what are your most frustrating experiences with job hunting

probably the job!

good luck man.

 

I have interviewed twice previously with Dell, and even though I was a finalist and went through day-long in-person interviews, in neither instance did I hear back that I didn't get the job (initially emails and calls to the HR person suggested I was still a candidate, then no responses so I just quit contacting). I do have to say the third time I interviewed there they did have the HR person call me a week after I found out I didn't get the job to at least tell me that they were impressed and hoped i keep applying.

Once I traveled to IBM for interviews and the hiring manager failed to schedule any additional interviews. Flew out there for just the one hour interview with him, then wasted two hours in the airport before flying home.

Lesser peeves:

Service-Now interviewed me just to ask me questions about a previous employer that competing with them.

Companies that don't even want to consider out-of-town candidates.

Some companies like salesforce.com and VMware that advertise jobs that obviously don't exist or that they really don't seriously intend to fill, just to collect resumes.

 

Stupid HR chicks that couldn't poor piss out of a boot if the instructions were written on the heel -

' umm yeah we are looking for someone that speaks spanish and german. You speak spanish, german, and italian, so that doesn't fit our need'

 

This is true and yes, I went to OU. I moved back to Houston immediately after graduation, and I am licensed in Texas, not Oklahoma. Texas is a Compact License State, which means that a Texas RN license is recognized in 23 other states. Oklahoma is not one of those states, and I would have to pay about $200-$300 for the transfer fees AND wait 1-3 months for the transfer to become official. Also, I went through OU's BSN program, but I was at a satellite campus in Lawton, so I have zero network in OKC; my network here in Houston is far better.

It's much more feasible to keep looking in Texas (just maybe not Houston, Austin, or DFW), and if that didn't work, there are 23 other states ahead of Oklahoma where I could theoretically go tomorrow and start working whereas transferring my license to OK requires a few hundred bucks plus the 1-3 months for the transfer to go through.

I'm not saying it would never happen, but OK is much further down the list than other places, even though I went to school there.

 

I assume you got the message I posted on your profile page....

 

This is why I schedule interviews for after 5pm (preferably after 5:30 just to be safe). Just the two of us there...once I'm done with her she'll be begging them to hire me and double the offer.

On a more serious note....I've actually got an interview today @ 5:30. I'm thankful to have a job, but I'm always looking to upgrade. I'm not holding my breath, but it would be a nice increase for me. Not to mention they match, which my current employer will take no part in (rich pricks). I actually warned the lady on the phone that I was in an accident over the weekend and my face is pretty messed up, so I may not be that enjoyable to look at, but she said no problem....it must be my voice.

Pugs

 

Was that you? I saw it and clicked off it accidentally, and then I couldn't get back to it for some reason. In the past, bbs messages have always gone to my email address, but for some reason it didn't do it this time.

Could you send it to my user name here at yahoo?

Thanks bobrek....

 

I'll just post it here, but if you click on your name and then click on your profile link, you should see private messages. I think it is a new feature.

Anyway, if you are willing to move to the Tyler area, check out Trinity Mother Francis.

http://tmfjobs.tmfhs.info/jobs.html

 

For what it's worth my current job didn't call me back until about a month after I interviewed. I sent the thank you letter and everything, but they finally called and said there was some sort of error they made when doing my background check. About a week after that they extended an offer.

 

It's just the opposite with a big company, at least in my experience. Nowadays most applications can't proceed unless it's filed on line -> it sets up a workflow/documentation train of processes that have to be undertaken before you can hire anybody at a large organization.

 

The problem I am up against is that I have done a specific thing for 8 plus years as well as some HR work. Yea, I can apply to a job a day but if it is not something I am able to do, why would I bother to do that? I try hard to find jobs out there that I can succeed in. Some of these jobs would require the company to take a chance on me as I am not a "perfect fit". Yet, it does not give me comfort to see the same jobs being posted that I saw over 2 months ago. Are these places just collecting resumes because they can or are they that slow or what?

 

Thanks. I had no idea how to get to private messages. I'll check that site out, too. Rep for you.

 

Welp, this is bad news for many of my soon-to-be RN friends (and bad news for me if I decide to stay in Houston).

Are you looking at specialized areas like ER or ICU, or are they just not hiring even in med-surg floors.

 

Sam, have you moved to an in-house counsel role?

 

Finally got a job, but going through the process really sucked. Like everyone has mentioned, no one lets you know anything, if they could simply have an automated system for the rejects it would be nice so I wouldn't be holding my breath. I been blessed these past few months since I been getting interviews (some of which I didn't get to go to since I accepted a job offer). I feel however that networking is what got me the job I'll be doing right now. Seems like all my friends are still looking while I finally found something.

 

OK, finally something that involves what I do for a living- I can actually contribute something instead of bit**ing about referees or posting music videos!!

I post on several message boards regarding job search advice as a 10+-year Nationally Certified Resume Writer and the author of over 10,000 resumes (ugh- that sounds like I'm full of myself, but it really is the truth), and I have to be careful how I "word" things on these other message boards because they're very particular about it. On this board, I can speak a lot more plainly, and although I do understand the high level of frustration, I also want to point out a few things:

1. A lot of resumes out there S**K. Absolutely s**k or have major errors in there that prevent individuals from even getting to the interview stage. Yesterday, I had one sent to me for a critique. The title? RESTAURANT MANGER. In big, bold print at the top. You think someone's going to take that person seriously when they can't even friggin' proofread a 1-2 page document? Hell no. I've seen resumes with multiple spelling errors, one with a list of 25 bulleted statements on page 1 (no space between them, literally gives you a headache reading it), one mailed to me on, get this, green paper, and another that included Reason for Leaving: Supervisor's personal vendetta. Man, I wish I were making these up but they're the God-honest truth.

For those that are getting interviews, good. Your resume is probably at least good enough to warrant that, or you got lucky. For anyone that's really struggling to receive interviews, you have to ask yourself: "Is my resume good, average, or a piece of crap?" I'll post an example of a very good resume for which the candidate received numerous requests for interviews and very good job offers in another post.

2. There are a large, large, number of individuals that tell me, "Look, I always do great on interviews. I just need a good resume to get my foot in the door." I'll bet you $100,000 that there is a good number of those individuals that THINK they do a good job on the interviews but aren't as great as they think they are. If any of you can evaluate your interviews HONESTLY and say that you felt you did a good job, great! But you have to be honest with yourself- and you especially can't rely on some of those interviewers' comments- chances are, they told you and everybody else you all were the "ideal candidates," "did a great job," etc.

How do you know if you did a good job on the interview? Can be hard to assess, but I feel that if you dressed professionally and appropriately, made it to the interview on time, answered their questions thoughtfully, and gave specific examples of how you have helped previous employers, you're probably on the right track. Again, this is difficult, because it requires you to be truly honest with yourself. If any of you feels that, perhaps, your frustration or anxiety is coming out in the interview- and there's a lot of it in this thread, for sure- maybe you have to work on that. It can be difficult, but no matter how tough it is, you have to be positive and upbeat.

3. Companies are being flooded with 1,000s of resumes every week- it's literally to the point of being uncontrollable. This is why they usually don't call back or email back. Think of it this way- have you RSVP'ed every invitation you've received? If you were a hiring manager, or in HR, would you have the time to contact everyone? Hell no. It doesn't excuse those individuals for not sending a response after you've interviewed with them- that's a relatively small number and they're just being lazy and thoughtless. But I wouldn't ever expect a response back when sending out resumes- if you get it, great, if you don't, oh well, move on to the next.

4. Are you sending a thank-you letter to each person that interviewed you? 94% of job seekers don't.

5. Have you contacted your references? Do you REALLY know what your references are saying about you? Believe it or not, some references are not saying the most positive things- and others are simply not saying anything. There is a document you can create that at least attempts to give the employer some insight into what your references might say about you.

6. Are you keeping all your performance evaluations? Letters of recommendation? Are you submitting a copy of these to your interviewers in a folder or coil-bound book (very cheap to do, about $2 at Kinkos)? If not, consider it. For the evaluations, not the whole thing, just the last page with the nice comments about your overall performance.

7. Are some of you considering employment with the federal government? The federal government hiring process is more complex, and the resumes need to be longer, but the govt. is also much more fair about the whole process and they offer a lot of benefits. Many people don't apply for govt. jobs because they have to submit extra documents or put extra things on their resume, and they opt out because they don't feel like making the effort. And they miss out on opportunities.

There is a single web site that lists every single job available in every single agency of the federal government:

www.usajobs.gov

Something to look into- for the person looking for an RN position, I had a client who secured an RN position with the govt.- don't know if it was Houston, though. But I believe it was either Houston or Dallas or SA.

I'm delivering a training workshop to employees who work for the OTS (Office of Thrift Supervision) in Dallas on April 14. I'll be glad to share any new insights with you all on this board. I also have to fly to Chicago on May 5 (never been to Chicago before- cool!!!- right in the middle of the NBA playoffs!!) to do the same for OTS employees up there. We're going to talk in detail about how to develop an effective federal resume- particularly on how to match their resumes most closely with the USA Jobs ad that they are applying for- which is the whole secret to a great federal resume.



I mean none of this to be intimidating. Chances are, many of you are following these strategies and your frustration is indeed warranted. But I do feel there may be some who THINK they are doing everything right and may not be. So, it's at least something to consider. Will post additional info later.

 

REFERENCES

So, there are many people who complain (and rightfully so) that their references are not providing great information about them- or, more frequently, not saying anything because they've been told not to (for fear of a lawsuit, etc.). So, how does one give an employer insight into their references even if they can't contact them or the reference is "not allowed" to say anything?

You create a REFERENCES SUMMARY instead of just a list. You provide just a little bit of information about your relationship with the reference and what she/ he would say about you. I've worked on these with clients and the employers are always impressed and/or appreciative of them (well, probably a few exceptions).

They look something like this (altered, of course, to protect confidentiality):

YOUR NAME
Address
Phone:
E-mail:


PROFESSIONAL REFERENCES


Individual & Range of Knowledge


Larry R. Doe, VP of Marketing
MUSIC WORLD
Address Confidential
Phone:
Email:

A former supervisor at Music World and a 29-year music industry veteran, Mr. Doe will verify my strategic abilities in development of new business ventures and business models. He is able to confirm my achievements in negotiating favorable content acquisition deals and producing music videos.



Tom Hawthorne
COMPANY CONFIDENTIAL
Address Confidential
Phone:
Email:

As a former employee at Paradigm Music Entertainment, Mr. Hawthorne can provide information about my vast abilities and achievements in the industry, and he can also elaborate on my creation of the King Biscuit record label and archive recordings.



Ted Smith
COMPANY CONFIDENTIAL
Address Confidential
Phone:
Email:

Mr. Smith can discuss my comprehensive knowledge of the video production and entertainment industry based on our extensive collaboration as peers to produce concert videos. He can also attest to our achievements in negotiating and securing financing for the Sessions at West 54th St series broadcast on PBS.



Sheree Johnston
COMPANY CONFIDENTIAL
Address Confidential
Phone:
Email:

Ms. Johnston and I worked together to strategize and secure sponsorship deals and the content partnership between SFX and MCY. She would verify my strong business development skills and management abilities in directing MCY’s concert tour sponsorships.



Pierre Davis
COMPANY CONFIDENTIAL
Address Confidential
Phone:
Email:

Teamed as peers at MCY Music World, Mr. Davis can speak from firsthand knowledge of my skill in negotiating exclusive rights and in producing concert shoots of the Backstreet Boys, *NSYNC, Ozzfest, Sammy Hagar, and other top talent. He will further elaborate on my extensive music, video, and audio background.

 

RESUME

Now, your resume doesn't have to be this long or detailed. However, on print, this is about 2 full pages, which is about how long your resume should be. This resume led to numerous interviews and a few job offers. There is no doubt that the employer will identify this candidate as someone who is experienced, skilled, and can get the job done. It took a lot of work on "Matthew's" part, but he focused on both skills and achievements, and the resume was neat and easy to read, as well:

MATTHEW JOHNSON
10000 35th Street
Bellevue, WA 00000
Home: 425.000.0000
Cell: 425.000.0000
matthew_johnson@msn.com


=========================================================================

TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM / PROJECT MANAGEMENT

Accomplished manager and technology specialist with progressive 3.5-year track record of meeting milestones and budget/quality goals for high-profile clients, including Microsoft, Sun America, and Boeing. Able to lead and participate on cross-functional teams in development and launch of internal application solutions. Strong knowledge in PM and SDLC methodologies. Skilled troubleshooter and effective communicator; Fluent in English, Hindi and Malayalam.

Core Knowledge & Skill Areas:
* Project Planning & Coordination
* Software Development Life Cycle
* Project Scheduling, Tracking & Management
* Program Implementation & Management
* Business Process Reengineering Initiatives
* Team Training, Mentoring & Leadership

CMM 5 – Certified Program Manager Leading Teams for Microsoft Internal Application Projects

“We would like to extend our appreciation for the efforts of Infosys vendor MATTHEW JOHNSON…has dramatically improved the quality of support while reducing response time…provided this superior level of service while maintaining a very positive and professional attitude…he is an asset to Infosys and has been a strong asset to the Finance Web Services team at Microsoft.” – Group Manager, Microsoft


=========================================================================
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE


TECHNOLOGIES, LTD., Redmond, WA
Top-ranked offshore IT service provider and leading global consultant

Program Manager / Programmer Analyst (2000-Present)

Involved in over 10 application development and integration projects/initiatives spanning 5+-year period; initially recruited and hired in India, subsequently transferring to current Redmond, WA location in 2002. Functional roles have included Project Manager/Lead, Test Lead, Tester, Developer, Business Analyst, and Support Analyst.

Scope of responsibility encompasses gathering and analyzing requirements, managing team performance and communications, coordinating development, testing, and troubleshooting activities, and preparing estimates, bids, proposals, and financials for use by Infosys managers. Work with external teams in addressing and resolving issues.

SELECTED PROJECTS & INITIATIVES

Project Manager/Test Lead: MSN Subscription & Commerce Group

Scope & Challenge:
* Reviewed test plans and cases, tested non-deployable hot fixes, and monitored testing of enhancements rolled out monthly within “live” environment.

Actions & Results:
* Received “Support Excellence” Award for releasing enhancements of complex platform within SLA; earned client engagement rating of 7 out of 7.


Test Lead/Tester: Microsoft Solutions for Management (MSM) at Core Infrastructure Solutions Group

Scope & Challenge:
* Established testing environment, prepared TestPlan and secured sign-off from stakeholders, managed testing of Service Continuity solution, and reviewed Guidance for solutions.
* Critical Factor: Constant churn existed with Microsoft Operations Manager 2005 (MOM) still in beta stage and not officially release to the public.

Actions & Results:
* Coordinated entire sign-off of final documentation for all SAs across several cross-functional teams. Recommended changes to guidance offering that expedited release of product to market.
* Efforts led to Best Project Award by Infosys. Recognized for performance as client granted additional responsibility to prepare guidance of offering.


Project Lead: Microsoft Press Competitive Analysis Tool (CAT)

Scope & Challenge:
* Oversaw system testing for CAT that provides comprehensive and reliable reporting solution for publishing industry sales data, allowing for improvements in decision-making and revenues.
* Supervised focused testing in critical areas, including import of file data into database. Analyzed user interface to apply attributes to title and managing domain data. Validated database schema.

Actions & Results:
* Identified and resolved bugs within project that existed deep within functionality, demonstrating “above-and-beyond” approach in examining and understanding application behaviors.
* Awarded ZERO UAT Project award by Infosys, in recognition for project getting released to live environment with zero acceptance defects.


Project Lead/Onsite Support Analyst: Systems Administration-Support for Line-of-Business Applications

Scope & Challenge:
* Directed operational support for FinWeb, TimeTrax, Payroll, and other applications, serving as primary point of contact for offshore team in escalation of production batch job errors.
* Personal Challenge: Project represented 1st-time exposure to Microsoft Technologies. Able to ramp up quickly on various new technologies and gain confidence from customer.

Actions & Results:
* Independently managed tasks while escalating selected problems to Team Lead. Closed multiple requests to exceed SLA requirements, largely due to effective cross-group relationships.
* Paved the way for reduced operational costs, improved quality and productivity, and stronger planning. Earned promotion from Software Engineer to Programmer Analyst for efforts.


* An additional list of projects and achievements is available for review.


=========================================================================
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT


Bachelor of Technology in Electronics, 2000, COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
Name of University, India

Professional Training Courses: Programming Fundamentals, C Programming, UNIX, Client-Server Concepts, Oracle, Object-Oriented Programming, Java Programming, HTML-CGI, Java Script Programming, Java Server Pages, Introduction to XML, Introduction to ASP.NET, Enterprise Java Beans, Introduction to E-Commerce Security

Selected Microsoft Technology Skills Summary: Microsoft Operations Manager 2005, System Center 2005, Visual Studio Team System 2005 (beta), Visual Studio .NET 2005, Microsoft Virtual Server 2005, Internet Information Server (IIS) 6.0, Content Management Server (CMS), Microsoft Application Center 2000, Microsoft Visual SourceSafe, SQL Server, NTBatch, Microsoft Service Enterprise (MSE), Test Architect, Windows Test Technologies (WTT), CoreXT, SourceDepot, Octopus, Sequence Manager

 

Each hospital here has its own RN residency program for new grads/new RNs, with each unit having its own version of the residency program. Med/surg might be 3-4 months with ER and ICU at or around 6 months. Each hospital varies slightly. If you go to school here in Houston, your odds will probably be better than mine because you'll have contact with those hospitals, do your clinicals there, work as a nurse tech, etc. All I know is that it's been very similar to nursing school itself in that there are a ton of applicants for a very limited number of positions. Actually, that's exactly like nursing school, and the precise reason why I went out of state.

The jobs are there, just not for new RNs.