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RE: career paths and training, I have an opportunity but I need to get some information on self-paced but fast tracking training. Specifically Six Sigma.

Has anyone gone through courses for Green Belt and Black Belt not offered through their department/employer, but something they've done on their own (but not on their own dime)? I need to come up with a training plan for that and a few lesser items before my next meeting.

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I am relocating with my boyfriend, and thank gods. I get to leave this position without having to burn bridges and tell everyone how much I can't stand it there (okay, I wouldn't have done that, but it is easier to leave with a good excuse). My firm has an office where we are moving to, so my management is helping me try to find a position out there. That would be nice, for some career continuity and not missing out on income during a job hunt, as well as a chance to see if it is my job or my position that I really hate. Move will likely be in October, just need to somehow pretend to GAF for 2 more months...

2 hours ago, kairparavel said:

RE: career paths and training, I have an opportunity but I need to get some information on self-paced but fast tracking training. Specifically Six Sigma.

Has anyone gone through courses for Green Belt and Black Belt not offered through their department/employer, but something they've done on their own (but not on their own dime)? I need to come up with a training plan for that and a few lesser items before my next meeting.

I've done some self-paced training for work, but nothing that structured as LSS. (Also, ugh, I hate LSS, I hope you have better experience with it than I have.) I would just recommend being realistic about how much time you have to devote to it. It is easy to be like "sure, I can study 2 hours a day!" and then it becomes really hard to keep up.

 

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2 minutes ago, Starkess said:

.I've done some self-paced training for work, but nothing that structured as LSS. (Also, ugh, I hate LSS, I hope you have better experience with it than I have.) I would just recommend being realistic about how much time you have to devote to it. It is easy to be like "sure, I can study 2 hours a day!" and then it becomes really hard to keep up.

 

I've had periphery experience with Six Sigma and I've had some introductory lean manufacturing training. I've also had Kaizen training through one of my former employers. It's not the most interesting stuff but I also don't hate it and do find some of it meaningful. I'm just trying to find a few options for vendors who offer these courses and reviews on the experience. Like, was there online support or a Blackboard like situation with chatboards/discussion groups, or were there online classes with live instructors etc. I have a defined time frame for achieving the Green Belt. The Black Belt would be more negotiable.

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Iv'e been asked to come in for an assessment and interview for training as an ECA in the South West Ambulance Trust. It will be a pretty major pay-cut if I get it - and unsociable hours doing ungalmorous work - but this is the first opportunity I''m genuinely enthusiastic about since putting my notice in with the marines. Plus there's lots of opportunity for further training and qualifications, hopefully to graduate paramedic in the fullness of time.

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On 8/10/2016 at 7:22 PM, kairparavel said:

I've had periphery experience with Six Sigma and I've had some introductory lean manufacturing training. I've also had Kaizen training through one of my former employers. It's not the most interesting stuff but I also don't hate it and do find some of it meaningful. I'm just trying to find a few options for vendors who offer these courses and reviews on the experience. Like, was there online support or a Blackboard like situation with chatboards/discussion groups, or were there online classes with live instructors etc. I have a defined time frame for achieving the Green Belt. The Black Belt would be more negotiable.

It probably doesn't help that I work with the government. Trying to implement process improvement is...futile at best.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Mid year reviews are given end of July/August in my company, and I got mine yesterday (yes, it has only been a bit over 2 months, but it is when ALL reviews are required to be done).  Considering the short time frame, it's not too bad 3.5, 3.5, 3.75, 3.75 (with 3 being "meets all, exceeds some expectations")

I was a little disappointed at first, til the boss man talked to me.  He said he really couldn't justify 4's after just 2 months, but if this was December, and he felt this way about me, it would be all 4's. Plus, it gives me some room for improvement. ;) 

I can live with that.  25% of my bonus determination is based on my annual performance review (the rest on corporate and department goals, which as of the midpoint, we are meeting/exceeding, so good news there) (still blown away that I will get a bonus!)

I'm very happy with the work, the people, every aspect of the job. (and considering people stay in this job for 20+ years and my co-worker has been here 15+, working for the same boss man that we have now, I really don't expect that to change)

I feel appreciated and valued, they always let me know that they are happy I am here, it's almost a bit embarrassing sometimes (like during my review yesterday, and I really don't know what to say sometimes. I tend to say "I'm very happy to be here" a lot as a response)

So after 6 full years of various temp jobs, substitute teaching and too much unemployment, I feel I have found my forever home.

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That's awesome Lany! Congrats! 

My internal job change is rolling along. I have meetings this week to set a transition plan, focusing on training (mine and my replacement) and task hand-off. The goal is to be fully shed of the menagerie of tasks and roles I'm currently responsible for and become the Quality Lead for my company by year's end. New and different waters. I'm ready for the change and challenge.

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That's great, Lany!

My team at work continues to be a total shitshow. Our clients got in their heads that they didn't like one of our team members, and they kicked him off the project. He was the only one with the training on one particular work area, and then our clients balked at replacing him, so now I guess the team is getting cut yet again (we're down like 4 people since I started 2 years ago). And they're so hilariously unprepared for this that they think *I* am going to pick up this guy's work--even though I am leaving in a month. Yeah. They're fucking idiots. I am so so so so so ready to move on.

I've met now with 2 people from my firm and my potential client and it looks like all is go for my transition to this new position in support of mine and my boyfriend's relocation. My replacement on my team here starts on Tuesday, and I am going to start splitting my time with the new contract (assuming I get the thumbs up from the senior associate for the other contract) and it really can't come soon enough. Also my new position will be more technical than my current one, and I am looking forward to the possibility of doing something that has even a smidgeon of intellectual rigor.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Is the 'one-page' resume rule still a thing?  

I'm working on updating mine and I don't think I can do it justice in one page.  In addition to work experience, skills, education, I also have one publication in a trade magazine and soon (hopefully) I'll have another in a peer-reviewed journal that I will want to put on there.

Also, what about grad school stuff, such as a final project / dissertation type thing?  It's not published or anything, but it turned out really well and I am proud of it.. and demonstrates a skill that is a little bit different from the bulk of my work experience.  I kind of want to squeeze it in there if I can, though if that isn't cool I can leave it off.   

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After 10+ years in an industry and postgrad or professional education, I'd suggest a two-page resume.  

But be selective.  I've never seen a dissertation mentioned unless that person is fresh out of school and has nothing else to include. (Your field may be different). 

Ask someone you trust, who does not love you unconditionally, to look at your draft and tell if it is too long or too gushing. 

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3 hours ago, Iskaral Pust said:

After 10+ years in an industry and postgrad or professional education, I'd suggest a two-page resume.  

But be selective.  I've never seen a dissertation mentioned unless that person is fresh out of school and has nothing else to include. (Your field may be different). 

Ask someone you trust, who does not love you unconditionally, to look at your draft and tell if it is too long or too gushing. 

 

1 hour ago, Xray the Enforcer said:

But for fuck's sake, do not make it more than 2 pages. I just went through the hiring process recently (three different positions), and resumes that were longer than two pages were just total bullshit (and so were the candidates).

 

OK, thanks y'all. 

It definitely won't be more than 2 pages.  I was looking at it last night and before I had added my publications I was just beginning to creep onto page two by 3 or 4 lines.  Was looking for stuff to cut, but I feel everything I have left is necessary, plus the upcoming additions will require even a few more lines still. 

I hadn't really thought about it, but I guess I am sitting right at 10 years of experience (kind of hard to believe) + I have an MSc so I'm not quite a straight outta undergrad n00b with no business going over a single page.

 

A couple questions on publications if the thread will indulge me. 

As I mentioned I am a co-author on one peer reviewed article that has not been published yet, but has made it past the editor for review so I like our chances to ultimately get it published even if we do have to make some corrections (obviously I won't include it on my resume until it is actually published).  I am also a co-author on one non-peer reviewed article that appeared in a kind of trade magazine.  When I am listing these on my resume do I need to make a distinction between the two - as in, do I need to present them in separate sections - or can I simplify it by creating a catch-all 'Publications' section? 

Should I leave it up to the reviewer to determine whats what?  It just seems a little clunky to me to have both a 'peer reviewed publications' and a 'non peer reviewed publications' section and literally have ONE thing under each one. 

Most likely, if I do apply for a job somewhere soon, I'll be going back into private sector or possibly some level of government.  I think it is unlikely at this time that I'll try to get another gig in academia if/when I do leave my current job.  So would non-academics even care if I make the distinction?  If I was seeking a job in academia I am relatively aware that peer-reviewed journals are the only thing that matters, but I am about 95% sure I am not going to stay on that track.  I'm not trying to impress academics, I'm trying to impress people with money to give me some of it.  :P

And finally, along those lines, I am also the co-author on three or four 'contract reports' which are basically reports that we write up to summarize what we did on a certain project and the scientific value of it, but it is pretty much mostly intended for whoever sponsored the research.  But those reports do exist out in the world somewhere and I believe you could even use them as a citation if you could find them though I'm not really sure how one would get their hands on it - but they do show up on my official professional summary that the University puts out.  I like these because the projects I have worked on are in a pretty good variety of applications in my little niche of science / technology and would give me some more well-roundedness - but I think an argument could be made that its unnecessary fluff.  Thoughts on that?

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I've never listed thesis/seminar topics, except when applying for something explicitly academic and trying to highlight research interests and experience (ie, once). And then only my MA stuff, not BA. If I were applying to something where it was particularly relevant I'd put it in, and maybe mention in the cover letter that your 'passion for tracking fish migration via satellite imagery was sparked by graduate research project on flounders' or such?

Reports - if you've got a publications list anyway, might as well add them - especially if the titles are something telling. (I stick 'wrote the report' in the bullet points of the 'things I did' for the specific job, but it's just the one at the moment.) 

I'm coming up to having about 7-10 years experience and a graduate degree as well, but a lot of it is relevant but flaky part time stuff, and some is a little repetitive at this point, and some is difficult to explain succinctly if someone isn't familiar with the context (ie, they're Israeli. "Military service: combat infantry and teaching high school civics."). I'm never sure how much of it should go on the CV, but even being radical with the cutting out, it still goes over one page. I've stopped struggling. 

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How do you turn down something you've applied for, having spent a lengthy interview process saying how you totally want it and are completely available? 

Lets say I applied to an (upaid) internship with a branch of a sizeable multilateral organization and lets say I seem to have gotten it, in, say, the Philippines. I muttered something in semi-panic about how I would be available early next year, etc, etc, but really, I probably won't and I also don't want to do another internship anyway. How do I basically get out of it without being an irresponsible flake with the branch of the sizeable multilateral for future reference? 

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12 hours ago, S John said:

Is the 'one-page' resume rule still a thing?  

I'm working on updating mine and I don't think I can do it justice in one page.  In addition to work experience, skills, education, I also have one publication in a trade magazine and soon (hopefully) I'll have another in a peer-reviewed journal that I will want to put on there.

Also, what about grad school stuff, such as a final project / dissertation type thing?  It's not published or anything, but it turned out really well and I am proud of it.. and demonstrates a skill that is a little bit different from the bulk of my work experience.  I kind of want to squeeze it in there if I can, though if that isn't cool I can leave it off.   

I would say that if, for example, you were sending your CV with an application for an academic post and you wanted to show that you had direct experience of particular techniques or a specific field of a subject then it would be fine (and even encouraged) to specifically mention your thesis to illustrate this. If it's not for an academic post specifically then I guess you need to decide if it is going to illustrate something about you that sets you above other applicants.

Re. publications - again, if it's for academia they will probably care whether it is a peer-reviewed article or not. Outside of academia then just list them as generic publications.

Re. your contract reports, they don't sound like the type of thing that you should be listing/describing - other than as a skill, ie that you have had responsibility for writing such documents.

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1 hour ago, Datepalm said:

How do you turn down something you've applied for, having spent a lengthy interview process saying how you totally want it and are completely available? 

Lets say I applied to an (upaid) internship with a branch of a sizeable multilateral organization and lets say I seem to have gotten it, in, say, the Philippines. I muttered something in semi-panic about how I would be available early next year, etc, etc, but really, I probably won't and I also don't want to do another internship anyway. How do I basically get out of it without being an irresponsible flake with the branch of the sizeable multilateral for future reference? 

When you muttered your availability for next year, was that after they gave you a formal offer? Or was that part of the interview process, but you still have yet to get an offer letter?

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It wasn't a formal offer, at least, but a 'we'll be sorting out bureaucratic formalities and will get back to you very soon. So when are you available? Oh, and would you be ok with Bangladesh also?' during the 1.5th interview, which took me by surprise. 

Even if accept, what if I change my mind in the six months between now and the vague start date? Or something comes up? Or I break a leg?

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