Job Interview

[phatlip12]

Well, I have my first real job interview today. I've only had one other job (2004-Current) at a seafood restaurant/retailer and I pretty much got that job on the spot. I have my business attire set aside (and ironed of course) and just got done double checking the directions to make sure I know where I'm going. I'm going for a job in customer sales/service at a marketing company (I won't be telemarketing so don't worry ;) ). Wish me luck! :)

[masherscf]

Well, I have my first real job interview today. I've only had one other job (2004-Current) at a seafood restaurant/retailer and I pretty much got that job on the spot. I have my business attire set aside (and ironed of course) and just got done double checking the directions to make sure I know where I'm going. I'm going for a job in customer sales/service at a marketing company (I won't be telemarketing so don't worry ;) ). Wish me luck! :)

Crank the AC. Sweating in your clothes makes you look dishonest.

[electricalburn]

goodluck

7653

[rabidbadger]

eat a good breakfast so you are not distracted by hunger, and so you don't get tummy rumbles. Also pee first, nothing like having to cross your legs and have to feel rushed during an interview. Shake hands firmly, look them in the eye, and never ever lie...

[masherscf]

eat a good breakfast so you are not distracted by hunger, and so you don't get tummy rumbles. Also pee first, nothing like having to cross your legs and have to feel rushed during an interview. Shake hands firmly, look them in the eye, and never ever lie...

Also, don't be afraid to walk away from a job if it looks like shit. I know it's probably only a summer thing, but you should never be stuck in something you don't enjoy. However, treat the interview seriously. Practice does make perfect.

On average, I think it takes like five interviews to get an offer. That's been my experience.

When I was looking for my present job. I sent out about fifty applications, got five interviews, three second interviews and two offers.

[phatlip12]

Also, don't be afraid to walk away from a job if it looks like shit. I know it's probably only a summer thing, but you should never be stuck in something you don't enjoy. However, treat the interview seriously. Practice does make perfect.

On average, I think it takes like five interviews to get an offer. That's been my experience.

When I was looking for my present job. I sent out about fifty applications, got five interviews, three second interviews and two offers.

I did just that today, not because it looked like shit - more like a scam. They wanted me to buy knives from them and sell them yadda yaddda yadda....scam. There were like 14 people there for the "interview".

[masherscf]

I did just that today, not because it looked like shit - more like a scam. They wanted me to buy knives from them and sell them yadda yaddda yadda....scam. There were like 14 people there for the "interview".

Oh, the whole Cutco scam. (http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/78530/cutco_cutlery_its_a_scam_but_the_knives.html) Just walk away.

[rabidbadger]

I did a vacuum "interview" like that once... evil...

sorry you had to waste your time on that....

[acidburn]

Interviewing can really get you down if you don't get hired right off, so try not to let it get to you. Good luck with the job search.

[tokenuser]

No such thing as a bad interview. Until you get the job offer, good or bad, they are all experience.

[rabidbadger]

Yeah, but that wasn't an interview, it was an indoctrination, total waste of time, and doesn't help learn about real interviews in the least...

[tokenuser]

I disagree.

1. He prepared for the interview. Consider it a dry run for the real event.
2. He learnt to check the background of the company offering the job. NEVER go into an interview without knowning the company doing the hiring. Google is your friend.

So, might have been a waste of time, but they are two valuable lessons.

[rabidbadger]

I agree with number one, taking all interviews seriously, and getting prepared, but two, he obviously didn't investigate the company prior, or he wouldn't have gone at all. Could have spent his valuable time researching legit jobs instead...

[acidburn]

There are a lot of crap jobs out there to sort through to find the real legit opportunities. I've gotten contacted about jobs that were really nothing more than check cashing scams. As time goes on you learn to quickly spot the scams and move on.

[tokenuser]

Re #2 - thats what I mean. The lesson learnt is to look into any company you are interviewing for before going. For example, I have a generic resume, but noone has ever seen that version (EXCEPT THE ****ERS THAT STOLE MY LAPTOP LAST WEE!). Every resume and cover letter I have sent out is tailored specifically to the opportunity.

Generic sounds generic, and as someone who has sat on the other side of the desk in an interview, it shows. A candidate that knows about the company immedaitely stands out over the generic ones that obviously didn't care.

[masherscf]

Every resume and cover letter I have sent out is tailored specifically to the opportunity.


Funny thing, since every job that I apply for is basically the same and has the same qualifications, I don't need to do this. I just sent them my stock Curriculum Vita. However, I also end up sending a shit load of other documents as they request.

What's your take on fancy resume paper? I think it is a waste of time.

[acidburn]

I don't remember the last time I sent a resume on paper. My line of work everyone wants word doc and then they do the printing. My biggest concern is formatting so it prints correctly.

[rabidbadger]

Oh, then I agree. Read it like you thought he did investigate it first, which he didn't. Not as a learning experience that he ought to.

Yeah, and you gotta tailor resumes/ coverletters to the job. Especially the cover letter.

And dude, your laptop. SUCKS bigtime.

[rabidbadger]

I don't remember the last time I sent a resume on paper. My line of work everyone wants word doc and then they do the printing. My biggest concern is formatting so it prints correctly.

Depending on the company, they don't want word.docs just for ease, they want it so they can run them through software that looks for appropriate keywords, and weed out the losers before a human ever sees them.

[rabidbadger]

What's your take on fancy resume paper? I think it is a waste of time.

Quality paper, and a simple but creative design, is huge in my biz, (graphic design) cause that's what they want you to prove you know... But want a job in accounting. Eh, who cares about the paper, but never hurts to have an un-cliche layout, and a slightly different font than everyone else, subconcious, "oh this is nicer" "dude took the time..." sort of thing...

goes in a separate pile...

[tokenuser]

What's your take on fancy resume paper? I think it is a waste of time.

Acidburn - for every job I apply (actually applied - past tense) for online, if at all possible, I also send a letter. (snail mail).

If it is being posted, it needs to be good quality paper, but need not be fancy. It just needs to be clear and easy to read.

FWIW - When letters were sent out via email, I would attach a cover letter, and my CV - as PDF files. Not everyone uses Word (or the same version of Word), so formating can be an issue - at least a PDF is consistent.

When I arrived at interviews, I also took hard copies of my cover letter and CV printed on the nice paper. Doesn't hurt to be prepared.

Phatty - its a summer job. Any openings going at the local Apple store? Even Best Buy would work.

[ariastar]

I LOVE Cutco's knives, and have several, so decided once to apply for the hell of it. And then found out how annoying it is. I didn't like the idea of going to my family and friends and pester them for the phone numbers of everyone they know, and then go to those people and do the same. We were told to do things such as suggest they get out their church directory (I think that would be an abuse of having a directory), or for numbers for their co-workers. Then this one girl got up there and said her trick was to "always be thinking about Cutco." As in she said she struck up conversations with people in grocery stores, at dinner parties, etc.. Um, when I go home, I like to not have to think about work if I don't want to.

Granted, I'm thinking about buying more Cutco pretty soon (seriously, I love their stuff), but to work for them is a waste of time unless you want your life to be consumed by Cutco and memorizing things like how their blades are made from 440A high carbon surgical stainless steel. In the group I was in, there were about 20, but only four by the end of the three-day (unpaid) training because the rest didn't memorize stuff fast enough.

[ariastar]

I did just that today, not because it looked like shit - more like a scam. They wanted me to buy knives from them and sell them yadda yaddda yadda....scam. There were like 14 people there for the "interview".

As soon as you said "knives"... Granted, it's not a scam, but it is very hard to get started and very few make money. Basically if you have a wealthy family to get you started...

[tokenuser]

Just how many knives does one person need?

I regularly use a good quality chefs knife, a bread knife (also great for onions and tomatoes), and a knife that is somewhere between a filleting knife and a paring knife (not flexy enough to be a filleting knife, too long to be a paring knife).

The other knives? Set of 6 steak knives (if you need a steak knife, you should be buying better meat), a cleaver (might be a useful melee weapon one day, but next to useless in the kitchen 99% of the time), a regular long blade, and a paring knife. They sit in the knife block most of the time.

Oh yeah - also got a top quality german hunting knife I used to take fishing. To be honest, I can do 90% of things int he kitchen extremely well with just this knife - especially gutting/cleaning fish, even filleting (you just need to know what you are doing). It doesn't do so well on tomatoes though.

[masherscf]

As soon as you said "knives"... Granted, it's not a scam, but it is very hard to get started and very few make money. Basically if you have a wealthy family to get you started...

It's multi-level marketing. It's a scam, even if you make money. It's a legal panzi-scheme.

[phatlip12]

I did a vacuum "interview" like that once... evil...

sorry you had to waste your time on that....

It sucked, I wasted $6 in tolls, wasted gas (I don't have to mention why that sucks) and got lost in the ghetto on my way home. :(

[phatlip12]

Re #2 - thats what I mean. The lesson learnt is to look into any company you are interviewing for before going. For example, I have a generic resume, but noone has ever seen that version (EXCEPT THE ****ERS THAT STOLE MY LAPTOP LAST WEE!). Every resume and cover letter I have sent out is tailored specifically to the opportunity.

Generic sounds generic, and as someone who has sat on the other side of the desk in an interview, it shows. A candidate that knows about the company immedaitely stands out over the generic ones that obviously didn't care.

To be honest with you, I was kind of suspicious from the start. I should of did some research at home before wasting my time (you live...you learn). I was contacted about this job in the mail (it said they were looking for college students). I thought one of my professors may have recommended me or something. My GF's dad has been an upholstery salesmen his entire life and was telling me how bad the job would of been if I took it. I'm glad I didn't. He said it was "hard sales" so I would have to do all the work myself. He said they send these things out to college kids because we have "young minds that they try to manipulate". I proved them wrong! :)

I'm looking for a job at the moment (I already have one, but I would like to start building some sort of resume other then working at the restaurant). The resumes I submitted so far (only 3) were all accompanied with custom cover letters that were typed specifically for each company. My technical writing professor drilled the importance of NOT writing an "all purpose" cover letter last semester.

[electricalburn]

...and got lost in the ghetto on my way home. :(

i thought i saw you drive by :rolleyes:


Better luck next time, too bad it wasnt 'dream job' but hey it happens. What work field are you looking into?

[masherscf]

I'm looking for a job at the moment (I already have one, but I would like to start building some sort of resume other then working at the restaurant).

Nothing wrong with the crab-shack...

[crumbles]

...He said they send these things out to college kids because we have "young minds that they try to manipulate". I proved them wrong! :)HAHAHAHAHA :rolleyes:

[masherscf]

He said they send these things out to college kids because we have "young minds that they try to manipulate". I proved them wrong! :)

Your mind is already owned by Steve Jobs.

[rabidbadger]

masher, why you so be hatin on da mac'tosh, jiminy? We don't hate yur mathomatical machine cuz it got winders...

[ariastar]

It's multi-level marketing. It's a scam, even if you make money. It's a legal panzi-scheme.

"Scam" as in you send someone $5 and you put your name on a list for "big returns" type of thing.

[ariastar]

Just how many knives does one person need?

I regularly use a good quality chefs knife, a bread knife (also great for onions and tomatoes), and a knife that is somewhere between a filleting knife and a paring knife (not flexy enough to be a filleting knife, too long to be a paring knife).

The other knives? Set of 6 steak knives (if you need a steak knife, you should be buying better meat), a cleaver (might be a useful melee weapon one day, but next to useless in the kitchen 99% of the time), a regular long blade, and a paring knife. They sit in the knife block most of the time.

Oh yeah - also got a top quality german hunting knife I used to take fishing. To be honest, I can do 90% of things int he kitchen extremely well with just this knife - especially gutting/cleaning fish, even filleting (you just need to know what you are doing). It doesn't do so well on tomatoes though.

It's mainly steak knives I need. More or less just to have them.

[ariastar]

To be honest with you, I was kind of suspicious from the start. I should of did some research at home before wasting my time (you live...you learn). I was contacted about this job in the mail (it said they were looking for college students). I thought one of my professors may have recommended me or something. My GF's dad has been an upholstery salesmen his entire life and was telling me how bad the job would of been if I took it. I'm glad I didn't. He said it was "hard sales" so I would have to do all the work myself. He said they send these things out to college kids because we have "young minds that they try to manipulate". I proved them wrong! :)

"Hard sales" hardly begins to describe it. Basically the $18 you get covers gas and tolls and the rest is commission and there's no guarantee of actually making money in the end. The one I decided to check out (I had no intention of actually working there) suggested we offer veggie peelers or paring knives to people who gave us more than 10 referrals. Of course guess who would have had to buy those peelers/knives!

At least they sell good products instead of piece-o'-shit knives.


My technical writing professor drilled the importance of NOT writing an "all purpose" cover letter last semester.

This is how I ended up with the job I have now. A kick-ass cover letter. Because my resume wasn't that impressive. It was the polar opposite of impressive.

[ariastar]

masher, why you so be hatin on da mac'tosh, jiminy? We don't hate yur mathomatical machine cuz it got winders...

Badge, I love you!

[popltree2]

I did just that today, not because it looked like shit - more like a scam. They wanted me to buy knives from them and sell them yadda yaddda yadda....scam. There were like 14 people there for the "interview".

At least you were smart enough to walk away from it. I know too many people who haven't.

[popltree2]

masher, why you so be hatin on da mac'tosh, jiminy? We don't hate yur mathomatical machine cuz it got winders...

I think you just broke my brain. The English major half of me is crying right now.

[masherscf]

masher, why you so be hatin on da mac'tosh, jiminy? We don't hate yur mathomatical machine cuz it got winders...

Oh. I was just punkin' Phatty, you know he's my boi.

I got a lotta love for the lil' box Malus domestica .

[ariastar]

I think you just broke my brain. The English major half of me is crying right now.

I love you too, Cody!