Today I signed up on Monster.com and Careerbuilder.com. (I know, I know...what the hell was I waiting for?) I've had my résumé (those two "é"s look so pretentious) on Pennsylvania Career Link for a while now, and I'm getting tired of the message "Your resume has been viewed 0 times." The demand for people with degrees in Physics and 15 years of experience in industry just isn't that great around here. But here I am, and here I remain, as Leto Atreides said shortly before he was betrayed by a trusted advisor and handed over to his enemies. When I bought my grandmother's house last year it was a decision I vowed not to regret. (Hell, I read that line for the first time in that house, over 23 years ago.) I will commute - I will commute long distances, for the right price - but I will not relocate.
When I started to write this it was to bemoan the fact that neither Careerbuilder nor Monster showed any potential matches for me when I first signed up. (Rather like Match.com in that respect.) But as I was writing the opening lines I was also checking the special Gmail account I set up just for the purpose of receiving information related to my job search - and, lo and behold, there were two e-mails from Careerbuilder. One was a laundry list of potential jobs in the area, though many of them stretch the concept of "the area" a bit - my 33 mile commute was 40 minutes on a good day; a 50 mile commute could easily be two hours or more on a bad day. The other was a vague-sounding job offer from a familiar-sounding company with a ridiculously vague "About Us" description. Why the hell would they want me? Is this just a "y'all come" e-mail? I'm still doing some digging and research there.
Tomorrow I'm off to a mandatory two-hour session at the Career Link in Wilkes-Barre. I've been taking classes at the Scranton Career Link for the better part of the last month - ten or eleven classes so far, I think, with one last one scheduled for Friday . I have a feeling of dread going into this that they will want me to begin the process all over again; I equally dread that they will somehow require me to go to another class that will screw up my Friday session. Grrr.
As far as house work goes, I am now at the mercy of the elements. For too long I couldn't do anything because it was too cold - much of this area had measurable snow just three weeks ago. Then I discovered that my ability to scrape, sand, and paint my garage was going to be dictated by some bumblebees. Bumblebees are less active when it is cold, so this needs to be an early morning activity, at least as long as the nights stay cool. (After that I may just get some spray paint and call it good.) Now we are expecting some rainy days, and these are the days when I need to do my concrete work - concrete that dries out too fast will crack and crumble, so you need to add water while it is setting, and if you can finagle some rainy days to keep the temperatures cool and the air damp, so much the better. Rain is expected on Thursday and Friday. I have a class on Friday, so I will need to work as fast as I can all day Thursday to get done what I need to do.
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Daryl Sznyter
5 years ago
4 comments:
Good luck with the job search and the concrete!
Let us know if those online job sites are any good. I have my doubts. Getting a job is timing, you walk in the door at the right time.
I recommend you not rely too much on online posts -- while some people get jobs that way, it's a long shot.
In 2002, I submitted a resume and cover letter via monster to a company I'll call LN: They ignored me. A couple of weeks later, I dropped off a package including a cover letter, resume and writing samples at the LN front desk. I called the editorial director that afternoon and asked if he'd received it. He had, agreed to an interview, and I got the job.
Every time I've gotten a job, I've done it by aggressively pursuing it -- going beyond resume and cover letter and online boards. It means identifiying and targeting companies you're qualified for and want to work for, establishing a contact inside, and then getting an interview.
A lot of people will tell you to go through your personal network -- and sometimes that works, too, but I've never had any luck. I've often gotten interviews that way, but not the job. What does work is networking with former co-workers. Do you have a former boss that's somewhere else? What about that company you almost went to a few years ago, where many of your co-workers went?
You've heard me say this before -- shoot ducks one at a time, don't shoot at the flock. Pick out one duck -- one you can hit -- and go after it first. Then aim your sites at another.
Another thing to remember is you're not trying to "get a job," that's the wrong mindset. You're a resource to help a company/organization complete its mission.
While the job market isn't that great where you are, it is a strong job market, and companies are looking for smart people. You're actually at a very good age -- 15 years experience is great.
Good luck. We'll be pulling for you.
Bill @ BN
Carrer Builder blows. Its AI interface that dictates "within 30 miles" is more like 150 miles, etc.
Good luck on your hunt. Whenever you feel a tinge of doubt about your situation just take in some fresh air and be proud you're not doing the same thing from the abyss of Binghamton, New York.
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