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Misogynist posted:If you're applying for a job that's not in the area where you live, you need to write a cover letter explaining that you're a serious candidate, as well as why you want to move to that area. Don't just drop in -- nobody from HR cares, because they aren't the hiring manager, and the hiring manager isn't going to appreciate a drop-in. If you're going to be in Seattle next week, you should have sent this a week ago to give them time to review your resume. Send it today, and follow up directly with an HR contact to explain your availability for the interview if they're interested. My application already included a cover letter with a line explaining that I was fully willing and excited to relocate to Seattle and to travel for any interviews. They also have had my resume (with that cover letter) for a few weeks. I can email the people at the actual place I'm working to circumvent HR, should I let them know I applied and will be in town anyway? Or should I contact HR who may just ignore the email? I am worried about it looking like I am "inviting myself to be interviewed" which could not make me look favorable.
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Dec 2, 2013 22:55
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Just curious, how do companies like backcheck.ca get your background information? Educaiton, employment dates?
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Dec 2, 2013 22:59
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You give your consent for them to ask, then they go ask your college/former employer when you were there.
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Dec 2, 2013 23:04
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Oh. I thought it was just a database of information they had on hand. So it's basically for the lazy HR department.
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Dec 2, 2013 23:14
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Claverjoe posted:Oh, so it is acceptable to say "I'm moving to the area because my fiancee got transferred"? I've been leaving off any personal information as a matter of habit.
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Dec 2, 2013 23:53
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Misogynist posted:If you're applying for a job that's not in the area where you live, you need to write a cover letter explaining that you're a serious candidate, as well as why you want to move to that area. The majority of my job applications have been for positions outside of my current city. I didn't really specify that I was going to move to said regions. I figured that would be implicit in wanting to apply for work there to begin with  . I live in a major Canadian city, and most of my applications are for field scientist jobs in smaller towns hours from any major city. Nobody's really going to make that kind of move unless they have a job waiting for them.
Mak0rz fucked around with this message at 14:11 on Dec 3, 2013 |
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Dec 3, 2013 14:07
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Mak0rz posted:The majority of my job applications have been for positions outside of my current city. I didn't really specify that I was going to move to said regions. I figured that would be implicit in wanting to apply for work there to begin with Other fields tend to deal more with local candidates, and someone from an unreasonable driving distance away is going to be a risk during the interview process. They're difficult to work around in situations where they have limited availability for an in-person interview. Many (and I mean many) are extremely wishy-washy about where they even want to live, and if they end up getting the offer, it will end up being a gigantic waste of time when they either decide they don't want to move, or they want to move somewhere else, and the job doesn't really work with their plans anyway. Some know in advance that there's no relocation assistance, and will gently caress around during the salary negotiation process anyway and then turn down the offer when they don't get it. These dances delay the entire interview process, during which time other good candidates might get snatched up by other hiring companies. Seriously, if you're certain about moving to a new area, put it in your cover letter. You have no idea how much it sets HR departments and hiring managers at ease even if it's a complete lie.
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Dec 3, 2013 15:46
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Misogynist posted:There's fields where that is normal and that is implicit. Science is one of them; outside of certain large sci-tech hubs like Cambridge, Toronto or Research Triangle Park, there's almost no ability for scientists to find new work in the same area where they already live, much less any expectation that they would do so. So it's perfectly OK to say something like "I'm moving to Vulcan soon to be closer to my pointy-eared homies." in the cover letter but you really will only make the move if an acceptable offer gets made?
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Dec 3, 2013 16:42
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DemeaninDemon posted:So it's perfectly OK to say something like "I'm moving to Vulcan soon to be closer to my pointy-eared homies." in the cover letter but you really will only make the move if an acceptable offer gets made? This is also pretty much completely unnecessary for any job that actually offers relocation benefits.
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Dec 3, 2013 17:03
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DemeaninDemon posted:So it's perfectly OK to say something like "I'm moving to Vulcan soon to be closer to my pointy-eared homies." in the cover letter but you really will only make the move if an acceptable offer gets made? They don't give a gently caress what you'll do if you aren't hired, so don't bring it up.
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Dec 3, 2013 17:10
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FrozenVent posted:They don't give a gently caress what you'll do if you aren't hired, so don't bring it up.
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Dec 3, 2013 17:15
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FrozenVent posted:They don't give a gently caress what you'll do if you aren't hired, so don't bring it up. Thanks! This here makes perfect sense.
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Dec 3, 2013 18:15
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Orange Somen posted:Recent university grad here - been searching for engineering positions with little success. I'm having trouble making the most out of what limited experience I have without getting too fanciful in my descriptions. Here's a very basic critique. Hope this helps! 
Goon Approved Resume and CV Writing Service
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Dec 3, 2013 23:06
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Thanks a lot! I'll take all your suggestions into account.
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Dec 4, 2013 10:03
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I've been on the job hunt for a little while now and today I have an interview for a well-paying position that I'm pretty excited about. Just chiming in to say thank you to everyone in this thread for the information provided, it's greatly appreciated.
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Dec 4, 2013 15:54
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Wheeeeee! I didn't get the job I originally interviewed for, but they asked me back to interview for a different (but similar) position today. I went in and was somehow much more nervous than at the first interview, the questions seemed tougher, etc...but I think I did well on the competency test and they called me back and offered me the job within a few hours! And it's not a temporary contract like the other position would have been. So happy! I've been unemployed since January, so I'm really excited about this opportunity.
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Dec 4, 2013 17:08
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Wondering if anyone could offer some advice on salary negotiations for someone who is applying to basic administrative/clerical/customer service positions. I've read some of the material linked regarding salary negotiations, but most of it assumes you have a degree or experience in some specialized technical field. I don't, but I do have clerical and customer service experience. And I do have a well-constructed resume as well as a cover letter (which would be tailored to each position of course). I know if an employer insists on you giving them a minimum salary requirement with your resume, you should first ignore that request and send them the resume without it. If they continue to insist, then what? Obviously if they won't interview you without that information, then you just ignore them. But before that, should you just suggest meeting before discussing salary agreements? Then during the actual interview, what I've read says you should never give your number first. If the interviewer is insistent, what should you say to dodge the question and make them give a number first? Not sure how much sway one can expect to have in interviews for these types of positions. In my last job, I made $12.50/HR. I won't take any position offering less, and the more the better. Positions of this type seem to range from $10 - $20 / HR. Any advice would be appreciated!
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Dec 4, 2013 23:02
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Draxamus posted:Wondering if anyone could offer some advice on salary negotiations for someone who is applying to basic administrative/clerical/customer service positions. I've read some of the material linked regarding salary negotiations, but most of it assumes you have a degree or experience in some specialized technical field. The reason for that is because you've got very little leverage, they can easily just find someone cheaper who can do essentially the same thing. I think you've got the right idea with emphasizing your previous customer service/clerical experience, but you also need be able to narrow that $10-20 range a lot more so you can figure out what they're really willing to pay you. Finally, my suspicion is that if you keep refusing to give a number, they'll just move on to somebody who will, but I could be wrong.
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Dec 4, 2013 23:49
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Next week I have an interview. If they ask me why I left my last job, I do not want to say it was because I loving hated it (which is true) but I need an answer that's not going to make me look bad. The last job was somewhat like the job I'm applying for, so I can disparage them. Suggestions? Bloody Cat Farm fucked around with this message at 00:37 on Dec 5, 2013 |
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Dec 5, 2013 00:35
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i've got a good problem to have, but a problem I may have to deal with none the less. I put in for a few jobs with my company on the exact opposite side of the country and I got phone interviews for two of the positions. For the first job, let's say Job A, I interviewed on the phone in early November. They offered the position to someone else, however, the hiring manager called me and said I did well on the interview and they were impressed with my background. After that he said that he really wanted me to apply for another opening (same pay and all) that was just posted and closed the week before Thanksgiving. I did that and I got a call the day after it closed to interview for it, this time they wanted me to fly out in person. That is scheduled for next week. For Job B, I had a phone interview a couple weeks ago. I got a call today asking if I could do a second interview in person about 4 days after Job A's interview. I said yes. I don't want to count my chickens before they hatch here, but what do if I were to get two job offers, both with my current company? Salary should be probably the same for both positions (same job classification, same major area). If it were two different companies, I'm sure that'd give me leverage in negotiation, but I don't know if that works being from the same company. I'm thinking the only thing to do is go with my gut on which seems like the better job.
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Dec 5, 2013 01:07
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Bloody Cum Fart posted:Next week I have an interview. If they ask me why I left my last job, I do not want to say it was because I loving hated it (which is true) but I need an answer that's not going to make me look bad. The last job was somewhat like the job I'm applying for, so I can disparage them. Suggestions? So why did you hate it? Tell us and we can put a good spin on that.
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Dec 5, 2013 01:08
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Haggins posted:So why did you hate it? Tell us and we can put a good spin on that. It was a very young (as in new) organization that had a LOT of problems. It was run by complete morons who became very insecure when smart people got hired. So to combat that, they'd sabotage the smart people (get them written up, etc). Add to that being sexually propositioned by higher-ups constantly and retaliated against when you refused, and it was a really lovely work environment.
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Dec 5, 2013 01:19
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Bloody Cum Fart posted:It was a very young (as in new) organization that had a LOT of problems. It was run by complete morons who became very insecure when smart people got hired. So to combat that, they'd sabotage the smart people (get them written up, etc). Add to that being sexually propositioned by higher-ups constantly and retaliated against when you refused, and it was a really lovely work environment. Tell them that your last job did not have any advancement opportunities. Could that work?
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Dec 5, 2013 01:24
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Bloody Cum Fart posted:It was a very young (as in new) organization that had a LOT of problems. It was run by complete morons who became very insecure when smart people got hired. So to combat that, they'd sabotage the smart people (get them written up, etc). Add to that being sexually propositioned by higher-ups constantly and retaliated against when you refused, and it was a really lovely work environment. If you don't want to BS them, you could tell them something to the effect that there was rampant unethical behavior in the company and leadership was apart of/unwilling to address the problems. If you have something positive to say, say it first like "I really liked the work I was doing..." or "I enjoyed the challenge of the position, however...". I would keep the bad parts generic and do not go into detail. To me that shows that you're willing to stand up for yourself when you know something isn't right. I don't know what company you're applying to, but companies I have experience look highly on people who don't succumb to unethical behavior just to fit in.
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Dec 5, 2013 02:04
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Thanks for the ideas.
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Dec 5, 2013 02:15
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Bloody Cum Fart posted:It was a very young (as in new) organization that had a LOT of problems. It was run by complete morons who became very insecure when smart people got hired. So to combat that, they'd sabotage the smart people (get them written up, etc). Add to that being sexually propositioned by higher-ups constantly and retaliated against when you refused, and it was a really lovely work environment. "The working environment and organizational culture did not mesh with my long term professional development goals, and I did not feel the position would offer me the opportunity to better myself / further my career / finish my basket-weaving license." Then segue into your long term professional goals and stuff as appropriate.
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Dec 5, 2013 02:26
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FrozenVent posted:"The working environment and organizational culture did not mesh with my long term professional development goals, and I did not feel the position would offer me the opportunity to better myself / further my career / finish my basket-weaving license." I feel like the right answer to to that is to say that you didn't like the start-up culture because it was too chaotic and self-centered and that you'd prefer work as part of a team in an established company. That gives the interviewer the chance to say something like "well at company X, we're not just in it for the money, we're a family..." and on to the next question. My theory on interviews after interviewing like crazy for the past few months is that the more you can get the interviewer to talk to you (in a conversational, but pertinent sense) the better off you are, since the more that they themselves speak to you, the more they will remember and like you. When you get a question like that, lead it back to the company, not yourself.
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Dec 5, 2013 09:32
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Saying that can also imply you can't handle stressful, difficult situations and prefer to just give up.
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Dec 5, 2013 14:45
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Or if you happen to cite something as a negative of your former job that your prospective employer consider one of their "core values" or such bullshit, welp, just talked yourself out of a job.
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Dec 5, 2013 15:04
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I'm trying to get a job as a research scientist in the biotech industry. I just got my doctorate and want desperately out of academia but I'm getting next to no responses from applications. My publication record is poo poo so I'm worried that is a big factor and it isn't something that will change until some papers I'm on get published in the next 6-12 months. Any critiques would be awesome! I mention in it that my earliest "job" is actually a volunteer lab assistant for credit hours. Should I move that to a separate volunteer or courses section? https://www.dropbox.com/s/bh4r6njrvg9gpq8/SAbiochemistresume.docx
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Dec 6, 2013 00:56
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I'm trying to tailor my resume for 100% remote UI Web Developer positions. I've always listed a couple independent projects at the end, but I'm starting to think I should remove those in favor of more bullet points for each position. I've never liked listing "skills" and instead try to work them into the job descriptions, but I know a lot of recruiters are just looking for certain keywords like "Backbone.js", "RequireJS", "jQuery", etc. I've worked with a ton of libraries, should I start sprinkling more of those in? Edit: I should probably start with removing my "objective" at the top, even though it's not labeled as such. Any other critiques are welcome. Thank! https://docs.google.com/document/d/1T4pDEyuTXaI4-mPxe67wQxc-lSLS6yFxT6nxal6MZ7M/edit?usp=sharing
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Dec 7, 2013 16:48
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What should I know about an interview with a recruiter? Treat it like an employment interview except skip the part where I ask stuff about the company?
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Dec 9, 2013 04:56
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The recruiter should still know a decent amount about the company, even more so if they are internal. Otherwise yes, treat it like the first phone screen with an actual employer. Don't give them your salary (ask for the range) and don't say anything you wouldn't want your employer to know before they hire you.
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Dec 9, 2013 15:36
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In case it comes up later, what's a good way to say, "I accepted the pittance my last job paid me, because we were all friends working at a nonprofit I believed in, but I'm not interested in making money for strangers at that rate."? I can survive on $22,000, which is what I made at my previous job, but I have a college degree and three years of office experience, and I'd like to do better.
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Dec 9, 2013 18:16
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How the gently caress do they know what you made at your last job?
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Dec 9, 2013 18:18
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I always get it bullied out of me. I leave it blank then I get asked to fill it out before the interview. Not about to pick a fight to stand my ground in that situation.
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Dec 9, 2013 20:14
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FrozenVent posted:How the gently caress do they know what you made at your last job? I've had companies ask me for copies of my W-2 from a previous job; I've always told them to gently caress off. Vulture Culture fucked around with this message at 22:41 on Dec 9, 2013 |
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Dec 9, 2013 22:39
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In my opinion, feel free to lie about it.
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Dec 9, 2013 22:39
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FrozenVent posted:How the gently caress do they know what you made at your last job? Careerbuilder asked me and I answered without thinking. I assume it's available to job posters. Should I remove it? Sounds like the answer is "yes," from what people are saying here. Got invited back for a second interview tomorrow afternoon, wheeee. They say this one will be much longer (hours, as opposed to today's 15min) and will involve a period of shadowing a present employee. That's unexpected, but I guess I'll go with it for now. Is there anything shady that I should keep an eye out for? I get a weird vibe from this place, like they're running a scam that I haven't figured out yet. Maybe it's nothing.
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Dec 10, 2013 00:37
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ejstheman posted:Careerbuilder asked me and I answered without thinking. I assume it's available to job posters. Should I remove it? Sounds like the answer is "yes," from what people are saying here. If it involves door-to-door sales, vacuum cleaners, knives or selling financial products in-home, don't even get in the car with the person you're "shadowing", just leave.
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Dec 10, 2013 00:43
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