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[ReyBrujo]

Some companies prefer students without prior experience so that they don't carry certain vices. But I agree with those who say you should try your best getting in as many internships as possible, it shows that you are actively trying to apply what you are learning.

Although I've been working in the same IT company for 13 years, I still check employment opportunities from time to time. The market is a bit tighter lately down here (Argentina) but it's still possible to get jobs if you are qualified.

We usually receive 5/10 applications every 6 months, and run the interviews ourselves (we don't have a proper HR department). One thing I like is when applicants have questions not only prepared beforehand, but questions based on what we talked. It means that they were paying attention to the conversation, that they are quick to understand and process the information, and that they are able to remember facts. Of course, the more interviews you participate in, the better you will become (unfortunately, it means that you aren't being successful in getting a position too).

 

[WEGGLES]

I had a few interviews (phone and in person) and haven't heard anything in a week+ since my last contact. I want to email them, but not sure what to say other than like "Helloooooo?". Or is it normal to not contact someone for more than a week after their third interview? Surely I'm owed a "no thanks" email at this point...

 

[Dreamwriter]

I had a few interviews (phone and in person) and haven't heard anything in a week+ since my last contact. I want to email them, but not sure what to say other than like "Helloooooo?". Or is it normal to not contact someone for more than a week after their third interview? Surely I'm owed a "no thanks" email at this point...

Not every company will send a "no thanks" email (though you should get one after in-person interviews). It shouldn't look bad to send an email asking what the current status is.

 

[Camp1nCarl]

You should ask for relocation assistance at least, they may kick in some money to help you move since you can't do a 7 hour commute. And maybe ask for a higher salary as well, for most companies they won't be offended unless you are *way* off from what they want to do, salary negotiation is actually normal. The fact that you made it this far means they want you, and to revoke the job offer entirely would mean more hassle (and more job-finding cost) for that company.

Where taking a low-salary job will hurt your chances in the future are cases where you can't avoid the question "What did you earn at your last job?" because they will most likely use that as the start of their salary negotiation.

Yes I will most likely try, but seeing as how this is an entry-level position I'm not sure they are going to budge on any of it. After getting a lot of outside opinions I'm hearing I should probably decline the offer and just keep pushing on the search, I'm just really conflicted on what to do ha. Like you mentioned too, I don't want to be screwed over when other companies see I was paid very low and then open up at low salaries like this one. Thanks for the input.

People can get stuck when they move somewhere they don't want to live.

Ehh, I'm not too considered with that personally. I'm a single guy that isn't planning on settling down so to speak. I know a lot of younger people think "that won't happen to me" as well, but I don't really have any issues packing my bags and switching locations.

 

[opticalmace]

Just think of it like this: they are listing their ideal candidate. If other people who are more qualified apply, then yes you might not get the job, but you may be better qualified than everyone else who applies. Also, a common problem these days is people who don't feel qualified for the jobs they actually have and are doing - so if people who *have* the job feel that way, then you might be qualified just the same as them.

As for hearing back, I don't hear back from the majority of the jobs I apply at, even if I *am* well qualified (grumble grumble...). So don't let that affect your job hunt.

Every application you send out is an opportunity. Use the opportunity to express your strengths and don't concentrate so much on your weaknesses, real or perceived.

This doesn't work if you're just spraying and praying. I know some people swear by the technique, but I've always found it better to send out fewer résumés/cover letters and tailor both to the particular company and the job.

Oh yeah, and you're most likely going to have a bunch of places either reject you outright or not even bother to reply. It's just the way things are, and not necessarily a slight against you. Persistence will pay off.

Good luck.

Thanks for the advice. I'm going to try to stay positive, though it is a bit hard!

 

[Syphon Filter]

I had a few interviews (phone and in person) and haven't heard anything in a week+ since my last contact. I want to email them, but not sure what to say other than like "Helloooooo?". Or is it normal to not contact someone for more than a week after their third interview? Surely I'm owed a "no thanks" email at this point...

Usually I would call 1-2 weeks if there is not reply. Just call them and ask for an update.

 

[ReyBrujo]

I had a few interviews (phone and in person) and haven't heard anything in a week+ since my last contact. I want to email them, but not sure what to say other than like "Helloooooo?". Or is it normal to not contact someone for more than a week after their third interview? Surely I'm owed a "no thanks" email at this point...

Companies take several interviews during several days, sometimes weeks. They should have told you when they were supposed to contact you, but they don't always do contact every single applicant. I'd think as if they had rejected you, and continue searching. You won't earn points by asking for an update, believe me, they aren't waiting to see who are interested in the job enough to call to hire them. Just as you understand they are interviewing a lot of people, companies understand that you are getting interviewed by several companies.

 

[Avixph]

Interview went exceptionally well. Boss lady wants me on board and will teach me her social media methodology which she says is different from traditional ones. It's as flexible as it needs even though there's a deadline in May. Sounds very, very promising.

Congratulations. Also if you don't mind me asking, what's the job and the company's name?

 

[Hylian7]

Dumb question, do employers lie about why they don't move forward with a candidate very often? The reason I ask is because i have gotten the "The position is on hold/budget problems/we were looking for a Java developer but LOL now we are looking for a PHP developer"

I've gotten those kinds of things so many times, and on positions that I had had an interview at, or they were about to schedule an on site interview.

The most bizarre one was at a company (a small one) that sent me a programming test to do, which was super easy and I aced it, sent it back. They called me back and said I aced it and wanted to bring me in for a pair programming session (basically how they do on site interviews). We set a date and time, but they hadn't given me address and parking information yet. The day before the interview, I email them and ask for that and then I get an email saying the interview is cancelled and we can't move forward with the position. I respond and ask what changed, and they say they lost a senior programmer and have to fill that now. They never called back, and any attempts to contact them I made later (after I saw the position I originally applied for back on job boards), nobody answered the phone or email. I called the recruiter I was in contact with and the company's general number.

These kinds of shenanigans are extremely frustrating.

 

[Makai]

Those sound like plausible stories to me.

 

[M52B28]

I had my REI interview today.

My interviewer said "I want to offer you this job." at the end. I said "Yes, I'm interested."

She said that I'm energetic, and I seem like a perfect fit. She really liked me. I answered basically all of her questions "perfectly."


She said she's going to send me a email about the background check confirmation soon. (Haven't gotten it yet, expecting tomorrow or Thursday.)

She told me that training is on April 2nd.

She was nervous at the beginning because she had shaky hands when handling the papers. I was chill as fuck.. I think I got the job, but man, this is the first time I've aced an interview.

Should I celebrate?

 

[anonymous_abc]

I had my REI interview today.

My interviewer said "I want to offer you this job." at the end. I said "Yes, I'm interested."

She said that I'm energetic, and I seem like a perfect fit. She really liked me. I answered basically all of her questions "perfectly."


She said she's going to send me a email about the background check confirmation soon. (Haven't gotten it yet, expecting tomorrow or Thursday.)

She told me that training is on April 2nd.

She was nervous at the beginning because she had shaky hands when handling the papers. I was chill as fuck.. I think I got the job, but man, this is the first time I've aced an interview.

Should I celebrate?

Never celebrate or stop writing applications till the chickens have come home to roost.
A verbal contract is not worth the paper it is written on. Many posters here can attest to that fact through painful experience.

 

[M52B28]

Never celebrate or stop writing applications till the chickens have come home to roost.
A verbal contract is not worth the paper it is written on. Many posters here can attest to that fact through painful experience.

Now I feel uneasy.

The interview was 40 min long.

 

[TBiddy]

Now I feel uneasy.

The interview was 40 min long.

Don't. They usually don't say "The job is yours", unless they actually mean it. There are exceptions, of course, but they are rare. Spend a day relaxing with your hobbies and you'll feel better!

 

[anonymous_abc]

Now I feel uneasy.

The interview was 40 min long.

Don't feel uneasy.
It's all part of the game.
Of course it is a good sign to come out of an interview with a fantastic feeling and them having said so.
But there are no guarantees. So celebration might be premature.

 

[OG Kush]

Yeh, you can feel better for yourself but don't celebrate until you get written proof of them saying we are offering you the job! Better to be safe than sorry. Whats the rush? I recently secured 2 internships, starting the first one on Monday, after applying for over 3 months. Similar thing happened with me where the guy said I really like you, you'll be a great fit for the company... but I only celebrated once he wrote an email to me actually offering the job.

 

[Zipzo]

Just spent almost 3 months in this rut, and was just today finally given an offer I could readily accept. It was something worse than hell.

I lost my job very suddenly due to my specific department just going completely under. I was absolutely devastated because my son was just born in October of 2015 and my wife is on maternity leave until he turns 1 (we live in Japan). Not to mention we have a dog.

These past 3 months have been some of the worst I could ever think of in my life, we're talking all manners of issues...wife pressures to find a new job, the whole not-getting-any-responses thing, running wire-thin on savings, having to actually borrow some money from my own wife to take the train to interviews. I argued with the misses constantly because she always felt I "could be doing more". The past month I wasn't even able to pay my share of the home. I'm only explaining the rough surface-view of what transpired but the dirty is in the details.

It has driven me to be utterly depressed and think really horrible things about myself.

 

[M52B28]

Yeh, you can feel better for yourself but don't celebrate until you get written proof of them saying we are offering you the job! Better to be safe than sorry. Whats the rush? I recently secured 2 internships, starting the first one on Monday, after applying for over 3 months. Similar thing happened with me where the guy said I really like you, you'll be a great fit for the company... but I only celebrated once he wrote an email to me actually offering the job.

well, she did say that she wanted to give it to me. I said yes and she said "okay, great!" She broke stuff down about what would happen next.

So, she offered me the job, like asking if I wanted to take it. It wasn't a suggestion, she asked me at the end of the interview. She said much more.

 

[Dreamwriter]

the whole not-getting-any-responses thing

That's really the worst part about applying for jobs - let me know if you aren't interested in me! I apply at dozens of places, only two of them send me emails turning me down, and two of them send emails for moving on in the interview process. How hard can it be to send a form letter about how you aren't what they are looking for right now?

 

[ReyBrujo]

Dumb question, do employers lie about why they don't move forward with a candidate very often? The reason I ask is because i have gotten the "The position is on hold/budget problems/we were looking for a Java developer but LOL now we are looking for a PHP developer"

It happened to us several times. The CEO himself (yeah) thinks that if a woman can give birth a baby in 9 months, 9 women can do it in one, so we suddenly get 4 or 5 applicants for a position we are fine. We still have to make the interview, and answer question and the like, but we later send mail backs saying they weren't accepted. However, we are one of the few companies that actually answer to every candidate (since the IT environment is not that big down here, it's good to have a good reputation, kind of "Yeah, they contact you if you couldn't pass the filter" thing.

 

[Kelia]

I had an interview yesterday for a before and care position ran by the local county government. They already handed me a bunch of paperwork that includes my W-4 and setting up direct deposit. They told me they were going to contact my references and I would hear about their decision on Friday.

I assume the fact that I got paperwork for the job to fill out is a good sign. Anyone have experience or advice regarding this?

I have another place (a preschool) that wants to contact me tomorrow. I am hoping this is good news. This is the place that wanted a fourth reference, which I was able to give them a few hours after the interview. I am disappointed that one of my references has not gotten back to them. The way they worded it makes it sound like they have gotten contact with the other references, so hopefully that is enough for them to make a decision.

 

[M52B28]

Lol, got the job. Turns out the email went directly to Junk in my box.

 

[Mika]

So I could use some advice. Started actively looking for a new job back in December. I've had a couple interviews so far, but nothing substantial.

The main problem seems to be the fact that I'm searching on the other side of the country. Currently I work in the DC area, but been trying to get something in Seattle (looking at Minneapolis and Boston as secondary options). I wonder if it wouldn't be in my best interest to move first and then job seek? Some of the pros and cons I've been concerned about:

Pro:

• I have family out in Kirkland. I may be able to stay with them for a bit and spend much less on living expenses.
• I have a decent amount of money saved up. Even if I have to move to an apartment, I should be able to weather over a year with no source of income.
• Being local has to be more attractive to recruiters than being 3 time zones away. I also won't be tied to 2-weeks notice time or moving time.
• I won't be driving any more. One reason I want to move is to remove driving from my life. It's incredibly mentally stressful for me, but with my current job's location there isn't a good alternative.

Con:

• Seattle already seems to be brimming with people looking for careers in the IT industry. I only have 3 years under my belt so far, and it feels like all the demand is for well-experienced and specialized people.
• Going off that, I feel like my experience so far is basically crap. I work a lot with SharePoint, basic administration, maintenance, and code-free development beyond what I can do with HTML/CSS/JS, but I don't really have opportunities to learn other new things here. Many IT positions ask for tons of technologies I've never even heard of, even if I wanted to try to study things on my own, I have no idea what direction to go in.
• If the job hunt drags on, would employers start passing me over if they saw a 6+ month gap in my employment?
• I don't have experience with networking, I sort of lucked out with my current position. Any advice on how to benefit from this would be appreciated.

Yeah, a lot of that is lack of confidence in myself, and I'll probably get "Just shut up and do it!" This is a shakeup that will literally change my entire life though, so I'm trying not to be too reckless.

 

[Jhoan]

Have you worked social media before... and doing what if I may ask?

I have an interview friday.. have any interview questions tips?

A bit but not an advanced understanding of it. However, my friend did a social media internship and taught me some advanced stuff including using Google AdWords to harness SEO and Twitter Analytics.I don't use it as often as I should for my personal Twitter account but I do look at it from time to time and have an Instagram account.

I have experience with Hootsuite from a former web content writing internship. In said internship, I had to follow influencers and post articles related to productivity on social media among other things.

Meeting up with the boss on Friday morning since I accepted the offer last night. The reason she brought me on is because of my writing experience and she senses that I'm a creative type. My boss is going to train me and we're going to set up all the social media platforms for her client since she has 0 online presence---despite being in the news--- before she sets me loose. This internship entails being everywhere her friend/client is going to be to take pictures of her (at her studio and at art galleries) Photoshop work, blasting content out to 12 different platforms, and what sounds like PR work. I'm going to be the Twitter/blog specialist but there's flexibility for other things should I want to do it.

As for interview tips, my therapist recommended watching this video (which I haven't seen yet admittedly): https://www.ted.com/talks/amy_cuddy_your_body_language_shapes_who_you_are?language=en

Basically you hold a power pose for 2 minutes (hands on hips, standing straight) before heading out to your interview and for 2 minutes right before the interview after you get to the place. The reason being to generate fake confidence and in order to adopt an open body language. I did the aforementioned yesterday and it seemed to work. However, will say that I did found myself putting my hand on my chin looking at my boss pensively and cocking an eyebrow when something she said caught my attention from time to time.

 

[Sectorseven]

This city job I want has a form you fill out and mail in. There's no mention of including a cv/resume, do I include one anyway?

 

[silenttype01]

Non-compete contracts suck.

I had a job lined up and as I was turning in my resignation letter, the owner says I can't work for the competitor because of the non-compete contract I signed when I first started working. Now I have to go to the job I wanted to let them know of the situation.

Non-compete contracts suck

 

[Makai]

Non-compete contracts suck.

I had a job lined up and as I was turning in my resignation letter, the owner says I can't work for the competitor because of the non-compete contract I signed when I first started working. Now I have to go to the job I wanted to let them know of the situation.

Non-compete contracts suck

Those aren't enforceable in many states.

 

[meowmixer]

I wonder if I woke up tomorrow and realized this whole life had been a dream, would I think of it as a pleasant fantasy or a nightmare?

 

[Dreamwriter]

Non-compete contracts suck.

I had a job lined up and as I was turning in my resignation letter, the owner says I can't work for the competitor because of the non-compete contract I signed when I first started working. Now I have to go to the job I wanted to let them know of the situation.

Non-compete contracts suck

Note that even someone working at Google or Microsoft can get a job working at Apple or Amazon. Non-competes are designed to protect local businesses from sniping eachother's employees, so when it becomes vague enough to apply to the entire internet, that's when it becomes unenforceable (or in some cases, like California, they aren't enforceable period). Maybe find an employment lawyer to have him look at the contract you signed.

 

[TheBryanJZX90]

So the second week of January I had a phone interview with this place, really interesting, work related to what I do now tangentially but in a different industry so plenty of room to grow, got to use some Japanese in my interview even. Guy I talked to warned me that they can be a little slow in bringing someone on. He was right. I didn't hear anything for a loooong time and my follow-up attempts with the guy I spoke with didn't produce any response. Finally six weeks later at the end of February I hear that they want to bring me in for an in person interview with five different people. That happened last week. Two of the five had things pop up the day of, so they couldn't participate. And these two were at the head of the office, as far as I can tell. But I still met with everyone available, it was a monster 3-hour interview for me total, but it was awesome. Really liked the place and they really seemed to like me. Best interview experience I've had in a long long time.

But now that was a week ago, and I haven't heard anything, whether I'll need to interview with the other two people that had conflicts, whether they're just going to make a decision, no idea. Maaaan I do not want to wait another six weeks before hearing anything.

 

[Dreamwriter]

This is frustrating - I've been contacting literally dozens of companies, going through my contacts and every job I can find that fits my (extensive) experience, but hearing almost nothing back, good or bad. But I just moved (back) to Seattle so I could be already here for interviews and so my resume wouldn't just be thrown away as "there's just as good people already in the area". Since I'm staying here with friends (can't get an apartment without a job), I don't want to take an entire month to get a job - I didn't expect to just not hear anything at all once I could give a Seattle-area address as my home address. I really wish companies would at least be courteous enough to send "you aren't what we're interested in" form letters, otherwise I'm just left in the dark.

So far I've had phone-call interviews and online technical tests with all of two companies (one is really slow at every process, the other one I flubbed the third phone call), and had just one company I had sent an application to say they weren't interested.

 

[MC Safety]

really wish companies would at least be courteous enough to send "you aren't what we're interested in" form letters, otherwise I'm just left in the dark.

I totally understand the frustration. I think, though, companies get hundreds of applications for every open job. It might be prohibitive to send rejection letters to every applicant.

I'm sure there's some type of automated process that would facilitate things, too. Maybe no one cares to use it?

The best thing is to assume you're sending your résumé and cover letter into a void.

 

[lord]

So I could use some advice. Started actively looking for a new job back in December. I've had a couple interviews so far, but nothing substantial.

The main problem seems to be the fact that I'm searching on the other side of the country. Currently I work in the DC area, but been trying to get something in Seattle (looking at Minneapolis and Boston as secondary options). I wonder if it wouldn't be in my best interest to move first and then job seek? Some of the pros and cons I've been concerned about:

Pro:

• I have family out in Kirkland. I may be able to stay with them for a bit and spend much less on living expenses.
• I have a decent amount of money saved up. Even if I have to move to an apartment, I should be able to weather over a year with no source of income.
• Being local has to be more attractive to recruiters than being 3 time zones away. I also won't be tied to 2-weeks notice time or moving time.
• I won't be driving any more. One reason I want to move is to remove driving from my life. It's incredibly mentally stressful for me, but with my current job's location there isn't a good alternative.

Con:

• Seattle already seems to be brimming with people looking for careers in the IT industry. I only have 3 years under my belt so far, and it feels like all the demand is for well-experienced and specialized people.
• Going off that, I feel like my experience so far is basically crap. I work a lot with SharePoint, basic administration, maintenance, and code-free development beyond what I can do with HTML/CSS/JS, but I don't really have opportunities to learn other new things here. Many IT positions ask for tons of technologies I've never even heard of, even if I wanted to try to study things on my own, I have no idea what direction to go in.
• If the job hunt drags on, would employers start passing me over if they saw a 6+ month gap in my employment?
• I don't have experience with networking, I sort of lucked out with my current position. Any advice on how to benefit from this would be appreciated.

Yeah, a lot of that is lack of confidence in myself, and I'll probably get "Just shut up and do it!" This is a shakeup that will literally change my entire life though, so I'm trying not to be too reckless.

After three years you should really be looking for something you're experienced in, for dev positions it is far more lucrative for the both parties. If you work a lot with SharePoint, you should look around that area, I see there's a few openings related to that: http://jobs.monster.com/search/?q=sharepoint&where=Washington

If you want to switch technologies you need to pick a popular framework or dev environment (AngularJS, Django, Laravel, whatever) and work on your time on projects, freelance, OSS. Even then you can expect to start at a Junior/Trainee level. It sucks but it's doable. Also, you need to organize your career and pick a path, and get a job that will not only help you live but also that will advance your career or give you desirable experience.

Also, yes a 6 month gap is bad for your CV, it's not complete deal breaker but you can expect to be asked about it and you need to be prepared to give a good answer.

Just my 2c of course.

 

[Syphon Filter]

This is frustrating - I've been contacting literally dozens of companies, going through my contacts and every job I can find that fits my (extensive) experience, but hearing almost nothing back, good or bad. But I just moved (back) to Seattle so I could be already here for interviews and so my resume wouldn't just be thrown away as "there's just as good people already in the area". Since I'm staying here with friends (can't get an apartment without a job), I don't want to take an entire month to get a job - I didn't expect to just not hear anything at all once I could give a Seattle-area address as my home address. I really wish companies would at least be courteous enough to send "you aren't what we're interested in" form letters, otherwise I'm just left in the dark.

So far I've had phone-call interviews and online technical tests with all of two companies (one is really slow at every process, the other one I flubbed the third phone call), and had just one company I had sent an application to say they weren't interested.

If it takes about 2 weeks and no answer then just call for an update. If they were interested they will call you so i wouldn't worry about that.

 

[Estellex]

Some companies prefer students without prior experience so that they don't carry certain vices.

Man I never though I would hear this....

 

[ReyBrujo]

Man I never though I would hear this....

lol, you can't begin to imagine the vices some people can carry from other jobs. When I started working (as a tester in this company) I joined because a new programmer had joined a few months before and who had read a book about extreme programming. He came with the idea about getting a testing group instead of testing the software themselves (duh) but he was also a mastermind in terms of design patterns. So, while we have him there we improved the code several times over (I was promoted to programmer 3 months after joining the company), and could pick up what he learned everyone else. Now, most of the programmers we interview that have prior experience come with horrible, horrible behaviours, like using single-letter variables or Hungarian notation, breaking the document/view presentation (like placing logic code inside the graphical interface), etc, etc. And programmers are proudest people in IT, they (I included) think their code is perfect, and that if someone else's code is illegible, they should rewrite it to "improve" it. So, telling someone with 15 years of experience, "Look, you are supposed to place that code inside a class instead of the form" they would look at you with a face that says "it's the same, isn't it?"

Of course, it depends on the position, since we must pretty much train everyone from scratch, it's the same for us (or even better) if they come knowing the language but not applying it incorrectly for years rather than the opposite.

If the job hunt drags on, would employers start passing me over if they saw a 6+ month gap in my employment?

Also, yes a 6 month gap is bad for your CV, it's not complete deal breaker but you can expect to be asked about it and you need to be prepared to give a good answer.

One of my previous Japanese teachers was a girl who studied in Japan, then came to Argentina for a postgraduate. When we asked her whether she would return to Japan she would say that it was too hard for her to get a job there as her CV had gaps from when she decided to skip classes to do charity work.

In my experience, if the gap is at the end (like, you worked 3 years non-stop and then had a 6 month gap), there isn't any problem. If your CV is filled with gaps, though (like, worked 3 years, then 6 months gap, then 2 years, then 6 months gap, then 5 years, then 1 year gap, etc) we would check whether he was fired or quit, and if he quit, why he couldn't find jobs immediately, as you usually quit a job when you already have another prepared. If you often quit, it means you have behaviour problems.

If you ask me, sign up for some course, seminar or similar if you spend a month or more without a job. There are usually free ones, or if you can spend some money, sign up for language courses or something oriented to your job (like, programming, etc). In interviews it's vital that, whenever you say something bad about yourself, you also mention something you have done to try to fix that. So, if you mention that (or they ask you why) you have spent the last six months without a job, you can immediately say that while you were looking for a job, you were attending seminars or preparing yourself in new techniques.

 

[Estellex]

How effective is it to apply for jobs via Linkedin?

 

[Makai]

How effective is it to apply for jobs via Linkedin?

It works if you send out like 50 of them.

 

[Mihael Mello Keehl]

A bit but not an advanced understanding of it. However, my friend did a social media internship and taught me some advanced stuff including using Google AdWords to harness SEO and Twitter Analytics.I don't use it as often as I should for my personal Twitter account but I do look at it from time to time and have an Instagram account.

I have experience with Hootsuite from a former web content writing internship. In said internship, I had to follow influencers and post articles related to productivity on social media among other things.

Meeting up with the boss on Friday morning since I accepted the offer last night. The reason she brought me on is because of my writing experience and she senses that I'm a creative type. My boss is going to train me and we're going to set up all the social media platforms for her client since she has 0 online presence---despite being in the news--- before she sets me loose. This internship entails being everywhere her friend/client is going to be to take pictures of her (at her studio and at art galleries) Photoshop work, blasting content out to 12 different platforms, and what sounds like PR work. I'm going to be the Twitter/blog specialist but there's flexibility for other things should I want to do it.

As for interview tips, my therapist recommended watching this video (which I haven't seen yet admittedly): https://www.ted.com/talks/amy_cuddy_your_body_language_shapes_who_you_are?language=en

Basically you hold a power pose for 2 minutes (hands on hips, standing straight) before heading out to your interview and for 2 minutes right before the interview after you get to the place. The reason being to generate fake confidence and in order to adopt an open body language. I did the aforementioned yesterday and it seemed to work. However, will say that I did found myself putting my hand on my chin looking at my boss pensively and cocking an eyebrow when something she said caught my attention from time to time.

Thankyou. Damn

Idk now... I run a instagram, twitter, fb, and website (I keep private) posting new shit everyday across all four of those with a fulltime job 40+ hours a week, writing articles and press releases everyday. Thing is I never mess with SEO yet and analytics. I should be ok my instagram is at 4K followers...more than the company i have an interview with so we'll see how this goes.. welp

 

[gwailo]

How effective is it to apply for jobs via Linkedin?

It seems to depend on the industry and area you work in, but I got my last 2 jobs through recruiters contacting me through the site. I noticed that their job listings tend to be more legit than other job sites. Not a lot of BS sales or temp jobs listed. I think all of the job listings have to be permanent positions directly through the company.

 

[Royal_Phalanx]

Do you have any experience at all? That job title basically sounds like a glorified teller where you'll be expected to upsell products like brokerage accounts. So they are usually not super picky about particular experience, if say you were a cashier at Wal-Mart, that's probably enough. Even not, it never hurt to try. Again, since it is basically a sales job, they will usually bring in a wide variety of candidates. A friend of mine had zero real world experience besides a couple of waiter/bartending gigs and he got a teller job at Wells Fargo, and was able to move on to working international markets at their corporate HQ because he turned out to be a good salesman.

I've worked in a temp warehouse job over Christmas, but other than that, no long term work experience.

Never celebrate or stop writing applications till the chickens have come home to roost.
A verbal contract is not worth the paper it is written on. Many posters here can attest to that fact through painful experience.

Yep, went for an interview at McDonalds and the lady who interviewed me decided to skip the On Job Assessment that other candidates had to go through because I "seemed eager and enthusiastic and had a great personality" and she thought that I would definitely do well in it anyway, so she felt no need to go through with it. All the signs were good, then lo and behold, ended up with a dreaded rejection email a few days later.

 

[gwailo]

I've worked in a temp warehouse job over Christmas, but other than that, no long term work experience.



Yep, went for an interview at McDonalds and the lady who interviewed me decided to skip the On Job Assessment that other candidates had to go through because I "seemed eager and enthusiastic and had a great personality" and she thought that I would definitely do well in it anyway, so she felt no need to go through with it. All the signs were good, then lo and behold, ended up with a dreaded rejection email a few days later.

You may be in a trap in that places think you are "overqualified" via being older and/or having a college degree. So they think you will leave at the drop of a hat for a better job.

Are you still in contact with the agency that got you the temp job, or registered with others? I would contact them to see if they have some sort of data entry/processing job available, it is boring but easy work, pay above minimum wage, and you will get some experience to put on a resume.

 

[Hylian7]

I'm tired of this bullshit. I met with a recruiter last week in person for a position with a position in a company (Jr. Java Developer). He said I would hear something this week. I called him today, no answer, so I left a voice mail. He emailed me back and said he was on a call at the time, but that the company is looking for a Sr./Lead developer instead.

This is the umpteenth time I have gotten stupid fucking bullshit like this. I'm so tired of it.

 

[Makai]

I'm tired of this bullshit. I met with a recruiter last week in person for a position with a position in a company (Jr. Java Developer). He said I would hear something this week. I called him today, no answer, so I left a voice mail. He emailed me back and said he was on a call at the time, but that the company is looking for a Sr./Lead developer instead.

This is the umpteenth time I have gotten stupid fucking bullshit like this. I'm so tired of it.

Companies are notoriously bad at hiring people.

 

[entremet]

Companies are notoriously bad at hiring people.

That's the truth. Recruitment is hard.

 

[Dreamwriter]

Here's a stupidity: company posts a job listing, in listing it asks you to write a paragraph in your cover letter why you want to do that particular job. So I follow their instructions. Later I get an email from the company, all it asks is "Why do you want to do this particular job?" OK, I get that companies tend to ignore cover letters these days, but when you specifically ask for information in the CV, you should then read the CV to see the info there if you really care about it.

 

[cpp_is_king]

Here's a stupidity: company posts a job listing, in listing it asks you to write a paragraph in your cover letter why you want to do that particular job. So I follow their instructions. Later I get an email from the company, all it asks is "Why do you want to do this particular job?" OK, I get that companies tend to ignore cover letters these days, but when you specifically ask for information in the CV, you should then read the CV to see the info there if you really care about it.

The correct response is "actually I don't think i do. The fact that you fail to realize you already asked me that suggests I'm probably going to have to put up with a level of bullshit that exceeds my tolerance threshold. Best of luck in your search."

 

[truly101]

I no longer work at the company I was employed at for almost 12 years. While I would have preferred to have something lined up before I left, the situation became untenable and here I am.
I have a 4 year bachelors degree that other than saying I graduated from a 4 year accredited university is useless. I'm actually in the process in getting two associate degrees in networking technology and information systems security. There are plenty of jobs in in those field but they need the certifications. So know I'm looking for something that can pay the bills, help support a family but still allow time for class.
I hate looking for jobs.

 

[Hylian7]

Here's a stupidity: company posts a job listing, in listing it asks you to write a paragraph in your cover letter why you want to do that particular job. So I follow their instructions. Later I get an email from the company, all it asks is "Why do you want to do this particular job?" OK, I get that companies tend to ignore cover letters these days, but when you specifically ask for information in the CV, you should then read the CV to see the info there if you really care about it.

What's even more irritating?

*link on job board goes to their application site, whether it's Taleo or whatever*

"Upload your resume"

"Now fill in your job and education history manually"

 

[WEGGLES]

Interview tomorrow. So nervous. Been out of work for nearly two months and it's killing me. Really bringing me down...


I feel that I'm capable of the job I am interviewing for, I'm just worried I'll choke in the interview. Normally I interview well, but this job search I haven't had a ton of hits, so it really ups the pressure when I have an interview.