Dreamwriter
Member
I disagree, all things being equal, the better dressed person will likely get the nod, because they obviously cared more about getting the position. Now, if they were wearing a suit, that's different.
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Applying for jobs is exhausting and soul-crushing
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cpp_is_king
Member
I don't think dressing up shows you care about anything. It just means you read an outdated page on monster.com about proper interview etiquette in an industry where nobody cares about that. And it might mean that you are a follower and not a leader, so you can't think for yourself (not a plus in this industry, btw)
I mean, if you're applying for a job at the FBI, or a bank, or an insurance company, maybe. At a tech company, I don't see it.
20 years ago, I got my first job when I posted my resume on a usenet group from a ridiculous email address like satan666@hotmail.com. I later found out they contacted me *because* my email address was so hilarious.
Job after that, I wrote a scathing review of a technical book on amazon.com, very informally, and got emailed because they liked my review.
My last job, I wore jeans with a big hole in the leg and a gaming t-shirt (was an interview at a game company), and we talked about how awesome that game was over lunch.
Seriously, nobody cares what you're wearing. I promise you. And if they do, *that* is the type of company you don't want to work at.
I wore a suit to my last few interviews (software development and IT) and to be honest I get the feeling it only served to detract from my chances of getting the offers, although obviously I can't really say for certain why I didn't get offers for those positions. Next time I'll just wear khakis and a nice sweater (which is how I usually dress anyway, so hopefully nobody gets the impression I'm overdressing), unless of course it's with a bank, in which case I'd definitely wear a suit.
Would anyone be willing to look over a resume and cover letter for a specific job posting (I haven't written the cover letter yet, but I can PM you the cover letter, resume and posting tomorrow)? It's a specific position that seems right up my alley, so I'd really like to do my best to get an interview.
Would anyone be willing to look over a resume and cover letter for a specific job posting (I haven't written the cover letter yet, but I can PM you the cover letter, resume and posting tomorrow)? It's a specific position that seems right up my alley, so I'd really like to do my best to get an interview.
Darren870
Member
I wear jeans and a T-shirt every day at work. It's pretty relaxed.
I do interviews quite often and if someone came in dressed like I was i wouldn't hire them. To me it shows you couldn't give two shits about the job your applying for. Even if that is the culture in the office.
You should be wearing khakis with a tucked in button down at the minimum.
Good rule of thumb is always dress up one step above the person interviewing you.
Mr. Mike. You can PM it to me if you want.
I do interviews quite often and if someone came in dressed like I was i wouldn't hire them. To me it shows you couldn't give two shits about the job your applying for. Even if that is the culture in the office.
You should be wearing khakis with a tucked in button down at the minimum.
Good rule of thumb is always dress up one step above the person interviewing you.
Mr. Mike. You can PM it to me if you want.
Thank you!
Now I just have to decide which to choose :|
It's harder than I thought it would be, I think all of them are good.
Trust me, the experiences you're describing only apply to a very small section of the job market, and probably only to entry-level positions at that.
And it's not like it's impossible to get hired wearing just jeans and a gaming T-shirt, but it certainly doesn't help your chances.
FunkyMunkey
Banned
please no one take this advice in a general sense. this applies to a very small market and even then it is better to play it safe and dress to impress for an interview. then relax once you get the job
cpp_is_king
Member
Well I already qualified with software engineer at least twice, so yea don't listen to me for other types of positions. Tbh the difference is almost negligible even for developer positions. The only real difference is that it's more comfortable, and i literally WANT to be turned down by a company where interview dress code is important, because (to me) I consider that dodging a bullet
Camp1nCarl
Member
What's everyone's thoughts on only planning on staying at a job for like 18-24 months, especially when everyone else at the company has seemingly stayed for quite a long time? I had an interview for a job where I didn't particularly care for the location, and the work was interesting but nothing I cared to actually make a career out of. Not to mention the pay is going to be quite shitty as well due to it being an entry-level job.
Edit: Not saying I plan on only staying there that long, if offered I might actually really enjoy it and stay. Was mostly just seeing how others view only a year or two stint?
Edit: Not saying I plan on only staying there that long, if offered I might actually really enjoy it and stay. Was mostly just seeing how others view only a year or two stint?
FunkyMunkey
Banned
that is a good point haha. i can see where you're coming from. i feel like the t in "stem" tends to be more favorable towards casual dress during interviews at least. i'm in the sciences part and although most labs are lenient about dress once you get hired (not counting lab safety gear), the interviews tend to be classic button-up shirt, tie, slacks, nice shoes.
BannedEpisode
Member
Almost more important than wearing a suit to your interview is wearing a suit that fits.
Nothing looks worse than an off the rack suit that fits horribly.
Nothing looks worse than an off the rack suit that fits horribly.
Making a career is all about doing what's best for you. Screw corporate loyalty. If they don't give you a reason to stay through good compensation, good benefits, or a good atmosphere--fuck'em. Find something that's a better fit.
Where are you located? I'm going to guess California, where the dress codes are very casual in my personal experience.
My general rule of thumb is to dress a little better than the position you are applying for. You don't know the person that will interview you and he/she may find a person that is well groomed and presentable as a person that can pay attention to detail and that can take pride in their appearance.
The last interview I went on, everyone had a suit and tie, and if I showed up in anything less, I am positive that would have reflected very poorly on me. That was for a software engineering position, btw. Also, the people working there were wearing jeans, so again, dress to impress is never a bad mantra, imo.
Shy Fingers
Banned
Got fired today, knew it was coming so no big deal. My fiance accepted a job in a another state in January, so this just advanced our plans more quickly than initially planned.
Any tips for apply for jobs in another state? I'll probably be moving there in the next few weeks. Also, does unemployment get tricky between states?
Any tips for apply for jobs in another state? I'll probably be moving there in the next few weeks. Also, does unemployment get tricky between states?
You will want to check with your state's unemployment office, but I don't think you can claim benefits from state A while living in state B. Also, in general, unemployment assistance is granted when you are laid off or your contract ends, not when you are fired.
Dreamwriter
Member
But you were just advising people to dress like crap BECAUSE they care what you're wearing, saying a person wouldn't get hired as a software developer if they were wearing decent clothes. And as a software (game) developer who has done hiring as well as of course having interviewed at a number of places, I'm telling you that's horrible advice. Sure you *can* get a job like that, but that's not the norm among software development jobs, at least in the gaming industry and at Microsoft.
Shy Fingers
Banned
The HR lady told me to apply for unemployment. So I'm pretty sure I'm qualified.
Please do this when applying for any programming jobs at Fortune 500 companies. Not because it will actually work, but because if you're dumb enough to think that any company big enough to have a legit HR department might find it endearing somehow, I don't want you as a coworker. Best we find out now.
I'm not sure why you think your experiences are in any way representative of anything.
cpp_is_king
Member
Okay dude, but if that worked out for you then you're definitely an outlier. Think of your audience; it's usually a stuffed shirt HR chick. You really have to hit the jackpot; to get your resume in front of some Brofesser who's going to be impressed with a satan666 email address and holes in your jeans.
Not exactly advice to live by.
cpp_is_king
Member
The search is over! After almost a year. Next Monday I start as a customer service guy at a rapidly growing tech startup.
After a history of drab government jobs, I told myself for my next job I wanted to be a place I'd really enjoy working at, in a field I'm interested in. So the search took longer but eventually paid off.
I was really happy with my interview. Normally there's something I realise afterward that makes me want to hit myself, but I did well this time.
The pay is a little less than I was expecting but the environment looks great.
The week I had the interview I had gone to a temp agency looking for work. I had almost given up.
Keep at it, Gaffers.
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And regarding the "what to wear" thing, as always, it depends. Do your research and find out what kind of atmosphere the company has. Obviously a government department is going to have a different dress code than a retail store or a video game developer. If all else fails, you can never go wrong with black pants, black or brown leather shoes and a button down shirt.
After a history of drab government jobs, I told myself for my next job I wanted to be a place I'd really enjoy working at, in a field I'm interested in. So the search took longer but eventually paid off.
I was really happy with my interview. Normally there's something I realise afterward that makes me want to hit myself, but I did well this time.
The pay is a little less than I was expecting but the environment looks great.
The week I had the interview I had gone to a temp agency looking for work. I had almost given up.
Keep at it, Gaffers.
------------
And regarding the "what to wear" thing, as always, it depends. Do your research and find out what kind of atmosphere the company has. Obviously a government department is going to have a different dress code than a retail store or a video game developer. If all else fails, you can never go wrong with black pants, black or brown leather shoes and a button down shirt.
ChaoticBlue
Member
Got a job offer after a few months of interviewing with the company!
But the salary offered (less than $20/hour) is low for an administrative position and there is a 90 day probation. I'm going to try to negotiate and prepare to walk away if they don't meet my salary requirements.
But the salary offered (less than $20/hour) is low for an administrative position and there is a 90 day probation. I'm going to try to negotiate and prepare to walk away if they don't meet my salary requirements.
Syphon Filter
Member
why not just stay until you find something else so you can have something to do.
Necromanti
Member
Entry-level?
What's everyone's opinion on job postings that require you to make an account with them in order to apply? And then they have you upload your resume to then poorly parse it into a shitty form? What about when, the next day they email you because your application was incomplete? What about when you click their link and it 404s? I love it. Fav part of job searching.
Sub_Level
wants to fuck an Asian grill.
Where do ya live m80?
sankt-Antonio
Banned
From my experience it's the other way around. First round is always with the tech people (future boss/ engineers) to Check if you have the skills needed for the job. Then it's HR time. No matter how good your grades are or how fancy you think you are. If HR thinks you don't belong to or can't represent the company you are out ( no matter what the tech guys say). Bacause one simple fact. Everyone can learn new skills in any field but you can't change an asshole to a nice employee.
What I absolutely love is adding all that information for maybe a solid 30 minutes, and then moving on to the next step without saving. You were supposed to save before going to the next page. No auto-save, because fuck that shit. I absolutely love that.
Kelia
Member
At the very least you can sometimes see is your application has been received, accepted, rejected, etc.
I am more annoyed when they require you to know your past supervisor's current e-mail is, especially when I have no way of getting in contact with them to find out.
Edit: Oh, and when you upload your resume and the application uses information from that...and gets it all wrong. So you basically end up doing the application from scratch.
I skip them unless it's a company I've heard of. Applying should take one minute tops.
smokeandmirrors
Banned
Got an offer. Salary was lower but I get a 6 month review instead of a year. Place seems like a good place to work so ill slog it out for a year or so to get that experience and re-evaluate things.
After doing some online applications I said "screw it" and went around to some places in person asking if they had any job openings. A mom n' pop retro game store told me to "wait a week" before they would contact me back and sadly that's the best hope I got at the moment for a job.
Dreamwriter
Member
Man, I hate it when a job sounds *right* up your alley, all your previous experience is perfect for it, you know you could kick ass at the job if just given the chance, but the phone call interview goes poorly because you don't have the answer the interviewer is fishing for. I aced the programming test and was elated to get a great job, then today's phone interview and suddenly I'm not sure if I'll get the job or not.
If you have Unity experience their forums are a good source of freelance jobs, they've got a forum specifically for paid jobs.
csquared587
Member
I notice so many job postings are for "senior" or "lead" positions that require at least 5 years of experience. How do you guys feel about applying for these jobs? I have the bachelors degree in the requirements listed, but basically zero real world experience. I've been finding this very discouraging. Should I just submit my resume and cover letter anyway? Then hope I get an interview and try to impress?
Dreamwriter
Member
Well, lead positions are management - lead a team of other people. They definitely expect someone with a lot of experience for that. From a software-engineer/programming perspective at least, senior isn't necessarily management, but the job is still supposed to be for someone with some experience who can mentor less experienced people if need-be, someone who can be relied on to get the job done with almost zero training about any aspect of the job. If you have zero experience, I think it would be a waste of time to try for anything specifically called "senior" or "lead" unless they are desparate. Now, if "senior" or "lead" aren't mentioned, but the job wants a year or two of experience, you might be able to get that with your degree if you wow them.
That1BlackGuy
Member
Another resource for those still looking:
http://www.freeworkathomeguide.com/legitimate-work-at-home-jobs/
Some work at home jobs, everyone is not always hiring but it can be a good resource to get paid temporarily if you know how to research. Let me give y'all a heads up that a lot of these gigs ain't gonna have you rollin in dough (most of the listings are for people with little-to-no experience); I recommend using it as something to hold you over and/or build experience while you find the job you are looking for.
Also don't sleep on Virtual (Administrative) Assistant jobs, a lot of companies and small businesses hire VAs for part time at-home work. They typically pay around $10-$15/hr from those I've run into though if you score a VA gig for an Owner or someone in a high management position I've seen those run $18+/hr. This can also be a great networking resource if you get hired.
Another reminder if you're looking for more career-oriented jobs (you have to pay a fee to sign up though, I can vouch for their legitimacy):
https://www.flexjobs.com/
Keep ya heads up.
http://www.freeworkathomeguide.com/legitimate-work-at-home-jobs/
Some work at home jobs, everyone is not always hiring but it can be a good resource to get paid temporarily if you know how to research. Let me give y'all a heads up that a lot of these gigs ain't gonna have you rollin in dough (most of the listings are for people with little-to-no experience); I recommend using it as something to hold you over and/or build experience while you find the job you are looking for.
Also don't sleep on Virtual (Administrative) Assistant jobs, a lot of companies and small businesses hire VAs for part time at-home work. They typically pay around $10-$15/hr from those I've run into though if you score a VA gig for an Owner or someone in a high management position I've seen those run $18+/hr. This can also be a great networking resource if you get hired.
Another reminder if you're looking for more career-oriented jobs (you have to pay a fee to sign up though, I can vouch for their legitimacy):
https://www.flexjobs.com/
Keep ya heads up.
Alright, but I'm also wearing slacks, a button shirt and a tie. It's gonna look strange lol.
Also, I'll be wearing a blue rain jacket that's pretty... extreme.
elrechazado
Banned
Haha, It's gonna be POURING down.
I'm conflicted on wearing them. They're water resistant.
elrechazado
Banned
Umbrella and rubbers (no, not that kind of rubber...)
Damn, good point. Haven't used an umbrella in a very, very long time.
Don't worry, I always carry rubbers.
elrechazado
Banned
Be safe
