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Stannis Eats No Peaches

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One of my cohort-colleagues just texted a slightly suspect hey-what's-up asking if I was going on the job market this year (we're friendly, but not like regular-check-in close.) I had toyed with it briefly, but settled on thinking its too early - we've got another 2 years what with COVID. He's doing it though, and now I wonder if I should after all...we work in very different settings, but I think we have roughly similar profiles on a quantitative level, re publications, grants, work experience, etc. He's got his act together on this stuff and a practice year is probably a pre-requisite at this point, so I'm guessing its the right move...Argh the job market is so much bloody work.

I'm trying to move back to Berkeley for about 2-3 months in the Fall (teaching assistant+need to show my face after 18 months) and I want to die. I forgot what a bad mix of eccentric and expensive that housing market is. I'll take one my two fellowship semesters from December and figure out where a better place to spend it vis a vis research and work for the Very Large Organization is, at some point, but should spend a bit of time where I'm supposedly living first.

 

 

 

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18 hours ago, Mlle. Zabzie said:

Honestly the job market is insane (anyone know any junior tax lawyers who want to work in M&A at a big firm for someone who is only slightly more crazy than the average tax person (I.e., me)?). And on the other front I get recruiter calls at least daily to try to get me to lateral (most of them can’t pay me CLOSE to enough).  I’ve decided what I really should do is start my Luxury Yurt business and take it public via SPAC.  Seems like it would work, right?

Rooting for you. 

http://www.collectiveretreats.com/

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On 8/11/2021 at 1:51 AM, Datepalm said:

One of my cohort-colleagues just texted a slightly suspect hey-what's-up asking if I was going on the job market this year (we're friendly, but not like regular-check-in close.) I had toyed with it briefly, but settled on thinking its too early - we've got another 2 years what with COVID. He's doing it though, and now I wonder if I should after all...we work in very different settings, but I think we have roughly similar profiles on a quantitative level, re publications, grants, work experience, etc. He's got his act together on this stuff and a practice year is probably a pre-requisite at this point, so I'm guessing its the right move...Argh the job market is so much bloody work.

I'm trying to move back to Berkeley for about 2-3 months in the Fall (teaching assistant+need to show my face after 18 months) and I want to die. I forgot what a bad mix of eccentric and expensive that housing market is. I'll take one my two fellowship semesters from December and figure out where a better place to spend it vis a vis research and work for the Very Large Organization is, at some point, but should spend a bit of time where I'm supposedly living first.

 

 

 

Housing in the Bay feels like a practical joke most days, but at least Berkeley has some character as a town? Or it did a decade ago? But yeah, actually finding a place is miserable, Feb/March this past year was in some ways the worst of the pandemic for me just because I was apartment hunting... for a place closer to our new office (to tie it in the the theoretical point of the thread).

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  • 2 weeks later...

Interview on Wednesday for a Head of role. This is the first external interview I’ve had in 16 years and I’m thrown. It was only set up today after 5pm - but as CEO and head of sales, can see how co ordinating schedules is tricky. I have very little prep done. Any last minute tips? What is the etiquette for remote interviews?

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2 hours ago, Deedles said:

Interview on Wednesday for a Head of role. This is the first external interview I’ve had in 16 years and I’m thrown. It was only set up today after 5pm - but as CEO and head of sales, can see how co ordinating schedules is tricky. I have very little prep done. Any last minute tips? What is the etiquette for remote interviews?

On short notice I would: 

- write out a short summary of your experience for your own benefit. Just so you are in the right headspace and have made note ahead of time of the key things you want to convey about yourself.

- prepare yourself on some of the standard interview questions. I have been tripped up before on the ‘bullshit’ standard questions that come up in interviews just because I did not prep for them thinking that I’d reached a point of experience where the interview would just be nuts and bolts stuff. I’ve had interviews that were strictly skills and experience based, but more often than not someone will throw in a ‘where do you see yourself in five years’ or a ‘how would you resolve a workplace conflict’ type question.

- remote interviews give you a key advantage - IMO. You can have your stock answers and key points lined up on notes or on your monitor. You don’t want to be too obvious that you are reading from them but you could have a doc right there to keep you on track, make sure you hit what you want to hit, and have stock answers to some of the questions you are anticipating. It’s like an open book test.

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3 hours ago, Deedles said:

Interview on Wednesday for a Head of role. This is the first external interview I’ve had in 16 years and I’m thrown. It was only set up today after 5pm - but as CEO and head of sales, can see how co ordinating schedules is tricky. I have very little prep done. Any last minute tips? What is the etiquette for remote interviews?

Good suggestions by @S John

If you’re going for a head-of role then make sure you speak at a strategic level.  Ask the CEO what are his/her objectives.  Describe the trade-offs you expect to face in pursuing those.  Describe how you would design a function to achieve those (not how you do it), and how it interacts with other functions.  Ask how much scope you have to make changes (make some demands of the CEO).  Describe org models that could be appropriate.  Discuss outcomes in terms of RoI and progress over 3-5 years.  Discuss staff development.

It’s good to show that your experience means you are bringing new knowledge to them and a new perspective.  But don’t list off what you’ve done, instead reflect on what your experience taught you about how to design better or recognize traps for the unwary.

If that all sounds really obvious already, then you’ll do just fine.  Best of luck. 
 

Edit: I would walk into that meeting with a sketch of a business plan to pitch.

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On 8/23/2021 at 11:08 PM, Deedles said:

Interview on Wednesday for a Head of role. This is the first external interview I’ve had in 16 years and I’m thrown. It was only set up today after 5pm - but as CEO and head of sales, can see how co ordinating schedules is tricky. I have very little prep done. Any last minute tips? What is the etiquette for remote interviews?

Good luck/how did it go? 

I'm submitting an application today for a more senior role in the NHS (I currently work in an independent public health lab). It's the grade/role above my current post but I meet the person spec and have years of experience. The ad explicitly states that experienced senior scientists (like me) are welcome to apply. I have another similar post to apply for next week. 

I haven't applied/interviewed in 20 years. Preparing to leave my current workplace is like the end of a marriage, processing lots of strong emotions. 

Yesterday I bumped into a friend who's recently changed jobs and as part of their new role has done 35 interviews in the past few months. They said 'you'll never be appreciated where you are now. It's been 20 years, how long will you wait for it?'. Sound advice. 

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On 5/14/2021 at 10:30 AM, MercenaryChef said:

i feel more my username. after my hasty departure i interviewed for a few different jobs. one i turned down was exec chef at a massive spot at the wharf. they were offering me a wheelbarrow full of cash,  have a very organized operation that is working well, but i wanted more culinary autonomy and influence. 

instead i am week two in an hourly role at a newly opened new Orleans inspired restaurant with an emphasis on charcuterie and seafood. once we are fully staffed my job will be running the butchery, charcuterie,  pickling,  fermentation and preservation aspects of the kitchen. the chef is quite skilled and i like her simple yet technique and flavor driven food. 

added fun for everyone in my industry will be opening back to full capacity but not having the eager labor pool of the before times!

well. it never happened. we never had the labor pool we wanted to have. i was relegated to just being a line cook (which i loved) but never the chance to really get into the butchery, fermentation and such. a sous chef position became available and i applied for it. the offer i received was frankly a joke for someone of my skill and experience. later i learned i got a cut and paste job they offered the last guy.

same day i got the offer out of nowhere two former colleagues who now run a hospitality development and management company out west reached out asking if i was open to taking over a small boutique hotel in the city. fuck it. why not. i did a 8 course tasting for hotel gm, regional vp and a cadre of other important people. it went pretty well. they offered me the job at a salary nearly twice what my current job put on the table.

before i made a decision i met with my current chefs and told them that the offer was a bit insulting and i had another offer i could not pass up. queue majority owner wanting to meet with me. he was deeply upset i got the the standard offer and not something tailored to who i am and what i can bring his operation.

regardless i took the other job. i am now onto my second week as the executive chef....i am the chef of three people. covid, furloughs and a lack of business has taken a horrible toll on the property. my first week i was just walking around in shock as i inspected the place. i saw things culinarily i will never unsee. my mantra to get me through it all was 'i am making $xxx per day.' a lot of cleaning and organizing has been going on. at the end of the day i reward myself by doing some cooking. tonight we scrapped a good bit of the previous menu and put on my food. next week the rest dies. the three kitchen staff i have are good. they just really needed someone to point them in the right way and walk with them. if i encounter the previous chef in the wild i would want to fight him. 

theoretically we will soldier on for the rest of the year before a massive remodel, rebranding and it will be my restaurant and my vision. i hope it works out. if it doestn't i am just gonna use the opportunity to stack away some cash so i can open up a small bar with kickass hot dogs. not a joke at all.

covid took all the fun out of what i do for a living. i am trying to get some back.  

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9 hours ago, MercenaryChef said:

regardless i took the other job. i am now onto my second week as the executive chef....i am the chef of three people. covid, furloughs and a lack of business has taken a horrible toll on the property. my first week i was just walking around in shock as i inspected the place. i saw things culinarily i will never unsee. my mantra to get me through it all was 'i am making $xxx per day.' a lot of cleaning and organizing has been going on. at the end of the day i reward myself by doing some cooking. tonight we scrapped a good bit of the previous menu and put on my food. next week the rest dies. the three kitchen staff i have are good. they just really needed someone to point them in the right way and walk with them. if i encounter the previous chef in the wild i would want to fight him. 

Nice one. I'm glad you got an offer that was more appropriate for you. :)

Tomorrow I have an informal 15 minute meeting with the hiring manager for one of the two jobs I am applying for. I already sent a few questions by email, including 'is compressed hours an option?' - which they have answered.

I have a long list of questions that are specific to the post/employer but are there any must ask/must not ask Qs for an informal chat scenario? I've worked in the same place for 20 years and have never done one of these before.

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On 9/1/2021 at 12:19 PM, Isis said:

Nice one. I'm glad you got an offer that was more appropriate for you. :)

Tomorrow I have an informal 15 minute meeting with the hiring manager for one of the two jobs I am applying for. I already sent a few questions by email, including 'is compressed hours an option?' - which they have answered.

I have a long list of questions that are specific to the post/employer but are there any must ask/must not ask Qs for an informal chat scenario? I've worked in the same place for 20 years and have never done one of these before.

It transpires that this role can be 2/3 days a week WFH, which makes the compressed hours moot for me. Basically it would be a three hour round trip on the tube/train so doing that fives times a week was a concern... but now it is no longer a concern. :)

Tomorrow I have an informal meeting with the person exiting the post (who would manage me if I was offered/accepted the job). :wacko:

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We had a big-ish event at my work the other day. And I’m absolutely amazed by the amount of luck it took to bring it together in 4 weeks minus everybody’s vacation days. I am. It’s incredible how much the sheer size of a company can achieve. 

But after that initial 10 minutes of amazement was over, I kept thinking about this other (bigger) event at another company which I worked on via my previous job with a colleague. I spent like 8 weeks on that project, we worked on the agenda with the client, on the content with a whole working group, I briefed  and trained the facilitators, I wrote the role play scenes, we rehearsed it with the actors, we briefed the main moderator, I put together the training packages for the groups with my own hands, and when the day of the event came, it was one of the most amazing experiences of my short career. It was such a huge accomplishment and I worked with so many amazing people to bring it to life. And it was I who didn’t have time for breakfast or lunch to make sure everything was in order, it was me people asked the questions, it was I who sorted out the problems, it was I who had the whole day in her head minute by minute.  And It was also me the management congratulated to. I was so happy with how it went, how it was received, of myself, of all the people who worked on it (I know it sounds like bragging, my colleague was absolutely great and we did most things together, and the result is as much theirs and the client’s as mine, obviously. Bear with me, the self-centricity will make sense in a bit) 

This event this week… I was the person who ordered t-shirts, arranged the registry page to be set up, and wrote email invites. I took a couple crappy iPhone photos we didn’t use, and I drafted a follow-up email, that was later rewritten with 4 other people. It made me feel nothing. No pride, no team spirit no sense of accomplishment. It was another bland corporate brainwashing I sat through and I had zero added value to it and nobody would have ever known the difference if I wasn’t on this project. 

maybe this is very selfish and narcissistic, because the point is that the event was semi-successful, and only mildly boring, and I should be proud of the team and my sense of usefulness and accomplishment isn’t the point. But it is a regression fair and square and that hurts. I’m years away from being allowed near the responsibility and professional trust that I had at that other thing in 2019. And yes, I’m in a very different role now and that’s an opportunity to learn new skills, but it’s just so soul wrenching to be back at square one and not use and build on the experience I already have. And yes it was my choice to take this route and yes I suspected, to some extent, the it’d be a potentially painful learning curve. Anyway.. the point is that I feel like I stepped back (even though strictly speaking I only stepped sideways) and I’m very unhappy and demotivated. 

/rant

sorry. Do tell me if I’m just an entitled and narcissistic millennial shit who needs to get over herself. Because that’s a 100% fair interpretation of this story. 

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  • 2 weeks later...

It's time for me to make the move from consulting to industry. Got a few different interviews lined up over the next few weeks. Not sure what I really want to do or what I'm qualified to do specifically given my job has always been fairly general with a ton of different experiences, way too many to put on a CV. We'll see how it all goes. The good thing is I have a fairly decent idea of what my compensation market is like given recruiters have been fairly up front and no one has balked at me giving myself a 20% raise. I hate this so much.

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Had a mild argument with my sister today.

While passing through Pittsburgh I noticed a Wendy's that was hiring at $14.00 an hour. She was upset because that was only a few dollars less than she made at her white collar job.

I had to explain that tens of millions of people eat fast food in this country everyday. You could say it's an in demand job. So the people who provide this service deserve a wage that can be lived off of. (Every job necessary for society to function deserves a living wage. I don't care if it's cleaning toilets)

Otherwise, what's the point of working?

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