Follow-Ups

Not really a whole lot going on right now. I just received a response from a small paper in Michigan. I applied about two weeks ago for a General Reporter Position, and since I’d always received a response from employers within a couple of days of my inquiry, I figured it was a lost cause. However, just yesterday I received an email from the editor, saying my resume was given to her by the publisher and would I be available for an interview? She described the job in a bit more detail than in the original advertisement. I’m not really getting my hopes up, but perhaps I’ll at least get an interview out of this one.
I always send out a follow-up email a week or so after I apply, and this may have helped in this case. So, even if you are not chosen for an interview initially, follow-ups and thank you notes are a definite must. And they occasionally pay off!

Good point

I definitely agree with the entry regarding the downside of temps. I have had similar experiences..where an assignment ended early, or where temps were “no longer needed”. They are a temporary fix when you are unemployed, hence the name; but some temps are not reliable.
On another note, I would like to start a topic for any entry-level workers to respond to..what field did you begin in after college? Are you still in that field? Do you have any suggestions for entry-level graduates?

Getting Leads

If we could just get the name of the right person in that particular company. You know, the one who’s in the know about certain things. The one who can connect you to the right people or point you in this direction instead of that. The one who can provide the hints about which doors just might lead to Opportunity. There is a way to find the name of that person. It’s a form of passive networking. It’s called reading.

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I Won’t Be Coming Back

The words were uttered between clenched teeth under a cool, regulated, muted voice. “I won’t be coming back.” The words were stern and unequivocating.

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Patience is a nice virtue…

Friday, December 23! ‘THE DAY’ the mission of Belgium was going to make their decision: hire me or not? While I was unctuously waiting for the call all morning, my cell phone rings at precisely 11:30 am. I ran to the phone: ‘Hello?? Hm… OK… I understand! OK, Bye’. (4 minutes)
The woman told me that they received some more applications during the week and they need to give those people a change too! So, the interviewing process will take a bit longer! She said I’m a good and strong candidate, but for everybody’s sake they need to see all candidates! She told me in an informal way not to worry! However, I wouldn’t exclude the possibility that there are more strong candidates! I prefer to stay realistic than getting my hopes up and getting disappointed at the end!
Because of the fact that the ambassador and some other people are going back to Belgium for the holidays, the process will be over by mid January. So, waiting again!!
Nothing bad happened, at all! But, being hired by the UN the day before Christmas eve??? That would have been the best present ever!!
Anyway… I’m staying positive!! I might even go back to Belgium for new years! Waiting for an answer –> I can do that everywhere! And, if they hire me I have to go back anyway to pick up my new visa! Plus, making some money in Belgium before I move to Manhattan can’t be bad at all .
Let’s keep our fingers crossed!!! I wish everyone a merry Christmas and a happy new year!! May all your wishes come true, and so much more!! May you all find a job you like, and pays more than what is fair

Common Thread

Our new CollegeRecruiter.com Insights by Candidates Blog launched only a couple of weeks ago, and already there are dozens of entries by college students and recent graduates who are unemployed, underemployed, and employed. When you read through the entries, a common thread emerges. Many seem to recognize the critical importance of getting great work experience prior to graduation and, when presented with a good opportunity, not to get greedy by holding out for the perfect opportunity.
I do not advocate that candidates should automatically accept the first job offered to them. To the contrary, as such jobs are often poorly suited to the candidate’s credentials. If they are overqualified for the job, they’ll be bored and likely will quit after only weeks or months. Not exactly a great resume builder. On the other hand, if they’re underqualified, they’ll be stressed and will likely be fired. Again, not exactly a great resume builder. Candidates must research their competencies, interests, and values to determine which industry they wish to target. Then they need to research that industry to determine which organizations to target. Then they need to research those organizations to determine which departments to target. Then they need to identify decisionmakers within those departments and network with them. If that sounds like a lot of work, well, it can be. But professionals spend about one third of their working lives on the job, so isn’t it worth the investment in yourself?
Life is simply too short to accept a job which is not a great fit. There are so many jobs out there. And because we live in a free country with a robust economy, we all have choices. Don’t settle and don’t over reach. Find a good job, not necessarily the perfect job, and invest in yourself. For an investment in yourself is probably the best investment you can ever make.

Temping? Research the agency.

The seasonal job that I took is over with now. Overall, it was not too bad. The work was easy enough, just putting small boxes into a large rack. We had to work quickly, but things never hit the frantic pace retail outlets go through the same time of year. The long hours and the cold (did I mention this all took place inside of an industrial-size freezer?) will not be missed. However, I am glad that I stuck around until the end.
Not everyone who initially signed on for the position stayed, and a dozen or more people from temp agencies had to be brought in. They, along with a recent posting in this blog, reminded me of my own brief time as a temp. It was there that I learned the most valuable lesson about working for temp agencies-never work for temp agencies.
Maybe that is going a bit far. Certainly, some have found work, even good work in this manner. But to get the whole picture, all kinds of stories are needed, good and bad. It could have just been the agency I worked for, but my temping experience was anything but fulfilling.
What got me interested in this agency in the first place was the selection of jobs they had, or at least claimed to have. Around fifty different postings were listed on their website alongside claims of “flexibility” and “we’ll match you up with the perfect job for you!” Plus, they run a multitude of ads in the Sunday papers. But when I started, they just called me up and told me where to go without giving me any choice in the matter. The one time that I asked for a different assignment , they told me that they did not have any other jobs, and sent me anyway. That job required experience/knowledge I did not possess, which makes me wonder if they even READ the lengthy sheet they made me fill out detailing what I could and could not do. So I spent half of that shift just learning the basics of what to do and the other half fumbling around like an idiot trying (and failing) to keep up just halfway decently with the others. I was not asked to return the next day. So much for matching me up with my “dream job” there. Not knowing what I would be doing the next day made me uneasy to begin with. After that incident, the feeling increased drastically. Driving all over the city for next to nothing is no fun either, but it could have been worth it were there not one major flaw that every single assignment I got had in common. The same story was true for all the other temps I met at all the companies I worked for. There was no chance at all that any of us would be permanent. Most of my assignments lasted one day, and that was all that the clients intended. Just like those guys in the freezer, brought in when needed and then booted out the door. My last assignment took me to a place ONE HOUR from where I live, only to find out the client had CANCELLED the temp help. I returned home in a…let us just leave it at “unhappy” mood to find my then current employers name on my caller ID. They had been kind enough to call and inform me of the cancellation after all…FIFTEEN MINUTES before the job was supposed to start! To be fair, I do not know who’s fault that was, the agency or the client. Either way, it was good in the long run, for the incident provided the necessary motivation to finally get my old job back and, with surprising calmness, quit the agency. Sorry if that turned into a bit of a rant, but temping was the worst job experience of my life-yes, worse than fast food. That rant did not even cover half of it. Do not make my mistake. If you want to try this line of work, do what you should do on any potential employer-research. What kinds of jobs do they have? What percentage of employees find permanent work? Do they give you options on where to go? Most of all, talk to people. Although I am not trying this again through anybody, I have heard great things about other agencies. I have since spoken to others who worked for the same agency I did, and the responses have always been negative. Hey, maybe if I had talked to all those people beforehand, I would be writing glowing praises for the occupation. Doubt it, but it is possible. After hearing so many praises for temping, including a front page article in the job section of my local paper, I just needed to tell my story.

CollegeRecruiter.com Wins Best Blog Awards

Recruiting.com just announced the category winners for the 2005 Best Blog awards. CollegeRecruiter.com was nominated in three categories and we won two of them.

Be prepared for these questions!

After 15 months of the interview process, these 10 questions appeared in almost every job interview I attended. If anyone could post their creative answers to these questions, it would be most helpful and much appreciated.
What are your weaknesses?
Why should we hire you?
Why do you want to work here?
What are your goals?
Why did you leave (Are you leaving) your job?
When were you most satisfied in your job?
What can you do for us that other candidates can’t? What makes you unique?
What are three positive things your last boss would say about you?
What salary are you seeking?
If you were an animal, which one would you want to be?
I would also like any comments on questions that have stumped you in the past.

Traffic Jam Perks

I recently returned from a 10-day road trip that encompassed the better part of most of the western states. As to be expected, Nevada and southern California had gorgeous weather and I joined in on the local tradition of wearing shorts and flip flops in December. However, on the trek back up to Seattle, I discovered that Portland had been hit by a monster storm, and the rain on the roads had frozen. The freeway was a verifiable ice skating rink. Being that Northwesterners are prepared for rain, not ice on their roads, traffic was backed up for miles. People started to exit their cars and hike up the freeway to see what what exactly was causing the delay.
Conforming with herd mentality, I too hopped out of the car and shuffled up the freeway to see that my desired exit was being blocked by intimidated drivers too afraid to move another inch on the ice. They had shut their cars off and were hesitant to clear the way. The scene was complete chaos as people bellowed, honked, and huffed at each other. I was standing next to my car when a fellow motorist turned pedestrian slipped on the ice next to me. Frantically grasping for support, she grabbed hold of my arm and we both toppled over onto the icy ground below. After profuse apologies and finding our feet again, she made a remark that she’d be writing about this experience. She further revealed that she was a writer/editor for a Washington newsletter. I mentioned my experience with editing and we continued our conversation in the midst of the honking and bitter cold. By the time traffic started to move again, we had exchanged e-mail addresses and I have since sent her my resume. She recently contacted me about some potential writing opportunities and I’m thrilled.
Opportunities for jobs or great connections don’t always present themselves in the forms you may think. Always keeping a keen eye out for possible opportunities is something you cannot take a break from. One thing can always lead to another, no matter how minute the initial starting point may seem. The moral of my long-winded story is that anyone, anywhere can provide a connection to what you are looking for, even a klutzy stranger on an icy Portland freeway.