Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with jobhunt

warning your references ahead of time

diode — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 09:59:25 -0800

I've found a great potential job, given them references, and know the references will be contacted on Monday. To what extent is it typical to let your references know beforehand they will be contacted by my potential employer? My list of references are friends and a couple of people from work including my supervisor.

I've been amongst the under-employed for a bit. My current position went from full, to half, to quarter time in the past year and three quarters. My skills and interests are seemingly diverging from their needs.

I'm not too concerned about the references I will get from my friends. My supervisor, on the other hand, I don't know how this will go. The potential job did not specifically request the supervisor's contact info but I put it down anyway thinking it would look strange if I did not do so.

As a note, I did not notify my references beforehand they were a reference.

I'm still working there, albeit quarter time, when other folks have been let go entirely, so the company sees value in my continued presence, though apparently not enough to employ me full time.

So, what I'm wondering is whether I should be contacting my references to let them know they are likely to get contacted. In particular, my supervisor is one key element.

At this point, I'm thinking something along the lines of simply letting him know this is occurring. He's clear I'm looking for work, or at least should be since other potential employers have contacted him in the past.

I had originally thought to do a little pre-programming with my supervisor to remind him of my successes and best attributes. I think it's a little late to do this now.

I'm wondering what the hive-mind knows about this subject and whether it's considered good form to contact your references to let them know in advance.

Short term work to discover long term goals?

shanevsevil — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 18:52:34 -0800

I'm a new grad, only going to be in my current city for a few months, and I suddenly find myself unemployed. Oh, and I don't know what my career goals are, but I'm impatient to get started on them. How can I use my short term job hunt and work to build some long term goals? Just finished a degree in theater and nonprofit arts management, unfortunately in the last year I have pretty much fallen out of love with that profession. It would have been nice if I had realized I wouldn’t like working in the theater before getting a degree in it, but the deed is done.

I moved to another city to be with my girlfriend while she finishes with school. I had a good job with a trendy computer retailer who will remain nameless, and I was led to believe that I would be able to continue with my job at another location. Unfortunately when I got here that turned out not to be true.

I’m now hunting for a job in a city that I only expect to live in for about the next 8 months. My question is: What are some things that I can do in the short term that will both help me to find a new path and build a resume so I can hit the ground running when I move again later next year? I'll be around if there are follow up questions. Thanks for your help, internet people!

Close counts in horseshoes and job hunting?

Anonymous — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 20:24:35 -0800

Job-Filter. How to best display your skills when you have close to what they want? anon because of colleagues who are on/read AskMe. I am currently employed but am starting to look at something that might suit me better. I have found a few jobs that I believe I am well suited for. Several have a longish list of skills and qualifications that aren't often found together and I have them (yay!). The problem is that I am looking at a different industry from where I am now (though there is some overlap in tasks and subject matter) and I'm not a complete match on one (or sometimes several) qualifications. I guess a good example would be if they want someone who can grow grapes, sing tenor, design evening gowns, and perform surgery on toes while I can grow grapes, sing tenor, design evening gowns, and operate on ankles. How can I highlight the "operates on feet" thing and show my "ankle" expertise is relevant to "toes"? Do I even try to highlight it or just mention my other qualifications?
Apologies if this is wordy and awkard. Haven't job hunted in a while.

Divorced, jobless, need advice.

saragoodman3 — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 20:52:53 -0800

Stuck in a rut. Help me find meaning, direction, and help me get back on my feet. My husband cheated on me, and after months of trying to work it out, I left him, and moved back to the town where I grew up (2000 miles away from where I’ve lived for the last seven years), to be near my family. As the first one to get divorced, they don’t know what to do with me, or what to say, though they have tried to be supportive. They often leave me out of plans , because they think it will hurt my feelings to be invited, and even though I’ve explained it hurts more to be left out, they don’t seem to get it.
After our marriage ended and I was forced to move back home, I lost a lot of friends, and the handful of girlfriends I have left have small children, are married, and can rarely talk on the phone. We facebook.
I got laid off, so I get unemployment, but have been unemployed for months. I have been volunteering, taking classes, and taking care of my elderly grandmother, who has cancer.
I met a nice guy at the dog park, and even though I like him just fine, and he is a good person, there is no spark.
Luckily, I have a great dog companion, and a kitty has adopted us. I am never lonely at home. They are endlessly entertaining, and are wonderful company for the hour or two I sit on the couch at night.
I have no furniture, I have few clothes, I'm sleeping on an air mattress. I miss the house I carefully decorated, and the kitchen utensils I saved up for. I miss my stand mixer. I used to enjoy cooking, but don’t have the tools anymore, and don’t see the point in cooking for myself.
I'm broke. I don’t have a job. I don’t really have a boyfriend, but I'm okay with that. I miss having girlfriends. Its hard to not have coworkers at least. I'm thinking about trying internet dating. I just turned thirty. I spent my birthday with the dog.
Its nice not to have much junk; its nice not to have a bunch of near-meaningless material things. I was living in a mild climate, working a jeans-and-tshirt job. In the next few weeks, I'm going to need a winter coat, heavy boots, new tires, and hopefully I will need work clothes. I can shop at thrift stores. I don’t know how I will afford much. My husband has the savings account.
I feel lost. I need direction. I need motivation. I need to read books or watch videos about living frugally and surviving divorce. I used to have goals, but now I don’t see how I can accomplish them by myself; many are no longer applicable (have kids, vacation together, etc).
I went to therapy, but cant really afford it anymore, and didn’t get much out of it. I was hoping for feedback and inspiration, but all I got was a sympathetic ear (wow, your husband was an unbelievable jerk!). sympathy isn’t bad, but wasn’t what I needed.
Where should I look for inspiration? I need guidance. I need to get out of my rut. Please don’t tell me to just ‘get over it’; I get that from my well-meaning family members.
I need to conjure a job. I’ve actually been offered a few – and I accepted, right before they called me back to say the position had been cancelled by upper management. Its hard to even apply when I know the odds of my application even being looked at is so slim.
I have been successful before, but I don’t know how to be again.
I know part of this post is a pity party, but please ignore that. I really need help, and have tried to pull myself up by my bootstraps, and have tried to lean on family. Now I am here to humbly ask the meta advice.
Have you been through this? How did you get through it? Advice is appreciated, links to helpful books or websites included. Please keep in mind that I cant go out and buy a bunch of books.

I won't pay ya, no way, why don't you get a job?

b33j — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 00:53:56 -0800

18 year old Australian introverted indoorsy uni drop-out seeks employment in recession. No qualifications (a business cert from school), no drivers license, no skills (maybe typing), no experience, no references, limited public transport. What now? This is for my son. I want him to get a job now that he's dropped out, and he understands that he must, but where does he start?

Can he access (Australian) government job placement assistance even though he's supported by his parents? Who's that with? (A long time ago, it was the CES.)

He's certain that he would be bad at anything involving people, ie customer service, sales, waiting tables. I tend to think this attitude would bugger up his interviews but I don't know how to change it, or if I should even try.

I'm prepared to help pay for him to upskilll, but I'm worried he will drop out (again) and waste my cash. It's all very well to say he can pay me back, but without a job, that's just funny.

Suggestions for his action, and for me to encourage him without demoralizing him, please?

What should I review for software engineering technical interviews?

Anonymous — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 18:42:19 -0800

I've decided to start searching for a new job, and I'm incredibly nervous about the technical interviews that software engineering jobs often require. How hard are technical interviews? What are some things I should review before going to one? A little background: I've been at my current job for 5 years. I work for a large well-known computer company, on a product written in Java, and get excellent job reviews. My current job did not require a technical interview. I am not somebody who writes perfect code off the top of their head or has an encyclopedic knowledge of computers - but I research well, am a fast learner, and have good software engineering design skills. I am in a leadership position on my team, although not the top dog or anything (it's a huge product).

I've decided it's time to start looking for another job (great timing, huh), and I am incredibly nervous about the technical interviews that most software positions require. It seems like forever since college, and my current job requires so much product-specific knowledge that I don't really deal with many core technical CS concepts anymore.

I am overwhelmed by the idea of reviewing all the material that could pop up in technical interviews, I'm scared that I will get some simple piece of lower-level CS knowledge wrong at this point, and I don't know where to even start reviewing anything anyway. The fact that I know there will be strong competition out there for any software positions doesn't help.

What should I brush up on before I start interviewing? Can you tell me about a technical interview you had recently? Are there any good books or websites that take you through a high-level quick review of CS topics I could use? How worried should I actually be?

Any thoughts are very much appreciated.

Anon because I don't want anybody to know I'm starting a job search yet.

Questions about PR job interview

t0astie — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 18:23:55 -0800

Oh my! I've been shortlisted for a PR job at a university. AskMe, what might they ask me at the interview, and have you any tips as to how I ought answer? I'm a (newspaper) journalist who's been shortlisted for a job doing PR at a university. Hurrah! I understand from this question how my reporting experience will be valuable to a PR employer. But I'm a bit at sea as to what PR-specific questions might ask me at the interview tomorrow.

I've had a look at areas of research the interview panel members specialise in with a view to tailoring my responses in the interview; am au fait with the university's media and marketing efforts, including social media, and I'm able to provide specific examples of how I can leverage my experience/skills into positive coverage for them.

I'm also OK with general interview stuff – how to answer the ''Where do you see yourself in five years / what's your greatest weakness / why did you leave your last job?'' type questions.

But PR specific questions? And University PR? The only other question I can think of is how might I approach damage control and negative incidents.

i) What else might they ask me?
ii) How could I best answer?
iii) Have I forgotten anything?

Also: I'm in Australia, not the US if that makes any difference.

Thank you AskMe. (And wish me luck!)

What can I do to get an interview?

Anonymous — Tue, 19 May 2009 14:04:04 -0800

What can I do to get an interview? I was laid off from my first "real" job after just under a year. I'm now actively searching for a new job. I'm being a little picky so far, admittedly, because I'd really like to do something along the lines of what I was doing.

I've worked a very long time on my resume. I think I have a decent cover letter and make sure to tailor it to whomever I am applying to.

So far, I've applied to about 40 jobs. I use sites like Monster, Dice, Craigslist, etc. and apply either through those sites or through the company site directly. I generally get a "we got your application" automated mail, but that's usually it. I received two "you didn't get the job" automated mails. Sure, some of the jobs I'm applying for "require" a little more experience than I have. Other jobs, I read what they're looking for and think, "Perfect!" and then I never hear back.

When I was applying for jobs last year, I ended up getting most of my interviews through contacts in those companies. This time around, though, everyone I know is in companies that aren't hiring (or aren't looking for what I do).

So, what can I do do get an interview? My girlfriend recommended finding a "real" person from HR or whatnot to email and be like "hey, I just applied for this job, I really want it" but places don't generally list email addresses. In some cases, I have 2nd Degree LinkedIn connections with either people in HR or people with whom I would be working. Should I try to "Get Introduced Through A Connection"?

FWIW, I'm in the computer industry, so the whole "go and get an application in person and hand it to the manager" thing doesn't really work. Hell, these days even people at job fairs mostly just say "go see if there are openings and apply online".

Posting anonymously because I'd rather not give potential employers a starting point to try and dig stuff up about me. Throwaway email: gimmebackthatfiletofish at g mail dot com.

Life Decision IV: A New Direction

Anonymous — Fri, 01 May 2009 18:47:53 -0800

Some direction would be nice. I am an English major in my mid-20s.

I edit and write in my current job, but not on anything that is personally satisfying in any way.

I am technically inclined. I can put up a website, run linux, and set up a CMS and server. I can HTML and tweak simple PHP. I suspect I could run the network of the small business I work at better than our current IT guy. But I can't code a thing and I don't have any certifications.

I want a change. I am dissatisfied with most things in my life. When I watched Tokyo Story last night and one character said to another, "Isn't life disappointing?" I nodded and agreed with the other character's answer of yes, it is.

Those are my skills, what little they are, and my ennui. Tell me what I can do with the one to overcome the other. Find me a job, and by extension a life, where I'm not stuck in front of a computer screen all day, and where I'm also not a salesman.

I am in America, and physically close enough to the capitol to work in DC. I'm young and stupid. I would not mind at all moving elsewhere, including becoming an expat and working in some strange corner of the world.

I would consider going back to school for a year or two. I have had sufficient exposure to skilled manual labor jobs, and how they operate in the US, to not want to train to become something like a welder or construction worker.

Come at this from any angle you want. I don't have an answer inside me. But I'll recognize an idea that's compatible with what I do have inside me when I hear it.

How can I expand my job-hunt to include networking with other art teachers?

debbie_ann — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 07:01:41 -0800

How can I expand my job-hunt to include networking with other art teachers? Background:I'm a highly qualified K-12 art teacher with a BA in illustration and a MA in teaching from one of the nation's top art schools (MICA). I have great resume, a website of my personal art and a great teaching portfolio including full-color pages of student art. I've never been rejected from an interview in my field, and can draw at a graduate level.

Problem: All my connections are several states away or teachers in the school where I already work. I have yet to find a full-time job in my field to apply for.

What I've done: I've sent a resume packet (complete with color images of student art) to the head personnel at the 20 school systems closest to my home. I check the (20+) websites of these schools, craigslist, the local art museum etc. on a regular basis. I started filling out online applications for all these schools, but at 2+ hours each (I doubt anyone really cares how many undergrad credits of science I have.)and no posted openings it seems like a waste of my time and sanity. I've met with local colleges and read books to hone my resume and cover-letter. I'm a member of the state art education association.

What I'm considering doing next: Just send out more resumes. Send them to every private school in the phone book. Send them to the principals of every public school in my city, and all local colleges. Send them to all the local museums etc. After all, that's how I got my current job.

Where I need help: networking. How can I find other local art teachers? We all seem to be alone in our separate schools with no club. Should I just call local art teachers and ask for 'help with my jobhunt' or try to form a different relationship (i.e. let's exchange lesson plans) How can I form and maintain connections with people who'll know when there are openings?
Also prioritizing: In your own job-hunts what has and hasn't been a big waste of time?

How to deal with uncertainty in job hunt?

joewandy — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 04:20:47 -0800

I'm currently jobless and have been hunting for web development/programming jobs for the past three weeks. I just received my first offer two days ago, but do not feel that the company is right for me. On the other hand I'm pretty anxious about passing up the opportunity. What do you think I should do? There's also an additional time constraint involved. [more details inside] My gut feeling is telling me that it isn't the right company for me (small operation, pretty run down, gloomy staff, didn't really like the place), but I'm pretty anxious to refuse the offer for fear of not being able to find other opportunities.

The salary offered isn't great at all (15% cut from my previous pay). It seems that it would actually place me below the industry's average in the pre-recession era. Other people, however, seem to agree that it is pretty okay considering the economic mess nowadays.

There might possibly some potentials for growth in position, but I didn't intend to stay for long as I would be pursuing postgraduate study a year from now.

So, do you think I should just commit myself to this very first offer that I've got? Ideally I would like to hang on to it for a while, and carry on searching for opportunities elsewhere. Unfortunately the potential boss would like me to give the decision by next Monday (two days from now), so there isn't really enough time to do any other searchings at all.

Bear in mind that I'm pretty junior (2 years of work experience, specializing in Java/J2EE development). My current location is in Singapore; the job market here is pretty tight and quite affected by the economic downturn, although not as bad as in the USA. I'd say that it's comparably similar to how Hong Kong is faring at the moment.

I must have sent about 50 copies of my resume for the past 3 weeks till now, and managed to secure 3 interviews. Only 1 of those ended up with a concrete offer as mentioned above.

How can two Seattle residents best go about looking for jobs in London?

Anonymous — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 13:46:37 -0800

How can two Seattle residents best go about looking for jobs in London? My wife and I have been talking about moving to London for a while. Ideally, we'd like to both find jobs in London, live there for 2-3 years, then move back to the U.S.

We would like to have jobs and be living in London 1 year from today. We love Seattle... we just want an adventure before we have a baby.

- What has been your experience with finding (or not finding) a job in London?
- What should we expect with regard to potential time lines, snags, red tape, and pitfalls?
- What tools to job searching/networking have you found useful?
- What government agencies/government connections did you use in your quest? (i.e. if your Senator/Congressman was a good friend, could he/she help speed things along, side-step hang-up, and/or
- We want to live in London... not a 1-hour Tube ride from Central London.
- What have I not asked that I need to know?

Our employment backgrounds:
She is 26, I am 28. My background is business (primarily sales & marketing) and I've been fairly successful, despite my age. Her background is architecture, though she's looking to switch her focus to humanitarian efforts. Potentially working with organizations as a project manager for different efforts.

Our current combined income: $105,000/year (pre-tax)

Reference me that recommendation, please.

ElectricBlue — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 07:43:54 -0800

How should I approach my professors for recommendation/reference letters for a job that doesn't yet exist? I'm trying to wrap my mind around the situation, but I can't quite figure out how to work everything out in a tidy manner. So... Hivemind to the rescue! :)

I'm a current senior in college. I'm spending my last semester abroad. My study abroad lasts from March until August. So while my friends are graduating and "hitting the pavement," I'll have a very late start in hunting for a job.

Alas, I don't know what job I'll go into after college. It'll hopefully be something creative--writing, graphic design, etc.--but that's all I know.

I've been staying on-campus for the past six weeks. But I'll be kicked out of the dorms on Sunday. (Literally: someone's moving in my room that following Monday!)

My problems:

1) I'm leaving campus this Sunday. This week could be the last time I ever see my professors.
2) I'd love some recommendation/reference letters for future jobs from my professors while I'm still fresh in their minds. The problem is, how can they write a letter without knowing what job I want?
2b) Should I ask for them to emphasize my character? Traits that are in both fields of graphic design and writing?
3) There's no way that they can complete a letter in the next few days. I was thinking of giving my professors a SASE addressed to my parents' house so that they can send the rec letters at their leisure. But is that the best idea?
4) Am I overthinking this? ;)

So, to summarize: I think that it would be a great idea to go ahead and get some rec/ref letters from my professors before I leave for a study abroad. That way, when I get back from Europe, I can immediately hunt for a job. But I'm leaving for Europe soon, and I have no idea what job I'll be hunting for.

If you have any advice, that'd be awesome. Thanks in advance!

I'm not just lazy, I swear.

sunshinesky — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 23:24:42 -0800

Currently job-hunting, to no avail. Even McDonald's hasn't called back, wtf? How do I make my husband understand? I am currently getting professional guidance on the resumé front, but it doesn't seem to have helped. Money's tight- how do I handle this situation? The hubby is sure he could go out and "find a job today" , but apparently I'm not so skilled or lucky. He has a career in a field that's not likely to lay him off, but we could still use the income. I can't even get dish-washing jobs- "we don't hire girls for that" is the chorus....

How can I get him to see I'm trying and how can I improve my chances in the shitty-job-market? I'm undereducated in a university-town and have spent my last year very much underemployed. I'm in school part time now, trying to improve future-chances, but it had has no effect but negative on the current situation... Help?

Will Company A wait for me while I interview at Company B? (3-4 weeks from now?)

inatizzy — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 17:38:02 -0800

I am likely to soon get a job offer from Company A. Yesterday, Company B called to schedule an interview for a few weeks from now. I would prefer to work at Company B, but if I didn't get the job, I would want to work at Company A. How do I handle this delicate situation, seeing as we're talking about almost a month until I would have an answer from Company B? Hivemind, I can really use your help with this. I just don't know how to play it and I'm not someone who is very experienced with hardball negotiating. I just want everyone to be happy and get along. :) I've read thru a similar previous question, but the timeline there was shorter.

Here are my questions:

1. What can I really do in this situation without being unethical?

2. In this case, it's practically a month between now and when I would make a decision. Are companies OK waiting that long? Is it insulting to ask Company A to wait until mid-to-end of December?

3. On the flip side, would it hurt me to interview with Company B before their scheduled interview week? Does it look bad to ask that?

4. And, how honest can I be with each company about this? At what point do I tell each of them I am interested in a different possibility?

For what it's worth, I would probably be willing to let the job at Company A pass, if I had to in order to be considered for Company B. But I'd rather not.

If you want the details: (Sorry for the length of all this!)

Company B is conducting first round interviews the week of Dec 8. (so, 2-2.5 weeks from now.) If I made it to the second round, it'd be the following week. Between all that, checking references, etc. it will be at least 3.5 weeks from now before I can expect an answer on that job, probably more. Compared to the job at Company A, the role at Company B has more responsibility and autonomy, is much more interesting, would not require me to move or get a car, and would take me out of pure 'administrative' roles, which I want. At Company A, it's an administrative role, but I'd take it to get my foot in the door and then grow into another role. (We discussed that during my interview.)

I interviewed at Company A 1.5 weeks ago, they contacted my references end of last week with an emailed questionnaire to be returned no later than tomorrow (Wednesday). I thought I wouldn't hear from them until next week due to Thanksgiving but I got a voicemail today from my future boss at Company A, who's doing the hiring, asking me to call her back today or tomorrow to chat about a few things. If she doesn't reject me, then I expect she'll either make me an offer or ask more questions about my availability/salary expectations. I don't think I can postpone returning her call anymore than I have. (I didn't return it yet, and she emailed me after dinner asking about tomorrow.)

Thanks in advance for your advice. :)

What else can I do with a BA in English?

SansPoint — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 10:22:31 -0800

I recently got a job in a pre-sales position, and I'm a bit worried that it isn't going to work out. What else can I do with my English degree and skills, especially in this economy that does *not* involve going back to school? Okay, about a month ago I started a new job with a company that does B2B technology pre-sales. It's not going well. The job isn't bad, the pay is good, but I'm floundering and having trouble meeting my goals.¹

So, I've decided to ride it out here for a while, hoping the other shoe doesn't drop, and look for something to take this job's place. Thing is, unlike while I was actively looking, the economy has taken a serious turn for the worse. Also, I'm worried that having a BA in English (no "Avenue Q" please) is going to be a problem in finding anything that pays decently enough to live on. (I just signed a lease for a 1 bedroom apartment at $750/mo, and I have student loans to deal with.)

What I want a job that's intellecutally stimulating, something creative. At the very least, I have experience in fundraising for non-profits, but my attempts at finding a development position over the summer amounted to nil. I almost got a part-time position with a temp agency with a medical college to do editing, but this company contacted me first, with a full-time position. I couldn't find any entry-level editing positions anywhere. I really, really, REALLY don't want to take an internship. I'm not up for teaching. I'm $50,000+ in debt, so going back to school isn't an option. I already have a second, part-time job. I don't drive.

What the hell can I do? Someone, point me in the right direction. I've read a few of the similar questions, and none really have helped--even the last one of these I posted! My resume is here. I'm getting a bit worried and desperate.

¹ What my biggest problem is at my current job is that I have trouble making contacts. It's a telemarketing job, and while I can usually get a good conversation, and book an appointment when the prospect is bookable, I can't reach anyone. I make 200+ calls a day and end up speaking to receptionists and getting voicmail prompts rather than the IT folks I need. If someone wants to help me there, too, I'd appriciate it.

RELIABLE Economic Forecast, Plus Other Unemployment Advice?

WCityMike — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 17:45:42 -0800

I could use people's advice as to finding out the most likely future of our economy, how to come out of a period of unemployment proud as to how I used my time, and how to best prepare for the worst. First, I'm worried about how the economy's future will shape both the length of my current job hunt, and the likelihood of a future layoff by my next employer ("last hired, first fired"). But I can't pick out the wisest, nonbiased, most reliable voice — the voice closest to the factual truth — from the roar of the vast amount of media punditry, opinions, and "experts" on the subject. Whose opinion is most reliable about this, why is it the most reliable, and what does he or she forecast? (This was asked here, but was asked pre-bailout; also, not to count unhatched chickens, but I expect experts are now most likely working off of Obama's economic plans when making their predictions.)

Second, how can I use the unexpected recreational time to have a transformative effect on my life? I use "recreational" hesitantly, as I don't intend to be a bum for months on end, but I have a small-to-moderate comfort zone, and even were my job search currently on 100% full force, I nonetheless remember there still being a lot of "downtime" the last time I was looking for work. I'm 34 and in some ways feel my life is quite askew from where it should be at this age. It would be nice to be able to come out of this saying, "You know, being laid off sucked, but damn it, I took the bull by the horns and wrested a hell of a lot of good out of this." I have some ideas already, but I'm wondering what that other people's "hell of a lot of good" might be were it to happen to them.

Third, how do I prepare for the very worst, i.e., having no more money whatsoever? I have no wife or children, and have family I could live with in an adjoining state, but it is a very small town. Are there things I could do now that would be useful in a situation in which I was not homeless, relocated to a rural-suburban area, still unemployed, and economically cleared out? I suppose I'm thinking along the lines of the StealThisWiki kind of advice: pragmatic stuff. Obviously, I hope things never become that bad, and for such a doomsday to occur a lot of unlikely things would all have to go wrong, but it feels like it is a little more possible now than it was in better times, and I'm wondering if I can lessen the blow somehow in some way if it happens.

Oh, also, what was the state of the economy considered to be back in October-November 2005? That was the last time I looked for a job, and I wonder whether I was looking while in a good economy or a bad one.

Finally, not to be crass, but if any of you are in Chicago and hear of a legal secretary position, preferably at a large firm, that pays commensurate with experience, my e-mail address is in my profile. :-)

How many more bridesmaid's dresses should I expect to buy?

anastasiav — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 12:20:29 -0800

How many times do people typically make it to the "finalist" round before they land a job? Today I was notified that I was not hired for a position, after going through an extensive "finalist" process. This is the fourth time this has happened in two months, and its starting to get frustrating, not only because I'm not getting hired, but because the process of not getting hired is making me take a ton of time away from my current job.

Is it typical to be a finalist for several positions before you land a job?

My field is training and development. I've asked for feedback from all four no's and have gotten a different answer each time, so I don't think its something specific I'm doing or not doing. Also, two of the four never checked my references, and those two each talked to different people, so I don't think its a hidden reference problem.

Is it just the current market? Or should I start to look deeper to find something I need to change?

I'm an experienced copywriter -- how do I find a job in a city where I know no one in the industry?

Kraftmatic Adjustable Cheese — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 18:32:21 -0800

I'm an experienced copywriter -- how do I find a job in a city where I know no one in the industry? I have a fairly strong book of copywriting work, including for some A-list clients (BMW, Coca-Cola), but most of that work was done for agencies overseas, and much of it was freelance. I never became a part of the ad industry circles. I recently moved to Los Angeles and I don't know anyone in the industry here and have few contacts. What's the best strategy for finding a job in such a situation?

I never had to look for a copywriting job before, so I really don't know how it's done. My previous opportunities came through people I knew. How do I find a job when I don't know anyone?

My resume is very unhappy

danb — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 16:29:02 -0800

How do I mitigate my lack of experience when searching for jobs? I just graduated last month with an oh-so-practical degree in English and music. Even worse is that I have next to no job experience. I didn't work while at college, and so now all I really have to show is a couple summers of being a camp counselor and some miscellaneous short-term volunteering.

So yes, I was dumb to not get work experience or find an internship when I had the chance, but what should I do about it now?

Academically I did quite well -- high GPA, summa cum laude, various awards, etc. -- but in looking for jobs the requirements seem slanted much more towards practical experience than good grades. I'm not sure how to get an interview when I'm not suited for much of anything on paper. Any advice? I'm not picky about fields at this point.

job offer ethical dilemma

Anonymous — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 10:46:39 -0800

I'm in a job offer dilemma. I've verbally accepted an offer that i'm excited about. BUT, a job that I don't hesitate to say would be a dream company for me just had me interview again for one of two positions they are considering me for. Sounds like it is a slam dunk that i would get an offer from DreamCompany but it's the end of their quarter and they are wrangling a few details around, shifting head count, etc and won't have anything firm for a few more days but SortaExcitingCompany needs papers signed TODAY. Ugh - dilemma..... SortaExcitingCompany does not know anything is up yet. I'm tempted to see about getting a few days extension on the offer but worried about just retracting it all together. I know everything in the US is "at will" work anyway - but ethics still come into it for me at least.

how to get a paying job while still serving as an unpaid, live-in caretaker for a family member?

lovecrafty — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 17:04:59 -0800

What can I do to find a job when I've been out of the traditional workforce for several years? Of course, there's more to it than that. The situation: I am currently my grandmother's live-in caretaker--I went straight from grad school to this. She needs someone to be with her almost all the time. She's reasonably healthy physically (for 86), so she doesn't need much help with things like bathing or eating, but she does need a lot of company and help remembering things, especially in the evenings. Moving out is not an option--I want her to be able to live in her house for as long as possible, and there are some other family members who do not feel the same way. (That could be a whole other question someday.)

When I first moved in, I had some money I'd inherited from my great-grandmother (other side of the family). But now that's all gone, and I need to find work. Problem is, I've been out of the workforce for five years and haven't got any current references that aren't relatives. I've completely lost touch with all of my friends and former co-workers.

I've recently started volunteering at a few places that are related to my graduate degree (MLIS), which will hopefully be useful later on. But right now, I am having a very hard time finding even a temporary or part-time thing. I'd just like to be able to contribute to the household funds and still be able to be with my grandmother in the evenings, at least.

I'm finding this job hunt to be very disheartening, especially since I never had much trouble finding jobs before. Coupled with the stress of caregiving, I'm really starting to feel depressed. I need some good, solid advice on what I can do to improve my chances for getting a (daytime, part-time to maybe full-time) job.

So, any advice from people who have re-entered the job force after a few years 'off' would be great. Also, any ideas on how to explain the work 'gap' on my resume would be good.

I used to have a secretary, now I am the secretary.

anastasiav — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 21:29:29 -0800

How do I stop having "jobs" and start having a career? In particular, friends and (even) acquaintances often tell me that based on my skills and abilities they are surprised that I'm not doing more responsible (and therefore, I am sure, lucrative) work. But I can't figure out how to make the jump. Can you help? My work history in a nutshell:
15 years with one of the largest catalog retailers in the US. I worked my way up from entry level order taker to a reasonably responsible and rewarding (especially considering my age and experience at the time) job in the Training department of that company. Then my job was eliminated (along with about 50 other people).

At the time, I was shell-shocked and unable to find another T&D job, but instead turned my "hobby and passion" into a new career path and took a job as Statewide volunteer coordinator for a nonprofit (with a pay cut). I was mysteriously let go after nine months in that job, at the same time a new Executive Director was hired.

I then moved to a responsible administrative position at a smaller nonprofit. Again, a pay cut. I worked there for 3 1/2 years, but resigned this past December due to (basically) an overly stressful work environment that kept me from spending as much time with my infant son as I would like (think: 80+ hour weeks). Our parting was amicable and orderly. On my resume, it simply looks like I left this job to take another.

After interviewing several places, I have just started a new job with a larger, more "corporate" nonprofit where I am culturally a better fit but where my responsibilities are fewer and (again) a pay cut. (I now make about 82% of what I made when I left the job above.)

I'm clearly on a downward spiral, in terms of pay and "career" but I can't seem to sort out how to reverse it. Friends and even just general business contacts sent me a ton of open job listings that they thought I would do well at, but which, when I looked at them, I clearly had no hope of getting an interview for because even I was confident that I could do the job, there was no possible way I could spin my experience into anything that would get me past the resume cut.

How do I reverse this? Clearly its not "the right way" for every job I've had to pay a bit less than the one prior. But the jobs that are the next step up aren't even interested in interviewing me, even with networking contacts saying "you should absolutely consider her, she'd be perfect".

I would take another corporate T&D job, but they don't want to hire me because I've been out of the field too long. I have all the skills to be a project manager, but can't get an interview because I've never held a job with that title (even though I can show that I've done each part of the job responsibility, point by point.)

I should be planning, designing, coordinating, supervising. Instead I'm copying, filing, and typing. How do I get (back) on track?

Suddenly I'm the belle of the ball

matildaben — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 12:07:20 -0800

I find myself in the novel situation, upon being laid off, of having a large number of potential job opportunities. I'm in the tech space, so most organizations work through recruiters, and I'm getting over a dozen calls and emails a day since posting my resume. Many of the job descriptions look like a good fit, so I know I can have my pick of location, type of organization, benefits, salary, etc. It's quite early in my job hunt, and I have the leisure of about 2 months to do it in. I'm looking for tips about how to keep organized and be in control of the situation. I'm keeping a spreadsheet with their contact information and any notes that I have about the opportunity, but I'm already feeling pretty overwhelmed. I probably just need to spend an entire day catching up with everyone on the phone and doing the get-to-know-you conversation. My soon-to-be-previous employer is fully supporting my efforts to job hunt during my last weeks here, so that's not a problem. I'm mainly concerned with keeping good contact with these recruiters, not burning any bridges, remembering which opportunity is which, gleaning the right information to weed the wheat from the chaff, and doing the appropriate follow-through. If you've been through a similar situation, how did you stay organized and keep track of everything? Any potential pitfalls to watch out for?

I'm fully aware of how good this situation is, by the way, and I'm not at all complaining. Believe me, I've been on the other side far too often to take this for granted.

Chasing Paper

craven_morhead — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 13:21:35 -0800

Law student needs job advice. I'll try to keep this short, but I'm a 2nd year law student in the process of trying to figure out my career. I'm interested in litigation, like to write and argue, and don't like working weekends. I'm eying the DC and Denver markets. Top 1/4 of class, top 25 school.

My current plan is to go to a bigger firm, work for 4-5 yrs, and then go prosecute, molding myself into an ace trial lawyer. When I'm done with that, I can write my own ticket and do what I'd like.

Is this realistic? Advisable? I'm trying to find "lifestyle" firms where I'll get interesting work and humane hours; is there anything else I should be considering?