Mysterious
Banned
What is it with companies calling you to say you have an offer instead of emailing it? Had it happen twice.
Applying for jobs is exhausting and soul-crushing
- Thread starter Moofers
- Start date
Humblebrag 8)
I hate when recruiters call me instead of emailing first. Often at inopportune times, like when I'm trying to sleep in.
Roland_Gunner
Member
Sure, companies waste tons of your time during the interview process, why not waste some of theirs? If its a smaller company, it could get tricky if they actually move forward with you. So have a good excuse ready if that happens.
HarryHengst
Member
Just do it. Who knows, it might be a great company and they do you a good offer and you end up having a better job than you got now.
Dam, thanks for the heads up!
HarryHengst
Member
Pretty much yeah. Interviews seem mostly for "do i like this person enough that i want to see him/her 40 hours a week''. Sometimes they do things like a technical test, but before they give that you already passed the cv/cover letter test.
Syphon Filter
Member
Interesting, at least they are calling you for feedback. Never heard or saw someone going that far just to give feedback. It's a positive regardless because you can learn from that feedback.
Dreamwriter
Member
They generally wouldn't do that if you were completely out. It might be a case where they like you, but have some concerns and are hoping you can explain some of them away on the phone call.
I interviewed with a recruiter that recommended me for another role, did a skype interview with the hiring manager then they offered to fly me out for four hours of interviews. They paid $1400 for hotel, car and flight. Must be nice to have so much money you can just give it away like that. Interviews went great, a week later they ask me to do this complicated excel homework assignment. How much more do they need!? I wanted it perfect so I spend 9 hours on it.
A week has passed, nothing. Followed up Wednesday, still nothing back today (Friday). Goddamn HR staff just love to torture us don't they? Just send me a rejection or an offer but get it over with!
A week has passed, nothing. Followed up Wednesday, still nothing back today (Friday). Goddamn HR staff just love to torture us don't they? Just send me a rejection or an offer but get it over with!
BannedEpisode
Member
They got you to do free consulting work. Cheaper than the flight and hotel. I've heard smart people say not to do any projects for the company during the interview process.
That's a cynical angle but some companies do that. Give it some time, filling a job is either super fast or painfully slow.
ISWThunder
Member
They have all the power.
Some of their requests are beyond ridiculous. I applied for a position, part-time/freelance type gig. Their response, probably automated, was basically an entire days worth of work as a placement test.
Yea, no thanks. But if I was desperate for a job, I probably would have done it.
In the past month I have interviewed with 3 separate organizations and have made it to a third interview in each only to not hear anything back after that. To me this is even worse than not getting an interview in the first place. From everything I have read, third interviews mostly means you got the job but after having reached this point 3 times and still nothing its extremely disheartening. It almost feels like the organizations are about to make an offer but then decide at the last minute to back out or that they saw something and reconsidered their decision.
The most recent interview was exactly 2 weeks ago from today and still no word. I have followed up with each company about a week after the last interview and only get the standard "we are still in the process of finalizing our decision" BS which basically means we decided we don't want to hire you but don't want to say no.
Is there any secret as to what to say during a third interview?
The most recent interview was exactly 2 weeks ago from today and still no word. I have followed up with each company about a week after the last interview and only get the standard "we are still in the process of finalizing our decision" BS which basically means we decided we don't want to hire you but don't want to say no.
Is there any secret as to what to say during a third interview?
All this applying is absolutely killing me. I've been searching for a graduate scheme since before I finished my degree and I still haven't gotten anything. 95% of the companies you apply to won't give you feedback and those that usually just say that they've found someone whose skills have a closer match with what the company wants. I swear to God I just want to give up but I have no alternative. Why can't I just find a rich girl with poor taste in men.
Dreamwriter
Member
Just had a phone interview and it went great! Unfortunately, I have no real experience in what the company is doing (I'm a game developer with tons of experience with Unity and mobile games, they are a AAA console developer using Unreal Engine who has decided never to touch mobile), so there's a good chance they might discount me for that. Unless I did a good enough job convincing him that I can learn new stuff quickly... The good news is I asked about the next step in the process (great last question when they say "Do you have any questions for me?"), and he said I'll know Monday if I made it past that step and onto the next, so at least I'll know soon.
NipplesAndToes23
Member
I really, really hope you get this job. If they called you, your experience with game design proves that you're worthy of consideration.
I had a phone interview last week and was told I was supposed to get another one this week, but I got no call this week.
TheBryanJZX90
Member
I haven't posted in this thread much but I've been actively searching for a new job for almost 10 months now. It's been pretty disheartening at times, there was a huge hiring frenzy right around January this year and 5 out of the 6 people who were at around the same level of experience as me at my current company left for other jobs. I was afraid I was going to get left behind. But I got an offer today! And it wasn't even at the company I was talking about in my quoted post up there. It's another company that I was interested in, they were going to schedule me for a second interview in a couple weeks but apparently they just changed their minds and made me an offer instead. Pretty pumped. Oh yeah, and it's a 66% raise over my current salary, holy crap. And who knows, the company I talked about in the quoted post might get back to me real soon, maybe I will have a little decision to make.
Intresting, I was a bit confused because my application on there website still says being processed, so it's not like that's been updated.
Apologies if this is the wrong thread for this but I need some advice.
So I currently have a permanent job in retail, but in an admin/process based role. It's part time, but I get enough hours through overtime that my pay isn't absolutely terrible.
I've been looking for another job though for the past few months for various reasons - it's part time, I have zero advancement or development opportunities, and management seem to want to gut my position and just have me stack shelves instead.
I've been looking for permanent positions and I've had a couple of interviews that haven't gone anywhere so I'm now wondering if I should keep my options open with regards to temp work. Up until now I've not really considered it as I need the money from stable work and I'm not really a risk-taker, but I do want to leave my current position whenever I can.
I've had a couple of agencies interested in giving me temp work and I imagine the experience and skills I could get would be a big help - I feel I struggle to convince prospective employers that I have relevant office experience because I work in retail, even though I generally meet their specifications.
Thoughts/experiences? I can see the advantages to temp work but, again, I'm a bit loathe to leave a permanent job - even an awful, dead-end one, for something that isn't reliable. I'm in the UK if that matters.
So I currently have a permanent job in retail, but in an admin/process based role. It's part time, but I get enough hours through overtime that my pay isn't absolutely terrible.
I've been looking for another job though for the past few months for various reasons - it's part time, I have zero advancement or development opportunities, and management seem to want to gut my position and just have me stack shelves instead.
I've been looking for permanent positions and I've had a couple of interviews that haven't gone anywhere so I'm now wondering if I should keep my options open with regards to temp work. Up until now I've not really considered it as I need the money from stable work and I'm not really a risk-taker, but I do want to leave my current position whenever I can.
I've had a couple of agencies interested in giving me temp work and I imagine the experience and skills I could get would be a big help - I feel I struggle to convince prospective employers that I have relevant office experience because I work in retail, even though I generally meet their specifications.
Thoughts/experiences? I can see the advantages to temp work but, again, I'm a bit loathe to leave a permanent job - even an awful, dead-end one, for something that isn't reliable. I'm in the UK if that matters.
Mihael Mello Keehl
Banned
Crazy but I did the interview for the intern to that social media gig at the startup... And they absolutely loved me the guy whos doing it now which i will be interning for loved the fact that I was a gamer and played video games. He said he plays WoW or some shit. I showed him and the lady that interviewed me all of the shit I be working on for my own site and social media platforms for Free and they were impressed by it. They loved me alot and told me how the company became and all that jazz.. that was a question I asked. But yeah that was the best interview I ever been to was laughing with the lady, the guy really liked me as well. She was very cute! lol.. But yeah if they hire me I will be interning for the guy as hes gonna move on and is needed in the strategic marketing section or something and trying to pass the social media management to someone else. Damn I hope I get hired.. Id be out of retail! lol fuck that shit.
But yeah they told me I will be contactied in the upcoming week so heres prayers.. This would be a huge break! and blessing!
But yeah they told me I will be contactied in the upcoming week so heres prayers.. This would be a huge break! and blessing!
It's a tough decisions. Say things don't work out after the temp job, in how bad a situation will you be?
Hope you all the best! Just, don't cry for 12 months straight if you don't get it
(you will)Ventilaator
Banned
At one point I posted here saying how cover letters seem pointless and how I'm pretty sure nobody even reads them.
...I just had an interview where they specifically pointed out how they liked my cover letter.
...I just had an interview where they specifically pointed out how they liked my cover letter.
ReyBrujo
Member
I can't suggest you to do something or not, because we all must take decisions personally, but it depends on whether you feel satisfied or not with what you are doing, and whether you want to continue advancing (regardless of the company). So, take a look back at when you started with the job, what expectations you had (like, saving enough to buy a motorcycle in a determined amount of time, advance from one position to another, get certain responsibilities, etc) and compare those with what you have now. Have you achieved what you expected to?
That brings a point: we should all have goals when we join a new company, and sometimes after some years those goals get blurred, so it's useful to make a note somewhere about what were you hoping for when you started looking for a job, what you hoped to achieve after you joined a company (both goals might not relate, you might have hoped to be a CEO before you started looking for a job but joined a company that told you you could, at most, become manager in a branch), and whether you fulfilled your goals today, when you are considering switching jobs.
- If a few goals have been achieved, and some others are still reachable, there shouldn't be any problem in staying in the company.
- If all of your goals have been achieved, it's time to create new ones. If you can't (because, say, you reached manager position and it's impossible to go higher for you), are you satisfied with what you have now? In a year with no goals, will you continue to be satisfied. In 5 years?
- If none of your goals have been achieved (and enough time have passed for you to consider you should have achieved some at least), maybe it's time to consider a new start.
In my case, I'm in a very horizontal company, there's the CEO, there's a coordinator, and then we, programmers. So, at most I could become coordinator, but knowing the only difference between a coordinator and me is that he has meetings on weekends with the CEO, and that I'm earning the same as him, I don't really care about that position. I started as a tester, and wished to become a full programmer, which I managed in 3 months. So, for the past 12 years I've had no goals within the company to fulfil (of course, I want the company to have a breakthrough and I hope that will push our benefits ahead, but that doesn't actually depend on me). What's keeping me here? Well, I earn very good money, and I'm having my house built. In fact, when I looked around for new jobs I added a new goal for me: to finish my house before leaving the company, which I hope to reach. Once that happens, I'll again run out of goals, so I'd sit again and check my past, present and future goals (nearing 40, you start appreciating stability more and more).
I always tell people that companies ask for people "between 30 and 35 years old". That's the critical age. Until then you can switch companies, gain experience, etc. But once you reach 30 you should have solid foundation in your area of expertise. And by the time you reach 35 you should have found the company in which to spend several years, a decade or more. There are smart people here that work at banks, earn good money but hate the job, and by the time they reach 40, they have enough saved to quit and do whatever they want. Some others find a job they love and stay there for quite a long time (as in my case). In my case it's much easier because I don't have a family to sustain, otherwise it would no longer be a matter of whether you enjoy what you do, but whether you and your family could endure times without a permanent job.
Mihael Mello Keehl
Banned
I'll cry for a week straight I betIt's a tough decisions. Say things don't work out after the temp job, in how bad a situation will you be?
Hope you all the best! Just, don't cry for 12 months straight if you don't get it
Dreamwriter
Member
Just don't accidentally send the wrong message to the wrong site...
SolidSnakeUS
Member
Gotta love when you apply to 40+ jobs in like a month and get one call...
Wanted to drop in on this thread because even though I've gone through this process multiple times (for my current job I had to go through four rounds of interviews, which was pretty nerve-wracking), I also had the chance to sit on the other side of the table recently, in a hiring round-table deciding between multiple candidates for an open assistant position, and it was... illuminating.
Obviously different companies will have different hiring procedures, but I was struck by how there wasn't any clear consensus on who the "best" candidate was. All candidates had the basic qualifications for the job, no question. All generally interviewed well. Even though it's a cliche, the person with the most experience and "best qualifications" won't necessarily get the position - in this case, there were concerns about whether the "best qualified" candidate was serious about this position, or was just looking for a temporary change of pace and would leave soon after getting hired, or whether s/he would get bored or frustrated. Each interviewer seemed to have a (different) personal favorite, and different interviewers could have wildly varying views of the same candidate.
So I guess the point is... don't take it to heart too much if you feel you interviewed well and have the best qualifications, then get a result which you don't understand. The process can be arbitrary and subjective, and the decision-makers can have conflicting opinions. Companies aren't necessarily looking for the most qualified candidate, and take a lot of soft factors into account. It takes time to schedule and complete interviews with multiple candidates, and most people are juggling conducting interviews with their actual day-to-day work, so you're not necessarily going to get a speedy response.
And just some minor, basic advice on my part... if you're applying for any job which requires attention to detail - please, please proofread your resume and cover letter and make sure they're grammatically correct and your formatting is consistent. Can't tell you how many resumes I've seen highlighting "attention to detail" as a core skill... only to be followed by a bunch of errors.
Obviously different companies will have different hiring procedures, but I was struck by how there wasn't any clear consensus on who the "best" candidate was. All candidates had the basic qualifications for the job, no question. All generally interviewed well. Even though it's a cliche, the person with the most experience and "best qualifications" won't necessarily get the position - in this case, there were concerns about whether the "best qualified" candidate was serious about this position, or was just looking for a temporary change of pace and would leave soon after getting hired, or whether s/he would get bored or frustrated. Each interviewer seemed to have a (different) personal favorite, and different interviewers could have wildly varying views of the same candidate.
So I guess the point is... don't take it to heart too much if you feel you interviewed well and have the best qualifications, then get a result which you don't understand. The process can be arbitrary and subjective, and the decision-makers can have conflicting opinions. Companies aren't necessarily looking for the most qualified candidate, and take a lot of soft factors into account. It takes time to schedule and complete interviews with multiple candidates, and most people are juggling conducting interviews with their actual day-to-day work, so you're not necessarily going to get a speedy response.
And just some minor, basic advice on my part... if you're applying for any job which requires attention to detail - please, please proofread your resume and cover letter and make sure they're grammatically correct and your formatting is consistent. Can't tell you how many resumes I've seen highlighting "attention to detail" as a core skill... only to be followed by a bunch of errors.
PeterLegend
Member
When i got laid off last year i was unemployed for 5 weeks. During those 5 weeks i applied to 250-280 jobs and went on 10 interviews....you need to put in more work
SolidSnakeUS
Member
Sadly, for where I live right now (at home), it would basically involve moving (which I'm not ready to do yet because of someone near me, who I don't want to go far away from), it's kind of tough. For me to get better IT jobs and opportunities, I'd basically have to move near the DC area. I even have a head hunter who hasn't been very successful at finding jobs for me.
Depending on his industry, applying for jobs may require a bit more effort than tweaking names in a cover letter and resume and hitting submit. There could also be other factors including where he lives, etc. Get off your high horse about it.
Dreamwriter
Member
You also assume his industry has that many open positions. I'm a game programmer, and even in Seattle (the second-best place in the US for game jobs), there's not more than 100 job openings for game programmers, let alone 250. I've basically applied for all the jobs available that I am qualified for, and even a few I'm not (that I'd have to really bone up on and study to be able to do), and I've gotten just 4 or 5 responses, and those didn't come until a couple weeks after I started applying.
Trying to re-attack this stuff as my temp position heads into the final phase (out of work pending April 22nd). I was slacking off on doing strong prepwork for going into interviews. Also going to try caffeine for a morning interview on Tuesday to see if i can't get sharp.
It seems like this one is a better fit per my background, too, based not so much on what they do as how they do it.
It seems like this one is a better fit per my background, too, based not so much on what they do as how they do it.
And what if his/her expertise doesn't grant him/her same number of jobs available as yours?
Now here's an odd one. I remembered today, about a week late, to send a thank-you email to the local Opera who interviewed me a bit ago. Same day, the woman replies asking me to call her tomorrow and that she needs to "talk to me about something."
am i... am i gonna get laid?
am i... am i gonna get laid?
Seriously, this has to be good, right?
Just sent a job application on Friday and about to send another for a role that is geared towards my degree one tomorrow. Got my fingers cross that I will get a call back for an interview.
In the mean time my mother is telling me to sign on but I am really not fond of that idea as signing on is one of the most depressing thing that I have ever done.
Yeah I hate that shit as well, which makes getting a no all the more annoying as you put all that effort into it and they just casually toss it out and say no.
In the mean time my mother is telling me to sign on but I am really not fond of that idea as signing on is one of the most depressing thing that I have ever done.
Yeah I hate that shit as well, which makes getting a no all the more annoying as you put all that effort into it and they just casually toss it out and say no.
My guess is that the resume is for the human (if you get there) and the manual part is for the computer filter.
Complex Shadow
Cudi Lame
Worse yet is when each website requires you to make an account. Bonus points if youre password must be a certain lenth with numbers and letters.
So i think i was offered a temp-to-hire by the Opera. Basically they're admitting that they're taking their sweet time looking for the right candidate, but they also need someone doing that work now, and they like me from the early candidates. They were very clear that it did not guarantee i would get hired at the end of it all, but pointed out that it would give me something of an inside track because then i would have direct experience in all the competencies of the job, and if they liked me and i showed a good ethic, then that helps put me above people they interview in the future.
Drawback is that i would be ditching my current temp job which would probably put me in the doghouse with them, but i told the Opera if they think they'll be working me later than April 22nd, then that's a win for me because the current temp job expires then.
They just want to make sure they can match what i'm getting paid, which, i kind of hope they could because if they hired me right now for salary, i'd hope to make at least roughly $5k a year more than i'm making now in the hourly equivalent, so if they don't have the budget for the one that shows they don't have the budget for the other.
Drawback is that i would be ditching my current temp job which would probably put me in the doghouse with them, but i told the Opera if they think they'll be working me later than April 22nd, then that's a win for me because the current temp job expires then.
They just want to make sure they can match what i'm getting paid, which, i kind of hope they could because if they hired me right now for salary, i'd hope to make at least roughly $5k a year more than i'm making now in the hourly equivalent, so if they don't have the budget for the one that shows they don't have the budget for the other.
I love when the executive director of my internship invites me to an informal coffee outing just to tell me that I can use her as a reference I love being told that I need to intern more to get a job I love when internships are not qualified working experiences I love working at retail
Syphon Filter
Member
I love working at retail
internships are qualified work experience.
ReyBrujo
Member
I remember when a friend told us his company set up a page where to create a user with login and password to upload the resume. They would filter out anyone using silly passwords, because for them this was their first test, that they took the job offer seriously. He compared that to going to the interview with unpolished shoes or drawing a stick figure when asked to draw a man in paper for the psychology test.
Complex Shadow
Cudi Lame
that is not only the dumbest way ive heard to filter someone. but may also be the worst.
CreepingFear
Member
Just wanted to give you guys an update on the job I thought I blew for trying to negotiate up, but didn't. I'm in my second week. It's much more laid back than the two previous IT jobs I had before. I don't have to meet some sort of quota for calls. It's about quality. I think I might have found a place I can stay for at least a few years, before I move back to Chicago.
Yeah my supervisor and managers are crazy busy when they have interviews. They have to plan the interview and meet with our boss and payroll to discuss it. On top of doing their work and dealing with the stuff we ask them.
Conscience Falls
Member
This has actually been a fairly cathartic read for me as odd as that sounds. I've been applying for internships/summer jobs in the Film & Media industry since mid-November and have received a total of 3 responses. I'm Canadian, heading into my fourth and final year of University, aware that it's not the end the of the world if I don't get anything. However, I've been working the same summer job since the first year, working with Engineers on boilers and etc, and it would be nice to have something to pad my resume with for my upcoming graduation.
I'm not sure what to do at this point, I keep applying for things but the lack of returns is emotionally exhausting after months of one-sided submissions.
At this point, I'd take almost anything anywhere. I've mostly paid for my schooling thanks to my summer occupations paying reasonably well, so I have the luxury of little debt and almost no geographical attachments.
I'm not sure what to do at this point, I keep applying for things but the lack of returns is emotionally exhausting after months of one-sided submissions.
At this point, I'd take almost anything anywhere. I've mostly paid for my schooling thanks to my summer occupations paying reasonably well, so I have the luxury of little debt and almost no geographical attachments.