes in honesty, integrity and trust.

Something must be wrong?

Well I chose to opt out as they put it or unsubscribe..it prompts open a web page and says:

Opt Out Form

Although opt-out should be immediate, please allow 2 to 3 business days for opt-out to complete.

Well I posted it here folks so lets all count the days, this is my forth contact from them by the way to sell their insurance.

If they put this much effect into outside sales instead of trying to hire me they wouldn't need me in the first place.

Forth time in I think a week...sheesh they write me more than any friends I have...my friends don't email me because they know I hate that superfluous email shit.

If its important they call me.

Of course the great site ripoffreport.com has tons of comments about American Income Life.

Best friggin site ever.



Welcome to Detroit

You Mean You Want Me To Sell Things For You? Gee Thanks

YEEESSSS !!!!

ANOTHER job offer this morning from Algomod Technologies Corporation via email.

My second, they must want me so bad...I can't blame them...I am a hunka hunka burning IT knowledge.

And my skills listed on my resume must have SO much in common with whatever it is they are selling.

On the other hand I am gaining invaluable knowledge on how to spot these spam offers and where they are coming from.

Here are three hints on how to get your email name sold all over the frigging world for free....free being you won't get any money for your email but that other people can and will.

Monster.com
Jobserve.com
Careerbuilder.com

Oh sure...I probably had to check some box or radio button saying I was ok with them selling my email as they saw fit...but to tell you the truth I expected some sort of ethical behavior on their part that they wouldn't supply it to less than reputable agents...I know naive.

So in keeping with my method of attaching naughty keywords to every article about these spam job offers I give you......Poon, Boob, Swallow, Mouth, Upskirt, Asian, BBW, Backdoor, Jugs, Huge, Cheerleader, Flash.



Welcome to Detroit

Yet Another United American Offer To Me

ANOTHER United American offer to sell their crappy product came to me via email again today, this makes three times now they have sent me an "amazing offer".

Get this...they have to open 40 more branch offices by 2007.....it's 2008 you idiots update your spam to at least make the attempt at authenticity.

United American is a Torchmark Company apparently....like that is supposed to mean something to me?

Do they have to keep changing their holding company? I wonder why?

Well let's go through the motions...

I will try and see their privacy policy again at http://www.tmkrms.com/privacypolicy.asp

Nope...I just get "The server at www.tmkrms.com is taking too long to respond."

Oh Well...I wonder if people look up their name and see this article...maybe if it was attached to some tasty words such as:

Poon, Boob, Swallow, Mouth, Upskirt, Asian, BBW, Backdoor, Jugs, Huge, Cheerleader, Flash.

That may get someone's attention....

Now Remember when you think United American a Torchmark Company you think Poon, Boob, Swallow, Mouth, Upskirt, Asian, BBW, Backdoor, Jugs, Huge, Cheerleader, Flash.


Welcome to Detroit

Sales? Sales! ...We Don't Need No Stinking Sales.

Job offer this morning from Algomod Technologies Corporation via email.

The email said "they strongly urge me to contact them immediately" about the position....sheesh could they try any harder to be a sales company. No one says that shit...no one.

Google search shows a few people don't recommend it...some of the accusations from the net were a) body shop, b) spam house, c) poor pay.

Nothing TOO incriminating but enough to make me doubt the validity, so to email filter hell it goes.

I actually had two positions appear in local papers that wanted hard copy resumes only, which I thought was weird, especially for technology firms in this day and age.

Aren't hard copy resumes sent in envelopes going the way of the dinosaur?

One was for a fortune 100 technology company, the other for a local school system IT department.

I have had to look through the flood of mail that comes from a want ad, who the heck would want that on paper? It was hard enough getting hundreds of applicants via email.

So back online with the shotgun approach to getting hired, apply to hundreds and hundreds of places and hope to get two call backs.

Best advice I received so far was from a Detroit Daily Dirt reader in the comments fields.

Something to the effect of "Hunting online is a waste of time, better to use your network of friends"

She couldn't have been more correct, a friend asked for my resume over the weekend...hope it works out.



Welcome to Detroit

Michigan Unemployment Compared To The Rest Of You Slackers

NOTE:Click on the pics to get the legends, I ain't gonna change the whole dang blog for three stupid spreadsheets.

____________________________________

Hey you slackers in the other 49 , c'mon and just try and beat us...

Source

While looking for work I get bored and look at other interesting sites like the unemployment data above from the government.

The national unemployment average was listed as 5.7% for 2008 and 4.6% for 2007...well thats a whole 1.1% higher, somebody is doing their job right in Washington.

Michigan for 2008 an astounding 8.5% currently. (This month alone shows 9.1% as the current prediction for Michigan but that goes up and down apparently as data is pulled)

When you consider most homes are two income homes since the 60's when all this lack of government capability to do basic accounting AND keep the GNP worth something...the 8.5% actually is probably effecting twice that amount of families or 17% of Michiganders being effected, now that only counts working adults...so lets throw in say 2 kids...I don't have enough toes to count that high a percentage.

So in Michigan we have 8.5% flat out of work, 17% or more directly impacted by the previous 8.5% and throwing 2 kids that could be considered 34% effected by layoffs of the initial 8.5% (a guesstimate just for arguments sake.)

Dare we throw in the supporting businesses whom supply that 34% with goods who will now see a drop off in purchases?

Dare we extrapolate what happens when they need to layoff and close?

It sends shivers down my spine to think how tenuous the economic situation in Michigan is.

P.S. Puerto Rico was the only U.S. possession and/or state to beat Michigan with 11.3% but that stands to reason because since they don't get to vote no one in Washington gives a crap about them.




Welcome to Detroit

Lookie Maw....The Insurance Company That Wants Me to Work For Them Changed Their Name Again.

If you see the previous post with United American asking me to work for them, guess what? They wrote me again within 24 hours to say they have been trying to contact me with a job opening AND apparently they have changed their name in the past 24 hours to American Income.


WTF !?!?

Every time the write me with this bullshit offer I will post another entry on this blog.

And guess what...their link that wasn't working yesterday..

http://www.tmkrms.com/privacypolicy.asp

Yeah it still doesn't work.

What a piece of shit company American Income and/or United American is.



Welcome to Detroit

Lookie Maw.....I Gots Me Another Insurance Job Offer From This Here Interweb Thingy Machine!

Well today in my usual barrage of "thanks but no thanks" emails from jobs I applied for I got yet another suspect job offer.

This time from United American Jobs

It states at the bottom in the disclaimer fine print that they found my email because I either posted it on a job website OR asked them directly.

Well I sure didn't contact them to sell their insurance or sell anything of theirs so yet again does a job website make money off my email address while I am trying to use their services...bunch of crap.

I should at least get a cut even if my email is sold without my permission.

Consider it like anything else I produce or manufactured or even like a piece of art I made.....

I made the email address...it's mine...without what I made the job website couldn't have sold anything because they didn't produce or manufacture any part of my email address.

They just stole it under the false pretense of me possibly getting a job and then sold it.

Anyhow trying to look up the privacy policies on the email suspect offer just produce browser timeouts, another sign the place may not be reputable.

It says UA (United American NOT to be confused with United Artists) is a Torchmark Company..well they didn't pay their internet provider bill or something because I can't get to their site like I said .... tmkrms.com

I would post the email but I know how these companies roll, they would be all up at arms that their email bait was posted without their permission for the whole world to see...kind of like what the job website does with my email address.

Ripoffreport.com tells me all I need to know about these folks:

http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/0/349/RipOff0349055.htm

http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/0/337/RipOff0337211.htm

http://www.ripoffreport.com/searchresults on United American

Tons of comments, some as recent as two days ago...sheesh.

So there you have my typical day.

Wake up, get coffee, check email, adjust filters on the plethora of email scam addresses I get in my inbox, look for more job offers online and get my email address stolen and sold by countless new sites, go to bed.



Welcome to Detroit

Back On Track, How Is The Job Hunt Going?

Ok Everyone,

Back on track how is my job hunt going, since that was kind of the mission statement of this blog at the start of my diatribe.

Currently 12 scam offers:

Or offers that were unsolicited from less than reputable companies raning from mostly insurance sales to yacht sales to "just give us your bank account #'s and make 10% on each transaction"

ALL of which were harvested from Monster.com and Careerbuilder.com.

2 Real job offers that I have turned down:

One asking me to cover my hotel costs for the opportunity of training on a State of Michigan proprietary software tied to family services for 2 months...that's right I WOULD PAY FOR MY ROOM WHILE TRAINING FOR TWO MONTHS....typical State of Michigan brilliance...I said no thanks.

2nd offer from a former supervisor in the IT business, (I don't want to say the company name but it is a fortune 100) it's in North Carolina and I would have to move for unfortunately too little pay, but I still appreciate this offer and it shows as I always said. "It's not what you know or who you know but first who you know THEN what you know that gets you ahead in this business"

Positions applied for?
About 250-300

So after 2 month going on 3 this is what the market has to offer a 15 year IT veteran.

Some may say there ARE jobs out there, or I am not trying hard enough or I don't have the necessary knowledge or etc etc etc but in the end, the market is down in Michigan, farther down than I have seen it in decades.

Welcome to Detroit