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[Fury Sense]

What industry are you in?

I'm looking for anything I can get at a startup right now. Business undergrad and self-taught code+design. Few years out of college and applying mostly to "customer success" roles right now, which are basically customer support jobs but with more responsibility

 

[Syphon Filter]

I'm looking for anything I can get at a startup right now. Business undergrad and self-taught code+design. Few years out of college and applying mostly to "customer success" roles right now, which are basically customer support jobs but with more responsibility

Kind of a similar situation with me but looking for ui ux design positions. My advice is make sure you have a portfolio to show. If it's code that you want then code up some websites because most companies will want to see that. I get interviews and rarely write a cover letter, even my resume is the same one most of the time. Networking is indeed important, I just went to my first meetup and networked with people. I'm planning to go to more as well. Where are you located at if you don't mind me asking.

 

[Fury Sense]

Kind of a similar situation with me but looking for ui ux design positions. My advice is make sure you have a portfolio to show. If it's code that you want then code up some websites because most companies will want to see that. I get interviews and rarely write a cover letter, even my resume is the same one most of the time. Networking is indeed important, I just went to my first meetup and networked with people. I'm planning to go to more as well. Where are you located at if you don't mind me asking.

Good tips. I love UX design. Ideally I could use that skill in a product manager role, but I just don't have my portfolio/story together enough to aim for that right now. Just interviewed for class at product-school.com and I'm thinking something like that could really help me.

I'm in San Francisco, where are you?

 

[User 85168]

Question for folks:

I had my 3rd interview with a place last week. They flew me out, put me in a room, and everything. The interview was really pleasant, and they did a great job selling me the position. I was supposed to hear back by today, but haven't. Is this a bad sign? It's so hard to be waiting for news...

 

[Syphon Filter]

Good tips. I love UX design. Ideally I could use that skill in a product manager role, but I just don't have my portfolio/story together enough to aim for that right now. Just interviewed for class at product-school.com and I'm thinking something like that could really help me.

I'm in San Francisco, where are you?

Have some kind of online presence for the web design,dev,product industry. You don't have one piece for a portfolio yet? Also get linkedIn if you haven't already. Even consider a twitter or blog to follow others in the industry and post related things. Its a nice strategy I learned because hiring managers will see you are truly passionate about it and that can sometimes make up for lack of experience. I'm in NYC by the way.

 

[Nelo Ice]

Have some kind of online presence for the web design,dev,product industry. You don't have one piece for a portfolio yet? Also get linkedIn if you haven't already. Even consider a twitter or blog to follow others in the industry and post related things. Its a nice strategy I learned because hiring managers will see you are truly passionate about it and that can sometimes make up for lack of experience. I'm in NYC by the way.

Yeah and I heard starting a blog is good. That's why on twitter I've been posting about what projects I'm working and any issues I'm having. And when I meet people I basically have to angle my story around how hard I'm trying and what I'm doing to make it in the tech industry since I don't have the portfolio or experience otherwise.

Also I notice just posting about tech stuff is getting me random developers or tech blogs/sites following me lol.

 

[elrechazado]

Question for folks:

I had my 3rd interview with a place last week. They flew me out, put me in a room, and everything. The interview was really pleasant, and they did a great job selling me the position. I was supposed to hear back by today, but haven't. Is this a bad sign? It's so hard to be waiting for news...

One day is hopefully just due to the inevitable delays caused by the typical corporate hiring process and bureaucracy. Good luck!

 

[entremet]

One day is hopefully just due to the inevitable delays caused by the typical corporate hiring process and bureaucracy. Good luck!

Yep.

People forget that hiring takes a good amount of time from "regular" work. Don't let delays mess with you.

When you're that far gone in the interview process, you usually get a reply, even if its negative.

 

[Mix Master]

any body know of any jobs that go from 6pm to like 5am? preferably at a big box store?

I need to be off by 6am though.

 

[Charcoal]

Could anyone point me to a link that was in the OT a few days ago? It was about someone looking/applying to jobs while living out of state.

Also, as a network engineer, any advice for living in the Seattle area?

 

[NipplesAndToes23]

Didn't end up getting that job that I spent most of the day bus hopping and waiting for and that was the best damn interview I had.

Went to another one the next day for a fast food place and I already knew I didn't get that because the interviewer seemed disinterested when he thought I'm only used to working office jobs. I never have actually. I did an internship at a TV station and currently doing some volunteer work for a couple of game companies. I corrected him and told him I did manual labor before, but I think combined with the volunteer stuff I've done lately and my two college degrees, he probably figured that I would leave the job the first chance I got which is true, but I still wanted that shit.

 

[Cth]

I've had a horrible experience with a company that has strung me along for five months and at this point has completely ignored any attempt at following up on the status of my application.

CLIFF NOTES:
- It's a smaller company, regional manager is a friend of my father in law. He told him I was looking for a job and gave him my resume.
- Company is very interested at first, but after two weeks they say one of the higher ups is questioning if they need to replace the leaving employee.
- Aced the telephone interview, asked to come in for a face to face interview which I aced as well. Asked to come in for an on-site technical observation interview (to see how I solve problems in a work environment) which I passed with flying colors as well.
- All of this took about 5 months, during which my mortgage payments have fallen behind and now I'm facing foreclosure. Surely no one else would be in the running for the position still, so I feel I had a good chance at the position.
- No one returns my emails or calls now. I'm not being pushy and have given them plenty of time to respond over the months. I was hoping they were just waiting for the new fiscal year since reportedly that higher up is notorious for tightening the budget.

I just wish they had the integrity to say the position was filled or they decided against hiring anyone for the position. It's depressing beyond belief. I've been fairly positive and upbeat throughout the whole underemployed period of my life, but this is the first real threat to that.

As an aside, if anyone in the Charlotte area needs an IT tech, CAD worker, or anything full time, I'm immediately available. I just need a stable, long term full time position.

 

[Syphon Filter]

Didn't end up getting that job that I spent most of the day bus hopping and waiting for and that was the best damn interview I had.

Went to another one the next day for a fast food place and I already knew I didn't get that because the interviewer seemed disinterested when he thought I'm only used to working office jobs. I never have actually. I did an internship at a TV station and currently doing some volunteer work for a couple of game companies. I corrected him and told him I did manual labor before, but I think combined with the volunteer stuff I've done lately and my two college degrees, he probably figured that I would leave the job the first chance I got which is true, but I still wanted that shit.

What are you looking for specifically? There is a lot of different things you mentioned there. What is your main field and ideal job? What plan B job are you looking for? You should have told them that you did, stretching the truth sometimes works. It's a risk but worth something instead of auto disqualification.

 

[kayos90]

So I've been following this thread for quite a long time and I started following it when I was hitting a relatively great period in my career but still able to vividly remember many of the stories that were being recanted in this thread. Definitely looking for a job was harsh.

This isn't meant to be a stealth brag post or anything but rather more of a try and hope for the best (with a bit of luck) meant to motivate the posters here. Not only that but just wanted to offer up some advice too.

I will say that in the current shape of things it's definitely difficult to get a job and especially one that's worthwhile for many years to come with promotions and advancements. Fearing this I was pretty much scared shitlessand in a panic when I was looking for a job during my senior year in college. I was pretty engrained with the AnimeGAF community at the time and they would be my online support. Not only that but select individuals gave me great ideas and even helped revise and give context to my applications for jobs. I will say that having real life friends help but also asking for help from online especially your peers from those who've had to go through the same thing definitely helps.

I used my college career center and pretty much went to ask the counselors for help every week, or every other week. They gave me great advice like using the university job board (which can even be used by alumni) or using certain job search engines and stuff. They also helped me out by going over my resume to make it look good (fixed grammatical errors and the like) along with my cover letter. Pretty much they gave me a baseline of what things should be to set your self up for success. It wasn't about working hard but working smart. If you do both then you increase your chance of success. Of course, luck helps too. After a grueling 3 months of looking for a job and interviewing like crazy, I finally landed a job and I was going to start right after graduating.

I thought I worked hard and properly but unfortunately the job just wasn't going to last. I pretty much got laid off during my probation period. I must've been pretty bad at the job. I got lax and despite trying to meet their requirements of the job, it just didn't meet the standard that they were looking for. Overall I was pretty distraught at losing the job especially since it was my first job and I didn't even last 3 months. It was very sad.

I tried even harder for the next few months to find a job. It was really difficult as I was struggling with numerous feelings. First I was feeling pretty trashy after being laid off. It just sucks. Second, I felt like I disappointed my parents because I found a job and had been laid off. Thirdly, if I didn't find a job soon then I imagined what my future would look like and the thought of it scared the crap out of me. I spent my days searching for a job and gaming. At the time I was addicted to FFXIV and while I was having fun, I couldn't really have fun either. I'm supposed to be looking for a job and while I do need breaks and time away from the computer to cool off, I pretty much felt like if I didn't spend all my time looking for a job then I'm not putting in the effort to really get a job. It was a large burden and a sense of guilt on my shoulders. After attending numerous job fairs and finding ways to get my exposed to more people I got better at talking to people so I can at least get more interviews when meeting them in person.

I actually was willing to take any job at some point just because of how low my success rate was. For every 20 applications I would put in I got one interview. It was pretty disheartening to say. Eventually I got an in-person interview rather than one on the phone. They asked me a question which I thought was pretty standard for the most part. "Why should we hire you over anyone else?" I gave an extremely honest answer about how my family situation. My parents worked extremely hard day in and day out with very uncomfortable hours yet despite this they had done everything they can to send me off to college and pay for it so I would have a great life. I pretty much told them that I wanted to come close to that standard as I can while helping my parents out if they ever needed help. They were surprised as they had never heard such an answer. I don't know if this was reason why I got hired or not but I got the job the next day.

The job was a sales rep through and through. It wasn't an easy job and it wasn't necessarily the most fun job. I would make cold calls every day and get turned down but the subject of what we sold was very interesting. It definitely helped that I was interested in the stuff I was selling which was IT products. Despite my lack of experience as a sales rep I took a very coachable attitude and tried to learn everything I could do be the best at the role. Not only that but I built a reputation for myself and a lot of people in the company knew me. I pretty much decided early on that I wanted to be more of a technical person rather than a sales person. I spent my time selling but also learning about what I was selling. Fast forward a year later I transition over from a sales rep to a technical advisor. I was now the person the sales reps would pretty much call over to help them talk to the customers about IT. I was still learning the tech stuff but essentially my goal was to be technical engineer, one who works larger projects and knows more stuff. Fast forward another year where I pretty much put my effort into the job and get along with the people and I got promoted to the role I wanted. Normally it takes two years but I did it in a single year. My career at the company has been extremely successful to say the least but it was my attitude and perseverance that really took me far. And of course luck. This wasn't even a job I was aware of back when I was in college.

Sometimes you get lucky with an interview. Sometimes you get lucky with a job. Sometimes your coworkers, or your companies, or other things. You might get unlcuky with all or some or none of these. Regardless, I'm happy where I'm at. I think attitude is a big thing. To all the posters here I would recommend just keep trying. Finding a job, and especially one you enjoy, is tough but I think if you keep an open mind you might find that you enjoy it. I wanted to be a writer and novelist back when I was in college. Now I don't even really care for it. It's a hobby now. This job is fantastic and I wouldn't trade it for the world. But I didn't get this job straight from the get go. I got it from the oddest of places. Who knew.

 

[M52B28]

Okay, that was strange.

I posted my automotive photography project on a Facebook group, got a few likes, and unexpectedly, a comment comes in saying "SHIFT will be hiring another photographer soon. Let me know if you are interested.
Shift.com/jobs"


I sent them a message stating that I was only interested in part time and flexible hours due to school.

I got kind of weary about it just being spam, but I got curious, so I did some digging around about the person, but I couldn't find out anything about them working for Shift.

So, about 8 hours later, I thought about it some more and went to the Shift website and came up on a live chat thing. I would post the conversation, but it's long enough for me to not feel like posting it.

Basically, I asked about employment and the guy that responded said that he doesn't "take care of recruitment." He then asks for the name of the person who contacted me, and after that, he confirmed that they were actually legitimate and that they work right next to each other in the office.

So, he took down the fact that we spoke and is going to tell her when he gets a chance, and he told me to make sure to apply for the position, but it's not even up on the site..

So, I have only one job they I have work experience in, 10 hours of volunteer work done, and a photography project that I've designed the logo for, and taken all the photos for...


I know that this post is lengthy, but I'm just wondering. What are the odds of me getting this from a general standpoint of experience?

 

[morch]

hey all, quick run down
currently i'm working in China as a maths/science teacher
i'm 30
I'm applying to go back to my home city (London) and start teacher training, but the other day, one of my students and some colleagues wondered why I never went into IT industry

In England I was a chemistry assistant at a school, and I have ZERO IT/computing qualifications, but I've self taught myself on PCs (since I was 10) so I can build, fix and learn new things quite fast

If the whole teaching thing doesn't pan out, is there some qualification or certificate to get me into entry level positions, salary isn't a big deal as long as it's some money coming in

I'm better at troubleshooting than being creative if that means anything... but i'm not too fussy

I'm still junior so I don't know where to post this

 

[NipplesAndToes23]

What are you looking for specifically? There is a lot of different things you mentioned there. What is your main field and ideal job? What plan B job are you looking for? You should have told them that you did, stretching the truth sometimes works. It's a risk but worth something instead of auto disqualification.

I want to try avoid lying because I got tired of doing it before, but lying might keep a roof over my head.I want to run my own company is the end goal. I'm trying to get anything at the moment, so I won't end up on the street.

 

[openrob]

Got an interview in the morning for a newly qualified position, which is good as most places I have applied for I am going up against more experienced candidates.
It is at an assessment centre. I have a case study, 2 interviews, and a test to take. Never had anything as intense before, but at the same time, it is the entry level I am most suited for lol.

They take on a bunch of people so if I am rejected it's not becuase there was someone else, its completely down to how I interview, which is scary, but also comforting, as its not competetive in that same way.

 

[ChaoticBlue]

Just had the most unprofessional interview experience ever.

So I had an interview before Christmas about a secretarial position and it went well. The lady who interviewed me spent most of her time talking about the company and it was more of a casual conversation than an actual interview. Asked if I was married or I have my own house. LOL

she was impressed with my administrative experience and skills. she even said I knew the most about her company among the other candidates. though i get the feeling that she was looking for a female for the position despite how qualified i was.

she said we will be contact after the holiday break.

It's after new years now and I waited almost three weeks and still have heard nothing from her...Then I emailed her and no response. Then I saw the job listing posted again on Craigslist afterwards.

If you are not going to hire me because I'm a guy applying for a secretarial position than why waste my time interviewing me, making me take a personalty test and fill out an application?

I'm more pissed off about the lack of communication when she said she'll be in contact.

 

[Admiral Woofington]

Company sent me the final offer letter. They want me to start 1 week from today when it took them forever to send me the offer letter, I can't find an apartment with no proof of employemnt so until today I couldn't do shit, and I have to move cities.

I just sent them an email asking if they can give me at least two weeks from today (so february 2nd) because the complex can't give me anything until then. Like seriously lol, I mean I said to let me know if they can, if not I'll have to leave shit packed in this city, leave my dog with someone over here for a week, and then go back to move. But I really hope they have the decency to give me at least another week.

 

[Roland_Gunner]

One day is hopefully just due to the inevitable delays caused by the typical corporate hiring process and bureaucracy. Good luck!

I know this was posted a few days ago but if you haven't heard anything by now definitely follow up with the recruiter / hiring manager. Nothing pushy just ask if there are any updates. As noted there are a lot of hoops to jump through to hire someone and a little pushing on your part can help remind people.

 

[bengraven]

So I had two job interviews in two days a couple weeks ago.

Company #1 is one of the biggest companies in the world. It will be call center work which means I'm going to have to keep tight to stats and will be harassed about low stats - something I really didn't want to have to do again in my life. It's also over an hour drive away.

And when I work there, I'm agreeing to work 2pm to 12am five days a week (includes Saturday) for the next YEAR. As a guy who loves to see his son, this would mean maybe 20 minutes in the morning if I get up with him (he gets up at 6:30a to go to school but I won't be home until 1am in the morning and will be sleeping). We'd get all day on Sundays and part of the day during the week after he gets out of school. This really hurts me badly.

And I'm going to have to buy a car - the car we've been borrowing is not an option because the owner does not want me driving it that far away.

That said, they have hired me and I start my six weeks training on Jan. 25.

Company #2 is a small business. I would be taking a few tech support calls a day and spending the rest of my day mostly doing shipping. The office has about six employees in it and it's a very family oriented group. The president, founder, CEO, would be next to me and he's a pretty awesome laid back guy who created the product we'd be selling. I would also occasionally be asked to go conventions to help sell this product, though they said they would never make me go too far (less than 2 hours away).

They're also probably paying more and are only a 35 min drive from my home.

They interviewed me and the owner said in so many words that he wants to hire me. They said they were doing interviews the next week (which was last week) and last Monday I did send them a thank you email to let them know how much I was excited about the place without being clingy, just being professional. While doing interviews, the person I would be potentially replacing is still working there and hasn't been let go and they're trying to be very delicate with it.

So now it's the next Monday. I know they had some convention work going on this week so I don't want to harass them, but if I don't get a confirmation I'm going to have to start working for Company #1 (and if they say "no" I'm also going to have to work for Company #2). I'm pretty anxious because I'll be honest: I don't want to work for Company 1. I really don't want to go back to call center work, the schedule is going to be heartbreaking for me, and the drive will suck (audiobooks all the way).

Should I call them? Would that be too much? They could still be considering me, maybe even want to hire me, but as they still need to let the other person go it could be a while before I hear from them. I just want them to say yes, even if I have to wait a few weeks to start. Better than to start Company 1 and waste my time.

 

[entremet]

So I had two job interviews in two days a couple weeks ago.

Company #1 is one of the biggest companies in the world. It will be call center work which means I'm going to have to keep tight to stats and will be harassed about low stats - something I really didn't want to have to do again in my life. It's also over an hour drive away.

And when I work there, I'm agreeing to work 2pm to 12am five days a week (includes Saturday) for the next YEAR. As a guy who loves to see his son, this would mean maybe 20 minutes in the morning if I get up with him (he gets up at 6:30a to go to school but I won't be home until 1am in the morning and will be sleeping). We'd get all day on Sundays and part of the day during the week after he gets out of school. This really hurts me badly.

And I'm going to have to buy a car - the car we've been borrowing is not an option because the owner does not want me driving it that far away.

That said, they have hired me and I start my six weeks training on Jan. 25.

Company #2 is a small business. I would be taking a few tech support calls a day and spending the rest of my day mostly doing shipping. The office has about six employees in it and it's a very family oriented group. The president, founder, CEO, would be next to me and he's a pretty awesome laid back guy who created the product we'd be selling. I would also occasionally be asked to go conventions to help sell this product, though they said they would never make me go too far (less than 2 hours away).

They're also probably paying more and are only a 35 min drive from my home.

They interviewed me and the owner said in so many words that he wants to hire me. They said they were doing interviews the next week (which was last week) and last Monday I did send them a thank you email to let them know how much I was excited about the place without being clingy, just being professional. While doing interviews, the person I would be potentially replacing is still working there and hasn't been let go and they're trying to be very delicate with it.

So now it's the next Monday. I know they had some convention work going on this week so I don't want to harass them, but if I don't get a confirmation I'm going to have to start working for Company #1 (and if they say "no" I'm also going to have to work for Company #2). I'm pretty anxious because I'll be honest: I don't want to work for Company 1. I really don't want to go back to call center work, the schedule is going to be heartbreaking for me, and the drive will suck (audiobooks all the way).

Should I call them? Would that be too much? They could still be considering me, maybe even want to hire me, but as they still need to let the other person go it could be a while before I hear from them. I just want them to say yes, even if I have to wait a few weeks to start. Better than to start Company 1 and waste my time.

Send them a note.

Never be too hesitant. Just be professional in your tone.

Remember, don't devalue yourself and your time. You have the right to know how things are going too.

Just say something like this:

Hi "Insert name here"

I had a great time during our last interview. I'm writing to touch base and see what are the next steps in this process?

Hope all is well.

Best,

That's just a quick draft. Make it pretty if you need to. The content doesn't matter much. But don't devalue yourself or your time. Just ask with courtesy.

Do you have a job now? I couldn't tell from your post.

 

[Ogodei]

Anybody have a lot of experience with Robert Half/Office Team? I just did an assignment with them that left me with kind of a bad taste, they picked me up right after new year's (I was ecstatic, i had just graduated before Christmas) for an assignment at a real estate company, saying 1-2 months, ended up being 8 days, just got called today saying not to come back (they just said I was no longer needed, so I verified that I hadn't done anything wrong, the employer's needs had just changed).

Worried about whether i'm going to get more of this.

The second question, how does one do an end-run around the "overqualified" problem? I got a Master's Degree before Christmas, and I've been hammering away at local jobs in my field, getting decent interviews, but damn, I need a job now (really can't afford to spend more than about 6 weeks idle, or i'll be broke as hell and have to start begging off of my parents). I'd rather just start a generic office job wherever, but I can't fight the problem that unless it's a job in my field, they're just going to turn me aside as a potential flight risk.

 

[gwailo]

That's SOP for temp/contract jobs. I did them for almost 10 years, all of the jobs were pitched as long term/temp to hire, none ended up being like tbat. Worst was Best Buy. It was 12-18 months, temp to hire, made me jump through a bunch of hoops (drug test, background check, fingerprinting, multiple interviews) that took a month - and the job was over in 6 weeks. Got great reviews from the agency and Best Buy, but BB apparently never had the budget for the position. But not coincidentally I finished the project I was assigned.

Don't treat temp jobs like you are actually employed - keep actively looking for permanent employment, no matter what the agency says.

 

[bengraven]

Send them a note.

Never be too hesitant. Just be professional in your tone.

Remember, don't devalue yourself and your time. You have the right to know how things are going too.

Just say something like this:



That's just a quick draft. Make it pretty if you need to. The content doesn't matter much. But don't devalue yourself or your time. Just ask with courtesy.

Do you have a job now? I couldn't tell from your post.

I have already been offered a job with Company #1 and I start Jan. 25th. But I would rather work for #2 and that's who I'm anxious about.

Seriously, Company #1 could be great money in the end, but it's over an hour away drive, money is tight, and they're a big enough company that in so many words they said I will belong to them for the first year. Sick time is frowned on and I will literally only see my kid one and half days a week.

 

[entremet]

I have already been offered a job with Company #1 and I start Jan. 25th. But I would rather work for #2 and that's who I'm anxious about.

Seriously, Company #1 could be great money in the end, but it's over an hour away drive, money is tight, and they're a big enough company that in so many words they said I will belong to them for the first year. Sick time is frowned on and I will literally only see my kid one and half days a week.

I got the part about the job offer. I'm talking about your current situation. Are you totally jobless now?

Because an offer while your jobless is much better than a tentative situation from another, even if the offer sucks.

It's much easier to find better offers when you're employed.

Moreover, if do get job number 2, you could always resign if you accept job number 1. You'll be on the probationary period anyway. Just say it's not working out for you.

This isn't a huge dilemma. People quit all the time in the first weeks if they're not feeling the place.

 

[Ogodei]

That's SOP for temp/contract jobs. I did them for almost 10 years, all of the jobs were pitched as long term/temp to hire, none ended up being like tbat. Worst was Best Buy. It was 12-18 months, temp to hire, made me jump through a bunch of hoops (drug test, background check, fingerprinting, multiple interviews) that took a month - and the job was over in 6 weeks. Got great reviews from the agency and Best Buy, but BB apparently never had the budget for the position. But not coincidentally I finished the project I was assigned.

Don't treat temp jobs like you are actually employed - keep actively looking for permanent employment, no matter what the agency says.

Thanks. Having been on the inside of one of these, it does make sense. My boss there was talking about how initially corporate told him "no temps, period" and he ended up with 4 because they really had a lot of doc imaging work to do, so he was probably under a fair bit of pressure to downsize as needed, and that this will probably be the case with others.

 

[MattDM]

I have a advanced driving assessment tomorrow (i.e blue lights). Absolutely bricking it.

Going from Paramedic to Emergency Care Practitioner is a huge step. £58k per annum.

 

[Sylas]

Anybody have a lot of experience with Robert Half/Office Team? I just did an assignment with them that left me with kind of a bad taste, they picked me up right after new year's (I was ecstatic, i had just graduated before Christmas) for an assignment at a real estate company, saying 1-2 months, ended up being 8 days, just got called today saying not to come back (they just said I was no longer needed, so I verified that I hadn't done anything wrong, the employer's needs had just changed).

Worried about whether i'm going to get more of this.

The second question, how does one do an end-run around the "overqualified" problem? I got a Master's Degree before Christmas, and I've been hammering away at local jobs in my field, getting decent interviews, but damn, I need a job now (really can't afford to spend more than about 6 weeks idle, or i'll be broke as hell and have to start begging off of my parents). I'd rather just start a generic office job wherever, but I can't fight the problem that unless it's a job in my field, they're just going to turn me aside as a potential flight risk.

Yeah that's basically how temp jobs work. First rule of temp work is to never finish your work early. Unless you can accurately identify that the project will be ongoing and not a one-time thing, you draw it out as best as you can. It makes for mediocre work ethic, but whatever. A paycheck is a paycheck.

As for the overqualification thing--just remember that you don't need to put all of your education and/or experience down. If you think it'll overqualify you or it just plain ol' isn't necessary for the position, don't mention it. Very few companies will actually dive too deeply into your educational background despite saying they do a background check.

 

[mrklaw]

After not many responses to applications, a handful of phone interviews and zero face to face interviews, I went back to look at my CV. More out of desparation than expectation, I tried one of the CV review/rewrite companies. Their initial 'free' consultation pulled out a few things, but a lot of them looked like they could be generic comments applied to most CVs to get orders. But they did show how certain keywords from my CV were showing up (or not) using the automated tools that recruiters often use.

Anyway, I ordered one - I figured what the hell. Got a first draft back today and it looks great, I can just about recognise myself underneath the management bullshit terminlogy

Definitely recommend at least asking a friend or ex colleague to take a look over your CV/resume to see if there are any suggestions they might have to spruce it up.

 

[CurlyHairedMonster]

Not sure of this is the right thread but I'm currently hiring 2 front end web designers (java, css, html). College degree preferred but if you can show you have the skills, definitely not required. This is an entry level position. (Phoenix Biltmore area)

Also hiring 10-15 GIS technicians and Analysts in the top 10-15 cities (population wise) in the US.

PM me.

 

[Estellex]

I am anticipating that I will get about one year of work experience in my related major before I graduated.

How competitive am I since my CGPA is kinda low so I am kind of worried.

 

[Orbis Tabula]

Just had an interview today. I think it went pretty well. Not a home run, but pretty good. The company has also been moving me very quickly through the application process which I think is a good sign. Fingers crossed!

 

[Hasphat'sAnts]

Anybody's got a good resource on SEO practices? I've got an interview tomorrow on SEO/Spam abuse. It's not my area of expertise so I don't know where to start preparing for the technical q's. :/

 

[Fury Sense]

Since Monday the 11th:

38 Applications
9 Rejections
2 Phone interviews
1 Follow-up phone interview
27 No response (need to follow up)

Had two phone calls today. One was very meh. I felt like the interviewer did not want to talk to me at all. Made me feel pretty dejected. The other, which I'm excited for, was mostly good but not perfect. Hoping for an onsite invitation tomorrow.

More lessons learned:

• For any skill, have a succinct story that exemplifies it
• Honest questions are more likely to impress the interviewer than be inappropriate
• Large companies want specialty, small companies want adaptability

This week I'll continue to tweak the resume and cover letters and apply to newly posted jobs (roughly 5 per day) as well as followup with any unresponsive companies from last week. If things aren't looking good after Friday, I'll probably look into other types of jobs or significantly changing my resume.

 

[excowboy]

Came to vent - I'm looking for a job after being self-employed for five years and I'm doing my first application. They want a full employment history - I'm 32 and have moved around whilst studying, plus my whole 'career' path has been royally fucked by chronic illness. I phoned the HR dept to check if they really need all the details - 'yes, this gives the appointing manager the best understanding of who the candidate really is' - so, they're gonna look at it and think I can't stick at anything and chuck mine in the bin?!
Appreciate I'm throwing some negative bias in here but meh!

 

[teruterubozu]

Just had an interview today. I think it went pretty well. Not a home run, but pretty good. The company has also been moving me very quickly through the application process which I think is a good sign. Fingers crossed!

Good luck man, sounds good!

Did an interview 8 days ago and just waiting. Thought I did a decent interview, sent a good thank you note, got a reply back thanking me for the note & enthusiasm. So far so good, but the quietness is unnerving!

 

[Google]

I'm currently hiring in Vancouver:

6 x Software Account Executives (starting at $100k OTE)
2 x Software Business Development Reps (Starting at $55k OTE)
1 x Channel Sales Manager (Starting at $110k OTE)

PM me for more details and Job Specs.

 

[Google]

Came to vent - I'm looking for a job after being self-employed for five years and I'm doing my first application. They want a full employment history - I'm 32 and have moved around whilst studying, plus my whole 'career' path has been royally fucked by chronic illness. I phoned the HR dept to check if they really need all the details - 'yes, this gives the appointing manager the best understanding of who the candidate really is' - so, they're gonna look at it and think I can't stick at anything and chuck mine in the bin?!
Appreciate I'm throwing some negative bias in here but meh!

I'm confused.

Five years of being self employed in one place is good.

Working multiple jobs while at school is fine as long as you explain it that way.

If you were ill and dont feel like revealing why you weren't working just use the excuse you were travelling or something.

 

[Orbis Tabula]

Good luck man, sounds good!

Did an interview 8 days ago and just waiting. Thought I did a decent interview, sent a good thank you note, got a reply back thanking me for the note & enthusiasm. So far so good, but the quietness is unnerving!

Thanks, man! Good luck to you, too!

I hope my good luck wishes are as potent as yours was, because I got the job! And it pays significantly more than I was expecting. Finally ending this long period of un- and under-employment. Best of luck!

 

[Suite Pee]

My dad is breathing down my neck because he thinks just because I have a Master's degree (in Sociology) that I can work wherever I want. I currently work as a human parrot at a call center.

I'll probably look into social work jobs and shelve any ideas of getting back into academia for when I have some money set aside.

 

[Bay Maximus]

My dad is breathing down my neck because he thinks just because I have a Master's degree (in Sociology) that I can work wherever I want. I currently work as a human parrot at a call center.

I'll probably look into social work jobs and shelve any ideas of getting back into academia for when I have some money set aside.

Yeah, sometimes it's amazing how disconnected past generations are with the current job-seeking environment.

 

[entremet]

My dad is breathing down my neck because he thinks just because I have a Master's degree (in Sociology) that I can work wherever I want. I currently work as a human parrot at a call center.

I'll probably look into social work jobs and shelve any ideas of getting back into academia for when I have some money set aside.

Many social work jobs require a MSW these days. However, you can get loan forgiveness if you serve underrepresented communities. Not a bad deal actually.

 

[gwailo]

any body know of any jobs that go from 6pm to like 5am? preferably at a big box store?

I need to be off by 6am though.

I used to be an assistant manager at Target where I supervised unloading the day's freight trucks and the warehouse. I usually worked 8PM - 6:30AM.

But if you go looking for a big box retail job and say "I have to be off at XXX time" you're most likely not going to be hired. Big box stores want people that are available any time of the day 7 days of the week.

 

[Glass Shark]

I got laid off last week and have been applying for jobs like crazy ever since. However, I'm in kind of a unique situation and I could use some feedback on it.

I got started in my professional career in the IT field doing technical support. I have several IT certifications. But about 5 years ago, I transitioned out of IT and into marketing by transferring departments within the company I was with at the time.

Now that I'm looking for jobs, I'm considering getting back into the IT field because it's something I enjoy more. But I really struggle with how to present this on my resume. Should I just be really straightforward with it and put all my positions on there no matter what type of job I'm applying for? The marketing work I have done is not super relevant in an IT career, but I don't want to leave a years-long gap on my work history.

Any advice?

 

[MC Safety]

Cross your fingers.

They're flying me in and out on the same day. And, good gracious, the note they sent me said forget about the suit and tie.

 

[ItIsOkBro]

Good luck with the job search GAF. After 6 months of searching I started a few days ago.

 

[entremet]

I got laid off last week and have been applying for jobs like crazy ever since. However, I'm in kind of a unique situation and I could use some feedback on it.

I got started in my professional career in the IT field doing technical support. I have several IT certifications. But about 5 years ago, I transitioned out of IT and into marketing by transferring departments within the company I was with at the time.

Now that I'm looking for jobs, I'm considering getting back into the IT field because it's something I enjoy more. But I really struggle with how to present this on my resume. Should I just be really straightforward with it and put all my positions on there no matter what type of job I'm applying for? The marketing work I have done is not super relevant in an IT career, but I don't want to leave a years-long gap on my work history.

Any advice?

Include all the experience. It's not going to hurt you.

Just say that you're excited to get back into IT. Sell the marketing job as a experiment of sorts.

You tried it. It shows you can learn and are flexible, but you're now eager to jump back into IT.

Have you keep up with changing tech?

Do you have volunteer experience with IT?

 

[NipplesAndToes23]

I've had enough with this temp service I recently joined. This woman asked me if I was sure if I actually applied with them, after just speaking to her last week and working for them before. They do this every time I call them or go in person. Asking me if I submitted my transcripts and resume when we just covered this over the phone and last week told me about a job, couldn't tell me where it was, just generally what I would be doing and said to meet with her today. Got there today and she told me I couldn't do it because I don't have much experience with it, when she could've just told me that shit over the phone when she had my resume and shit.

She said there's a substitute teacher thing I could do, but I get to get a blood test and drug test for it. A criminal background check too, which I had to remind her I already did a while ago. I have to pay for these tests myself. They'll probably end up losing the results from my tests. I think I'll just say fuck it, forget this temp agency and go back to the desperate plan and go back picking up boxes at Fedex.