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Millions posted:I've been reading though the entire thread, thanks to everyone for such helpful insight into the résumé writing process! If anyone wouldn't mind taking a look at what I'm working with, it would be much appreciated! These are my thoughts with basic feedback for you. 
Goon Approved Resume and CV Writing Service
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May 19, 2014 20:44
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Hand of the King posted:I got an interview for a job this week with 5 different people for 30 minutes each (10-12:30). 30 minutes seems like a really short time to get any good dialogue going when considering people have to be ready, going in and out of offices (it's a huge campus), and things coming up delaying things a few minuets or more. It's quite normal in large companies. They'll probably sit you in a conference room and have everyone come to you, and people should generally be well-trained enough to be there on time. A second interview is generally more perfunctory than a first interview, too - they (likely) already want you, and just are running some bozo filters at this point to make sure you'd get along with everyone. 30 minute interviews are pretty reasonable for second interviews and are doable for 1st interviews, too, depending on the company.
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May 20, 2014 03:10
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I had an interview a couple weeks ago that went really well - both the people who would be my supervisors said that they hoped to work with me soon, both in person and in response to my followup email, I loved everyone I met with, and in general I left the place thinking "this is my dream job," and it seemed like I was their dream candidate. When I left, I was told that I should know their decision by the end of the next week. The end of the next week came, and I got an email saying that they were still "very interested" in me for the role, and that I should have more information the next week (which is this week). I can't figure out my status with this place. All my interactions have been overwhelmingly positive, but I need to accept or decline an offer in a different industry soon and it's starting to feel like they're leaving me around as a "last resort" candidate. But that could just be me being overly down on myself. Any advice?
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May 20, 2014 21:05
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Contact them to see if they've made a decision, it's a perfectly reasonable thing to do in your position, especially since they said you'd have heard by now.
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May 20, 2014 21:11
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Well, they're definitely dragging their feet on this for some reason. In your position, I'd send them an email informing them that at this point, you need them to make you an offer or decline to do so since you're in an accept/decline position with another company. Then if they say no or blow you off again (or just decline to respond by the end of the week) go with the other company. It isn't necessarily bad that they're slow, some places are just slow. I'm waiting for feedback from a phone interview I had last week which went well, I know from my friend at the company talked to my interviewer that he liked the interview, and that based on his experience with phone interview->in person interview the company is just slow-moving on these things. Also years back when my dad got hired by Penn State after being laid off by Enron that there was like a 3 week wait time after the interview panel decided they were going to make an offer while HR dicked around before deciding how much they were allowed to offer him. A bureaucratic hell-hole, and it's only become longer since there's a mandatory full background check for all prospective employees now! 
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May 20, 2014 21:12
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Don't they give you a conditional offer before running the background check anyhow? My current job is with a tiny organization, and the entire hiring process from "Hey, how 'bout a phone interview?" to actually starting took about two months. Sometimes, people are just slow.
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May 20, 2014 21:20
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Possibly? I don't personally know anybody who's been hired after the Sandusky scandal so I don't know the order of things. I just know that the department with the position has no control over what they pay anybody, they just pick somebody and HR looks at their qualifications and says "okay you are allowed to offer this much" and that it takes a couple weeks. However since having a conditional offer pending background check would make perfect sense, I doubt it's what Penn State does  Also I maybe kinda don't like them very much after having done work for them through a temp agency and realizing they had no intention of making that a full-time position, since using the temp agency is a loophole in the union contract so it cost them less.
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May 20, 2014 21:26
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Shugojin posted:Also I maybe kinda don't like them very much after having done work for them through a temp agency and realizing they had no intention of making that a full-time position, since using the temp agency is a loophole in the union contract so it cost them less. That's what the vast majority of temp positions are about, no matter what recruiters might tell you.
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May 20, 2014 21:28
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Achmed Jones posted:I had an interview a couple weeks ago that went really well - both the people who would be my supervisors said that they hoped to work with me soon, both in person and in response to my followup email, I loved everyone I met with, and in general I left the place thinking "this is my dream job," and it seemed like I was their dream candidate. When I left, I was told that I should know their decision by the end of the next week. The end of the next week came, and I got an email saying that they were still "very interested" in me for the role, and that I should have more information the next week (which is this week). I can't figure out my status with this place. All my interactions have been overwhelmingly positive, but I need to accept or decline an offer in a different industry soon and it's starting to feel like they're leaving me around as a "last resort" candidate. But that could just be me being overly down on myself. Any advice? In general, there is no such thing a a last resort candidate. Either you're good enough to hire or you're not. If you're good enough to hire but not a good fit for the job in question, you'll probably be told that you'll be considered for future openings. The majority of managers would rather not hire anyone than hire the wrong person.
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May 20, 2014 21:32
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Achmed Jones posted:I had an interview a couple weeks ago that went really well - both the people who would be my supervisors said that they hoped to work with me soon, both in person and in response to my followup email, I loved everyone I met with, and in general I left the place thinking "this is my dream job," and it seemed like I was their dream candidate. When I left, I was told that I should know their decision by the end of the next week. The end of the next week came, and I got an email saying that they were still "very interested" in me for the role, and that I should have more information the next week (which is this week). I can't figure out my status with this place. All my interactions have been overwhelmingly positive, but I need to accept or decline an offer in a different industry soon and it's starting to feel like they're leaving me around as a "last resort" candidate. But that could just be me being overly down on myself. Any advice? I had one of those all day interview sessions 3 weeks ago this upcoming Thursday and have yet to hear anything even though I sent an email asking about the status. At this point, I have assumed that they have passed on me - which is fine, honestly - but I am annoyed that they can't seem to be bothered to give me an official "no". This looking for a job thing is rough on the psyche. I'm looking for a sr level management sort of role and I am having a hard time getting any traction even in companies where I am getting referrals. *sigh*
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May 21, 2014 00:28
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I have an interview tomorrow! The bad news is they said over the phone "we don't have a job at the moment but we want to see what you can do." ...what does that even mean!?
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May 21, 2014 15:25
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It'll be good interview practice. Maybe they'll like you enough to create a position just for you, but I wouldn't hold my breath. Alternatively they need to interview ever so many people to meet policy requirements and you're one of the lucky warm bodies.
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May 21, 2014 16:33
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Sounds like weird bureaucratic "you must do X thing Y times per Z interval OR ELSE" bullshit to me, but like Frozen said it's free interview practice and you don't have to feel awkward about asking them at the end "so, what did you think? what can I improve on?" when the actual interview is over since you know it wasn't for a real position.
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May 21, 2014 16:36
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I just officially applied for this job.
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May 21, 2014 22:26
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Congrats. Now apply to fifty more.
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May 21, 2014 22:42
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I am currently a lawyer and I'm thinking on applying for a government job. Before, I worked as an intern in a law firm for 2 years before finishing Law School and 6 months after I got my Bachelor Degree in Law; during those last months I was assigned my own intern (officially, she was my boss's other intern, but my boss preferred me to handle her for a while). Should I put that in my resume to show that I've had people working under me? How should I phrase that?
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May 21, 2014 22:46
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radlum posted:I am currently a lawyer and I'm thinking on applying for a government job. Before, I worked as an intern in a law firm for 2 years before finishing Law School and 6 months after I got my Bachelor Degree in Law; during those last months I was assigned my own intern (officially, she was my boss's other intern, but my boss preferred me to handle her for a while). Supervised an intern for 6 months, who performed tasks X, Y, and Z
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May 21, 2014 22:53
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That's perfect, I think. Thanks a lot!
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May 21, 2014 22:54
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FrozenVent posted:Congrats. I can only apply to 3 jobs at a time at SpaceX 
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May 21, 2014 23:19
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the posted:I can only apply to 3 jobs at a time at SpaceX 
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May 22, 2014 00:55
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A job posting posted:The Integration Analyst is an empowered position that requires independent decision making and actions. The Integration Analyst must promote customer satisfaction with every interaction. The Integration Analyst must have the functional and technical knowledge and skills to do the job at a high level of accomplishment. The Integration Analyst will need to use rigorous logic and methods to solve difficult problems with effective solutions.  DOES THAT EVEN MEAN? 
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May 23, 2014 00:14
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Sounds like equal parts middle management and designated fall guy to me!
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May 23, 2014 03:05
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Shugojin posted:Sounds like equal parts middle management and designated fall guy to me! Yeah, that's "guy we blame when the customer's unhappy" in office-ese.
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May 23, 2014 03:48
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The only question I have is how do you say "No problem as long as you pay me a lot of money" in office-ese in response?
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May 23, 2014 09:30
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Riso posted:The only question I have is how do you say "No problem as long as you pay me a lot of money" in office-ese in response? You don't.
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May 23, 2014 16:55
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On a lark I tossed out my resume to an opening at another organization that is very similar to my own, not expecting anything. The HR person called me the next day and prescreened, and the next day I had another phone interview with the director of the department. During this interview: - director kept referring to me as "First Name", which bugged me a little. I was conscientious to address her as "Ms. lastname". - She asked me if there is anything in my home life that would prevent me from traveling out of state. I responded that I would be able to meet the requirements of the position and that I don't answer questions about my home life. - She asked what I am currently making and I politely told her that I don't discuss salary unless there is an offer. She got flustered and gave a five minute long speech on how they don't want to waste my time or theirs if salary expectations don't match and how they've had hundreds of applicants and opened it up to more cities (?). This is not for an entry level position and during the first interview I confirmed that. I said I understand and just stayed silent, so she started babbling more. Are these red flags or just a manager who is clueless on how to interview? I'm happily employed right now, so I was a little bolder than how I've interviewed in the past when I really wanted the job.
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May 24, 2014 17:06
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Manager might just not be used to interviewing. You might have been a little harsh on the travelling question, I would have kept it to "I am able to travel, no problems there." Only pull out the "I know my rights!" card if you're pushed, but by then the interview's already going sideways anyway. As for the first name thing, some industries are more informal than others, and some organizations are more informal than others in the same industry. It would be totally weird for anyone in my industry to refer to me as anything but my first name.
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May 24, 2014 19:58
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I think Elon Musk is how the green ladies on Star Trek brainwashed people.
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May 24, 2014 20:27
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If I can get some feedback on my resume it would be appreciated. It prints as 1 page on a PDF but for some reason shows up as 2 pages here. https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/78781021/resume%205.24.1.doc What's the best way to explain a transition between similar jobs within the same company? I started off working in client servicing which focused on smaller clients and didn't proactively go after new sales and then transitioned to a sales role where I did the exact same responsibilities with the addition of working bringing in new clients while servicing an existing book. I'm applying for sales positions and account management positions so I want to make sure that I communicate that I am able to drive new business while supporting and servicing existing clients.
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May 24, 2014 21:36
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Just to update, I got the offer. Thanks to everyone (especially swenblack) for helping me stay sane!
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May 24, 2014 21:43
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Christ Pseudoscientist posted:If I can get some feedback on my resume it would be appreciated. It prints as 1 page on a PDF but for some reason shows up as 2 pages here. I have written a basic critique of your resume. I like that you have quantified some of your job description content, but it still has a ways to go. Especially because I am certain there is much more you can say about your work experience. I think you already know this, but if you send your resume as a .PDF you will avoid any issues with the page length. 
Goon Approved Resume and CV Writing Service
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May 25, 2014 03:39
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joyfulgirl129 posted:- director kept referring to me as "First Name", which bugged me a little. I was conscientious to address her as "Ms. lastname". 1. 98% of the time, people go by their first names in business. If this bugs you, well, learn to deal with it. This includes everyone from entry level grunts to departmental directors to Fortune 500 C-class execs. I call our CEO by his first name. You probably came of really weird insisting on Ms whatever. 2. She shouldn't have asked it that way, yeah, but she just wants to know if you can travel out of state for work. There is nothing illegal about asking about your home life, marital status, race, religion, or whatever. The way to respond would be to warmly say there's nothing about your personal life that would stop you from traveling. Telling them "I don't answer questions about my personal life" just makes you come across as cold. They want to get to know you a little to see if they can work with you and there's nothing wrong with that. 3. Clueless interviewer yeah, not necessarily a red flag. If they want to make sure their expectations match yours, put the f-ing salary range in the job ad, DOE. Otherwise don't bitch. However I think you're limiting yourself a little by not talking about salary *at all* until the offer stage. You were obviously right not to tell them what you currently make but saying "I'm looking for a range of $-$ depending on benefits" will save you a lot of time. Do you really want to waste your time going through three rounds of interviews and getting an offer 30K less than what you were expecting? Proceed with caution, but I doubt you'll get a call-back from this lady.
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May 25, 2014 17:26
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I was asked about salary in a phone screen. I gave them a ballpark of my current salary, they said "we can't even come close to that" and we avoided wasting both of our time continuing any further. Sure I could've not answered and wasted a couple days flying out for an in-person interview to achieve the same results, but why bother?
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May 25, 2014 19:03
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My general rule of thumb is that if an interviewer or recruiter asks me my salary I give them my current salary plus 30-40% depending on my mood. If they can't justify me at the number I gave they'll likely negotiate and if they don't, then they're not worth my time. This really only works if you have a job already.
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May 26, 2014 13:25
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I'm working on my cover letter and was going to use the format suggested in the OP quote:"I'm applying for your position of CHOCOLATE TEAPOT MAKER. I would be a good fit for this position because of my experience with SKILL #1 FROM JOB DESCRIPTION and SKILL #2 FROM JOB DESCRIPTION I gained at PRIOR EMPLOYER. In fact, I RELEVANT STATISTIC ABOUT A SKILL IN THE JOB DESCRIPTION THAT SOUNDS IMPRESSIVE. I am excited about this position with COMPANY NAME HERE because of TIDBIT FROM WEBSITE. I look forward to speaking with you. However I am also looking for jobs in LA where I currently live and also for jobs in San Francisco. I'm trying to figure out how to phrase it so I don't get overlooked because I am not a local candidate. "I am presently looking to relocate to the San Francisco area to be closer to my family. I am presently located in Los Angeles but am willing to incur all the expenses that might be involved in relocating." Is that fine? Should I throw in a line about being able to travel there for a face to face interview? Is it a dumb idea to say that I don't need relocation assistance?
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May 26, 2014 14:11
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"I am already planning to relocate to San Francisco in *month*; I will be available for meetings in the area until then at X days notice." or something along those lines. If you say you're relocating, it's already assumed you're not getting relocation assistance... And honestly I wouldn't expect that anyway unless you're applying to 100k+ jobs, these days.
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May 26, 2014 14:15
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FrozenVent posted:If you say you're relocating, it's already assumed you're not getting relocation assistance... And honestly I wouldn't expect that anyway unless you're applying to 100k+ jobs, these days. Depends on the company. Mine tossed a $5000 relocation bonus at me (with the stipulation I'd stick around for 18 months) before taxes so it was actually more like $3500. This was straight out of college so it definitely wasn't a 100k+ job.
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May 26, 2014 21:54
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The occasional company will just be decent regardless of salary range, but relocation is pretty much expected by the time you're 100k+.
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May 26, 2014 23:23
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nevermind
Captain Walker fucked around with this message at 20:50 on May 27, 2014 |
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May 27, 2014 20:38
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Some Job Posting posted:Ability to demonstrate flexibility in adapting to changing priorities. I hate corporate-speak.
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May 28, 2014 22:11
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