job-seeker contacts/advice

[GAME05]

Sounds like one of those where they already had the person picked out but they needed to pad their application numbers in order to call it a fair process.

[igor67]

Or alternatively the candidate was slow in saying yes and they were trying to keep going and the timing was just weird.

[thebruce44]

Just started a job search in the new year and its become apparent that I have a lack of experience when it comes to leadership compensation packages (what is appropriate to expect/ask for) and setting proper delineation of responsibilities. If anyone has experience in this area, could they please message me?

For context, I have been applying and networking to interview for Director type roles where I figured I would be bonused in some relation to revenue as this is what I am used to, but I'm getting call backs wanting me to pursue SVP and even C-suite roles. I'm lucky to be in a good market for my skillset.

[Beerambassador]

Are post-interview thank you letters still a thing? I've been a hiring manager for a couple of years and I don't think I've ever had a candidate send me one post interview.

I've been looking for work myself and have sent an email to the HR person who coordinated my interviews and have asked them to pass along to the interview group. It just seems like check the box formality and a thing of the past.

Do any of you send one post-interview?

[jerichoholicninja]

25 minutes ago, Beerambassador said:

Are post-interview thank you letters still a thing? I've been a hiring manager for a couple of years and I don't think I've ever had a candidate send me one post interview.

I've been looking for work myself and have sent an email to the HR person who coordinated my interviews and have asked them to pass along to the interview group. It just seems like check the box formality and a thing of the past.

Do any of you send one post-interview?

I did it once in my life about 10 years ago. I got the job. Maybe it made the difference but I doubt it. Haven't done it for any of the hundreds of interviews I've had since.

[nate82]

53 minutes ago, Beerambassador said:

Are post-interview thank you letters still a thing? I've been a hiring manager for a couple of years and I don't think I've ever had a candidate send me one post interview.

I've been looking for work myself and have sent an email to the HR person who coordinated my interviews and have asked them to pass along to the interview group. It just seems like check the box formality and a thing of the past.

Do any of you send one post-interview?

Large corporations no.  I doubt the letter would even get to them maybe an email and that is probably going to get lost in a sea of emails.   I get about 100+ emails a day and most go into folders I never look at.  The likelihood of someone’s thank you email getting in one of my folders I don’t check is at a 90% chance. 

[thebruce44]

22 hours ago, Beerambassador said:

Are post-interview thank you letters still a thing? I've been a hiring manager for a couple of years and I don't think I've ever had a candidate send me one post interview.

I've been looking for work myself and have sent an email to the HR person who coordinated my interviews and have asked them to pass along to the interview group. It just seems like check the box formality and a thing of the past.

Do any of you send one post-interview?

I think it really depends on the role. I have been sending thank you emails for all of my interviews, and in each case, the interviewer has responded. But these are positions where I will interview 4-5 times at a company to make sure it is a good fit for both sides- so obviously both parties are investing a lot more time and effort than the majority of positions.

[jerichoholicninja]

What's the proper way to ask why you weren't considered for a job? I applied for a position I think I was a pretty darn good fit for and spent days crafting and polishing the best cover letter I've ever written. I know two of the members of the hiring committee, both of whom have heaped praise of me for the work I've done. With all that I figured I had to be a top candidate. However, I was totally dumbfounded yesterday when I got an email that they offered the position to someone else and I didn't even get an interview.

Certainly I want to find out why I wasn't considered for this job but I've applied for so many jobs over the last couple years I thought I would be great for and can't even get an interview it makes me wonder if there's something out there that's scares people off. I've googled my name and all that comes up is obituaries of relatives and stuff my college baseball career. I've gotten 2 speeding tickets, both over 10 years ago, but no criminal record. After being a stay at home parent for 6 years there's a big gap in my work history which I could see as being a detriment. But I filled that time volunteering with a few different organizations and taking leadership roles with them and include that on my resume.

So basically, how can I approach the people I know on the committee without sounding angry or bitter about it (even though I am, by the way)?

[CheezWizHed]

3 hours ago, jerichoholicninja said:

What's the proper way to ask why you weren't considered for a job? I applied for a position I think I was a pretty darn good fit for and spent days crafting and polishing the best cover letter I've ever written. I know two of the members of the hiring committee, both of whom have heaped praise of me for the work I've done. With all that I figured I had to be a top candidate. However, I was totally dumbfounded yesterday when I got an email that they offered the position to someone else and I didn't even get an interview.

Certainly I want to find out why I wasn't considered for this job but I've applied for so many jobs over the last couple years I thought I would be great for and can't even get an interview it makes me wonder if there's something out there that's scares people off. I've googled my name and all that comes up is obituaries of relatives and stuff my college baseball career. I've gotten 2 speeding tickets, both over 10 years ago, but no criminal record. After being a stay at home parent for 6 years there's a big gap in my work history which I could see as being a detriment. But I filled that time volunteering with a few different organizations and taking leadership roles with them and include that on my resume.

So basically, how can I approach the people I know on the committee without sounding angry or bitter about it (even though I am, by the way)?

If you know someone personally on the committee, I think you could cautiously ask if there was something you could do to improve your chances on the next job.  Of course, asking a friend that question might put them in an uncomfortable situation also...

If you didn't know the person, I wouldn't even try.  I'm coached to not give out that information simply for legal reasons. The times I've been declined for a job, I've been given very weak or sanitized reasons. 

[MrTPlush]

You don't, they won't give you anything useful. 

[zurch1818]

Maybe you were late to the party and they already had someone that they liked? I can say that interviewing is a full-time job and when you have other things to do, it is difficult to interview every qualified candidate.

I am an advocate of turning in your application in person. This almost acts like a first interview...even if you don't actually talk to the interviewer. Make some small talk and work in your story and also be thankful for the consideration.

[igor67]

Having gone back out into the market recently after 15 years in one place, not a ton of fun even though I had in demand skills, and in a very good market. I definitely observed a lot of it's not what you know, but who you know. One position I was told it was basically a toss up between me and another candidate. I'm guessing while both of us had experience the other candidate probably had less, so there was cost savings. I had another interview that seemed positive, but no follow-up. A third where they let me know they chose another candidate. After getting job#4 I was able to determine that I was replacing the person who got job #3 because their spouse also worked there. This was actually a good thing for both of us because we each end up cutting 20+ minutes off commute times. I was also able to figure out at job #4 that my wife was not hired previously because they had found a younger/ cheaper candidate who also had family working there. 

[nate82]

5 hours ago, zurch1818 said:

I am an advocate of turning in your application in person. This almost acts like a first interview...even if you don't actually talk to the interviewer. Make some small talk and work in your story and also be thankful for the consideration.

This is a quick way to get your resume thrown in the garbage if you are applying to any corporate job.  This may work with a small business but any large company with an HR department is basically just throwing this in the garbage.  Great you met someone at the office now your resume is in the garbage can and will never be seen now please apply on the company website. 

At the company I work at the policy is we don't take paper resumes.  Thank you for coming in but please apply on the corporate website.  Oh you are leaving your resume with me well thank you but now it is going in the garbage can once you leave. 

A quick edit if you want to meet someone go to the hiring events.  That will be more beneficial then showing up randomly and handing over a resume.  Also come with questions about the company not the job(s) being offered.  Don't ask questions about the job because 99.99999999999999999998% of the time the recruiter has no idea what the job is beyond what is in the job description. 

[LouisEly]

I didn't lose my job in the economic downturn of 2001.  I didn't lose my job in the recession of 2008-2009.  I didn't lose my job during COVID.  But I lost my job three other times.

And I lost it a fourth time today.

[homer]

33 minutes ago, LouisEly said:

I didn't lose my job in the economic downturn of 2001.  I didn't lose my job in the recession of 2009-2009.  I didn't lose my job during COVID.  But I lost my job three other times.

And I lost it a fourth time today.

Sorry to hear that, man. Hope you land on your feet with a new gig soon.

[owbc]

1 hour ago, LouisEly said:

I didn't lose my job in the economic downturn of 2001.  I didn't lose my job in the recession of 2008-2009.  I didn't lose my job during COVID.  But I lost my job three other times.

And I lost it a fourth time today.

Bummer...enjoy your paid vacation (if you received severance) and best of luck landing a new job. 

[Samurai Bucky]

2 hours ago, LouisEly said:

I didn't lose my job in the economic downturn of 2001.  I didn't lose my job in the recession of 2008-2009.  I didn't lose my job during COVID.  But I lost my job three other times.

And I lost it a fourth time today.

Oh no.  I hope you find something quickly.

[GAME05]

Hopefully the time between jobs is short.

[LouisEly]

On 5/31/2023 at 1:49 PM, owbc said:

Bummer...enjoy your paid vacation (if you received severance) and best of luck landing a new job. 

Job searches - at least when you're a later-in-life career switcher without a lot of experience in your field - are anything but a vacation.  This is my fourth job search since 2015 and each of them has taken at least five months.

[LouisEly]

Here's a great article written by one of my professional colleagues on the psychological impacts of being unemployed.

[nate82]

On 6/2/2023 at 6:18 AM, LouisEly said:

Job searches - at least when you're a later-in-life career switcher without a lot of experience in your field - are anything but a vacation.  This is my fourth job search since 2015 and each of them has taken at least five months.

I am always up for getting a referral bonus if you let me know what your expertise is I can do a recommendation at my company for a job in your expertise.

[OldHeidelberg]

On 6/6/2023 at 7:34 PM, LouisEly said:

Here's a great article written by one of my professional colleagues on the psychological impacts of being unemployed.

Some good points in there, especially about the loss of social connections. I was laid off once and it was after I was at the company for 10 years, I got 16 weeks severance and it was June so I went home feeling like "paid vacation!", went out with friends and got drunk. Man, waking up the next morning was maybe the worst I have ever felt, it's a real kick in the groin to be pulled out of something that became such a part of your life. You always try but eventually lose touch with most of the friends you have at your job. Now that I am older and more secure in my career, I have embraced the quit and then look for a job mentality when I have had enough, I don't think gaps in employment has the stigma it used to. If they can drop me anytime why shouldn't I get to take this job and shove it?

 

Good luck and sorry you lost your job.

[igor67]

If others are looking right now: Tech Ed, Math, or Science teaching jobs in Wisconsin. My son got hired in less than a day with still needing to get into a license program. Sped is a big shortage as well, but you kind of need the license for that one.

[GAME05]

My work just raised the pay for seasonals, who will now be making more than the bulk of the full-time staff.

[CheezWizHed]

On 6/7/2023 at 11:25 AM, nate82 said:

I am always up for getting a referral bonus if you let me know what your expertise is I can do a recommendation at my company for a job in your expertise.

I've known this guy for years... on an internet chat board... but he has great NFL draft write-ups!  😂

@LouisEly I do hope the job search is going well.