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Thoughts on Six Sigma certification courses?
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May 11, 2017 15:38
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Busy Bee posted:Thoughts on Six Sigma certification courses? bad and dumb
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May 11, 2017 16:03
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Sooo, wildland job dudes, any thoughts on getting a wildland EMR cert? I'm supposed to get a scholarship of anywhere from 6k to 10k at the end of my year, and I was thinking about getting EMR trained just so I can plaster that on my resume. My question is, is it actually helpful in the long run at all? I'm currently in the California Conservation Corp, and I'm looking into USFS/NPS/BLM/CalFW/CalParks jobs at the end of my year.
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May 12, 2017 01:05
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Welp I've been floating my resume around and looking for jobs, and it's driving me loving crazy because there are so many jobs I can do, but don't have proof of that on a piece of paper. The jobs I'm qualified for just don't pay enough out the gate and a job with insurance benefits is absolutely necessary. Me: 29, Bachelor's in Art (I now know how stupid that was), about 7 years combined of general admin experience. Goal: A safe job with AT LEAST 30k + full benefits. I don't care about the industry, it just has to be office-related and not physical because I'm a small 5'3" girl with health problems. Area: Florida After studying available local office jobs I'm seeing a few specialties pop up over and over: sales, IT, accounting and financial advisor. Accounting is out because I'm hilariously bad at math. My strength is speaking, being a people-person, being a fast typist, organizing and managing people under me, reports, blah blah anything that doesn't involve hard math. Although friendly enough to do something sales/customer service related, I'm just as happy being an antisocial goon holed away in an office that never sees anyone. I'm really interested in IT because my dad was a Systems Analyst, but know for a fact I would need SOMETHING on my resume that has IT on it to even dream of a job like that. Sales I could probably hop into more easily because I already have a year of Sales experience, but sales in general is such a shaky industry even if you land a base + commission job with monthly numbers to meet. I've been trying to schmooze my way into a local phone company such as Verizon because that is a product that practically sells itself, but no bites yet. Is it worth it to go back to school and get an Associates or Masters? Is there a Sales industry that I could easily transition to that is likely to have benefits and stuff even at entry level? What do I do with my life oh god
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May 24, 2017 15:39
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^^^If you're thinking about IT but have no experience, helpdesk is the place to start. If you can assemble a PC from NewEgg, you're ready to go. If not, try selling yourself as a good problem solver and unshakeable customer handler. Being able to self-teach is a crucial skill as well. From helpdesk, there are some fairly well defined skills/career progression options. The IT certification thread has more info on that: https://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3521165 DO NOT spend any more money than it would cost to go to community college or WGU for IT training. The for profit schools (University of Phoenix, et cetera) are a huge ripoff.
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May 28, 2017 02:08
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Fozzy The Bear posted:In my mid thirties, recently went back to school and got a BA in Economics. Since then I have been working for a bank as a low level paper pusher for over a year now, I have 4 years previous banking experience. I supervise a small group of people who do loan maintenance work. I don't use any software that would help me out at any other company (well I guess Outlook and Word). I have pretty good to advanced people skills. I'd look at smaller, community banks, or credit unions. At my current community bank the Financial Analyst in my old department (consumer, but non-mortgage, lending) used to be in our IT department. I'm not 100% sure what my current department's Financial Analyst was doing previously, but it may have been loan servicing. Has anyone you've worked with in your current/previous roles left for another bank recently? Do those banks have openings for Financial Analysts? If so, start there, unless those people don't like you. New bank's HR department will likely ask their current employee(s) about you which would hopefully help you. Failing that you could shoot for an underwriter position somewhere (I'd personally stay away from home mortgages underwriting, but that's me) and then try to transfer to FA somewhere down the line, whether at that same institution or somewhere else since it would give you some additional experience with loan products, and hopefully help you establish a reputation for being smart/good at your job that would help you switch to what you want. Plus, maybe you'll like underwriting, I think it's interesting, but I'm weird.
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May 30, 2017 00:15
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Hey BFC. Mind giving me some input on whether I should take this job offer? I work at a large, old, sclerotic company that offers nearly no opportunity for advancement. Senior management is completely incompetent, though I like the immediate group that I work with. The big pro of working here is "work/life balance": frankly, the job is easy as hell, I work from home frequently, and I can do everything I need to do in like 30 hours a week. As a person who's both a nature lover and sort of lazy, this works for me since I get more time outside. I've been there for nearly five years now. A semi-competitor of ours reached out to me about a nearly identical position, and I figured I'd go on the interview to keep my skills sharp. The interview went well but was *very* work focused, even during the lunch portion. After that, they got my W-2s, pay stubs, references, etc., and I finally got an offer/got to see comp. My main worry is that everyone there seemed a bit one-dimensionally focused on their work, and they seemed to work MUCH longer hours. My recruiter was telling me about how excited he was to have a weekend where he didn't work - I never, ever work on weekends. It seems like my workload could ultimately double to a normal-ish corporate 60 hours a week. I wish I could know more about this, but sending the whole "eh, I don't really want to work that hard" signal doesn't seem like a good idea. As for the offer itself: it's about the same salary that I earn now (to be fair, I'm already towards the higher end of my position's scale) plus a small-ish sign on bonus that would cover the amount of bonus I've already accrued this year, plus like 15% of a year's salary in RSUs that take four years to vest. The non-salary stuff is pretty much worthless to me since I'd never stick around to vest another $3k in stock options, but it's nice to know it's there I guess. Oh yeah, and the commute is a solid hour each way instead of 30 minutes. I wasn't even really looking for a job, and now I have to make a choice between working way harder/having less time for myself and my family/actually having an opportunity to advance and keeping it low key/risking tying myself to a dying company/having the mark of my company on my resume long term. Maybe I don't even want an opportunity to advance; I was always shooting for Director or whatever but I'm already feeling pretty rat-raced out at 33. Lastly: is it weird for a company to just straight up demand your W-2s as part of the "process"? This new company is also huge/legit, so it seems like their SOP, but as you might imagine it considerably damages my negotiating position and I kinda resent that we didn't even talk comp until they knew EVERYTHING about me and had already gone through a full battery interview. call to action fucked around with this message at 13:55 on May 30, 2017 |
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May 30, 2017 13:46
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call to action posted:Hey BFC. Mind giving me some input on whether I should take this job offer? Dude are you kidding me? Do not work for this company.
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May 30, 2017 14:03
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Why? Looks like I'm missing some red flags?
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May 30, 2017 14:05
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call to action posted:Lastly: is it weird for a company to just straight up demand your W-2s as part of the "process"? This new company is also huge/legit, so it seems like their SOP, but as you might imagine it considerably damages my negotiating position and I kinda resent that we didn't even talk comp until they knew EVERYTHING about me and had already gone through a full battery interview. This is super weird. Not only are you negotiating against yourself w/r/t salary (sounds like you didn't actually negotiate at all), but why give a random employer you might not work with so much personal information when you don't even work there?
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May 30, 2017 14:10
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As far as I can tell you'll be working the same type of job for effectively the same amount of pay, but for many, many more hours per week (including weekends, holy cannoli) plus double the commute. Also the W2 thing sounds like a power play you got suckered into. Sometimes it takes a write-up like the one you just posted to see what exactly the situation looks like from a detached perspective; read your post again and decide from a detached perspective how lucrative it sounds. It doesn't sound like you'd be getting the same amount of remote work days or opportunities for advancement either. Through and through it sounds like a hard pass.
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May 30, 2017 14:11
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kedo posted:This is super weird. Not only are you negotiating against yourself w/r/t salary (sounds like you didn't actually negotiate at all), but why give a random employer you might not work with so much personal information when you don't even work there? Yeah, I hosed up here. Not sure what I was thinking - the request came from their HR department through some bored-sounding coordinator so it sounded like standard practice. Jedi Knight Luigi posted:As far as I can tell you'll be working the same type of job for effectively the same amount of pay, but for many, many more hours per week (including weekends, holy cannoli) plus double the commute. Also the W2 thing sounds like a power play you got suckered into. To be fair: the opportunities would come from the new place, most likely - who knows if they'd materialize, but it's more likely than at my current place (the one with the w/l balance). I guess the X factor is the "what if I get fired tomorrow, boy then I'd feel pretty dumb" thing, but that's something any job-swapper is going to face. Thanks for the reality check. call to action fucked around with this message at 14:21 on May 30, 2017 |
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May 30, 2017 14:16
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call to action posted:I guess the X factor is the "what if I get fired tomorrow, boy then I'd feel pretty dumb" thing, but that's something any job-swapper is going to face. Yeah but your supervisor at the new place could end up hating you because of some random thing and find a reason to get rid of you quickly too (he only put in 55 hours during that holiday week!)
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May 30, 2017 14:43
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I think finding a new job where maybe you are more challenged with better advancement would be good. ...But this other company doesn't really sound like that place. Doubling the commute alone is a killer without a giant pay raise. Maybe use the extra time to learn some new skills and polish/apply for jobs? Or start sniffing around your current spot for something more interesting?
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May 30, 2017 14:49
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I mean, I'm not entirely sure about the 60 hour thing, I've just worked at a place that was closer to the 60 than the 30 end of the spectrum and this definitely seemed like a 60 kind of place. But the extra commute alone definitely sucks. I'm in a tough position where I can't really advance much further without having managed people directly - I feel like I need to have at least done one performance review before I can legitimately try for a Director-level job. I might get a better shot at that at the new place - but then again, I'm not managing anyone there either for now and I've learned better about "hoping" a job goes a certain way.
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May 30, 2017 15:08
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Don't do it. That sounds like hell.
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May 30, 2017 16:07
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Aren't there like... other potential employers out there?
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May 30, 2017 16:13
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Probably, I haven't really been looking. I don't want to move for sure, though. I am 100% in love with my rickety shitbox of a home. I'm just haunted by the prospect of turning this job down and then losing my current job. Logically, I know that I could lose my current job at any time, other offer or no, but I've got millennial-grade PTSD-lite about being jobless ever since graduating in 2009. That's probably more an e/n problem than a BFC one, though. The other part of me wonders if I'm being a dumb baby snowflake by turning down a (pretty modest) raise at a company with better long term prospects.
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May 30, 2017 16:55
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i'm not going to get in to detail on this because you already know how dumb of an idea it would be to jump ship but basically: your fears are groundless or inescapable and the new job will materially destroy your quality of life as you know it so it sounds like a really fuckin great idea, go wild
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May 30, 2017 17:19
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Who the hell would ever work 60 hour weeks unless it were their own company? Have fun devoting your life to someone else's dream.
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May 30, 2017 17:32
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call to action posted:Probably, I haven't really been looking. I don't want to move for sure, though. I am 100% in love with my rickety shitbox of a home. you could also be fired within 90 days at the new job... Why do you think the prospects are better long-term at the second company? Are they growing faster or is it a more dynamic division? I don't think you can say that more hours = more opportunity. Plenty of firms are happy to work people into the ground for no return. And even if your firm has mediocre management, working people to the bone can generally be correlated with lovely mgmt. Do you think this situation might be making you aware of some feelings of stagnation/coasting in your career? It seems like you're wanting some kind of change.
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May 30, 2017 19:28
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Enigma89 posted:I work in ecommerce fashion marketing and work for a completely unknown manufacturer that owns several brands but does hundreds and hundreds of millions in revenue each year. I am more or less a one man band at my company working on the ecommerce end of things (marketing & project management) while my other coworkers are working on merchandising and buying. Just curious if anyone has thoughts on this? I ended up not taking the position and a bit of time had past. They just reached out that another position opened up and want me in there asap.
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May 30, 2017 19:30
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My job title is "research analyst". I googled that and apparently it's got something to do with finance. That's not at all what I do. At its core, I basically QA and add to a GIS (Geographic Information Systems) database of electric power infrastructure (power plants, substations, transmission lines). I find information however I need to to do this, via news releases, project fact sheets, FERC forms, and Google Maps/Earth imagery. Previously, I also combed through articles written by our in-house "intelligence service" for additional data, however that department of the company was shut down. At its worst, my job is straight up data entry. At its best, the job fulfills its title, i.e. research analysis. I collect evidence, compare it, add previous knowledge and intuition, and make a determination on what data is "correct". This aspect of the job is more interesting and more challenging, and I'd like to focus on it as a career path. However, doing job searches and the like, it seems my job might be a weird fluke. It's hard to know what to look for. When I got it, I was looking for GIS Analyst positions, which I have somewhat written off as a career path because I'm just not that interested in coding or database management. Obviously, there are other jobs where data is collected and analyzed - Scientist, Engineer, Actuary, Police Detective, and Lawyer, to name a few. But I don't have the qualifications to do those things, just some GIS skills and an interest in the natural sciences and conservation. Any recommendations on what career path/jobs to pursue from here?
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May 30, 2017 21:18
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gently caress, it made me physically ill to turn down that job offer. I don't even really want to work there that much, but I guess it's that 2009 grad syndrome where I just flashback to my time in a call center when I would have literally stabbed someone for this gig
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May 31, 2017 16:27
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In 2009 I would have done unsavory things for a job paying 20k under what I'm making right now. Doesn't mean I'll take an offer for something 20k under what I'm making right now. It was a raw offer all around, where you are now sounds infinitely better as an overall situation.
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May 31, 2017 16:30
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yeah I think 09 grads will all have a special kind of job hunt PTSD
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May 31, 2017 16:41
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So I'm trying to figure out what the hell I want to do with my life. I have a bachelor's in biology from 2015, but haven't really done anything with it. I think I would like to work in the medical field, but don't really know what path would be the best career wise. I am open to getting certificates or any of that, but would really rather not go to medical school. Currently, I am looking up information about radiology techs, but would appreciate any other suggestions or advice.
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May 31, 2017 17:07
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Enigma89 posted:Just curious if anyone has thoughts on this? I ended up not taking the position and a bit of time had past. They just reached out that another position opened up and want me in there asap. Since no one with more specific knowledge has chimed in: If you know your current job won't get you to your goal because of branding, I say go out and get the necessary branding on your resume. Sure there is risk in doing it but it seems like things won't change unless you get active. Maybe your story can combine your current skills with some experience with a major brand, to present yourself as a great candidate to your target luxury companies in the job you'd like to do? Or alternative: maybe you can return to your old job at a higher wage because you've worked at bigger places? Especially if it grows in the meantime and they're open to boomerangs.
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May 31, 2017 21:24
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Should I always always always negotiate salary? Even if I don't (think I) have leverage?
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Jun 1, 2017 06:37
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I've been stuck in retail banking for nearly a decade and really really want to get out and into some type of admin or office position. Recently, my coworker friend was recruited by a real estate company and took the position (commissions processer) and another co-worker had since applied and also hired for a different position (transaction coordinator). So naturally, I applied and got an interview and was then offered the commission's processer position as well... The pros are a 10k increase in salary and a good company culture/benefits (seemingly) ... There is a huge con though, it's an hour and a half commute! As well as an industry I know nothing about and would have to put lot of work into learning (not knowing if I want a future in it now). My current situation at work is very stressful as there are literally only 3 people (myself, my manager and one coworker) to staff two branches. We have been living off help from other branches (half the time I don't even know who is going to be here) and I'm still new to my position since the bank I worked for was acquired by another in February. It's been nuts, all my coworker friends left and I feel overwhelmed... But I took this job originally to get out of a horrible commute, and I walk to work so it would be hard to give that up. I just don't know if the money is worth my time and sanity with the drive.... I want to keep looking for something closer and more commutable but I just don't know when/if the opportunity will come along? This job offer is sitting on the table until Friday, and I feel so torn. Be miserable driving to a job that pays more or be miserable working here until I find my out closer to home. Ack.
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Jun 1, 2017 17:54
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Can you move closer to the new job?
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Jun 1, 2017 19:19
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N. Senada posted:Can you move closer to the new job? Not really an option as my bf's job is in the downtown area and he is pretty set there. The job is basically in the suburbs and we live in the city limits...
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Jun 1, 2017 19:25
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180 minutes of burning through your gas tank each day. And I doubt the 10k increase would offset this extra wear and tear by very much. Pass.
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Jun 1, 2017 21:00
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For a career change after a decade in stagnation, moving closer to the suburbs is certainly reasonable. What's your SO going to say? "Sorry sweetie you're condemned to a life of retail wage slavery because of ~my favorite restaurant~"
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Jun 1, 2017 22:54
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City versus suburbs is a major lifestyle difference that goes far beyond a favorite restaurant. I've very intentionally structured my life in a way that a car is not necessary and I wouldn't change that for a girlfriend's job personally (wife maybe but there'd have to be a long talk). There's not an easy answer here really, comes down to the two of you and how much each is willing to sacrifice.
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Jun 1, 2017 23:11
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If you live in a city I feel like there are myriad career change opportunities that don't involve a hellacious commute.
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Jun 2, 2017 02:54
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Thanks guys, I ended up turning it down.... I just could not put myself back into a car for that long again. I feel like I need to step up my networking since apparently that's how everyone seems to get jobs these days!
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Jun 3, 2017 13:14
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Ramrod Hotshot posted:My job title is "research analyst". I googled that and apparently it's got something to do with finance. That's not at all what I do. At its core, I basically QA and add to a GIS (Geographic Information Systems) database of electric power infrastructure (power plants, substations, transmission lines). I find information however I need to to do this, via news releases, project fact sheets, FERC forms, and Google Maps/Earth imagery. Previously, I also combed through articles written by our in-house "intelligence service" for additional data, however that department of the company was shut down. You might be interested in market research. There are tons of research analyst type marketing positions from doing survey research, focus groups. user experience research, product research, etc. Gartner and Nielsen are some of the big vendors. I've worked in the industry for five years and it is pretty chill. A lot of smart people.
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Jun 5, 2017 05:44
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SciFiDownBeat posted:Should I always always always negotiate salary? Even if I don't (think I) have leverage? You should. If they agree you just got yourself more money. If they say no you can still take the job if you think the salary is good enough. In the rare case that they withdraw the offer to punish you for negotiating, you knew you dodged a bullet. If they pull those kind of shenanigans on people they want to join the company, imagine how they treat their existing employees. Head over to the negotiations thread to read/get advice on how to deal with your specific situation. Lots of great advice there, which has gotten a lot of goons a better deal, just by asking for it.
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Jun 5, 2017 17:16
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Sweet, thanks!
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Jun 5, 2017 18:50
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