The Job Hunt Thread

[Deleted]

Good Luck, Drama! You can DO THIS!!

[Wisconsin Beth]

Ok, I mentioned to my immediate supervisor that I was interested in my coworker's job if he gets canned. She will have little to no say in any decision made but she seems to think I'd have a shot. And moreover, she didn't DISAGREE with my assessment of how the process will play out.
She brought up a bunch of stuff about the job, some I'd considered, some I hadn't.

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

I am going to throw up.    I am going to be on my own come Monday.  I so don't feel ready for this!

In other news DH decided to make a lateral move and try for an assistant supervisor position in production.   That would get him out from under his current psych boss.

We'll see what happens.  I am wondering if his supervisor will try to block it or the president of the company (DH is not one of his pets) will try to block it.

[Wisconsin Beth]

I thought they loved dh. What happened?

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

The supervisor that hired DH left awhile ago, he got tired of all the BS involved in working for a small company.

The promote solely by senority not by who is most competent to do the job.  So DH's psycho co-worker got to become supervisor.  It also helps that she is BFFs with the president.  She will do anything he says when he says it.

The previous supervisor used to be a buffer between the president's random demands and his staff.  Not this one, the rules change pretty much daily now depending on what mood the president is in.   She is also a micromanager so nothing gets done b/c she insists on being involved then can't be found.  When DH makes a decision he then gets in trouble b/c he should have waited for her.

It's crazy.   Then the company just got bought out and there is a bunch of crazy shit happening b/c of that.  Lots of the president's favorites got cushy new positions with higher pay.  There is a lot of resentment b/c the positions were never posted.  They were just handed out on silver platters.

It's a huge mess.   It's not the long term solution we though it would be.  

DH thinks he could handle it if he gets out from under his current supervisor.  The production people DO like DH and think he is very competent.  IDK how the internal process works there though, if his supervisor has to approve it I can see her stopping it out of spite.

[TheHaitian]

Hey folks been awhile!

So my wife is back on the job market... She stopped because she did not want both of us trying to find new jobs while trying for a baby!

Since we don't know what are our chances to actually get pregnant, might happen next month might not happen till 1 year from now, she is back and looking. She is worried about getting a job right when she gets pregnant but that will be a bridge we need to cross when we get there.

So she is looking and applying at different locations that are within 20-30 minutes driving distance! I will stay put for now....

[andi9899]

Well, I have been presented with 3 high risk, potentially higher earnings jobs and one safe job with limited earnings potential. They safe jobs offer a base salary that would be enough to pay my bills comfortably. They others do not include a base salary, but I can make quite a bit more if I sell enough. One even has an option for ownership down the road.

[TheHaitian]

Dec 3, 2015 17:03:06 GMT -5 NomoreDramaQ1015 said:

The supervisor that hired DH left awhile ago, he got tired of all the BS involved in working for a small company.

The promote solely by senority not by who is most competent to do the job.  So DH's psycho co-worker got to become supervisor.  It also helps that she is BFFs with the president.  She will do anything he says when he says it.

The previous supervisor used to be a buffer between the president's random demands and his staff.  Not this one, the rules change pretty much daily now depending on what mood the president is in.   She is also a micromanager so nothing gets done b/c she insists on being involved then can't be found.  When DH makes a decision he then gets in trouble b/c he should have waited for her.

It's crazy.   Then the company just got bought out and there is a bunch of crazy shit happening b/c of that.  Lots of the president's favorites got cushy new positions with higher pay.  There is a lot of resentment b/c the positions were never posted.  They were just handed out on silver platters.

It's a huge mess.   It's not the long term solution we though it would be.  

DH thinks he could handle it if he gets out from under his current supervisor.  The production people DO like DH and think he is very competent.  IDK how the internal process works there though, if his supervisor has to approve it I can see her stopping it out of spite.

Sorry to hear that truly sucks!

[flutterby]

Well I'm back in the job hunt.

I got a state government job back in June. I really like the job itself, love my coworkers, hate the commute, but nothing's perfect. The problem is, this is realistically a part-time job. I'm bored. There are days I go in, log into my computer, and have absolutely nothing I need to do. So I do busy work, which makes for some LLOOONNGGG days!

So while I'm not desperately looking, I AM looking. I have a phone interview tomorrow for a federal position. Hoping for the best.

[Wisconsin Beth]

Good luck!

Ouch, sorry drama.

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

It's a pitfall of working for a small company that relishes nepotism.   A lot of people have issues with it and have been stuck in their current positions forever due to the fact they won't cuddle up to the president.

DH's VP is all for DH trying to move up/on rather than staying in one place forever.   So finger's crossed.

Meanwhile I am still having a panic attack over being alone starting on Monday.    I hope I do a good job.

[TheHaitian]

Dec 3, 2015 17:26:38 GMT -5 andi9899 said:

Well, I have been presented with 3 high risk, potentially higher earnings jobs and one safe job with limited earnings potential. They safe jobs offer a base salary that would be enough to pay my bills comfortably. They others do not include a base salary, but I can make quite a bit more if I sell enough. One even has an option for ownership down the road.

Which one do you feel more drawn to?

[TheHaitian]

Dec 3, 2015 18:26:41 GMT -5 flutterby said:

Well I'm back in the job hunt.

I got a state government job back in June. I really like the job itself, love my coworkers, hate the commute, but nothing's perfect. The problem is, this is realistically a part-time job. I'm bored. There are days I go in, log into my computer, and have absolutely nothing I need to do. So I do busy work, which makes for some LLOOONNGGG days!

So while I'm not desperately looking, I AM looking. I have a phone interview tomorrow for a federal position. Hoping for the best.

Good luck!

Same for my wife, she is not desperately looking but work as really slow down where she is and we could do without the LONG commute!

[andi9899]

Dec 4, 2015 10:37:41 GMT -5 TheHaitian said:

Dec 3, 2015 17:26:38 GMT -5 andi9899 said:

Well, I have been presented with 3 high risk, potentially higher earnings jobs and one safe job with limited earnings potential. They safe jobs offer a base salary that would be enough to pay my bills comfortably. They others do not include a base salary, but I can make quite a bit more if I sell enough. One even has an option for ownership down the road.

Which one do you feel more drawn to?

All of them for different reasons.

Job 1. Being a producer at an independent agency. 1099 contractor with no benefits and would be paid 75% of what I bring in and agency keeps 25% for expenses. Commute is about 2-3 miles. Agency has been around for about 3 years and is seemingly doing well.

Job 2. Again, producing for an independent agency a friend is starting. This would be helping build it from the ground up. 1099 contractor being paid 70% of what I bring in. Agency keeps 30% for expenses. Product line is bigger, thus more commissions possible. No benefits, but he is trying to figure out a way to at least partially pay for a high deductible health plan. Commute is 10-15 miles. I would have an opportunity for partial ownership down the road if I wanted.

Job 3. Servicing an existing book of business with a partial commission for anything I brought in, but I am not required to sell anything. Base salary is $55K and health insurance that I would have to pay part of. I would never own any of the agency. I would be a W-2 employee.

The first two have unlimited earnings potential and the third is very safe, but there is a definite limit on earnings.

[shanendoah]

midjd - I would use one of the public advisory opinions that you've written. I do think they have to assume everything is at least edited by someone else when you're coming from a state agency. It may have been published under the agency name, but everyone knows someone has to have actually written it, so unless you think your boss might try and prevent you from leaving by claiming you didn't write it, that's the way to go. (And sentences like that are why I would never get past having to submit a writing sample )

andi9899 - I would take the safe job, but that is because I am the sole earner for a family of 3 people and 2 dogs. I need the guaranteed income. I was VERY tempted by a job as the clinic manager for a veterinary office while I was job hunting, but the base salary was LOW, and I would be dependent on how much work the office actually did in order to really make money. Before Pop Tart, C and I might have decided I should just go for it, because I would have loved it. But having a kid to support, I need the guaranteed income.
So for me, the decision isn't just about what I want, but what I need for my specific situation.
If I did not feel the need for the "safe" job (of the three you posted), I would probably go for Job 2 over Job 1, as long as I thought it would not ruin the friendship/I could work with that particular friend/have them be my boss. Yes the commute is longer and the commission is lower, but as you said, there's a larger portfolio of products, you get to be in on the ground floor of a new agency, and have the possibility of partner/ownership in the future.
It is the riskiest of the jobs, though, so if you want to cut the difference, job 1, with a walk-able/ride-able commute, and a decent (I am assuming, I know nothing of insurance standard practices) commission, and an established agency that doesn't seem like a bad plan.

So what do you NEED? And once you know your needs, of the jobs that fit into that, what one makes you the most excited?

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

I'd look into what your state offers on the insurance exchange for plans and shop around before you make a decision.   Those jobs might bring in more but the difference may end up going to your new insurance premiums and deductible.

At least with Job 3 your premiums will be subsidized by the employer.

I carry our benefits since DH never seems to land a job where he gets a decent package.   The plans offered by Iowa thru the exchange are horrible in my approved range.   The extra money I'd be bringing in would be eaten by the premiums or the sky high deductibles.  

[andi9899]

Thing is, since job two is with a friend, I think he would let me work job 3 for a couple of years until I can see that he's established in his new agency. He's asking me to make a giant leap of faith for a friend I've only had for a year or so. Right now, Thing 1 is at college an hour away living in a dorm. Her grant is enough for tuition and fees, and we are paying for room and board. The third and fourth years are back here and she can live at home. I would have another year yet before Thing 2 goes to college to build my book then. Plus, that way if he doesn't float, which I think he will, I'm not going down with him. At the same time, I could be missing out on some big sales. I'm so torn.

[ArchietheDragon]

I would not work for a friend, but that is just me. 

[andi9899]

I just got asked if I was interested in a 4th job. We'll see what this is about. It's a captive agency, so I will be interested to see what's offered there.

[flutterby]

I had my phone interview today. I was under the impression this was just a preliminary screening and then they would have in-person interviews, but it sounded like this was it. Which is a bummer because it did not go as well as I'd hoped. They asked nothing about my skills or abilities. It was all "give me an example of when you... describe a time when you..." Ugh. And to make it worse, I started coughing. Nothing to drink, of course. Every time I tried to talk, I'd start to cough. And my answers weren't great because all I could think of was trying not to cough. Lesson learned: always have water with me!!

I'll find out in a couple weeks but I'm not feeling much confidence.

[shanendoah]

flutterby - Those are called behavioral interview questions and they are becoming more and more common. Either the place will give you a test to see about your skills and abilities or they feel they can train you to do what they need to be done or they trust that you aren't lying on your resume. Anyway, they aren't worried about your skills and abilities, they care about whether you will fit in with their team, if you have the kind of attitude they like, how you respond to adversity, etc.

When I am in charge of interview questions, almost every single one is a behavioral interview question.

[Pants]

Dec 4, 2015 19:08:46 GMT -5 flutterby said:

I had my phone interview today. I was under the impression this was just a preliminary screening and then they would have in-person interviews, but it sounded like this was it. Which is a bummer because it did not go as well as I'd hoped. They asked nothing about my skills or abilities. It was all "give me an example of when you... describe a time when you..." Ugh. And to make it worse, I started coughing. Nothing to drink, of course. Every time I tried to talk, I'd start to cough. And my answers weren't great because all I could think of was trying not to cough. Lesson learned: always have water with me!!

I'll find out in a couple weeks but I'm not feeling much confidence.

Like shane says, these are behavioral questions. There's a specific format to answer them: CARS or STARS. In my MBa program, we were taught how to interview with these.
C: Context.
A: action
R: Result
Each one should last 2 min total, with no more than 45 seconds on the context. There are lists of common behavioral questions online, and you should have 2-3 for each. That's how we were taught anyway. The point is, they aren't asking you to say "I can solve problems using spreadsheets" they are asking you to talk about a time you demonstrated that skill and how it made a difference.

[flutterby]

Thanks shanendoah and Pants. I've had those questions in other interviews, it's just that they were mixed in with the skills/abilities type questions, not the entire interview. It makes sense; I'm a government accountant. The position is for a government accountant. They already figure I know or can learn the job. I'll keep this in mind for the next time.

I felt most of my responses were good, one was spot on and made them laugh, one was fairly lame. I just wasn't mentally prepared for a full out interview, which was my own fault for assuming. And the coughing fit completely threw me off. All I can hope is that it wasn't as bad as I thought.

[Pants]

Yup. A lot of places are moving towards these because it requires you to actually demonstrate an understanding of the material at hand. Like, for my spreadsheet example, if someone asked "Can you use spreadsheets?" I could say "Yes, I'm totally an expert and I'm a great spreadsheeter!" Whereas if they ask me about a time I solved a problem using spreadsheets, my answer itself would most likely reveal how proficient I was. If I said "We needed to add up a big column of numbers and I was able to use the SUM function to add them quickly and we saved the day because we had a number we needed." that demonstrates a very very BASIC level of proficiency. Vs. "We needed to understand how our customers interacted with our software so I was able to build a VBA macro that identified customers who spent less time so that we were able to develop a profile on them." (Or something.) That demonstrates I'm actually the expert I believe myself to be. 

This is just an example, but having met people who actually seriously believe they are experts at excel because they can add a single column of numbers, I understand why people are moving towards this method of interviewing. 

[debthaven]

We teach this at my business school too ... we call it the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result).

HR people suggest that you have a STAR answer for leadership, a difficult work situation, teamwork, technical skills (i.e. what Pants said about her Excel skills), client/customer skills (if applicable) and problem solving. 

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

I suck at excel. I really need to buy myself a Dummies book.   I've been using statistical software instead of Excel so I never really learned more than a basic level of proficiency. I  got a crash course last week. I made a template so I don't have to think again.

Honestly if I had to do do all my pharmcokinetic work in excel I think I would have thrown my chair at my boss. 

All by myself this week.   We'll see how it goes.  Right now I am working on modifying an IACUC protocol, but I need a copy of the actual protocol before I can do it.  My PI wants me to learn how to do all this stuff so she can start transferring some of the workload to me.   They both told me they are interested in pushing me into more of a coordinator role than a technician role as time goes by.

Then I have a Western Blot I need to do but that will have to wait. I have my yearly physical at 11:00 and I've already put it off for way too long.   I'd run smack into prep time issues if I tried to do the WB this morning.  I might have time this afternoon if the postdoc who is an expert can help me out.  I have no clue what I doing.

I am feeling a little more confident. I had a talk with one of my PIs about a strain of mice that is going to go belly up if something doesn't change.   She agreed with my thoughts and ideas, she said that is why they hired me they wanted someone who has experience with this type of stuff.   So that made me feel good. I am glad my skills are actually being put to work here rather than moldering b/c they want to use me "someday" like at Boys Town.

[shanendoah]

I couldn't help but think of people on this thread when I saw this picture today. Hope it brings some of you smiles.

[TheHaitian]

Good luck drama!

Lol nice picture.... I am waiting to see how my wife does with her job hunt and I will be right back at it afterwards.

[TheHaitian]

I need suggestions... I want to transition into a regular 9-5 job.

Where can I apply and for that that my skills as a store manager would be useful?

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

TheHaitian, Have you looked at bank manager positions?
I wonder what the pay difference would be.