Good Quick Read: What Color Is Your Parachute Still Holds True
online.wsj.comGood article on THE best selling book about finding your career. This book is over 40 years old but has been updated every year except for one…and the wisdom is still sound. One interesting tidbit the author discussed in the article about finding your dream job. Picture a Venn diagram. Left circle represents your dream job, right circle represents the jobs you’re likely to find. When starting out, go for that job in the overlap and as you progress, move more to the left circle.
The hunt continues
The job hunt goes on. Sometimes I wonder why it is so darn challenging to get an entry-level job, that first-job even with experience. I mean there’s only so much free-work one can actually afford to undertake, especially with a degree. Myself and many other people assumed working all those years to get a degree would make it easier. Amounting all that debt, to then realise our efforts feel almost worthless - I mean after paying for a degree who would have thought we would then in turn pretty much be paying for a job, after all we have to support ourselves on no income and manage our expenses because not all internships and work experience cover even those basics. Don’t get me started on where we are expected to get money for rent, food, bills…
The thing is, we were wrong. Getting a career-related job feels like the impossible, and with it coming close to 4-years since I graduated, I’m beginning to wonder when things will change, if ever. Here’s hoping this new year will being new luck, new me, and new opportunities. Oh, and that all important PAID job. I need to start stepping up onto the ladder. Every time I take a step up it’s only to then step back again. Progress is dwindling and unfortunately I am not the only one experiencing this. So here’s to the new year. May all our hopes and dreams come that vital step closer to fulfilment.
Sam =] x
After much delay I didn't get the job.
The title pretty much says it all. I finally went on an interview at the beginning of September, and the interview went pretty well. Obviously there was competition for the job. The competition was five other candidates so my chances were good. As I told some people (Amanda & Jess Sabbah) I was supposed to know the outcome in about two weeks. Well two weeks came and went with no phone calls or emails. This was perfectly fine even though I was anxious which is an understatement. I decided to wait one more week to give the interviewer ample time to make a decision, because I knew he was also interviewing people for several other job openings on his own.When three weeks passed by I called his office to speak to him, and of course he wasn’t going to be in his office all day. I left a message assuming my call would be returned the next day since his voice-mail specifically stated he would be back in the office the next day.
The next day came and nearly went without a return call. So I called again knowing he would be in his office, but again no answer and another left message. My next move was in the form of an email this past Wednesday stating what I basically stated on the phone which was me wanting to know the status of the position. Email turned out to be the successful move in getting a response, because I got one the same day.
What was the response?
Just as I had expected after a lengthy delay. No job. Why did it take so long to get back to me? Well they basically forgot to tell me that I wasn’t fortunate enough to get the job. That part is the part that actually annoyed me. Just leaving me, and I’m assuming the other unlucky hopefuls out dangling without a clue. Of course not getting the job annoyed me, but that was an accepted possible outcome. I know that it happens a lot where companies don’t get back to people, but I feel that in situations with a rather small interview pool there needs to be return contact.
So from start to finish that process lasted a month. It started at the end of August and went until the 28th of September. Now October is here, and it’s time for me to hit the digital pavement again and start hoarding possible job opportunities and seeing which I’ll apply too. I’ve mainly been looking at trying to find a full-time position at a place I could consider career forward (something to do with my major in some way, directly or indirectly, but something I WANT to do). While this is still the ultimate endgame for me, I’ve started looking at part-time jobs so that I can put some money in my pockets. Something is always better than nothing when it comes to cash. Luckily enough the Illinois Lottery was kind to me this past month and I hit on two separate days in three games (all Pick 4). If I’m able to at least find a part-time job I could at least relax a little bit for an extended period of time while I continue the hunt for a full-time job.
The goal? GET STUPID PAID! No, really, get stupid paid, but I’ll settle for just getting paid.
“Remember: CEOs can, and often do, start in the mailroom. You may have to accept a lower position, but you’re better off getting your foot in the door with a job that you are somewhat overqualified for at a company you are passionate about, than biding your time with jobs that have very little upward mobility.”
—5 job-hunting mistakes for college grads to avoid
Interview Questions to help you prepare
docs.google.comOver a year ago, I (positivelypersistentteach) suggested we make a list of questions that Tumblrs are asked on interviews in order to help each other prepare for our job hunts. World-shaker in turn made this google doc. I’ve seen a lot of requests for interview questions to practice on Tumblr lately, so I am posting this again because it seems a lot of you have missed it. Please reblog even if you are not job hunting this year.
The only things I ask is that when you go on an interview, if you are asked a question unlike any on this list please come back and add to it. Also, please do not delete anyone else’s questions or put links to outside sources.
More job hunty rain/pouring updates
First day in a real office today - went great! I found that they’ve been tracking some data seriously wrong, and had filing issues, so that’s all straightened out and we’re working with good data now. I wish I could say they’re impressed, but they’re all engineers, so they’re mostly annoyed at whoever put this stuff together.
Then as I’m leaving the office at 5, I get a call from a different agency - a company wants to interview me for a temp-to-hire gig that pays twice what this one pays! At 4:30 tomorrow. WHAT!
If the interview goes well, I can finish this one up on Friday, then start Monday and FINALLY YOU WON’T HAVE TO LISTEN TO ME BITCH AND CRY ABOUT THE JOB SEARCH!
