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Funambulist posted:About 3 months out of college, and I haven't had much luck finding something. I have an offer that I'm waffling like crazy on, and it'd be nice if I could get input from actually employed goons. I don't know many people in the work force. Eh, I think you made the right choice. That poo poo sounds like indentured servitude.
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Aug 7, 2012 03:43
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Noah posted:I didn't believe that the job was right for me at the moment, or for the future. It didn't further my career goals or make me look like a better candidate for a position in a field that I really want, it was really just a bump (a sizeable one though) in pay for a job I truly believe I'd hate having to go to everyday. Now I'm worried. I have an interview today for a job that's technically out of my scope of interest, does this mean that I'm just wasting my time? Should I be looking for what's relevant to me (at the moment), even if I haven't had much success? Then again I doubt it really matters if I don't even know what I want to do with my life  Speaking of, this is a company I was looking at: http://www.invicro.com/ They do work very similar to what I want to do. What is this "industry" (or however it qualifies) formally called? Because I haven't been able to figure out the right keywords/naming scheme to learn more about it or get involved in the field. hieronymus posted:If you actually lived within 10~20 min of Stamford with your parents, I'd hesitate turning the offer down (I might've myself when I graduated from college.) But a (realistically) 5 hour a day commute for a 40k a year job is one of the most destructive things you can do to yourself. There was a position like this I found, very interesting but too far away - and I don't know how much it paid. Sad, because it's the field I really want to get into.
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Aug 7, 2012 14:06
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Funambulist posted:Q.E.D. I guess. It took about 4 hours on public transit to get from my parents' house to my dorm. Can't say I'd like to do that, even if it was broken up, 5 days a week. gently caress that. Seriously. Pollyanna posted:Now I'm worried. I have an interview today for a job that's technically out of my scope of interest, does this mean that I'm just wasting my time? Should I be looking for what's relevant to me (at the moment), even if I haven't had much success? You're 22, nothing's relevant to you.
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Aug 7, 2012 18:36
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Pollyanna posted:Now I'm worried. I have an interview today for a job that's technically out of my scope of interest, does this mean that I'm just wasting my time? Should I be looking for what's relevant to me (at the moment), even if I haven't had much success? Never turn down an interview. You can turn down a job, but there's absolutely no reason to ever turn down an interview. It gets you experience in the situation, it allows you to find out more about the job and it can build your confidence if things go well. Apply for everything you think you would like to do, regardless of distance. Get the job, then worry about the distance, otherwise you're expending energy for no reason.
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Aug 7, 2012 20:23
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Noah posted:Apply for everything you think you would like to do, regardless of distance. Get the job, then worry about the distance, otherwise you're expending energy for no reason. I'd echo this. Pollyanna, you're young and getting a job is your ticket to freedom from your parents. Moving is a good idea, even if it ends up being to like Kansas. You need to get out on your own and live your life independently. I think you'll be surprised in how much you are capable of if you're willing to take risks. Eggplant Wizard fucked around with this message at 21:54 on Aug 7, 2012 |
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Aug 7, 2012 21:48
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Pollyanna posted:Now I'm worried. I have an interview today for a job that's technically out of my scope of interest, does this mean that I'm just wasting my time? Should I be looking for what's relevant to me (at the moment), even if I haven't had much success? You're single and don't have property. NOTHING is too far away.
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Aug 7, 2012 23:58
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Pollyanna posted:Speaking of, this is a company I was looking at: http://www.invicro.com/ They do work very similar to what I want to do. What is this "industry" (or however it qualifies) formally called? Because I haven't been able to figure out the right keywords/naming scheme to learn more about it or get involved in the field. You can't figure out how to search for jobs in their industry? Here's how they self-describe on linkedin: quote:inviCRO is an image science company that provides advanced data analysis services and software in the growing field of pre-clinical imaging research. I'd try searching for anything listed under "specialties." It sounds like "medical imaging" is probably the most general category.
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Aug 8, 2012 03:54
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How do you all go about negotiating salaries? I applied for a job that asked me to include my cover letter, resume and salary expectations, but I forgot to include the salary part (most every job I've ever had has offered a flat rate and not been open to negotiations). This is the first time I've tried finding a real job though since graduating so I don't know how the negotiation process goes. Luckily, I was contacted for a phone interview even though I had that part of the application missing. I know that I'm still a far ways off from actually getting hired and negotiating salary, but I wanted to start getting an idea ahead of time.
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Aug 8, 2012 18:12
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monkeyboydc posted:How do you all go about negotiating salaries? I applied for a job that asked me to include my cover letter, resume and salary expectations, but I forgot to include the salary part (most every job I've ever had has offered a flat rate and not been open to negotiations). This is the first time I've tried finding a real job though since graduating so I don't know how the negotiation process goes. You lucked out, ideally you want them to state a number first. If you game out all the scenarios, there's little to be gained and a lot to be lost if you're forced to come up with a number first, so do your best to get them to offer something that you can respond to. That said, sometimes they're insistent, so come prepared with a general ballpark that you've gathered from Salary.com and Glassdoor.com and such, for similar positions in your area. Don't be afraid to take those numbers and shoot for the upper end of the range. Again, it rarely hurts you to overshoot by a few percentage points, and if you come in low, you're hamstringing yourself for potentially a few years, as raises and promotions are usually percentage increases off of your initial salary. As this is your first "real" job since graduating though, I'd give it a little leeway. Don't be a total hard-rear end because realistically, you probably won't stay at your first job forever. I'd take a slightly lower salary if I thought there were greater career advancement opportunities there, or it was a good "diagonally upwards" jumping off point for the job I really wanted but couldn't get straight out of school. It's important to land well, but try to think a move or two ahead as well, temporary sacrifices can be worth it in the long run.
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Aug 8, 2012 18:23
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I took an offer for my first job that was pretty far below average for that position, but most people in that job had 3-5 years experience so I figured it was a great chance to learn and put a solid foot on the ladder. I worked there for 2 years and left for a 25% pay increase, it took me 3 weeks to find a new job. I am no expert but I think the big thing about your first job is that you're looking for experience and exposure more than a paycheck. On the other side of the coin, you probably won't get much because you have no experience or critical skills you can leverage. Get the most you can but don't freak out. For an extreme example, my friend from highschool got an MBA from a top school and went to work for 50k. 2 years later he left and is now making something like 120k. Even future 1%-ers have (comparably) lovely first jobs.
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Aug 8, 2012 18:34
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So I'm back to playing the numbers game and just sending out my resume and cover letter (and a portfolio if there's anyway to attach it, or an HR person to contact) for copywriter, writer, anything related to that, positions. I'm in LA, so I really don't think I need to relocate (I'd prefer not to for my own personal reasons and career goals), but I'm feeling like I'm not hitting enough job postings. I've been using Simply Hired, Journalism Jobs, Craigslist, Monster, Creative Hotlist, Zip Recruiter, and now I'm going to try Indeed as well. Any other suggestions to places for "creative" type people? I'm also going to larger companies like Fox, ABC, NBC and searching through their own career site as well, but its really just brutal.
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Aug 8, 2012 21:05
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I'm going to be taking a fellowship after college. It's a good opportunity in a cool location, so I'm pretty satisfied with it even though it's only a small stipend. My question is, how do employers generally look on fellowships? Is it basically the same as an internship?
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Aug 8, 2012 21:17
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monkeyboydc posted:How do you all go about negotiating salaries? I applied for a job that asked me to include my cover letter, resume and salary expectations, but I forgot to include the salary part (most every job I've ever had has offered a flat rate and not been open to negotiations). This is the first time I've tried finding a real job though since graduating so I don't know how the negotiation process goes. So, here's what I sent off when negotiating salary, and their response: quote:Hi [Recruiter], quote:Hi [me], So, just like you've read everywhere on the internet, it can be as easy as asking. Just have a number in mind, and have a *reason*. Your reason could be an advanced degree (listed under "preferred" not "required" on the job ad), experience in the field, or whatever. Just have a number, have a reason, and, if you're paranoid like me, mention that you'll still consider the offer as-written.
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Aug 8, 2012 23:58
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Xguard86 posted:I took an offer for my first job that was pretty far below average for that position, but most people in that job had 3-5 years experience so I figured it was a great chance to learn and put a solid foot on the ladder. I like this advice. Working for 2 years is an incredibly small piece of the lifetime career pie(probably not even 5% of time spent working), so if you have to cut back a bit to accommodate the lower salary, it should pay off in a few years(hopefully when the economy is better) when you can negotiate with your current company or move somewhere else. A buddy of mine got an MA in Economics from a nowhere near ranked state school and he told me he is looking for 60k+ out of school in a non metro area. I just kinda smile and wish him luck. Paying your dues is a thing that most of us have to do, and any relevant job with not-poverty pay and the future ability to move is better than waiting for the golden goose egg to come your way.
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Aug 9, 2012 16:48
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Doc Faustus posted:So, here's what I sent off when negotiating salary, and their response: Awesome, thank you for that. I may have to utilize something very similar. Salary came up in my phone interview and I got them to give me a number that they'd be spending ideally. It's a lot more than I make now but seemed lowish for the market in this area. I may be ballsy a little later on in the interview process and see if they'll negotiate with me. Thanks again!
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Aug 9, 2012 19:43
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Hey everyone, so I graduated a week ago with a B.A. in History. I have a decent GPA (3.4), no internships, but I did spend a year abroad and was relatively active during that time. Right now, since I have nothing lined up, I'm planning to move back in with my parents take on a job (or two) while doing volunteer work/taking night classes. I'm really just hoping to try and save up around $5,000 over the next 4 months and then move somewhere else. The thing that scares me is that many of my friends in a similar position haven't found anything. I have friends that graduated two years ago and are still at home working at Best Buy. I'm hoping I can hear some words of reassurance from anyone here. It just seems terrifying how many of my friends are just stuck in a ditch really.
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Aug 9, 2012 22:36
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Xanderg posted:Hey everyone, so I graduated a week ago with a B.A. in History. I have a decent GPA (3.4), no internships, but I did spend a year abroad and was relatively active during that time. Right now, since I have nothing lined up, I'm planning to move back in with my parents take on a job (or two) while doing volunteer work/taking night classes. The only advice I have to give you is strap in for a bumpy, possibly lengthy, ride. If you have connections, reach out to all of them. At at the same time, keep yourself busy by polishing your resume, working on cover letters, work on projects, develop new skills, etc. Be resilient in your job search, you might get really discourage after sending out dozens of resumes and receiving little to no responses, but don't take it personally. Also, every now and then take a day off and enjoy your unemployment (it really helps to preserve your sanity). Goodluck on your search, maybe you'll be one of the luckier ones.
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Aug 10, 2012 00:23
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Ditto. Never stop doing what it is you think you want your career path to be, or you will have an even harder time getting into it.
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Aug 10, 2012 02:39
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Due in part to the advice in this thread I just got my first real job after college! I start Monday, which is 4 weeks to the day I started my search. I found the job market (SF Bay Area) to be very responsive, and I ended up accepting the offer that was the best match for my skill set and career goals. Thanks!
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Aug 10, 2012 18:09
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Congratulations! I'm beginning to wonder if I should look outside of LA for jobs myself.
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Aug 10, 2012 22:08
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Noah posted:Congratulations! I'm beginning to wonder if I should look outside of LA for jobs myself. It never hurts! Also I meant to reply to your earlier question, but for a creative type, have you tried talent or recruitment agencies? The one that comes to mind is 24 Seven Talent because I've heard of them before, but I'm sure there must be tons of them around LA.
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Aug 10, 2012 22:46
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close to toast posted:Due in part to the advice in this thread I just got my first real job after college! I start Monday, which is 4 weeks to the day I started my search. I'm jealous. I'm not exactly coming off college but my minimal work experience and long unemployment gap may not be helping me. I've been applying now for a month and the lack of response is absolutely soul-crushing. I even applied for jobs that do not require a Bachelor's degree or having passed the CPA exam and they don't even notice me. The current job market is not easy 
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Aug 10, 2012 23:55
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Thanks  Are you guys writing cover letters? Are they any good? A few of my interviewers mentioned they liked mine a lot, and I'm sure that helped me get those initial call backs. I applied to about 15 places and got 5 call backs that all led to several rounds of interviews.
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Aug 11, 2012 00:15
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close to toast posted:Thanks Where in the bay are you located and what field? Do you mind posting a sample of your cover letter. I've been having very little luck here in San Jose
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Aug 11, 2012 01:08
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I'd rather not post a cover letter here (although you can PM me), but they followed this general format: 3 sentences about where/what I studied in school in a way that ties it all together as part of a larger theme. 2-3 sentences about how the above experiences make me uniquely qualified for the position. 3 sentences about how not only are my skills a match but I am excited about the company's mission and know something about the landscape they operate in. Edit: I'm in SF and applied to tech companies, mostly start ups close to toast fucked around with this message at 02:04 on Aug 11, 2012 |
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Aug 11, 2012 02:01
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I have a couple of questions. I am graduating in December with a BFA in Art education and I plan to move to the Seattle area after graduation (from AZ). I do not want to move out there without some kind of job first, when should I start applying? Are employers usually willing to do telephone interviews?
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Aug 15, 2012 06:34
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glu posted:I have a couple of questions. I am graduating in December with a BFA in Art education and I plan to move to the Seattle area after graduation (from AZ). I do not want to move out there without some kind of job first, when should I start applying? Are employers usually willing to do telephone interviews? To be honest, I do not think this is a reasonable expectation at all. I think your best bet would be to get a job in AZ and save up, then move and hope your nest egg can hold out. Alternatively, crash on someone's couch and try for a poo poo job to move out on your own. If I were an employer I would never bother with an out of state applicant. I am confident I can find someone local.
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Aug 15, 2012 07:26
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glu posted:Are employers usually willing to do telephone interviews? Wondering about this too, as I'm applying to multiple metropolitan areas all very far apart.
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Aug 15, 2012 07:32
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I think it depends on how in-demand the field is. For CS majors at least, doing a phone screen or two followed by being flown out for in-person interviews is a fairly standard procedure, particularly at larger tech companies. For an Art Education degree, though, I'd be pretty shocked if they tried to hire someone out of state, unless you have a particularly unusual skillset.
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Aug 15, 2012 20:08
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It really depends on the company. I lived and went to school in Virginia and applied to jobs all over the country. The job I landed flew me out for an interview without any preliminary phone screening or anything, then paid for me to move out to Texas. On the other hand, other companies wouldn't even look at people from out of the area. I saw a lot of postings that asked for local applicants only. If I was applying for a job out of state, I would always mention in my cover letter that I was willing to relocate. However, I'm an industrial designer and that's not a huge field and most schools don't even have an industrial design program. I'm sure it's different for popular majors like computer scientists. On the same coin, if you've majored in something wildly popular odds are there's a job for you in your current town (or somewhere within a reasonable driving distance) to get you started and relocating isn't necessary.
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Aug 16, 2012 00:19
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Thank you for all the input guys! I do plan on going out there and crashing on a friends couch for a week or two in December, so hopefully I can coordinate interviews during that time. Also, my degree option is focused on museum studies rather than K-12, this is one of the reasons I chose Seattle, they have many, many museums and I am just hoping my degree is specific enough that they are willing to hire out of state. There are not many options here in Tucson. I am not picky though, I will take whatever I can find, just to get started out there. It seems that hiring out of state and doing telephone interviews all depends on the company and type of job.
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Aug 16, 2012 00:27
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Good luck, I have heard that getting good museum jobs is extremely difficult.
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Aug 16, 2012 00:31
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Any tips for a phone interview? I'm taking a phone interview with a company in the area working on R&D for thermal imaging cameras, and while I'm pretty sure I can ace technical questions on the basic optics and materials selection, I don't know what else might be standard questions on a 90 minute phone interview.
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Aug 16, 2012 16:58
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Claverjoe posted:Any tips for a phone interview? I'm taking a phone interview with a company in the area working on R&D for thermal imaging cameras, and while I'm pretty sure I can ace technical questions on the basic optics and materials selection, I don't know what else might be standard questions on a 90 minute phone interview. Here's what I always tell people for phone interviews: -Be in a quiet place and on a land line if possible. -Stand up while talking on the phone. You'll be more energetic and the interviewer can tell. It's harder to convey interest over the phone, so try to sound enthusiastic. -Have a copy of your resume printed out and in front of you along with any notes you think you might need. It's not a pop quiz, phone interviews are the only time you can use notes in an interview. You may as well use them. Good luck!
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Aug 16, 2012 23:50
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If you know anything about the company, have some questions prepared ahead of time that you can ask about the position as well. If for some reason the interviewer answers those questions, without being prompted to, reiterate that you did HAVE questions but the interviewer covered them very thoroughly. Also try to smile while talking if you can, just like walking around and standing, it can help you feel more enthusiastic which will translate through your voice. Also 90 minutes is a really long time for a phone interview, make sure you've got some water handy too, you might be in for a lot of talking.
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Aug 17, 2012 00:04
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glu posted:Thank you for all the input guys! I do plan on going out there and crashing on a friends couch for a week or two in December, so hopefully I can coordinate interviews during that time. Also, my degree option is focused on museum studies rather than K-12, this is one of the reasons I chose Seattle, they have many, many museums and I am just hoping my degree is specific enough that they are willing to hire out of state. There are not many options here in Tucson. I am not picky though, I will take whatever I can find, just to get started out there. It seems that hiring out of state and doing telephone interviews all depends on the company and type of job.
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Aug 17, 2012 00:49
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I can always work at a charter school, and also I can take the certification if nothing else pans out, but since I am moving states,and not going to apply at public schools right away, I will wait to see if I can get a job I want, if not I will (hopefully)be able to get a certification for WA. I see a good amount of listings for museum education type positions, plus I have two years worth of unpaid internship experience at a museum, so right now I am feeling pretty confident. Like I said though, I will take what I can get at first, even if it has nothing to do with my degree, just so I can move out there and then search while living there. I just wanted to know when is too early to start applying for things out of state. Thank you for all/any help/advice!
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Aug 17, 2012 01:04
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Noah posted:If you know anything about the company, have some questions prepared ahead of time that you can ask about the position as well. If for some reason the interviewer answers those questions, without being prompted to, reiterate that you did HAVE questions but the interviewer covered them very thoroughly. Also, it isn't cheating to write out answers ahead of time for things like "tell us about yourself" - jsut don't read it like a zombie, just use it as a glance if you're feeling unsure of a direct response.
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Aug 17, 2012 05:34
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Okay, I need some advice on a question that is now being asked in every interview/phone call I manage to receive: "I see it's been 4 years since you've graduated with your degree (Aerospace Engineering). How come you have no experience/haven't had a job? Have you stopped looking/Are you still pursuing a job?" My answer to this has pretty much been "the economy", and I've only ever had one interviewer that seemed sympathetic to that (she herself was involved in a Mechanical Engineering company which had cut back due to the slow economy). This was for a certain retail chain manager position, which actually was kind enough to call me back, said I was really great in the interview, but the guy they picked had more retail experience that I. I've even had a recruiter (from Aerotek, I think) actually say "Is there a problem with you?" and insinuated that I was lazy to the point of "If I get you a job, I need to be sure you're gonna show up every day, and do the job. You can't be slacking off, you need to work hard." Oh how much I kept myself from stamping his forehead with his name plate. Otherwise, jobs seem to be drying up, and all my contacts are saying "lay offs are coming". It's starting to get depressing again (of course, with my high school reunion coming up, and seeing how it seems all of my friends from high school are where they want to be, not being able to even afford my own apartment is a downer). Also, I keep getting people telling me I need to move to where the jobs are at. How do I do this when I need to be making $18/hr just to live?
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Aug 19, 2012 21:41
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4 hours is a long time to go without a job, even for those who graduated in 2008. Even if it's not ideal, most young people will not find themselves in a position where they can literally find no work at all, and one can always volunteer (I do understand that most volunteering positions are not relevant to an engineer) What did you do for those 4 years aside from search for jobs? Also: You don't need to make $18 an hour to live anywhere. I scraped by in the 2nd most expensive place in the country on minimum wage. It's not sustainable in the long-term (for example, if you get unexpected medical expenses you're done for), but it can definitely work out for a 6-12 month period while you try to find better/more relevant work.
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Aug 20, 2012 00:15
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