Job hunting - A different kind of happy ending

[Pato del Muerto 53589]

On 5/6/2023 at 12:16 AM, Voldemort86 said:

It is fucking  bullshit how recruiters can be lazy, mess something up, or forget about something, but the jobseeker has to be “perfect”.

Seems like a good majority of the “happy to announce I’m starting a new role at” posts on linked in are talent recruitment people just moving from place to place, probably replacing each other. 

[Macanudo 13339]

Time to ramp back up.  My last day at the current job is Friday, September 15.   I had slowed down on applying as I get closer because there was no use in losing the severance package unless it was for a really great opportunity (read:  a lot more money/good landing spot.)   Just 6 apps in the last 60 days.   I've still been looking to remain in the Learning & Development/Change Management/Organizational Effectiveness space with most of my apps being insurance/retirement/consulting related but there has been a sprinkling of other industries.    

I've had several people look over my resume including a recruiter friend and there were some tweaks suggested but nothing major.  I have results oriented data highlighted (% increases in quality, decreases in costs, decreases in attrition, Employee Engagement work and Leadership Development, etc.)   One thing I have done is paired my resume down to the last 12 years (all with AIG/Corebridge).   If I need to go back to the my previous role type (retirement plan administration) I'll add those years back in but they only add to what I did from 2012-2018.  Other than lengthening the resume and highlighting that I'm older, I'm not sure how that helps.  

But damn if I'm not a little pissed off right now.  Overwhelmingly, I have gotten the "thanks but not thanks" emails or no reply at all other than the initial "thanks for applying."   Almost a 1/3 of the jobs I've applied for are closed/no longer posted but I never got a "no thanks" email.   The funniest part of that is the consulting firms are some of the worst.   Deloitte, McKinsey, Stout, etc. suck at notifying.   I mark them off when the position stops showing as available not because they told me. 

Another place that sucks at this is Insperity.  They are right here in my backyard. I did have a job prospect with them that I interviewed for back in December but 3 other jobs over the last 8 months closed without ever getting notified.   

So, yeah, I'm pissed but not panicking yet.   I have my job for another 3.5 months.   If I need to take the severance as paychecks instead of a lump, I can extend that out until February.   There are some ancillary add-ons that I'll get (pro-rated bonus, etc.) that make up a nice little piece of extra cash.  If I don't have something lined up for late September/early October, I have something I can do part time keep me busy and bring in a little extra.   We'll have 2 kids in college next year but thankfully that is all taken care of from a financial perspective.  Good planning years ago pays off.

In conclusion, this sucks.

[fattyflattie 4640]

I just want to reiterate, I have never once gotten a “no thanks, we’ve filled that position” from a company. That seems to be typical(?) but I didn’t even know it was a thing until this thread. My CV just out there floating in a few places, I assumed.
 

Sucks you are still hunting. Something will come your way.  

[Bevo 13924]

1 hour ago, Macanudo said:

We'll have 2 kids in college next year but thankfully that is all taken care of from a financial perspective.  Good planning years ago pays off.

In conclusion, this sucks.

Weird question from the Shaggy or Hornfan days: Did you use to live in Anchorage and have a wife who was a military doc?

[HamsterHookah 112]

2 hours ago, Macanudo said:

Time to ramp back up.  My last day at the current job is Friday, September 15.   I had slowed down on applying as I get closer because there was no use in losing the severance package unless it was for a really great opportunity (read:  a lot more money/good landing spot.)   Just 6 apps in the last 60 days.   I've still been looking to remain in the Learning & Development/Change Management/Organizational Effectiveness space with most of my apps being insurance/retirement/consulting related but there has been a sprinkling of other industries.    

I've had several people look over my resume including a recruiter friend and there were some tweaks suggested but nothing major.  I have results oriented data highlighted (% increases in quality, decreases in costs, decreases in attrition, Employee Engagement work and Leadership Development, etc.)   One thing I have done is paired my resume down to the last 12 years (all with AIG/Corebridge).   If I need to go back to the my previous role type (retirement plan administration) I'll add those years back in but they only add to what I did from 2012-2018.  Other than lengthening the resume and highlighting that I'm older, I'm not sure how that helps.  

But damn if I'm not a little pissed off right now.  Overwhelmingly, I have gotten the "thanks but not thanks" emails or no reply at all other than the initial "thanks for applying."   Almost a 1/3 of the jobs I've applied for are closed/no longer posted but I never got a "no thanks" email.   The funniest part of that is the consulting firms are some of the worst.   Deloitte, McKinsey, Stout, etc. suck at notifying.   I mark them off when the position stops showing as available not because they told me. 

Another place that sucks at this is Insperity.  They are right here in my backyard. I did have a job prospect with them that I interviewed for back in December but 3 other jobs over the last 8 months closed without ever getting notified.   

So, yeah, I'm pissed but not panicking yet.   I have my job for another 3.5 months.   If I need to take the severance as paychecks instead of a lump, I can extend that out until February.   There are some ancillary add-ons that I'll get (pro-rated bonus, etc.) that make up a nice little piece of extra cash.  If I don't have something lined up for late September/early October, I have something I can do part time keep me busy and bring in a little extra.   We'll have 2 kids in college next year but thankfully that is all taken care of from a financial perspective.  Good planning years ago pays off.

In conclusion, this sucks.

Good news, maybe, is that job openings have surged to a 3-month high, indicating that maybe the market might be softening for you as you start looking again here soon.

Quote

Job vacancies jumped to 10.1 million in April, the highest in three months, confounding economists' expectations of a modest decline. The Labor Department’s Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey also showed there were 1.8 available positions for each unemployed individual, also a three-month high. The report, which showed layoffs falling from March, raises expectations that the Federal Reserve could keep lifting interest rates to combat inflation, which it says has been fed by a demand for workers and consequent wage growth.

 

[Macanudo 13339]

1 hour ago, Bevo said:

Weird question from the Shaggy or Hornfan days: Did you use to live in Anchorage and have a wife who was a military doc?

Fairbanks and yeah.   A long, long, long time ago.   

[Mother mopar 3388]

Hang in there bro, sometimes the wait is so worth it. I turned down two jobs before accepting my current one in April.

I'm a huge proponent of leveraging Linkedin for jobs and referrals. Sometimes it just takes that one person to read your post and boom the rest is history. My last two jobs have come from LI.

[Sam Lin 3606]

On 5/31/2023 at 11:14 PM, fattyflattie said:

I just want to reiterate, I have never once gotten a “no thanks, we’ve filled that position” from a company.

This. In the modern age, software is collecting hundreds if not thousands of resumes for each posting. No one is sending individual response letters any more. And quite likely 90% of the resumes never get looked at by a human.

That said, I've also known a few cases where the software matched the resume to a new, totally different job posting over a year later, and flagged that resume as a hit. Unlikely, but hiring and finding a job is just a whole different world now. Leaving your resume hanging out there doesn't hurt.

[Bozo_Casanova 26906]

Just saw this. Makes sense of some things. You’ll be fine, Mac. Plenty of time. Easy for me to say, I know. But - it’s going to be OK. You have what they need. Keep in mind that you are hot shit. 

Edited June 5, 2023 by Bozo_Casanova

[Voldemort86 2259]

Are career fairs an effective way to bypass the resume bots? Just trying to help brainstorm for people who are stuck.

[closetohumping 17826]

On 5/31/2023 at 3:43 PM, Mother mopar said:

Hang in there bro, sometimes the wait is so worth it. I turned down two jobs before accepting my current one in April.

I'm a huge proponent of leveraging Linkedin for jobs and referrals. Sometimes it just takes that one person to read your post and boom the rest is history. My last two jobs have come from LI.

Those LI posts are heartbreaking.  
 

I’m at a startup and am loving life.  They do pay less than the big boys but that’s something I will address down the road

 

 

 

good luck all

[Celery Man 21103]

I don’t know about a job “fair” but I went to a Microsoft virtual career thing in 2020 (got a link sent to me from a coworker but I don’t think it was a thing that was closed or anything) - i “raised my hand” and said hi here’s my background I’d love to learn more and got hooked up with an internal recruiter immediately who saw me through the process of interviewing with the right team. I didn’t get a job out of it but it was a definite thing that was worthwhile as compared to firing my resume at their resume shields.

[HamsterHookah 112]

7 minutes ago, Celery Man said:

I don’t know about a job “fair” but I went to a Microsoft virtual career thing in 2020 (got a link sent to me from a coworker but I don’t think it was a thing that was closed or anything) - i “raised my hand” and said hi here’s my background I’d love to learn more and got hooked up with an internal recruiter immediately who saw me through the process of interviewing with the right team. I didn’t get a job out of it but it was a definite thing that was worthwhile as compared to firing my resume at their resume shields.

And once you are invited or go to that sort of thing, they keep you in a mailing list and will reach out to you when they have a need or are doing another in person event in your metro

[Brisketexan 107011]

I’m just glad that after all this, @Macanudo hasn’t shared a link to his OnlyFans page.

And for that, we are grateful.

Keep on keeping’ on Mac. It’ll shake out.

[Pato del Muerto 53589]

On 6/5/2023 at 8:49 AM, Brisketexan said:

I’m just glad that after all this, @Macanudo hasn’t shared a link to his OnlyFans page.

And for that, we are grateful.

Keep on keeping’ on Mac. It’ll shake out.

It’s not HIS onlyfans I’m interested in…

[Pato del Muerto 53589]

So, looks like Seattle for me.  Hopefully my official unemployment will only consist of the month of June. 

[Macanudo 13339]

Congrats Pato.   You're going to love the PNW.   

I'm totally flooding the zone.   40 applications since 6/1.   I have about 90 days left at my old job before my last day.    

[Chewbacca 7830]

So, looks like Seattle for me.  Hopefully my official unemployment will only consist of the month of June. 

You should go back to Montana.

[Pato del Muerto 53589]

50 minutes ago, Chewbacca said:

On 6/8/2023 at 7:03 PM, Pato del Muerto said:

So, looks like Seattle for me.  Hopefully my official unemployment will only consist of the month of June. 

You should go back to Montana.

It was Wyoming, and if you can direct me to the pharma or biotech hub in either state, I’d look there. 
 

I plan on living about 20-30 miles east of the city itself anyway, closer to wineries and ski hills. 

[Macanudo 13339]

45 days out from my separation date.   Im not worried but I am worried.   The last interview I had for anything was in March and I've applied to 75 jobs since then without even a whiff of interest.   As much as I think I'm doing a good job of this, the grind sucks.   I have feelers out to everyone I can think of, even people I hadn't spoken to in years.   

[Macanudo 13339]

Curious what people's thoughts are on applying for a job that you were already rejected for previously.   Since this process has been going on for 11 months, there have been a few postings come back up online that I previously applied for.   Not stuff that I applied for 30-60 days ago but some of them were from late last year.   Should I bother with reapplying.?

 

[Celery Man 21103]

normal caveat of "i don't know what I'm talking about" but I would think

1) assuming you applied and got an automated rejection or no replied, I think it's unlikely a human is going to "see your resume again" and get irritated by it. And even if they did... so? Low risk.

2) I wouldn't shoot the same resume at the resume grinder. It didn't work last time, might as well try something different.

3) These guys may just be collecting resumes or have an open position posted even when it's not an actual... specific open position. Again no risk to take another swing at it.

4) This is probably a larger company. Maybe you've already been doing this but if not this is the time to start tracking down their recruiters on LinkedIn and messaging them directly. "Hey, my name is Mac, can you tell me about this position? It's been posted for a while, can you tell me more about what it is you all are looking for, I feel like my experience with *similar role* would make me a good fit and I'd love to learn more about your company." Or whatever.

 

If this is a smaller place and it's obviously a single position and a human talked to you about it before, I would probably forget about it although I also think it would be no risk to re-engage with that human.

Edited July 27, 2023 by Celery Man

[Patricio Swayze 17058]

45 days out from my separation date.   Im not worried but I am worried.   The last interview I had for anything was in March and I've applied to 75 jobs since then without even a whiff of interest.   As much as I think I'm doing a good job of this, the grind sucks.   I have feelers out to everyone I can think of, even people I hadn't spoken to in years.   

Fuck man. That’s crazy. I know you will find something soon.

I’m trying to calculate about how many jobs I applied to during that 14 month COVID layoff. It wasn’t as many as one would think because there just was no work happening. Maybe 75?

I just switched jobs. Went back to the engineering side of the fence of O&G. But it is completely insane. Every week I get hit up by 5+ recruiters for jobs. The polar opposite of how it was in 2020-2021.

Good luck man.

[NoName 17175]

1 hour ago, Macanudo said:

Curious what people's thoughts are on applying for a job that you were already rejected for previously.   Since this process has been going on for 11 months, there have been a few postings come back up online that I previously applied for.   Not stuff that I applied for 30-60 days ago but some of them were from late last year.   Should I bother with reapplying.?

 

i would reach out directly to HR/recruiter there either via linkedin or directly via email to see what they think. there is a chance they rejected you before for a valid reason (not meeting whatever their actual expectation was for experience as an example) or a not valid reason (had an internal person lined up, rejected folks, that person left - or had a person identified as the one to hire who said no after they rejected a ton of people)

can't hurt to reach out to a person. all they can say is no.

[Macanudo 13339]

My 250th declination/closed req/etc. also set a record of another sort.   I sent in an app this morning at 11:15 which got a "thanks, we're loolking over your resume."   At 2:45 I got the "thanks but no thanks.   Dang...   3.5 hours.  

I'm 2 weeks short of a full 12 months doing this. 

[tx 3 putt 78741]

I highly recommend Resume Nerd

$4 the first month, $25 there after. You can cancel before the 2nd month hits

[Patricio Swayze 17058]

Sending positive waves Mac. I know it doesn’t seem like it, but you will find something.

[Bozo_Casanova 26906]

6 hours ago, Macanudo said:

My 250th declination/closed req/etc. also set a record of another sort.   I sent in an app this morning at 11:15 which got a "thanks, we're loolking over your resume."   At 2:45 I got the "thanks but no thanks.   Dang...   3.5 hours.  

I'm 2 weeks short of a full 12 months doing this. 

1) this sucks and I’m sorry for the anxiety and trauma involved. I’ll be in your situation quite soon, BTW.

2) have you thought about moving to the income side of the ledger? 

look your situation is terrible. It’s a great example of what’s wrong with the economy and how we’ve broken our contract with labor. 
On the other hand - you are not defined by your current role. maybe time to think about your job not in terms of what you’ve done but what you can do. In other words, break down and atomize what you contribute into discrete elements and skills, and then think about how those map to things that make money for an employer rather than cost money. 

Edited August 18, 2023 by Bozo_Casanova

[Brisketexan 107011]

1) this sucks and I’m sorry for the anxiety and trauma involved. I’ll be in your situation quite soon, BTW.
2) have you thought about moving to the income side of the ledger? 

look your situation is terrible. It’s a great example of what’s wrong with the economy and how we’ve broken our contract with labor. 
On the other hand - you are not defined by your current role. maybe time to think about your job not in terms of what you’ve done but what you can do. In other words, break down and atomize what you contribute into discrete elements and skills, and then think about how those map to things that make money for an employer rather than cost money. 

This, man. You’ve got skills. Break em down, and open up what you’re looking at.

You’re a good dude.

I’d hire you to be my latex salesman any time.

[Bozo_Casanova 26906]

14 hours ago, Brisketexan said:

I’d hire you to be my latex salesman any time.

@Macanudo have you considered being a dildo model? It's been great for me. 

[Brisketexan 107011]

58 minutes ago, Bozo_Casanova said:

@Macanudo have you considered being a dildo model? It's been great for me. 

It's true.  Who knew there was such a market for "travel-size dildoes" out there?

[fattyflattie 4640]

Mac, been rooting for you for awhile. I’m still certain something is going to fall your way shortly.  Hope you’re mental is holding up.  

Edited August 18, 2023 by fattyflattie

[Macanudo 13339]

2 hours ago, Bozo_Casanova said:

@Macanudo have you considered being a dildo model? It's been great for me. 

Hey, 20 bucks is 20 bucks, right?

[destroya 406]

Really pulling for you, Mac. At the risk of showing my ignorance or pointing out an obvious thing you’ve already done, are there recruiters you can reach out to who can asses to what areas your skill set will translate and push you for jobs in those areas?
 

Also, do you know if the greater Houston partnership has any job search functions or events/mixers? I know some folks who used to work there and can reach out to them if you’re interested.

[GhostOfTomJoad 9522]

Sending good vibes for ya, Mac. As someone impacted by a corporate reorg earlier this spring, I know the stress and anxiety of the job search. In fact, I started a thread here in late June when it looked like I was going to have to decide between 3 offers at the same time and I was looking for advice on how to maneuver multiple offers simultaneously. The joke was on me as I came in 2nd place for all 3. Then I went the better part of a month either getting the auto-resume rejection or ghosted by 15 or 20 other companies.

Fortunately a few weeks ago I was selected for a supply chain mgr job (government). Around the same time, a privately owned tech company that I applied with in early May apparently just found my application in the stack and reached out to me. After several interviews they came to me with an offer on Fri for a PM position that wasn't even posted. I'll get the official offer on Monday, but I've spent the weekend toiling over what to do. Take more money and so-so benefits to go with the private company that will almost certainly be acquired in the next 2-4 years, likely making me a prime target for another reorg, or less money, great benefits and the peace of mind that comes with knowing I can likely write down my retirement date from the gov't job? Mrs GOTJ--who's worked in state and local gov't her entire career--is pushing me to take the $$ and run. But my nuts are pulled high and tight over the possibility having to go through the rigors of the involuntarily job hunt again at this stage of my life. 

Sorry for the mini-threadjack. I sincerely hope things turn your way in the immediate future. You're too good of a person to have to deal with this kind of shit.

 

[Macanudo 13339]

On 8/19/2023 at 3:37 PM, destroya said:

Really pulling for you, Mac. At the risk of showing my ignorance or pointing out an obvious thing you’ve already done, are there recruiters you can reach out to who can asses to what areas your skill set will translate and push you for jobs in those areas?
 

Also, do you know if the greater Houston partnership has any job search functions or events/mixers? I know some folks who used to work there and can reach out to them if you’re interested.

I have worked with a couple of recruiters.   For some reason, contract gigs are really hot in their world right now.   I was not interested at the time going to contract but it is something I will consider later.   

One of the "perks" of being laid off is that the company pays for a resume writer and a career coach.   The only drawback is that didn't kick in until 10 day ago.  I've met with my career coach twice now and she's nice and all but everything she's suggested/offered I'm already doing.   The resumer writer got me a draft back and the lay out look a lot better than mine along with some different ways of showing my work/skills.   I'll start using that ASAP.

 

[RDCanecutter 26921]

One day we'll have time machines, and job-seekers can just go back to 1975, walk into the boss' office with a firm handshake and a steady gaze, and get a job PLUS mooch a cigarette from a coworker.

[Brisketexan 107011]

I have worked with a couple of recruiters.   For some reason, contract gigs are really hot in their world right now.   I was not interested at the time going to contract but it is something I will consider later.   
One of the "perks" of being laid off is that the company pays for a resume writer and a career coach.   The only drawback is that didn't kick in until 10 day ago.  I've met with my career coach twice now and she's nice and all but everything she's suggested/offered I'm already doing.   The resumer writer got me a draft back and the lay out look a lot better than mine along with some different ways of showing my work/skills.   I'll start using that ASAP.
 

Did she suggest that you take your resume photo in front of a different kind of tree? That can be a real difference maker, I hear.

[Mother mopar 3388]

Did she suggest that you take your resume photo in front of a different kind of tree? That can be a real difference maker, I hear.

The trick is the slight spray of cologne on the picture, lulz.

[animaltobacco11 106]

Mac-- take heart. I've been reading there is something called the September Surge, which is essentially a great time to be looking for a job as employers do a huge amount of hiring in September:

https://www.careerchange.com/the-september-surge-is-starting/

[Macanudo 13339]

10 hours ago, Brisketexan said:

Did she suggest that you take your resume photo in front of a different kind of tree? That can be a real difference maker, I hear.

You know what would really take it to 11?   A thujone masterpiece of me by a tree.

[Patricio Swayze 17058]

You know what would really take it to 11?   A thujone masterpiece of me by a tree.

I assume it would be a dickfruit tree.

[Celery Man 21103]

I think I said this upthread, but when I got caught in covid downsizing in 2020, the main helpful thing provided by the outsourcing group was the resume review. I  didn't do a big analysis of it but I definitely felt like there was an uptick in responses and callbacks from when I started making the changes suggested.

[Da Fino 2821]

3 hours ago, Celery Man said:

I think I said this upthread, but when I got caught in covid downsizing in 2020, the main helpful thing provided by the outsourcing group was the resume review. I  didn't do a big analysis of it but I definitely felt like there was an uptick in responses and callbacks from when I started making the changes suggested.

I agree. Having a pro look at mine and help come up with several versions was big for me. 

[GhostOfTomJoad 9522]

On 8/22/2023 at 9:15 AM, Macanudo said:

  

One of the "perks" of being laid off is that the company pays for a resume writer and a career coach.   The only drawback is that didn't kick in until 10 day ago.  I've met with my career coach twice now and she's nice and all but everything she's suggested/offered I'm already doing.   The resumer writer got me a draft back and the lay out look a lot better than mine along with some different ways of showing my work/skills.   I'll start using that ASAP.

 

I had the same benefits through Right Management which I found to be quite useful. My coach was great and a lot of the content (on-demand and live webinars) was very useful. My resume writer was probably the weakest link due to her slow response time and lack of true input. In fact, if their resume builder app was better/more intuitive I would have skipped the resume writer altogether.

One thing she did provide, however, was my resume in two different Word formats: one for sharing directly with personnel via email, and one to submit via online portals for the AI readers. The differences were subtle-just some formatting and fonts-but are apparently useful in that AI "reads" the text differently than a person and the 2nd version is designed to make more of an impact with the bots. Of course that could all be bullshit and just a way for RM to claim that they're providing 2X the benefits but hey, everything helps I suppose.

[Pato del Muerto 53589]

When I was looking, he two biggest things stressed to me about a resume/cv were to format them to get past the automated screening check, so that a person even sees it, and to use a word cloud generator on each job description to see what was being emphasized and then use those words in your resume near the top so that a person reading it will decide to keep reading. 

[Celery Man 21103]

5 hours ago, Pato del Muerto said:

When I was looking, he two biggest things stressed to me about a resume/cv were to format them to get past the automated screening check, so that a person even sees it, and to use a word cloud generator on each job description to see what was being emphasized and then use those words in your resume near the top so that a person reading it will decide to keep reading. 

yeah really this - i came out of the resume review with a few base resumes for different types of jobs, and the tailoring was matching the job title and then putting the key words into the top and emphasizing relevant accomplishments

[Biff Tannen 46201]

I'm jumping into this hellscape and I've been shooting out resumes to whatever I can on LinkedIn this morning.  Probably going to skip this one, based on this "description" which makes me want to stab out my eyes with my own dick that I've torn off, shellacked, and turned into a letter opener.

Corporate speak much?

Quote

 In this role, you’ll quarterback the relationship with Monte Carlo’s most significant and most strategic customers to help them bring trust to their data.  This includes planning and executing enterprise rollouts, navigating stakeholders and executives, defining and sharing best practices, quantifying and articulating value, nurturing expansion opportunities, and collaborating across product, engineering, sales, and marketing.

 

[GhostOfTomJoad 9522]

Holy buzzword bingo, Batman. 

[Patricio Swayze 17058]

Funny about resumes and keyword/algorithms…I have been using the same resume format for the past 25 years, which my older brother gave me (who knows where he got it). I assume it works because recruiters out the wazoo have been hitting me up.

Best of luck to all of y’all looking. If any are looking in the engineering/O&G sector, I might be able to help. Especially in Project Controls.