Thursday, April 24, 2008

A note to recruiters at top secret projects: don't put your entire mission statement in the job posting.

Sunday, April 20, 2008

should i ask about vacation at my job interview

That was a search query that led someone here. The answer is: No. Inquire gently in the HR screening if you must. Otherwise, wait until you have an offer and are negotiating salary and benefits.

The Saga Continues

My contract job ends in four weeks. I was going to enjoy two weeks visiting my friends and family, but I've got minor oral surgery two weeks after that, which means I'll either still be interviewing (nothing like five hours of talking when you can't feel one side of your mouth) or just starting a new job (drool makes a good impression, right?), so I'm going to see if I can at least get a couple of leads before I get back from vacation. To that end, I sent off updated resumes to a couple of recruiters today. I'm not super-hopeful, since contracting jobs tend to work on a faster pace than that, but I feel better for having done it.

Thursday, April 17, 2008

And I'm prettier than he is too.

Eight months ago I was in a job so stressful I stopped eating and yet constantly wanted to throw up. Then I was fired.

Six months ago I still hadn't recovered my appetite, and was starting to worry I'd never find a job.

This week I have a fun job with lots of autonomy and impact. The company I contract for is putting on full court press to get me to sign on full time. The manager who fired me is now a PM with no reports. Despite not having my resume online anymore, I still get one e-mail a month from my ex-employers or their agents asking me to apply for a new team.*

I win, bitch.





*Not to ruin the triumph, but: Most are third party agents who I assume have no access to my file. But at least one was a real manager. This is what prompted me to look up Dumbass Manager's job- I couldn't believe they'd keep asking me if they had access to my file and his statements carried any weight at all.

Sunday, April 13, 2008

Wish I knew this before the court date

In job hunting, as in so many things, there's a fine line between enthusiasm and stalking. Ask a Manager has a post up on how to avoid a restraining order alienating a potential employer. The rule of thumb is: if you look enthusiastic over this job, it's a good thing. If you look enthusiastic over a job, it's a bad thing.

My personal fault is probably under-enthusiasm. I generally don't get particularly excited about individual jobs, due to a combination of not wanting to be disappointed, fear of looking like a stalker, and genuinely not caring which job out of a set I got. As I get more experience and learn what I like and dislike, I predict I'll start actually turning down interviews and expressing a corresponding enthusiasm for those I do pursue.

Friday, April 11, 2008

All recruiters are not created equal

Jack: I don't know SQL
The Good Recruiter: Okay, then I won't send you any database admin positions.

Some time later:

The Incompetent Recruiter: I've got a position that's perfect for you. It requires four years of SQL, and one year of Java.
Jack: ....what part of that do you think is a good fit?
The Incompetent Recruiter: Um...you have...*pulls up resume on computer*...C# experience.

Wednesday, April 9, 2008

Jack's Job Hunt

The incompetent recruiter has thrown: one attractive job, one completely unrelated job, and one marginally related job.

The good recruiter has thrown: one very appropriate job

The recruiter that gives referral bonuses is on vacation.

Wednesday, April 2, 2008

Jack's Job Hunt Day 2

I refer to Jack as Jack in my e-mail. His e-mail is jack.lastname@gmail.com. His resume lists him as Jack Lastname. So why does The Incompetent Recruiter insist on calling him John in his response? Frequently, because TIR is one of people who constantly works your name into e-mails.


I don't know if the fact that my usual problem is people coming up with wacky nicknames for me makes this more or less annoying.