The Job Hunt Thread

[obelisk]

Please do not sell yourself short you are a valuable asset to your potential employer. Having less than 50% of the qualifications based on the job description makes you trainable.  Do not sell yourself short.  Go get them.

[NastyWoman]

Nov 6, 2015 13:38:00 GMT -5 TheHaitian said:

My wife said not to bother, in her experience if they wanted me they would have called me already!

TheHaitian it is quite possible that your wife is right, but what do you have to lose? Call!

[Lizard Queen]

My interview was only 10-15 minutes long.  Probably not a good thing, right?  I'm probably too damn honest.  Blech.

Seemed like nice people there, anyway.  It would be so nice to get back to work and feel like I'm contributing to the household.  I'm sure it would go a long way to help me get out of my funk.

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

Carl I'd still follow up.  You are not being an asshole or rude by wanting some closure.  It's not like you are going to be screaming at them demanding to know why you weren't picked.  You simply want to know what the status is of the job and your application.

HR should understand this and give you an update.


I don't understand the notion that I am supposed to be quiet/sit on my hands otherwise *I* look bad.  Why aren't employers considered rude for leaving you hanging after multiple interviews?

If I was calling every five minutes then I am going to look bad. 

However if it's been two weeks or more I do not consider it unreasonable to pursue closure on my own. 

[Lizard Queen]

I didn't get the job.     It didn't seem like it would be very interesting, but it did seem like it would be convenient.  *sigh*

The temp agency did call me yesterday.  The message they left mentioned 3 possible jobs within 15 minutes of home.  Another one that I had considered applying for popped back up on indeed, so maybe I'll apply for that too.

[mojothehelpermonkey]

I had an interview with another recruiter yesterday. Just like the last one, he seemed to think that with my education and experience, he should have no problem placing me. He is going to pitch me for a lab job that involves running an assay that I have plenty of experience with. However, they want someone who has worked in a GLP environment. With so many other applicants, it seems like most hiring managers don't want to take a chance on someone who doesn't meet 100% of the job description. It would also be a big step down in terms of pay and responsibility compared to my previous jobs, but I would probably still take it if offered.
I got lost on the way to the interview and ended up being 5 minutes late. I called to give them a heads up, and it didn't seem to be a big deal at all. I usually leave so early that I end up sitting in the parking lot for 30 minutes. Strangely enough, I felt more relaxed for this interview. I think it was maybe because I had a mini panic attack when I got lost, and by the time I got there I didn't have any more stress hormones to release.

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

ith so many other applicants, it seems like most hiring managers don't want to take a chance on someone who doesn't meet 100% of the job description

The new edition of What Color is your Parachute addresses this.  He said it's a really bad habit employers have gotten into and doesn't see it changing anytime soon since employers are aware now they can hang on "just fine" till the perfect candidate shows up.

Pretty depressing as a job applicant but it was nice to know that it wasn't a conspiracy theory I made up in my head, that really is a standard hiring practice now for a lot of employers.

DH is on the hunt for another job, he can't stand his current supervisor anymore.  So we polished up his resume and he obtained his transcripts so he can go for a USDA position in Omaha.  He's been talking a lot to the plant USDA agent and she thinks he stands a really good shot.  She went over his resume for him and was very impressed, gave him a few suggestions to further polish it up before submission.

So we'll see.  DH is going for it b/c they took away the requirement you must work your first three years on the killer floor.  Huge shocker that was causing them to not get a lot of applicants and they are facing a shortage.

[TheHaitian]

I called today and I didn't get the job. They felt I did not have enough years experience as a store manager but they were impressed with the interview.

They wanted to know if I wanted to accept a position as a assistant GM manager. I turned it down since it would be a pay cut.

I want to leave but not enough to take a paycut!

[NastyWoman]

I'm sorry TheHaitian. There will be something better out there for you

[taz157]

Nov 11, 2015 21:50:05 GMT -5 NastyWoman said:

I'm sorry TheHaitian. There will be something better out there for you

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

Found out my former boss here at UNMC is now a Dean at the University of Arkansas!

Noticed his job or what appeared to be his job posted a month or so ago.  I looked him up in the campus directory and found out he was gone.   I shot an email to the secretary to see what happened and she forwarded my email.

I'm curious what went on with the vancomycin paper if it was published or is still hanging in limbo.  Also curious what happened with that PPI project I was involved in if they ever managed to sell it or not.

Guess it was only a matter of time before I lost my job with the COP.  

People in the lab I am in now have been here for a LONG time in some cases.   The other Tech II has been here eight years, the person I am replacing has been here six.   I take that as a good sign that should provide me with stability while I set things up for the next stage of my career. 

[mojothehelpermonkey]

I have a phone interview for a product manager position scheduled for next Tuesday. I have had 4 other interviews for 3 different positions with this company over the last 4 years. I never end up getting the job because of my lack of flow cytometry experience, but the other positions seemed like they required more technical expertise than this one. They emailed me to set up an interview within 30 minutes of submitting my resume. I wonder if that means they remember me. Maybe if I just keep applying to every job they post, I will wear them down and force them to hire me.

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

Good luck Mojo.

Feel like a slug today.  The person training me is gone sick today and I don't feel so hot myself.   So I'm sitting here like a bump on a log hacking all day.

Starting over again takes some getting used to.   I forgot how long it can take before you really get rolling and are fully assimilated into the lab.

[mojothehelpermonkey]

I always hated getting used to where everything is stored. It really slows things down.

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

Nov 13, 2015 17:33:57 GMT -5 mojothehelpermonkey said:

I always hated getting used to where everything is stored. It really slows things down.

Yeah I hate that too and learning everything all over again.   Cause even if you know how to do an ELISA or PCR or whatever every lab does theirs a wee bit different so you can't leap in head first.

[shanendoah]

Dilemma: I have only been in my current position for 1 yr and 1 month. I really like my job. I have a great boss and the staff I work with is amazing. Normally, I would not be looking to change jobs for at least another 2 years.
However, today on LinkedIn, I saw my University's "Job of the Week" posting - and it is pretty much for the exact next step job I would be looking for. Instead of being a department administrator, it would be a Director position for finance and HR at a college level, reporting directly to a Dean instead of a Chair. This really is my exact next step. So now I'm wondering if I should apply to it or not.

There is a part of me that says it could not hurt to apply. There's no guarantee I would even make it to the interview stage, let alone be offered the job. But if that did happen, I would feel really guilty about leaving my department already. But that's a huge leap going from just applying to actually being offered the job.

I know that if one of you asked here, I would probably tell you to apply. So that is likely what I will do. But I do feel conflicted about it.

[TheHaitian]

Apply!

[taz157]

Apply!

[muttleynfelix]

Lean in!

[flamingo]

No need to feel conflicted-as you pointed out, all you are doing at this stage is submitting a resume. How often does the exact match next step position come up at your current place of employment?!?! I would guess very rarely, given how often that happens at my university. 

So, apply and see where it goes. Worry about the rest after you see if you even get an interview. 


Good luck!

[mojothehelpermonkey]

What do you have to lose?

[tcu2003]

Lean in and go for it!

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

I'd go for it.  It's pretty darn rare here for an opportunity like that to pop up.   Usually you either stay at your same title forever or have to go thru the hassle/risk of having your boss re-title your job.

A year is not too bad.  It's not very long but at least you're not leaving after only 4 months like I did with BT.

[andi9899]

I say apply.

[wvugurl26]

Go for it!! If nothing else it's experience with the process at that level.

[obelisk]

Nothing to lose, you have everything to gain if the position is right for you.  That is applying will not interfere with you present position/goals.  Hopefully it's not a dilemma caused by politics.  Wishing you the best.

[emma1420]

Definitely apply!

Worse case, you don't get an interview.  Best case, you get the job.  And you don't know until you apply.

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

Spent yesterday poking mice in the face to make them bleed.   Didn't do too bad, I got most of them to bleed well enough to collect three drops.   Did end up having to filter my flow cytometry samples. I think I should have let them lyse a little longer.

Otherwise it wasn't that hard, it's like anything else in lab work anymore.  If I can follow a recipe then I can do the work.

Plan on taking one of the flow cytometry courses so I can learn to work the actual machines.   That would be a major feather in my cap and is one of the things preventing me from breaking out of academia.

Had a postdoc trying to miromanage while I was learning.  If I had enough clout i would have told him to shut up if he wants this done right b/c I need to concentrate.  If he has questions he's free to stand there until I am ready to talk (and I've said those exact words to my bosses at previous jobs).

Also wanted to point out if he wants to nag me about my hood technique he might want to take a look at the hood he was using.  He's got a microscope set up so the sash can't close properly (the alarm goes off all the time).  Which means the air flow is disrupted and the hood is going to sucking in air from the outside.  He's completely defeated the purpose of the hood.

Already laid down boundaries with another postdoc who tried to question my hours.   With my actual boss I sat down and we agreed my hours could be 8-4 b/c that is what I like and works best with daycare.   He saw me leaving at 4 pm and decided to question me on it.  I told him it's already been discussed with *insert boss's name*.  It's none of his business what set hours are.   Then I got the "well of course as long as you finish your work before you leave"

No shit, really?   Here I thought I could just throw the mice into the hood at 4 pm, screw putting them back it's closing time!.   It's not like I've done lab work for the past 10 years.

Spent a lot of time with the tech I am working with talking lab politics.  It is nice to have someone to give me the low down rather than having to wade thru it solo.

I will get what I want out of this tech job and that is my independence and reasonable amount of flexibility.   If they give me that then I can put up with a decent amount of political BS. 

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

It's not as bad as having to rub ointment on a prolapsed mouse penis.  That was a major low point in my career.

[mojothehelpermonkey]

I had to deal with a string of penis infections in a colony that I was working with too. Not fun.
My phone interview yesterday was interesting. She started by telling me that she was going to be completely honest and let me know that they had pretty much already decided on someone else for the position I applied for. However, they do have another position at their east coast branch, and she wanted to know if I was willing to relocate. I gave her a sort of wishy-washy answer. I would be willing to relocate for a dream job/salary or to an area I want to live in, but this job doesn't really meet either of these conditions.