# SD Job-Seekers' Support Group **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 26, 2008, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sd-job-seekers-support-group/446955 "2008-04-26T11:58:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 48
**Author:** ![Dusty\_Rose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ba8739/32.png) [@Dusty\_Rose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dusty_Rose)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2009, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sd-job-seekers-support-group/446955/941 "2009-06-10T23:27:23Z")
> [@Sir\_T-Cups](#): > > Yeah, and that makes sense and all, but keep in mind that my resume sucks, and pretty much looks worse every day that I don’t have a job. How else am I going to stick out from the hundreds of other resumes you have? > > Calling is all I have. Well I don’t care, I still don’t believe you’re an idiot. Like you said, you’re used to NOT being able to get through to a person, and I STILL think you’re best off following the directions the ad gives you. If it would make you feel better, why don’t you call back? Maybe you’ll get put right through to her again, and you won’t be caught off-guard this time. Plus, hiring managers are human, too. I sure they are taking into consideration gaps in employment right now. So don’t be too hard on yourself, eh? The whole world will kick you in the teeth… SOMEBODY’S gotta be nice to you- let it be yourself. 🙂 **Uncle Brother Walker** - are you sure it’s the medical? In some states, severance packages can affect when or if you get unemployment. I’m just throwing that thought out there. I could be wrong. ---
**Author:** ![groo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecd19e/32.png) [@groo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/groo)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2009, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sd-job-seekers-support-group/446955/942 "2009-06-11T06:26:12Z")
I hope I’m not speaking out of turn, but I participate in skills assessments for interviews (i.e., I’m not HR; I do targeted interviews for people I’m trying to fit into my team or some of the teams I work with, primarily focused on evaluating their technical credentials). It may suck to leave follow-up voicemails or e-mails without getting responses, but I think you should do it anyway, because everyone else is going to do it. Also, I’m only saying this for myself, but it feels like everything is terrifying and chaotic these days. So one thing that jumps out at me when I read resumes is if people convey that they are all about adaptability. I want to consider them, even if they don’t fit all the line items I was looking for; they’ll fill in their own gaps. I try to draw it out during interviews, but if you can throw in, “I was really doing qual testing, but the group doing the integration didn’t really leave enough documentation of how to bring up the system, so I brought in a Wiki server and showed several of the main guys how easy it was, and we ended up reducing overall downtime during shift changes.” That’ll impress me (and was an actual example). Wiki =/= rocket science, but getting people to do change their habits for the better is a big deal to me. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2009, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sd-job-seekers-support-group/446955/943 "2009-06-12T03:30:50Z")
> [@groo](#): > > It may suck to leave follow-up voicemails or e-mails without getting responses, but I think you should do it anyway, because everyone else is going to do it. I pretty much am still. I figure there are more people who are doing the “apply than call” strategy, the only thing I try to do is outdo them with my persistence. Since my goal is to move to a different city (in Indy now, want Chicago…but don’t have enough money to move straight away) I try to convey how hard a worker I can be, and how eager I am to prove what I am worth. Also, I haven’t had an interview in…oh almost a year ago (that long? :(:() but in an interview I will definitely say something to the effect of “Hire me full time, pay me whatever (I am cheap!) and if I don’t fit the bill in 5 or 6 months…fire me.” I have no problems being fired if I do not work to a business’s expectations. In short, I’ll do almost anything to be hired. I guarantee you once I am on board you will not regret it. (Why can’t a company hear this!!?!!?) ---
**Author:** ![barking\_frog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/96bed5/32.png) [@barking\_frog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barking_frog)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2009, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sd-job-seekers-support-group/446955/944 "2009-06-12T05:45:45Z")
> [@Sir\_T-Cups](#): > > Also, I haven’t had an interview in…oh almost a year ago (that long? :(:() but in an interview I will definitely say something to the effect of “Hire me full time, pay me whatever (I am cheap!) and if I don’t fit the bill in 5 or 6 months…fire me.” I have no problems being fired if I do not work to a business’s expectations. > > In short, I’ll do almost anything to be hired. I guarantee you once I am on board you will not regret it. > > (Why can’t a company hear this!!?!!?) I don’t think that’s the kind of attitude that most employers want to hear - desperation. I know it’s difficult, but telling them “fire me in half a year if it doesn’t work out” isn’t exactly the confidence most people seek. For the job seekers here, I’m going to recommend the book Knock 'Em Dead: The Ultimate Job Search Guide. Not only is the advice excellent, but it is extremely comprehensive. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2009, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sd-job-seekers-support-group/446955/945 "2009-06-12T16:36:04Z")
I thought that _was_ confidence, since I’m putting myself on the line. ---
**Author:** ![barking\_frog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/96bed5/32.png) [@barking\_frog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barking_frog)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2009, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sd-job-seekers-support-group/446955/946 "2009-06-12T20:11:17Z")
You’re putting yourself on the line, but what about the company? Companies know that they are taking a risk when hiring someone, you don’t need to _reinforce_ that, you need to _alleviate_ that, and tell them exactly why you will make a good fit for that specific position. That’s the kind of confidence and professionalism they seek. From Knock 'Em Dead, the company is considering an investment that will run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars if you work out, and tens of thousands of dollars if you don’t – hardly a casual event. ---
**Author:** ![barking\_frog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/96bed5/32.png) [@barking\_frog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barking_frog)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2009, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sd-job-seekers-support-group/446955/947 "2009-06-18T21:43:39Z")
Just want to give an update of good news here. I’ve been applying for a 4-month co-op position for the fall. My school has the largest co-op program in North America, and there’s more than 30% fewer postings than normal for the fall term. I just learned that I have three offers for positions in Philadelphia, Toronto, and Vancouver. So there is still hope out there! ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2009, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sd-job-seekers-support-group/446955/948 "2009-06-18T22:23:15Z")
> [@barking\_frog](#): > > Just want to give an update of good news here. > > I’ve been applying for a 4-month co-op position for the fall. My school has the largest co-op program in North America, and there’s more than 30% fewer postings than normal for the fall term. I just learned that I have three offers for positions in Philadelphia, Toronto, and Vancouver. So there is still hope out there! Woohoo! That sounds _very_ promising. Good luck! ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sd-job-seekers-support-group/446955/949 "2009-06-19T03:29:37Z")
Finally, something good for someone! ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sd-job-seekers-support-group/446955/950 "2009-06-19T14:47:36Z")
Hey I need advice. So there is a great job that I am barely qualified for (as always), but really really really want. I have applied for this job about a year ago and after months of followups and continually being ignored I finally got an E-mail that said “we have hired, go away.” I kept the E-mail address of the woman who contacted me in case I need something from her in the future (trust me, I REALLY want this job). I have actually mailed her recently about a position, and got an answer back fairly quickly, so the mail still works. This job has been posted on the company’s website once again, although I don’t know when. The problem is the copy they wrote about the requirements have slightly changed. Aside from just “A bachelor’s degree” they now have a minimum 3.0 GPA listed. This is a problem, because I came _close_ to that in college, but unfortunately didn’t get there. Kind of problem 2: Right now I live in Indianapolis, and I am actively looking for a job in Chicago, which is where this is located. I applied for the job anyway and sent of an E-mail saying basically “Hey remember me, I tried for this position before, I want to E-mail you to stick out”. In the rare chance she would say “Yeah I remember you. Call me so we can arrange for you to come on in” how should I deal with the GPA problem? Should I mention it in the call? Should I ignore it and hope it doesn’t come up? Should I ignore it and hope that if it does come up I will be far enough to sufficiently impress her with my skills/personality? Normally I wouldn’t mention it and plead the 5th if it would come up, but my hesitation lies in the job’s location. It is about a 3 hour trek to Chicago from Indy, not to mention I would have to take an entire day to do this. Then you think about paying for gas, organizing the time for the commute, the added stress of an interview…etc. I don’t want to go all the way up there just to have this come up within 20 minutes, then turn around and come back. I have had interviews like that before, I hate that. So any advice dopernation? ---
**Author:** ![Eutychus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Eutychus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eutychus)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sd-job-seekers-support-group/446955/951 "2009-06-19T16:00:44Z")
Well, here’s my deal. I was a printer for 14 years; ran a Mark Andy 5150 7 color die cutting flexo press until the company decided to close the local plant. They offered that I could go with my press when they transferred it to Wisconsin, but for various reasons I’m pretty much rooted in the Rhode Island area. Found a job last year with a company that said they were getting a flexo press in and needed people to run it. Turns out the deal went south on them and they didn’t get it (which left a LOT of bad feelings on the people they had aready hired to run it.) They kept me on as a feeder on a Heidelberg Offset with the idea that they were going to train me on that, but then their business went south as well and I got laid off again. So, now I’m unemployed again. Since printing jobs have pretty much dried up in RI, I’ve been going back to school and reinventing myself. I’m working on a Certificate in website design with the thought of possibly starting my own design shop and seeing where that takes me. Or if not, to at least expand my skills to something that might be more fruitful in this area than printing. So … questions? Comments? Pirate jokes? ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sd-job-seekers-support-group/446955/952 "2009-06-19T16:33:22Z")
> [@Crawlspace](#): > > How about the last person in line calls out the color of the cap of the person in front of him, let’s say it’s blue. This gives him a 50/50 shot of getting it right and assures the second person will be saved. The second person, knowing the color of his own hat and that of the person in front of him, either states “Blue” if they have the same color cap or “Blue?” in an inflected tone if they have different color caps. Everyone but the first person is assured of being saved. It’s a programming question so changing your voice is kind of not in the spirit of the question. [Here’s the answer.](http://www.techinterview.org/Solutions/fog0000000103.html) > [@Sir T-Cups](#): > > I thought that was confidence, since I’m putting myself on the line. No. All you are offering is the company can fire you if you don’t work out. And they can do that without your consent so you aren’t really offering anything. Desperation is never a good thing. I’m fairly unsympathetic anyway as a hiring manager. Ok, so you need a job. So does this other guy. The guy who is going to do the best job is going to get it, not the one who “needs” it most. Focus more on what you bring to the table. ---
**Author:** ![barking\_frog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/96bed5/32.png) [@barking\_frog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barking_frog)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2009, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sd-job-seekers-support-group/446955/953 "2009-06-20T17:50:05Z")
> [@Khadaji](#): > > Woohoo! That sounds _very_ promising. Good luck! Thanks! I accepted the offer in Philly and I’m really excited about it. It’s going to be the most challenging and that’s why I chose it. **Sir T-Cups** , I wouldn’t worry about a GPA requirement. At the job I just accepted they also listed a minimum GPA on the job description, which was above my cumulative GPA. During the first interview I was asked what marks I have. I answered truthfully and went onto the next question. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2009, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sd-job-seekers-support-group/446955/954 "2009-06-20T18:59:45Z")
> [@barking\_frog](#): > > Thanks! I accepted the offer in Philly and I’m really excited about it. It’s going to be the most challenging and that’s why I chose it. > > **Sir T-Cups** , I wouldn’t worry about a GPA requirement. At the job I just accepted they also listed a minimum GPA on the job description, which was above my cumulative GPA. During the first interview I was asked what marks I have. I answered truthfully and went onto the next question. Fantastic! Philly is not too far from me and I think Twickster is in the area too. Good luck with this new opportunity. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2009, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sd-job-seekers-support-group/446955/955 "2009-06-21T15:38:06Z")
> [@barking\_frog](#): > > Thanks! I accepted the offer in Philly and I’m really excited about it. It’s going to be the most challenging and that’s why I chose it. Yay! Let us know when you get here – we can usually pull together at least a few folks for a dinner or suchlike. ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2009, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sd-job-seekers-support-group/446955/956 "2009-06-21T15:45:55Z")
Has anyone in this thread been to a job fair? If so, is it helpful or productive to go to one? ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2009, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sd-job-seekers-support-group/446955/957 "2009-06-22T01:05:45Z")
> [@vivalostwages](#): > > Has anyone in this thread been to a job fair? If so, is it helpful or productive to go to one? My experience in job fairs is they are looking for salespeople. They will give you a territory, you will sell their product within it. ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2009, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sd-job-seekers-support-group/446955/958 "2009-06-22T01:26:37Z")
> [@Sir\_T-Cups](#): > > My experience in job fairs is they are looking for salespeople. > > They will give you a territory, you will sell their product within it. I had a feeling it might be like that. That’s why I didn’t go to the one they had around here yesterday. As it turns out, 2000 people showed up for a handful of jobs (as far as I could tell, said jobs were offered by So Cal Edison, the military, and a temp agency or two). The rest of it was resume writing and interviewing skills seminars. So…I am starting medical terminology class tomorrow, with more classes to follow and possibly a health careers direction, since part-timing it and hanging by a thread at a college “supported” by a state that’s broke doesn’t seem like such a good idea. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2009, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sd-job-seekers-support-group/446955/959 "2009-06-22T17:37:56Z")
Some more belated congrats to **barking frog**! I truely think you are the first person to have a positive result in at least 6 months of me reading this thread. Hope for us all. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2009, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sd-job-seekers-support-group/446955/960 "2009-06-23T02:52:51Z")
Very minor/small update: I sent another E-mail to the woman who is the contact for current job that I REALLY REALLY REALLY want. I got one later today saying “T-cups, thank you for your continued interest, we are reviewing applicants and can’t talk to everyone personally. Thanks” Given that she used my name…that was to me personally…so hopefully I got through a little… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sd-job-seekers-support-group/446955.md?page=47) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sd-job-seekers-support-group/446955.md?page=49)