RIM here I (hopefully) come!!!
So I did it. There's no going back. It has been done.
(Ok, there is going back if I really want to, but meh. It's pretty much done, tho.)
I just made the bold decision to try and achieve an Early Match for the job I interviewed for this afternoon. The job is Documentation Services Assistant, and it sounds super-awesome! The interveiw went well, and it just so happens that the manager knows and respects my friend Alyssa, so I get cred for knowing her and because she's been talking me up around the office. Oh, and did I mention that it's at RIM?
For those unfamiliar with the ever-evolving co-op system (i.e. my aunts and possibly Ryan's mom) at UW, I'll explain:
Each school term, students who need co-op jobs apply for them through UW's online system called JobMine. We upload an HTML resume and search through job postings in the online database. When we apply for jobs, the JobMine system automatically attaches our co-op record of employment, our HTML resume, and a transcript of our UW grades. Employers sift through the applications and submit a list of students that they want to interview. Students see these interveiws online and choose an interveiw timeslot from the schedule outlined by the employer. Interviews occur over a period of about 3 weeks followed by Ranking Day. On Ranking Day, students log on to JobMine to see a list of the employers they've interviewed with. If an employer has ranked you as their number One choice you see the word Offer next to that company's name. If they don't want you at all, you see the words Not Ranked. If they want you but you're not their first choice, you simply see Ranked. If you have an Offer that you want to accept, you put the number One next to that company's name. If you don't have an Offer, you put the number One next to the jobs you were Ranked for and hope for the best. The only way you'll get a job you were Ranked for is if the person who was Offered the job doesn't accept it. (Tho if you're like me last term and get 6 Offers, you make this dream come true for 5 people! :oP ) You are not allowed to be stupid and rank a job if you were Not Ranked by the employer.
This term, co-op has decided to try something new and exciting. If you know you definitely want a job, you can rank it number One right away. As soon as the employer submits their rankings (and they're encouraged to submit them ASAP with this new system) if you have a One-to-One match - meaning they gave you an Offer and you ranked the job as number One - then you get that job right away! They check the latest matches every weekday morning and inform both employer and student of any matches by Noon. Once you're matched, you don't attend any of your remaining interviews and your interview spot is given to students on a waiting list.
I have decided that I REALLY want the Documentation Services Specialist job, so I just ranked it as number One.
I did have some trepidation about this decision. I kind of feel like I'll be letting down some employers who've already expressed an interest in hiring me. And I was kind of worried that I'd miss out on a good job if I don't give them a fair shake at an interview. But I know that I really want this job and that it's got more of what I'm looking for than any of the other positions I've applied for. And if I do get pulled from some interviews, it just gives someone else a crack at it! And this way I don't have to lead on any other employers by expressing interest in the interview while knowing full-well that I really want this job that RIM is offering.
(Plus, I'll get to work with my friend Alyssa next term, which is a really awesome bonus.) :o)
(Ok, there is going back if I really want to, but meh. It's pretty much done, tho.)
I just made the bold decision to try and achieve an Early Match for the job I interviewed for this afternoon. The job is Documentation Services Assistant, and it sounds super-awesome! The interveiw went well, and it just so happens that the manager knows and respects my friend Alyssa, so I get cred for knowing her and because she's been talking me up around the office. Oh, and did I mention that it's at RIM?
For those unfamiliar with the ever-evolving co-op system (i.e. my aunts and possibly Ryan's mom) at UW, I'll explain:
Each school term, students who need co-op jobs apply for them through UW's online system called JobMine. We upload an HTML resume and search through job postings in the online database. When we apply for jobs, the JobMine system automatically attaches our co-op record of employment, our HTML resume, and a transcript of our UW grades. Employers sift through the applications and submit a list of students that they want to interview. Students see these interveiws online and choose an interveiw timeslot from the schedule outlined by the employer. Interviews occur over a period of about 3 weeks followed by Ranking Day. On Ranking Day, students log on to JobMine to see a list of the employers they've interviewed with. If an employer has ranked you as their number One choice you see the word Offer next to that company's name. If they don't want you at all, you see the words Not Ranked. If they want you but you're not their first choice, you simply see Ranked. If you have an Offer that you want to accept, you put the number One next to that company's name. If you don't have an Offer, you put the number One next to the jobs you were Ranked for and hope for the best. The only way you'll get a job you were Ranked for is if the person who was Offered the job doesn't accept it. (Tho if you're like me last term and get 6 Offers, you make this dream come true for 5 people! :oP ) You are not allowed to be stupid and rank a job if you were Not Ranked by the employer.
This term, co-op has decided to try something new and exciting. If you know you definitely want a job, you can rank it number One right away. As soon as the employer submits their rankings (and they're encouraged to submit them ASAP with this new system) if you have a One-to-One match - meaning they gave you an Offer and you ranked the job as number One - then you get that job right away! They check the latest matches every weekday morning and inform both employer and student of any matches by Noon. Once you're matched, you don't attend any of your remaining interviews and your interview spot is given to students on a waiting list.
I have decided that I REALLY want the Documentation Services Specialist job, so I just ranked it as number One.
I did have some trepidation about this decision. I kind of feel like I'll be letting down some employers who've already expressed an interest in hiring me. And I was kind of worried that I'd miss out on a good job if I don't give them a fair shake at an interview. But I know that I really want this job and that it's got more of what I'm looking for than any of the other positions I've applied for. And if I do get pulled from some interviews, it just gives someone else a crack at it! And this way I don't have to lead on any other employers by expressing interest in the interview while knowing full-well that I really want this job that RIM is offering.
(Plus, I'll get to work with my friend Alyssa next term, which is a really awesome bonus.) :o)