Your Career/Job: Page 8 - The Arsenal discussion community: One More in the Tolly

Your Career/Job

invisibleman18

Same. Can't stand the HR types. If only employers would choose someone purely based on skills and ability to perform the actual role, not whether they sound enthusiastic enough or have enough "spring" in their voice.

Just had a call from another application - actually a graduate job which I should now be 3 years ahead of but alas am not really and need to apply for anything that seems suitable at the moment at least to see what happens. Anyway it was the dreaded generic HR girl with a few questions, 1 of which being "why did you choose your university major and how do you feel you have benefited from doing it?" I finished in 2008 and I'm still applying for your poxy graduate job, how do you think I fucking benefited from it? 😆

Apparently they had a lot of applicants and are going to draw up a "long list" whatever that is! Not a shortlist for interviews, a long list.

Claudius

I'm fine with the experience and psychological questions. Did 5 interviews with one company last week. They each had an intense 20 minute experience section where they asked 2nd and 3rd order questions. So it would start as 'tell me about a time you did x'. Then it would be 'why did you choose to do that?', followed by 'how did it make you feel when...?'
it's a weird format, but I can see why they do it. It allows them to weed out people who make stories about their exploits.

Burnwinter

Probably about 50% of candidates I've interviewed for junior software developer roles since I started recruiting for this team have been unable to answer very simple programming questions. The low end of the software job market is awash with graduates who've gotten by at university by plagiarising, and maybe even had a few years' experience without ever learning to actually write software.

invisibleman18

Had a rejection from the oil and gas job. Annoying it was by email rather than a phone call so no immediate feedback so have replied and asked if they can give me any. But they did say they hope to get back to people on Friday and they did so that's good. And so it continues.

Had a couple of calls from other applications asking for more info. They always ask why I chose to take fixed term contracts as it's a very unusual path out of Uni. I took them because they are the offers I managed to get, not because of any choice. What else can I say?

Tony Montana

Gurgen wrote:
invisibleman18 wrote:
But I liked the questions they asked as there was none of the HR bullshit or "tell me about a time when ..... happened and what did you do about it" etc. They asked why I'd applied, what I'd done in my previous jobs, what I was most pleased with/frustrated with in those jobs, what I knew about the company (ie, quoting the info I'd read on their website), and a couple of possible job related problems that could occur and what my approach would be to solving them (both of which they said they would do the same as what my answers were). Probably helped that it was the 2 people the new person would be directly working for/with rather than the generic blonde from HR who is all about the spring in the voice and no clue about what the job is.

Sounds good.

I detest the HR types and don't get why they get to interview people at all. So glad that I didn't have to talk to anyone like that for my job. Just 4 separate interviews with 4 partners, one on one. So much more comfortable and to the point.

You're supposed to use that to your advantage.

If she doesn't know anything tell her why what you did was significant in examples and stuff.

People want conversations too, not just interrogations.

Klaus

I don't envy you, invisible. I hate all the social pretenses that comes with that stuff. In fact I detest the whole office hierarchy to the point where I suspect that I'll never be able to take a normal job ever again.

invisibleman18

Tony Montana wrote:
Gurgen wrote:
Sounds good.

I detest the HR types and don't get why they get to interview people at all. So glad that I didn't have to talk to anyone like that for my job. Just 4 separate interviews with 4 partners, one on one. So much more comfortable and to the point.

You're supposed to use that to your advantage.

If she doesn't know anything tell her why what you did was significant in examples and stuff.

People want conversations too, not just interrogations.

That's fair enough and I understand you need to get on with and like the person aswell. What I can't accept is some cunt from HR telling me something like I "didn't show enough enthusiasm to get into the industry" or that "you didn't quite have enough spring in your voice." What is $30,000 and 4 years of hard work to gain a first class honours degree in my chosen field if it's not desire to get into a profession?

Absolutely fair enough if the manager I'd actually be working for thinks we wouldn't get on well or I wouldn't fit in with the other personalities in the team. Annoying when I could easily do the work but understandable as of course they want someone to get on with their team aswell. I just have a hard time accepting that I'm not allowed to earn a living because some airhead bimbo from HR who would have absolutely nothing to do with the person chosen doesn't think I sound excited enough.

Rex

😆 Perhaps, and I am just fishing here, your real thoughts about the "airhead bimbo from HR" shine through when she is interviewing you? If THAT´S the case you have a problem sir.

invisibleman18

😆 No I don't think so. I've just always been a very introverted person and have always struggled with things like public speaking in front of large groups - opposite to my brother who is in his element. That unfortunately makes me seem a more quiet and laid back person and not particularly forward or out-going or extroverted in interviews. Unfortunately that seems to mean I'm unemployable.

I'm not socially awkward or anything that extreme. I have plenty of friends, I have a long term girlfriend and the people who have taken a chance on me with the 2 jobs I've had have said I was always a good person to have around and everyone got on well with me. But I'm someone who prefers to stay in the background and get on with the job rather than be loud or the centre of attention and unfortunately that seems to be what employers are looking for.

Whatever is the case, I definitely have a problem. 4 years of rejections have made me lose all belief and faith in my abilities and how am I supposed to make an employer believe in me when I don't believe in myself? When I was at Uni being showered with awards and scholarships and being told how great my future was I used to think I was really something. In reality, I'm Arsenal! I'm just incredibly thankful for scholarships and generous grandparents meaning I don't have a massive student debt to worry about on top of living costs.

squallkid

You guys are in here making it sound like it's so hard to get a job even with a degree.

All I'm hearing is get a degree and the world is your oyster

Rex

A degree is a good start. Make lots of contacts at uni!

Klaus

It depends on what kind of job you want, squall. It's my personal belief that you should start with thinking long and hard about what you want to do. And then you go and do it. And if it doesn't turn out to be what you expected just go back to the drawing table and think of something else. Too many people get stuck with a job they don't really like just because it seems too hard to try again.

squallkid

So if I manage to go to Law school and graduate, then still can't find a job are you saying I should scrap the lawyer bit and go and do something else?

Rex

With a law degree there will be other doors opening up for you I imagine should you not wish to practise law. Get a degree, and network.

Klaus

squallkid wrote:
So if I manage to go to Law school and graduate, then still can't find a job are you saying I should scrap the lawyer bit and go and do something else?

Not if it's what you want to do. You'll get a job eventually, no worries. If you go to law school and graduate, and after that you come to the conclusion that you don't want to be a lawyer, then you should go and do something else though. Absolutely.

Mirth

Expose yourself to every thing while you have the chance rather than wait till your 25 and wonder if you were ever cut out to be a journo.

squallkid

I just want to be in love with my job.

Don't care too much about the money, I just want to wake up in the morning happy to go to work instead of sitting up the night before dreading the next day at the office working with a bunch of cunts I can't stand.

Rex

So many people work with things that have very little to do with what they actually studied at uni. To show that you have the ability to get a degree is often more important than the degree itself.

Who you know can also often play a big part IMO. Networking at uni level can be extremely valuable.

Rex

Every job has days like that Kid. Sorry if that disappoints you.

EDIT: Not necessarily the working with cunts though, but even that is quite likely.

Klaus

squallkid wrote:
I just want to be in love with my job.

Don't care too much about the money, I just want to wake up in the morning happy to go to work instead of sitting up the night before dreading the next day at the office working with a bunch of cunts I can't stand.

It sounds like the right approach to me. Don't be afraid to look for alternatives if it doesn't turn out well. It's a bit of a cliche thing to say, but it's your life and your time. You've only got a limited amount of it. Don't spend years and years on something you don't like just because it could be worse.

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