I Just Realized I Never Mentioned...

[ordnance11]

It depends on on when the announcement for the position closes and how long the position had to be filled. You probably didn't make the first cut.
Edit: I emailed my revised resume to the HR head at Missle and Space Command. He said he'll have one of his HR people call me in a few weeks to see if I can fit into one of the slots.
__________________
Into terror!,  Into valour!
Charge ahead! No! Never turn
Yes, it's into the fire we fly
And the devil will burn!
- Scarlett Pimpernell

[ordnance11]

I decided to sit in again on the workshop that the former head of HR at the VA hosts every month. It's an interesting perspective, being someone who already started the process and the rest of them haven't. A real shocker is when a girl said to me she graduated from the Naval Academy in '08 and the Navy RIFTED a good number of the graduates when they got commissioned. Eh?
__________________
Into terror!,  Into valour!
Charge ahead! No! Never turn
Yes, it's into the fire we fly
And the devil will burn!
- Scarlett Pimpernell

[Jeanne Hedge]

I just got an email from a prospective employer telling me that I wasn't selected for the position.  Well, okay, but... it took 4 months for them to decide on someone for the spot?  I applied for that job on 29 October 2009...  sheesh.

However long it took them to get around to it, at least they told you.  Way too many companies don't even bother.

Jeanne Hedge
www.jhedge.com

"Believe me, if I have to go the rest of my life without companionship, knowing myself won't be a problem."
-- Gabrielle of Potadeia

[Black Aeronaut]

ordnance11 wrote:

---

A real shocker is when a girl said to me she graduated from the Naval Academy in '08 and the Navy RIFTED a good number of the graduates when they got commissioned. Eh?

Bwa?  Care to clarify there?  You mean they graduated, but didn't get commisioned?  (I'm enlisted and I don't know much how the system works for academy cadets.)

[ordnance11]

Precisely. They graduated and the Navy didn't commission some of them. Too many newbies and not enough regular slots for them. Class of '08 and '09. Stunned me.
__________________
Into terror!,  Into valour!
Charge ahead! No! Never turn
Yes, it's into the fire we fly
And the devil will burn!
- Scarlett Pimpernell

[Bob Schroeck]

However long it took them to get around to it, at least they told you. Way too many companies don't even bother.

True enough. I can count the number of "thank you, but we've chosen someone else" emails I've gotten in the last six months on the fingers of one hand.

Oh, and this is interesting... Peggy just told me as I drove her home from work last night that her boss -- who's met me all of once, and that at my Dad's funeral -- has been asking around his contacts to see if there's a position for me somewhere. Completely on his own, without either of us asking. I need to send him a thank you note or something for that, even though it hasn't turned up anything (yet).
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

[Bob Schroeck]

Oh, in the time since I last posted this morning, I got an interview -- Friday afternoon, with a local company, pretty much ideal position with a pay scale right on target (especially so, if my commute turns into ten minutes each way). More on this as it develops.
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

[ordnance11]

Very good Bob!  Good luck on that.
I was checking up on my application status with the EPA when I noticed a new bulletin. They need 2 interns (GS-9 pay) located in D.C. The announcement is for one week only starting today. The first 75 applications will be checked. Work starts in June. That's ASAP for the government. I already sent my application in.
__________________
Into terror!,  Into valour!
Charge ahead! No! Never turn
Yes, it's into the fire we fly
And the devil will burn!
- Scarlett Pimpernell

[ordnance11]

However long it took them to get around to it, at least they told you. Way too many companies don't even bother.

True enough. I can count the number of "thank you, but we've chosen someone else" emails I've gotten in the last six months on the fingers of one hand.

Oh, and this is interesting... Peggy just told me as I drove her home from work last night that her boss -- who's met me all of once, and that at my Dad's funeral -- has been asking around his contacts to see if there's a position for me somewhere. Completely on his own, without either of us asking. I need to send him a thank you note or something for that, even though it hasn't turned up anything (yet).

A good case of not what you know..but who you know. *grin*
__________________
Into terror!,  Into valour!
Charge ahead! No! Never turn
Yes, it's into the fire we fly
And the devil will burn!
- Scarlett Pimpernell

[Kurisu]

A good case of not what you know..but who you know. *grin*

I think the name you're looking for is called "The Good-Ol'-Boy Network"
_____
DEATH is Certain. The hour, Uncertain...

[ordnance11]

I have nothing against the good -ole boy network as long the guy is qualified.
__________________
Into terror!,  Into valour!
Charge ahead! No! Never turn
Yes, it's into the fire we fly
And the devil will burn!
- Scarlett Pimpernell

[ordnance11]

Just out of curiosity..how many resumes do you send to get 1 job interivew? How many job interviews to get 1 job offer?
__________________
Into terror!,  Into valour!
Charge ahead! No! Never turn
Yes, it's into the fire we fly
And the devil will burn!
- Scarlett Pimpernell

[Sofaspud]

Bob in particular, or people in general?
It's a tough question to answer, really.  And a lot depends on both your profession and the job market in your area.  It's not uncommon to send 100 resumes just to get 1 interview, and a couple dozen interviews before getting an offer -- and at that, the offer may not be acceptable.
On the other hand, if you've got a high-demand skillset and/or experience set, you may not need to send any, because you've got offers on file.  I was in that boat for a while back before the bubble burst, and lemme tell you, it's a nice place to be.  Since then I've been lucky, personally, but others in my field face the 100:1 ratio I mentioned above.

--sofaspud
--"Listening to your kid is the audio equivalent of a Salvador Dali painting, Spud." --OpMegs

[ECSNorway]

Last time I went job-hunting - and I do first-level help-desk support - I put out about 100 resumes. Got three interviews. Two job offers, of which one was unacceptable. (They wanted me to commit to 24/7 availability, scheduled a week in advance... no.)
--
Sucrose Octanitrate.
Proof positive that with sufficient motivation, you can make anything explode.

[Bob Schroeck]

Just out of curiosity..how many resumes do you send to get 1 job interivew? How many job interviews to get 1 job offer?

In my case, I have submitted no less than 439 applications since September 2009 (as of Wednesday) As to how it is I have such a specific number, well, I save a text copy of every ad or listing I apply to, as it helps me keep from applying to the same job more than once, and lets me easily review what a job is about if they call back.  Oh, and that's obviously not counting instances where HR folks and recruiters found my resume on one of the job boards and contacted me first.  In the same period I had ... um, I think it's been five interviews, both face to face and on the phone.  Which I think works out more or less to Spud's proportions.      How many interviews to an offer?  Have no idea yet.  Back in 1989, when I last had to search for a job while unemployed, I think I had a really good ratio -- I was only unemployed for three months at that time, and I don't remember doing too many interviews before Touche Ross hired me -- maybe a half a dozen at the most.  But that was 21 years ago.  The entire market has changed since then.
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

[Bob Schroeck]

Oh, btw, two days ago I had the best "Sorry we can't hire you" call I've ever had. I think I've mentioned the outfit that interviewed me by phone two hours after I sent them my resume, who gave me an aptitude test to take while I was dosed with cold medicine. Well, they got back in touch with me on Wednesday, and the woman at their HR started by practically gushing about how impressed everyone there was with me and how much they'd love to have me working there. But... no one had told her until the last couple days that the opening was entry level and they could only pay $35-45K -- and while I had said I was flexible about salary, she didn't expect me to be that flexible. (And she was right.)

So, she went on, she can do two things from here. The first was familiar -- hold on to my resume and application, and get back in touch with me if an position better suited to me opened up -- you know, the usual, except she hinted that such a thing might be happening in the near future.

The other thing she wanted my explicit permission for before doing it -- she informed me that the company was the subsidiary of a bigger holding company, which had under its umbrella thirty or so other companies of similar types but different focuses. And apparently all their HR people meet on a regular basis and trade leads and candidates. She offered to "sell me" to her counterparts in the other subsidiaries. She also gave me the name of the parent company, told me to go its website and from there to the websites of the other child companies, and if there were a firm or job I was interested in, to call her and she would pitch me to the appropriate HR person.

Naturally, I gave my permission.

Anyway, she ended the call by again apologizing that they couldn't hire me, and emphasizing that I should call her if I saw anything I wanted in the other companies.

Which I think was incredibly classy on her part, not to mention more than a little ego-boosting at a time when I really need it.

I've given the website a quick look, but I'm too busy prepping for this afternoon's interview to do much more than look. Tonight or this weekend I'll troll through all the companies, though, and see what they have to offer.
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

[Black Aeronaut]

Either way you look at it, it's dog-eat-dog out there. Having a reference on the inside is the only way to effectively score a job, and even then it's pretty competitive.

One of the main problems is that the market is glutted with experienced people. This makes it difficult for fresh faces to get their resume noticed, let alone score an interview of any kind.

Hope that the issues with the Health Care Reform Bill gets sorted out fast, because the Job Market is the next big item on El Presidente's Hit List, and I don't think that one is gonna be a picnic, either.

[ordnance11]

I just checked on how many job applications I logged for the last 3 weeks. 65. It's respectable. BTW, is there anyone here willing to go to  Iraq or Afghanistan? The DOD has civilian job openings?
__________________
Into terror!,  Into valour!
Charge ahead! No! Never turn
Yes, it's into the fire we fly
And the devil will burn!
- Scarlett Pimpernell

[Black Aeronaut]

I'm active service and I don't feel particularly up to the task. I'll stay here on my ship, thanks. However, if anyone needs us to plink some terrorists with our five inch gun our Fire Controlmen and myself will be more than happy to oblige.

[Bob Schroeck]

Just got back from my interview. The company is a small, family-owned outfit that's been in business for about a hundred years, with only 30 or so people, and is located just about 15 minutes from my front door. The fellow who interviewed me was essentially the head of the three-man IT "department". I think I did well; I learned a lot about the place and it all sounded good, challenging and/or fun, and when we were done he all but told me that I'd be getting a callback for a second round interview.
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

[ordnance11]

Bob, if you have an HR person that's willing to sell you to other HR folks, you already have one foot in. So this last one is your 6th interview right?
__________________
Into terror!,  Into valour!
Charge ahead! No! Never turn
Yes, it's into the fire we fly
And the devil will burn!
- Scarlett Pimpernell

[Bob Schroeck]

Unless I'm forgetting one, Ordnance, today's interview was number five... let me see:

1. Agency in NYC in November

2. Rush-rush interview in November

3. Local company in early December (by phone)

4. Major Consulting Firm early January (by phone)

5. Company in Lakewood in late January

6. Fast-response company late February (by phone)

7. Today's interview.

Oh.

Okay, it's been seven. I clearly forgot a couple, but going through the threads about jobhunting dug them up for me.
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

[ordnance11]

Bob, at least you have interviews. I've gotten 2 in July, after that nada. The job sector I'm in is going down. The firms I've talked to are trying to keep their workers, not hiring new ones. It's beginning to look like the government sector might be my best bet.
__________________
Into terror!,  Into valour!
Charge ahead! No! Never turn
Yes, it's into the fire we fly
And the devil will burn!
- Scarlett Pimpernell

[robkelk]

I know that there's a prejudice in some places against government work, but consider: no North American government has ever gone bankrupt. Your chances of being laid off are vastly reduced in the civil service... assuming, of course, that you can get into the civil service.

(In some places, it's easier to get into the civil service if you've previously been in the military service. Don't know whether that applies to anyone here, but it's worth looking into if you're looking and a veteran.)
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."

- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012

[ordnance11]

I know that there's a prejudice in some places against government work, but consider: no North American government has ever gone bankrupt. Your chances of being laid off are vastly reduced in the civil service... assuming, of course, that you can get into the civil service.

(In some places, it's easier to get into the civil service if you've previously been in the military service. Don't know whether that applies to anyone here, but it's worth looking into if you're looking and a veteran.)

           I've been doing that already..65 job applications into the civil service sector.
As, you said Rob. The biggest hurdle is getting accepted into the system. Which is a big hurdle in itself. The typical application time for a position is 6 months. The longest time would be a year. Most people cannot wait that long. Also a fact I just read..60% of all applicants fail to fill out the application correctly. Which is a good reason to review the application prior to sending it.
Someone told me to "pick fruit, not apples". Which means I also should look for related positions. Also consider the pay scale you are applying for. Apply to all that you think you're qualified for.  It doesn't matter if you start llower than you've hope, you can always buy back the time from your active service. There are people in the civil service who have told me that even if I start of at GS-5  in a worse case scenario, I can be back up to GS-11 in the space of 2 years if I buy my time back in.
__________________
Into terror!,  Into valour!
Charge ahead! No! Never turn
Yes, it's into the fire we fly
And the devil will burn!
- Scarlett Pimpernell