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liz posted:So I have an interview with the District Court on Tuesday for an Operations Clerk position, and unfortunately I'm going to have to call off work... Our branch (bank) is already understaffed and between prepping for this interview and worrying about calling out "sick" I'm a nervous wreck! I would assume that you won't be interviewed by the same person for two hours. Most likely you'll sit down with HR first and have a general chat about your experience with STAR-type questions, then for the next part you'll sit with the person/people who will be your direct supervisor. They'll probably get more in-depth with regard to your experience and make sure you're a good fit for the department. There will probably be some overlap with questions, and depending on the position they may have you sit for a test of some kind to make sure you have the necessary skills for the role. Prep well, but don't panic. Take some confidence from the fact that you have the interview, and you wouldn't have gotten this far if they felt you weren't qualified. One piece of advice I would give is to bring a bottle of water, or at least don't refuse one if it's offered to you. It's really hard to talk at length for more than a half hour in a high-pressure situation without your mouth getting dry, or that's the case for me, anyway.
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# ? May 2, 2016 04:40 |
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# ? May 28, 2024 08:30 |
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Is it better to call when it's about a full week after when a potential employer told you they'd be contacting you and you know for a fact they've talked to your references, or is better to accept that university hirings move at a glacial pace and just sit on your hands?
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# ? May 3, 2016 15:24 |
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I would think a polite follow up is in order after a week.
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# ? May 3, 2016 18:49 |
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Bluedeanie posted:Is it better to call when it's about a full week after when a potential employer told you they'd be contacting you and you know for a fact they've talked to your references, or is better to accept that university hirings move at a glacial pace and just sit on your hands? Yes to both. If they said "hey we'll contact you on Wednesday the 15th" and it's Wednesday the 22nd then I don't think there's harm in going "hey guys, just wanted to check in and see if there's any more information I can provide you with at this point." But university hirings move really, really slowly and it's probably near finals week at your school so good luck (I've also heard of universities checking references for candidates they didn't offer jobs to, so there's a chance that this is what's going on. That happened to me once, too )
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# ? May 3, 2016 19:42 |
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Epilogue to my interview: I was flown 5000 miles for an onsite interview (4th round, 3hrs long), plus per diem and a nice hotel for the weekend, but they decided to not extend me the offer. The letdown email was quite lovely, but it's a bit sad because I was pretty sold on them. I'm not sure how to handle the "didn't find a strong fit" rejection. It's so nebulous that I don't know if it's because I interview like I'm a terrible person, or it's just because I missed specific questions they were looking for. The line, more specifically was "Although we didn't find a strong fit right now, we would love to keep in touch". Is that the business equivalent of "let's be friends?" quote:Hi Ryan,
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# ? May 3, 2016 20:00 |
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ryanbruce posted:Epilogue to my interview: Stay in touch with them. You made an impression, and dropping a line in six months with what you're up to and saying you're interested or asking about opportunities is how you network yourself into a job.
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# ? May 3, 2016 20:17 |
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Dark Helmut posted:I would think a polite follow up is in order after a week. FadingChord posted:Yes to both. Thanks! I hadn't even thought about finals week, but it is a non-academic position so I am not sure that would have a big affect on this particular department. I could obviously be wrong though, especially if it has to go through administration who are more involved with that aspect of the school. Either way, I will give them a call shortly just to touch base.
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# ? May 3, 2016 20:20 |
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I've got a question for the gurus here: I graduated at the beginning of april with my M.Sc. (molecular biology related) and I immediately was offered and accepted a casual contract position in sales (more like promotions really) which I've worked at for about a month now. But it's pretty drat casual - like 10 hours a week so definitely not enough to live off of. I want to start applying to other jobs and ideally I could do both given the 10 hours a week thing, but in practice I can quit my current position at any time and I wouldn't be too sad about leaving (I don't particularly enjoy the work and want to get into something more writing focused). How should I write my resume to start applying for jobs? Should I try and focus on the idea of being able to do both positions simultaneously and potentially seem like a hassle? Or should I leave it off and just look like every other recent grad?
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# ? May 4, 2016 02:40 |
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Business Octopus posted:I've got a question for the gurus here: I'm far from a guru, but here's my opinion as a man on the street: Why do you need to mention that you'll be keeping your current job? I doubt your prospective employer would assume you're going to keep it, so why put the thought into their heads before they even consider you? It'll probably come up in the interview as something like "Why do you want to leave Company XYZ?" And you can tell them the truth, that your current position is very flexible and is only a part time role that you can easily add to the position you're applying for, or drop as needed.
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# ? May 4, 2016 02:55 |
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Anyone know what I should expect from an assessment center? It involves individual and team components but apart from that I don't know anything about it. It's for a graduate program within the agribusiness division of a bank.
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# ? May 4, 2016 06:40 |
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gay picnic defence posted:Anyone know what I should expect from an assessment center? It involves individual and team components but apart from that I don't know anything about it. It's for a graduate program within the agribusiness division of a bank. For the group part you'll probably be given a problem or scenario to run through together before giving a quick presentation. You MIGHT have a group interview where you all take turns answering the same set of questions. Your individual component might involve answering some questions or solving some problems on a sheet or laptop, plus a panel or one-on-one interview. On a different note, thanks to the OP and everyone who's posted tips here. I recently got a job and I thought this thread was really helpful for shaping up my resume and navigating the hairier aspects of the recruitment process. It is sweet relief to be employed after so many hours spent applying!
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# ? May 4, 2016 12:16 |
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Business Octopus posted:I've got a question for the gurus here:
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# ? May 4, 2016 14:45 |
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Trying to revamp my resume again and I'm not sure what to do about one of my positions. I do freelance work for a local TV station, basically they do two big in-house productions per year and I'm always on the crew. Been doing this for almost 10 years now and I'm now directing live productions. So far I've left it off my resume because the work is sporadic, it's not in my field, and the way my resume is now I have a fully accounted for work history from 2009 - now. On the other hand, if I can convey that the gig requires me to be fast learner, think on my feet, manage people etc I think it might be worthwhile to put on there. What's a good way to be truthful about the sporadic nature of the work (it's like 20-30 days/year) without downplaying the fact that it's challenging work and I do a good job?
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# ? May 4, 2016 15:34 |
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Vulture Culture posted:You have absolutely no reason to give anyone the impression you'll be keeping this other job. It can only hurt you. Thanks to you and twosheds. I figured that trying to work out both at once from the outset would be a detriment. I guess the question then becomes whether or not a one month position is even worth adding to my resume? I guess I'm just concerned about seeming like I'd try to bail as soon as possible at my new position
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# ? May 4, 2016 20:43 |
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Business Octopus posted:Thanks to you and twosheds. I figured that trying to work out both at once from the outset would be a detriment. I guess the question then becomes whether or not a one month position is even worth adding to my resume? I guess I'm just concerned about seeming like I'd try to bail as soon as possible at my new position I would leave it off if your resume looks OK without it.
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# ? May 4, 2016 22:54 |
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FadingChord posted:(I've also heard of universities checking references for candidates they didn't offer jobs to, so there's a chance that this is what's going on. That happened to me once, too ) You were right I was told I was the close second choice though and to let that supervisor know should I apply for anything in another department and they will put in a good word for me, so that's encouraging at least.
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# ? May 4, 2016 23:02 |
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What's the consensus on "branding statements" on resumes? I had my original resume from that Resumes-to-Interviews goon service, got a job off of that, held that job for six years and was recently let go. As part of my severance, I was given a membership to a "Career Management" company, Right Management. One of the first things they told me was that my resume needed a branding statement about myself at the top. I submitted my original resume to their resume writing service, and it basically looks butchered up right now. The branding statement at the top just looks so loving cheap and insincere. I really don't understand how any HR would fall for that kind of puffed-up garbage. I hate that I have to ask this, but are they right in telling me that I need one?
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# ? May 5, 2016 15:19 |
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Sounds tacky/fluffy to me. Not the same thing as a summary, right? I would take it out.
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# ? May 5, 2016 15:33 |
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illcendiary posted:What's the consensus on "branding statements" on resumes? I had my original resume from that Resumes-to-Interviews goon service, got a job off of that, held that job for six years and was recently let go. As part of my severance, I was given a membership to a "Career Management" company, Right Management. One of the first things they told me was that my resume needed a branding statement about myself at the top. I submitted my original resume to their resume writing service, and it basically looks butchered up right now. The branding statement at the top just looks so loving cheap and insincere. I really don't understand how any HR would fall for that kind of puffed-up garbage. I hate that I have to ask this, but are they right in telling me that I need one? The summary/branding statement should, at a glance, answer the question "Who are you and what do you do?" I can't tell you how many resumes I see that I have to dig down into the meat of the resume to figure out what you do and what you're looking for. If you're a software engineer, say it right up top. And you're right, anything that's super fluffy is pointless and insincere. "hard-working, fast learner"? Everyone says that. Just shy away from BS and also from making it an "objective", which just tells what you want. Instead, what are your skills and how will they add value? Your audience is a hiring manager. Tell them what business problems are you going to solve for them and how you're going to make their life easier.
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# ? May 5, 2016 15:39 |
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air- posted:Sounds tacky/fluffy to me. Not the same thing as a summary, right? I would take it out. I guess you could call it a summary, but they were very careful to not call it a summary or an objective, because those are apparently passé these days. It's two or three sentences about my experience that, frankly, you should be able to parse from my resume, which I've taken pains to reduce in wordiness so that it's less than two full pages now. Dark Helmut posted:The summary/branding statement should, at a glance, answer the question "Who are you and what do you do?" Eh, I guess I'm being hard on the resume writer. It's not *that* fluffy, and looking at it now, it basically answers the questions that you're asking. I guess it just frustrates me that I have to play this dumb game of word soup.
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# ? May 5, 2016 15:39 |
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illcendiary posted:
You're marketing yourself, which doesn't come naturally to everyone. "Hey, I'm awesome. Pay me money because I can do xyz." You want to look nice on a first date, right? That summary is your first impression to your potential boss so it's worth putting a little sweat into...
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# ? May 5, 2016 16:27 |
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Buck Turgidson posted:For the group part you'll probably be given a problem or scenario to run through together before giving a quick presentation. You MIGHT have a group interview where you all take turns answering the same set of questions. Any idea what kind of questions or problems they might be? Are they likely to be related to my field or will they just be random to see how people handle them?
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# ? May 5, 2016 21:42 |
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What does it even mean when Monster.com's free resume critique service says "I found your design to be visually uneven"?
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# ? May 6, 2016 01:36 |
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Business Octopus posted:I've got a question for the gurus here: Any legitimate full time job is going to have a condition in the offer that you don't have any side jobs. Just list your side job on your resume like any other job and be prepared to discuss it. But don't go in assuming you're still going to be working on the side.
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# ? May 6, 2016 04:28 |
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Josh Lyman posted:What does it even mean when Monster.com's free resume critique service says "I found your design to be visually uneven"? That their machine algorithm is vague. Post it for a real critique.
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# ? May 6, 2016 07:17 |
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gay picnic defence posted:Any idea what kind of questions or problems they might be? Are they likely to be related to my field or will they just be random to see how people handle them? Depends on which bit we're talking about. Every one of those I've been to the group scenarios have been at least vaguely related or relevant to the field. Sometimes they're big picture questions about the direction of the firm, sometimes they're specifically about a topic or scenario you might see at work. The individual problems vary widely and could be an example of something you might see on the job, or they might involve giving a writing sample or interpreting a graph. The individual interview is often a fairly standard interview, with the usual stock questions, STAR questions, etc. If that's too vague it's because it tends to vary. I wouldn't overthink it too much. Practise your regular interview questions, have some examples for the STAR questions, and take a good look through the annual report or other publications to see what trends and issues they're dealing with. Know whatever values they pump in their marketing material so you can draw on those when you answer questions, even if you have no idea what the right answer is.
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# ? May 6, 2016 09:42 |
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So I just cold emailed a place about an internship and they want to have a "meeting discussing employment opportunities". That's an interview, right? I'm treating it as one.
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# ? May 8, 2016 07:07 |
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Eskaton posted:So I just cold emailed a place about an internship and they want to have a "meeting discussing employment opportunities". At the very least it's an informational interview, which you should still treat as a job interview in terms of attire, prepwork and bringing your resume/references.
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# ? May 8, 2016 14:01 |
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In an email for a job interview at a software company, they said "we dress fairly casual." Should I still wear the full monkey suit, or should I just have a button up or something? I know they say to dress for the job you want, but I also know the only people who wear suits in software are salesmen and applicants.
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# ? May 9, 2016 16:18 |
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Better safe than sorry going in with a suit. They dress casually but they are actually working there and can.
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# ? May 9, 2016 16:34 |
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Magnetic North posted:In an email for a job interview at a software company, they said "we dress fairly casual." Should I still wear the full monkey suit, or should I just have a button up or something? I know they say to dress for the job you want, but I also know the only people who wear suits in software are salesmen and applicants. Go ahead and directly ask your contact what to wear. I've had some recruiters specify to NOT wear a suit.
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# ? May 9, 2016 16:39 |
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Magnetic North posted:In an email for a job interview at a software company, they said "we dress fairly casual." Should I still wear the full monkey suit, or should I just have a button up or something? I know they say to dress for the job you want, but I also know the only people who wear suits in software are salesmen and applicants. What part of the country and what position are you applying for?
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# ? May 9, 2016 16:48 |
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air- posted:Go ahead and directly ask your contact what to wear. I've had some recruiters specify to NOT wear a suit. As much as I've ALWAYS parroted the age-old advice to wear a suit, I do feel like times are changing. If they took the liberty of telling you they dress casually, I might wear the suit but forgo the tie to that... That said I now have a few smaller startup clients that I tell people just to wear khakis/polo to. If you're going through a recruiter, ask them since you're probably not the first to interview there. If not, just go with your gut and err on the side of "too fancy". Incidentally, facial hair has really gained a ton of acceptance as well. Just make it look neat, dammit.
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# ? May 9, 2016 17:02 |
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taqueso posted:What part of the country and what position are you applying for? Cambridge, software. e: air- posted:Go ahead and directly ask your contact what to wear. I've had some recruiters specify to NOT wear a suit. It's someone at the company, not a recruiter, so I think I'm just supposed to take the hint. I am also asking a outplacement person I have for advice, and someone I know in the industry. So far, I'm thinking button up with no tie. Magnetic North fucked around with this message at 17:27 on May 9, 2016 |
# ? May 9, 2016 17:25 |
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Cambridge, MA? Could be chill hippie birks poo poo or relatively uptight compared to SV. My usual if I don't know how to dress is to wear a jacket and shirt combo that's stylish enough that you don't look uptight but makes you look fairly well put together.
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# ? May 9, 2016 17:34 |
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If it's HubSpot, everyone will be in t-shirts and jeans.
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# ? May 9, 2016 17:40 |
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Puppy Galaxy posted:If it's HubSpot, everyone will be in t-shirts and jeans. It's not, but then I suppose that raises the question: is the goal to directly fit in, or is the goal to simply not appear overdressed?
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# ? May 9, 2016 17:42 |
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Magnetic North posted:It's not, but then I suppose that raises the question: is the goal to directly fit in, or is the goal to simply not appear overdressed? My gut says a button up and nice khakis for an interview if the place has no dress code. A suit if a place specifies they're casual seems like overkill, less than that also seems like a risk.
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# ? May 9, 2016 17:48 |
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Magnetic North posted:It's not, but then I suppose that raises the question: is the goal to directly fit in, or is the goal to simply not appear overdressed?
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# ? May 9, 2016 18:03 |
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# ? May 28, 2024 08:30 |
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Anybody got a site or tips for writing cover letters?
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# ? May 9, 2016 18:24 |