|
Xovaan posted:I'm in the same boat as Bread. Well, kind of. Edit: forgot to say, yes it sounds like you do market research. I've found that the term is used pretty broadly, actually, not just for research about consumers for a commercial business. I am no expert in this field, but it looks like you have the skills needed to get a job in the field. I'm not sure which area of market research you're in, but excel skills are always useful. You can learn spss or stata on the job or on your own if you want to self-study. If the internship was for a good amount of time, especially if it's full time, then that will count well for your experience. It honestly sounds more like an entry level position, from your description. Just make sure to put those details in your cover letter. I'd say to look up research assistant/associate jobs in survey research companies, if you've been working with surveys. Places I can think of are NORC, Westat, and maybe some of the places listed on the Honomichl ratings. Maybe also places like Pew. I'd suggest this since a lot of the tasks you mention sound a lot like what it done for sampling for surveys (looking at demographics and geography). Places that do a lot of field and/or phone surveys would like skills like that (that said, this is far from my area of expertise, but it may be something to look into). You don't sound like you're unqualified, you sound like you have the skills for entry level positions, though I know nothing about your education background. With that said, while wages in market research aren't usually very high, you should be able to find something working with data for a decent wage at entry level (def more than 10/hour). I give this info with the caveat that I don't know what the job market specifically looks like for market research jobs. You can look into jobs that work with data collection and see if you find anything (including survey research, nonprofit social science research [which often falls under market research when for-profit], financial research, user research for software, etc.). yoyomama fucked around with this message at 20:51 on Nov 22, 2013 |
#
?
Nov 22, 2013 20:47
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 13, 2024 23:02 |
|
|
I have a good amount of experience with quantitative research using Stata in economics (BS Econ major) and my job has me looking at workforce and industry analysis reports and interpreting them for higher-ups to figure out methods of identifying and capturing market share. I wouldn't say my skills are entirely entry level but I agree that the work I'm doing is entry level (I really wish they'd give me more to do). As long as I'm making more than minimum wage I'm happy. 
|
|
#
?
Nov 22, 2013 22:35
|
|
|
Xovaan posted:I have a good amount of experience with quantitative research using Stata in economics (BS Econ major) and my job has me looking at workforce and industry analysis reports and interpreting them for higher-ups to figure out methods of identifying and capturing market share. I wouldn't say my skills are entirely entry level but I agree that the work I'm doing is entry level (I really wish they'd give me more to do). As long as I'm making more than minimum wage I'm happy. Well with that info I have a clearer picture. In that case, yeah I would say you can get a mid-level/non-entry level type position. The biggest factor would be your overall work experience, but the quality of your experience is high, so I wouldn't worry too much. I've seen a lot of positions posted looking for your skills and education (granted I've looked on the east coast); there should be jobs out there that will have good salaries.
|
|
#
?
Nov 22, 2013 22:58
|
|
|
Bread Set Jettison posted:My company is cheap as poo poo (we have Microsoft office 2003 Hey, the ribbon interface is poo poo. They're looking out for you.
|
|
#
?
Nov 23, 2013 05:22
|
|
)
|
VideoTapir posted:Hey, the ribbon interface is poo poo. They're looking out for you. While this is true, dealing with customer forms (which are often XLSX) is literally impossible without a convert which then makes a unique read-only that I need to hand to regulatory (who has the most up-to-date excel for this reason). Its just really inefficient.
|
|
#
?
Nov 23, 2013 22:08
|
|
|
I don't know if this is the best place for it, and I can move it or start my own thread. When should I start job hunting? My Master's course ends in October (so I know if I have a diploma or not around then...), and unlike my first degree, I'd like not to screw this up and wait until the last minute. I'm wondering if now is too soon or what I can do. Since it's Marine Biology, I realize it's a pretty competitive field and that USA jobs tends to be slow to get back to you. The thing is, I have a small fund for employability skills (Learn to drive a boat, etc) and will be doing a volunteer work placement for a month instead of a trip to a coral reef. My resume wouldn't be entirely up to date (Or my CV - we're required to make one and why not. If I end up working and staying in the UK, that's quite alright by me). I just don't want to end up in a call center again.  I don't even mind doing non-call center IT, but since I'll have a Master's I would like something in my field.
|
|
#
?
Nov 27, 2013 01:26
|
|
|
Xovaan posted:I'm in the same boat as Bread. Well, kind of. People in my company (large consumer goods corporation on the east coast) doing consumer research with your skills/experience start at around 50k, however most of the battle is getting an "in" here. Most people who are able to get in start as either interns or temps and if they can distinguish themselves enough (which isn't really based on skills), then they get job offers. I guess I'm trying to say that you should work on marketing yourself or be looking for opportunities elsewhere. Jerome Louis fucked around with this message at 15:31 on Nov 27, 2013 |
|
#
?
Nov 27, 2013 15:29
|
|
|
Yeah, looking elsewhere is what I'm gonna be doing come winter. As far as marketing myself: the entire office loves me-- I won best costume on Halloween, made the best side on Thanksgiving, and each office department head wants me there-- except the COO, since he says I'm still too new, so I'm kind of boned in that regard, because I'm an intern and they give me projects as they see fit and they never ask me to do anything crazy advanced and have shut down any requests I've had for advanced data I need to find actual results. Trying to gauge my ability as a full working professional with the aforementioned just isn't working in my favor. Damned either way I guess. Just got until the end of December then I should have no trouble finding something paying at least 20% to... 100% more money. 
|
|
#
?
Nov 27, 2013 17:30
|
|
|
Will I put myself at any major disadvantages if I start out my post-college career life with maybe a couple years of temp jobs? I just graduated this year and got hired as a temp at Amazon, where I'm making far more money than I think I would make in any non-temp position. I also love being hourly and getting time-and-a-half overtime, which would vanish with a salaried position. I believe I'm covered under my mother's insurance until I'm 25 and I don't really mind not having PTO (at least so far). No 401k matching, but I don't think 2 years without that will make a huge difference, will it? I guess my main question is, will temp positions hamstring my future hiring potential?
|
|
#
?
Dec 9, 2013 05:47
|
|
|
Ron Don Volante posted:Will I put myself at any major disadvantages if I start out my post-college career life with maybe a couple years of temp jobs? I just graduated this year and got hired as a temp at Amazon, where I'm making far more money than I think I would make in any non-temp position. I also love being hourly and getting time-and-a-half overtime, which would vanish with a salaried position. I believe I'm covered under my mother's insurance until I'm 25 and I don't really mind not having PTO (at least so far). No 401k matching, but I don't think 2 years without that will make a huge difference, will it? I guess my main question is, will temp positions hamstring my future hiring potential? Getting a full-time position straight out of college without temping or doing an internship is relatively rare - having a temp job is not going to count against you.
|
|
#
?
Dec 9, 2013 07:23
|
|
|
I'm 2.5 years into a B.A. in Mathematics, but am currently on leave for various (financial, medical reasons). I'm considering going back to school part-time to finish my degree , but I have no idea what kind of careers I'd want to pursue after I get a degree. I'm currently working retail full-time, making 25k a year and enjoying it way more than I was university, but it's at a local business with very limited advancement opportunity. Here are my main strengths and what I want in a job: Strengths:
|
|
#
?
Dec 16, 2013 04:23
|
|
|
A friend does revenue management. His company looks at other companies data and how they can improve their sales. He plays with statistics all day and there a ton of goals to meet. Some opportunity for customer service if you become the guy who handles the clients and then you get to travel. His company also had options to go abroad if you met certain qualifications. If you have eaten at fast food or chain restaurants in the last five years, you might have eaten something that was priced by his company.
|
|
#
?
Dec 16, 2013 04:40
|
|
|
Well crap. Back to the drawing board. Had a great panel interview, my presentation went over well, my ideas were well received, got along with everyone from someone who would have been at the same level all the way up to the positions boss' boss' boss. Got the call today that the position went to someone within the group. Not a huge surprise but was a huge disappointment. So I'm back to trying to figure out what to do with 11 years as a field service engineer with a Masters in Organizational Leadership. I'm incredibly lucky to be in the position I am but god drat do I want to do something with all the education I've collected. I'm starting to wonder if I need to try and make a lateral move. Maybe just getting the chance to live somewhere new, outside of flyover country, would be enough to get me out of my funk. Hell, the position for the guy who got the job I was hoping for is open. Maybe I should go work for him.
|
|
#
?
Dec 20, 2013 00:24
|
|
|
It seems like most moves are lateral with the benefit of putting you in a vertical that aligns with your goals better (out of production or phones, into marketing or management) or puts you geographically where you want to be. If that's something you can realistically achieve then go for it. The big jumps in pay and status seem to be more in external moves. Internal are more about honing your skills and aligning yourself with work you want to do. That's how it looks to me, anyway.
|
|
#
?
Dec 20, 2013 00:48
|
|
|
corkskroo posted:It seems like most moves are lateral with the benefit of putting you in a vertical that aligns with your goals better (out of production or phones, into marketing or management) or puts you geographically where you want to be. If that's something you can realistically achieve then go for it. The big jumps in pay and status seem to be more in external moves. Internal are more about honing your skills and aligning yourself with work you want to do. That's how it looks to me, anyway. The thing is, I'm lined up right where I want to be. A lateral move would be the same job I have now, just in a new location. The problem is that I can't quite seem to get that bump up in position that I'm looking for. The role I interviewed for are few and far between. I've also tried looking at competitors but I'm not having much luck there either. Honestly I'm venting more than anything. It was a real bummer to come out of it feeling that good and still missing it. I only missed it by that much but close doesn't get me the job. Blah.
|
|
#
?
Dec 20, 2013 01:42
|
|
|
I am kind of at a loss for what I should do. Not knowing what the gently caress I was doing when I was a young idiot, I got a BA in Japanese with a minor in Business Administration (bass loving ackwards I know), from the University of Alaska (because I knew I could do it without loans, and I didn't know any better). Unable to find anything but seasonal work in my home town I joined the Air Force. Not as an officer, because basically I couldn't answer the question "why should you be an officer," but also because I (as an idiot) thought "I wanna go to DLI and study another language." I did that, but got Korean, which is loving useless. I did pretty well in it, what with the Japanese background and all. Highest test scores in my class, in a program that loses 60% of people who start it. I stayed in for 4 years, thinking I could find some civilian job with my clearance, not knowing that at the time, any job for which I qualified required a polygraph, which I would only have gotten if I'd stayed in longer and gotten sent to NSA. So I had a fruitless job search before eventually going to... Library school! It seemed like it might be fun (and it certainly can be), and I'd read that there was a big wave of retirements coming up (true!); but then AUSTERITY. Something like 80 percent of jobs are public-sector, and they just aren't hiring like they had been expected. I spent ages finding a library job, and ended up working at a military base library under the worst boss I've ever had. (The only really bad one I've ever had, actually.) We did not see eye to eye (because she is a goddamned sociopath) and once she'd manufactured a convincing case to have me fired it happened. This was over 2 years ago. I have no idea how much that firing (after ~7 months) is weighing me down in looking for another library job. I don't know if it's futile, and I don't know how I should be approaching it in my applications. I can't downplay it too much, as some of my relevant experience is there. I can't leave it off entirely. The only thing I know for sure about it is that I will never apply for another job with the Air Force again...their culture seems like it was designed specifically for people like my boss to thrive. (I dunno about the rest of DOD...the Army librarians I met were alright, but that doesn't mean their organization is.) Since then I've been teaching ESL in China. I have learned a lot about teaching in this time, but my first employers were completely unscrupulous and dishonest, and my current ones are disorganized in ways that adversely affect every aspect of the job. 4 months ago, I liked my job. Now I loving dread going to work. My Chinese (nonexistent when I got here) is only just lately getting good enough to be useful, but it's still not generally useful in an office environment. I had an IT job interview where had my Chinese been better, I would have been hired. I have some education in, and experience with desktop support. I worked computer support in college, and have kept somewhat up to date with my own machines and projects, and I've done some support and training in libraries, though I haven't had a proper IT job since 2000. I have a pre-expiration A+ certificate. I am not sure what I should do, if I want to be able to find a good paying job. I still have 18 months of GI bill benefits left. That's enough to do another Master's degree. (Helpful if I want to get into Academic libraries, if nothing else; though a STEM degree would be best, and I'd need probably at least another year, probably two, on top of what the government will pay for for that.) The options I'm considering are: 1. Go back to Alaska or Arizona for another degree (the two states where I know for sure I can get resident tuition...UNLV might also be an option). If I do this, I am thinking of an MBA or maybe MIS degree (the latter would mean waiting another year to apply, as I don't think I could get it in time, and possibly taking some programming courses before going, I might BARELY meet their requirements as is); OR I go for a teaching certificate and/or Master's of Education. The problem with that is the clusterfuck that is the US education system and the job market for teachers. If I don't go for a master's I would have a bunch of GI bill benefits left that I could use for IT certs or something. Either way, if I get a teaching certification, it MAY open up school library jobs for me. One problem with that, though, is that in Arizona, where I'd probably go for certification, if I read the requirements correctly, I'd have to be a classroom teacher for 2 years before I could certify as a Library Media Specialist...which means facing that job market before I could even get my foot in the door for what I'd really rather do. 2. Go to school here in China. If I do that, I'm considering either an MBA at Tsinghua or Peking University; or a Master's in Economics from Renmin University or Xiamen University. OR I would just study Chinese and spend the rest of my GI bill on IT certificates. 3. Go to school in Hong Kong. Less of a crap shoot in terms of quality and prestige of a degree, but I'm assured to spend the whole time in a shoebox apartment in abject poverty, as I would only barely be able to afford to go to school there, unfunded. Also my Mainland Chinese wife might have trouble getting a visa to go with me. 4. I keep trying to claw my way out of the ESL cesspool in China into a Real Job, and use my GI bill benefits for whatever, part time. I've got 7 years left to use them (so 5 years left if I want to start another Masters.) Whatever I do, I'd keep applying for librarian positions; though a lot more selectively. I'm interested in systems, reference and instruction, and youth services. Anyone got any suggestions about how I should unfuck my life?
|
|
#
?
Dec 24, 2013 15:37
|
|
|
With that much international/language experience have you thought about trying to get a job with the State Dept? http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3166411&userid=0&perpage=40&pagenumber=1
|
|
#
?
Dec 24, 2013 16:03
|
|
|
TouchyMcFeely posted:With that much international/language experience have you thought about trying to get a job with the State Dept? Yeah, actually. I passed the FSOT back in 2006, hosed up the interview something fierce. In a group of 10 candidates (bearing in mind this was only people who passed the written test), one was selected. I had the lowest interview score of that group. Considering what a longshot an attempt at that is, I don't feel it would be worth the cost of a plane ticket, particularly from China. Also, the US embassies I've visited seem like awful places to work. VideoTapir fucked around with this message at 16:25 on Dec 24, 2013 |
|
#
?
Dec 24, 2013 16:16
|
|
|
I'm about to lose my job sometime in the next 9 months. I've been a web programmer/server admin/code monkey since 2000. I really don't want to keep doing it, but it's probably my best bet. I'd really rather write - I'm not terrible at it, had some success at freelance writing (enough that for the last year I almost have managed to pay my bills with it, though that's dwindled down of late). The big problem is that the last 12 years of experience is in a very dead end coding language (ColdFusion), and that while you can argue that the basics of code can make picking up another language much easier, the place I'm working at has been stuck with the bleeding edge of 2002 coding practices and hasn't ever evolved beyond that, despite my insistence. I might have 12 years of experience, but so much of that is worthless and outdated. Once I lose my job, I'll have no skills to fall back on. I'm honestly considering giving college a go. I've never done any education beyond high school, but have some cash socked away and could probably get 90 credits without needing to do loans, depending on if I could squeak by with freelance writing or a part time job to tide me over. The problem here is I really don't want to be in the programming business that much any more even though it makes the most amount of sense to hone my skill there. I've thought of getting a Bachelor's in English to work toward something more writing-centric, but these days that's probably just throwing four years and a lot of money away for very little gain. I'm also worried that getting a CS degree isn't very competitive these days - everyone and their mother's has one, and the area I'm in is mostly full of startup companies employing hot-poo poo kids that have been doing this since they were four rather than educated folks. Moving is a low option on the totem pole as I'm taking care of family (non-financially) and have medical issues that tie me close to a doctor, but sometimes you don't get to choose. I'm 34 and looking at the end of what amounts to almost my entire career since high school graduation with no skills to fall back on. I can keep trying to catch up with the web programming deal - which I've grown to loathe because of this job - and try to float the career longer or try to go after something I love - which I've managed to get a shaky start in, but have no guarantees. Hell, with a bit more effort I could probably spin the freelance writing into a barely comfortable living, but have no prospects for retirement or dealing with emergencies or any of the sorta-security that a real job provides. That's tempting as well.
|
|
#
?
Dec 24, 2013 21:31
|
|
|
Mortanis posted:I'm 34 and looking at the end of what amounts to almost my entire career since high school graduation with no skills to fall back on. I can keep trying to catch up with the web programming deal - which I've grown to loathe because of this job - and try to float the career longer or try to go after something I love - which I've managed to get a shaky start in, but have no guarantees. I thought maybe I could offer my own thoughts and philosophy, having experience with a similar situation. 29 years old and pursuing a college education for the first time, about a year and a half in. You could be pragmatic and develop a web design career. If that's not what you ultimately want to be doing, however, why bother? You're not getting any younger. There do seem to be quite a lot of CS graduates coming out in the future, and I'm one of them. What affect this will have on the market is beyond me, but I've got nothing to lose as far as future earning potential. People who've been programming since they were four don't frighten me terribly, based on what I've read from this thread. There's always somebody smarter and better than you in certain facets, while worse in others. What sets people apart is drive. As far as English is concerned, I don't think there's any harm in taking some community college classes to get the process started. Yes, an English degree isn't an automatic ticket to a career, but what I think is much more important is how you use what you learn in those classes, and your passion to turn that into a career. I've encountered some really great professors at my CC, especially when it comes writing (even though that's not my major's discipline). Maybe see if you can get into some honors English classes that will challenge your ability, I've been impressed with the requirements I've had to fulfill so far. Your experience since high school graduation CAN be your skills to fall back on. There's no rule that says you can't work in web programming/server administration after taking a break from it. Funding gets hairy when you're at a 4-year school, but community college classes are very affordable, and they will at the very least provide new experiences and options.
|
|
#
?
Dec 25, 2013 00:26
|
|
|
For what it's worth, one of my family members is a librarian (30+ years) for the feds and said that the way to getting hired into any library is 1. having a ton of volunteer experience 2. having two master degrees with one in library science and the other in your chosen field and 3. starting from the bottom despite having experience, qualifications, anything else or feeling like you deserve better. Getting hired into library work is something fierce and there are few opportunities. I actually work for a library now and they're hiring a new tech sometime soon. I'm interested to see how desperate the new prospective librarians are.
|
|
#
?
Dec 25, 2013 00:28
|
|
|
GreenCard78 posted:For what it's worth, one of my family members is a librarian (30+ years) for the feds and said that the way to getting hired into any library is 1. having a ton of volunteer experience 2. having two master degrees with one in library science and the other in your chosen field and 3. starting from the bottom despite having experience, qualifications, anything else or feeling like you deserve better. Getting hired into library work is something fierce and there are few opportunities. Given that I've been in the library job market for the better part of 4 years, this is stuff that I know.
|
|
#
?
Dec 25, 2013 06:02
|
|
|
Do you have any experience programming outside of the work setting? Did you used to enjoy it but have gotten burned out. I'm just thinking that maybe a change of scenery might rekindle your interest. You ARE an experienced programmer in that you have done real world work in a professional environment. That puts you way ahead of fresh grads that might totally fail to adjust to a real job. If you can bring your skills in more modern languages up to at least competent you'll get a job and probably a good one. However if you truly hate programming then none of this helps.
|
|
#
?
Dec 25, 2013 21:51
|
|
|
This is a great thread. I have one semester left in my Bachelor's degree. I'm doing International Relations (with a very heavy business focus) back in my home country (Poland) and I'm on an Erasmus year in Ireland doing International Business Management. Those courses are far from specific. I don't know how to phrase that, but it's not that I don't have skills - I've found I am very capable and learn new skills VERY quickly - but they're not concretely defined. This is part of my issue. Often I ask myself what I want to do, and I can't answer that. Not because I lack direction or drive, but because I honestly genuinely enjoy a lot of completely different things. I am extremely flexible, which I think is an asset, but when asked that question I'm afraid it looks like I am directionless and don't know what to do with my life. I have an internship nearly lined up with a small start-up that's launching soon. While it would be great if it worked out with me getting in on the ground floor, to me a more important part is getting the experience and networking benefits. I've also applied to a couple of graduate programmes in the automotive industry. I'm definitely not married to the idea of working in that industry, but it is one I find very interesting. I have a stellar academic record, and I try to take part in nearly every extra project I can get my hands on. I have no idea how much anyone looks at that when hiring someone - in Poland it's considered nearly irrelevant. I've been networking aggressively ever since arriving in Ireland, and part of why I chose to go was because I thought a year of studies abroad would look nice on a CV. I would really, really like to get into management. I don't expect it with my first job, of course, but I'd like to have a career path that puts me there fairly quickly. I haven't had any formal experience, but I am extremely ambitious and driven, work well with others and generally naturally find myself in a leadership position even when I'm not looking to put myself there. I'm good at getting people to agree and work with eachother, create a pretty good atmosphere and even other groups in group projects ask for my advice. I honestly think I'd thrive in that kind of environment and I need that kind of challenge, it's not just about the money (though that's nice too). Sorry about the incoherent post. I guess part of why I wrote it is to try to order my thoughts a little more. Are there any things I should be doing that I'm not? What are some of the things I should focus on? How do I effectively communicate what I can contribute to a company without concrete and technical skills, and without coming across as arrogant? What kind of companies or sectors should I be looking at? Any opinions would be appreciated. Zeppelin Insanity fucked around with this message at 22:56 on Dec 25, 2013 |
|
#
?
Dec 25, 2013 22:46
|
|
|
VideoTapir posted:Given that I've been in the library job market for the better part of 4 years, this is stuff that I know. It was a nice and long way of saying libraries are a bad idea.  You have 18 months of free school and could get paid to get another degree in something more useful. Merry Christmas.
|
|
#
?
Dec 25, 2013 22:52
|
|
|
Xguard86 posted:Do you have any experience programming outside of the work setting? Did you used to enjoy it but have gotten burned out. I'm just thinking that maybe a change of scenery might rekindle your interest. I have a basic knowledge of C# that isn't work related. I certainly used to enjoy programming, but I can't really tell if the job burned out that love fully or not. I won't really go into how horrific my job is, but 12 years being on call working 50 - 70 hours (unpaid overtime) with my last vacation 5 years ago, no server redundancy, no backup and a slew of other issues... yeah, it's hard to imagine continuing down this path. I'd really rather write, but the logical part of my brain says to pick up a new language and keep trucking on this path, even if I keep hating it.
|
|
#
?
Dec 26, 2013 03:08
|
|
|
GreenCard78 posted:It was a nice and long way of saying libraries are a bad idea. It's figuring out what's more useful, that can be done in not much more time than that, that's the problem.
|
|
#
?
Dec 26, 2013 05:21
|
|
|
Mortanis posted:the area I'm in is mostly full of startup companies employing hot-poo poo kids that have been doing this since they were four rather than educated folks.
|
|
#
?
Dec 26, 2013 06:50
|
|
|
Mortanis posted:I have a basic knowledge of C# that isn't work related. I certainly used to enjoy programming, but I can't really tell if the job burned out that love fully or not. I won't really go into how horrific my job is, but 12 years being on call working 50 - 70 hours (unpaid overtime) with my last vacation 5 years ago, no server redundancy, no backup and a slew of other issues... yeah, it's hard to imagine continuing down this path. I'd really rather write, but the logical part of my brain says to pick up a new language and keep trucking on this path, even if I keep hating it. If you enjoyed it once, you might like it again given the right circumstances. You may just need a new environment and change of pace. It sounds like the company you're currently at is not running a top shop, you might find life a lot better somewhere else with a better approach and better treatment. Maybe picking up a small personal coding project will help you get some more skills and rekindle your interest. Or maybe look for open source or freelance projects that need small contributions. You might do that, say "nope" I really just don't like programming anymore and want to write, but at least you'll know its programming itself and not the lovely situation. I've seen hiring managers take older less innately talented/impressive whatever developers over younger more hot poo poo applicants because the older guys know about the real world and are usually better team players. We actually recently hired a guy as a dev that worked through most of his 20's on a factory floor and went back to school to get a CS degree. Also, If you write, you probably have well developed communication skills, which will take you farther than you may realize in a world of math people.
|
|
#
?
Dec 26, 2013 19:18
|
|
|
I may be receiving an internal job offer tomorrow from a different department in a different time zone. Anyone familiar with that process? I'll want time to think about the benefits etc... I assume it's ok to take the weekend. Also, I'm going to want to know about health insurance, retirement benefits, etc... I doubt there's wiggle room on the salary (not from what I've experienced on my previous hirings at this place, although they were less traditional, more like moves within my dep't). Then there's the big question: There would also be a serious relocation involved. I'm kind of expecting them to not offer me any assistance. Anyone ever negotiate for that sort of benefit from a starting point of nothing? I'm hoping they'll be able to work something out, at least a month in an apartment or something, since it would be to their benefit as well as mine for me to be able to focus on my work and not scramble for every little thing right when I hit town. But of course they know I'm very excited about the opportunity and the move and probably expect that I'll take it without relocation assistance. It's a conundrum: Be excited enough during interviews that they'll want to hire you but then play coy and ambivalent enough in negotiations that they'll give you the benefits that you want. Heh.
|
|
#
?
Dec 27, 2013 00:33
|
|
|
Man, indeed.com is depressing in my area. My contract/internship is about to come to an end here, and while I have job prospects at a family friend's software company as a market consultant, I really would like something more permanent as well. What are my job options for post-graduation, post-internship positions with experience as a market researcher? Here's my linkedin if anybody is interested: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/sean-phillips/3b/11a/5a7 I really don't wanna move to the opposite coast to find work. 
|
|
#
?
Dec 27, 2013 01:01
|
|
|
Xovaan posted:Man, indeed.com is depressing in my area. My contract/internship is about to come to an end here, and while I have job prospects at a family friend's software company as a market consultant, I really would like something more permanent as well. Just read through your post history in this thread, and I think you're falling victim to something I see pretty often in new grads, self-pigeonholing. Maybe it's something to do with the strict structuring of college classes and majors, whatever, enough amateur psychology. Market Researcher describes your experience, as you say, but that doesn't mean you should necessarily look for more Market Researcher jobs. Your skill set is awesome, and you should feel awesome. As you may have realized, Stata, SPSS, R, and a BS in Econ are only sort of in demand, but the things they represent are in crazy high demand. You have the power to decode a bunch of numbers and spit out meaningful business decisions that can make companies money. This is crazy good! You just have to prove it. I recommend you look up Analyst gigs, this will let you flex your practical analysis muscles. You'll balance the need for total accuracy versus the need to do things quickly because there's always more to look at. If you get the feel for that, you can move into Analytics, Pricing, Operations, Marketing, hell even Sales depending on your taste. The base skill of judging a situation and knowing the right thing to do is priceless, and I think you're well positioned to take those roles. That said, earlier in the thread you complained about a one hour commute to San Diego. If you really live that far out from an urban center that's basically what you can expect, small time places that rip you off. Honestly, making 10/hr for what it sounds like you're doing in Excel is way underpaid. Your company just probably isn't making that much money. That's fine though, you're building a base. An hour commute into San Diego sounds daunting, and I wouldn't want that either. I'd bet you don't have enough money saved up yet to plausibly move to the higher cost of living area down there either. I'd say go for those higher paying gigs in San Diego though, and if you can land one, re-do your cost/benefit analysis, and figure out if it really is worth your time to move slightly closer and pay slightly more. My hunch is you couldn't afford it if you got a 10/hr gig in SD. But my next guess is that you could handily afford a lifestyle upgrade if you managed to get an actual entry-level position, something like 35-40k. edit: For something actionable, here's a search for San Diego analyst jobs that I'd bet has a salary floor somewhere north of $30k. DukAmok fucked around with this message at 02:45 on Dec 27, 2013 |
|
#
?
Dec 27, 2013 02:42
|
|
|
Hey man, thanks for the reply, insight, and kind words! I agree, a gig in San Diego would be a wonderful thing. I should clarify about my gripes with that commute I complained about: The company I was interviewing for that required that commute started me off with a four hour case study interview of awful logic puzzles and simple algebra. They didn't like my "I could Google the calculations in five minutes but you can't honestly expect me to remember formulas off the top of my head I learned a half decade ago, do you?" answers I gave, even after giving them the right answers for math, reasoning, and economic insight. Then again, I didn't want the job from as soon as HR explained what Encore Capital actually did: They're a company that specializes in statistically tracking people too poor to pay their cellphone bills and, furthermore, so poor that cellphone companies refuse to go after the debt... then promptly sues them to make money. So I think I was a bit bitter being enlightened to knowing a company like that existed in that regard. Any company that refuses to purchase indoor lighting for their coworkers and laughs about laying off half of their staff to make more money is a company that will be first against the wall in the glorious revolution. I almost walked out during the interview several times. For the right job, I wouldn't mind commuting to San Diego if it meant building my experience. I'll look into those positions you posted and hopefully report back with some success.
|
|
#
?
Dec 27, 2013 18:57
|
|
|
Xovaan posted:Man, indeed.com is depressing in my area. My contract/internship is about to come to an end here, and while I have job prospects at a family friend's software company as a market consultant, I really would like something more permanent as well. I'd redo your summary, it sounds weird being in third person. The last line reads really awkwardly too. Your experience summaries are decent, but you should emphasize more what specific tools you used instead of burying them in your skills section. Otherwise, not to sound like a broken record but you need to move to NYC/Boston/DC. edit: just to illustrate that point more, I ran that same search on zip recruiter and got 5 times as many results, and I live 45 minutes south of NYC. Kim Jong Il fucked around with this message at 23:22 on Dec 27, 2013 |
|
#
?
Dec 27, 2013 23:07
|
|
|
Has anyone ever tried to change career paths at the same company? I really like my company, it's got a great mission and is full of interesting people and projects, but I kind of hate my job and my boss seems to have this 5 year plan for me that is kind of the opposite of what I want. I'd rather not quit, but I can't figure out how to make it clear what I want to do without it blowing up in my face.
|
|
#
?
Jan 5, 2014 20:51
|
|
|
Haven't you been there like 2 months?
|
|
#
?
Jan 5, 2014 21:36
|
|
|
8 months.
|
|
#
?
Jan 5, 2014 21:46
|
|
|
Do you see a specific position there that you think you would enjoy?
|
|
#
?
Jan 6, 2014 16:49
|
|
|
OK, here's my deal. I have an MS in Biochem. I currently work for the US government inspecting food processing plants on a day to day basis. If you're familiar, think a step above QA but not the guy doing audits. I work a lot of overtime, which I hate. I don't really like the looks of my promotion options within the government. My career goals are right now as follows: 1. A better work life balance. I want way less unexpected overtime and weekends. A 52 hour or less work week would be fine. Also a later start time would be nice. 2. More problem solving. Right now I just tell "clients" what the problem is and leave it to them how to fix it. I've been applying to QA manager/supervisor jobs, but haven't had any real bites. Would it be worth my time to get a six sigma green or yellow belt? Should I be looking at an MBA? Should I toss it all and go back to school for something in healthcare (dietician or genetic counselor?)
|
|
#
?
Jan 6, 2014 18:25
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 13, 2024 23:02 |
|
|
I'll be interested to see whether anyone can offer some insight on realistic objectives moving forward for me. I'm studying MSc Economic Development (much of which is about assisting catch up in poorer countries) at Glasgow Uni, which is Russell Group and more or less internationally respectable. Economics is something that clicked with me years ago and fascinates me; as such I do more well than most of my colleagues. Does anyone have experience with a similar background who can provide some insight on how things went for them? With any luck I could get a job with the government economic service, but overseas work appeals to me a lot. I've applied for a brief period away in Malawi helping with an agricultural project but whether I'll get it is unsure. In the last few months I've encountered people from around the world as part of my course and I love it. The chance to help in different and unfamiliar places appeals to me a hell of a lot. What is realistic with an economics MSc from a solid university? I'd like to get started straight away, but how important is a PhD?
|
|
#
?
Jan 7, 2014 02:58
|
|
