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[Davis_McGee]

What industry are you in?

Technology consultancy, but our business covers a range of sectors.

The only time it's acceptable is if it's someone you know and that's your only avenue of contact. We've fired recruiters for trying it, it paints the company in a very bad light. It's amateur hour. I expect a recruiter to be out at conferences, meetups, lectures, bars and professional organisations cultivating a network to send our way (in return for a very handsome bonus - usually 30% of starting salary). If we thought we could recruit effectively by spamming the mailbox of every tom, dick and harry with 'big data' on their profile we'd rig up a mail bot to do exactly that, not pay them a retainer to sit around and decide if they're going to be a "recruitment executive" or "specialist headhunter" this week while copying and pasting messages into a text box, licking their own nipples all the while.


I've no idea if they actually do that last bit, but it wouldn't surprise me.

 

[Rose of Eternity]

Technology consultancy, but our business covers a range of sectors.

The only time it's acceptable is if it's someone you know and that's your only avenue of contact. We've fired recruiters for trying it, it paints the company in a very bad light. It's amateur hour. I expect a recruiter to be out at conferences, meetups, lectures, bars and professional organisations cultivating a network to send our way (in return for a very handsome bonus - usually 30% of starting salary). If we thought we could recruit effectively by spamming the mailbox of every tom, dick and harry with 'big data' on their profile we'd rig up a mail bot to do exactly that, not pay them a retainer to sit around and decide if they're going to be a "recruitment executive" or "specialist headhunter" this week while copying and pasting messages into a text box, licking their own nipples all the while.


I've no idea if they actually do that last bit, but it wouldn't surprise me.

I mean, I get what you're saying, but it's 2015. This is like someone saying online dating is weird and you can only meet people in real life. It's just now how the world is anymore, people have to adapt. Online recruiting is just as powerful and effective as beating the pavement at some random social.

Anyway, you're talking about just random junk spamming which I'm sure every one gets. I'm talking about very dedicated and directed recruiting. At least once a week I'll get an inbox/voicemail from a highly experienced recruiter from my area or an actual firm's HR director (Google, for example) trying to poach me. Someone not leveraging the insane network LinkedIn allows is crazy. Absolutely hamstringing yourself for no reason.

 

[Arthr2ShdsJcksn]

I'm curious, how long did it take you guys to find a job out of college?

Almost 2 months for me so far and only a few interviews and no offers.

Although my situation wasn't typical (graduated from college when I was 36... adult returning student) it took me four months to land an offer and I only had five total interviews. I was being picky about staying within driving distance of my current home though.

 

[Minamu]

Anyone know of any good facebook groups for looking for game dev jobs internationally? I only have a couple of local ones (Swedish).

 

[LaNaranja]

So does anyone have any advice for what to do when negotiating salary? During the initial phone interview I was asked and simply said I was flexible. I honestly have no idea what the hell to request and have no range in mind. It is a new position with a nonprofit and I honestly don't want to embarrass myself throwing out a number that is way too high or too low. Should I just let my interviewer give the first number? It seems like a shitty thing to just ask for a tiny but more than what is initially offered. I have a number I hope it doesn't go under but I am honestly ok with any income at this point. That said simply accepting the first number thrown is probably leaving money on the table right?

 

[fluffydelusions]

So does anyone have any advice for what to do when negotiating salary? During the initial phone interview I was asked and simply said I was flexible.

I actually had the exact same question in a phone interview and said I'm flexible in an interview just a couple days ago. I didn't get the position btw.It was a call center job which I don't have experience with but at present I make Android apps and have over 7 million downloads and deal with people all day in helping them out via email/phone whatever.

 

[entremet]

I actually had the exact same question in a phone interview and said I'm flexible in an interview just a couple days ago. I didn't get the position btw.It was a call center job which I don't have experience with but at present I make Android apps and have over 7 million downloads and deal with people all day in helping them out via email/phone whatever.

Wouldn't that be a massive payout for you?

 

[fluffydelusions]

Wouldn't that be a massive payout for you?

My apps are all free but ad supported but ads don't pay like they did plus I got screwed by Apple a couple months ago which screwed up ranking. I went from 20k+ daily installs to next to nothing

 

[TheSadRanger]

I really wish I went to church or played golf more, the networking in both of those is insane.

I should have caddied when I was younger I don't think I can pull it off at 30

 

[entremet]

I really wish I went to church or played golf more, the networking in both of those is insane.

I should have caddied when I was younger I don't think I can pull it off at 30

Golf is damn amazing for networking.

If I could do one thing is to invest in golf lessons and equipment in college.

 

[Chibits12]

What type of entry level tax are you in? Private or public? ASC 740-10 stuff or more individual? Planning? The econ degree will help, but it also depends on what kind of "analyst" you want to be. That title has so many meanings, from the very bottom of the spectrum to the very top. Also depends what type of city/market you're in. I've had a lot of colleagues over the years hop between two and it's always easier to go from accounting to finance than reverse.

I handle Personal Property Tax payments, refunds and monthly reconciliations end research tax notices for a car fleet leasing company, so real basic stuff. I think I'm capable of learning more after training a Tax Analyst, which is beyond my actual duties. I think the Financial Analyst position would fall somewhere in the lower range of the spectrum now that you mentioned.

I think I'll just stick with my specialty, which is Tax. I don't want to look like I'm jumping place to place, looking out of focus when I can stick to doing taxes and eventually get into doing audits or compliance in Corporate Tax.Thanks for your input on this, there's always this debate on what's better, accounting or finance, but I think it really depends on the individual career goals.

 

[Dr. Feel Good]

Technology consultancy, but our business covers a range of sectors.

The only time it's acceptable is if it's someone you know and that's your only avenue of contact. We've fired recruiters for trying it, it paints the company in a very bad light. It's amateur hour. I expect a recruiter to be out at conferences, meetups, lectures, bars and professional organisations cultivating a network to send our way (in return for a very handsome bonus - usually 30% of starting salary). If we thought we could recruit effectively by spamming the mailbox of every tom, dick and harry with 'big data' on their profile we'd rig up a mail bot to do exactly that, not pay them a retainer to sit around and decide if they're going to be a "recruitment executive" or "specialist headhunter" this week while copying and pasting messages into a text box, licking their own nipples all the while.


I've no idea if they actually do that last bit, but it wouldn't surprise me.

Holy shit. You're out of touch.

 

[numble]

Technology consultancy, but our business covers a range of sectors.

The only time it's acceptable is if it's someone you know and that's your only avenue of contact. We've fired recruiters for trying it, it paints the company in a very bad light. It's amateur hour. I expect a recruiter to be out at conferences, meetups, lectures, bars and professional organisations cultivating a network to send our way (in return for a very handsome bonus - usually 30% of starting salary). If we thought we could recruit effectively by spamming the mailbox of every tom, dick and harry with 'big data' on their profile we'd rig up a mail bot to do exactly that, not pay them a retainer to sit around and decide if they're going to be a "recruitment executive" or "specialist headhunter" this week while copying and pasting messages into a text box, licking their own nipples all the while.


I've no idea if they actually do that last bit, but it wouldn't surprise me.

Is everyone at your organization constantly at conferences, meetups, lectures, bars and professional organizations? (I would think most of these events would try to keep recruiters out, anyway)

LinkedIn is a useful tool and besides being used by recruiters to seek out candidates, candidates often seek out recruiters themselves via LinkedIn, and many companies post job positions on LinkedIn.

 

[C.Dark.DN]

Waiting 7-14 days for my drug test and background check is annoying.

 

[Minamu]

Finally got a good contact and a response about a position later this year. But it turns out it was for an unpaid internship half across the country :/ A bit less exciting but some more info couldn't hurt I suppose.

 

[Jason's Ultimatum]

So if I use codeacademy to learn html and javascript, do the lessons offer you to create your own web page or something along the lines? A software program?

I feel like if I'm doing it myself and learning from my mistakes, it would be an easier way to learn.

Any ideas would be welcomed.

EDIT-Codeavengers.com seems like a fun and interactive site, but you have to pay for it. I would like a website like that where it's free to interact and made more fun. If not, then I'll stick with codeacademy, even though I haven't registered yet.

Same for Javascript. If you can interact and practice learing variables, etc. on codeacademy, then that'd be great.

 

[TheSadRanger]

So I'm doing one of those bizarre psych profile tests, and this one is truly weird. It has a slider where your supposed to slide it to which statement applies to yourself more with slightly/strongly agree on each side.

Except a lot of the statements give you nothing but asshole choices lol.

For instance one has "I get distracted easily" on one side and "I don't know why I do the things I do" on the other lol.

Or complete asshole choices like "It is important to have expensive things so people know you are successful" and "I do not care about events in other parts of the world"

And I have to pick between one of those lol, what sort of nihilistic shit is this?

 

[Coolluck]

So I'm doing one of those bizarre psych profile tests, and this one is truly weird.

That actually sounds fun compared to the 300 personality questions that have the same question 4-5 times in there.

 

[FunkyMunkey]

need some advice from those with experience in situations like this:

so i had an interview yesterday and got the job today (i'm ecstatic honestly) and the pay is decent. it's through a great job recruitment agency and contractual since i'm still building experience. they want me to start this monday. but, i have another interview tomorrow for a different potentially nicer position that has better hours and is closer to my apt and is slightly more relevant to my field. since i haven't signed anything yet with the first people, if i get the second job, would it be rude to take that offer instead? supposedly the recruitment agency only needs a minimal heads up for quitting or switching jobs (2-3 days, but that's after being officially employed) but i don't want to burn any bridges.

at the end of the day, i'm looking out for myself, but i don't want any animosity anywhere. i'm afraid of starting the first job and then bam being offered the much better second offer immediately.

edit: and keep your heads up everyone, i've been lurking this thread the last few months refraining from venting as the job landscape seems dismal. it seems everything always happens in waves though.

 

[TheSadRanger]

That actually sounds fun compared to the 300 personality questions that have the same question 4-5 times in there.

lol one was like "When I get angry I sometimes yell at others" and "I feel no sympathy for the plights of others"

This is some Gordan Gecko shit lol.

 

[Slo]

need some advice from those with experience in situations like this:

so i had an interview yesterday and got the job today (i'm ecstatic honestly) and the pay is decent. it's through a great job recruitment agency and contractual since i'm still building experience. they want me to start this monday. but, i have another interview tomorrow for a different potentially nicer position that has better hours and is closer to my apt and is slightly more relevant to my field. since i haven't signed anything yet with the first people, if i get the second job, would it be rude to take that offer instead? supposedly the recruitment agency only needs a minimal heads up for quitting or switching jobs (2-3 days, but that's after being officially employed) but i don't want to burn any bridges.

at the end of the day, i'm looking out for myself, but i don't want any animosity anywhere. i'm afraid of starting the first job and then bam being offered the much better second offer immediately.

edit: and keep your heads up everyone, i've been lurking this thread the last few months refraining from venting as the job landscape seems dismal. it seems everything always happens in waves though.

Ever heard the expression "it's just business?: That works both ways. Do what's best for you. Don't worry about animosity. Don't fly the bird on the way out, and don't knock over any magazine racks and they'll probably forget that you ever existed 10 minutes after you walk out the door.

 

[Philia]

Just want to post my success and say I may have gotten a third job! I've gotten all of my jobs from networking and who you know.

Man, to hear those words. "Scrubs". I'm like FUCK YES. YES YES YES. I buy my scrubs for the very first time just now and I'm so hyped beyond belief. I'll be a vet assistant at a spay and neuter clinic. I'm also an animal care technician at the SPCA. I'm ALSO a sales associate at Marshalls. Its INSANE but its totally doable. I'm just very very fortunate that I don't have any other life demands except for my husband but he works at a stable full time job that he can bus to.

But yes, its obnoxious that there's hardly any legit full time jobs out there. PERIOD.

 

[Tristam]

So if I use codeacademy to learn html and javascript, do the lessons offer you to create your own web page or something along the lines? A software program?

I feel like if I'm doing it myself and learning from my mistakes, it would be an easier way to learn.

Any ideas would be welcomed.

EDIT-Codeavengers.com seems like a fun and interactive site, but you have to pay for it. I would like a website like that where it's free to interact and made more fun. If not, then I'll stick with codeacademy, even though I haven't registered yet.

Same for Javascript. If you can interact and practice learing variables, etc. on codeacademy, then that'd be great.

It appears that Codeacademy has a couple of 'learn to make a website' courses, one where you learn HTML and CSS and another where you additionally learn JavaScript. These tutorials really hold your hand through everything, and that's fine starting out, but I suspect that they're a little bit light on teaching fundamentals. By all means, though, start with those; ideally they'll whet your appetite for learning and make you feel comfortable just with the process of writing lines of code.

 

[dc3k]

Just got yet another rejection email today. Taking a break from interviewing for a few months I think.

Trying to find a job in San Francisco while living in Toronto is more difficult than I expected.

 

[LosDaddie]

I'm just not getting this burning a bridge talk.

Usually when people talk about burning a bridge it's doing stuff like this:

--Not putting a notice with your current position that you are leaving so they can redistribute your work or you train someone new.

--Just stop showing up at your current job after you accept the offer.

--Not putting bowties on projects or responsibilities before you leave.

People go to work with competitors all the time and they still remain cordial with former managers and coworkers.

Unless there's some crazy cultish rivalry aspect where you work at, it's hard for me to see you burning a bridge in this day in age of employee mobility.

Just to follow up on this; The other engineering firm did offer me the position, at a 20% bump in pay. I guess I must've really done well during the interview/skills assessment process because they didn't wait until the following week to offer. They called me that Saturday to tell me and email me the offer letter. I was so stoked!

I told them I needed a few days to consider, and i'd get back with them by Wednesday. I gave my current engineering firm a heads up on what was happening that Monday (end of day). Tuesday morning the principals called me into the prez's office and counter-offered at a 16% bump in pay.

My decision? I stayed with my current company....mainly because I'm studying for my PE right now, and just don't want to deal with the stress of a new job on top of that. There's already enough stress just trying to re-learn all the engineering material to pass the PE exam. Plus, I know once I get my PE, the world is basically my oyster.

It was a TOUGH decision. I felt almost sick to my stomach. I just hope I made the right decision. But there's no going back now.

 

[BannedEpisode]

I'm curious, how long did it take you guys to find a job out of college?

Almost 2 months for me so far and only a few interviews and no offers.

I worked for a whole year as a waiter in my college town in rural Wisconsin at a Perkins making $2.40/hr. All while paying my student loan bills.

It took almost an entire year for me to get a temp job in logistics, and another 8 months before they hired me permanently.

It can take a while. I knew nothing about supply-chain/logistics but I was applying for everything and tailoring every resume for the job.

Love my job and I would have never gotten into it if I got something right out of the gate.

Don't give up and treat the search as a job until you have one worth keeping.

 

[entremet]

Just to follow up on this; The other engineering firm did offer me the position, at a 20% bump in pay. I guess I must've really done well during the interview/skills assessment process because they didn't wait until the following week to offer. They called me that Saturday to tell me and email me the offer letter. I was so stoked!

I told them I needed a few days to consider, and i'd get back with them by Wednesday. I gave my current engineering firm a heads up on what was happening that Monday (end of day). Tuesday morning the principals called me into the prez's office and counter-offered at a 16% bump in pay.

My decision? I stayed with my current company....mainly because I'm studying for my PE right now, and just don't want to deal with the stress of a new job on top of that. There's already enough stress just trying to re-learn all the engineering material to pass the PE exam. Plus, I know once I get my PE, the world is basically my oyster.

It was a TOUGH decision. I felt almost sick to my stomach. I just hope I made the right decision. But there's no going back now.

Congrats on the pay raise. Having an offer is really best way to get a decent raise these days.

Engineers are always in demand.

I think they have the lowest unemployment amongst tracked professions.

 

[PS3GamerKyle]

Got a call back from QVC today. Didn't get it. I was one of three in the final round. They gave it to an internal candidate. The HR rep told me that all three people in the three interview rounds I spoke with all said I interviewed extremely well, and I definitely fit in their culture.

She said that the supervisor/department manager said I would "get bored in this job after 3-6 months", is that code for I was over qualified for this position? They gave it to an internal candidate with more relevant experience.

I am still pretty frustrated. I start a job at a bank on Monday. I know I should be thankful for at least having a job, but man, I was REALLY looking forward to QVC. I had nailed all of the interviews and I had great experience for it. Granted, it was an entry level position, but still.

 

[Slo]

Got a call back from QVC today. Didn't get it. I was one of three in the final round. They gave it to an internal candidate. The HR rep told me that all three people in the three interview rounds I spoke with all said I interviewed extremely well, and I definitely fit in their culture.

She said that the supervisor/department manager said I would "get bored in this job after 3-6 months", is that code for I was over qualified for this position? They gave it to an internal candidate with more relevant experience.

I am still pretty frustrated. I start a job at a bank on Monday. I know I should be thankful for at least having a job, but man, I was REALLY looking forward to QVC. I had nailed all of the interviews and I had great experience for it. Granted, it was an entry level position, but still.

It could mean that you're overqualified, but it wouldn't surprise me if they weren't just leaning heavily towards the internal candidate and that was just their rationalization. Keep applying for QVC, they'll probably remember you.

 

[Goodlife]

Tomorrow's d-Day for me.
Either my appeal for voluntarily redundancy is successful and I get a nice payout, our I have to hand in my notice and walk away with nothing....
I'm not hugely hopeful, but am keeping everything crossed.
It's about a years wage, tax free, so would make a big difference in life

 

[Slo]

Tomorrow's d-Day for me.
Either my appeal for voluntarily redundancy is successful and I get a nice payout, our I have to hand in my notice and walk away with nothing....
I'm not hugely hopeful, but am keeping everything crossed.
It's about a years wage, tax free, so would make a big difference in life

Why do you have to resign?

 

[RedSwirl]

Is Switch any good?

 

[grkazan12]

Really bummed out, just got rejected for an entry level job that I was really close to getting. Seriously there was a training program for this position because it is hard to break into this certain field and I still didn't get it. I emailed the the hiring manager to find out exactly why, but I'll probably get back some robotic response.

 

[entremet]

Is Switch any good?

Switch what?

Really bummed out, just got rejected for an entry level job that I was really close to getting. Seriously there was a training program for this position because it is hard to break into this certain field and I still didn't get it. I emailed the the hiring manager to find out exactly why, but I'll probably get back some robotic response.

Never hurts to ask, but just to be sure you won't get a lot of candor or honesty many times. Kinda comes with the territory. Smaller companies may be more honest depending on the hiring manager.

Stay persistent. You'll succeed in time. Rejections suck, but they help build tenacity, which is a killer trait for any employee.

 

[RedSwirl]

Switch what?

The app.

 

[MonorailCat]

Damn, failed at the first step of the employment process: The online test.
Too much math and not enough time.
It's gonna be rocky road for me if I can't even get to interview stage ...

 

[Slo]

I worked for a whole year as a waiter in my college town in rural Wisconsin at a Perkins making $2.40/hr. All while paying my student loan bills.

It took almost an entire year for me to get a temp job in logistics, and another 8 months before they hired me permanently.

It can take a while. I knew nothing about supply-chain/logistics but I was applying for everything and tailoring every resume for the job.

Love my job and I would have never gotten into it if I got something right out of the gate.

Don't give up and treat the search as a job until you have one worth keeping.

Congrats dude.

 

[ThankYouDaletech]

I think my LinkedIn profile is pretty good, but I keep seeing people from companies I apply to look at it only to never contact me. Is it a good idea to take my profile down for a while to see if that changes anything?

Might pack it in and call it a life if I don't find anything soon. Looks like my only options are to go back to the service industry and work full time while going back to school. Just going to come out the other end in my 30's competing with 21 year olds for entry level jobs. The whole struggle just doesn't seem worth it.

 

[Dimefan3]

Got another rejection today, thanks to an 'internal promotion'. It was a spot I really wanted too.

I hate life right now.

 

[Rhomega Beta]

I don't know what to do. I'm trying to find a new job to get out of the house, but everyone wants experience in things I don't have. So the big recommendation is to learn a trade. Oh wait, they all want experience too.

 

[EloquentM]

So guys starting next Monday it looks like I can finally unsubscribe from this thread. Took almost exactly a year but the day has come where I'm no longer unemployed 😁

 

[Mr Solo Dolo]

Have I blown it?

Basically I applied for a job through Reed, when I got the acknowledgement email I realised the Covering Letter wasn't addressed to anyone and didn't include the job reference, I stupidly thought it would auto insert these.

I've withdrawn the application and reapplied for the job through the employers website but I'm guessing they've already got my CV and Covering letter from Reed. The only hope I've got left is that they weren't able to match the letter up with the correct job so it went straight in the bin.

 

[meowmixer]

How important do you guys think it is to appear outgoing in an interview? I tend to be more serious and focus on skills and professionalism but I wonder sometimes if recruiters are looking for someone "they can have a beer with" as the cliche goes. I mean I'll laugh if they laugh and try to mirror them and not be TOO serious but I wonder sometimes if they just end up hiring some fresh out of college sorority girl who is telling funny cat stories instead.

 

[MC Safety]

How important do you guys think it is to appear outgoing in an interview? I tend to be more serious and focus on skills and professionalism but I wonder sometimes if recruiters are looking for someone "they can have a beer with" as the cliche goes. I mean I'll laugh if they laugh and try to mirror them and not be TOO serious but I wonder sometimes if they just end up hiring some fresh out of college sorority girl who is telling funny cat stories instead.

You need to be personable. Employers aren't looking to hire a best friend, but they do want to see some indication you'll function well within an office setting.

Some jobs require more social skills than others.

 

[Bay Maximus]

How important do you guys think it is to appear outgoing in an interview? I tend to be more serious and focus on skills and professionalism but I wonder sometimes if recruiters are looking for someone "they can have a beer with" as the cliche goes. I mean I'll laugh if they laugh and try to mirror them and not be TOO serious but I wonder sometimes if they just end up hiring some fresh out of college sorority girl who is telling funny cat stories instead.

You certainly want the person to like you. This is especially true if you're with the decision maker. If it's more of a 'screen' interview, you'll want to make sure your qualifications and stories are compelling. If you're sitting at a final interview then most likely you have passed the basic qualifications barrier and they just want to kick the tires on your personality and demeanor.

Edit: Of course that said there is a difference between being outgoing and likable.

 

[Tetraeon]

Been here. Was out of work for 6 months. It might seem daunting sometimes but the best advice is to fire off as many applications as you can. Something will turn up and you'll eventually be the person who applied first, gets the interview, and finally lands the job.

 

[meowmixer]

I just wonder at the end of the day how important personality vs skills are for the average recruiter. Eliminating the extremes of someone who for ex. seems crazy or robotic. What percentage of a decision is made on personality I wonder in a technical role? I suspect it is higher than one might think. I guess that is why the most famous picture of Einstein is the one of him sticking his tongue out instead of him sitting at a desk doing equations.

 

[Fox Mulder]

Starting a job is just as hard as finding one. Been training for weeks and dont earn money while doing it. I'm done this week, but then it's like three weeks to get caught on the pay cycle.

Will get a signing bonus, but man it's been a long time with zero money coming in besides shit I sell on eBay.

 

[OrlanisWorks]

Nearly four months out of work. I've had one interview in the past two months, about. Fucking depressing, especially since that one interview went great but the interviewer is an asshole. I was outgoing and all, but it's not good enough.

Student loan payments creeping up. Will probably be able to delay them a while longer until I find work. I just get really tired of living whenever I think about jobs, wasting hours and hours of my life metaphorically sucking dicks just for a chance to have a job, to work and live at least somewhat comfortably.

So depressing... off to try and apply some more...

 

[Coolluck]

So depressing... off to try and apply some more...

For what type of jobs?