THIS.
I've never in over 30 years of working had a job that was ever as difficult as the posting and managers made it out to be.
This book talks a bit about how job requirements are constantly being inflated.
https://www.amazon.com/Stupidity-Paradox-Power-Pitfalls-Functional/dp/1781255415
Thanks a lot. I graduated with a degree in Computer Science about 15 years ago. I have a CEH certificate but that's my only certification. I was fortunate to gain a lot of experience with the company that laid me off over the 10 years I was there and move from a Specialist/System Admin to a manager.
Check out https://www.cybrary.it/ . They have free courses and certifications for just about any IT cert you could want.
I recently finished reading 'So Good They Can't Ignore You' by Cal Newport (also available in a short review form on YouTube) who talks about how important "career capital" is for any profession. You will currently have a lot of this in IT, but not so much in your new career, unless you've already been dabbling in your free time.
It would be a good idea to get some work experience, read books, volunteer etc and build some of your capital first, in order to get better options for making your switch.
You are going to be up against workers younger and more educated in the field than you, which to any employer is more appealing. Cal Newport talks about a lot of case studies who gave up years of building career capital to follow a passion, only for them to end up in a worse job, with little prospects of making money, and finding that their passion didn't deliver what they expected.
I'm not saying don't follow your dreams, if this is what you're doing, but would you loath your job as much if you could change it a little, perhaps specializing in developing agricultural management systems, or something along those lines? There may be a way you can use your hefty career capital in IT to get into agriculture, and combine both to bring you work you enjoy more.
I think the motto of the book was "skills trumps passion in the search for work you love". I was at a crossroads in my career not that long ago and after reading the book I increased my qualifications in my current job and am enjoying my work a lot more, and feel my future me will thank the now me for taking that step.
Good luck to you whatever decision you make.
You will never get rid of it entirely, but you can learn to be happy even as it's part of your life. I truly don't think there's a human being alive who doesn't experience existential dread in some form (unless you are literally fighting for survival everyday).
This book helped a lot for me: https://www.amazon.com/Guide-Good-Life-Ancient-Stoic/dp/1522632735
To summarize very quickly some of the points:
- we are all on a hedonistic treadmill where as soon as we get something we want we take it for granted and start wanting the next thing. Learn to desire the things you already have by practicing negative visualization, which is basically contemplating how you can lose everything you have and love in life. Sounds depressing as hell but it actually makes you start caring and desiring for the things, relationships, and opportunities already present in your life.
- Divide your problems into 3 categories, things you can control, things you have some control over, and things you have no control over. Worry about the first two categories, and for the second, internalize your goals (you can control how much work you put into a project, but you can't control how much other people will like it). For the third, stop worrying about it (easier said than done but still).
- Practice going without things you like for times to make you care about them more and maintain a healthy relationship with them (unhealthy but tasty food, alcohol, anything like that).
There's a lot more to it, but basically learning to loving yourself and the live you have instead of always wishing for a different one, being healthy and active, maintaining good relationships and recognizing that comparison is the enemy of joy can help you find fulfillment in life.
If it repetitive and/or predictable it can be automated. Read Rise of the Robots. Starting to get scary.
My sister says it best "There just aren't that man good jobs to go around anymore".
The author Martin Ford in his Rise of the Robots says that automation, off-shoring and the loss of manufacturing have hollowed out the job market; fewer jobs more competition for whatever is left.
http://www.indeed.com/ really is a one-stop shop for jobs. Enter your job title, keyword, etc. and your city. You can also sign up for daily/weekly job alerts. It scours and aggregates thousands of job sites which is pretty helpful.
Also check out "Jobr" which is a new app for job hunting that works like Tindr or Grindr.
As far as callbacks are concerned, the best way to ensure a call back is by stalking the hell out of the company and its employees. Google, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc. Know the company inside and out and you will not only write a better cover letter/resume, but you may also find that you have some kind of "in" at the company.
I once switched departments because I wanted to and they had a "very real need" in that department...that materialized three months after I moved.
Use the time to educate yourself. Read read read. Sounds like you could do something long form. Check out getting a subscription to Safari Books Online (your office may already have one). Sign up for an online class.
It's actually a really great opportunity, and I would think twice about quitting unless you think you could get paid more elsewhere.
Congratulations for both the job and the lesson learned
Just another reason I recommend What Color is Your Parachute by Richard Bolles. He clearly lays out that an online-only search strategy is the least-effective way to look for work.
EDIT: Linked the $15 in paperback from Amazon; tax-deductible for your job search!
Start with Secrets to Winning Office Politics.
I also like Dealing With People You Can't Stand.
Do not read these at work!
I got my middle adult aged daughter this to help keep her motivated during adversity and rings true. "You never how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have".
In my situation, my anxiety was high for about 5 months and took me about 2 weeks to just get a normal night's sleep, and facing job hunting for the first time in over a decade. yet still was able to cope to know that the hell my coworkers and former managers put me through was over - so relieving. Oh and I also saw a posting that was almost like my job through a company we subcontract with, so that was interesting.
But it's time to look forward and to a new chapter. New beginnings.
You'll be okay. You'll get through this.
I would bring up the fact that Graphic Designers have been dealing with this issue since the 1950s. You brought it up to a co-worker because it's a valid workplace conversation and you wanted to hear their point of view. Co-worker pointed out other things, then took her time mulling it over then went to HR because they were probably retroactively uncomfortable.
Steven Heller, a well known designer and graphic design historian, wrote a book regarding the use of the Swastika - you can find it here: The Swastika: Symbol Beyond Redemption? https://www.amazon.com/dp/1581155077/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_wNatCbWQMEMH8
There are many samples in the book regarding the use of the imagery religiously, how the Nazis corrupted it, and how since then there's been blowback.
The thing I have seen with millennials is that they have been taught(excuse me, lied to) that all they have to do is just want it, and they will get it. Just want it and it will come to you. Well it does not work that way. In the real world there is competition and you have to beat them out to get the job. You are not going to land every job. But some things that will help you out:
1 Lose any attitude you have, you are there to perform a task not get political.
The boss is always an idiot, get over it and do your job.
It is their company you do not get to dictate policy. When you become owner then it is your turn.
You are providing a service, act like your boss is a client and no matter what be nice.(unless your boss is harassing you then it is okay to be an asshole, in fact I insist on it.)
Be the best you can be at your line of work, being the best or at least appearing so will not only land you a job quicker, but help you keep it.
Be eager about the job(think about it, who would you want to hire some one with enthusiasm or a sad sack?)
I wrote book about getting a job and my experiences. Millennials will probably find it helpful.
You might have trouble with hours requirements in retail. They are usually the antithesis of flexible in terms of hours, unfortunately.
One option that could provide flexibility for a short evening shift is possibly a local restaurant. I'd pursue only local restaurants, as chain restaurants usually have greater need and longer hours. But local restaurants may only need an extra server from 6-10 or something and on weekends.
It probably won't net you gobs of cash in a slower restaurant, but on a busy Saturday in the right restaurant, you can bust $100 in a night. That said, it is tiring and physically demanding work. If you aren't good with people or if they stress you out, don't do this as it will put you through the ringer (says experience!).
Another option is possibly Amazon's Mechanical Turk? It's from home, so that's super nice. You take surveys and do little tasks that require human cognition (can't be done by a machine) for little amounts of money.
I tried it maybe a year and a half ago and made about $40 in three weeks, though I wasn't pursuing it aggressively, either. Again, not gobs of cash by any means. And it could be tough to extract the money, lacking a bank account? I don't quite remember the process for that. There's a subreddit pair for that -- /r/mturk and /r/HITsWorthTurkingFor.
Start with a professional profile at LinkedIn. Join groups in your field or a field you aspire to be in. Go meet people at Meetup.com - search for groups in your area. It's a great way to meet people. When you meet people, eventually, you'll meet people who know people... --- and may be helpful to get you where you want to go
Google Analytics and Google Ads certifications. Google offers comprehensive classes for free online and also offers the certification exam for free. This is really valuable to have in any field (at least analytics) because it shows you’re able to look at data and make inferences from it.
Edit: I also just thought of Udacity. They offer a google partners scholarship program where you apply and can take their front end or back end coding classes for free.
Evaluate yourself and how much you contribute to the company. If you think you’re qualified for a raise, send an email to your manager and they’ll conduct an evaluation. For negotiation, identify your skills and your mastery of them. Look for job listings asking for the same skillset that you have to get an idea of what your worth should be.
Also, read some self-help and career books. Most of the stuff I wrote above are from <em>Stop Getting Fu*cked by Technical Recruiters: A Nerd's Guide to Negotiating Salary And Benefits</em>. It’s never too late to learn something new, especially about these adulting stuff.
You might want to check out Do What You Are. If you haven't wanted to be a pedicurist since the time you were little, you may want to choose a profession based on personality. There is some evidence that personality may be a better predictor of job satisfaction than interest or ability.
I find it baffling that a company would fire a long-term employee over a little thing like being late. It is a problem when people are late, but you had a good excuse. Did you explain that to them?
As for looking for a new job, I would try other coffee/restaurant places if you enjoyed your work. You have supervisor experience, so that will help you out. If not, you need to figure out what kind of work you want to do. It's never too late to go back to college (a community college or university) to learn something new.
Do you have a resume? If you're ready to jump into the job search, start looking through Indeed or other job search sites and submit it like crazy.
I listen to white noise (well, more like pink noise, technically) to filter out the occasional chatterboxes around me. Depending on the volume, I can still kinda tell/feel that there are people talking around me, but at least I can relax and concentrate. There a number of web-based white noise generators, but this is my favorite: https://mynoise.net/NoiseMachines/whiteNoiseGenerator.php
I also use over-the-ear headphones for some passive noise reduction. Noise-canceling headphones might be in order in your case, but they tend to be more expensive. Having your work pay for some comfortable noise-canceling headphones for you might be a good compromise if they are unwilling or unable to otherwise accommodate you.
According to this study, it's usually good. I would say it's one of those "why not" type of things as it can usually only help you.
Keep it short, talk about 1 or 2 points they mentioned in the interview so it lets them recall your interview, and don't come off as desperate and you should be good to go!
Here's an not article on a study that agreed with all the call center propaganda I had to deal with. You can hear smiles over the phone https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=18255131
A Berkeley article on how body language can affect voice https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/does_your_voice_reveal_more_emotion_than_your_face
Keep doing what you're doing though, it's not going to hurt me if you don't get a job
If I had to guess, you are probably doing what a lot of people who are new(er) to the night shift do... not giving it the respect that your body needs you to. Many people spend their entire career working the night shift and it works well for them. But you have to 'respect' it and not try to live a day shift life with just some 'staying up all night and catching up on sleep the next day' attitudes about it.
https://cna.plus/surviving-night-shift-9-tips/
https://lifehacker.com/how-can-i-get-used-to-working-the-night-shift-1466627171
There are plenty of people who are disciplined and still fat, as well as people who look fit and are not very disciplined. Weight and body composition are complex and there are many factors other than diet and exercise that have an impact (sleep quality, hormones, genetics, etc.)
This is a super interesting article on the topic: https://getpocket.com/explore/item/the-obesity-era?utm\_source=pocket-newtab
So you are nearly bankrupt and still want to go ahead burning bridges?
Look sometimes clients low ball the recruiters they ask for a cheap cheap person, and the recruiter goes to the back bench. If you've been unemployed for a while (and being nearly bankrupt one assumes that) you seem to have become back bench material. They probably are making a higher percentage rate on you than the full rate Sr SAP BI Developer or whatever, but that is because they have fixed costs.
Also it should be noted that Salary is a lagging indicator of demand. Indeed says Flash developers are making 80k, but the market is becoming soft, and the "spot rate" has been falling rapidly. It will take years for the new hire salary rate to drop, and because of the way data is collected the reports will still be higher than the new hire rate.
I mean it is certainly a good thing to learn new software, but if you are in serious financial trouble, well... food is handy, perhaps you shouldn't spurn it.
Indeed and Dice (Tech jobs) are pretty good, and I've seen success through both. My best suggestion for you, though, is to go straight onto employers websites and check out their career options directly.
As an IT Recruiter, "better communication skills" can mean a number of things.
1) You were in the car and there was a lot of background noise frustrating whomever was on the other line and they felt that if you couldn't call from a quiet silent room with no distraction then they wouldn't think you could communicate well in person.
2) (racist, though common) If you have too thick of an Indian, Chinese, or Russian accent you can be turned down for "communication skills". It's HR's way that, while very legal, it provides a scapegoat to companies not looking to hire foreigners. I expect EEOC will eventually clamp down on this one...
If English is not your first language and you applied to ANY of these 2,250, I can guarantee you that you'll be turned down. Sad truth is they want someone "homegrown" or very polished English:
http://www.indeed.com/jobs?q=%22must+have+good+communication+skills%22&l=
3) Physical issues, such as stuttering. I don't expect it was this one. They wouldn't be so direct about it since you could sue them under EEOC law, unless the job you had was SO crucial to your communication that the physical impairment could jeopardize the job you're applying for.
4) They just want someone suave on the phone. A salesman style method of communicating.
5) The guy was a dick and doesn't like to repeat himself. This is very possible. You ask him to "repeat himself" and he'll think you can't listen well. This was my last boss at my previous employer. He'd flip out if someone didn't catch things the first time
/r/learnprogramming
http://sqlzoo.net/wiki/Main_Page
I've started at SQL Zoo and they make it pretty simple to follow along.
I'd also suggest checking out the links from the previous subreddit's side bar.
This. I got all my jobs (except for 1) through networking. The exception was when I used the school's recruitment program. I wrote a post on how to network here: https://medium.com/@vpproduct/the-art-of-networking-9f0d0f345de6
>I was walking around an upscale mall, about to head home and a young man and woman walk up to me.
Red flag count: 1 (Not a lot of legit recruiting happening at a mall other than military and Auntie Anne's).
>they ask me where I work, compliment my outfit, then offer me a job at their work.
Red flag count: 2 (That's a damn short interview to offer someone a job, I need to get better interview outfits...)
>the only catch is you have to be at least 18 years old, be charming, talkative, and know how to command a room, no diploma required
Red flag count: 3 (They deal with insurance and stocks, but no degree required? You only have to be charming are the qualifications for traveling salesmen / scams / cults)
>anywhere from 3 - 6 thousand a month.
Red flag count: 4 (That big of a range sounds like 100% commission).
>two days pass, and today she calls me, i wait for it to go to voicemail so it seems like I just missed it by accident. she leaves a voicemail saying "hey can you please give me a call back as soon as possible". she sounded irritated and upset i didn't answer her. i decide to call her back and it immediately sent me to voice mail. i hung up, left no message
Red flag count: Yeah, I'm just going to set it to 50 for good measure.
>they never told me the name of their company,
Red flag count: 70
>no company name or number was associated with the address.
Red flag count: 150
>Primerica
Red flag count: I lost track. Also, the fake reviews for their company are pretty impressive.
Here's my favorite from skimming: > i learned how to interact with costumers
Primerica is helping him prepare for a career in theater.
Just in case you don't get any or as many responses as you'd like from B&N employees past and present, you can get a general feel for working there from employee reviews on Indeed here: http://www.indeed.com/cmp/Barnes-&-Noble. Alternatively, you can get reviews at Glassdoor, but you are required to submit your own review once a year to access reviews on the site.
It's kinda funny because looking them up on LinkedIn gets this link: https://www.linkedin.com/company/daystar-technologies The web address for that link is http://www.daystartech.com/ and it isn't even owned by them anymore, it's owned by a Canadian design firm.
Applied to so many admin assistant jobs thinking that was the go to job for anyone who wanted an entry level office job. And I thought it would be a job I would like doing. I also thought being an admin assistant may be a good foot in the door if I find a company I really like working for. And I need to escape retail desperately.
No luck finding a position so I figure that my lack of experience could be holding me back. Decide to apply for a volunteering position at a charity I saw online. It was an Admin Assistant one which I thought was perfect. Met with a woman from the charity. Discussed the role. No experience needed (duh, it's volunteering). Tells me the admin positions are very popular. The whole time she's trying to push these other volunteering positions on me. Never heard back from them by the way.
Then after a while I go on Indeed, click the 'Find CVs' link. Type in Admin Assistant. 99% of the results are females. Realise that I'll likely never get an admin assistant job ever. Pair that with the fact that Admin Assistant makes up 9/10 entry level office jobs advertised online. Here's a link to the Indeed search. And another.
As an aside I have thought about changing my name on my CV to Ashley. It's gender neutral but everyone normally associates it more with being a female name. I bet even without changing a thing on my CV I'd get more interviews. Can I just say "yeah, my real name is John but I've always gone by Ashley" and get away with it?
> Portland Oregon
http://www.indeed.com/jobs?q=logistics+coordinator&l=Portland+Oregon
Also, hit up /r/resumes to get some help translating your military experience into the civilian world. You will need a resume.
Wouldn't it make more sense to get a job description from your friend?
Data Analyst is a very generic title and there's really no way to answer this question. You can feel free to look through these job postings to get an idea, but I don't know why you're asking here when your friend is already doing the job
There's probably more nursing-specific sites, but a quick search at indeed for BSN and relocation turned up quite a few links.
You might well be able to find someone that will pay to move you. Best of luck!
Not sure what % increase $3 is compared to your salary, but there's a good chance this is a decrease. You should probably negotiate that up, since you'll be having to pay a lot more taxes, you won't have any benefits, and yes, you'll be a lot easier for them to let go: http://www.toptal.com/freelance/don-t-be-fooled-the-real-cost-of-employees-and-consultants
You don't have to commit to staying there for the long run, but it sounds like a great opportunity for now. In your position, I'd start with getting my Microsoft Excel skills to a high level. Lots of people claim to have advanced Excel skills, and lots of those people actually don't. Knowing how to use Excel well is a great asset. Get started with a Skillshare class here: http://www.skillshare.com/classes/microsoft-excel
Video game you say? Take this to the next level with the LifeRPG App in the play store. I'm sure it's on apple play if that's your fancy.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.jayvant.liferpgmissions
Edit: I'm on mobile and can't figure out how to link text to url.
I think you need to take a look at your life and change the factors that you're not happy with. I work with primarily 1%'ers and can confirm that that 5k condo in the city and the fancy car doesn't bring you happiness. If anything it brings you stress. Money doesn't solve problems. In fact, having more money and being materialistic causes lifestyle inflation. And then you HAVE to continue working to support your lifestyle. Most of the "rich" people with flashy things don't have as much in savings as you'd think. You should check out the book The Millionaire Next Door.
Regardless of your view on money, every person is valuable. And no one is better than anyone else based off their career. Every career is valuable, whether you're a janitor or the president.
Also, you can branch out in the accounting field. My friend's Dad was an accountant and moved into the an accounting software company and now he's a tech consultant making well over six figures. Cheer up, you're young and can go anywhere. You have no idea what will happen if you give up and accept that you're not worth the effort.
This. I come from a wealthy family and a lot of my cousins have "failed to thrive" in their careers, because they're been enabled by their parents to sit at home. This line from the book The Millionaire Next Door holds true:
Meanwhile, my friends from less wealthy families who have no safety net to fall back on are generally high achievers or at least supporting themselves financially.
Also,
Read through Cal Newport's So Good They Can't Ignore You. It will change this insidious idea that your occupation is supposed to somehow be based on your "passion."
On top of that, nothing beats actually exposing yourself to the workplace. Therefore intern, and interview people in the fields you might be remotely interested in.
Anxious that they might reject you? No biggie - use a few bad leads for practice. Find a few jobs where you will definitely not want to work(medical, industrial, sales). Find some professionals in your area that do that job. Call em up. If they reject you it's no big deal because you weren't gonna work in that field anyways. If they respond, meet up for coffee, ask them stuff about their job.
Do so now before you make the mistake of graduating with an arts degree that turns you into a barista.
If you're in a corporate environment now, ask to be part of the in-house process. You can use that experience to get freelance projects, then legitimate positions in publishing houses and marketing departments.
Apply online for remote/one-time gigs. If you're willing to spend a little bit of money ($15/mo or $50/yr), check out Flexjobs.com, which is like Monster for people who work remotely. There's no reason in the beginning to move or even leave your current job to get started.
Acquire the necessary resources: Merriam-Webster 11th ed., Chicago Manual of Style, The Elements of Style. Break out those old textbooks and do some exercises. Learn the handwritten proofreading marks; you'll never use them in practice, but occasionally a project manager will ask you to edit by hand to test your mettle. Learn Scrivener (by Literature & Latte, $40 on Amazon) and have experience with both Mac and PC.
Most importantly, be patient and determined. Those seem like contradictory terms, but it's not always easy and you'll need to be able to roll with the punches.
Best of luck to you! Feel free to DM me if you have questions about something specific.
The Mythical Man-Month. Keep it on your desk.
A healthy understanding that good "management" is as much about leadership as anything. Some managers seem to get the idea that "leadership" is for the military. They are crappy managers that everyone hates.
I'll partially concede your point, there are a limited number of credit hours before you are wasting too much time by changing.
That being said, the average student changes major 3 times. It doesn't seem like changing majors is that hard. I myself did it once in college and it was very easy.
Note: I know the source above isn't great, it's not the first time I've seen that number and the original source of the article no longer seems to exist.
The positive is that you are already fluent in Java. Hadoop itself has a high learning curve, but the other major hurdle is understanding big data. You can't use Hadoop without some fundamental understanding of the copious amount of data presented to you. There are plenty of online courses on analyzing big data/data science. I recommend you take look a CourseA's free data science class:
https://www.coursera.org/course/datasci
I'm planning to make data science a career, and I'm currently trying to get ready to apply to graduate programs. Unfortunately, I'm in a situation similar to yours; so I don't have all of the answers.
http://www.amazon.com/Values-Careers-Homepage/b?node=239365011
Start there. Read their past earnings call: http://seekingalpha.com/article/2867036-amazon-coms-amzn-q4-2014-results-earnings-call-transcript
And get a feel for what's new at the company and what are their areas of focus. You're interviewing for cloud, so know that for the first time, Amazon will start splitting out AWS revenue.
Holy crap. Nothing like getting a point across by publicly humiliating someone on a massive scale. I'm sure that'll strengthen the argument /s. I'm not surprised that this incredibly outrageous mindset is what's driving the industry and getting into messes like this Facebook debate.
The truth is, separation between work and personal life is a serious issue. Facebook was designed for personal life, yet employers are trying to adapt it for work with no consideration whatsoever, and tricking themselves into thinking that it's totally okay. It minimizes the harm that mixing the two domains can actually cause, while promoting a practice that lacks solid foundation still.
Just because you can, doesn't mean you should.
Oh, by the way, I'm not the only person who thinks this way, either.
Free course, Stanford's Intro to Databases professor teaches it. Here's the Coursera link for the same course. You can get through the Relational Databases, Relational Algebra, and SQL sections in 2 days and that's all a company will expect you to know when starting out.
I'd just list "SQL" under your skills section and put that section near the top of your resume, don't worry about the knowledge/proficient/etc stuff. What would work even better (and would take more time of course) is if you create a project around it after the 2 days, where you write all the queries you'd need in a transactional database. Before looking for jobs I wrote all the queries needed for a food pantry (how to update a database when a family comes to pick up their bag, how to process a shipment of new stock, etc). I'm more of a statistics guy than a SQL analyst but I got questions about my SQL skills and that project made for a good LinkedIn bulletpoint and interview story to prove that I knew the language.
http://www.indeed.com/forum/cmp/Vector-Marketing/Vector-s-RECEPTIONISTS-k-TELEMARKETER/t159018
> I was a receptionist at Vector for 3 months. Every single aspect of it is deceptive, and I can say that from experience. the receptionists, if you can call them that, are given a script that they are reauired to follow. If you ask a quesgion, they have scripted replies (notice I didnt say answers) designed specifically to give you the run-around, and ultimately say "I dont know, but the manager will definitely explain that when you come in for you interview." The reason? The receptionists are essentially graded weekly on the number of people that they schedule.for an.interview, and the amount that show.
Go with your instincts OP. It's as shady as you think it is.
most large corporations have internal training departments that need not only 'teachers' to led the classes, but people behind the scenes to work with the subject matter experts to develop material for training programs
>it has been really hard for me to find any positions that utilize my skills.
You need to learn new ones, starting today. The skills you have are archaic and even if you find a job using them, you're only going to get let go again anyway.
You need to learn new, right now. Go look at free online sites like Coursera and codecademy and start learning NOW. If you prefer learning out of books, then get down to the local public library first thing in the morning.
At the very least, I suggest learning Java or C++ as a compiled back-end language, SQL for database manipulation, and probably start looking at web development, meaning HTML and CSS. A dynamic language like Ruby or Perl would be good as well. Get some kind of feel for what they are, so you can see what strikes your fancy and what fits best with your background.
I'm guessing that all your experience is mainframe as well, yes? Then I suggest you start learning about Unix or Linux while you're at it.
You have years of experience, and that's good, but you need new knowledge. Keeping your outdated skillset is not sustainable.
If you have time, read Rise of the Robots by Martin Ford. You are going to really hate what he predicts. Its not sci-fi either.
Don't. Do not under any circumstances say you would work for them over all other choices. There's a few reasons for this.
This isn't necessarily done on purpose, but I've seen it happen first hand too many times to count. It's almost like the "bad-boy" dilemma in dating- the guys who seem farthest away to reach are usually the most in-demand.
Instead, communicate your passion through the knowledge you have about their company. Talk about their things they've done you admire, ask them questions about how the framework they use and why (Do your research, don't say anything obvious!). If there are company github projects, read through them all. Try to get an idea of what they might be working on next and why.
In a phone interview your goal is not to get the job, just to get to the next interview. Give them what they need without sending across any red-flags. Really look closely at the job description and make sure you check each criteria. Have prepared answers for questions like: "Tell me about yourself," "Where do you see yourself in 5 years," etc.
I'd also recommend buying "Cracking the Coding Interview" if you have some time to prepare: https://www.amazon.com/Cracking-Coding-Interview-Programming-Questions/dp/098478280X
It's extremely helpful.
Seeing as how there are organizations that can mass email and notify all their applicants, none of this makes any sense.
It's like the stereotype "corporations are evil, mannnnn" kind of thinking, where it's all about dollars and never any investments into managing the applicant pool or the workforce. Is it really cutting the fat when companies then struggle with understaffing or increased workloads? (Don't answer, because I already know you have a weird take on the literal definition of those terms.)
But whatever, you read The Art of War 10 years ago and attended a few leadership seminars, so whatever you say must be accurate.
Totally agreed! During the interview I have for my current job, the recruiter asked me at the very end: "What's the craziest thing you've ever done (legally)".
Well after backpacking Europe, traveling the coasts of Australia, volunteering in South Africa, and sailing around the Galapagos...I had plenty of crazy things I did.
My answer: run with the bulls in Pamplona, Spain.
He was amazed that I had done that and we hit it off after that. The interview was supposed to be over but we kept talking about traveling and how it's helped me. Got the job, and will always be grateful for the experiences I have from traveling.
The trick is not only to relate your travels, but also have enough career capital that you can rely on. Check out a book called So Good They Can't Ignore You by Cal Newport. He does a great job at distilling what makes a great career.
Not at all. The first number in a negotiation is called an anchor. This number psychologically creates a benchmark. Let's say the other person has $40k in mind, but could go to $60, if you say $100, they're going to be embarrassed to offer $40, so they're likely going to say something like $55. Now they have $5000 of wiggle room, and you have $45. So you can move down in $9000 increments to each $1000 they have to give up. Always anchor high! $100k might just end the conversation, but that was to emphasize the point. Read "Getting to Yes", it's widely considered one of the best negotiation books around.
Actually, this agrees with other stuff I've been reading about passion and careers.
Check out So Good They Can't Ignore You
From the book:
In this eye-opening account, Cal Newport debunks the long-held belief that "follow your passion" is good advice. Not only is the cliché flawed - preexisting passions are rare and have little to do with how most people end up loving their work - but it can also be dangerous, leading to anxiety and chronic job hopping. After making his case against passion, Newport sets out on a quest to discover the reality of how people end up loving what they do. Spending time with organic farmers, venture capitalists, screenwriters, freelance computer programmers, and others who admitted to deriving great satisfaction from their work, Newport uncovers the strategies they used and the pitfalls they avoided in developing their compelling careers. Matching your job to a preexisting passion does not matter, he reveals. Passion comes after you put in the hard work to become excellent at something valuable, not before. In other words, what you do for a living is much less important than how you do it.
Computer Science is a branch of Math, not programming. Look over the Software Engineering program at your school. There will be less math classes, and a lot more hand on programming exercises. And you may be able to switch without losing a year.
Also, if you're having a difficult time understanding the material, it may not be you, but a terrible prof. There are a lot of supplemental resources online such as MIT open course, Stanford's Programmming practice podcast, and /r/learningprogramming (subreddit) In addition, the best place to start to understand programming is to learn how the OS interacts with physical memory & the call stack. Then you'll be able to understand why primitive types are x byes. What a pointer is. Symbol tables, control flow, context switching, and many other fundamental concepts.
Don't worry too much about data structures. Most modern languages have frameworks that implement all the data structure, and optimized. All you need to know is the O(n) for the different data structures for insert/delete/search. You can google the answer.
Before you decide to call it quits, read "Code Complete". It's a general best practice book for software engineering. If reading that book doesn't excite you, then programming may not be your calling.
Programming like health care is a huge field. There are front end web developers. Back end web developers. Embedded system programmers. Game programmers. Robotics programmer. In house application developers. System developers etc. I'm not sure if by second year, you have explored all the different niches, and ruled them out as a career path.
I know I haven't answered your original question, but I'd like for you to reevaluate your basic assumptions about why you don't like computer science, before dropping out.
Have you read Napoleon Hill's 'Think and Grow Rich' and 'Laws of Success'? If not I recommend them, you are doing the key to success without even possibly being fully aware of the science behind it. :) Great job on keeping focused.
You might enjoy reading "Gig: Americans talk about their jobs". It's entertaining but also a great insight into the things people put up with, or won't put up with at their jobs. First hand accounts of all kinds of work from gardeners to bankers to crime-scene cleaners.
Personally I keep going by trying to get a sense of accomplishment from completing small chunks of larger tasks, feeling like I'm helping people out through the work I'm doing, and thinking about the paycheck at the end of the month.
I once knew a guy who in his youth hated his job so much he could barely get himself to work, so he put a goldfish on a bowl on his desk. It motivated him to go to the job, because if he didn't, the fish would die. When I met him he had become a modestly successful children's author.
You can see if Duolingo has your native language to help with your English skills. It is completely free!
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Try to make a few friends at work, it helps the work day be more enjoyable. If you need help thinking of stuff to speak about or ask questions on remember the FORD method. Family, Occupation, Recreation, Dreams. These are general topics, in no particular order, you could ask questions about. What do they like to do for fun? Any kids/siblings? Do they travel? Play the piano? Tend the garden? What are their dreams/ambitions? Do they want to travel or learn a new skill?
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Have you talked with your boss about the project? Come up with a plan on how to get back on track or ask them for help to make sure you continue to be successful at what you do. People get sick every now and again and if you have been reliable in the past, I am sure there is nothing to worry about. Show them you care about your job, or fake that you do until you can find employment elsewhere.
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Focus on staying healthy, first and foremost. This is the most important thing. Then your job, you still have it so show them your value. Find some hobbies or something that gives you joy. Perhaps a dog?! or some pet. They will give you companionship and love. Seek human contact, we are humans after all. Find a club, play on a sport league, or volunteer in your community.
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Stay positive and good luck!
> I don't understand what you mean by this.
What I mean is that there is a way to fairly and accurately select employees for any workplace. It's been well-studied and replicated. The process that Balmer has described is completely running in the opposite direction.
This "paradigm" of how employers select applicants is a complete myth. I've been in almost every part of the job selection process, and has been on both sides of the table. There is a MAJOR difference when an organization handles this right (by considering the actual qualifications with their goals, instead of resume formats). The author is describing certain parts of the industry where they THINK this is how things are, and expect everyone to eat it up because the market currently favors the employers. This is a very poor and antiquated attitude.
P.S. Research has shown that how applicants favor the selection process (among other things) does have an impact on the organizations.
Definitely. A good source for a relational database principles overview is this course on Coursera - several people on my team used it to get a good idea of relational database structure.
Seriously use the time to educate yourself in things that make you more employable. Spring the $275 for a lynda.com subscription I promise you that it is worth it. Learn ALL the software you ever dreamed about. Learn to code if it interests you.(That's what I would be doing) Learn a new language on https://www.duolingo.com/ for free. Languages always make you more employable.
Hi, I'm an early/mid career engineer looking for opportunities for advancement in the field of test engineering or technical management. I'm not desperately in need of a job and like the one I have, but it's always good to keep your options open, see what's out there occasionally, and if there might be an even better fit. I just started looking, and here's what I have so far. I'd appreciate some feedback from someone with your level of experience in this field!
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0i4VIR-udSZLUotR2lwbnduZEE/edit?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6YAqBPqWI4wZ2wzTjdKdXpxbnM/edit?usp=sharing Hi there! I would really appreciate it if you could look over my resume. I applied to almost 40 jobs last year before I landed my current job and I'm now on the market again. I have applied to probably 15 jobs so far, and have heard back from 1. I'm starting to get extremely frustrated with the search, and I'm wondering if there's something in my resume that's putting me at a disadvantage. Thank you so much in advance!!
Another commentator mentioned ~40k based on your duties. That seems appropriate for entry level in this industry.
I know it's a couple years old, but here's a good resource which may help answer your question. Please note that "median salary" encompasses everyone - not just the new guys. Grains of salt and all that.
I don't know if you've tried yet, but look for any technical writing jobs out there. I'm a tech writer, and many of the positions I see list an English degree as one that they accept. I hope this helps. I was out of work a lot during the downturn, and was only able to get contract work when I did have a job, but things are starting to get better in the market now.
On a side note, the two best job sites I've found are Indeed.com and SimplyHired.com
I've seen ads for Zappo's recently that are offering relo assistance. They're in Las Vegas and San Francisco.
You might try specifying relocation in your job search on Indeed or SimplyHired. I've found you do need to exclude "no relocation" though.
Use Indeed to find out what someone with your title (or a title that might more closely match your new combined responsibilities) makes on average in your geographical area. (Don't forget to anchor it geographically!)
Make sure to check your current title, the person who left's title, and any titles you think are relevant.
Then bid higher than that. You can even cite Indeed's figures as a relevant source. If you think (and they agree) that you're an above-average worker, then you'll deserve an above-average salary. Finding out the actual average will give you a factual data-based basis for negotiating.
> I love researching different subjects and synthesising the theories together. Does such a job exist?
Yes, in academia, and book critics exist. It's definitely not a career for someone who doesn't have financial support from above, however
Everything. Literally start from scratch. It's just a giant wall of text at the moment. I'd advise finding a template and going from there. Try here: https://www.overleaf.com/gallery/tagged/cv
edit: don't use a picture like some of those do. Resumes with a picture/headshot in them are awful.
I am pretty sure that if contacted, he cannot legally say anything bad about you. He can only say "Yes, diercksw worked here."
Don't quote me on that, though.
A quick Google search yielded this.
I'll keep it honest and say that you definitely need work. The best out of your dribble is probably the business cards (https://dribbble.com/shots/1578906-New-Business-Cards), however a lot of other stuff seems very outdated and at times, sloppy. For example, your sketches on paper have very uneven lines, and a lot of the pictures are pix-elated around the edges. You want to post your best and represent quality.
The good thing is that it's obvious that you put in effort, you have a website, dribble etc. The effort put in is why I even am posting right now. Decent work ethic alone can carry people somewhere. However, design is design, and you kind of need an eye for it.
I honestly don't know how you get an eye for design. Seems like some have it and some don't. However, practice makes perfect and my recommendation would be to analyze the shit out of top designs around. Ask yourself what makes them good, and don't be afraid to "copy." When I mean "copy," take some elements out of them and shape them into your use-case. Everything around you, movies, designs etc. is just a remix of something that was done before. Don't feel like you have to be some inventor cause right now you just want to get a job.
I can't emphasize that enough. It makes me sad how many people could just copy certain parts of UX of apps already out there and create a 10x better product than they did with their own imagination. Even worse, they sometimes take like 50% of it, and then modify it because they think it can be better - they fail because they don't analyze.
So yea, if I was you, I would suck in any pride, and try to imitate what top designers are doing. But try to avoid blind copying - ask yourself what makes that design great. There's a story behind every creation.
You probably know design tools quite well, what you need to acquire is a better design sense. Good luck, you are tech-savvy and try, and that should be enough to push you in a new direction.
>It is with great enthousiasm
enthusiasm. But also consider changing the phrase or its placement. This works in French but not really English.
> Strong of a diploma
clearly a literal translation, doesn't work
> My formation
This is one of the common false friends :) You can say education.
> cover letter in english
English. Also capitalize French and English in the following sentence.
> Having been working
Having worked
>I am used to manage and diffuse potential conflicts.
managing and diffusing
> My work with aged people
elderly, older people, definitely not aged, this is also false friend
> to develop the empathy necessary to good relationships
the needed empathy to form good relationships
Here's my comments. I also suggest using these dictionaries:
http://dictionary.reverso.net/french-english/
http://www.wordreference.com/fren/
Reverso can help with phrases too and often includes examples in context, WordReference has an active forum. Best of luck :)
If you want to do IT stuff like network security, setting up firewalls, managing the email system you can use this site http://www.professormesser.com/ to learn. The three basic ones are the A+, Security+, Network+. With those three you are qualified for any entry level IT job.
Then you can move onto the Cisco track of certs or Microsoft certs to keep moving up.
If you want to do computer science, it's fairly easy to learn Python or Java online. Then pick up SQL and you should be fairly set.
There are lots of different computer-related career fields you can get into. If you want to know if programming is something you might enjoy, the best thing to do is to dive right in. Code Academy is a good starting point.
>I guess best step is I could just start practicing C, and Java, and flash, but I am quite lazy.
The good news is, you only have to learn one language at a time, so just randomly pick one. Find the best book about it on Amazon, then either buy or torrent that book and get started. As you go, you will notice that these languages are very similar to one another in most ways.
Also, read this. It's the first thing I ever read about learning to code, and contains some very helpful advice.
Finally, you're in 10th grade, so what you do with your life is probably going to be something you haven't even thought of yet. You're too young to be telling yourself that you're "not good" at coding or writing, because nobody is good at those things in 10th grade. When you're that hard on yourself it's impossible to remain motivated, hence the laziness you mentioned. So please start believing in yourself, because if you don't no one else will either.
Ninja edit: almost forgot, if you want to get serious about computers, either buy a Mac or install Linux. Learn to use and love the command line. Windows is good for gaming but not fuck all else.
Sounds like you have a culture issue, which is common and can be fixed with a bit of effort. You have to figure out exactly what it was about that company that you loved, and then begin applying to companies that have a similar mindset.
Before you proceed, set out your job search parameters. What is a must have? What can you do without? What are you willing to sacrifice? What is nice to have but not mandatory? Answer these questions for things like company size, team size, chain of command, salary, benefits, perks, job title, degree of responsibility, etc... This will help you profile yourself and the type of workplace that best suits you.
When you're applying, you have to do your research. It sounds to me like an MSP is not the right environment for you. You want more responsibility and less red tape. You want a more close-knit relationship rather than a corporate structured environment.
Take a look at tech startups. You sound like you have all the skills you need, and you have a similar drive, which may be a good fit. Look at Angel List or VentureLoop to find job listings. And before you apply, do your research. Find out about the companies on their blogs, social media, news sites - the whole internet is your source - to make sure they are a right fit for you.
I've found that a Kanban board is a great tool for managing a bunch of work and keeping me focused without adding a lot of extra work. The goal is that you have a prioritized list of to-dos, and you only work on one at a time until it is done. I use a free one https://kanbanflow.com. Even when you have to switch tasks - e.g. to answer questions from one of your remote workers - it's a great reminder of what was I supposed to be doing.
it would not be weird for you to wear makeup, just try not to wear too much caked on.
the whole point of makeup is to enhance features and diminish imperfections
if you do it right you really should not look like you are wearing makeup at all!
best tips for a natural look :
-you can get red eye reducing eyedrops that will help your redness Bausch Lomb has some really affective ones
-avoid matte and powder foundations/concealers (they have their place but starting out, they can be hard to apply)
-look for liquid foundation/concealers
-what's the difference? (usually foundation is thinner and meant for full facial coverage, where concealer is thicker in consistency and not as sheer, it is best for around the eyes and on blemishes but sometimes can be a bit thick so it must be blended well either will work for your purpose) I would probably buy one foundation and one concealer and see which one is easier to use or what you prefer
-when picking out a color, try to match the color best to your inner wrist; this will be the closest to your face usually and will look more natural, its okay to buy a few shades at one time and return the one that didn't work for you.
-buy a sponge applicator, this is really great for blending around the eyes and will be much easier than applying with fingers or a brush as they can look streaky
-always wet the sponge applicator with water and wring it out before blending, it will be much easier to use that way
-dont be afraid to look up some videos if you are not totally sure what you are doing, its really easy though, try the makeup out the before your interview and if you are nervous, ask some people you trust if you want a second opinion whether it looks natural enough
good luck and dont stress out!
Yeah the app that I use sometimes is called Speech Assistant, for android, here:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nl.asoft.speechassistant&hl=en
Apple may have ones as well, maybe even better ones, but I like speech assistant for now. Hopefully better ones come out as the technology improves. Not sure about ones for a laptop, but if you have a compatible keyboard, you could theoretically hook it up to any device and do your typing from there. I should look into this too, come to think of it.
I'm sure if money and effort were put into it, a great piece of technology could come out in the next few years that would make most of the difficulties associated with speech disorders a thing of the past. We just need the will.
There's a good book that's sort of related to this called So Good They Can't Ignore You by Cal Newport. He talks about how it's best to be adding value and building up your skillset rather than going around trying to find a job that matches your passion (because it's very difficult and you'll be disappointed in every job).
I'd recommend OP take a look at it, maybe it will give you some ideas.
Man, unemployment while I was waiting for grad school to begin was unbelievably boring because I was stuck living with my parents. That said, a part of me will forever be grateful for that period because I rediscovered my love of books. School ironically makes me less aware of the world because I spend so much time reading textbooks that I have little time for reading other things.
I recommend just going to the local library. I was stuck there while I studied for the GRE's, and every time I couldn't concentrate on studying (which was, like, all the time), I'd just walk through the aisles. Just doing that piqued my interest in all sorts of books.
Not sure what you're into, but I'm mostly into nonfiction with a smattering of very very depressing fiction.
Serious reading:
Light reading:
I'm guessing from this reading list that you can get a sense of the kind of person I am, ahha.
> But the job required us to move to Washington DC, one of the most expensive areas in the world.
I was going to tease you (I live in the Bay area), but when I googled, I got this
And a follow-up article on what to do if you are misclassified. http://www.marketwatch.com/story/what-to-do-if-your-1099-should-have-been-a-w-2-2015-03-04
Important keypoints:
I was looking for a picture of work friendly dreads because they can look pretty fashionable and found this.
I think you can do it. I know your pain; I'm a white kid with a foot long mohawk.
The component we are not focusing in on, either by intention or due to the natural direction of this conversation, is time.
The video in question is a key component to a larger process: dissecting and analyzing traits and behaviors of those recorded. While this may give you pause, I assure you it's for the support of something quite commendable: allowing coaches to effectively review athletic game film. They have a right to want it to just work and as fast as possible.
Having said that, you make fantastic points and I am richer from the process, check this fantastic FFmpeg command:
ffmpeg -i in.mp4 -i out.mp4 -map 1 -map_metadata 0 -c copy fixed.mp4
How many connections do you have?
If your profile is less than 80% complete or if you have less than 50 connections you won't be searchable.
If your Visa status isn't clearly listed on your profile there's no way a prospective company could know.
You might want to review this article: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-ensure-recruiters-find-your-linkedin-profile-thomas-greig
Hi there! You can find me on LinkedIn here. I operate a free service called The Resume Guy. If you want to shoot me over your resume I can make sure its the best it can be. Also, I have about 350 recruiters in my network I can share your info with as well.
Let's get you the job you want, not the job you have to take. As always, there's never a charge for any of this!
Hi there! You can find me on LinkedIn here. I operate a free service called The Resume Guy. If you want to shoot me over your resume I can make sure its the best it can be. Also, I have about 350 recruiters in my network I can share your info with as well.
Let's get you the job you want, not the job you have to take. As always, there's never a charge for any of this!
Microsoft was a tad vague in the job description before the interview, but all questions were answered AT the interview. So, you're right. Also, I honestly have no idea how they found me. Whether through CL, Dice, CareerBuilder or Monster. I did post my resume on CL (which is how I got snagged up by HP 3 years ago previous to being a recruiter).
Edit: I'll try and find my interview details, however it was from a couple years back.
Found'em!
Here's the doc they sent me to prep for the position. https://docs.google.com/document/d/18rYlAnXWkKPgnKO_6Kz46Q6tY33zDioFhAbKow5Ww1c/edit
Here's the doc they sent me that kind of describes what the position is, along with what the interview process looks like. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XrO7TvpEqj468dboGiM2JL4PC_6eVOXrQwOcgc8ISi4/edit
Aside from that, I received a phone call asking if I was interested in a position with Microsoft, and then a short screening regarding what I know about the company, their products, etc etc.
That was it.
An online friend of mine worked as a video game tester for a little while. According to her and indeed the official title is Quality Assurance Game Tester. Here's a post I found for such a position in Kirkland, WA.
For my friend she got the job through someone she knows in real life. And her job had no formal education requirements and paid minimum wage. Your best bet is to find a company that offers positions like these and take an entry level related position. I've noticed that companies tend to hire internally for quality assistance positions. So getting some experience beforehand should help.
I posted this for someone else a little while ago. They are looking for scientists with computer programming background. In this case they want background in Python. My advice, learn a programming language. Heres the link
http://www.indeed.com/m/viewjob?jk=ea2b7dc09a3806f5&from=serp
Theres a lot of courses online that lead to certs. Idk what they cost tho.
Microsoft has a free version of Visual Studio.
There are billions of tutorials and walkthroughs out there on how to write your first program. Do a few walkthroughs and you can legitimately make the claim "I've written a few small programs, but I'm not at a professional level".
Just practice, really. Proofread what you write. Read it out loud.
There's also a free online class/Webinar on coursera that I thought was interesting. I can't remember how much they focused on written communication though.
https://www.coursera.org/learn/communication-in-the-workplace
Khan Academy. http://www.khanacademy.org/ Its awesome, has programming lessons as well, a little bit of everything. Its nothing official but its giving me more confidence to say to employers, yea I can do that.
You should still make "eye contact" during the interview. AKA look into your camera lens.
I'd suggest you test your mic and camera in advance. Zoom lets you join a test meeting. https://zoom.us/test