So why do I keep getting screwed over in terms of getting a job? I had an interview yesterday, I asked questions and everything, but I got a call for the guy who set up the interview. He said I didn't get a job and that the interviewer said I wore my jacket and hat the whole time. I did not. She pointed out that my hat was still on but I took it off. Plus it was 18 degrees outside! Freezing cold complete with wind. And anyway, does it really even matter? I want to work. I have the skills. I need to work right now or I am totally doomed so why are these folks screwing me over when it comes to a job? This is a serious situation!
I think I will volunteer for studies and rob a bank now.
Posted by pooka (Member # 5003) on :
What weirdos. Depending on how long it takes to find something, I think you're better off.
Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
Maybe. It would have been a bit difficult to get to work right at 8 am anyway. The interviewer had rather nice eyes, but I really did take my jacket off. I just had it on the chair with me because it'S REALLY COLD! I need to find something soon. It's been 4 months and I've got DOOM hanging over my head.
I don't want to live with my mother. I'm too big for her to hit with a belt.
Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
quote:And anyway, does it really even matter?
Apparently. Have you been to some interview training? I know it's silly and superficial, but being able to present yourself professionally in an interview is a trainable skill, and most people aren't born with it.
Posted by katharina (Member # 827) on :
I think there are two sets of skills: 1) Skills to do the job. 2) Skills to get the job.
Tom has a good idea. Can you get some training in how to interview and get the job?
Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
quote:Originally posted by katharina: I think there are two sets of skills: 1) Skills to do the job. 2) Skills to get the job.
Tom has a good idea. Can you get some training in how to interview and get the job?
Maybe I need that. I've been tormented by several interviews over the last several months and failed somehow at all of them. I even had a respectable suit with a zipper that foolishly zips on the side. Maybe I need nicer shoes, or to somehow hold the hounds at bay until Spring when I won't need a jacket and I can walk to the train station without having to cough.
Posted by Tresopax (Member # 1063) on :
I'm not sure you want to work somewhere that won't hire you because you allegedly wore a hat and jacket during the interview - and then calls and gives that as the reason you didn't get the job.
If you have skills, there are jobs. Be persistent.
Posted by Xavier (Member # 405) on :
quote:I want to work. I have the skills.
I remember last "Synth needs a job" thread, you didn't seem to have any, at least none that were in demand: last thread Posted by MrSquicky (Member # 1802) on :
Syn, I mean this as gently as possible. From your interactions here, it seems likely to me that you may be presenting yourself in a unprofessional manner in the interviews. There are many red flags that I could see you raising for people interviewing you. As Tom suggested, there are services that will evaluate your interview skills and give you suggestions and help with what needs to be changed.
Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
I do have typing skills, computer skills, I score well on those torturours temping tests. I've had it with temp work, so I have been trying for permanant or temp to perm jobs. Most of the offers I've gotten have been for places that are too far away for me to get to. Also at least back then I was able to get a new job within a few days. Another temp job, the one I lost back in October. It's never taken this long to get a new temp job. The longest I've been out before now was a few weeks. I'm with a lot of temp agencies and they say the same thing. No jobs with my experience or no jobs at all. I'm so aggravated.
Posted by erosomniac (Member # 6834) on :
Maybe it's time to move?
Posted by Jon Boy (Member # 4284) on :
Computer skills are the bare minimum nowadays. It's just another thing that might keep your resume from going straight into the garbage.
Posted by ReikoDemosthenes (Member # 6218) on :
I know I went through a period where I had a very hard time finding work. In the end I found I needed to present myself differently, and I mean more than dressing nicer. I dressed well initially, but needed to learn different mannerisms and to give off a different air. And if you don't have the skills, make them believe that you can learn them and learn them quickly.
Also, make sure you have a firm handshake. I can't tell you the number of times an employer has commented positively on that after hiring me.
Posted by pooka (Member # 5003) on :
I got some really good pointers from an interview I had with Manpower. I didn't have a good "corporate persona". I mean, if someone asked me where I wanted to go in life, let's consider this. I was 36 and reluctantly entering the work force rather than staying home with my children, and I'm interviewing at a temp agency. I had a bachelor's degree in linguistics and was looking for work as a bookkeeper. It is death to be perfectly honest in those situations.
"If I had a plan about where I wanted to go in life, do you really think I'd be here?"
It's important in these situations to forget about what I think and what I need. The main question on the table is what does the employer think, want and need, and am I able to give it to them.
Posted by ClaudiaTherese (Member # 923) on :
Synesthesia, sometimes interview presentation problems are about the clothes or the shoes.
More frequently, I think, it is about body language and other nuances of interpersonal interaction. Eye contact, tone of voice, whether you are prone to interrupting or long awkward pauses, or whether you have verbal tics, whether you look nervous or frigidly uptight, or whether you look desperate and frazzled. These are *extremely* hard things to pick up about yourself without objective outside input.
Sometimes it is about more tangible things, but things that are still not clothes or shoes, such as having clean hair and no body odor. I do not direct this at you specifically (I've never met you! ), but I say this part because I spent a year in a job specifically training medical students who were having difficulties getting accepted how to better present themselves in interviews. About half of them had noticable body odor, or visible dandruff or nits. These were not ugly people, and they were not dirty or disgusting people. They were anxious and intense people who focused on doing the job well, not on how they presented themselves.
However. The people who interview are generally looking for someone who can do the job well, and a part of most jobs is interacting with other people -- be it customers, or at work meetings with coworkers, or what have you. If those other people are uncomfortable around you, they will not want to be around you. In the case of some reasons for being uncomfortable, we say it is the uncomfortable person who needs to change -- e.g., if someone is made uncomfortable based on other people's race. But rightly or wrongly, for some things, it is the job of the person who makes others uncomfortable to change -- at least enough to fit in. This is true of people who talk too loud and interrupt others or who can't bring themselves to speak over a whisper, who wear offensive amounts of perfume or who have offensive body odor, who wear flashy clothing appropriate for nightwear or who wear clothing with rips and tears (for certain jobs, that is), and so on.
I have no idea whether any of these apply to you. I do know you are a bright, caring, and motivated young woman, and I know that some bright, caring, and motivated people I highly respected were being held back by a lack of awareness of how others felt and saw them, and a lack of understanding of the unstated rules (dress, body language, verbal exchange rules, etc) and why they were important (regardless of whether those rules were seemingly silly or irrelevant).
And nobody in an interview setting was going to tell them the *real* reasons they were not doing well in the interview -- it is embarrassing and awkward to shame other people, and to be frank about why you have a bad impression of someone else both requires self-awareness (and some interviewers can't pin why they may not have a good global response to someone) and makes you vulnerable. It's risky and has no benefit, and they are not responsible for the interviewee learning useful things from the interview. They are responsible for finding someone who is a good fit for the position and not doing anything in the interview process that makes the company look bad or puts their own job at risk.
So, if they have to give reasons, they point to "skills" or "experience" (of which they can usually find someone else with equivalent or better history in some way), or they say things like "hat" or "jacket" which don't really mean much -- but they can't be called on. (Sometimes, too, words like that can mean things inside the company like "I'm not going into specifics, but this person comes off as a little weird, and it's not worth the risk because we have better candidates.")
Again, I'm not saying this is what happened to you, but I am saying it is one possible explanation why what you hear may not make sense, and yet you may still go to interview after interview without getting anywhere.
----
It gets down to a few basic principles. You may not like them or think they are fair, but they are (I think) the principles that will shape your experience, and you need to know them.
1. If you are uncomfortable around other people, they will usually pick up on that and be uncomfortable around you. 2. If other people are uncomfortable around you and have the choice of picking some other qualified person they are not uncomfortable around, they will usually pick the other person. 3. They usually won't tell you the detailed truth about why you weren't picked. Most of us don't know why other people are uncomfortable around us, if they are, because we don't see ourselves from the same perspective and may not know the unstated rules for that situation.
and the good news: 4. All three of the above points can be dealt with by getting skilled help in how to interview well. Most people can learn these things, at least enough to make sure that their qualifications are the first and most memorable thing the interviewer sees, not an uncomfortable or discomforting person.
If you want to post the general area you live in, I bet people here can help you find interviewing resources in your area. Sometimes these are offered free at community centers or the like. At the very least, you might consider having a friend videotape you doing a mock interview. (This made me cringe -- it's so hard to look at yourself! -- but it opened my eyes to some things I didn't know I was doing during interviews.)
Good luck. Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
Y'know, i'm beginning to seriously think I don't want to spend the rest of my life in the workforce dealing with corporations. What I really want to do is write and do art. The problem is in order to do those things, I still have to pay the bills and the rent... So I can't win.
I did get a call about a possible position so I just have to wait for this guy to call me back again.
Posted by ClaudiaTherese (Member # 923) on :
quote:Originally posted by Synesthesia: Y'know, i'm beginning to seriously think I don't want to spend the rest of my life in the workforce dealing with corporations. What I really want to do is write and do art. The problem is in order to do those things, I still have to pay the bills and the rent... So I can't win.
I know. It sucks! When I was a kid dealing with the messiness of family life, I thought life would be simpler and more straightforward when I was responsible only for myself. I so wish I had been right.
quote:I did get a call about a possible position so I just have to wait for this guy to call me back again.
Great! That would be awesome.
Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
As long as it's not in Canton, Watertown or other places I can't get to ><
Hope he calls back soon.
Posted by Shigosei (Member # 3831) on :
What kind of writing do you want to do? Are you interested in fiction? Journalism? You can make money writing or doing art, but it's tough.
How do you feel when you're going in for an interview?
Posted by Dagonee (Member # 5818) on :
One other thing to keep in mind is that most of the time you interview for a job, there will be at least several other candidates who also have the skills. That's usually what gets you the interview in the first place.
When I did hiring, I would usually interview fewer than 10% of the people whose resume portrayed them as having the skills I needed. And I'd only hire one of those people I interviewed. And this was during the tech boom in a tight labor market.
The point here is to underscore how important the suggestions you've been given are. It's also to maybe make it seem less like you got screwed out of a job: almost certainly, the interviewer has every reason to think that the person hired has the skills you do.
The things people are suggesting about interviews are absolutely something you can learn.
Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
quote:Originally posted by Shigosei: What kind of writing do you want to do? Are you interested in fiction? Journalism? You can make money writing or doing art, but it's tough.
How do you feel when you're going in for an interview?
Fiction, creative non-fiction.
Mostly I feel cranky and annoyed from the freezing cold and having yet another interview.
I have got to figure out how to charm these people or something.
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
quote:Originally posted by ClaudiaTherese: At the very least, you might consider having a friend videotape you doing a mock interview. (This made me cringe -- it's so hard to look at yourself! -- but it opened my eyes to some things I didn't know I was doing during interviews.)
Those poor squirrels. I really don't think the interviewer saw it coming until the moment you started pulling the poor little things out of your pockets and rending them limb from limb. As nervous tics go, that one's definitely a doozy.
But seriously, CT, that was a great post. Syn, it's worth reading over that a couple of times and really thinking about what CT's saying here. I know it isn't fun to jump through the hoops of learning how to present yourself in an interview, and a lot of people find it uncomfortable to do the kind of self analysis necessary to tease out what behaviors might be sending the interviewers "not a good fit" vibes on their own, but if you make the effort and do so I think that you're going to be pleased with the results.
Posted by Mucus (Member # 9735) on :
I think thats an important point. When getting interviewed, unless there are special circumstances, you do only have a small percentage chance of getting hired compared to other people with the same skills. Say 10% as an example.
So do not get discouraged. On the other hand, it is important to improve yourself, to up those chances. However, one must also realise that simply because one employer only hired 10% of those interviewed, does not mean that the other 90% take up pottery at home or something. They go out and try again until the unemployment rate is what, 5% rather than 90%.
So improve yourself, but do not take things personally and get discouraged.
Posted by ClaudiaTherese (Member # 923) on :
quote:Originally posted by Noemon: Those poor squirrels. I really don't think the interviewer saw it coming until the moment you started pulling the poor little things out of your pockets and rending them limb from limb. As nervous tics go, that one's definitely a doozy.
Don't I know it, now.
quote:But seriously, CT, that was a great post. Syn, it's worth reading over that a couple of times and really thinking about what CT's saying here. I know it isn't fun to jump through the hoops of learning how to present yourself in an interview, and a lot of people find it uncomfortable to do the kind of self analysis necessary to tease out what behaviors might be sending the interviewers "not a good fit" vibes on their own, but if you make the effort and do so I think that you're going to be pleased with the results.
Thanks!
For clarity, I speak not only as someone who trained other people to interview better, but also as someone who interviewed horribly myself. I learned a lot by watching others and learning how to help them.
I'm still not very good at it, but I am definitely better. Like pooka noted for herself above, playing the game is hard for me. I know I am sometimes not supposed to answer the question as it is asked, frankly, but I hate that. It feels really weird. I have to remind myself that there isn't just the overt verbal conversation going on, but also a conversation of sorts (unspoken) about how I handle myself in stress, whether I know the implicit rules of the game, and -- unfortunately, I think -- how much I am willing to shape myself to fit what the interviewer wants.
But, you know, it is relevant to figuring out how someone will handle those things in the job, and that does matter to how well one can do the job, all things considered. I just have to keep reminding myself of that.
Posted by The Amazing Squirrel Boy (Member # 5158) on :
quote:Originally posted by Noemon: Those poor squirrels. I really don't think the interviewer saw it coming until the moment you started pulling the poor little things out of your pockets and rending them limb from limb. As nervous tics go, that one's definitely a doozy.
Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
Dang it, why do they bother calling me if they are just going to give the positive to someone else? Tomorrow I'll have to call about 10 of these places just to hear the same thing. Not enough experience, no jobs. It's hardcore making me feel cranky and fed up. I hate the game and how superficial it all is.
Posted by dkw (Member # 3264) on :
Syn, I think what you are demonstrating here is that you don't have the skills.
Specifically, you don't have the skills to present yourself in a calm, competent, professional manner. Instead you come across as a cranky, sullen person who doesn't want to be there. So why would anyone want to work with you?
You absolutely NEED the interview help that CT and others have been reccommending. You need to learn how to present yourself as someone who is not only able to do the job but also will be a pleasure to work with.
Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
quote:Dang it, why do they bother calling me if they are just going to give the positive to someone else?
Consider yourself lucky. It's much worse to not get a call.
Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
quote:Originally posted by dkw: Syn, I think what you are demonstrating here is that you don't have the skills.
Specifically, you don't have the skills to present yourself in a calm, competent, professional manner. Instead you come across as a cranky, sullen person who doesn't want to be there. So why would anyone want to work with you?
You absolutely NEED the interview help that CT and others have been reccommending. You need to learn how to present yourself as someone who is not only able to do the job but also will be a pleasure to work with.
I am pleasant to work with. I couldn't have a better more polite attitude, but right now I'm just about worn out since October and stressed out with the IBS and asthma to prove it...
But i will see if I can find interview help. But I'm beginning to think I'm being pulled in another direction...
Posted by Primal Curve (Member # 3587) on :
I generally do really well in interviews. A lot of it has to do with my ability to read the person interviewing me and cater my responses so that they most please that individual. This works best when I have a clear understanding of the position and its responsibilities and have familiarized myself the the company and its industry. That, combined with being freshly showerd, shaven and with a reasonably new haircut, I tend to do well. Posted by pooka (Member # 5003) on :
Have you considered tax preparation? It's not really math anymore, it's mostly working with computers and people, I think. And it will end abruptly in a couple of months, but I just wondered if you have looked into that.
Posted by kmbboots (Member # 8576) on :
Universities frequently need office staff. Pay is a little less than for-profit places, but it is steady. You might try that.
Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
quote:Originally posted by pooka: Have you considered tax preparation? It's not really math anymore, it's mostly working with computers and people, I think. And it will end abruptly in a couple of months, but I just wondered if you have looked into that.
I did try that, but the place was too far for me to get to on time...
But, there are two places in my neighbourhood. Maybe I will try that again. I'm applying for hospitals, I got an interview for one and I'll try applying for jobs at Harvard or something.
Posted by Tresopax (Member # 1063) on :
quote:What I really want to do is write and do art. The problem is in order to do those things, I still have to pay the bills and the rent... So I can't win.
You can win if you get a job that allows you to write and/or work with art AND that pays the rent.
Here's my suggestion: Go find some people who work with words and/or art for a living and talk to them about their job. See if you can find some people who are in jobs that you'd enjoy working in. Then ask them how they got those jobs, what steps they had to go through, etc. And let everybody who will listen know what sort of work you are looking for, and why you are interested in it.
It is possible that many artists will say they had to work another non-artistic job while pursuing their true interests after hours. But if that is the case, you should not view your for-pay job as separate from your art. Instead you should view it all as part of your career - as part of your personal business model. If you need to have interview skills in order to a get a job to pay for your writing time, then for you those skills are as essential to your writing career as owning a pen to write with is. Approach it with the same zeal as you would approach doing the difficult background research for a novel, because it is just as much a part of your job as a writer.
Posted by ClaudiaTherese (Member # 923) on :
Spot on, Tresopax, and great advice.
Posted by theresa51282 (Member # 8037) on :
I am guessing if you are getting plenty of interviews but keep getting turned down that you probably are lacking in interviewing skills. I taught interviewing for a year at a university. I was surprised at first by how many of the students who were bright and articulate on paper came across very poorly in the interview. It really is its own unique skill set.
I absolutely agree with all the other suggestions about getting interview coaching or help. If you can't or won't do that, consider at least picking up a text book on interviewing. It will likely have tips that can help you. Video taping also helped a lot for many of the students. It is amazing how many things we do that we are unaware of doing. Another exercise that is helpful is writing down a list of questions you are usually asked in interviews. Then write down your answers. Next, have someone ask you the questions. Practice answering them outloud while in your interview attire as well as while acting as if this were a real interview. After, assess for yourself how you felt. Did you feel you presented yourself well? Did you answer the question that was asked? Did you answer any underlying meaning or concerns the question might have held? Was your answer or an appropriate length? Then ask the interviewer what they thought. Ask them the above questions. Also, ask them to tell you what your answers were. You may be suprised to learn that they are hearing something different from what you think you are saying.
All of these skills and exercises are probably available at a local interview skills training location but if you can't get to one or don't have one near you, you can practice on your own and without going out into the cold. Good luck to you.
Posted by Belle (Member # 2314) on :
Syn, you've mentioned twice about having trouble getting places on time. That is absolutely 100% essential, in interviewing and in the workplace. You should always arrive a little bit early to an interview (not too much - around 5-10 minutes). A
Why can you not consistently get somewhere at 8:00 am? Showing up on time, dressing properly, knowing to remove overcoats and hats - all those are things that have to do with that intangible "professionalism" that so many people are looking for in candidates. The good news, as has already been said by Tom, CT and pretty much everyone else in the thread is that you CAN learn it. Look at your local community education centers and see if there is an interview skills class available. Many times they are low cost or even free. I think you'd benefit from it.
Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
I bet it's because I do weird things with my fingers. I make great eye contact. (in fact the interviewer had very nice eyes, I've never seen anyone with that colour before) But I do bizarre things with my fingers. I also talk softly...
Posted by theresa51282 (Member # 8037) on :
Do you want to change your habits to get the job or are you unwilling to change for a job? You sound like you fall in the latter category. If this is true, then there is no reason at all to be shocked when employers turn you down in favor of someone who is willing to be what the company wants. Doing bizarre things with your fingers and talking softly are both negatives in an interview. I am also wary of the fact that you noticed the interviewers eyes so much. Perhaps, you are not concentrating on the right things in the interview. You want to be picking up on clues from the interviewer about what type of person they see themselves as and what type of person they are looking to hire. You always want to be slightly more formal than the interviewer.
Posted by BandoCommando (Member # 7746) on :
I have recently been enjoying the website www.wikihow.com. My google homepage always has a daily "how to" link, and I recently came across this one. It has some pretty good information on how to answer that pesky interview question "What is/are your greatest weakness(es)?"
A brief search on the topic "job interview" yielded several hits on their page. Being a wiki, I can make no guarantee that all of the articles are good, but there may be some useful information held within.
Syn, best of luck!
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
quote:Originally posted by Synesthesia: I do bizarre things with my fingers.
Like what?
Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
quote:Originally posted by Noemon:
quote:Originally posted by Synesthesia: I do bizarre things with my fingers.
Like what?
I move them around too much... Sort of wiggle them or something. It's probably one of several weird habits.
I miss the days when an agency would just send me on assignment without an interrogation. In an interview for St Anthony's Shrine I had 3 people interviewing me. Two at one time then a third! I feel like i'm in Sims 2 or some sort of reality show where someone is drawing all these little figures depicting all the points I'm losing. Shame I can't see those.
Posted by MrSquicky (Member # 1802) on :
quote:in fact the interviewer had very nice eyes, I've never seen anyone with that colour before
This is likely a red flag. Spending time admiring your interviewers eyes is possibly going to come off as unprofessional and potentially creepy.
Posted by dkw (Member # 3264) on :
quote:Originally posted by Synesthesia: I feel like i'm in Sims 2 or some sort of reality show where someone is drawing all these little figures depicting all the points I'm losing. Shame I can't see those.
That is what the interview classes that people have been reccommending are for -- to let you know where you're losing points.
Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
quote:Originally posted by MrSquicky:
quote:in fact the interviewer had very nice eyes, I've never seen anyone with that colour before
This is likely a red flag. Spending time admiring your interviewers eyes is possibly going to come off as unprofessional and potentially creepy.
I don't think she noticed. It wasn't as if I was batting my own eyes at her. But I was giving direct eye contact.
I wonder if The Massachusetts Unemployment service has something like that. I'll check.
Posted by Valentine014 (Member # 5981) on :
I must be having some deja vu. I swear I have read this same thread about 10 times. A search tells me I'm not wrong. There has been a thread about you bemoaning about not being able to get or keep a job about every six months for the past five or so years. Seeing your posts today tells me you haven't followed our advice in any of those threads. Do you want us to help you or are you just looking for sympathy? I think the people here who have posted some very thoughtful replies deserve to know what you want us to do for you. Synesthesia, I feel for you, I really do, but these threads on this topic are just getting old.
Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
Not having a job is getting old. I've gotten more skills since 2005. The bright side is at least I am getting calls about jobs. (Even if they are too far for me since I don't have a car.) The main problem is relying on temp jobs to improve skills. According to most of the temp places I've contacted, there's been a dry up of temporary jobs. According to this girl at PSG there's been a slow down since October 2007 when the whole real estate thing started. I don't know if it's my failure at interviews or the economy or both. I just want to vent because this is driving me completely utterly crazy.
Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
quote:I don't know if it's my failure at interviews or the economy or both.
Both. It is harder to get a job than it used to be, but it sounds like you're also very bad at interviewing. You can fix the latter problem; there's no point bemoaning the former problem, which is out of your control, except to perhaps consider which types of jobs are in high demand and work to acquire the necessary skills for them.
Posted by MightyCow (Member # 9253) on :
quote:Originally posted by Synesthesia: I miss the days when an agency would just send me on assignment without an interrogation. In an interview for St Anthony's Shrine I had 3 people interviewing me. Two at one time then a third!
You sound really frustrated, and if that's coming across in the interview, it's a bad sign.
I'll give you an example of a time I interviewed candidates for my last job (when I was leaving). I had about 40 resumes, most of which were completely unqualified or unprofessional. One woman sent her resume on pink paper with a picture attached - the job was a Webmaster, not a model - I didn't need a head shot.
After I threw away 35 of the 40 resumes, I called the other 5 people to set up an interview. One of them couldn't find time to interview, so he was out.
Of the four who arrived, one clearly had misrepresented herself on the resume, because she couldn't answer simple questions. Out!
A second person seemed somehow preoccupied or distracted the entire interview. He couldn't seem to pay attention to what I was asking him. He seemed nervous. It was difficult to speak with him. Out!
The two others both seemed fairly equally qualified. One was much easier to speak with, had interesting stories to tell about his past work experience. When I brought him around to meet the other employees, not only was he excited to be interviewed by more people, he had good questions and answers for all of them.
The second was equally qualified on paper, but just wasn't very fun to interview, and didn't seem like he was happy to be there. Maybe he wasn't. Maybe he had already been on 10 interviews that week, and was tired of being asked the same questions. Of course, maybe the first guy had too.
The difference is, the first guy made me WANT to hire him. He made it easy. I didn't care how many interviews they had been on, I had already spent a week going through crap resumes and interviewing unqualified applicants. The guy who made my job easier is the one I wanted to hire.
Interviewing isn't only about you, it's about the interviewer too. Something important to know.
My lesson here, if you've read through my long-winded BS , is that it's a lot more than having the skills and wanting to work. You have to make the interviewer want to hire you.
Posted by HollowEarth (Member # 2586) on :
It sounds to me like you ought to consider taking any job you can find right now, such that you can work toward being able to get to all of these other jobs.
Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
I am considering taking any job I can find. The problem is I can't seem to get any job I can find, even at Ocean State Job Lot. I think I should have lied. I could even get a part time job at a bank teller because they checked my credit ><.
I'm going to try to figure out how to make an interviewer want to hire me... and if i can get a job at Borders.
Posted by MightyCow (Member # 9253) on :
I'm guessing you're just kidding, but don't lie on your resume or during an interview. That's the quickest way not to get hired, or to get fired if they don't find out until later.
Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
I probably should not have told Ocean State Job Lot that I went to college. Folks are always saying if you are applying for retail pretend that you didn't go to college because they'll think you're over qualified. I dislike lying... But this place is close to home though.
Posted by Uprooted (Member # 8353) on :
Syn, if you would consider trying LDS Employment Services, I was impressed with their services here in Atlanta--they offer exactly the type of interview coaching, videotaping, etc. that some in this thread have advised. I don't know if they have a center near you or if that center offers all that the one here has, but I'd say it's worth a shot. It's free, and you certainly don't have to be Mormon. Linky Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
quote: I'm going to try to figure out how to make an interviewer want to hire me...
Or -- and I'm just throwing this out again as a wacky idea that just might work -- you could go in for interview training. It's usually free, and from what you've said I'm certain it'll be useful.
Posted by ClaudiaTherese (Member # 923) on :
From Uprooted's link:
quote:At the local congregational level, Church leaders and others help people find work. Leaders can obtain support from employment centers, which provide ideas, materials, resources, and other assistance.
---
Q: Who can use the employment resource services of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints?
A: LDS Employment Resource Services offers assistance to anyone in need, regardless of religious affiliation.
---
Q: Are there any fees for using the Church's employment resource services?
A: No fees are charged to individuals or organizations who use the services offered by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
---
Q: Do I have to go to a center to receive service?
A: Almost half of the people who receive help never come to a center. They are assisted by local Latter-day Saint ward and stake employment specialists, with support from Employment Resource Services staff. You can also receive help by using the other resources on this Web site or by contacting Employment Resource Services staff by phone or e-mail. To find the ward, stake, or employment center in your area, use the Locations feature of this Web site, or visit www.mormon.org.
That's pretty darn cool.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
They were REALLY helpful in overhauling my husband's resume (people charge for that kind of thing-- they do it for free!) They also have access to leads that no one else has, and they do offer interview training and workshops as well.
Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
I will call them up tomorrow along with most of my temp agencies and Borders. I will also check the Mass unemployment site for nearby services.
Posted by ClaudiaTherese (Member # 923) on :
Great! Posted by andi330 (Member # 8572) on :
I don't know if you've ever waited tables or not, but it pays money. It's a hard job, the hours are often disgusting and you have to live on tips, but if you're moderately good at it, you'll probably make enough to live on.
It was the one thing I said I'd never do, after all I had a college degree, and I was a double major! Frankly, I didn't have much other choice, it was that or working at a gas station. I'm glad that I took the job though. It gave me time to get myself together along with my resume, so that when the right job was available, I was able to get it on the first attempt.
Posted by Icarus (Member # 3162) on :
Good for you, Syn!
Posted by sarcasticmuppet (Member # 5035) on :
I worked for BYU Grounds Crew *way* longer than I had ever intended, all because it took me a long time to find a job straight out of college. It was the worst job I ever had, if it snowed the hours were terrible, and I really disliked the work I was doing. Even though I hated it, it paid the bills and had flexible enough hours that I could take time off for job interviews just about any time I wanted.
I had quite a few job interviews, and all I can say is that I had to get rejected a *lot* before I could really start to pick up on how to behave in an interview. After having an interview, take an honest look at how it went: Were you nervous? Were you clear? Were you nice? Were you professional? I found that I had a tendency to get nervous and stutter, and really tried to correct that in subsequent interviews. On the first interview that I really felt I did a good job on I started actually getting positive vibes from the employers, like they were really interested in the answers I was giving, and I was visibly excited about the work they were describing. I *still* didn't get the job. That happens. The next job I interviewed for, I did get an offer. It's not perfect, but it's an improvement in every possible way to my old job.
Next interview you have, go in with a positive attitude that you are going to dazzle them with your skills and personality. If you believe it, so will they.
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
I think that the oddest interview story I've heard came from a friend of mine who was interviewing candidates for a job as a research librarian. One candidate really stood out, and all but had the job. He was intelligent, articulate, personable, and very well qualified for the position. My friend had a few more interviews to conduct, but was pretty sure that they were a formality--or at least he did until the interviewee was caught in the library's stacks licking books.
Posted by scholar (Member # 9232) on :
My sister was once temping and they were looking to hire someone. The job really was higher then my sister could have expected with her experience level and was not a natural progression. As she was bringing her temp boss some papers he was looking for, he looked at the stack of resumees and said, dang, this is too much work. I don't want to do all those interviews and crap. Would you like the job? My sister immediately said yes and moved into a pretty decent job. She had been offered a full time job prior to that, but before the probation time was over, the boss's nephew asked for a job so they got rid of her.
Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
quote:Originally posted by Noemon: I think that the oddest interview story I've heard came from a friend of mine who was interviewing candidates for a job as a research librarian. One candidate really stood out, and all but had the job. He was intelligent, articulate, personable, and very well qualified for the position. My friend had a few more interviews to conduct, but was pretty sure that they were a formality--or at least he did until the interviewee was caught in the library's stacks licking books.
That is funny. I love books but not that much.
Dang, why doesn't anything like that happen to me? I worked 5 months for Blue Card, got contacted again and worked a year and no awesome full time job doing something wrist aching I really liked. Alas. I've got to call this place about interview help. I just got voice mail. I called about 6 of my temp places and they all said the same thing every ONE! Also, I did not get the job I interviewed for on Friday so it's getting hard to think positive.
I think Maybe I'll learn how to make curry or something.
Posted by ClaudiaTherese (Member # 923) on :
Synesthesia, it's like you are in a holding pattern, and you just can't break free. What you are doing -- no matter if it seems to you like it should work -- just isn't working. Something has to change.
I think the interview training is a good start. The LDS services are free, but you have to be the one to make the call. There are some simple things they can tell you that may help. For example, good eye contact does not mean a lot of eye contact. Too much direct eye contact is just as bad as too little. Those are things you can work on with skilled people.
Good luck! Enjoy your weekend, too. Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
The economy needs to improve? I called them up today, but got a voicemail. I'll call again on monday.
Posted by ClaudiaTherese (Member # 923) on :
*gently
Synesthesia, there are other people at your skill level who are finding work. The economy doesn't need to change in order for things to get better for you, and that sort of change in the world might not have been enough, anyway.
But look at you! You're doing this! You are making the calls and taking the steps. That can be so hard, but it's oh-so-worthwhile. Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
My cover letter skills have improved. But, I've been working temp jobs since 2005. It's never been this hard to get a simple single temporary job. The last one I had was in November. It was supposed to last for 6 weeks but I got let go in 3 days because there really wasn't any work... The last time I was out of work for a long time was last July, and it only took me a few days to get a new job. Things seem to be a lot different now. In 2005 when the Blue Card assignment ended, I got another short assignment within a few days. The next assigment, the same thing. The longest I was out in 2006 was 3 weeks. There is seriously something wrong, but I need a permanant job. It's possible to get one, but it's never been this difficult just to get a few week assigment and that's what every agency has been telling me.
b ut I do hope I'm getting close.
Posted by ClaudiaTherese (Member # 923) on :
*nods
It's sure likely the market is worse, and maybe even worse than typical where you are. But you can do this!
Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
I was unemployed for nine months in 2000, after the economy started its collapse into recession at that time. It wasn't pleasant, and I wound up having to move to Wisconsin to find any job at all.
Posted by andi330 (Member # 8572) on :
The problem with temp work is that it is temporary, and unfortunately there are times when there is very little temp work. If you've been temping for years and never had trouble getting a job before then you've been lucky. The temp market is typically down after the holidays if only because people aren't taking vacation time and because people don't use sick time if they can avoid it in order to pay off the accumulated holiday bills. When I was temping a few years ago, there were months where I couldn't get a job and the agency told me that it was usual for that time of year to have very few jobs come available.
Posted by Goody Scrivener (Member # 6742) on :
Syn, how are you listing your temp assignments on your resume? Are you listing each individual assignment or are you listing your affiliation with the agency? That could make a huge difference.
Seeing a lot of short-term jobs on a resume will definitely scare away a potential employer. It looks as if either (a) you didn't have the job skills required for that position and you were released quickly, (b) you bore easily and bail out, or (c) there some other intangible "wrongness" that prompted early termination. I'm not saying that any of these are truly the case. Just that with no other information to go by, you'll often be eliminated just on that basis.
You may be better with a skill-based resume rather than a job-based one. I hope you do contact LDS Employment Services, they'll be able to help you with this as well.
Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
Someone suggested that I delete the months from my resume, so I did. The BCBS MA gig lasted off and on for nearly 2 years.
Posted by DarkKnight (Member # 7536) on :
To back up what MightyCow is saying... I'm not looking for a reason to hire you, I am looking for reasons to not hire you because there are X amount of other equally qualified candidates and I want to eliminate eveyone except the best candidate for the job. It doesn't take much to fail an interview and I have interviewed many many people. If I understand what you are saying clearly, you are being offered jobs, just not close enough for you?
Posted by Belle (Member # 2314) on :
Was it here on Hatrack that I heard the story about the HR manager that would drop half the resumes in the trash without reading them, justifying this by saying he didn't want to hire anyone unlucky?
I told that story to my mom, the 30-years of experience HR exec, and she laughed but not because it was preposterous - rather that it was a clever way of explaining something they all do. She will discard resumes because they're on colored paper, or she doesn't like the font they use, or especially if there are any typos or grammatical errors in them or the cover letter. If she calls a candidate and they don't have voice mail, she will never call again, because she says if they really wanted the job, they' answer their phone or have voice mail. She would discard any resume with significant gaps that weren't explained, or that had too many jobs over too short a time period.
They are definitely looking at ways to weed out people, and all sorts of things can influence that. Interviewing takes a lot of time, and time is money - so you don't want to interview unless you're sure there's a good chance you want that person. But once you get to interviews, there's a whole nother set of things you can use to weed out. And, though it sounds petty, the hat thing could easily be one of them. How you're dressed, how you answer questions, how you carry yourself.
You also have to remember that sometimes it's not about you. Sometimes the interviewer has a problem, and you just happen to push their buttons somehow. You're probably better off not working there, in that case. But, if you're having repeated trouble finding and keeping jobs, then you do need to take a look at yourself and see what needs to change. Be aware, too - as Goody pointed out - if your resume shows this turbulent work history, that's a big strike against you. You say the BCBS gig lasted two years like that's a really good thing - most employers want to see stable work history of 3-5 years per place. No one expects people to stay at one job their whole career anymore, but stability is usually defined by 3-5 years, as opposed to two.
Posted by Primal Curve (Member # 3587) on :
quote:Originally posted by TomDavidson: I was unemployed for nine months in 2000, after the economy started its collapse into recession at that time. It wasn't pleasant, and I wound up having to move to Wisconsin to find any job at all.
Hey! I resent that your last hope for employment was in the frozen wastelands of Wisconsin.
Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
quote:Originally posted by DarkKnight: To If I understand what you are saying clearly, you are being offered jobs, just not close enough for you?
Yes. and I currently do not have a car. I called the folks at the LDS Employment Services. They seem helpful. I just hope I can get a job by the 3rd of March or something. I wish I was starting one of the jobs I didn't get even if it means taking the 6:45 am train which is soooooo early.
Posted by katharina (Member # 827) on :
Yay for calling! They are very helpful. Do you have an appointment with them?
Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
quote:Originally posted by katharina: Yay for calling! They are very helpful. Do you have an appointment with them?
I think they are going to find someone nearby to help me or something and they put me on a internet distribution of jobs.
I want to try to get into HR work. I wonder if I will learn from my experiences not having a job and be a bit more compassionate as a result...
Perhaps I am too soft for such a job and should write instead as that is what I want to do anyway.
Posted by pooka (Member # 5003) on :
Working as the front desk receptionist is the bottom rung of the HR ladder in several companies I have been aware of.
Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
Someone will contact me from there. There's a ward nearby in Hingham. I pass there on the way to Bernie's vet. I also have an interview for YET another staffing agency on Wednesday But I have got to find a way to not tell folks unnessasary information.
Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
quote:I want to try to get into HR work.
This is because Belle made it sound fun, isn't it? Posted by Scott R (Member # 567) on :
quote: Perhaps I am too soft for such a job and should write instead as that is what I want to do anyway.
Syn, I wish you the very best of luck.
However, making a living as a writer is not usually for people who are "soft." I don't mean to put you off of it, but I hope that I can dispel the notion that even the deserving, talented writers are able to make ends meet on their writing alone.
Suppose that you're able to produce professional quality short stories immediately. Let's assume you're a sci-fi writer. All right-- suppose also that your first short story gets accepted by Baen's (the highest paying pro-sci-fi market these days, clocking in at around $.08-$.10/word. I think); assume that you make ~$500 for the sale.
You have to wait for that check to arrive, you know. And that's only $500. Assume you're Jay Lake, who (by some accounts) can produce a short story once a week-- that's still only $2000/month, before taxes. For the sake of argument, let's say the government takes out $100 per month. That's $1900/month, totaling ~$23,000/year.
Now, if you're selling fiction to Playboy every month, you could double your income. But selling to Playboy every month is a feat NO author has been able to accomplish.
Now, let's add a bit more-- let's say you write a novel along with the four short-stories per month you're writing, and you get an agent immediately, who gets you a contract immediately. The normal advance for a novel is around $5000.
That's it.
Economics aside, being a writer usually demands a LOT of work. Again, I'm not trying to discourage you, but to show you the average reality of what it means to be a writer. If you go after it without any type of backup plan, it's likely you'll be burned, financially speaking.
That's true no matter how talented, no matter how motivated you are.
If you think you're a fair writer, and have a good grasp of grammar/usage, why don't you try looking for work as a technical writer? If you enjoy writing (and there's a great deal of creativity in technical writing, if it's approached correctly), it's a good side job while you work on that novel.
Posted by Uprooted (Member # 8353) on :
I'm glad you called LDS employment, Synesthesia. It sounds like they don't have the same resources there that the office has here, though, or they would have had you come in. I hope they are helpful--those email lists can be great and show a lot of unadvertised jobs. Good luck to you. I'm in the same boat right now, actually.
Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
I know it's work, but it's been my dream for ages... It's been a struggle just to get the details of these characters worked out since 1999. So I have every intention of publishing and finishing this thing. But I am seriously nearly at the end of my rope and I have no idea WHEN I'm going to get a job or how at this point... It's extremely irratating. Perhaps I have no direction other than trying to get some sort of decent job so I can get caught up.
What is technical writing and how do I get into it? Maybe I can work for a publisher or something. I don't know.
Posted by Farmgirl (Member # 5567) on :
I took a tire into the shop the other day to get repaired, and while I was sitting there waiting, some guy came into the shop looking for a job.
It was the most amusing conversation I've ever heard.
He was a very nice looking, mature, clean-cut guy. The shop manager asked him to fill out an app, which he did. Then the shop manager started asking him questions about his previous work.
All seemed pretty good until the manager said something about "which <lube shop> did you work at?"
And the conversation then when something like:
JobSeeker: "Which one at which time? They moved me all around."
Manager: "Well, then which ones"
JS : *rattles off several of the different branches this lube place has in town* THEN he says, "see, at <lube shop> if they don't like you they just move you around."
"they never fire any mostly - just move them around -- in fact, I was the first person to get fired from there (said proudly) in a few years."
"But, of course, it was just a personality conflict with that boss. He's just an asshole. We had words."
And he continued along that line of thought the entire rest of the interview
(By this time, my eyes are wide open and I'm nearly bursting out laughing)
My son was with me -- I said, "That is how to NOT do a job interview!"
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
we're more alike then we let on.
Posted by Scott R (Member # 567) on :
quote:What is technical writing and how do I get into it?
Technical writing means taking a complex technical process-- say, for example, software design-- and composing the processes in standard English so that it can be processed by decision makers who are not technical people.
There's a great need for technical writers in the defense/government industries because we allow auditors to see processes at a glance, so they can make decisions about a program's viability much more easily.
Technical writers also do lots of research; some of us are employed by schools or libraries who have scientists come in and request all the information available on X subject. A technical writer will interview the client, discover what they need, then do the research for them and write up a synopsis of what they've found.
Technical writing entails 2 parts writing capability, and 2 parts people skills. You have to be a good communicator, and you have to be able to deal with people who are NOT especially good at communicating.
quote:Maybe I can work for a publisher or something. I don't know.
Well.. you could, but that's not technical writing. Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
Oh But it's what it makes me think about for some reason. Editing. And maybe a job taking bad English translated by Japanese people who do not know English and turning it into good plan English.
At least I have a grammar manual.
Someone from the LDS Job service called me. I think I shall have to call her back...
Posted by Belle (Member # 2314) on :
Usually yes, if someone calls you and they intend to help you it falls to you to call them back.
Honestly, Syn, I don't know how to help you. I'm beginning to wonder if any of this is true, I get the feeling you're laughing at us somehow.
Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
quote:Originally posted by Belle: Usually yes, if someone calls you and they intend to help you it falls to you to call them back.
Honestly, Syn, I don't know how to help you. I'm beginning to wonder if any of this is true, I get the feeling you're laughing at us somehow.
I WISH IT WASN'T TRUE! This is driving me crazy! Every day i've got to wake up with a sore jaw and shooting head pains and these dumb IBS pains from how crazy this is driving me! I hate not having a job. It should not be this difficult to get a simple decent paying job if you got the skills and want to work...
anyway, I'm not the sort of person who lies about herself on the internet, but dang, do I wish this wasn't the case and that I was posting during breaks at a job paying $20 dollars per hour. Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
quote:I WISH IT WASN'T TRUE! This is driving me crazy!
Syn, I'm actually thinking that therapy and job assistance are absolute musts for you.
Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
quote:Originally posted by TomDavidson:
quote:I WISH IT WASN'T TRUE! This is driving me crazy!
Syn, I'm actually thinking that therapy and job assistance are absolute musts for you.
I'm already seeing a counselor... But I'm beginning to think I should not talk about any of this stuff because it makes me feel so pathetic and stupid to find myself in this position over and over.
Posted by katharina (Member # 827) on :
Talking about it is good if you are listening and try to apply some of the advice.
And hey, this time it put you in contact with some employment trainers. That could be really useful.
Posted by advice for robots (Member # 2544) on :
I suck at job interviews. Liberal amounts of suck. I can have the whole thing perfected, the perfect sparkly answers memorized and practiced, my teeth whitened, my smile disarming, my portfolio ready to change their world, and my resume hand-crafted by Edward Tufte himself, and still walk in and five minutes later be sitting there like I'm caught in headlights.
Every once in a while, though, I get lucky and get into a situation where I actually get to demonstrate how good I'd be at the job I'm applying for, instead of coming up with my best politician response to what my greatest weakness is or how I'd handle things in the likely situation that my co-workers rebelled and established their own nation in the 3rd floor women's bathroom.
So I feel for you, Syn. In the temp job market you're probably facing a lot of interviewers who do it straight off the script and who lost any sense of humor they had years ago.
It can't be helped. Sometimes all you can do is get a good grip on your bootstraps and pull.
Do take the initiative and prepare yourself every way possible. Put together a killer interview outfit, freaking polish that smile and handshake, arm yourself with examples of why you rock at what you do, and tell yourself that, for this one half hour at least, you're going to do it by their rules and be the person they want to hire.
I echo everyone else who is advising you to get some job counseling. Do that, and stick to it. Change your life a little if you have to. Set some goals and focus your life on them.
Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
Been trying that, but the whole thing is just making me so fed up and annoyed. I've got an interview for yet another staffing agency tomorrow so I'll wear my respectable suit and see what happens. This lady from the job counseling left me a message saying she will put me on a list of some sort. I'm having a bit of trouble calling back, because I'm not exactly sure what I'm supposed to ask about the next step in a way that will not sound incredably dense and stupid. not to mention my aversion to calling people I don't know and leaving answering machine messages....
Posted by pooka (Member # 5003) on :
As an aside, a handshake needs to be responsive, rather than always firm. It's kind of like the eye contact thing.
There are some books out there like Instant Rapport that teach some of the "skills" that employers won't admit they are looking for (or possibly don't know they are looking for.)
One thing we haven't talked about much is that you are a minority. Most people don't think they discriminate against minorities, but there are a bunch of habits one develops as a minority that can get in the way. This whole thing about the hat and the coat, that may have been an example.
In the end you have to be able to be yourself, but it might be worth asking which parts of yourself are really indispensible to being who you are.
Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
Could my natural looking hair be off putting? I've got to cut it later on but it's been getting a bit longer...
I got an offer for a job, but it's $10.50 per hour going to Cambridge. The train station is a 30 minute walk from my house. To go to Braintree is 2.50. To go to Cambridge from Braintree, 1.70. 21 dollars a week. Going straight to Boston 5.75 + 1.70 to get to Cambridge. 37.25 per week. Plus if I take the cab to the train station or home due to the weather that's extra money. Frustrating. But it's a laid back job, but I'm paying 200 bucks a week for rent here...
I totally did take off my coat too, but I still had my hat on until she reminded me about that. I usually forget to take it off since it was super cold. Indispensible : o(
Posted by scholar (Member # 9232) on :
If it is a full time job, that is $84 a day, $420 a week. If travel costs even as high as $40 a week, you are still making $380 more a week then you were before.
Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
That's not 420 dollars a week. When I worked in North Quincy and worked at BCBS for another department it was 366 dollars a week. 323 dollars a week for another place. I was working for 11 bucks per hour. Transportation was 60 dollars a week, but it could end up more if the weather is terrible. Like 40 or 70 dollars extra. Arg >< After taxes it's going to be the same or less than unemployment...
Posted by Primal Curve (Member # 3587) on :
Excuses, excuses. I worked for a job that required about an hour commute each way. I had to walk in the snow to the bus stop, change busses twice (which involves standing in the snow and wind) and I hardly made enough to get buy. But I had a job and I could pay my bills. When the weather warmed up I rode my bike so that I could get to work quicker.
Get a job. Any job. You'll have a better chance of getting a better job if you're employed at all. When you're unemployed, there's no place to go but up.
Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
If your income is that low, you should be able to receive public assistance to cover your transportation costs.
Posted by Jon Boy (Member # 4284) on :
When I had just started college and didn't have a job yet, I eventually gave up on getting a good job and settled for one at a supermarket paying $6.65 an hour. I rode my bike a few miles to get there. Sure, it could've been a lot worse, but it certainly wasn't as good of a job as I'd wanted. But three weeks later I got my first job as an editorial assistant working on campus, so it all worked out in the end.
Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
I'm not sure if they do here in this state unless a person is elderly or disabled. But some companies will pay for half of a train pass. I'll have to look into that.
Posted by advice for robots (Member # 2544) on :
Having a job, earning income, is a great base for looking for an even better job.
Plus, remember that having a job looks better on your resume, if you can keep it for a while. If you don't take this job and don't have another offer for a while, that gap on your resume just gets bigger. Take this one if at all possible, and make this the beginning of permanent employment for you. After a while your resume will add more strength to you getting a job that's more what you want.
Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
It's a temporary job though. They are not sure how long it will last. I have to call them tomorrow about it. I've got several appointments tomorrow. I'm not whining, but the main problem, the thing that is kicking me perpectually in my posterior is transportation vs having to pay 200-250 dollars a week for rent...(I'm way behind. I should be paying 300 dollars a week) plus bills. Irratating. Shame it can't actually be 420... I could pay 250 a week on rent until I catch up again... But, there's an interview tomorrow. so....
Also, is it moral to leave a temp job for another job? A permanant one?
[ February 26, 2008, 04:29 PM: Message edited by: Synesthesia ]
Posted by andi330 (Member # 8572) on :
One thing about your resume. If you are working for a temp agency and receiving assignments, don't list each individual assignment on your resume. Whether or not you list how long you worked at each assignment, it looks like you're changing jobs a lot, and that is off putting to a potential employer. It would probably be better to list the specific temp agency as your employer, and then (on a skill based resume) the skills that were utilized and/or developed during your tenure with the company. Just taking the months off (as I believe was stated in a previous thread) isn't going to improve things with potential employers. It's also important because, generally speaking, if you are on a temp assignment from an agency, you work for the agency, not the company you are assigned to. I worked for Kelly Temps for a while, and that is how it worked for me. Kelly wrote my paychecks, not the companies to which I was assigned. It's important to be accurate about who you are working for on a resume. If there are particular companies that you worked with for an extended period of time (read months) then you might want to consider adding them on your resume under the temp agency you worked for as one of your bullets, i.e. worked assignments to various companies including (insert company names here). Don't list the little short one and two week companies in that list, they aren't likely to remember you, even if you did a good job. If your potential employer calls them to determine if you worked there, you probably won't appear on any of their lists (because you are working for a temp agency not the actual company) and if the person they talk to doesn't remember you and tells your potential employer that you never worked there, you look like you are lying on your resume, even though you're not.
With regards to leaving a temp assignment before it is over, I'd say go ahead. Temp agencies have people come and go all the time, it's not unusual. Of course, try to be polite by explaining to the new employer that you are currently on assignment and you would like to give the company x amount of notice. If the company needs you tomorrow, tell the company that you are temping for that you are sorry, but that you have been offered a permanent position elsewhere, and that they are requesting you start immediately. Turning down a permanent position for a temporary one isn't a good idea, since the temp job is likely to end. I won't say it's guaranteed, I have a cousin who got his job with Sprint from a temp agency and it became permanent. But unless, the job is actually a temp to hire job, it's not as likely to become permanent. Take the permanent job, just make sure that you are as polite as possible when leaving the temp position.
Posted by RackhamsRazor (Member # 5254) on :
Have you ever thought of trying to put a little money aside when you get temp jobs to eventually buy a car so you can get to all these better jobs? It doesn't have to be that much every paycheck, but if you started doing it then you could eventually have enough to buy something.
Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
OK. I've been let go prematurely from these jobs in the first place... I always thought it was more polite to finish the assignment, but getting a permanent job paying more than enough money to live on is my goal.
Posted by orlox (Member # 2392) on :
So how is it going Syn?
Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
Yesterday I got called in for an interview/work training. The person in charge said I'd get paid 10 bucks an hour so I went to Cambridge in the morning. She said she was dismayed about me having to travel so far, but I don't mind and it starts at 10. The work was easy. I hope I did a good job. I was worried about how to number each section or whether or not the columns were the right size. I worked until 4. Everyone else left early. The girl next to me had to go so she played solitaire and was on the net for a while while i was plugging away working. I hope I did well. I did about 9 of these things, but the first ones are probably numbered really weirdly. If I can get a job there, it will be temporary, but it will be 15 dollars per hour (up to?) and there's a lot of work to do.
Also, I missed the LDS job thing because my phone was broken and I didn't know about it. I hope they do another one soon. I fail at answering the "Why has it taken so long for you to work in offices" or something like that question.
Posted by JonHecht (Member # 9712) on :
You guys should stop complaining. For my first job I had to walk 15 miles, in the snow, uphill both ways! And we were lucky if we were paid 50 cents per hour.
Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
But seriously, in some places people actually have to do that. Just not in the snow.
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
This seems as good a thread as any, today I recieved a phone call from Futureshop/BestBuy/Umbrella Corperation take your pick, I will be having a job interview with them for a part time position as a Computer Technitian sometimes this saturday.
*crosses fingers*
So far my plan of constantly reapplying at the same key locations is working.
Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
Good for you Maybe those places will give you a discount on video games. That would be cool.
Posted by TheGrimace (Member # 9178) on :
synthesthesia, forgive me if this is too prying, but you mention (it seems) like you should be paying $300/week in rent? If this is the case it could be one of your problems in getting out of the hole... I'm living in a pretty nice portion of LA and am not even paying that much in rent... if I knew I was in a financially strapped situation I'd be doing my darndest to find a cheaper place to live, find roomates etc. Especially around college towns it tends to be reasonably easy to find roomates and/or cheaper accomodations. Sure they're often pretty crummy, but it could certainly help free-up your monetary situation a bit.
Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
I'd like to pay 300 a week, but I have to pay 200 or close to it to catch up because I've fallen behind.
But today I was working all day long! It was exausting though. I might work some more.
![[Wall Bash]](graemlins/wallbash.gif)
![[Cry]](graemlins/cry.gif)
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
), but I say this part because I spent a year in a job specifically training medical students who were having difficulties getting accepted how to better present themselves in interviews. About half of them had noticable body odor, or visible dandruff or nits. These were not ugly people, and they were not dirty or disgusting people. They were anxious and intense people who focused on doing the job well, not on how they presented themselves.![[Frown]](frown.gif)
![[Eek!]](eek.gif)
![[Dont Know]](graemlins/dontknow.gif)
![[Wink]](wink.gif)
, is that it's a lot more than having the skills and wanting to work. You have to make the interviewer want to hire you.
![[ROFL]](graemlins/rofl.gif)
![[Laugh]](graemlins/laugh.gif)