Just Jack Posted October 24, 2009 Posted October 24, 2009 Pardon my bluntness. But why is everyone so !@#$ing worried about upsetting people? The day you start a job is when the clock is running for when you'll eventually leave and most all employers know that. On that same note, when I first read What Color Is Your Parachute years ago when I was considering leaving the company I was at then, one thing in the very first chapter is that your employer can fire you on a moments notice, so don't feel bad about quitting on a moments notice.
JoeFerguson Posted October 24, 2009 Posted October 24, 2009 another suggestion related to networking....NEVER be intimidated to ask someone for help if they are in a position to help. I have several people in other companies throughout the country that i had even the most minimal contact with when we were together at Circuit City....I have no problem asking them for help getting my foot in the door if i see an opening at their current company, or using linkedin, if they have a relationship with someone at a company of interest. this was a tough obstacle for me to overcome, but after a couple instances, I got comfortable with it and as a result, I have greatly expanded my networking by reaching out to these people that before were nothing more than a name on an email distribution list or org chart....networking is an amazing tool.....Linkedin has been probably my most valuable resource in my job search...sadly i haven't had any good ultimate results, but it has opened many doors Right on. Even if none of those contacts lead to jobs, the exercise makes you realize that you have nothing to lose by contacting these people.
BuffOrange Posted October 25, 2009 Posted October 25, 2009 My job search has really taken a toll on me since July and I think I've looked at every possible site with no real prospects. Monster, Careerbuilder, HotJobs, Linkedin, and Craigslist have netted me a lot of applications, but only 1 interview...for a minimum wage job...for which I was declined (talk about a kick in the balls, I swear finishing my MBA is a waste of money) Anyways, does anyone have any recommendations for job searching that has gotten them good results? I need a new place to start looking so I was hoping you guys might have a few places I should try looking. I know all the "career experts" say networking >>> job sites and I'm sure that's true. But still I'm not great at networking and so every job I've gotten has been thru careerbuilder. That's not to say my interview/success rate was great, but like anything else it's a numbers game. The more you apply, the more interviews you get, eventually you click with someone... Of course that's assuming your resume is solid and your target locations are posting jobs (ie probably not Jamestown)....
BuffOrange Posted October 25, 2009 Posted October 25, 2009 Questions/thoughts on networking: What exactly are the specific steps towards somebody you never met but went to your school helping you find a job? I went to school in Rochester and moved to Philly, so the potential contacts were pretty limited. But I remember emailing a couple people with an introductory "Hi [insert city transition small-talk], how did you get started, blah blah". Even when I got thoughtless 1-2 sentence replies I would thank them for their time or whatever.... A few years later after landing where I wanted to be, I'm now the guy getting these intro emails that say "I just graduated, [please give me a job]", etc. Since I remember what it was like to be them, I want to help and my replies are about twice as long as their original correspondence. But I don't hear back from them. Are they expecting something along the lines of "Come to my office and I will hire you"? The proper play is to say "Thanks, I'd like to do lunch sometime and discuss ___ when you're available", correct?
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