There is a saying, "It's easier to find a job when you have a job." It turns out that in today's job market, this cliche is ringing louder and clearer than ever before.
This is a huge problem for unemployed folk such as myself, and the problem is only getting worse. {Cue doomsday music.}
One of the reasons behind this phenomenon is that employers are becoming increasingly prejudiced against unemployed candidates. Some have even stated in the job advertisement that they will not accept applications from the unemployed no matter the reason. (Great article on that here- the comments are a rather interesting read as well.)
Another reason, and the focus of my tirade today, is the increased reliance on the internal candidate. According to this article (which references a Wall Street Journal article that I can't find), in 2010, 47% of all new hires were internal candidates. And this trend is only gaining in popularity.
HR people LOVE internal candidates! They're cheaper and easier to recruit. They improve morale at the company. You don't have to pay them as much. Sounds like a win/win, doesn't it?
Not so fast. I've been burned by this internal candidate phenomena. The scar tissue hasn't healed yet. Here's my story:
While I was still employed at my last job (so being unemployed was not yet one of my problems), I saw an advertisement for a great opening-level-type position at a company whose product I am totally gaga over. You could not fake my enthusiasm over this company and the position was really great, too. Super extra bonus- I know someone who works there already!
I sent my contact an email inquiring about the job. Her response, "you would be a fantastic fit for this position." I'm golden! She gave me the name of the HR person, so I bypassed the generic "apply@company.com" as posted on the advertisement and went straight to the right person.
Then came the phone interview. I am starting to get really super extra excited about this. Then came the in-person interview. I am extra super encouraged. My enthusiasm showed through. They appeared very receptive to my answers to their questions. It seemed like the best thing ever. The feedback from my contact was very positive, as was the feedback from another contact who had been employed at the company for a long time and stayed in touch with them.
I could not be more excited about this opportunity. Everyone I talked to agreed, "oh, that is so perfect for you." And it was... or so I thought.
Fast forward to my last week of employment. My self-esteem was already wavering on unhealthy low levels, which is what happens when you spend two months working with the guy who stole your job and you've been steadily watching him being phased into your job while you are being not-so-gently phased out.
It's Tuesday. I had barely warmed up my seat that morning when I see a new email on my personal account. It's the super fantastic company I'm super excited about working for. It was one of those dreaded, "we decided to move forward with another candidate" emails.
I spent a good day-and-a-half bawling my eyes out.
I learned later from both my contacts that the position went to an internal candidate. Both contacts told me that the intent from the start was for this internal person to get the job.
I do not know why they advertised the position to the public if the job was intended to stay internal. I do know that I spent a lot time, energy, excitement, and eventually tears going through the process. The company also spent some time and energy getting to know me as a candidate. I also know that I would have been a great employee. They missed out on a great opportunity to hire someone who had enthusiasm and love to spare for their product line and would have showed it every day with passion for their work.
In the end, they decided the internal candidate was more valuable than the enthusiastic one. And so here I sit, much less enthusiastic and a little more bitter... and unemployed.
The perils of unemployment
Showing posts with label companies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label companies. Show all posts
Thursday, February 7, 2013
Monday, November 28, 2011
Preparing for the interview
During this recent bout of unemployment, I don't really get a lot of interview experience (I have only interviewed for two positions since being laid off). This topic was suggested to me by a friend- and it's a good one. I'm sure everyone has their own method of preparing for an interview. Here's mine...
Research, research, research. I research the daylights out of the company. I go to their website, I look through their product line making notes of things I like and things I think could be added to make improvements to their line. If possible, I go to their store and check out their product in person. I google the company name and look at recent news articles. If I know the names of people I'm interviewing with, I look at their profiles on LinkedIn. I think this is where my technical side comes in- if I learned anything as a chemist, it's how to research.
Prepare interview questions. I used to HATE that part of the interview when they ask, "Do you have any questions for us?" I would try to wing it and then blank out when the question was asked. "Uh... not right now..." was a common response. Not cool. Now, I know how to prepare for it.
A good place to start is about.com. I highly recommend going through the entire job searching section from this site. I will go to this site for advice before each and every interview because every position is going to require a different approach depending on who is interviewing you, what information is readily available in the job description, or given to you ahead of time. As I see a question I think is relevant, I write it down.
Next, I go to my "Job Search Notes" file. You see, I save all these notes I take. Every interview I have had I can tell you who was there, which position I was applying for, what questions I had asked, and what I wrote in the thank you note(s). I reference this file A LOT. I get good ideas for new questions to ask based on what I have asked other interviewers. Any question I think is relevant I add onto my list.
Other references I use to prepare interview questions are the notes I have saved from various unemployment workshops. Believe it or not, the unemployment office offers some very useful workshops to help the job seeker.
I'll share with you some of my favorite questions to ask during the interview:
Women's Interview Attire
No matter what I ALWAYS run my outfit by a trusted loved one before I leave the house.
You may have noticed that I have not mentioned anything about preparing for the questions that may be asked to you. That is another important step in this process, but that is a whole topic in and of itself.
To be continued...
Research, research, research. I research the daylights out of the company. I go to their website, I look through their product line making notes of things I like and things I think could be added to make improvements to their line. If possible, I go to their store and check out their product in person. I google the company name and look at recent news articles. If I know the names of people I'm interviewing with, I look at their profiles on LinkedIn. I think this is where my technical side comes in- if I learned anything as a chemist, it's how to research.
Prepare interview questions. I used to HATE that part of the interview when they ask, "Do you have any questions for us?" I would try to wing it and then blank out when the question was asked. "Uh... not right now..." was a common response. Not cool. Now, I know how to prepare for it.
A good place to start is about.com. I highly recommend going through the entire job searching section from this site. I will go to this site for advice before each and every interview because every position is going to require a different approach depending on who is interviewing you, what information is readily available in the job description, or given to you ahead of time. As I see a question I think is relevant, I write it down.
Next, I go to my "Job Search Notes" file. You see, I save all these notes I take. Every interview I have had I can tell you who was there, which position I was applying for, what questions I had asked, and what I wrote in the thank you note(s). I reference this file A LOT. I get good ideas for new questions to ask based on what I have asked other interviewers. Any question I think is relevant I add onto my list.
Other references I use to prepare interview questions are the notes I have saved from various unemployment workshops. Believe it or not, the unemployment office offers some very useful workshops to help the job seeker.
I'll share with you some of my favorite questions to ask during the interview:
- Where do you see {Company X} growing in the upcoming years? How might that equate to personal growth within the company?
- How do people at {Company X} interact and work together?
- What individual qualities and traits are most important for this position?
- Is there anything that I have not clearly explained, which you would like me to readdress?
- What would you say are the most challenging aspects of this position?
- How do you celebrate successes? When is the last time the department celebrated and what was the occasion?
- How do you set goals at {Company X} and how are these goals evaluated?
- Describe the work culture at {Company X}?
Women's Interview Attire
- Solid color, conservative suit
- Coordinated blouse
- Moderate shoes
- Limited jewelry
- Neat, professional hairstyle
- Tan or light hosiery
- Sparse make-up & perfume
- Manicured nails
- Portfolio or briefcase
No matter what I ALWAYS run my outfit by a trusted loved one before I leave the house.
You may have noticed that I have not mentioned anything about preparing for the questions that may be asked to you. That is another important step in this process, but that is a whole topic in and of itself.
To be continued...
Monday, November 7, 2011
Interview Stories
It seems like there are a lot of interview horror stories out there about the interviewee. You've heard the stories- poorly dressed applicants, rude behavior, awkward bodily functions, bad question responses... I think these stories are supposed to make us job seekers feel better about ourselves after bombing an interview, or they are meant to be a wake-up call to the poorly dressed, rude, farting, and unprepared. If you would like some good ones:
http://www.washingtonian.com/articles/businesscareers/2159.html
There are also some really good stories out there from the other side of the desk:
http://www.yelp.com/topic/chicago-funny-or-strange-interview-stories
http://www.snagajob.com/job-interview/funny-interview-stories.aspx
http://abcnews.go.com/Business/job-interview-horror-stories/story?id=8940390#.TrROabKipiN
We Decided You're Overqualified
My worst interview was for a job I never applied for. The ad I responded to was from a scientific company that made HPLC columns (High Pressure Liquid Chromatography- I do have a chemistry degree after all). They were looking for a stockroom assistant. I did not have aspirations of being the next Einstein (in fact, I had yet to figure out what I wanted to do with my life) so this job seemed like it would be a good way for me to stay current in the scientific world while I figured out what I really wanted to do.
The company called me right away to schedule the interview. I came prepared with my resume and a list of questions specifically related to the position of stockroom assistant. When I showed up for the interview, they showed me where the stockroom was, then said, "we couldn't understand why you applied for this position as a stockroom assistant. We decided you are overqualified for this position, but we're interviewing you today to see if you would be a good fit with one of our research and development teams."
Um... OK... You see the specialty of my studies was physical chemistry- quantum mechanics. Organic chemistry, an understanding of which is extremely important for HPLC, was my least favorite subject ever.
So the nice people at this HPLC column company decided to put me through a day-long interview where I was grilled one-on-one with each of their PhD research chemists on HPLC. It was like a graduate level final exam on HPLC six-times over with six different exam practitioners in one day. Needless to say, I failed each one. At least I got a free lunch out of the deal, where I got to meet other random members of the R&D teams. They were probably wondering why I hadn't applied to the stockroom assistant position.
There was one other time I was interviewed for a position to which I did not apply. In this case I was qualified for the position, but it was not the kind of work I was really hoping to do. I think they sensed this at the interview and I never heard from the company again. Special note to HR people- if you think a candidate is a better fit for a different position in the company, PLEASE talk to that person. Tell them about the different position, explain to them why you are considering them. Ask them if they would like to be interviewed for the position. It can be a waste of time for everyone involved if you make a bad assumption.
I Think You Would Be Bored
Speaking of making assumptions... I worry that my education and work history in the physical sciences are intimidating to potential employers. When I graduated from the Art Institute, I thought my history would be an advantage. I expected that employers would say, "Wow! Here is someone who is both creative and technical. We need to get her on board now!" My experience, however, has been completely the opposite.
Not long after graduating from the Art Institute, I interviewed with a company known for their children's wear. The position was Product Development Administrative Assistant. They were basically looking for someone to handle all the shipping and receiving for the product development team, and provide other assistance as needed (like spec measurements). I saw it as a foot in the door, even though it is a small company with low turnover.
The HR Assistant called me for the first interview. She was very nice and friendly and seemed impressed by my background. She scheduled me right away for an in-person interview with the Product Development manager.
The Product Development manager also noted my background, but in a much more negative way. I had to defend myself during the interview against her allegations that I would be bored with the position. That was pretty much the whole interview, from my recollection. However, I didn't leave the interview with a totally negative impression. I thought I defended myself well and she did admit that she liked me and thought I could be useful to her beyond the scope of the position.
I did not get the job. The reason why, I was told, is that the Product Development Manager could not get over the fact that I "would be bored" with the position and with the low turnover at the company she didn't think I would last in the position for very long because of it. As a result of this feedback, I immediately changed my resume, removing my prior degrees and downplayed my 10-year experience as a lab analyst. I dumbed down my resume!
Jump ahead nine months. The same company is hiring for a very similar position. I apply. The same very nice HR Assistant calls me for the first interview. Again she seems impressed by my background. She schedules me right away for the in-person interview with the Product Development Manager. I admit to her that I had applied for the position before, tell her the feedback I had received, and defend myself against these allegations of boredom.
Not even ten minutes later the nice HR Assistant calls me back. The Product Development Manager remembered me and would not change her mind about me. She canceled my interview.
And, by the way, the reason the position was open nine months later was because they had promoted the person they had hired.
The Boss is Mean
My most awkward moment during an interview was recently after graduating from the Art Institute. I was interviewing for a Product Development Assistant position at a very small company that sells their product nationally. Cheap is the name of the game for this company. They bang out tons of their product for a low price. Things like fit and comfort are a secondary concern. Already this is not my ideal work place.
There were only two people in the dingy office: the Product Developer, and the owner of the company. Their product was showcased on giant rolling garment racks and old dusty 1970's-era mannequins. The office did not have a good vibe to it.
After filling out a very lengthy application, I met with the Product Developer. She was friendly but quiet. I don't remember much about her except that when I left I couldn't help but feel a little sad for her. Then I met with the owner of the company. She was very direct and seemed like someone who you did not want to cross. The owner of the company thought it would be a good idea for me to meet the Warehouse Manager.
She called him in to the office and he took me back into the warehouse. This was a completely different atmosphere. There was a whole team of people working back here sorting product. He showed me around the bustling warehouse and took me into his office. He asked me how things were going so far and talked with me a little bit about the company. He specifically asked how I got along with the owner of the company and explained to me that the reason this was an important question is because she can be mean to her employees. I don't even remember how I responded to that. That was the icing on the cake. I did not want this job.
This was the first and only time that I did not respond back to the company after the interview. I did not send thank you notes, I didn't follow up with an email to check on my application status. A few weeks later I received an email that they had "decided to follow through with other candidates." That was the best I could hope for.
Who the @%#* Do You Think You Are?
A friend of mine owns title to having the worst interview ever. He was interviewing for a supervisor-type position at a restaurant. He had already been on a multitude of phone and in-person interviews with various people within the company. Finally, they brought him in to interview with the manager of that particular restaurant.
Since this was his fourth interview, he felt that he had asked all the "do you have any questions for us?" and had all the information about the job and the company that he needed. So he showed up for the interview with just himself.
Immediately, the manager berated him. Who the @%#* do you think you are walking in here unprepared? You don't even have a &%$#ing notebook! Why the &%*^ should I talk to you when you obviously don't care enough about this $#^#ing job to come prepared to the #%&ing interview?
My friend was berated and cursed at the entire time he was there. Needless to say he did not get the job. Nor did he want it.
See, I'm not the only one who doesn't want to work for a mean boss.
Please, feel free to share your interview stories in the comments. I would love to hear them.
http://www.washingtonian.com/articles/businesscareers/2159.html
There are also some really good stories out there from the other side of the desk:
http://www.yelp.com/topic/chicago-funny-or-strange-interview-stories
http://www.snagajob.com/job-interview/funny-interview-stories.aspx
http://abcnews.go.com/Business/job-interview-horror-stories/story?id=8940390#.TrROabKipiN
We Decided You're Overqualified
My worst interview was for a job I never applied for. The ad I responded to was from a scientific company that made HPLC columns (High Pressure Liquid Chromatography- I do have a chemistry degree after all). They were looking for a stockroom assistant. I did not have aspirations of being the next Einstein (in fact, I had yet to figure out what I wanted to do with my life) so this job seemed like it would be a good way for me to stay current in the scientific world while I figured out what I really wanted to do.
The company called me right away to schedule the interview. I came prepared with my resume and a list of questions specifically related to the position of stockroom assistant. When I showed up for the interview, they showed me where the stockroom was, then said, "we couldn't understand why you applied for this position as a stockroom assistant. We decided you are overqualified for this position, but we're interviewing you today to see if you would be a good fit with one of our research and development teams."
Um... OK... You see the specialty of my studies was physical chemistry- quantum mechanics. Organic chemistry, an understanding of which is extremely important for HPLC, was my least favorite subject ever.
So the nice people at this HPLC column company decided to put me through a day-long interview where I was grilled one-on-one with each of their PhD research chemists on HPLC. It was like a graduate level final exam on HPLC six-times over with six different exam practitioners in one day. Needless to say, I failed each one. At least I got a free lunch out of the deal, where I got to meet other random members of the R&D teams. They were probably wondering why I hadn't applied to the stockroom assistant position.
There was one other time I was interviewed for a position to which I did not apply. In this case I was qualified for the position, but it was not the kind of work I was really hoping to do. I think they sensed this at the interview and I never heard from the company again. Special note to HR people- if you think a candidate is a better fit for a different position in the company, PLEASE talk to that person. Tell them about the different position, explain to them why you are considering them. Ask them if they would like to be interviewed for the position. It can be a waste of time for everyone involved if you make a bad assumption.
I Think You Would Be Bored
Speaking of making assumptions... I worry that my education and work history in the physical sciences are intimidating to potential employers. When I graduated from the Art Institute, I thought my history would be an advantage. I expected that employers would say, "Wow! Here is someone who is both creative and technical. We need to get her on board now!" My experience, however, has been completely the opposite.
Not long after graduating from the Art Institute, I interviewed with a company known for their children's wear. The position was Product Development Administrative Assistant. They were basically looking for someone to handle all the shipping and receiving for the product development team, and provide other assistance as needed (like spec measurements). I saw it as a foot in the door, even though it is a small company with low turnover.
The HR Assistant called me for the first interview. She was very nice and friendly and seemed impressed by my background. She scheduled me right away for an in-person interview with the Product Development manager.
The Product Development manager also noted my background, but in a much more negative way. I had to defend myself during the interview against her allegations that I would be bored with the position. That was pretty much the whole interview, from my recollection. However, I didn't leave the interview with a totally negative impression. I thought I defended myself well and she did admit that she liked me and thought I could be useful to her beyond the scope of the position.
I did not get the job. The reason why, I was told, is that the Product Development Manager could not get over the fact that I "would be bored" with the position and with the low turnover at the company she didn't think I would last in the position for very long because of it. As a result of this feedback, I immediately changed my resume, removing my prior degrees and downplayed my 10-year experience as a lab analyst. I dumbed down my resume!
Jump ahead nine months. The same company is hiring for a very similar position. I apply. The same very nice HR Assistant calls me for the first interview. Again she seems impressed by my background. She schedules me right away for the in-person interview with the Product Development Manager. I admit to her that I had applied for the position before, tell her the feedback I had received, and defend myself against these allegations of boredom.
Not even ten minutes later the nice HR Assistant calls me back. The Product Development Manager remembered me and would not change her mind about me. She canceled my interview.
And, by the way, the reason the position was open nine months later was because they had promoted the person they had hired.
The Boss is Mean
My most awkward moment during an interview was recently after graduating from the Art Institute. I was interviewing for a Product Development Assistant position at a very small company that sells their product nationally. Cheap is the name of the game for this company. They bang out tons of their product for a low price. Things like fit and comfort are a secondary concern. Already this is not my ideal work place.
There were only two people in the dingy office: the Product Developer, and the owner of the company. Their product was showcased on giant rolling garment racks and old dusty 1970's-era mannequins. The office did not have a good vibe to it.
After filling out a very lengthy application, I met with the Product Developer. She was friendly but quiet. I don't remember much about her except that when I left I couldn't help but feel a little sad for her. Then I met with the owner of the company. She was very direct and seemed like someone who you did not want to cross. The owner of the company thought it would be a good idea for me to meet the Warehouse Manager.
She called him in to the office and he took me back into the warehouse. This was a completely different atmosphere. There was a whole team of people working back here sorting product. He showed me around the bustling warehouse and took me into his office. He asked me how things were going so far and talked with me a little bit about the company. He specifically asked how I got along with the owner of the company and explained to me that the reason this was an important question is because she can be mean to her employees. I don't even remember how I responded to that. That was the icing on the cake. I did not want this job.
This was the first and only time that I did not respond back to the company after the interview. I did not send thank you notes, I didn't follow up with an email to check on my application status. A few weeks later I received an email that they had "decided to follow through with other candidates." That was the best I could hope for.
Who the @%#* Do You Think You Are?
A friend of mine owns title to having the worst interview ever. He was interviewing for a supervisor-type position at a restaurant. He had already been on a multitude of phone and in-person interviews with various people within the company. Finally, they brought him in to interview with the manager of that particular restaurant.
Since this was his fourth interview, he felt that he had asked all the "do you have any questions for us?" and had all the information about the job and the company that he needed. So he showed up for the interview with just himself.
Immediately, the manager berated him. Who the @%#* do you think you are walking in here unprepared? You don't even have a &%$#ing notebook! Why the &%*^ should I talk to you when you obviously don't care enough about this $#^#ing job to come prepared to the #%&ing interview?
My friend was berated and cursed at the entire time he was there. Needless to say he did not get the job. Nor did he want it.
See, I'm not the only one who doesn't want to work for a mean boss.
Please, feel free to share your interview stories in the comments. I would love to hear them.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
The Weekly Job Hunt Routine
Way back when I graduated from the Art Institute I set up a weekly list of websites to visit. If you are also searching for jobs in the apparel industry in the Portland area, you may find this list useful. Add a comment if you think I've forgotten anyone.
Monday-
Thursday-
Monday-
- Craigslist. I check Craigslist every single day. Also, about once/week I'll go to the Seattle and Salem pages just in case there's something out there for me.
- iMatchSkills. A requirement of unemployment, and one I have yet to find useful.
- 24Seventalent. 24Seven is a recruiting agency, a little like Kelly Services.
- Fred Meyer. Did you know their corporate offices are in Portland? One of my internships was here in their Apparel Product Development department.
- Doc Marten. Their US headquarters are in Portland. How cool is that? It is my dream to work in footwear.
- Craigslist.
- Danner. Known for their hard-working work boots. Not only are they headquartered here, they make the boots here, too.
- File for a week of unemployment benefits.
- Icebreaker. New Zealand merino wool. Love their stuff.
- Craigslist.
- Columbia Sportswear.
- Pendelton.
- Hanna Andersson. High quality childrens' wear.
Thursday-
- Craigslist.
- Adidas.
- Keen. I'm outdoorsy, therefore I have Keen sandals.
- Merrell. Merrell is owned by Wolverine Worldwide. I am outdoorsy, therefore I own Merrell hiking boots.
- Oregon Employment Department job listings
- Craigslist.
- Nike.
- Nau. Probably Portland's most famous "green" apparel company.
- BikePortland. No, I'm not looking for a job as a bike mechanic. I'm just hopeful that someday Showers Pass will post on here looking for an entry level designer/developer. You never know.
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