Job search strategy discussion thread

Precisely. I took a minor pay cut (overall, combo of hours and hourly rate, though my hourly rate went up) to move from the gas station to one of my present two jobs, in exchange for no-nights-no-weekends and an insanely less stressful work environment (the desk job at the Dean's Office of my school is the easiest job i've ever had, and pays more than the fast-paced gas station)

I still need to be a little wary of taking too much of a pay cut. A quarter or so less per hour for slightly less than full time is acceptable. A whole dollar less for 15 hours a week isn't. And this job's minimum pay is 20 cents more than my current wage, which is only as high as it is because my raises over the past few years added up.

It's still kind of a lateral move though. I suppose it's a promotion in the sense that the new store would be more upscale, but I don't think my job there would be significantly different in terms of responsibilities.

Better customers, possibly (though upscale stores where i live attract a surprising amount of riffraff), and maybe a more positive environment. Should be worth it.

Better version of same job is still better.

Have an interview Monday with a hardware company (back office stuff) so let's see how that goes.

Went to interview, am not as confident about this one, but hope springs eternal. Another possible turned out to be not viable as the only bus goes the wrong way—it would only work if I were doing an overnight shift.

My brother keeps sending me awful job listings—I think he is losing patience.

I will attend my first Toastmasters meeting tonight. Hmm, I should check to see if we have a Toastmasters thread.

Nope, the interview I had on Monday did not result in a job. Talked to my veteran's rep today who said he was impressed by my diligence.

damn man, that's bogus. You're diligent beyond belief! I'm proud of your tenacity and of all people you deserve for it to be rewarded.

What's next to try?

The National Career Readiness Certificate is on my agenda.

For those of you who haven't heard of it, it's a testing regimen from the same people who bring you the ACT college readiness exam. It tests applied math, locating information and reading for information skills. I'm hoping to score Gold or Platinum, which would look really good on a resume. http://www.act.org/products/workforce-act-national-career-readiness-certificate/

Took the NCRC exam at the workforce center, scored two Platinums and a Gold, which qualifies me for a gold-level certificate. Helpful hint: brush up on your simple algebra and geometry.

I have been officially promoted as of October 13th. They had to wait for a complete pay period, so while today I received my old rate, next payday, Halloween, will be the first paycheck to reflect my raise...

I can hold out for two weeks.

It doesn't feel real still. I actually haven't started my new job because my current role is so swamped they can't afford to lose me yet. But still...

Pleased to hear they are still moving you up!

Thanks, but I really want to hear good news about everyone else in this thread! You guys are amazing!

Have interview tomorrow, hope this one goes well. It was difficult to arrange as the bus only runs early morning and late afternoon, which works fine for the actual job, but terrible for the available interview times. I'd have to arrive a couple of hours early, then hang around for four hours in the chill fall air for the bus back. So I am imposing on my brother once again for a ride. This had better be worth it....

eta: Interview went okay, it was a three person panel, and they have a Toastmasters club on-site that I might be able to attend. I won't hear back until Wednesday (I was the first interview) and the job probably won't start till mid-November.

Which works well considering I just got a call to start a short-term gig from a different agency, working at the same location I was at in January. Pay is lower than I'd like, but it's something.

edited 24th Oct '14 3:16:15 PM by SKJAM

Sorry for the double (really triple) posting, but I have had a really good day. Not only did I get compliments from the callers, and the quality manager at the assignment I'm on now, but I found out my interview last week wowed the folks at Tennant and they want me on a better-paying assignment for the next few months. Huzzah!

Cheers!!!!

Nice. Keep plugging away, sir.

Well, I just turned down an interview I had today last minute so that I could go to a prescreening assessment for this specialized month and a half long course which, if I get through it, would all but guarantee me my foot in the door in a position at a company in which I'm frankly much more interested. To be honest though, I was sort of starting to get bad vibes about the position for this interview anyway. It was a temp to hire through a company that basically called me in response to a resume I submitted months ago to a completely different position which I had met with them about, but they determined I wasn't a particularly good fit. They had also changed the shift they were planning on having me work from second to third on short notice. Now I'd at least consider an overnight role if it was the right kind of position for me, but I don't think this one was it. It's more technically oriented, sure, but it's through a commercial security company and I'd still have to deal with external customers over the phone. And when I communicated my misgivings about an overnight shift to the recruiter, he was still trying to push me into taking it, which was kind of raising some red flags with me.

Meanwhile, this other position with the specialized course is actually for exactly the same sort of medical assembly position that I already interviewed for back in January, and I have my job coach advocating for me with the people who are running it. I suppose this one would also be temp to hire once they put me on at first, but I'd be considered extremely well qualified for the position by passing the course, to the point that my application and interview for the position would be formalities so they comply with HR laws. All I'd need to do is prove myself skilled and reliable to get hired on permanently fairly quickly. The pay is slightly less than what the other position was offering me, but it is first shift. They'd be long 10-hour shifts that start very early in the morning, but I'd only be required to work Monday through Thursday to fulfill my 40 hours, with occasional Fridays or Saturdays for overtime. And best of all, I'd be in the medical industry doing technical work that doesn't require that I interact with external customers on a regular basis. And all I have to do is change my current retail schedule so I'm not working evenings three days a week. I could be out of there for good by January.

Any word back on the course yet?

I start my new assignment Monday, which is a good thing as my current one ended half an hour after I left for the day. (I saw it coming because the call volume had dropped like a rock.)

I passed the assessment and am enrolled in the course right now. I've only had one class so far, with the second coming tonight, but so far the math portion doesn't seem like it's going to be too hard. The only difficulty I anticipate having is getting there with all the traffic on days when I also have to work my current job. I turned in a schedule adjustment form, which should get approved, but in the meantime I asked my manager and he refuses to change any of my existing shifts to accommodate me, which could be a problem since I have one in a couple of weeks that ends at 6 pm when the class starts at 6. I think I may just leave early that day rather than make an attempt to switch with someone since the only punishment for doing so would be a single tardy, which a.) they're pretty lenient on, and b.) presumably won't matter anyway in a couple of short months.

Also, right after I got the notice that I had a firm start date, I got a message from one of my other temp companies asking if I was available for an interview for a (less paying and harder to get to) assignment. I'd not heard anything for three weeks on that application and yet there it was.

I am about to graduate and must begin looking for a job. I have a bit of an Archive Panic regarding reading all the thread until now. Should I still brace myself and do it? Or is Thread Hopping okay?

I hope it works out exactly like you want!

No, you're fine. Is there something specific you need/want help with?

I'm just kind of terrified. The last bit of my studies was researching and writing a thesis, and I behaved pretty much like I was on an extended holiday.

The idea of facing a workplace with schedules and, worst of all, coworkers and bosses and responsibilities... I'm just terrified I'm gonna mess up, shame my sponsors, ridicule myself, and prove that I am a failure in every way that matters.

Being afraid isn't going to help you.

I have worked ever since I was 16, so I'm used to it. But I have no idea how you managed to make it though college without being held to a work standard. That's new to me. Regardless, there's no reason you can't jump on it now. See if your university offers job placement or job prep seminars.

It was engineering. I'm nearly an Electrical Engineer. I did have a work standard, but it was erratic and haphazard. I've always been like this. I'm "smart", but in a very unreliable and sporadic way. I certainly can't be counted on to sustain any kind of routine or regularity, not without external coercion. I totally lack self-discipline. I'm capable of some great feats, but it's all passion-driven; if something gets me fired up, I can give a lot to it. Overall, though, I amount to "somewhat below average".