Generation Y less likely to drive

[The Duchess of Zeon]

I'd note that the basic 'jobseeker's agreement' to receive unemployment benefit in the UK is two job applications a week. That's 100 applications per year bare minimum to qualify for state handouts, although job center staff are not very motivated to check this.

I can understand that as a basic absolute minimum level, but I've done 35 in a day before when just sending my resume to everything in the past few days that came up vaguely relevant on Craigslist (it slows down for something more complicated, of course). It's a totally unrealistic expectation--in the sense of being unrealistically lax. I didn't spend more than three hours a day even at the very height of effort; 5 - 10 minutes should be all that's required to customize your cover letter, esp. since the keywords they're filtering for are all at least generally similar.

The point I guess for people to take away from what we're saying is that initial-phase job seeking in the modern world is basically automated and favours the person who takes the time to compose a very good cover letter template and CV.. And then relentlessly spams it out to every single vaguely appropriate job (and even some inappropriate ones where you think you'll be able to make a connection to the owner) at the rate of dozens per week. Jobseeking in the modern world is materialschlacht and the only way you're going to succeed is by contacting every company even narrowly interested in skillsets like your own, within a minimum of, oh, a 100 mile radius; for anyone relocation within the same county or metro area should be a required willingness when looking for a new job, which is why one of the things that disgusts me about the "ownership society" is how home ownership basically hobbles your mobility to acquire good jobs with a very poor investment return to boot. If you want to own property I recommend a vacation house in the country whilst renting an apartment close to work. (this advice ceases to apply above a certain income level, probably of around 100k a year USD).

[Simon_Jester]

I can understand that as a basic absolute minimum level, but I've done 35 in a day before when just sending my resume to everything in the past few days that came up vaguely relevant on Craigslist (it slows down for something more complicated, of course). It's a totally unrealistic expectation--in the sense of being unrealistically lax. I didn't spend more than three hours a day even at the very height of effort; 5 - 10 minutes should be all that's required to customize your cover letter, esp. since the keywords they're filtering for are all at least generally similar.

Duchess, as far as letter modifications go, I'm pretty sure that averaged over time, you write at least ten times faster than regular people, when you're actually trying. You may not be an entirely representative sample of the population when it comes to speed of application-spamming.

The point I guess for people to take away from what we're saying is that initial-phase job seeking in the modern world is basically automated and favours the person who takes the time to compose a very good cover letter template and CV.. And then relentlessly spams it out to every single vaguely appropriate job (and even some inappropriate ones where you think you'll be able to make a connection to the owner) at the rate of dozens per week. Jobseeking in the modern world is materialschlacht and the only way you're going to succeed is by contacting every company even narrowly interested in skillsets like your own, within a minimum of, oh, a 100 mile radius; for anyone relocation within the same county or metro area should be a required willingness when looking for a new job, which is why one of the things that disgusts me about the "ownership society" is how home ownership basically hobbles your mobility to acquire good jobs with a very poor investment return to boot. If you want to own property I recommend a vacation house in the country whilst renting an apartment close to work. (this advice ceases to apply above a certain income level, probably of around 100k a year USD).

I still say this reflects some profound inefficiencies in the system...

[Julhelm]

for anyone relocation within the same county or metro area should be a required willingness when looking for a new job, which is why one of the things that disgusts me about the "ownership society" is how home ownership basically hobbles your mobility to acquire good jobs with a very poor investment return to boot. If you want to own property I recommend a vacation house in the country whilst renting an apartment close to work. (this advice ceases to apply above a certain income level, probably of around 100k a year USD).

That's a huge problem over here where the rental market is basically nonexistant these days. When I had to relocate to Stockholm last year I was lucky that I could rent a room from a family friend. Others might not be as lucky and end up getting pricegouged for crappy sublets.

[Isil`Zha]

Must be nice for all you folks who live in a place with decent public transportation. I have to wonder if this article only interviewed people in DC, NYC, or other large cities where public transportation and safe bike routes are everywhere.

Now, go ask someone living in the more rural areas, where its' 5 miles to town, or the nearest movie theater is in the next town over, or even further, down the Interstate to the City. Gen Y or not, in suburbs, in rural areas, and in pretty much everywhere there is no access to Public Transportation, a Drivers License is the difference between going out and staying home.

These were my exact thoughts when reading this.

My job is 26 miles away. My job also requires that I drive to go from client site to client site. Many of them are in a fairly close general area, but biking around or using the sparse public transit would not work. "Well I'm only 8 miles away, but instead of hopping on the freeway and being there in 10 minutes, I'll be there in an hour!"

Hell, only the most densely populated cities can even support a public transportation system that isn't sparse.