find a job

[silverwhisper]

i thought, given the state of the economy, that a thread about job-finding and best practices might be useful. would anyone else find this helpful?

i was looking at zaithian's thread and i'm concerned that some good ideas are being lost amidst the din.

for my part, i'm currently unemployed. i've worked in several industries for industry leaders, fortune 50 companies, and am currently reinventing myself as a technical writer.

invaluable tools: linkedin, networking groups (that meet face to face) and public libraries.

how about everyone else?

ed

 

[fgarvb1]

I wouldn't know about all that.

I did hear that about 12,000 jobs need to be filled in Las Vegas by the end of the year.

Some kind of new complex... ask Weird Harold, he probably knows.

 

[rosco rathbone]

Join a union.

I just call the hall.

Love avoiding all that goofy "why are manhole covers round" shit.

 

[silverwhisper]

here's an example of job search worst practices: suing your alma mater after 3 months when you're a middling student.

ed

 

[unregistered]

 

[emap]

[Trout smacks Silverwhisper]

I'm not so good for the finding a place to apply part, I just went to bars/restaurants until I got hired.

Getting the job once your in the door though I perhaps can help with. I could make the standard slutty comment of strip down and offer the interviewer your body but I never actually did that anyway. Did give the boss a BJ once but I was offduty and drunk as a skunk, he teased me about it for a while.

Embarrassing part out of the way, make sure you're dressed well and fully, matching socks, correctly buttoned shirt so on so forth. Don't crack a joke, unless he does it first, you can be the office comedian after you're hired. Know what on earth you are talking about, remember this person is the only thing between you and employment. Dress the way you wish to for work, office job that means suit or power suit. Err on the side of caution, button up shirt at least for an interview with Best Buy and so forth.

I'm not kidding, just about the only time it's fine to wear shorts and a t or a mini with tube top is applying at a fast food place, even those will more likely than not put you in the round application file. Means throw away your application and not hire you ever.

 

[KokopelliRises]

Remember to bring a lot of copies of your resume with you and be cheerful. The one thing that probably landed me my job above anything else (other than my availability on the weekends) was that everyone remembered me as being bubbly--in a customer service job that means a lot. I guess also from that that people should remember that first impressions mean a lot, so try your hardest to make the best first impression ever.

Oh and remember to be nice to everyone--including the employees and customers.

 

[silverwhisper]

hey!

[trout-smacks emap on auto-fire]

good suggestions, folks!

kokopellirises quoth:
oh and remember to be nice to everyone--including the employees and customers.

to embroider on what kokopellirises mentioned: the moment you set foot on the property, be aware that anyone you encounter might be a prospective colleague/report/boss. also be aware that all of these people are a prospective treasure trove of very useful information! therefore, you absolutely should treat anyone you encounter accordingly--and possibly, try to get to know.

ed

 

[emap]

Well if your gonna be that way, it's on now.

[Great White smacks Silverwhisper]

Key note here, get to know be friendly and nice, but don't butt kiss.

Nobody likes a brownnoser besides the particular boss you are sticking your nose up the rear of, and even then not a whole lot. If you want to be seriously considered for promotions and raises, you have to be there at least as often as you are supposed to be, do extra time to make up for missed time as often as possible. This part is important, don't agree to do more than you can, be confident of your own ability but never sound like a stuck up jackass, if you are unsure if you can do it right, say so.

 

[silverwhisper]

[cetacean-clobbers emap]

[dino-dings emap]

[meteor-mauls emap]

i can keep this up day in, day out, for weeks, emap--and have. the choice is yours. :>



in job search, you must not underestimate the value of reference librarians. i've heard it from a reference librarian's lips: they'd rather help a job seeker than a kid trying to write a term paper. and that's someone who wants to help you, who's armed with tons of references of which you've likely only heard about 10%.

other best practices:

develop a marketing plan and a list of prospective employers, to target your networking efforts.

avoid the gatekeepers such as HR: you want the hiring managers or their bosses.

ed

 

[emap]

Hey, darnit meteor mauling is uncalled for, I never went there on you.

[Meteor-mauls Silverwhisper]

There now I have.

 

[Primalex]

invaluable tools: linkedin, networking groups (that meet face to face) and public libraries.

how about everyone else?

I wouldn't hire a technical writer who has trouble with the capitalizing of letters.

 

[silverwhisper]

right, b/c the way people write on discussion forums is the way they write everywhere. of course, silly me.

ed

 

[Primalex]

right, b/c the way people write on discussion forums is the way they write everywhere. of course, silly me.

I don't want a technical writer who needs to look up the spelling of basic words or who has to concentrate just to remember that he is not writing on his blog. Keyboard is keyboard - if it's no problem for him to use the shift-key, then he would do it, no matter where the text will be published - just for the sake of proper writing. I want someone who is motivated - who loves his jobs and who takes his job serious, as a technical writer even pedantic. You don't make the impression that you are pedantic about proper spelling and grammar.

You think people don't get a good job, because they don't have the "proper connections"? Bullocks. They don't get a good job, because they don't pay attention to the fine details. If you would contact me on one of those "networking groups" with your all-lower-case, you would be ruled out immediately.

 

[silverwhisper]

primalex quoth:
you don't make the impression that you are pedantic about proper spelling and grammar.

pedantry is a waste of everyone's time, IMX.

primalex quoth:
i don't want a technical writer who needs to look up the spelling of basic words or who has to concentrate just to remember that he is not writing on his blog. keyboard is keyboard - if it's no problem for him to use the shift-key, then he would do it, no matter where the text will be published - just for the sake of proper writing

that's ridiculous and is as sensible as saying just b/c one drives racecars and one drives to get across town, one might make the mistake of going at 180 mph+ on a neighborhood street.



out of curiosity: did you actually have anything meaningful to add to this thread, or are you merely trolling?

ed

 

[nosoup4crr]

lol. what a douche.

 

[emap]

Children do not make me turn this car around.

 

[Primalex]

that's ridiculous and is as sensible as saying just b/c one drives racecars and one drives to get across town, one might make the mistake of going at 180 mph+ on a neighborhood street.

So you want to say that an employer, who looks for a writer, will not check the spelling and grammar capabilities of the applicant?

out of curiosity: did you actually have anything meaningful to add to this thread, or are you merely trolling?

Well, I'm sure that some are able to actually extract the useful hints out of my postings. I'm not surprised that you aren't capable or willing to.

 

[Eilan]

So you want to say that an employer, who looks for a writer, will not check the spelling and grammar capabilities of the applicant?

If you weren't so intent on being a fucking douchenozzle, you could go to Ed's profile and see that he has published a few stories on Lit, all of which adhere to acceptable standards of spelling and grammar.

 

[Primalex]

If you weren't so intent on being a fucking douchenozzle, you could go to Ed's profile and see that he has published a few stories on Lit, all of which adhere to acceptable standards of spelling and grammar.

And what will they read? His profile on a network site or his erotic stories?

 

[Quoll]

And what will they read? His profile on a network site or his erotic stories?

I must have missed this, do you have the link to his network profile?

 

[silverwhisper]

primalex whined:
so you want to say that an employer, who looks for a writer, will not check the spelling and grammar capabilities of the applicant?

omg, please keep posting to this thread! i needed a good laugh and you're providing it in spades! please, do go on, primalex: fuckwitude is in such scarce supply online!

primalex whined:
well, i'm sure that some are able to actually extract the useful hints out of my postings. i'm not surprised that you aren't capable or willing to.

you're obviously completely delusional. and as i said, please do keep posting and demonstrating just how abysmally stupid you truly are. i relish the opportunity to witness braindeadness online, it's so very, very rare.

FYI: that was sarcasm, since you're obviously desperately in need of a second brain cell to rub together with the one that controls your autonomous functions.

now, run along, child: the grown ups are talking, hm?

you have my permission to depart. :>

ed

 

[PertPerth]

here's an example of job search worst practices: suing your alma mater after 3 months when you're a middling student.

ed

Ridiculous! If I found out that an applicant had done something like this, their CV would be heading straight to the paper-shredding pile!

I’ve just been interviewing people for an admin position – we had over 100 people apply and interviewed 6. The people who made it to the short list – ALL had relevant experience, and contacts.
My preferred candidate is a grandmother of 3, hasn’t worked in 4 years…but is still my preferred candidate due to her performance in the interview and the way her CV was compressed to suit the position. (I know she left some of her experience out from talking to former work colleagues.) She didn’t dodge questions, and answered with specifics. It shows that she’s competent, quick thinking – and just the kind of person we need around the office!

In short – tailor you CV for the job. Practice interview questions. Network, network, network.

 

[silverwhisper]

pertperth, i'm glad you spoke of the need to tailor your resume to a position: that's something i keep hearing from employers.

ed

 

[Cattypuss]

I want someone who is motivated - who loves his jobs and who takes his job serious, as a technical writer even pedantic. .

Was the writer too wiped out to add "ly" after the exertions of typing "serious"? What kind of home-made grammar rule-book do the last two words obey?

His whole argument is shite anyway. I am a highly sucessful, full-time, employed technical writer and editor. Do I write my porn stories or my forum posts in the style I use for my work? If you'll pardon the expression, do I hell as like!! Do I feel I should? What a ridiculous idea!