Iskaral Pust Posted January 9, 2017 Share Posted January 9, 2017 On 1/7/2017 at 5:16 AM, Angalin said: Nice to see you back, Ep! Congratulations and best wishes for everything! Liff, have you done any aptitude tests to narrow down the possibilities? The Things have to choose GCSE subjects soon, and a friend recommended this one which was quick and fairly accurate, at least in my case. After a lot of depressing searching, I have finally found two jobs which sound exciting, one in Birmingham and one in London. Changing mental gears from a part-time editorial job to graduate student to next-level job hunting has been far more challenging than expected: when I first started looking for post-degree work, I still felt very unqualified for anything more than basic. These two, though, make me feel like I could use what I've learned instead of just hitting reset to a previous existence. Are you in the UK now Angalin? I thought you were based in Canada. Sorry if I overlooked a huge life move. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lessthanluke Posted January 9, 2017 Share Posted January 9, 2017 On 21/12/2016 at 0:03 PM, MercurialCannibal said: I had to field a uncomfortable phone call checking the references on a pastry cook who moved across the country in november yesterday. it was for a upper management position in a large bakery. I researched the company when the former employee sent me a text expecting the call. it looked like a good place to work. I was hopeful for my former cook. as the conversation developed I realized my former employee was quite dishonest with this potential new employer. she falsified her title, wages and whether she managed people. I always give a good reference unless someone was particularly poor and simply say 'not eligible for rehire.' I did not enjoy being put in a position I had to try to vouch for someone who lied pretty blatantly. I cannot see her being hired. had she simply been honest they may have been willing to gamble on her. certainly I know I wouldn't put someone on my management team who lied on their application. Past managers of mine have encouraged me to exaggerate my responsibilities when going for new jobs which they would back up. Shrugs. Lying is part and parcel of job hunting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xray the Enforcer Posted January 9, 2017 Share Posted January 9, 2017 Depends on the field. In mine, you run the risk of being black-balled if someone catches you in a lie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. X Posted January 10, 2017 Share Posted January 10, 2017 On 1/7/2017 at 6:16 AM, Angalin said: Liff, have you done any aptitude tests to narrow down the possibilities? The Things have to choose GCSE subjects soon, and a friend recommended this one which was quick and fairly accurate, at least in my case. I just took that aptitude test because I can't resist online tests on a whim, and the entire first page was primarily mechanical engineering and variants thereof (aerospace, civil, etc.), which is what my undergraduate degree is in. The second page of results included "Secondary School Teacher" (my actual job), "Brewer" (my primary hobby), and "Graphic Designer" (something I did a lot of informally during college, designing flyers and album covers and what not for my bands). So yeah, maybe there's something to these tests, at least in terms of general interest/suitability suggestions or food for thought. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MercenaryChef Posted January 10, 2017 Share Posted January 10, 2017 2 hours ago, lessthanluke said: Past managers of mine have encouraged me to exaggerate my responsibilities when going for new jobs which they would back up. Shrugs. Lying is part and parcel of job hunting. i will disagree with you. I have only ever always been honest about myself and my jobs. I would never expect an employer to lie for me to get a job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sperry Posted January 10, 2017 Share Posted January 10, 2017 Exaggerating is expected, blatantly lying is not. Job hunting sucks. Typically you are looking for a new job because your current or former job was not great. That puts you in a tough situation. It's easy for your high end professional service people to bounce from place to place when they get restless. Elsewhere, you're fighting an uphill battle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lessthanluke Posted January 10, 2017 Share Posted January 10, 2017 21 hours ago, MercurialCannibal said: i will disagree with you. I have only ever always been honest about myself and my jobs. I would never expect an employer to lie for me to get a job. I'd be unemployed without lying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S John Posted January 10, 2017 Share Posted January 10, 2017 Have a phone interview tomorrow afternoon. I'm a little torn on the whole thing. I don't have the exact experience they are looking for (which I plan on being honest about, btw ) but I do think that I can do the job. There are some other red-tape issues as well that are beyond my control and could prevent me from getting an offer, but I am coming to them on a referral and I know several people who work there and like me, have worked with me before, and know that I am not a total dunce. I think I've got a decent shot of getting through the process. Yet, assuming I do not bomb the interview and they offer me, I am not sure what I should do. Taking the job would be a significant pay raise, but also I would again be based in the DC area. I do not dislike the area but - a. been there done that, and b. the SO and I were really kind of hoping for smaller and cheaper if we left Austin, and DC is both bigger and more expensive. However, I would not be based in DC right away. I think I mentioned this possibility upthread, but I would be sent to Europe (Germany or Italy) for one year, and based in the DC area after that. I mean, the Europe part sounds awesome to me (and my girlfriend), but I have to also consider that I am pretty sure I do not want to live in the DC area long-term after my Europe stint is over. I would, however, like to live in Virginia to be closer to my family who live in the southern/central part of the state, but more like Charlottesville or Richmond or something, even Raleigh-Durham NC area would probably work. So I'm a little worried that by taking the job I am going to embark on a few years of instability where we'll be gone for a year, and then back in DC for only as long as necessary to bow out with dignity and use that more local base as a stepping stone to go where I actually want to be longer-term. And if I do that, say I spend 2 years in DC before I'm ready to leave, then I'll have a lot of '3 yr and gone' job stints on my resume. That would make 4, in fact. Not sure if that is really a that big of a deal anymore, and I have never been asked to leave a job, but I don't want to seem too jumpy. If I get the job, my housing would be paid for while in Europe, so on top of the pay raise there is a nice opportunity to save up a good chunk of change. That is a huge carrot to dangle in front of me because being able to save up enough money for a solid down-payment in our current circumstance would take 3-5 years at current pace - but with this opportunity I could likely get most of the way there in just one year ..... and the sacrifice I would have to make in order to do that is getting to live in Germany or Italy for a year. This is the kind of opportunity I would probably seize if it were just me on my own, but now I have to consider the SO as well. She's willing to go with me (even excited about the possibility) but has a career here too and me getting a new job also means her getting a new job, and likely her not working at all for the year that we're gone. Also, there are potential visa issues as we are not married. We've lived together for almost 2 years and definitely both agree that we are likely to get married in the relatively near future anyway, but kind of don't want to just do it hastily because of international paperwork. I mean I guess we don't want to feel like that is the reason we got married even though it wouldn't be. Really the main thing I am worried about is her having health insurance. I think she could come and go from either country for 90 days at a time and I don't really care if she works while we are there if she doesn't mind that. Anyway, can't decide if it is better to go for it if offered and take this somewhat tumultuous path to where we really want to go (smaller city, less traffic, closer to family, home ownership) or if I should wait for something to come along that satisfies those requirements more directly. I feel I'd be looking at it as a bit of a stepping stone from the outset. I wouldn't leave 'em high and dry or anything, I just know that I don't really want to live in the area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iskaral Pust Posted January 11, 2017 Share Posted January 11, 2017 Exciting possibilities John but no easy answer. Do the interview and be open about that you are weighing the implications of the role locations. They may offer you a compromise on DC. Is a long commute from exurban Virginia possible? I know a guy who lives in a relatively low cost beautiful home on three acres and he claims that it's only a 45 minute driving commute to and from DC. I don't know if you want to give up city life. Your SO could have a tricky time with a residency visa for Germany or Italy if you are unmarried, but do some research. Tourist visas are usually limited to three months or six months within a calendar year, not multiple visits each up to that limit. But there may be different programs available now. Besides, this could be a way to have the wedding in Tuscany. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MercenaryChef Posted January 11, 2017 Share Posted January 11, 2017 4 hours ago, lessthanluke said: I'd be unemployed without lying. you sell yourself short, mate. john, come back to dc! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sperry Posted January 11, 2017 Share Posted January 11, 2017 On 7/18/2016 at 7:30 PM, sperry said: Meeting was today, and the tone was definitely not that of an interview, despite it being set up like most later round interviews. Very conversational, and really just an opportunity to ask questions and meet with some people from the firm. Hopefully the fact that I did my homework paid off in me coming off as informed and professional. The shooting the shit part of these meetings has never been a problem for me and went just fine. I'm hoping this went well enough to land me an interview when official recruiting happens in January. On the plus side, I really liked the people I met. There was a very positive and friendly office vibe, which often isn't the case at "elite" employers. I posted this earlier, and it did pay off and land me an official interview. I also just found out that interview went well and I will have a final round upcoming. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Datepalm Posted January 11, 2017 Share Posted January 11, 2017 Is three years at a job not, like, reasonably respectable at this point? The idea of spending 20 years at the same firm would seem to be done for a lot of fields, no? John...is the job itself also something you want to be doing, and have done going forward, rather than just the better pay, conditions and geography? And I have no clue here really, but just getting officially engaged (which you esentially are, right? That is what mutually agreeing to get married eventually means?) might be enough for a visa. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Datepalm Posted January 11, 2017 Share Posted January 11, 2017 Does anyone else ever have a complete and total freakout that they're doing utterly the wrong thing, career-wise? Someone sat in on a class I'm taking because they're thinking of starting the planning program next year, and then asked if it's all 'so quantitative' (this was transport economics...the economics was little more than Micro 101 and virtually no actual maths.) We pointed out that, yes, sort of, and really if he's interested in design and landscape architecture, he should go study architecture or engineering, since you'll hit an (elegant, modernist) concrete ceiling with a planning degree in the private sector at some fairly early point....and I've been freaking out ever since. I mean, I knew this and have always know this, and have always know I have no interest in architecture or engineering per se as well. And nevertheless, somehow my grim conclusion was that I have to quit everything and go do a BA in civil engineering like right now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eponine Posted January 12, 2017 Share Posted January 12, 2017 Hi John! It's been a while. Ok, now I feel like I'm typing an email instead of a post... Anyway, would either of you feel differently about the getting married hastily issue if you got the marriage license now, but planned on having a reception for friends and family later when you were ready and had time to prepare? I think you should go for it and have a year's worth of adventure and travel, because it sounds like not going for it doesn't put you any closer to where you want to be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Datepalm Posted January 26, 2017 Share Posted January 26, 2017 I'm having cover-letter writer's block. Have the rules by chance changed on these since, like, last month and the batch I wrote then? Maybe they're now acceptable as gentle watercolors? Dadaist poetry? Something? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rorshach Posted January 26, 2017 Share Posted January 26, 2017 Interpretative dance, sent live via Facebook. Job guarantee. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raja Posted January 26, 2017 Share Posted January 26, 2017 28 minutes ago, Rorshach said: Interpretative dance, sent live via Facebook. Job guarantee. So what you're saying is, this is what I should do during my skype interview tomorrow? Will report back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rorshach Posted January 26, 2017 Share Posted January 26, 2017 36 minutes ago, Raja said: So what you're saying is, this is what I should do during my skype interview tomorrow? Will report back. We should totally be friends of Facebook, dude! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lany Freelove Cassandra Posted January 30, 2017 Share Posted January 30, 2017 Got my first annual review. it was all 4's (consistently exceeds expectations) and my bonus determination is 100% of what I'm eligible to receive (This will be my first ever bonus, it's pretty exciting. I feel like I've joined the adult's table ). The bonus is 40% company and department making their goals and 60% based on my review. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starkess Posted January 31, 2017 Share Posted January 31, 2017 That's awesome, Lany, congrats! I've never been in a position that offers a bonus, sounds pretty sweet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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