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I got very lucky...I accepted a fairly low-ball offer in DC after I finished my MA because any salary seemed better than none. After 3 years of 0%, 3%, and 1.4% cost of living increases, I bailed for a job that offered me a 75% increase in pay. I don't have any doubt that it is sheer luck they didn't ask about my salary history, and now I'm on a much more comfortable track.
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Sep 28, 2013 17:48
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kaishek posted:I got very lucky...I accepted a fairly low-ball offer in DC after I finished my MA because any salary seemed better than none. After 3 years of 0%, 3%, and 1.4% cost of living increases, I bailed for a job that offered me a 75% increase in pay. I don't have any doubt that it is sheer luck they didn't ask about my salary history, and now I'm on a much more comfortable track. I was searching around for very entry level jobs in DC under the same guise and landed with a company that basically refused me desired salary numbers and gave me 15k+ more. E: I was extremely lucky. It's also a pretty good work environment, but it wouldn't have to be.
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Sep 30, 2013 16:51
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I finished school a few months ago, and have applied for several "real" jobs since then, without much luck. I've just recently found the first opening at an organization that I would really want to work for, doing a job that I really want to do. I haven't been an active job-searcher in almost 9 years now (I've had two jobs in that time, but the second job was a straight offer, so no sort of active job-searching was required), and it seems that in the interim, the majority of companies have switched to the same stock software suite of online application software. It's the same everywhere I go... create an account, upload a resume and cover letter, answer a bunch of questions and then wait to hear back. I've followed this same process on several websites, only to see my application status go from "resume received" to "position filled". Those were all better jobs than I have now, but nothing was particularly special about them, they were kind of "take it or leave it" jobs... meaning, sure, I'd love to work there, but pretty much anything else would be just as good too. Since this last job I've applied for is one that I really want, I'm wondering what the general consensus on following-up is on an application for this type of application process. As far as I can tell, they don't have any contact information for the hiring staff available publicly, and the idea is supposed to be that you to monitor your application status through your account on the website, leaving it fully out of your hands. Right now, my resume is still at "resume received" status (and has been since my application this past Wednesday), is there anything I can do to convey my enthusiasm for this position and push my resume to the top of the figurative pile? Or am I destined to just sit and wait, at the mercy of the hiring staff? Also - the organization is a government agency (a laboratory, but the position is an accountant position), I'm not sure how much that factors in. Thanks in advance for any advice!
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Nov 11, 2013 14:39
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® posted:Government job. The real issue is that a lot of companies post job openings on their websites even if they already have an ideal candidate lined up. YMMV, but when I was looking for a job I had very little luck applying for jobs directly off company websites. I had a much better application to interview ratio on jobs off craigslist, monster, etc.. The other major issue you are going to run into is that most companies that post jobs like that have 0 interest in talking to you unless they call you. Again, YMMV, but I had very little luck calling companies and getting a hold of anyone when I applied to jobs like that. 99% of the time the response was simply "We'll call you if we want to talk to you for an interview" (if you can get a hold of someone and don't get the usual "he\she is in a meeting" line of BS.) Your best bet is to network, your second best bet is to just blanket apply to everything that you even remotely qualify for, your third best bet is to get lucky. One of the guys that I work with applied for one job out of college and got an offer (literally one single application one single phone interview one single interview). I applied to what felt like 100 jobs before I finally got an offer, countless interviews, countless rejections. When I finally got an offer I actually ended up getting 3 offers in one week. Good luck.
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Nov 12, 2013 17:13
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I've been pretty lucky in my job search thus far. I'm a senior in college, graduating from a four-year institution with majors in Political Science and Economics and a minor in Art History. I've received an offer to work as a product analyst for a major insurance company in an expensive northeastern city. They'd like me to make a decision on their offer in two weeks. I'm concerned for two reasons: First, I don't know what my value is. How should I go about figuring what I should be paid/receive in non salary compensation? Any helpful resources or statistics would be nice. I've been doing my own research, and compared to 2013 graduates in the social sciences, I'd be doing pretty well. Looking a bit deeper into the data collected by the NACE, I'd be making pretty close to the average for my major and that industry. Second, after figuring out what my value should be, and if it's more than what I'm being offered, is it even worth it to try to negotiate salary with an enormous company? The position is a development program i.e. the first couple weeks will be spend basically in a classroom and with an immediate promotion after graduation, with another possible promotion a year after that. I'm still in the process of interviewing with several other firms in second and third rounds, but none of those will have offers on the table before I have to make a decision on this one in the best case scenario. If I do accept, should I continue (quietly) those interviewing processes to their conclusion? I appreciate any suggestions or ideas you guys have.
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Nov 16, 2013 23:00
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Jhoge posted:First, I don't know what my value is. How should I go about figuring what I should be paid/receive in non salary compensation? Any helpful resources or statistics would be nice. I've been doing my own research, and compared to 2013 graduates in the social sciences, I'd be doing pretty well. Looking a bit deeper into the data collected by the NACE, I'd be making pretty close to the average for my major and that industry. Research it. Use things like Glassdoor or talking with your professors or anyone you know in the industry, find out what a typical salary/wage/comp is for your position, and (with glassdoor) with your position in the company itself. Also, take into account where the job is located. A position in New York City should pay you more than if you were taking the job in, say, Akron. quote:Second, after figuring out what my value should be, and if it's more than what I'm being offered, is it even worth it to try to negotiate salary with an enormous company? The position is a development program i.e. the first couple weeks will be spend basically in a classroom and with an immediate promotion after graduation, with another possible promotion a year after that. Everyone here pretty much says you can negotiate your starting pay. I would take into consideration non-monetary compensation like benefits as well, but don't be a dweeb and ask for $85k/yr if they're offering $40k. I wish you luck, not all of us have been as fruitful in our job hunts.
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Nov 18, 2013 15:43
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if you don't do/say anything crazy, the worst they are going to say is "no we can't pay you X, the best we can do is Y" Then you take Y or you decide to keep looking.
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Nov 18, 2013 19:36
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Xguard86 posted:if you don't do/say anything crazy, the worst they are going to say is "no we can't pay you X, the best we can do is Y" Then you take Y or you decide to keep looking. Just be careful how you phrase it. "I'm was really looking for around $XXXX instead of $YYYY is there any room to negotiate" - You'll probably be okay "I really need $XXXX to consider this job" - They may just pass on you for #2 without even trying to renegotiate If they're making an offer they clearly like you, however you don't know how much separates you from the #2 choice and they may be willing to take whatever. Just be careful, especially with a first job.
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Nov 18, 2013 19:47
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Thanks for your input guys, and I'm very grateful to have this problem. I think I'm going to call the recruiter tomorrow and pose a, "How flexible are the specific of this offer?" question and see where the conversation goes. I have a number in mind, and, failing that, a possible benefit or two I'd be thrilled to have (monthly subway passes?). It's just that the work doesn't light my soul on fire, and I'd be giving up the chance to apply for, and possibly join, places which might be more in line with my interests (government and public policy). That said, I'd get to use some of the statistics I've learned over the past few years, so at least I'd retain some of the important bits of my education which I imagine could be applied elsewhere if I were terribly unhappy. Again, thanks for the replies, and if there's anyone out there who happens to work in insurance in Red Sox country, I'd love to chat.
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Nov 19, 2013 04:17
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If the company is at all big they will have set benefits. You literally will get what you get, especially right out of school. You best bet is to ask for more money, moving expenses, and a signing bonus. I pretty much always ask for 10% more, I put together a realistic moving bill and make sure it is above that number, and shoot for $5K signing. The worst they can say is no. It will also give you some more time as you go through the back and forth to figure out your other job situations. Lastly still go after those other jobs. If you get a great offer somewhere else just give them the facts and never go work at the first place or see if they will match. You are not going to be burning bridges at this point by doing that.
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Nov 19, 2013 04:57
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spwrozek posted:Lastly still go after those other jobs. If you get a great offer somewhere else just give them the facts and never go work at the first place or see if they will match. You are not going to be burning bridges at this point by doing that. I'm in a similar boat. Graduated in June, currently working a contract engineering job, got an offer for an engineering leadership development position at a large, well known/respected company. Problem is, this position is also in an expensive city (20%+ increase in cost of living) far away, and frankly the salary is not that stellar. In fact, if you factor in the money I'm getting from a second job that I won't be able to take with me when I move, I'd actually be making less money in a more expensive city. Now, this program targets new grads and usually starts in June. I'll obviously try to negotiate, but how bad would it be to accept the offer, keep searching aggressively for the next 6 months, and then rescind if I get a better offer? Is blacklisting a thing that happens? Edit: I have to give them an answer next week and I currently have no other offers/not expecting to get any by next week. cats fucked around with this message at 22:14 on Nov 19, 2013 |
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Nov 19, 2013 22:12
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spwrozek posted:If the company is at all big they will have set benefits. You literally will get what you get, especially right out of school. You best bet is to ask for more money, moving expenses, and a signing bonus. This isn't true at all and it's incredibly easy to negotiate for a week extra holiday time if you're looking at under market wages. Yeah you can't get bonus healthcare but a subway card isn't crazy, just like moving expenses aren't.
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Nov 20, 2013 01:50
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MJBuddy posted:This isn't true at all and it's incredibly easy to negotiate for a week extra holiday time if you're looking at under market wages. Maybe when you have years and years of experience but in the 5-10 range you will typically start back over. 0-5 year you get 3 week, 5-10, 4 weeks. Holidays are set, health care is set, 401k match is set, bonus structure is set. You can try and by all means do, but if the company has over 10k employees hr is going to tell you no most likely because it is set in the rules. Your best bet is money because there is opportunity in it. Get more cash (if they have a buy vacation policy ask for an extra week in cash to buy it or just keep it) in salary, signing bonus, and moving expenses. E:You can always ask for more anything I am just telling you what I have seen at big companies. spwrozek fucked around with this message at 02:07 on Nov 20, 2013 |
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Nov 20, 2013 02:02
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extra vacation can also be hard to actually use, whether because you get stuck with a boss that is a dick about it or you just don't really want to take the time off.
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Nov 20, 2013 21:02
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It's kind of funny, when I was negotiating with my current employer before I accepted the job, I was trying to push really hard on more vacation time. We only start with 2 weeks/yr (plus standard holidays and 6 sick days). My previous job was 3 weeks/yr (plus standard holidays and "unlimited" sick time). I made it crystal clear that I would take their initial salary offer if they would start me at 3 weeks/yr vacation, but they just absolutely, positively would not budge on the vacation policy. I went back and forth several times, and finally capitulated with a salary ~7k/yr higher than the initial offer plus a few thousand dollar signing bonus (and a 4% raise 6 months into the job). They were happy to give me way more money than 1 week of vacation is "worth", but were totally obstinate on negotiating vacation accrual. It's a relatively small company, too, less than 100 people. This isn't my first job, they contacted me for this job offer, and they really wanted to hire me specifically. I don't get it. It seems like vacation is a dirty word in America and it's totally hosed up. Jokes on them though, since I can get unpaid vacation days approved pretty darn easily and I kinda-sorta come out ahead in terms of dollars that way.
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Nov 20, 2013 21:29
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Because one is paying you to work and the other is paying you to not work.
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Nov 20, 2013 22:36
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Employees generally don't talk to each other about salary but vacation is fairly noticeable.
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Nov 21, 2013 17:53
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Guinness posted:It's kind of funny, when I was negotiating with my current employer before I accepted the job, I was trying to push really hard on more vacation time. We only start with 2 weeks/yr (plus standard holidays and 6 sick days). My previous job was 3 weeks/yr (plus standard holidays and "unlimited" sick time). I made it crystal clear that I would take their initial salary offer if they would start me at 3 weeks/yr vacation, but they just absolutely, positively would not budge on the vacation policy. I went back and forth several times, and finally capitulated with a salary ~7k/yr higher than the initial offer plus a few thousand dollar signing bonus (and a 4% raise 6 months into the job). They were happy to give me way more money than 1 week of vacation is "worth", but were totally obstinate on negotiating vacation accrual. It's a relatively small company, too, less than 100 people. I get three weeks of paid vacation, with 9 days of paid sick days. Any more, and I'll need to provide medical documentation. I'm currently tech support at an ISP in Canada, and I make slightly above the national medium income.
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Jan 17, 2014 20:50
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Thread necromancy but I'm doing a new employee orientation at an engineering company that I've been a contractor at for two years and the room is full of new college grads. When some guy used a microphone to tell everyone we would be formally starting in 15 minutes, everyone immediately stopped talking like we were in an assembly.
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May 23, 2014 16:02
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Bucket Joneses posted:Thread necromancy but I'm doing a new employee orientation at an engineering company that I've been a contractor at for two years and the room is full of new college grads. That is awesome. Sounds like something people at my company would do.
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May 23, 2014 17:08
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I've got a question which is hopefully relevant to this thread enough to resurrect it. I got laid off from a banking position three weeks ago that paid about $14.50 an hour. I'm trying and pushing out applications and resumes to get into banking and finance and what not, I've only had two interviews (my job hunts have always been pretty bleak compared to others it seems), one which on further research I turned down because it was commission only "sell to your family" MLM type deal, the other I got cut before the second interview. Now, I know "some work is better than no work", but I've got enough in savings to last me 4 months if I'm careful. I don't want to go backwards, and I don't want to take a job that might hurt more than help. Especially as it's been 5 years since I graduated college and I still have barely a year and a half of any kind of appreciable "professional" experience. So, I have a phone interview tomorrow morning for a customer service rep position that pays $11.50 an hour, but I'm not sure if I should take it if offered. On the plus side, it's full time, permanent, 40 hours a week, with a big shipping company working a section of their business that will be less 'general public' and more business oriented in the clients; the company has good benefits as far as I understand. However, it's not the job I want, it barely pays more than retail and pays less than my last job, I don't know what the growth potential is, work-life balance is probably going to be horrible as it's 2nd shift with expected overtime, but my biggest fear is if I take this job will it hurt my chances at actually getting a professional job. Last thing I want to do is take a step backwards, and be looked upon as not a serious person when I apply for a 'serious' position. I really don't want to be stuck in "entry-level" positions for the next 5 years unless it can actually move me in a positive direction.
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Jul 12, 2014 02:27
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YF19pilot posted:I've got a question which is hopefully relevant to this thread enough to resurrect it. Take the job, get an income flowing again, and keep applying for other jobs. If you really think that this job will damage your prospects with certain companies, just don't list it on your resume. My suspicion is that your spotty work history would be slightly more of an issue, but either way, it doesn't have to go on your resume if you don't want it to. You do, however, need to have money, so you should go for it if you get it.
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Jul 13, 2014 15:43
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surf rock posted:Take the job, get an income flowing again, and keep applying for other jobs. If you really think that this job will damage your prospects with certain companies, just don't list it on your resume. My suspicion is that your spotty work history would be slightly more of an issue, but either way, it doesn't have to go on your resume if you don't want it to. You do, however, need to have money, so you should go for it if you get it. Never got a response back after the phone interview. So, doesn't really matter, I guess. The employer who laid me off in June wants me back in September to work their fall campaign. At least I can focus on applying to the kinds of jobs I want, while being harassed by MLMs and lovely commission-only sales positions.
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Aug 1, 2014 00:31
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Hey guys, I'm looking to get a Real Job and could really use some advice. Since graduating in Economics in July '13, I've had two internship-but-not-really full time paid market research roles for a single pretty large medical company and currently work at home a few hours a week for an SEO performing marketing research, photo shoots, and content creation. I'm really looking for something more permanent that can pay the bills, but I really don't know what jobs I should be looking for in the San Diego area. While I could move anywhere, I really hope I could continue my career down here since my rent situation is really advantageous at my parents' house, for pretty obvious reasons. Anybody care to look at my resume and LinkedIn and offer some advice?  https://www.linkedin.com/pub/sean-phillips/3b/11a/5a7 I have Stata, R, SPSS, and Excel experience and I consider myself very proficient in the latter from my time at my last job.
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Aug 1, 2014 22:53
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I'm in a similar situation to this, but I'm older so it's even more depressing. I graduated with a BA in Social Science in 2005 with the hope of becoming a high school social studies teacher. After spending a little time in a teaching credential program but having to bow out for financial reasons, I actually managed to get an emergency teaching position, teaching middle school English and social studies in a hardscrabble farm town. It was a position I was woefully unprepared for, and I was a spectacular failure in the position. My confidence shot after this, I started substitute teaching and looking for "big-boy" jobs outside education. Having no success for a couple years, I decided to go back to school, taking some computer classes at the local community college, and I went on to get a MA in International Relations in 2012. During grad school I did a couple government internships, one in the local office of my state's senior US Senator, and one working on a project for a local city government. I was hoping this might lead to job opportunities in government/politics, but nothing's really panned out. The best I've done is to come in second place for a field rep position I interviewed for a couple months ago. Six months after graduation, I took a job at Starbucks and have been there ever since, sort of hopelessly putting out ignored resumes and cover letters ever since. I feel like my education and internship experiences (and the contacts I've made in them) are growing stale as I've worked in a going-nowhere retail position the last year and a half. And although I feel like I have a lot of good stuff in my job history, I haven't yet been able to leverage it. I've tried revamping my resume and cover letters, and being more diligent about tailoring them for the position, but so far it hasn't had much effect. I don't really know where to start with the whole networking thing, because I feel like I should have started with it earlier. It's also kind of hard to keep the hope alive. I'm in my early 30s; I should be headed toward mid-career at this point. Instead I'm not even sure how to get an entry-level job, and it's incredibly depressing. TL;DR: I'm an old man who hasn't figured out how to get a job yet. Advice on leveraging stale credentials in the modern era? Sorry for the  .
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Aug 13, 2014 04:08
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Social Sciences + MA in International Relations is a pretty strange education choice. What was your GPA? What types of jobs are you even looking for? Saying "anything" could be one of your problems. I would probably try to get into sales, marketing, or maybe even HR with your job experience + education. A lot of device is going to be contingent on where you live. If you live in New York, San Francisco, Seattle, Washington D.C., etc compared to bumfuck Arizona you'll have different options. Saying you're "willing to move" doesn't really work. You might luck out and have a company risk hiring you with you having to relocate, but when there's 100's of applicants within driving distance it's going to be hard to even get your foot in the door for an interview.
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Aug 13, 2014 15:58
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In absolute terms, it may be an odd, not too profitable choice for an education. But in terms of where I was at in my thinking when I decided to pursue those degrees, they make sense: I got the interdisciplinary Social Science degree (3.63 GPA) because I planned to teach social studies. Then later I went with IR (4.0 GPA) because I wanted to pursue public policy, but also to keep my options open to getting a PhD to teach at a university (which I've sort of come to realize is a fool's errand in the Adjunct Era). So it's not the most "useful" set of degrees for career purposes (in the way a computer science or engineering degree would be), but I've developed good research, writing, thinking skills and an understanding of people and politics that I think would be helpful in whatever career I end up in. I'm hoping to find something dealing with public policy, in government or a nonprofit. This might be too high of a floor to try to start on, though, which may be part of the problem. Another problem is that I've been put off by the "years of experience" requirements that job listings tend to have, even for entry-level jobs, which makes no sense. But my understanding from this thread is that those are not firm requirements, and I should get over that and apply for those too. Where I live is in bumfuck California, roughly equidistant from LA and San Francisco. Geographically it would be relatively easy to relocate to a major city. Financially, less so.
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Aug 13, 2014 23:08
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szechwean posted:In absolute terms, it may be an odd, not too profitable choice for an education. But in terms of where I was at in my thinking when I decided to pursue those degrees, they make sense: I got the interdisciplinary Social Science degree (3.63 GPA) because I planned to teach social studies. Then later I went with IR (4.0 GPA) because I wanted to pursue public policy, but also to keep my options open to getting a PhD to teach at a university (which I've sort of come to realize is a fool's errand in the Adjunct Era). So it's not the most "useful" set of degrees for career purposes (in the way a computer science or engineering degree would be), but I've developed good research, writing, thinking skills and an understanding of people and politics that I think would be helpful in whatever career I end up in. I'm hoping to find something dealing with public policy, in government or a nonprofit. This might be too high of a floor to try to start on, though, which may be part of the problem. Another problem is that I've been put off by the "years of experience" requirements that job listings tend to have, even for entry-level jobs, which makes no sense. But my understanding from this thread is that those are not firm requirements, and I should get over that and apply for those too. The problem is those jobs are generally located in DC and want you to work unpaid internships before hiring you for probably the same amount you make at Starbucks. Do you have any technical skills you've picked up studying IR/social science? Statistics, data science, etc. Those can be in demand and if you're willing to put in the effort, you can pick up some of the basics by studying online. I find Idealist.org regularly has interesting opportunities located around the country.
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Aug 13, 2014 23:15
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I take it there's no jobs for my skillset in San Diego, then? Should I look toward moving away?
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Aug 14, 2014 00:27
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Hello Goons, I graduated with a degree in Geology last summer and started working with that degree for my state government. While I was still on my probationary period I slipped up and got fired for it, so I'm on the job hunt again. I interviewed for a position in Denver and got to the final four when they told me they were going to hire one of the other candidates. Since I've had pretty bad luck finding another job so far, I was thinking about looking into employment and staffing agencies that are specifically geared towards the Earth Sciences. Do any of you have recommendations or experience with working with one of these companies, because I'm not really sure how it works. My school record is bangin (~3.9 GPA), I got involved in research on campus, and I interned at NASA one summer, and still I'm not getting many bites. Thanks!
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Aug 27, 2014 19:40
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Alpha1 posted:Hello Goons, I graduated with a degree in Geology last summer and started working with that degree for my state government. While I was still on my probationary period I slipped up and got fired for it, so I'm on the job hunt again. I interviewed for a position in Denver and got to the final four when they told me they were going to hire one of the other candidates. Since I've had pretty bad luck finding another job so far, I was thinking about looking into employment and staffing agencies that are specifically geared towards the Earth Sciences. Do any of you have recommendations or experience with working with one of these companies, because I'm not really sure how it works. Aerotek and Geotemps will both take your resume and try and place you. We've hired geos from both, as they help sift through the stacks of resumes. Some companies don't like using staffing agencies as they want a pretty hefty finder's fee when you are placed full time. Good luck in Denver. The geology market is pretty saturated there for entry-level but work is out there.
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Aug 28, 2014 13:02
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Well the good news is that I live on the East Coast and I'm trying to relocate, so it's no big deal that I missed one on the other side of the country. I'd like to end up in Seattle, but who knows.
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Aug 28, 2014 15:48
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Armchair Calvinist posted:I take it there's no jobs for my skillset in San Diego, then? Should I look toward moving away? I am not certain what you are looking for, but there are quiet a few marketing agencies in San Diego. I recommend looking them up and applying. San Francisco, Portland, and Seattle also have a ton of agencies if you have to move but want to stay along I5.
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Sep 9, 2014 05:18
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Hello. After being out of school for 3 years I'd like to stop struggling from one regular job to the next, get in on the recovering economy and finally start a career. My Finance Bachelors gpa was crap but I was an active member of the student investment fund, have had some limited experience with data analysis (and have been reading up on the subject), invoicing and customer service, so I think I may be able to put out a resume that could entice at least a handful of people. My expectations are almost minimal, and I'm open to relocating anywhere (provided I can afford to get there.) The last time I remember being frustrated that almost every entry level position was asking for 1-3 years of experience in that field. I also remember reading somewhere that many places won't hire you if you didn't get a career rolling right out of college. Where should I realistically start looking? The state job board is what I'm using right now.
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Sep 17, 2014 00:23
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