|
Just tell them you did and if they suggest otherwise, tell em you don't know what they're talking about.
|
#
?
Apr 24, 2013 21:03
|
|
|
|
| # ? Jun 5, 2024 00:56 |
|
|
cucurbit posted:Did you not put in your 2 weeks notice? I bet he did, he's just over thinking things again. Benny, for what it's worth I think you actually did good at the job fair and I'm really impressed that you seem to still have a positive attitude about this whole job search thing. People are making GBS threads on you left and right for legitimate and non-legitimate reasons in my opinion (LIke seriously, what's up with the guy who's obsessed with United Way? He seems convinced that you are doomed if you don't call them RIGHT NOW) I think it really says a lot that you haven't let it get to you and you've continued to put yourself out there and stay positive. I do think you are doing some things wrong, and I do think you lack some common sense so you should continue to follow some of the advice in this thread, but I wanted pop in and say "hang in there!". Staying positive and confident is a HUGE part of job searching. If you can go into an interview knowing you can do a great job, it'll really help convince the interviewer that you're the right person. People are criticizing you for not working 50 hours a week to get a job, but I'm wondering if some of this is because of your ADD (assuming it hasn't gone away in adulthood as many kid's ADD does). I say this not because you should use it as an excuse to not get things done, but because there are ways you can work with your brain and manage yourself to ensure you DO get things done. What works for everyone does not always work for someone with ADD. If you have a library card or a bit of extra cash to pick up some books, I'd really recommend picking up "Driven to Distraction" and "You Mean I'm not Lazy stupid or Crazy?" from Amazon/the bookstore. Assuming you still have ADD in adulthood, both books will really help you understand what causes the disorder, how it works, and how to manage it with AND without medication. Both books really helped me out when I was first diagnosed (I was misdiagnosed with a learning disability as a child, diagnosed with ADD as an adult), and gave me many ideas on how to set up my life for success without medication (before I decided to try it).
|
|
#
?
Apr 24, 2013 21:10
|
|
|
Benny the Snake posted:By the way: that's what I was reading on my way up to campus. I did a literature regimen last spring: I read Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Toole, and Chandler in order to become a better writer. I'm not sure if it helped, but it sure did expand my horizons. I'm going to try that again right now. English major haver checking in again. Reading to become a better writer is the smallest part of becoming a writer. I knowmpeople who cannot write a coherent memo who read good literature. The key is to write a lot all the time. You will create crap for a long time and then maybe start getting better. Most writers I know write 8-10 hours a day and read after they are done. Admit reading is an enriching hobby. It is not going to make you into a great writer.
|
|
#
?
Apr 24, 2013 21:12
|
|
|
Xenocides posted:English major haver checking in again. I'm genuinely curious, why do so many fiction writers say that being a good reader is the most important skill to be a good writer?
|
|
#
?
Apr 24, 2013 21:29
|
|
|
Xenocides posted:English major haver checking in again. An addition to that would probably be "finish pieces" though. Writing and rewriting Chapter 1 8 hours per day for 5 years will produce a decent chapter 1, but probably an awful writer still. If you are a perfectionist over "your book", write some short stories instead. Get into the habit of finishing things.
|
|
#
?
Apr 24, 2013 21:30
|
|
|
BrainParasite posted:I'm genuinely curious, why do so many fiction writers say that being a good reader is the most important skill to be a good writer? I have heard this but I take it to mean that you are a good reader who reads as a writer. When you read for enjoyment you enjoy it. When you read to become a better writer you pick apart why you enjoyed it. Unless you are a natural writing genius you have to write often and edit your own work often for reading to help. You cannot become a good writer because you enjoy Hemingway. If you are a mediocre writer trying to learn what works in Hemingway you have a solid chance to become better. I guess I just disagree. I think writing is the most important skill for a writer. Quick analogy. A video game designer needs to understand programming first. Then they play games to find out what works and what does not. This does not mean that Joe Neckbeard living in mom's basement is improving his video game design skills by playing EVE for 12 hours a day. He might be expanding his horizons in some way similar to reading great literature (though I am enough of a literature snob to doubt it) as Benny may have but I doubt Benny or Joe are becoming more skilled at writing or at design.
|
|
#
?
Apr 24, 2013 21:45
|
|
BrainParasite posted:I'm genuinely curious, why do so many fiction writers say that being a good reader is the most important skill to be a good writer? The same reason you watch how an NFL defensive end plays the position when you're playing DE in high school. You see how he plays the position. When you're reading to improve your writing, you're not reading a story and ho boy that Harry Potter sure is a good read! You are analyzing how the J.K. Rowling introduces character traits and develops characters, etc. etc. You basically figure out why a piece of writing works and see if it applies to your voice.
|
|
|
#
?
Apr 24, 2013 21:46
|
|
|
I am now almost wanting to write a story about Joe Neckbeard and Benny sharing an apartment and getting up to all kinds of wacky hijinks.
|
|
#
?
Apr 24, 2013 21:49
|
|
|
BrainParasite posted:I'm genuinely curious, why do so many fiction writers say that being a good reader is the most important skill to be a good writer? I'm going to use the word creative in a hopefully non-pretentious way - I'm talking about anyone who creates "art" whether it is a writer or a dancer or a painter or a singer. Bad creatives/hopeful creatives will say enjoying a lot of creative works is vital to learning how to be a good creative. Good creatives will observe other creative works and dissect them to their elemental pieces to isolate them, reconstruct and assimilate the techniques. Observation is the hardest to train skill for any creative endeavor - when we "enjoy" a creative work, whether it is playing a game or reading a book and getting lost in that world, you are experiencing the end result but not seeing the construction therein. To observe a piece of fiction or a woman's face or a melody is to look past those experiences and see the elements of construction behind it. Film Study is one of those college electives that people take thinking they'll be enjoying, when the entire focus is on observation - if you've ever known someone who has taken a (good) film study class, they'll start talking about mise-en-scene and generally be obnoxious in their dissection of whatever movie you're watching with them. This is because they're observing the construction of the film rather than watching the slowmotion titsplosion. An essential part of observation, however, is experimentation, and testing theories. You can only theorize and test so much of a final product for the construction methods - imagine a book as a house - by looking at the walls and soffits you can get an idea as to the stud construction and maybe some of the plumbing or wiring, but you're still only guessing as to the full construction. So you need to build a house yourself to get a better handle on how the details of that construction works. Reading books to become a writer is like eating food to become a chef.
|
|
#
?
Apr 24, 2013 22:04
|
|
|
Xenocides posted:I have heard this but I take it to mean that you are a good reader who reads as a writer. When you read for enjoyment you enjoy it. When you read to become a better writer you pick apart why you enjoyed it. Unless you are a natural writing genius you have to write often and edit your own work often for reading to help. You cannot become a good writer because you enjoy Hemingway. If you are a mediocre writer trying to learn what works in Hemingway you have a solid chance to become better. I think it somewhat depends what kind of writing you're doing. If it's technical writing, some kinds of journalistic writing, etc., simply getting down the format, appropriate language, vocabulary, etc. will suffice, and practicing that writing over and over will make a person an expert. When it comes to other kinds of writing, however, such as novel writing, I think it's harder to develop a compelling style without seeing what others have done, and continuing to read other writers' work. In either case, though, you're right that constant practice is necessary.
|
|
#
?
Apr 24, 2013 22:28
|
|
|
I've got a big question: is it a faux paus to reverse engineer a cover letter? I've written one for a company that was featured at a fair, and I figured I could just switch around a few names and change a few things for a different company. Is this a good idea or no?
|
|
#
?
Apr 24, 2013 22:47
|
|
|
Benny the Snake posted:I've got a big question: is it a faux paus to reverse engineer a cover letter? I've written one for a company that was featured at a fair, and I figured I could just switch around a few names and change a few things for a different company. Is this a good idea or no? Are you reading your own thread? edit: These were from the very last page, and were the posts you SHOULD be studying if you are writing cover letters right now. cname posted:It's incredibly important that you come across as someone who is enthusiastic about deciding your next step in life, as opposed to someone who is all downtrodden and desperate for work. You can smell the difference, the second a candidate enters the interview room. PurePerfection posted:I want to reiterate that this is extremely good advice, and you should reread it before you send any more letters. Or has the thread just officially jumped the shark? Is that an admission that you are a puppet master, Benny? Masonity fucked around with this message at 23:05 on Apr 24, 2013 |
|
#
?
Apr 24, 2013 23:02
|
|
|
So you mentioned autistic spectrum disorder, albeit incorrectly referring to ADD. Has a professional ever suggested that you might be in that spectrum? The behavior people keep making GBS threads on you for is similar to lines of thinking and behavior I've seen in people with high functioning autism. And if that is the case I wish I had some good news, but you got dealt a pretty terrible hand either way.
|
|
#
?
Apr 25, 2013 00:18
|
|
|
OMG JC a Bomb! posted:So you mentioned autistic spectrum disorder, albeit incorrectly referring to ADD. Has a professional ever suggested that you might be in that spectrum? The behavior people keep making GBS threads on you for is similar to lines of thinking and behavior I've seen in people with high functioning autism.
|
|
#
?
Apr 25, 2013 00:33
|
|
|
Just retool and steal someone else's hard work- you really are a budding writer! Jesus Christ guy, don't be so drat lazy! ATTN: hiring managers name, their position. Call and find out the name of the person hiring, this shows initiative. If you're lucky enough to have that person on the phone, introduce yourself and let them know you're applying- show some personality. RE: JOB POSITION GOES HERE Explain where you saw the posting, your name and if your education was related to the job. If not, express your interest in the position. Explain here WHY you not only think why you can lend to this position but how you can learn from it too. What personality traits make you a desirable candidate? Are you willing to adapt to new situations? Are you able to stay cool with deadlines? Thank them for their time, let them know how to contact you, leave your name and email address and phone number. If your email is something stupid like dungeonmaster324058@hotmail.com, do yourself a favour and get a gmail for exactly this purpose. Bsnake or whatever your name is. Cover letters should never be more than a page. For retail, I honestly have never seen a cover letter make a difference. Be honest for gods sake. 54 40 or fuck fucked around with this message at 00:40 on Apr 25, 2013 |
|
#
?
Apr 25, 2013 00:37
|
|
|
You are literally a retard human being. (USER WAS PUT ON PROBATION FOR THIS POST)
|
|
#
?
Apr 25, 2013 00:46
|
|
|
SchrodingersFish posted:Benny, for what it's worth I think you actually did good at the job fair and I'm really impressed that you seem to still have a positive attitude about this whole job search thing. People are making GBS threads on you left and right for legitimate and non-legitimate reasons in my opinion (LIke seriously, what's up with the guy who's obsessed with United Way? He seems convinced that you are doomed if you don't call them RIGHT NOW) Benny needs a job. The Dept of Labor, United Way, and Goodwill offer job placement opportunities. It's not like it would be some massive undertaking for him to call one or all of them. Sometimes they get job offers that don't go on SimplyHired or Indeed, or whatever. It's not that he's ZOMG DOOMED if he doesn't call them right the gently caress now, but why not call? If he's sending out resumes and getting stonewalled, getting interviews but still getting stonewalled, and getting jobs but still getting fired within the first week, these are places that can help him either find better jobs or give him the job skills he needs (or point him to other resources). Not calling them is incredibly dumb at this point.
|
|
#
?
Apr 25, 2013 00:54
|
|
|
Benny the Snake posted:I've got a big question: is it a faux paus to reverse engineer a cover letter? I've written one for a company that was featured at a fair, and I figured I could just switch around a few names and change a few things for a different company. Is this a good idea or no? Are you serious?
|
|
#
?
Apr 25, 2013 00:58
|
|
|
BrainParasite posted:I'm genuinely curious, why do so many fiction writers say that being a good reader is the most important skill to be a good writer? They want to sell you their books. 
|
|
#
?
Apr 25, 2013 01:03
|
|
|
Benny the Snake posted:Eh, genetics hosed me over really good. I don't know my exact vision, but I'm both nearsighted and farsighted and I have a stigmatism. And my optometrist told me I'm not able to get laser eye surgery. At this rate, I'm probably going to go blind. What does this directly have to do with your mental health? Other than demonstrate that you can't focus on the question at hand?
|
|
#
?
Apr 25, 2013 01:11
|
|
|
neon tarsier posted:What does this directly have to do with your mental health? Other than demonstrate that you can't focus on the question at hand? It's code for "it's not my fault" 
|
|
#
?
Apr 25, 2013 01:41
|
|
|
Benny the Snake posted:I've got a big question: is it a faux paus to reverse engineer a cover letter? I've written one for a company that was featured at a fair, and I figured I could just switch around a few names and change a few things for a different company. Is this a good idea or no? Are you even reading this thread?
|
|
#
?
Apr 25, 2013 01:44
|
|
|
the runs formula posted:It's code for "it's not my fault" You're right, I failed to pick up on the "genetics is destiny" metaphoric subtext.  Benny - An eye surgeon being unable to correct your vision with a laser doesn't mean that therapy/medication can't help fix your brain. These things aren't equivalent. One genetic issue being unfixable doesn't automatically carry over into all of them. Also I skimmed your Great Gatsby thread and it seemed surprisingly okay.
|
|
#
?
Apr 25, 2013 01:51
|
|
|
Benny the Snake posted:I've got a big question: is it a faux paus to reverse engineer a cover letter? I've written one for a company that was featured at a fair, and I figured I could just switch around a few names and change a few things for a different company. Is this a good idea or no? Oh, Benny...  Fortunately, I'm narcissistic enough to really enjoy putting my words on the Internet, so I'll probably keep typing at a brick wall for a while longer. SchrodingersFish posted:
Wasn't me, but in my mind at least, it isn't about the United Way so much as what the United Way represents: a promising source of potential employment opportunities that hasn't been explored despite having free time in which to do so. It's not the end of the world if he doesn't pursue this one thing, but think of all the other possibilities he's squandering by not devoting enough time and energy to the job search, by cutting corners on cover letters, by dismissing out of hand any openings that aren't very simple to reach on public transit, by picking and choosing the goon advice that's easiest to follow, and so on.
|
|
#
?
Apr 25, 2013 01:54
|
|
|
Benny, I'm currently unemployed so I feel your pain. It seems to me that you either didn't take initiative in University or were never shown how to properly conduct yourself when looking for a job. Take the advice of the thread, also look up Ramit Sethi's dream job course. It's helped me understand why I have had such a hard time finding a job, and some of the pitfalls that we can run into. Also - until the pain of living with your parents is greater than the pain of doing all the little meticulous job hunting things and good advice you've been presented here...you won't do it and you'll keep half heartedly searching.
|
|
#
?
Apr 25, 2013 01:57
|
|
|
Benny the Snake posted:I want to think that I put in my two weeks notice. Five years is a long time to remember, though. Besides, I'm positive that I was a good employee. If I wasn't, then why would they hold me on for about two years? Benny, I'm 33 years old, I've worked more than 20 jobs in my life since I was 17 and I can tell you the exact circumstances of how I left each one and whether or not I gave notice. You are either monumentally stupid or you make up vague lies to cover your shortcomings. Possibly both.
|
|
#
?
Apr 25, 2013 02:08
|
|
|
Benny, Allow me to ensure you that you do not have to be a good employee to keep a job at McDonalds.
|
|
#
?
Apr 25, 2013 02:17
|
|
|
I just wanted to thank the wonderful goon (Devyl, I think?) who posted that freelance job opening site a number of pages back. I used to work in textbook publishing, but a few years back I quit to stay home with my rugrats. I've been a freelance copyeditor/proofreader ever since, although my only client was my former employer. Around the beginning of this thread I hosed up a project good and proper, and didn't get any more work from them. It was about 2 months later that I saw that link, answered a job posting, found a great employer looking for freelancers (with decent pay, $15 to $25 per hour, depending on the extent of the edit needed), and within a week was receiving work from them. Then my old client started sending me work again. So I guess what I'm saying, Benny, is that since you started this thread, I lost my job, got a new one, and then got my old one back. Troublemaker fucked around with this message at 02:49 on Apr 25, 2013 |
|
#
?
Apr 25, 2013 02:24
|
|
|
PurePerfection posted:Wasn't me, but in my mind at least, it isn't about the United Way so much as what the United Way represents: a promising source of potential employment opportunities that hasn't been explored despite having free time in which to do so. It's not the end of the world if he doesn't pursue this one thing, but think of all the other possibilities he's squandering by not devoting enough time and energy to the job search, by cutting corners on cover letters, by dismissing out of hand any openings that aren't very simple to reach on public transit, by picking and choosing the goon advice that's easiest to follow, and so on. Ok that makes sense then I guess. I've just never ever heard of the United Way, and only know Goodwill as a homophobic thrift store... (or am I confusing it with the Salvation Army?) so I thought it was such a weird thing to focus on with at least 5 consecutive posts demanding to know why he hadn't called. I think it much more stupid that he's limiting his job search to the extreme of "places I can walk to from my house" and am wondering why people aren't giving him more poo poo for this. Especially since his friend offered him a room in the middle of the city where there are tons and tons more jobs. He also never answered my question of "why can't you use your parents car, I thought they were unemployed also" or "At the very least, why can't your parents drop you off at a job in the morning and pick you up at night until you save up enough to buy a junker car".
|
|
#
?
Apr 25, 2013 02:45
|
|
|
SchrodingersFish posted:Ok that makes sense then I guess. I've just never ever heard of the United Way, and only know Goodwill as a homophobic thrift store... (or am I confusing it with the Salvation Army?) so I thought it was such a weird thing to focus on with at least 5 consecutive posts demanding to know why he hadn't called. I think Salvation Army is the homophobic one. And yeah, not sure why he can't borrow his parents' car (assuming they have one). Also not sure why carpooling never seems to occur to him either - I suggested it earlier with regard to Disney jobs and he said it was looking into it. Of course there's also the bus system. It may be unreliable, but frankly, there are thousands - maybe millions - of people in this country who rely on public transit, and not all of them live in a city with great options. Somehow, they make it work. They wake up early and allow extra time. They have emergency backup plans - a friend or relative who can give them a lift, or in a pinch, the number for a taxi company. But most of the time, they just put up with the routine delays and service interruptions, because they account for these possibilities when they decide what time to leave for work.
|
|
#
?
Apr 25, 2013 02:53
|
|
|
Or why it took a job fair for Benny to apply to Target, ToysRUs or Petsmart?
|
|
#
?
Apr 25, 2013 02:55
|
|
|
Eris posted:Or why it took a job fair for Benny to apply to Target, ToysRUs or Petsmart? This. Unless they were corporate positions that he couldn't inquire about by calling or visiting a local store, there's no reason to wait. It still would have been a nice touch to stop by their booths at the job fair, but there's absolutely no good reason for him not to have proactively filled out the online applications weeks ago. These are huge retailers, household names that you should be able to come up with just by asking yourself "Hmm, what stores might be hiring?" He's probably been to some of these places before. It begs the question - Where else hasn't he applied? Is there also a Wal-Mart or a K-Mart or a Petco he could reach using the bus but hasn't thought of contacting?
|
|
#
?
Apr 25, 2013 03:03
|
|
|
SchrodingersFish posted:Ok that makes sense then I guess. I've just never ever heard of the United Way, and only know Goodwill as a homophobic thrift store... (or am I confusing it with the Salvation Army?) so I thought it was such a weird thing to focus on with at least 5 consecutive posts demanding to know why he hadn't called. The homophobes you're thinking of are the Salvation Army. The thrift stores are a part Goodwill's business model, but it's not the only thing they do. If you have at least one Goodwill in your city, they will have career centers. Career centers are usually staffed with social workers that provide job placement assistance, resume reviews, aptitude tests to help you find jobs you qualify for (or to point out jobs that you hadn't considered). So yeah, Goodwill is a great place to check out if you're looking for jobs and you can get clothes there. United Way is the larger, international umbrella that several organizations (like Goodwill) fall under. There is no reason not to at least call and talk to them. I've also been suggesting that he go to the Dept of Labor/Unemployment office, as they also offer a lot of the same services. A lot times these organizations get advance warning of department store openings, factory openings, large businesses moving to the area, etc. that will need a lot of new hires. If your name is in the database and you qualify, you often can get in on the first wave of interviews. This thread was started in January. It would be one thing if he'd said "Hey, I checked them out and they didn't have anything", but it's pretty clear that he hasn't even bothered to call and/or physically go to one of these organizations. There's basically no excuse for it at this point. And I'm not saying that his problems would be 100% resolved if he went to Goodwill/Department of Labor/Untied Way agencies but he'd at least be talking to qualified professionals that can review his resumes, give him job leads, hook him up with training, and maybe even point him in a direction he hadn't considered before.
|
|
#
?
Apr 25, 2013 03:04
|
|
|
Okay, okay. I get the point. Don't reverse engineer cover letters. I did, however, save a template. Name/contact on top, "To whom it may concern," and "Sincerely" at the bottom. The rest I fill in. I've written a handful of cover letters from scratch alreadynatetimm posted:Benny, I'm 33 years old, I've worked more than 20 jobs in my life since I was 17 and I can tell you the exact circumstances of how I left each one and whether or not I gave notice. You are either monumentally stupid or you make up vague lies to cover your shortcomings. Possibly both. Eris posted:Or why it took a job fair for Benny to apply to Target, ToysRUs or Petsmart?
|
|
#
?
Apr 25, 2013 03:04
|
|
|
Benny the Snake posted:Okay, okay. I get the point. Don't reverse engineer cover letters. I did, however, save a template. Name/contact on top, "To whom it may concern," and "Sincerely" at the bottom. The rest I fill in. I've written a handful of cover letters from scratch already Many employers have corporate policies against hiring employees who have previously quit without giving two weeks' notice. I worked for a department store that had the same rule. Is it really so difficult to understand why this might be important to a hiring manager? If you left abruptly before, you might do it again, and that would put them in a bind. This isn't "run-around" - it is a reasonable, relevant question.
|
|
#
?
Apr 25, 2013 03:09
|
|
|
Morby posted:This thread was started in January. It would be one thing if he'd said "Hey, I checked them out and they didn't have anything", but it's pretty clear that he hasn't even bothered to call and/or physically go to one of these organizations. There's basically no excuse for it at this point. And I'm not saying that his problems would be 100% resolved if he went to Goodwill/Department of Labor/Untied Way agencies but he'd at least be talking to qualified professionals that can review his resumes, give him job leads, hook him up with training, and maybe even point him in a direction he hadn't considered before. The same goes for tutoring, teaching English overseas, and Mechanical Turk. The OP is seemingly ignoring any advice that involves anything other than mass-spamming résumés to entry-level positions. Also, saying you'd "like to think" you gave your notice means you didn't and are too weasely to admit it. I'd like to think of myself as a millionaire but that doesn't change the reality.
|
|
#
?
Apr 25, 2013 03:12
|
|
|
Benny, have you thought about going on disability?
|
|
#
?
Apr 25, 2013 03:24
|
|
|
Benny the Snake posted:Okay, okay. I get the point. Don't reverse engineer cover letters. I did, however, save a template. Name/contact on top, "To whom it may concern," and "Sincerely" at the bottom. The rest I fill in. If you know the name/contact for the position, why are you addressing it "To Whom it May Concern"? Why wouldn't you address it to the hiring manager or head of personnel or whomever?
|
|
#
?
Apr 25, 2013 03:34
|
|
|
Troublemaker posted:If you know the name/contact for the position, why are you addressing it "To Whom it May Concern"? Why wouldn't you address it to the hiring manager or head of personnel or whomever?
|
|
#
?
Apr 25, 2013 03:36
|
|
|
|
| # ? Jun 5, 2024 00:56 |
|
|
There are no circumstances under which a letter to a would-be employer should begin "To Whom It May Concern". None. Find out who is doing the hiring. Call and say "To whom should I address a letter?" Worst case, leave the salutation blank, or say "Dear Hiring Manager". edit quote:I'm thinking 1) a two week's notice is a courtesy and not a requirement for an at-will job like McDonald's and 2) is this really going to make or break my chances for this job? So I completely blanked on whether I did or not because all I'm thinking is "How much more run-around am I going to have to go through with this job?" Are you capable of learning from your failures? At all? "two week's notice is a courtesy and not a requirement" So, how do you plan to treat the people you may shortly be needing a reference from? With discourtesy? Arsenic Lupin fucked around with this message at 03:44 on Apr 25, 2013 |
|
#
?
Apr 25, 2013 03:41
|
|
