It’s never been–simultaneously– easier and harder to find a job.

Old School job hunt

It’s easier compared to the routine of scanning the newspapers’ help wanted ads on Sunday (remember those?), picking out a few, composing a resume and cover letter individually, sending it by email (or even by snail mail!) to a recruiter or even (GASP!) directly to a company, calling to follow up and try to get an interview, do the interview, wait for the response  Lather, rinse, repeat.

It’s a whole lot easier to go online, hit a few buttons and send an email.

As easy as throwing a package over a fence and hoping it gets to your sister in law in Cincinnati.

Online Job Search interview-or not

I knew I was in a brand new world when I actually snagged an interview. I was at the offices on the appointed day and 15 minutes early for the meeting.

Nobody heard of me. After 45 minutes of pacing and begging they found my interviewer.

She assumed I was going to do it online and I assumed it would be IRL.  We did the interview. It did not go well.

My other forays into online job searching – until (thank God!) Senior Planet and I found each other – were equally fun-filled.

Apparently password conventions are company secrets

No, not that one. Not that one either.

My pet peeve: all the job sites that each demand a separate user name and password without outlining the conventions upfront.

Apparently password conventions are company secrets, because many operate by process of elimination.

I’d fill in page after page, enter a username and password (that wasn’t duplicative) and then learn that they need at least 12 letters.

Try again.

No, it needs three numbers (but not consecutive).

No, it needs two symbols.

But for heaven’s sake don’t use “&” or “#.”

Lather, rinse, repeat.

And each time, my login timed out and I’d have to do it all over again.

But how about you?  What’s your pet peeve about the online job search process?  Let us know in the comments!

Virge Randall is Senior Planet’s Managing Editor. She is also a freelance culture reporter who seeks out hidden gems and unsung (or undersung) treasures for Straus Newspapers; her blog “Don’t Get Me Started” puts a quirky new spin on Old School New York City. Send your suggestions for Open Threads to her at editor@seniorplanet.org.