Job Search Rant

[beararms1776]

Getting my foot in the door is proving to be difficult for me, hence going for a CCNA cert

There you go. Your on your way to a solution.

 

[hornadylnl]

Getting my foot in the door is proving to be difficult for me, hence going for a CCNA cert

I started out as a laborer. Within 3 months, I was a welder. After 6 years, I was able to get in the maintenance trainee program. I made a name for myself in that position. The business is finally picking up and they decided to add 3 automation techs. 4 of us bid on them and only 2 of us got he jobs. The other 2 got passed over due to their reputations.

Yes, it's almost taken me 13 years to get where I'm at but I didn't have to spend 4+ years in school with who knows how much school loan debt. I think you'll find that a lot of companies like to promote from within because they already have a good idea of what they're getting. They already know your attendance history, your work ethic, willingness to learn and take on more responsibilty, etc. with a guy off the street, these are all unknowns.

I was personally called by my new supervisor to bid on this job because he knows what I'm about and feels I'm capable of doing the job. I got the job over a guy who had a lot more training in the field than I do but some past interactions with the supervisor caused him to lose out on it.

I've spent many years working on my rapport with those I work with. That can get you far in your career.

 

[hornadylnl]

I'll tell you the story of a machine operator on my old line. He just got about a $2 an hour raise that I'd lay money that he never asked for. I don't think he had a clue it was coming. He was placed on a machine that had always been a laborer job about a year ago. The line sat idle for 2 years and this guy had no clue how to operate. He and I largely figured out how to run this machine together. I didn't know much more about it than he did.

Over time, he got better and better at this machine. He could have simply put a product good enough to keep from getting yelled at but he was determined to do the best he could possibly do. This guy never complained and when he had a problem, he acted as though he was bothering you to ask for help. This guy is any manager and maintenance guy's dream. When he came to you with a problem, you knew there was something was wrong and you jumped to help. He helped me so I went out of my way to help him.

His night shift counterpart quit and they were left without a trained operator. He came in on a Tuesday morning. He was told to go home and come back at 6 that night and would be on nights for the rest of the week. He was pretty ticked off but he didn't complain. He trained another operator for the rest of the week and came back to day shift the next week.

The manager looked at the man hours per unit before, during and after his week on nights and saw that there was about a 15-20% reduction in man hours per unit. One machine on entire line was the choke point for the operation. I had been telling the manager for months that this guy needed to be reclassed from a laborer to a higher position due to the value this guy added to the company. I believe the fact that the manager could now document this through is week on nights is what finally got him his promotion. The operator could have told the manager he wasn't going to go to night shift that week, went to HR and complained, etc. but he didn't.

The moral of this story is that you need to do whatever you can to get your foot in the door and whatever you can once there. If you want that promotion, you must show your ability to do that job before you get it. I hated a lot of the things I had to do to get where I'm am and didn't always know how it was going to benefit me in the end. But I did those things because that's what my work ethic demanded of me. Sometimes it feels like hard work will never pay off but somone, somewhere is watching.

 

[chrisheacock]

The moral of this story is that you need to do whatever you can to get your foot in the door and whatever you can once there. If you want that promotion, you must show your ability to do that job before you get it. I hated a lot of the things I had to do to get where I'm am and didn't always know how it was going to benefit me in the end. But I did those things because that's what my work ethic demanded of me. Sometimes it feels like hard work will never pay off but somone, somewhere is watching.

 

[hornadylnl]

?

So whose better to take job advice from? A guy with a job or a guy who can't find one?

? Not sure of the intent of the picture?

 

[chrisheacock]

 

[hornadylnl]

Ok. Thanks for your helpful insight.

 

[sepe]

*posts random picture from a meme website*

*walks away...like a boss*

 

[chrisheacock]

*posts random picture from a meme website*

*walks away...like a boss*

 

[Leo]

I tried to use multiple job web sites to get contacts when I moved to Indiana. I kind of think they are a bunch of scammers. After jumping through flaming hoops at the first few web sites, all I got was referals to other websites. I have a EET, a journeymans cadr for Instrument and Control electrician, a business degree with banking, a business degree with management, a BA in theology, An MA in Psychology, 3 years in banking, 30 years in fortune 100 industry/manufacturing, including technical, sales and management, a staff Pastorate with crisis counseling and international missions experience. Other than sending me to other websites, the "employment professionals" have offered me part time dishwasher jobs, telemarketing jobs, assistant manager jobs at fast food joints, inventory clerk jobs counting out retail stores, and other jobs that high school drop outs would not take. I do however get LOTS more junk mail and spam email these days.

 

[goinggreyfast]

You're cracking me up Bro.

 

[goinggreyfast]

I tried to use multiple job web sites to get contacts when I moved to Indiana. I kind of think they are a bunch of scammers. After jumping through flaming hoops at the first few web sites, all I got was referals to other websites. I have a EET, a journeymans cadr for Instrument and Control electrician, a business degree with banking, a business degree with management, a BA in theology, An MA in Psychology, 3 years in banking, 30 years in fortune 100 industry/manufacturing, including technical, sales and management, a staff Pastorate with crisis counseling and international missions experience. Other than sending me to other websites, the "employment professionals" have offered me part time dishwasher jobs, telemarketing jobs, assistant manager jobs at fast food joints, inventory clerk jobs counting out retail stores, and other jobs that high school drop outs would not take. I do however get LOTS more junk mail and spam email these days.

I know your pain... All too well. Sorry you are going through this.

Actually, I'm setting an appointment with a group that may be able to help me start my own business. Thinking very seriously about it.

 

[Caleb]

I know your pain... All too well. Sorry you are going through this.

Actually, I'm setting an appointment with a group that may be able to help me start my own business. Thinking very seriously about it.

What kind of business?

 

[IndyDave1776]

I certainly can understand the frustration. I have only been hired once in my life by applying for a job without any previous connections--and everybody and his dog wants to nose through your personal details with apparently no intention of hiring you even if you are more perfect than God (which most of us aren't). It makes me wonder if they even want to hire people or if they are looking for an excuse to justify H1B visas and off-shoring jobs.

 

[hornadylnl]

I tried to use multiple job web sites to get contacts when I moved to Indiana. I kind of think they are a bunch of scammers. After jumping through flaming hoops at the first few web sites, all I got was referals to other websites. I have a EET, a journeymans cadr for Instrument and Control electrician, a business degree with banking, a business degree with management, a BA in theology, An MA in Psychology, 3 years in banking, 30 years in fortune 100 industry/manufacturing, including technical, sales and management, a staff Pastorate with crisis counseling and international missions experience. Other than sending me to other websites, the "employment professionals" have offered me part time dishwasher jobs, telemarketing jobs, assistant manager jobs at fast food joints, inventory clerk jobs counting out retail stores, and other jobs that high school drop outs would not take. I do however get LOTS more junk mail and spam email these days.

Are you looking for an electrical controls engineering job working with rslogix and PLC's? If so, pm me and I MIGHT be able to help you.

 

[churchmouse]

Personal contacts is about the best way to get in the door and to the right people. I have many friends and associates doing the on line thing with little to no results.

 

[hornadylnl]

Personal contacts is about the best way to get in the door and to the right people. I have many friends and associates doing the on line thing with little to no results.

This. My employer is looking for an electrical controls engineer. I'm pretty sure a degree is not required as long as you can prove your skills. If Leo is interested, I'll hook him up with the info if they haven't hired anybody yet.

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

This. My employer is looking for an electrical controls engineer. I'm pretty sure a degree is not required as long as you can prove your skills. If Leo is interested, I'll hook him up with the info if they haven't hired anybody yet.

Lot of luck...we have been looking for one too. It's been tough finding somebody with the combination of work ethic and skills.

 

[LegatoRedrivers]

I can understand employers demanding credit checks. You can get a pretty good insight to a person's character and level of personal responsibiltiy simply by looking at their credit report. Not always true but I'm sure it's true more often than not.

If I'm wanting to hire a guy for a $50k + job, do I want a guy who's got Aaron's Rent to Own on his credit report? Do I want a guy who has several missed or late payments? Why is he missing or late on payments? Is he not showing up for work regularly, thus not enough to pay his bills? Is his home life full or stress and drama due to being in debt, thus affecting his ability to do the job?

I've got a credit score of over 800. Run me.

Guess what? My credit score sucks! Guess Why?

When I was 19, I was the passenger in a car accident. I didn't have any health insurance, and I was fine; so when the police arrived, I refused medical treatment. The officer told me that I had better get in the ambulance, or he would put me in the ambulance. I told him I didn't have insurance, and I couldn't afford to go to the hospital. I was told that since I was refusing medical treatment, I wouldn't be responsible for the cost.

So I went to the hospital, they gave me a quick once over, and said I was fine. I told the doctor that I already knew that, and that I had refused medical treatment at the scene.

Fast forward to 5 years later when I'm about to buy my first car off a lot (as opposed to from a private individual.) I decide to try to get a loan from my bank first; and when they run my credit, I am informed that I have an outstanding debt of about $3000 from that night I refused medical treatment and went to the hospital.

I never received any letters or notices requesting payment. I refused medical treatment to avoid medical bills, but got stuck with them anyway. My credit was completely shot and, being young and stupid, I had never thought to check. I mean, I'd never bought anything that I had to make payments on beyond a cell phone plan, right?

So because of this, I should be denied consideration for employment outright?

It's nice that your score is over 800, (and years of work have raised mine a fair amount) but there were apparently years where the ONLY mark on my credit report was a big fat negative, and I didn't even know about it.

 

[goinggreyfast]

What kind of business?

Marketing, Sales, & Brokerage Services.