Much better!
August was ridiculous. I've learned more about recruiting agencies and job sites than I ever knew existed.
Did you know that agencies post fake job ads just to get a bunch of hits from job seekers? For the ones that are mildly interesting, the recruiters follow up with them, get them to sign contracts and then tell them they didn't get an interview. Recruiters contact people with "the perfect job" that they aren't actually qualified for, just to get your information in their system and a contract signed.
If you're looking for a job, stay away from Monster and hide your contact info. I got a few phone calls everyday from people trying to submit me to companies for positions I wasn't even slightly qualified for. I made the mistake of going with one, only to realized that signing a sheet of paper bound me to them forever. If I ever get a job at Intel, there'll be a finder's fee on my head!
Oh, and they can also find and submit you to jobs without you knowing so that if, in the future, you get a job in that company on your own, they can come out of the woodwork and demand 10% of your salary for life.
Anyways, I spent weeks between sadness/anger and little hopes and breakthroughs. I realized that my resume wasn't actually showing up in searches, it wasn't readable (too fancy) and wasn't tailored to a specific job. My profile was also way off as well. This made me so upset--I'd spent the last few weeks doing all the WRONG things. I met someone at Seth's workplace who is a Technical Writer, making a lot of money, with a sick amount of experience and people calling her for legit opportunities all the time. She helped me fix my resume, convinced me to learn some new software, and overhauled my LinkedIn profile.
I went a week with a new hope, but was still missing out due to lack of experience in IT (the 'thing' here in Portland). But by Saturday, and another week of eating noodles and Chef Boyardee, I was down again.
I took a chance and decided to look for a job in social media. I'd spent a year doing it, and not all companies could be as crazy as my last. I googled "Social Media Companies Portland" and emailed the info@address of the top four results. I just sent my resume, stated that I was local and had a degree and a background in social media. The next day (this past Thursday), I got an email asking if I could come in for an interview that afternoon. Holy crap! I read the website, got all my materials together, practiced my pitch and freaked out.
The interview went WONDERFULLY. After taking the train, getting lost, wandering down a dark alley and up an elevetor, I got in to the offices and had a really great conversation with the president of the company. I hadn't prepared for such a carefree interview, but loved not getting stuck or tricked with inane questions. It also helped that I'm comfortable with the industry. I took the train home, and when I got my email open to send a thank you note, I had an offer. A regular workweek, benefits, offices, all that...
I start tomorrow, and I'm both nervous and excited.
I'm also fearful of the drooly office dog. (Yep, they have a dog).
Did you know that agencies post fake job ads just to get a bunch of hits from job seekers? For the ones that are mildly interesting, the recruiters follow up with them, get them to sign contracts and then tell them they didn't get an interview. Recruiters contact people with "the perfect job" that they aren't actually qualified for, just to get your information in their system and a contract signed.
If you're looking for a job, stay away from Monster and hide your contact info. I got a few phone calls everyday from people trying to submit me to companies for positions I wasn't even slightly qualified for. I made the mistake of going with one, only to realized that signing a sheet of paper bound me to them forever. If I ever get a job at Intel, there'll be a finder's fee on my head!
Oh, and they can also find and submit you to jobs without you knowing so that if, in the future, you get a job in that company on your own, they can come out of the woodwork and demand 10% of your salary for life.
Anyways, I spent weeks between sadness/anger and little hopes and breakthroughs. I realized that my resume wasn't actually showing up in searches, it wasn't readable (too fancy) and wasn't tailored to a specific job. My profile was also way off as well. This made me so upset--I'd spent the last few weeks doing all the WRONG things. I met someone at Seth's workplace who is a Technical Writer, making a lot of money, with a sick amount of experience and people calling her for legit opportunities all the time. She helped me fix my resume, convinced me to learn some new software, and overhauled my LinkedIn profile.
I went a week with a new hope, but was still missing out due to lack of experience in IT (the 'thing' here in Portland). But by Saturday, and another week of eating noodles and Chef Boyardee, I was down again.
I took a chance and decided to look for a job in social media. I'd spent a year doing it, and not all companies could be as crazy as my last. I googled "Social Media Companies Portland" and emailed the info@address of the top four results. I just sent my resume, stated that I was local and had a degree and a background in social media. The next day (this past Thursday), I got an email asking if I could come in for an interview that afternoon. Holy crap! I read the website, got all my materials together, practiced my pitch and freaked out.
The interview went WONDERFULLY. After taking the train, getting lost, wandering down a dark alley and up an elevetor, I got in to the offices and had a really great conversation with the president of the company. I hadn't prepared for such a carefree interview, but loved not getting stuck or tricked with inane questions. It also helped that I'm comfortable with the industry. I took the train home, and when I got my email open to send a thank you note, I had an offer. A regular workweek, benefits, offices, all that...
I start tomorrow, and I'm both nervous and excited.
I'm also fearful of the drooly office dog. (Yep, they have a dog).