A Moment of Interviewing Zen

Two weeks ago I was working as a temp.  Most of my job consisted of searching online databases for records, and either printing those records, or extracting information and performing data entry in Excel.  Boring.  Well, since I don't want to be a temp forever, I am looking for FT work, as you know.  I snagged an interview two Fridays ago after work.  While riding the train to my interview, I called my friend and she wished me luck.  As I was leaving the train, the man sitting next to me wished me luck also.  Yay!  I was truly moved by his kind words.  I don't know what changed between leaving work and walking into the interview, but a calm washed over me, and it was like I just can't get stressed about this anymore--I will not be stressed about this anymore.  I recognize that I'm in a very fortunate position, where there's someone else picking up most of the financial slack and I'm looking for jobs that make me happy.  Like I said, Zen.

People of the Internet?  Has this happened during your job search, where you've decided that it's not worth the stress?  Obviously, be proactive about seeking out interviews, just don't get worked up about it. 

Happy (Belated) Thanksgiving!

Happy (belated) Thanksgiving!  I might have wished everyone a Happy Thanksgiving on the actually day, but on Thursday, I was doing what I hope many of you were doing: sleeping in, watching the parade, eating delicious food, and spending time with your family.  Sadly, I know that at least one person was working--the recruiter that called me at 9 o'clock in the morning.  She spent her morning working.  That's just a shame.  While it's kind of crappy to not have a job, and I am thankful that I didn't have to think about work on a day that should be spent just thinking about family (and possibly next-day shopping sprees).

People of the Internet, were you working on Thanksgiving, stuffing your face with your family, or both?

Job Search Blues

Hey all, sorry it's been a while.  I've been distracted doing other fun stuff.  But I officially have a case of the job search blues.  Here is my conundrum:  Apparently, I'm overqualified for jobs in a field in which I don't have much experience.  The exact feedback is that I might get bored, and the job wouldn't offer enough of a long-term challenge.  Well, let's analyze this.  Employers think that I might get bored, and don't want to waste their valuable dollars on hiring costs like salary, benefits, time, and on-boarding activities, just to see me walk out the door in a few months.  I suppose that is a legitimate concern.  But I'm undergoing a career change, and I have start somewhere, don't I?

To try and keep my spirits elevated I've thrown myself into volunteer work, and freelance music.  Both of these are awesome and extremely rewarding, but they don't occupy enough of my time.  Fortunately, money isn't the concern right now, it's filling my days that is an issue.  So what's a young, eager, aspiring professional to do?  I'm signed up to take the PHR exam this winter.  Sadly, I don't know if that will help.  I'm worried that I'll still have limited experience, and be more "overqualified" than I am right now.
People of the Internet, how do you occupy your time during your job search?

Life Will Rock You Like a Hurricane

For those of you who don't know what's going on about Hurricane Sandy, you're clearly living under a rock. Good--stay there until the coast is clear.  For those on the East Coast right now, lives are being disrupted due to this natural disaster.  The most important take away for those people is to have an evacuation plan, and plan in place to keep them safe in case disaster strikes.

People need to have an evacuation plan in case of natural disaster, but it's also a good idea to have an evacuation plan for other things...like job searches.  Right now, I'm in the middle of a job search which is going well, but just in case things don't go exactly according to plan, I'm putting together an evacuation plan.  My evacuation plan is to become a freelancer.  In my case, it's freelance work that's unrelated to the field I want to enter, but it's something that I really enjoy, so it's a win-win.  Many people do freelance work, start their own business, or some other self-employed option to kick off a career transition.

People of the Internet, do you have an evacuation plan?  If so, what is it?

You Keep Me Hangin' On

I recently read an article that compared the recruiting experience to dating.  You communicate to see if you're compatible, then you meet in person to verify that your first impression was correct.  If you're a good match, you tell them that you want to continue seeing them, if it wasn't, tell them that it's not going to work out.  If you're a really great person, you might tell them why it's not going to work out, but the most important part is telling them.  Don't keep people hanging.

'You keep me hanging on' was a great song by The Supremes, but is not something that I want to experience in my job search.  If you want me for the job, tell me.  If you don't want me for the job, tell me.  Set me free, why don't ya baby...If you're really great you'll tell me why you don't want me for the job, but I won't hold it against you if you don't.  I get it, people are busy.  Again, the important thing here is communicating.  I just recently had an experience with the company where at the beginning of the process everything was rosy.  They called me for a phone screen within a week of me filling out an online application.  Then invited me for an in-person interview two days later.  At the end of the interview, they said the approximate timeline for hearing about next steps was two weeks.  This was where things went from rosy to brown-colored.  Exactly two weeks later, I emailed requesting a status update.  NOTHING.  A week after that I send a follow up email referencing my previous email and request a status update.  STILL NOTHING.  Finally, I decided to call and left a voicemail.  A few hours later, I get a form email saying, "blah blah blah, not this time deary, but we'll keep you on file."  Had I known a status update was just a phone call away, I would've just called.  My issue here is that this company is like the jerk that you have one or two dates with and then never calls.  And then after weeks, he texts you saying, "it's not gonna work out."  Now I have a negative view of the company, I think that their hiring process is a disaster, their candidate experience is terrible, and they now get the label of HOT MESS.  But maybe I'm overreacting.  People of the Internet, what have been your best recruiting experiences and your worst recruiting experiences?  

Don't Mock Me--Unless It's For An Interview

Mock interviews.  I had a wonderful opportunity to do a mock interview with a recruiter the other day.  Admittedly, it is in her company's best interest to make me as prepared as possible, since they don't collect their fee until they successfully place a candidate.  But I still appreciated the effort they made.  These types of practice interviews are also strongly encouraged on campuses as well as community career centers.  But what about just taking the initiative and asking a friend to do a mock interview with you?  Your friend will only be able to ask questions about the company as it relates to the job description and information readily available on the website, but hey, it's still practice.  

I've always been in favor of mock interviews because practice makes perfect.  This isn't to say that you should have all of your interview answers rehearsed, and that your interview is going to have the feel of someone reciting lines from a play.  However, if you have already thought deeply about your answers and the general tone and delivery in which you want to give them, you'll be more comfortable.  Genuine emotion is great to display during an interview, but being a giant ball of nerves isn't.  If practicing helps dissipate some of those nerves, then go for it.  If you have access to a campus career center or community career center that's great, but if not, ask a friend.  People of the Internet, have you had a recruiter give you a mock interview in preparation for an interview with a potential company?  Have you ever done a mock interview in a campus or community career center?  Are there other resources you recommend, or do you think mock interviews are just a waste of time?  

Keeping in Touch

First of all, let me apologize for my extended absence.  I needed to get away for a little bit, and see an old friend.  An old friend, who, by the way, may be able to help me in my job search.  She isn't making any promises, but she is fairly well connected in her field, so we'll see how that goes.  We're keeping in touch.  She is a good friend, who might also be able to help me out.  Another person who kept in touch with me this past week--a recruiter!  I hadn't connected to this recruiter for nearly four weeks, then out of the blue I get a phone call and email about a wonderful contract job.  Unfortunately, the job isn't easily accessible by public transit, but it was SO nice to be considered.  

I was very impressed by him.  Now, most staffing agencies tell you that they'll keep you in mind for future opportunities, but out of the agencies that I've been in contact with, only three have reached out proactively with potential jobs.  I'm not saying that the onus should be completely on them, but if you say that you're going to reach out, please do that.  That also applies to companies during the recruiting process.  If you give candidates a general timeline for hearing back about next steps, please stick to that timeline, or keep in touch when something changes.  Again, the onus isn't completely on them, but at least be responsive when candidates reach out.  This lack of responsiveness drives me, my friends, and thousands of job seekers up the wall with doubt and anticipation.  

But what do you think, people of the Internet?  Should job seekers be solely responsible for inquiring about potential job opportunities, or should both the job seeker and the agency recruiter shoulder the responsibility?  

Unemployment Discrimination--that is whack!

So, for those of you who live under a rock, unemployment discrimination is typically the discrimination against an applicant based on their status of UNEMPLOYED.  Now that everyone is caught up, some of you might be scratching your heads thinking "is this really a thing"?

OK, so now that you know what unemployment discrimination is, and you can clearly see that it does exist, I hope you also realize that it is whack.  If someone looses their job from the result of a massive layoff, does that make them less qualified than the lucky SOB who didn't loose their job in a layoff?  I don't think so.  Apparently Washington D.C., Oregon, New Jersey, and a small handful of other states don't think so either.  They have enacted legislation banning this type of discrimination in the hopes of breaking the ongoing cycle of continued unemployment.  With millions of Americans out of work, requiring that people have a job to get a job helps no one. It doesn't help job seekers, it doesn't help companies, and it doesn't help the economy.  Potential thoughts as to why companies would engage in such a despicable practice?  Perhaps they have this unfounded notion that employed people are just better than unemployed people.  Or they think that by snagging the passive candidate--possibly from a competing company--will give them a competitive advantage.  Or even this, they don't want to invest any resources in training and development, so they think a currently employed person will have a current and identical skill set as the job they're trying to fill.  I personally think that it's a combination of all three.  Sadly, as I said before, this type of thinking perpetuates long term unemployment, which isn't good for anyone.  The is a lose-lose-lose situation.    

People of the Internet, what are your thoughts?  Is your advice to just settle down and keep looking, and work harder to find a job?  Can you provide a good reason that a company would choose a currently employed applicant over an employed applicant?  Do you think that unemployment discrimination exists? Would you support legislation banning discriminatory language in job postings, as well as banning this type of discrimination in hiring practices?  

Dreaming Wide Awake

So, I had a moment of panic today.  I was tempted to apply for a job across the country for a company I'd love to work for, in a city I eventually want to live in.  Sounds great, right?  Well, I actually applied for job this before.  Well, except then it was a full-time job.  This new one is the same position but part-time.  Ok.  Not too bad.  Well, the pay being offered is slightly less--still generous for a part-time job--but less than the full-time position.  Ok. Part-time usually pays less than full-time.  Well, it's only a temporary position with no promise of extension ..STOP.  Stop rationalizing a bad situation.  Stop dreaming while you're wide awake.  There was a job you really wanted but you didn't get it.  If the same job or a better job with that company opens in the future in that location, great, apply again.  But don't settle for the same job title, but worse job.  In this situation, I was considering taking a lower paying, part-time, temporary position with no promise of extension in another city, but was rationalizing it by saying it's the same job title with the same company.  This is not the same job, this is a worse job.

We all recognize that the job search is difficult.  There's lots of people searching for work, and their search takes a long time.  CNN states job search is +6 months for over 5 million people.  So, keep doing what you need to do.  If that means blasting hundreds of jobs a day on major job boards, do that--actually don't do that, that's probably not going to get you anywhere.  Try a more targeted approach.  Create a search agent on Simply Hired or Indeed, even Monster and Career Builder, and let the jobs come to you.  Are you eligible for unemployment?  Make sure that you file your claim, keep a work search record, and certify on time.  Connect with agency recruiters.  Recruiters may have access to jobs that you don't know exist, so connecting with them is a great way to get your resume out there.  Finally, keep networking.  In today's competitive job market, a great way to beat the resume black hole aka ATS programs, is to know someone (or know someone who knows someone) on the inside, that can physically walk your resume over to the recruiter, or at least tell them to be on the look out for you.  But whatever you do, stop dreaming wide awake and rationalizing about what once seemed like the perfect job, but is now nothing more than settling.  People of the Internet, have you been faced with a decision to settle or hold out for something better?  What did you decide?  What were the factors that swayed your decision?
*Disclaimer, I  recognize that everybody's situation is unique and they may have different needs and responsibilities and thus may need to take less a desirable position in the interim*

Keep Dreaming/Do People Still Read?

So, I had two phone interviews this week.  I thought that they both went fairly well.  Well, I know that they went fairly well because I was invited to in-person interviews for both.  Yay!  So, while I will happily keep dreaming that they turn into job offers eventually, I'm currently telling illiterate recruiters to keep dreaming.  I was contacted by phone and email by five recruiters this week.  The first was for an account management position.  I asked for more information because it sounded like a Sales position, and I'm not interested in Sales.  Her response said "it's an Account Manager position."  Well, that was super helpful.  I told her I was declining her offer.  She writes back inviting me to reschedule.  Keep dreaming.  Next I get contacted about a position which requires a Ph.D. and experience in Engineering.  I don't have either of those.  Keep dreaming.  Next I get contacted by two recruiters for HR Technology Analyst positions.  One I was not remotely qualified for, and write back telling her as such.  Her response is, "Well, just send me your resume, and I'll present it to the client to make that decision."  I acquiesced, and have not heard back.  The other recruiter called, and told me the position was in the NW suburbs.  I live in the city and don't have a car.  I said that is not an area that is easy to commute to and that I was not interested in relocating.  He then sent me an email with the job description.  Keep dreaming.  Finally, a woman called me stating "based on my education and experience she had a position that I might be interested in."  It was a customer service position, and it paid $11/hour.  Please note, I have a graduate degree in business.  I politely told her to keep dreaming.

So, based on all of these interactions, I've determined the underlying pattern is that none of them read anything--not the job description, my emails, nor my resume.  Perhaps people just don't read anymore.  The woman with the account management position clearly didn't read my response asking for more information about the position, nor did she read my second response stating that I was not interested.  The next two recruiters clearly didn't read the job descriptions for the jobs they were tasked to fill because I was not remotely qualified.  Yes, they're likely using keyword scanners, but why not bother reviewing that stack of screened candidates' resumes before contacting them.  The next encounter is more an issue of not listening rather than not reading, but still, I said I wasn't interested based on the location because I can't commute there.  Since the location of the company won't change, and I said I was not open to relocating, why send me an email?  The final woman clearly didn't read my resume before she called because my education and work experience does NOT match that of an entry-level CSR position. 

I understand that sometimes when someone doesn't take the hint, it's them being tenacious, but shouldn't that tenacity be reserved for when someone has at least expressed some interest in the position?  If a recruiter contacts you and doesn't take the hint that you're not interested, which you dropped by stating "I'm not interested/qualified," the next step is to tell them to take a hike (politely, of course). 

So, I ask you, people of the Internet, have you had an experience with an illiterate recruiter?

Can I Get a Little Wish Fulfillment Over Here?

Well, apparently it's not time just yet for my wishes to be granted--but, a good friend of mine just found a job that he really likes in publishing.  Happily, he found the other wish fulfillment people--not genies (recruiters)--connections.  A friend of a friend of his works at this publishing house.  Miraculously, she works on the same team as this open position.  So, while he still had to apply online, he was able to list her as a referral, and he had someone on the inside championing him as a candidate.

So, that's the other piece of the puzzle these days--working with a recruiter/staffing agency, or even better, having an in with the company.  This isn't news.  People have always known that it helps to have a friend who works at the company.  But what if you don't know anyone at the company?  Are you sure you don't know anyone at the company?  Have you looked on LinkedIn?  LinkedIn is a great way to connect with people professionally, and sometimes might be a leg up in the recruitment process.  How did my friend find out that his friend's friend worked for this particular publishing house?  Uh...LinkedIn?--CORRECT!  So, if you wanna get some wish fulfillment of your own, connect with a recruiter, or better, a friend--or a friend of a friend--that works for the company.

People of the Internet, please share your experiences with LinkedIn.  Have your connections helped you get a job?  Have you helped someone you know on LinkedIn get a job?  Or do you rebuke LinkedIn with every fiber of your being and think that it's just hype?

We All Need a (Jeannie) Genie

Now, I don't mean that we need a genie to grant all of our wishes with various zany outcomes, who eventually falls in love with us.  I do mean that we all want/need someone in our lives that has the ability to make our wishes and dreams come true.  Like the blog states, I'm currently dreaming of jobs, and fortunately for me, I have found modern day genies.  I have found recruiters.  If only it were as simple as them saying "your wish is my command," folding their arms, and blinking my perfect job into existence.

Now, I've never worked with a staffing company before, but in the short time that I have been looking for a new job, I've found that they fall into two general categories.  1) Recruiters who cut to the chase, negotiate salary immediately, then say they''ll get back to you, but you never hear from them again, not even a "no, it's not going to work out."  I'm left feeling a bit cold and bereft.  Was it good for you?  2) Then, there are recruiters who actually seem to care about you as a person, as well as filling their jobs and satisfying their clients' needs.  They treat this more like a relationship.  Maybe it's naive of me to think that they care about you as a person, but let me elaborate.  I'm talking about recruiters who talk to you for more than 15 minutes, and try to gauge if you're a good fit for the position they're currently recruiting for, and will (or at least say they will) keep you in mind for future positions.  These are recruiters that recognize that a good fit for you and the company is better for all parties involved.  But hey, what do I know, I'm new at this.  People of the Internet, what has your experience been with recruiters/staffing agencies?  Which side of the fence have you been on, and can you offer some insight into this world?

I Dream of Jobs

Last night, I was trying to get to sleep, and all I could think about was the jobs that I applied to during the day.  I decided to settle in for the day and concentrate, and I applied for 14 jobs over the course of seven hours.  That's an average of two jobs an hour.  Now, to the casual observer, that doesn't seem like that many.  But when you get down into it, you realize that the process for applying to most jobs goes like this: locate position you're (mostly) qualified for, click "apply," set up required profile, enter in all the information from your resume manually, navigate to actual job application, upload resume, submit application.  Rinse repeat.

It's not like this for all jobs.  Some jobs it's just submit your resume and cover letter to this email address and hope someone looks at it.  But for many jobs, it's the above process, for which I pose the following question, "in the thousands/tens of the thousands of dollars you spent on your ATS program, why does your text import not work"???  Many ATS programs have this import capability, so why do I have to enter in the information manually?  Or my new favorite scenario, the import only kinda works, so I still end up entering in most of the information manually or adjusting the formatting.  It's SO frustrating.

I know, I know, I get it.  You want us to set up a profile so you have all of the information on file, as well as to make it easier on us if we're applying to multiple jobs within your organization--at least that's the line you give everyone to get them to accept the clunky software.  So, people of the Internet I ask you, what ATS have you had experience with that (mostly) works like it is supposed to?