Ask MetaFilter posts tagged with jobs

How do I prepare for graduate technical interviews in software?

Anonymous — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 16:50:38 -0800

In about six weeks I expect to have a technical interview for a graduate position with MS. What can I do between now and then to be as well prepared as possible? This is my first 'real' interview - I'm just finishing my degree. I have interviewed for jobs like McDonalds and waiting tables, but that seems qualitatively different. The only other application I have made so far was to Google, and I didn't get past their technical phone screen (I did ask for feedback on how I went, but haven't heard anything from them yet). I do have some pretty good work experience, but the interview process for that was all over the phone and seemed ridiculously easy, I don't think there was much competition.

My biggest issue is that I don't really know if I'm good enough - what are they looking for? What do they expect from me? I have honours grades and a bunch of scholarships, but no open-source involvement and I feel like the really impressive guys at uni just know and understand way more than me, at a completely different level. How do I know what kind of position I should be applying for, or if Microsoft/Google/etc are just out of my league? (This is anon because in real life I never admit to that I might be less than capable of anything. I don't mind if I'm recognizable, I just don't want the angst easily linked to my name.)

Current plans:
-I'm going to do some coding (in C++) to make sure I have all the syntax at my fingertips - it's been a while since I've worked in it.
-I just reread my Data Structures and Algorithms textbook, and I'm taking another course in them now
-I'm working on the Google CodeJam problems
-I've been googling 'Microsoft interview' and variations to find all the available info on the type of questions they'll ask, logic puzzles etc.
-I'm also starting my final semester, and have a lot of work to do, so I don't have unlimited time to work with.

I'm looking for MS-specific tips, but also advice for software interviews in general, as I'm sure I'll be interviewing at other places as well.

Jobs that are okay to leave

Anonymous — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 11:03:05 -0800

What jobs are (relatively) okay to leave after a short time? I'm having a tough time psyching up to apply for jobs because I'm not sure I'll stay long. Likely reasons for quitting would be needing to leave the (geographic) area or figuring out what I really want to do and pursuing that. Right now I just need to be working - not in a dream job but something that doesn't make me want to stab myself or others (for me this eliminates telemarketing and probably most call center jobs.)

I know, for example, that the restaurant/food service industry tends to have high turnover rates and lots of people leave after a few months. What (if any) other jobs can I apply for, knowing that I could quit without guilt and/or leaving my employer particularly high and dry? I would absolutely give two weeks' notice and do whatever I could to help train a replacement.

I know temp work seems like an obvious solution, but in my experience it's tough to find temp positions that are short term and not open-ended or temp-to-hire.

I'm in the US, if it matters, with three years of college but no niche career skills.

How do I get from 4th-on-the-list to 'Hired!'?

saguaro — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 02:50:38 -0800

I'm #4 on the eligibility list for a job that I want, and have a 2nd interview in a week. This is the final step in the application process. What can I do to vault myself to the top of the list and land the job? It is a facilities/staff supervisor position for local government. The application process has been long, involving an initial screening, a multiple choice test, a panel interview, and now a 2nd interview. So far every step has been very deliberate and on the impersonal side. For instance the panel interview was conducted from a set list of questions, and my answers were scored. Last week they sent me an email with my score and told me that my place on the eligibility list was 4, out of the remaining 16 applicants (initially there were hundreds). Today they called to set up the interview—it will be less 'formal' and with only 2 interviewers this time—and said that they were only interviewing 4 people from the list. So presumably I'm the underdog.

Like I said, this is a facilities management and staff supervision job, with a public relations facet. Conflict resolution has been stressed as one of the most important issues related to the position, I believe in reference to the public relations/customer service aspect. So I'm prepared for that. I am confident in my qualifications and ability to excel in the position. However, I don't exactly have the strongest resume on the planet^*, and although I'm fairly smooth answering questions I can get rather nervous at the 'Questions for us?' stage of an interview. Any special tips for that? (I have recognized this as a problem though, have two books on the subject, and am preparing. I feel better about it already.)

But what I'm really looking for are ways to appeal to the "Best of the Best" mindset bannered around the HR department. This is a 'famous' community with a high standard of excellence, and they're not hesitant to assert that fact. How can I impress, coming from #4-on-paper? What are my interviewers looking for? For this type of job (entry-level city government), what will set me apart? What can I use to trebuchet to the top of that list? I want this job. I need this job. Help me get it, AskMe!

* No college degree. Meet but do not exceed minimum experience requirements. Plenty of training though, and I was at my last job for 7 years. I'm told that's a big plus, but at interviews so far I've found it means I'm 7 years out of practice.

Where do particle physicists work?

Sneutrino — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 17:16:35 -0800

What fields and jobs/careers, outside of academia and national labs, do PhD experimental and theoretical particle physicists go into? Regarding experimental physicists, I mean ones that didn't specialize in working on hardware in grad school. I'm already familiar with the market for the academia/national lab jobs and I'm more interested in hearing about _examples_ and _categories_ of industry jobs, e.g. cases of going into software (microsoft/google/computational science) quantitative finance, risk modeling, multivariate statistical analyses, etc...

To follow up or not to follow up?

shotgunbooty — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 13:39:25 -0800

To follow up or not to follow up after an interview? I finished up 2 rounds of interviewing for an entry level position a little more than a week ago. Thank you notes have been sent. References given heads up.

Now its the waiting game, and no word yet. HR told me a decision would be made by mid last week. VP told me they want to fill position within 2 weeks of my last interview.

Should I place a follow up call or send a follow up e-mail (in addition to thank you notes having already been sent)? I do not want to come off as insecure or desperate. I also do not want them to think that I don't want the job.

What to do?

Age discrimination in UN hiring?

mirepoix — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 10:45:46 -0800

Why is there an age limit to take the UN's national competitive recruitment exams? Apparently, to take the United Nations' open competitive exam for entry-level junior positions, you can't be older than 32 as of December 31 on the year of the test. (For the next level up on the ladder, there's an age cutoff of 39.)

This hurts, because I will JUST have turned 33 at the end of 2009, with a master's degree that I pursued slightly later in life than many of my peers. Why does an older person seeking a career change get excluded from a junior-level job search? Is this discrimination, or is there some validity to their stance? I couldn't find anything in the exam FAQ other than "them's the rules."

A little lost...

Defenestrator — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 17:15:47 -0800

What does one do with a degree in literature? I just graduated with a degree in literature. I have no doubt that I picked a major that suited me and stimulated me in all the ways that matter.

Now that I have been handed my piece of paper and sent out into the real world however, I'm not sure what to do. What are my options with my degree? I can't exactly work at the English Factory.

I am looking for specific accounts from literature majors or those who have known literature majors, although all responses are welcome.

What did you/they do straight after college? 5 years later? 10 years later?

Thank you all very much in advance.

Does anyone remember a spherical cubicle?

tzikeh — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 20:28:30 -0800

I saw a website or read an article about an ergonomic "cubicle" that was actually a very large, balanced sphere. The person would lie down inside the sphere in a perfectly supporting "chair" (somewhat like a first-class recliner), facing upwards; the keyboard was at lap level, and the monitor hung from the top of the sphere. Now I can't find it. Help?

Should I get a second job? Where?

citron — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 14:32:18 -0800

Should I get a second job, and should I work retail? Suggestions as to where? I have a full-time job now with benefits, I work basically 10 - 6:30, but this is an expensive city (DC) and I'm having a hard time saving money. Since I'm in the web development field, a natural fit would be freelance on content-migration projects. But I've done that and it depresses me to go home and sit in front of a computer alone slogging away at code, after I've just spent 8 hours sitting in front of a computer. What should I do? So, retail? I've never waited tables and don't want to do that. Any retail places you'd recommend to work? Or is there something else part-time that makes sense to look for as a second job, which would get me out of the house, offer evening or weekend hours (I could also do a really early shift ending at or before 10)? I am really good at juggling a lot of small tasks at once and keeping track of all the details.. and a very good copy editor/proofreader. Are there likely to be office temp jobs that are open during the hours outside my regular job, if I go that route?

I can haz job? will travelz.

sully75 — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 16:35:09 -0800

I'm interested in jobs where you go to some possibly unpleasant place, work really hard and come back flush. I just spent 3 weeks hitchhiking in Atlantic Canada and heard of many, many people going to Fort McMurray to work in the oil fields. I also have a friend who works as a merchant seaman, and does well (although he's often gone for 3 months at a time).

What other jobs are there like this? I'm thinking about doing something like this, maybe just for a year, to build some capital for some other projects that I'm working on. But I'd like to know what the possibilities are for situations like this before I commit to one.

For the record I'm healthy and strong. Would prefer to avoid extremely dangerous situations but I've worked in boatyards and with machinery before. I'm pretty handy and can usually fix things, but not a mechanic and don't really understand IC engines. But otherwise I think I'd be good at something like this.

Will shoot for money!

sixcolors — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 11:52:35 -0800

Tips for finding well-paying photography gigs? I started photography as a hobby in 2002. I've been taking a lot of pictures with my point-and-shoot digital and film SLR camera. I got a digital SLR last May. Since then, I've been taking tons of pictures, sometimes over a 100 a day. My confidence has been increasing, and I'm now interested in taking some paid photo gigs.

The problem is that I don't even know how to start. What kind of businesses should I contact? What kind of individuals should I contact? How? Email? Phone? Craigslist? Word of mouth?

Academic Psychology Jobs in Boston

preparat — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 08:06:43 -0800

Boston psychology related jobs: what is the best way to search for them? A friend recently moved to Boston from Tunisia where she completed two Master's degrees in psychology. She is interested in workin in clinical psychology, in an academic setting, and doesn't mind an entry-level type position to start with. Are there any staffing agencies that could help her with this (or non-academic opportunities) in or around Boston? She has yet to obtain any licenses from the state.

Help me find a way to move to Toronto from the US

DoctorFedora — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 21:07:46 -0800

Two Americans a year out of college, hoping to find some way to move to Toronto. Is this even plausible? Toronto sounds like just the place I want to live, after talking about it at length with a friend of a friend today who is from there. The problem is that I don't even live in Canada, and I don't know how to get there from here!

My girlfriend and I both graduated from college in 2006 and 2007 (she in December '06, and I in August '07), she with a bachelor's degree in business administration with a focus on marketing, and I with degrees in each of English and Japanese. She worked in retail for a while after graduation (she moved in with me as I finished up college and worked at the local Sears and volunteered at an animal rehabilitation center), and ever since October, when we both wound up having to go back to live with our respective parents (hundreds of miles apart), she's been working part-time for both her local NPR affiliate and her local food co-op, and I've been working as the Publicity Manager and a technical writer, as well as an administrative assistant.

I've been doing mostly publicity, marketing, writing (both technical and non), editing, simple advertisement and brochure design, and administrative stuff, and would hopefully like to break into the publishing industry (or perhaps journalism or tech or any of a number of other industries), although I'd simply be happy with something reasonably interesting with a non-toxic work environment and the ability to work and live in Toronto. My qualifications involve being good with computers (i.e. I do the extended family's tech support and am familiar with Windows, Mac OS, *NIX, Office, etc., but none of it is certified on paper) and being a rather strong editor, though using Chicago style, for someone a year out of college.

My girlfriend likes working with nonprofits and community involvement, though she also quite enjoys marketing work — there's a reason she majored in it! She's managed many teams in her years in retail, but never held a management position on paper. Like I said, she currently works for her local NPR affiliate, in the marketing department, and at her local food co-op, as a co-op person (i.e. knows how to do pretty much everything around the store).

I guess my question is whether we'd have any chance whatsoever of hoping to find employment in Toronto that would be able to lead to getting visas to live there. I've learned it's hard enough for me to even try to find work in other cities within the United States, and I suspect that it'd be even harder when I'm a foreigner who's freshly out of college. A Canadian buddy of mine recommended looking for a smaller company, in the expectation that they would be less likely to be inundated with applications (i.e. I'd be more likely to be the best qualified for a given position) but I don't even know how to go about that. We each have about $3,000 US in savings, she owns her car outright, and I have about $550 in monthly minimum student loan repayments hanging around my neck.

Help me find a plan of action, hive mind! Please!

How can I get a job at Nike "Online"

swisspotter — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 03:12:10 -0800

How can I get a job at Nike "Online" - I would love to work for one of Nike's websites. Basically I love Nike (dunks especially) and I am really into online marketing and the use of web sites as a marketing tool and added value to a product - Nike have some sweet sites such as the Nike plus site or Nike football - I would absolutely love to work for them on something like - anyone know where to start? Obviously I have looked through their jobs page but there must be other ways or connections.

In terms of experience I work in e business have a year or two of online marketing and I am developing a football website with an IT friend of mine (I am not techincally capable to program, I do the research and marketing etc for it), it's still a work in progress and no where near finished yet.
Anyway, your advice on the job hunt would be much appreciated.

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.

How Can I Help You?

Precision — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 22:55:33 -0800

If you work (or have in recent memory) in a service position, what are the pet peeves/annoyances you remember most that people in general can fix? No matter if you're a dentist, waiter, teacher, or used car salesman, let us know (: I work as a cashier at a major retailer, and there are several things that over the past year (this is only a high school job) have struck me. I no longer *ever* get impatient with a cashier when something goes wrong with the machine or if he or she rings something up wrong. It happens. I try not to count out exact change if it's like $38.97 anymore. Really. That's annoying. Cashiers would much rather give you the $1.03 change than count out your pennies.

So, I was thinking today while bagging dozens of dish towels: What about people in other similarly customer-service oriented jobs?

So, what can I (and others) do to make your job easier? Anything specific, anything general. Anything I can do to make you not think when I leave: "What a douche."

Interestng Jobs in Animal Science?

potch — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 18:02:15 -0800

What sort of jobs are there that involve working with animals, aside from the non-obvious (zoo, vet, dog walker). My friend has a degree in Animal Science, and is wondering what sort o jobs are available to her. What sort of career paths wouldn't a recent grad be thinking of? Thanks in advance!!

Ich bin ein Berliner?

Anonymous — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 14:59:08 -0800

I want to move to Berlin. Is it a good idea? I would like to move to Berlin by the end of this year. I am attracted to the place for many reasons, not least the cultural vitality of the city. I am an EU passport-holder and so can work in Germany without any issues. At present I have a professional accounting job in financial services.

So far so good. Now the downside. I don't speak any German at all. I plan to go to night classes to to get a basic level of proficiency. How vital is it that I can speak business German to get a job there?

What is the market like for jobs in the financial sector there? Particularly for foreigners? I know much of these businesses are located in Frankfurt but there must be some businesses with offices in the capital, right?

How easy is to get an apartment there? Would I have to rent a place or is it straightforward to buy a place?

What other stuff should I know about moving to Berlin as opposed to just going there on holiday?

It would be good to hear from people who are living/ have lived there at some point and the downs as well as the ups of the place.

Posted as Anon as don't want sleuthing colleagues to know my nascent plans.

Barista elbow?!

waltzing astronomers — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 19:23:11 -0800

Help! I am a barista and my elbow hurts! What should I do? My elbow started aching after shifts a couple of weeks ago. It was minor, it would go away within a couple of hours. I started using a lighter tamp, which seemed to help for a while. Yesterday, it hurt for longer. This morning, I adjusted my grind so that I could tamp very lightly, but still, by the end of my shift, almost each time I tamped there was a slight pain in my elbow, much like I had hit my funny bone, but nowhere near as severe. Also, sometimes there is a slight tingling in my hand.

My shift ended at 11AM, it is now 9:15PM and my elbow still feels weird. I suspect that this is a result of putting too much weight on my elbow with hard tamping (which I have quit doing, I've used wimpy tamps for my last few shifts), and from the forceful motion required to wrench the portafilter into and out of the espresso machine each time I pull a shot. I am scheduled to work again tomorrow! This will require much more tamping and wrenching! I'm worried about permanent damage.

What should I do (quitting my job is not really an option right now)?

Should I move to the city I want to get a job in?

JennyJupiter — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 18:14:12 -0800

Should I stay in my current job while I look for a position in a new town or move and search from there? I am in a long distance relationship and we have decided that after nearly two years of driving two hours each weekend to visit each other its time to move in together.
I will be moving to the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia (Harrisonburg) from Northern VA/ DC and am in the process of finding a job. The job hunt is taking much longer than expected(8 months so far)
Would moving to Harrisonburg make the job hunt easier or should I stay put in my well paying, secure position with my current company until I find something new? So far I've had 3 interviews in the area( declined consideration for one position and was not selected for the other two)
Issues that are affecting my descion:
1. Past interviewers were concerned that they cannot offer me a comparable salary to what I currently get. (I understand that the cost of living is less, and I will be making less money)
2. Past interviewers want to know why I would leave "the city" to come to Harrisonburg. (I went to college in Harrisonburg, am in a committed long term relationship, and have family in the area, but this doesn't seem to convince them)
3. Living in the city that I'm searching for a job in might make the interviewing process easier.
4. I'm not entirely comfortable with putting a financial burden on my boyfriend if the job search is more than a couple months.

Why doesn't Steve Jobs wear a belt?

stlboi — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 20:51:09 -0800

Am I the only person to realize that Steve Jobs never wears a belt at these public Apple conferences? Is this part of his "iconic" look or maybe a mistake on his part? I really think not wearing a belt makes his look seem incomplete and gives the impression he wears pajamas 24/7 and just before his Apple events, rushes into some clothes, forgetting his belt before dashing to the stage in a hurry.

Civilian Medical Work for the US Armed Forces?

dougiedd — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 17:44:48 -0800

Wondering if anyone on the threads has any experience with civilian medical jobs for the military or could point to a resource on the web where people might discuss this. In particular I am looking at some medical officer position with the air force overseas. the pay isn't great (though not bad either), but i have reason to want to consider living in a couple locales where they have openings and where otherwise my medical degree would be unusable secondary to licensing reqs.
Things i wonder about: is the work and lifestyle more military or civilian in nature? Could one reasonably be opposed to our war effort and yet work in such a field? how are employees treated in general in your own experience?

Actuarial Jobs For Dummies

dyno04 — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 16:42:21 -0800

My fiancee recently graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics with a specialization in Actuarial Science. She has been searching for a job/internship for the past year and no one will give her anything more than a phone interview. She is a very smart person and graduated with above a 3.6. She is very talented and can do just about anything that gets thrown at her, however she has tried to take the first actuary test 3 times and is studying for number 4. Since almost all the companies she has applied to want one test passed she has been SOL. She has applied for a number of analyst type jobs which have all turned her down also. She has been getting really frustrated and I don't know what to tell her anymore. Is there any other jobs that she should be looking into that would help give her work experience at least until she can pass the first actuarial test?

Pushy job application?

Anonymous — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 19:43:05 -0800

I'm applying for a job at a nonprofit, and the posting says to send apps to the HR director. Is it too pushy to cc: the executive director if I think that him reading it directly would help? I haven't met the Executive Director but know of him because we have similar backgrounds in fields not entirely related to the one in which this organization works. My references are all people who know him personally and have worked with him. Any harm in sending him my resume and cover letter as well?

Applying for a government job (what to reveal in the application and more)

mintchip — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 11:19:52 -0800

Applying for a government job (what to reveal in the application and more) I'm interested in applying for a government job. The job application asks you to reveal any time you were let go from a job within the past five years.

I had been let go from one job, but I was only there a short while and considered the decision "mutual" since they one let me go after I told my supervisor--twice--that I was unhappy with the position. I was able to collect unemployment. I realize it might seem "wrong" to hide it, but frankly the position just didn't work out and I don't want it to hinder me going forward.

1. If I don't reveal this, how likely is it to be found out?
2. If I do reveal this, is it likely to keep me from being considered for the position?
3. Any tips for getting into a state/local government job? Does it help to have connections? The application process seems quite formal so I'm not sure how having connections would help.
4. Anyone here have a state/local government position? How do you like it?

Thanks!