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MEGA - Jobs, Resumes, Interviews

What kind of experience do you have?

You might want to consider starting towards the bottom of the ladder in a company and working your way up. If you prove to your employer to be a diligent worker and to possess the skills needed, you can work your way up fairly fast in a lot of situations.
 
spork said:
What kind of experience do you have?

You might want to consider starting towards the bottom of the ladder in a company and working your way up. If you prove to your employer to be a diligent worker and to possess the skills needed, you can work your way up fairly fast in a lot of situations.
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why even get a degree then if you're gonna start at the bottom?

Not trying to be crude or rude, it's a serious question.

I'm in a position where I'm taking classes, but have not even gotten my associates degree.

Yet, I've been working ever since I graduated high school, even WHILE in highschool, and have been steadily moving up the "corporate ladder" since then. (And trust me, I started at the bottom. :\ )

I might as well not even graduate if the best I can get into is where I've already been!
 
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Looking for a job and going to interview is a really hard time... I finished my study about a year ago, and I still don’t have a real good and permanent job (anyway, I still not sure of what I want to do). I got contracts, not very well paid. The most difficult thing to me is to get an interview... But, once I got one, I usually get the job.

I dont know if I can give you some advices, but I encourage you!

An interview is the opportunity to sell your personality. You must make them want to work with you because your friendly, positive, motivated and confident. They don’t want someone that have the knowledge (you got your degree anyway) but someone that have the skills to get it and who s gone a fit in the team.
Also, don’t be too honest... lol
You really got to study before you go to an interview, same thing then a exam... That’s is sooo important. It pays a lot. Know everything about the company (firm) and the job. Also, the same questions come in all interviews (describe yourself, why do you think your the best for this job, ...). So, get a list of all questions they can ask you, and get ready for all of them.

-Visualization-I’m got a get the job!
 
MaxPowers said:
why even get a degree then if you're gonna start at the bottom?

Not trying to be crude or rude, it's a serious question.

I'm in a position where I'm taking classes, but have not even gotten my associates degree.

Yet, I've been working ever since I graduated high school, even WHILE in highschool, and have been steadily moving up the "corporate ladder" since then. (And trust me, I started at the bottom. :\ )

I might as well not even graduate if the best I can get into is where I've already been!
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but you have experience. having a degree with no practical experience is of no value to an employer unless they are very willing to spend time training you, which is not all that common.

you may start at the 'bottom' level at companies but at least you are more likely to be paid at the company's midpoint offering instead of the low end. your degree will only take you so far until you prove to who you are working for what you're worth.
 
I agree with the job experience thing. Almost all companies want some sort of experience, degree or not.

Have you tried calling these companies back instead of waiting for a phone call? Persistence works well, sometimes, and it shows you have an interest in working for that company.
 
Ringfinger said:
So far, NONE of them have been offering me second round interviews not to mention a job.
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From what I understand, the job market in the USA isn't fantastic at the moment. I'm certainly reading of new graduates in my field applying for dozens of jobs, unsuccessfully. It's possible you're just losing out to more experienced/slightly better competition.

I dress very professionally, clean shaven,. etc.
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This shouldn't be something that you even mention. It's not a bonus - it's a simple requirement. Doing it does not make you special.

I answer questions honestly
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Possibly this is your problem. I'm serious. If they ask "have you ever done [x]?", do you say "no"? Bad idea, even if it's the truth. Think about what you might have done instead that is similar, or demonstrate how you're a quick learner.

and I feel I do a decent job answering those stupid fucking "tell me a time when you....." questions.
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I've studied personnel selection at graduate level. Those questions are (or at least were, when I studied it) the most accurate individual selection method. Also, not trying to be a dick, but you feel that you do a decent job answering them - how do you know?

It might be worthwhile asking interviewers for feedback. They obviously think enough of you to take an initial look at you, so clearly something is going wrong in the interview itself (that, or there are just too many better-experienced candidates).
 
^yeah. Asking for feedback from the interviewer is not only the new black with regard to developing better interview strategies, there's also a slim chance the interviewer will appreciate your diligence and call you in the future.

After writing custom letters (the more you write, the faster they go) for the companies, you should have a pretty good feel for the firms in question. So when they're asking you questions you should feel pretty prepared with regard to responding correctly, always subtley reminding them that you are familiar with their core values and business model. The only answers worth memorizing are the ones you have to BS. For me these include ethical dilemmas and biggest weakness questions.
 
Ringfinger said:
I am American/Arab and some people perceive me to be a foreigner because of my name and that fact that I grew up in another country.
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Actually, it does - and I'm going to bet that this is actually the ONLY problem you have. I am a Canadian/Palestinian and have never really been successful finding a decent job in Canada, regardless of experience and education. And this is Canada we're talking about, I imagine the US is even more impossible.

Racial discrimintion in the workplace is a very real issue, ESPECIALLY with middle-easterners with our current image. They WILL hire a westerner with less qualification than you do. Sometimes there are laws that force them to hire foreigners, but middle-easterners will still be a last choice in the US. This is a sociological fact.

And this is not confined to the US. I'll relate some of my experience from other countries: The British Council, for example, will hire a British person with no experience as an ESL teacher in western europe than, say, a Canadian with 20 years experience and 4 certifications. This is actually common-knowledge.
In Japan, a dutch person is more likely going to be hired as an English teacher before, say, an American Jew, since the dutch guy has blond hair and blue eyes. I shit you not - I've seen it happen in front of me.

Now, I am not saying that you stand no chance, but just accept that due to your background, you inherently have a disadvantage in the market.

Good luck. I'd say try to get a western first-name (like most chinese do when they immigrate), but doing that in the US with your current identity might raise flags.
 
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^
Some fair points there (and actually I've noticed vaguely similar things to Jamshyd's comment about the UK - and I'm a white New Zealander - UK experience counts for much more).

I still think that any new graduate without much experience might have trouble getting a job right now, though. The OP just has an additional disadvantage :(
 
I'd say try to get a western first-name
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Dont think your name is the problem. It could be a problem if you havent got any interview. But once you get one, then they know your name... and I know many white people with western name that have problem to get a job.

any new graduate without much experience might have trouble getting a job right now
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yep, that's the point.

and it s better to start at the bottom then stay at home.
career is a long term plan
 
Obviously their is an immediacy when it comes to finding a job but if you can't do it why not just start finding experience. Take your degree to a non-profit and see what you can do with it.

Take my advice with a grain of salt though, I have no experience in the matter.
 
These cocksuckers wrote me a two page cv. Who the fuck is going to read a two page cv for an entry-level position?

Jesus Christ.
 
captainballs said:
These cocksuckers wrote me a two page cv. Who the fuck is going to read a two page cv for an entry-level position?

Jesus Christ.
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i don't get it. what exactly is the problem here? too long? or not long enough?

are you gonna tell us how much you paid for this? 8o
 
It's too long. With the money I spent on that, I could have bought a handjob. I'd rather not say exactly how much it was.
 
given that all of the replies to your op suggested this was a scam and a bad idea, i'm interested to hear why you decided to go ahead with this?

alasdair
 
people don't post in second opinion for advice, silly. they come here looking for validation of what they were gonna do anyway. %)
 
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