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[–]the_jowo 99 points100 points ago*

What are some tips to make your cover letter stand out? Also, when you call someone to schedule an interview, do you prefer when the person gets excited (shows passion/enthusiasm), or when they remain calm (more of a professional decorum)?

[–]Miketheguy[S] 175 points176 points ago

I prefer controlled excitement! Its always great when someone is enthusiastic but if they are shouting "OH GOD YES THANK YOU!" it makes you wonder what the hell are they so desperate about - initial instinct isn't "oh they have a family to feed" it is "i wonder how bad they screwed up at their last job"

[–]deuxfeux 76 points77 points ago

What would you think of really creative resumes? like these

[–]itsme_timd 57 points58 points ago

I'm a recruiter (12 yrs exp, own my business now) and I can say from a recruiter's perspective these are a nightmare.

Much of what we do is automated and we need to get your resume into our CRM software as well as have the text scanned for keyword searching later. Wr also have to submit those resumes to our clients and put them on our own digital letterhead. If you're submitting to recruiters, or most companies with a large HR department, keep it neat and simple. Put your name, address, etc, at the top as our software scans for that format to enter you in the system. We can do it manually but it leaves room for errors that way. Also, PLEASE don't use text frames on your resume. They really mess up formatting. I will say this doesn't apply as much for creative type jobs where you apply directly to a creative type manager.

[–]Oakum 215 points216 points ago

Where do you see yourself in five years?

[–]BouncingBoognish 78 points79 points ago

Celebrating the fifth year anniversary of you asking me this question.

[–]edmar10 238 points239 points ago

Don't say doing your wife. Don't say doing your wife.

Doing your.....son?

[–]cracking 47 points48 points ago

...a...favor by providing him a recommendation...in his ass...goddammit.

[–]chaos_is_me 22 points23 points ago

I got asked this question in an interview a couple of weeks ago. It was for a minimum wage job at a liquor store. I felt like telling him, "Not working at a fucking liquor store for minimum wage."

[–]Miketheguy[S] 104 points105 points ago

doing HR! How about you?

[–]Kratzyyy 141 points142 points ago

Is "on the other side of this desk asking the same question" a bad response? I tried it in a interview once and the guy laughed but I didn't get the job. Maybe people feel it as threatening?

[–]Miketheguy[S] 265 points266 points ago

Threatening and cocky as hell. Not a good one man.

[–]Jeterson 158 points159 points ago

What about "Getting ready to fire you"?

[–]TheOneUpper 86 points87 points ago

when can YOU start?

[–]blafunke 25 points26 points ago

The polit-bureau hasn't given me my five year plan yet.

[–]tshauck 560 points561 points ago

Is linkedIn a valuable way to get a job or is it a waste of time?

[–]veggieburrrito 29 points30 points ago

I used to work in recruiting and we did a lot of sourcing on LinkedIn. I'm sure it depends on your industry (I did recruiting for tech companies), but I would say definitely not a total waste of time.

[–]Miketheguy[S] 508 points509 points ago

very very valuable! also connections are great! they have groups for job openings and are a great way to give a professional vibe before they ever see you in person.

[–]Carambar 505 points506 points ago

You really sound like a HR dude.

[–]grnd 175 points176 points ago

Miketheguy = HR dude

Go figure.

[–]Miketheguy[S] 236 points237 points ago

I love HR, im a just nerd at heart who happens to like people hah

[–]celoyd 479 points480 points ago

Freak.

I’ll be over here with the rest of the nerds, convincing myself that my introversion and occasional misanthropic moods mean that putting effort into my relationships and how I present myself is never worthwhile.

[–]RedditJournal 638 points639 points ago*

Day 2: It's a strange place here, indeed. Mood is declining. Redditors seem to take pride in their own self-loathing and loneliness. Perhaps it is a form of bonding; they might take solace from the knowledge of mutual unhappiness. Food low, water good. I am wary about this venture.

[–]AAlsmadi1 85 points86 points ago

I'm liking where this is going

[–]JudgeWhoAllowsStuff 194 points195 points ago

I'm going to allow this.

[–]Pyromoose 16 points17 points ago

ohhh shit, the seal of approval, kid better stay sharp with this.

[–]trakam 8 points9 points ago

My prediction: this journal will abruptly end on the discovery of r/spacedicks

[–]SleepWhenYouDie 90 points91 points ago

A lot of powerful people began their careers as introverts. At some point, you simply have to get over your fears and figure out a way that allows you to communicate and network with other professionals. Introversion isn't a hindrance, it's a trait.

[–]Soquid 124 points125 points ago

The last company I worked at had Jerry the HR guy. Jerry was a super-geek about HR. I asked him to explain to me once how he got in to HR.

He said basically that he never grew up, and HR gave him rules and structure, and a job involving a lot of creativity. He loved it, and he delivered my favorite quote - "HR is just something that I love, and if I listed the best things about myself, it would be my wife, then HR. Everything else on the list comes from those 2 things."

It was refreshing to be around a guy who just felt his job and didn't overthink. A dude who just felt he fit perfectly with his job, and he was good at it. I loved and hated him.

[–]Miketheguy[S] 95 points96 points ago

That sounds like me. I love my job. I love getting in bright and early and doing what I do best. And the rules and structures part is so true, and so great.

[–]separator13 296 points297 points ago

STOP BEING SO HAPPY!!!!!

[–]chiomara 32 points33 points ago

April Ludgate?

[–]Paddy_Tanninger 62 points63 points ago*

Where I come from, the HR department is in place as the company's tool for extracting the most hours and work from the employees, telling the underpaid folks that the budget can't accommodate a raise to standard industry rates (this makes sense when the budget was done with them at their current rate...) and to make sure we can't take vacation time at any point that might be remotely inconvenient for them. In addition their duties include making non-citizens sweat it out until the last possible couple of weeks before offering a contract renewal and playing shadily with the definitions of "work hours" in attempt to convince us that our 45 hour week (9 to 6 daily with lunch and breaks) is actually only 40 hours due to breaks and lunch...but that under the old system, it was 45 hours (9 to 6 daily with lunch and breaks) so we now owe them 5 hours per week if they choose to collect on it.

The people in HR seem to not particularly enjoy their lives as they spend their days essentially beating down and screwing their coworkers.

So you're have to help me understand here...what do you do on a day to day basis that makes you enjoy life as much as you do? I enjoy life a great deal being an artist at this company, but the worst parts of my life are the bullshit and lies fed to me by the HR team at the studio.

[–]FuckingDIY 7 points8 points ago

He's a sadist. They naturally enjoy what they do.

[–]Say_La_V 121 points122 points ago

Valuable! It's how I got my last two jobs.

[–]Danzaemon 109 points110 points ago

Okay, assuming that linkedIn is indeed valuable for finding a job, how important is it to cultivate only professional links?

For example, I'm a software developer, and I'm only interested in work relevant to software development. However, whenever I join a company, there are always scores of non-colleague company employees who want a link from me. Should I refuse links from employees who are irrelevant to my work (for instance, Roger from marketing or Vickie the receptionist), for fear of diluting my professional network?

[–]FrenchieATX 14 points15 points ago

As a marketing guy, I'm frequently aware of other "marketing guys" whose companies are looking for developers. So i'd suggest finding some way to make sure Roger knows how awesome you are, and add him to your LinkedIn.

[–]gprime312 33 points34 points ago

I would also like to know the answer to this.

[–]didzter 79 points80 points ago

Look. The idea of networking is to expand your connection and access to friends and colleagues in order to access their professional connections. So, while your friend may be a journalist, maybe he knows someone from college who works in a company you've applied a job for.

As someone who works at a company where we get a lot of applications, I have had friends refer several people who have applied for jobs at my company. And if their resume checks out, I'll usually have a discussion with them.

That being said - on LinkedIn I maintain a network of friends, family, family friends, and people I have worked with. The older you get, the more invaluable these connections will be. I don't ever reject anyone if I know them well enough because at the end of the day, a larger network means more open doors to explore.

[–]shartin_spartan 12 points13 points ago

One does not simply explore more doors.

[–]Cellious 22 points23 points ago

I agree. The recruiter from my company uses LinkedIn and says its a very valuable tool especially your recommendations from high profile people.

[–]HowieLichtenfelter 34 points35 points ago

I just sent my resume directly to the person in charge of hiring at a large company via LinkedIn while everyone else is submitting theirs through a web site and hoping that it gets seen by someone. LinkedIn is very valuable. (actually had to do some sleuthing to find her as she wasn't on there herself, but I got in touch with some people who worked at the same company and they gave me her email address.)

[–]goltrpoat 17 points18 points ago

Found out about the opening for my current job through LinkedIn. It's also kind of nice for keeping in touch with co-workers you haven't seen in ten years that you don't have a good reason to talk to, but wouldn't mind being able to contact if necessary.

On the other hand, I see people put up their entire work history there and turn it into almost a resume, and have 600+ people in their network, and that's probably approaching the waste of time territory there.

[–]Katarn717 132 points133 points ago

It was sort of asked already, but more specifically: What's a good answer to that old trap question "What's your greatest weakness?" I hate saying "I work too hard."

[–]doublexhelix 43 points44 points ago

The interview for the job I have now was a 5 member panel interview, which are super intimidating. When they asked this question I said, "Honestly, I sometimes get nervous speaking in large groups of people I don't know, but I still make the effort and push through uncomfortable situations." I guess it worked!

[–]AmusedMoose 11 points12 points ago

I came here to ask this as well. "overthinking" is my equally BS and awkward answer.

[–]PorcelainLily 9 points10 points ago

Not the same question but when my sister was looking for her first job as a dentist after getting her qualification she went into her 5th interview or so and they asked her, 'where do you see yourself in 5 years time?'. She went for the brutally honest answer (I think mostly because she was sick of spinning bullshit) and said 'well I hope I'll be a dentist!'. They ended up hiring her solely on that answer.

Conclusion: sometimes telling the simple truth does work.

[–]ezlyamuzed 10 points11 points ago

Yeah, I hate that twisted question because you have to make something that may be a weakness sound as if they may view it as a strength. I never know what to say!

[–]Miketheguy[S] 221 points222 points ago

honest and brutal but with a bright future kind of answer.

"my biggest weakness is that I have trouble transitioning from one project to another in the middle of things, I am very serious about finishing what I started and I don't stop until the job is done. However, lately I have been working on that and forcing multitasking into my daily life a bit, hopefully the results will show once we have multiple plates spinning" the important thing is to always make it look like there is hope and improvement for you down the line, and if you really wanna layer it on, add "with your guidance and mentoring as a supervisory, hopefully I will move past this one weakness"

[–]LanceCoolie 294 points295 points ago

add "with your guidance and mentoring as a supervisory, hopefully I will move past this one weakness"

Then suck their dick, just to drive the point home.

[–]Ivan913 55 points56 points ago

I can confirm this works.

[–]Deadeye207 931 points932 points ago

I think I just threw up in my mouth a little.

[–]RobotKitten 72 points73 points ago

I swear to Krishna I'm going to just say "spiders" with a deadpan face next time. I'm sick of the bullshit, spiders are my greatest fucking weakness and Im tired of regurgitating disgusting corporate answers.

[–]vanface 36 points37 points ago

I suddenly realise exactly what I want to do with my life! End it immediately

[–]ssercomic 64 points65 points ago

This isn't even fucking real. Why do you ask for robotic answers and accept them like a robot yourself? Holy shit. It's like the human narrative totally derailed when they started putting us in little cubicles. I find this completely disturbing, I'm sorry.

[–]Damadawf 81 points82 points ago

Lol, we both know that if anyone told you that answer, it was an outright lie. I don't know how you guys sift through all that bullshit.

When I got my job and was asked that question (about greatest weakness), I was sort of put on the spot so i said something along the lines of the following:

"My nose. I've never broken it but it's always been fragile, like a falling leaf could bump it and I'll get get a nosebleed with the intensity of Niagara falls." To which he silently stared at me for a few moments, so I continued.. "Okay, that might have been a slight exaggeration.. it's not that fragile, (I flick my nose a few times) see?".

At this point he started laughing quite heavily, and once his laughter subsided he just moved onto the next question. I guess he had never had anyone ever give him a literal answer to that question before.

[–][deleted] 76 points77 points ago

None of that seemed honest or brutal.

[–]maxximillian 78 points79 points ago

Can't agree with this enough. My last time looking for a job after i got laid off I was asked this question and in a moment of clarity (or stupidity) I answered completely honestly. I didn't try to spin some BS answer. After the first time I was afraid I screwed up and I should have just bs'ed it. But they called me back; So a week later i had an interview with a different company they asked the same question and I gave the same honest answer to what is in actuality a good honest question and they offered me a job the next day.

(now if your answer is you like to get drunk and bang interns I might not be that honest)

[–]cdjcon 75 points76 points ago

... unless its a law firm.

[–]CrazyLoco 14 points15 points ago

So what was your answer?

[–]maxximillian 81 points82 points ago

So my problem is that I wait to long to ask for help if I'm stuck; not because I hate to admit that I don't know something but rather because I worry that I will be bothering someone. I said that to fix this problem I've set a rule. If I am stuck in the morning and not making progress I will ask around noon, if I'm stuck in the afternoon I will ask first thing in the morning. This gives me a chance to try and figure it out on my own (which is the best way to learn for me) but not waste too much time (money).

[–]TheBoldManLaughsOnce 62 points63 points ago

In my line of business that will get you killed. But I think it is an excellent answer for so many other disciplines that I can approve this message.

I'm an air traffic controller.

[–]cracking 29 points30 points ago

Just found my new weakness.

[–]qwak 15 points16 points ago

"I know that I am supposed to answer this question the correct way with something that might be a weakness but really once you twist it round it never really was. Knowing that, I'm torn between revealing a true weakness that doesn't in any way help me get this job, and giving you a disingenuous answer that checks off the box but doesn't really tell you anything about me. My biggest weakness right now is that I won't bullshit you to get this job"

[–]GunToForehead 112 points113 points ago

What impresses you the most by interviewees? What are the biggest common mistakes they make?

Best tips for making sure you're prepared as possible?

[–]Miketheguy[S] 158 points159 points ago

Hmm, this is rather vague but I perfer professionalism and real life experience.

I ask behavior based interview questions - so having real life knowledge and answers ready is always good.

Admitting flaw is important too, if I ask them to tell me about a project they came short on and they give me the old BS, I usually see it as a negative.

Also, Ask questions, always ask questions, about me, my position, the company, what I just told you. A good interview is not review, its a discussion as to why you would be a good fit for the company, and a set of good questions for me can make all the difference in a candidate.

[–]tehaleks 124 points125 points ago

I never have questions at the end, when they ask "any more questions?" I always feel they've given me the gist of it and I can't think of anything else to ask. I have no idea what a good question to ask would be since we'd already discussed what I'd be doing, who I'd be working with, my schedule and availability, my past, blah blah. What are some good ones to start with that I can ask?

Also, how do you feel if someone asks about you like you just mentioned? If I'm asking my manager, interviewee, or HR what they do and whatever, I feel like that's a bit nosey as it's none of my business since what I'll be doing has nothing to do with what they do?

[–]eredeath 521 points522 points ago

The last question I used at the end of my interviewing process for the job i have now is: "I understand that hiring a new employee is a big risk and investment. After spending this time getting to know me are there any reservations you might have in hiring me that I can address?"

It took my interviewers completely off guard, and allowed me to address some of the things they saw as shortcomings.

[–]Sophie112 50 points51 points ago

When my applicants look at me blankly when we ask if they have any questions, they seem very uninterested in working for me. At least ask your interviewers why they like the company - why they like their job... Something to appear interested and enthusiastic about the job.an interview is a two way street.

[–]cranberrykitten 7 points8 points ago

The last job I got, I asked my interviewer how she got her job because I thought it was really cool. I ended up getting the job. :)

[–]tehaleks 79 points80 points ago

That's.... a really brilliant idea. No harm done if they were already going to hire me, and gives me a chance to know what I did wrong if they weren't going to and maybe fix it.

[–]Sizzla25 10 points11 points ago

I love this. It gives you a chance to assure them about anything they might be feeling 'meh' about...

[–]scotty-dont 5 points6 points ago

What a well-worded and clever question. I how it doesn't get buried.

[–]teriyakisoba 4 points5 points ago

Wow. Jealous that I wasn't able to come up with this question on my own.

[–]SpaceRook 66 points67 points ago*

I recently had a successful job interview (got an offer and accepted the job). Some of the questions I asked at the end are:

  • What training opportunities are there for your employees?
  • If I started working here, what would my first week be like?
  • What are the biggest problems most new employees have?
  • How do you support foreign employees? (I'm an American and this interview was for a job in another country).
  • So, product XYZ is coming out next month? How's that going?

Bonus tip: A lot of interviewers will ask "What is your biggest weakness?" Don't say something lame like "I work too hard." Instead, mention a true weakness that you had but then worked to improve. My answer was, "When I first started my professional career, my fear of public speaking caused me miss out on some great opportunities. I felt bad about that, and started going to Toastmasters. Public speaking still isn't my favorite thing, but I've been practicing at it for over 5 years."

[–]pheonixblade9 32 points33 points ago

I ask questions like:

What is the corporate culture like?

Even if you don't care, this seems to impress HR people

What kind of work/life balance is expected for this position/is typical with this company?

This is the best way to ask "am I gonna work 40-45 hours/week or are you gonna run my ass ragged?" It's also a good way to find out about fringe benefits like a company gym, vacation time... that sort of thing.

Just a couple examples I frequently use. Both of these start a dialog and help you learn more about the company, as well.

[–]teriyakisoba 18 points19 points ago

I had an interview recently that was with two managers of separate departments, since it was a dual interview for two separate positions. I always have trouble thinking of something to ask, so I Googled some questions (About.com has a really great jobsearch section, too lazy to pull it up on my phone, my bad) to have on hand just in case. The interview ran long so I could only ask one question, so I chose to ask what it was they liked most about working for the company. At the risk of sounding like I'm bragging, they lapsed into stunned silence before one of them said "Wow, great question." Both of them answered me in such great detail with such positive things that I was even more pumped to be a potential candidate.

It's a pretty simple question. At worst, you look like you're trying to kiss ass and at best, you learn a lot of things that aren't out there openly in a company's profile that can really get you excited.

FWIW, I start there two weeks from tomorrow.

[–]Miketheguy[S] 160 points161 points ago

Ok you have two parts so:

1) ALWAYS have questions! Always! Something like "tell me about the history of this position" or "tell me more about the culture of your organization" or "so who is your primary demographic for sales?" "do you have international operations?" "how are benefits?" anything! show you are interested, thats why we ask!!

2) Ask general questions you will find out on the first day anyway, how long have you been in this position, what are you looking for in a candidate, tell them a brief anecdote you know they will be able to relate too, etc, its all very situational and if you cant think of anything, just keep it short and professional, maybe a compliment on their clothes that seems real (not "you like nice today") more like "I like how you chose a wide collar to compliment your sweater, maybe I will start doing that" etc.

[–]shadey66 195 points196 points ago

"I like how you chose a wide collar to compliment your sweater, maybe I will start doing that"

Really??? That's brazen sycophancy, no?

[–][deleted] 169 points170 points ago

HR people are professional sycophants.

[–]WaitThisIsntDigg 117 points118 points ago

i like the way your widows peak works to take my eyes off your otherwise patchy beard.

[–]woopsifarted 16 points17 points ago

What a smooth talker. Would hire

[–]Miketheguy[S] 119 points120 points ago

yeah but we like it.

[–]yes_my_ass_is_sore 33 points34 points ago

Wider collar = big head... ;/ "I like it how you chose a wider collar, makes your head look so much smaller!".

[–]AltaAlto 16 points17 points ago

Bonus: It rhymes!

[–]tehaleks 28 points29 points ago

History of this position... is it kosher to ask why the previous person was fired or quit? Or is that none of my business?

"I like how you chose a wide collar to compliment your sweater, maybe I will start doing that"

Lol XD I'll just stick with complimenting earrings or something.

[–]augster 6 points7 points ago

I like this question and see no problem with asking it, but what do I know about hiring people. I'm only an engineer

[–]yomamaisallama 26 points27 points ago

Really? You want people to ask about benefits at the interview?

[–]xNaquada 9 points10 points ago

Why would you not ask about it?

[–]vocke 7 points8 points ago

Benefits are a huge part of the job "package". In my opinion, if you don't seem to care about the benefits offered - which, truly, can be worth thousands of dollars to you - it seems desperate.

[–]RadDeals 9 points10 points ago

I have heard that it is bad to ask this type of question as it sounds like you are not motivated enough to get on google and find out for yourself. Do you think other HR people view it this way?

[–]ErX29 31 points32 points ago

If a candidate started talking to you as a friend not as an interviewer, how would you take it? What I mean is, if before starting the interview I asked about your day, your weekend, your time in university getting your degree, just random shit to talk about. Would it leave an impression of "Hmm, what a great guy!" or a negative one?

[–]Miketheguy[S] 56 points57 points ago

Hmm, that is interesting. While it has never happened to me (at least to the extent of asking about my day!) I would find it pleasant to a point. A few brief questions after or in between theirs would be very welcome, and put them at ease so I don't mind. However if the process breaks down and he talks to me like an old time friend It might be a hallmark of a person who either does not take things seriously or has trouble grasping the importance of an initial professional impression.

So I suppose it would be great to a point friendly guy > business robot but only as long as they are both equally professional and fit for the job.

[–]SpectrumKing 98 points99 points ago

I'm miserable and I hate everybody. What's the best way for me to come across like a great guy?

[–]tiffnyy 57 points58 points ago

Think of the most upbeat, "Go Team!" person you can think of and play a game to try and immitate them. Act like you actually give a damn about customers and numbers and whatever else this person would care about. When you annoy the hell out of yourself, you're usually doing it right.

[–][deleted] 29 points30 points ago

This kills the soul.

[–]ave0000 6 points7 points ago

I've just thoroughly considered what it would feel like to do this. Is this the feeling that makes people kill themselves?

[–]BossHogGangsta 177 points178 points ago

Besides putting in every buzz word known to man how the hell do I get my resume picked to be reviewed by a human? You need to have a masters in SEO to get your resume pulled from the 1000 that are in a company's database.

[–]epic676 142 points143 points ago

Protip: put all buzz words at the bottom of your resume in small, WHITE font.

[–]TheRealJohnMatrix 17 points18 points ago*

I'm guessing you had a Geocities website, complete with hit counter and several 'under construction' gifs? :)

I'll be giving this a go for sure!

[–]malnourish 36 points37 points ago

I can't tell if you're serious or not. By combination of internet communication and me being a freshman in college.

[–]Quis_Custodiet 17 points18 points ago

That's... that's genius.

[–]Miketheguy[S] 387 points388 points ago

It all depends on the size of the company, and where you are applying to. Large companies in fact screen for buzz words and dont count them. The #1 best way to get your resume noticed is to start every single sentence with an "Action" word. such as :

Wrote xxxxxxx

Reviewed XXXXX

Reported regarding xxxxxxxx

make them eye catching, and also very very important - have action words similiar / identical to the ones in the original job description or posting, if there is a system it usually screens for those with extra weight!

[–]falconhoof 377 points378 points ago

By '"Action" word' do you mean a verb?

[–]foldered 128 points129 points ago

They probably do, but not all verbs are "action-y" enough in this context. Saying "just use verbs" doesn't narrow it down enough; action words, however, imply a certain degree of action that is not present in every verb.

[–]RainbowUnicorns 992 points993 points ago

Ate sandwich.

Masturbated furiously.

Took nap.

Completed process daily for the past 10 years.

[–]monkeytorture 250 points251 points ago

We're looking for someone with a bit more experience. 5 - 10 years is "entry level"

[–]eissturm 274 points275 points ago

In this context, there's almost certainly no 'entry' involved.

[–]mediocreharris 54 points55 points ago

I'm high-fiving you from where I sit.

[–]seesharpy 32 points33 points ago

Me too, and look, no hands!

[–]TheFlyingSuchness 102 points103 points ago*

Thank you RainbowUnicorns for your resume and we would like to invite you in for a group interview. Be advised, we will be conducting exercises that blend your resume's experience with team building activities. All activities will be filmed and you will be required to sign a hold harmless wavier. Please let us know if you can join the other candidates at 9:00AM Thursday morning.

Cheers,

John Smith

HR Director

BoringButAuthenticCams.com

[–]foldered 185 points186 points ago

You're hired!

[–]hoodatninja 95 points96 points ago

Example:

"Spent 2 years teaching math to at-risk youth."

vs.

"Taught math for two years to at-risk youth."

Ignoring the fact that the sentences as a whole are "meh," the first word is the main point. "Taught" is the superior choice.

[–]blafunke 38 points39 points ago

I hate that this is necessary. err..

Hated restructuring sentences to make them flashier.

[–]blafunke 67 points68 points ago

Made sentences flashier

Resented having to B.S.

[–]sketerpot 8 points9 points ago

Increased number of sentences beginning in action words by 100%. Is what you just did.

[–]aakaakaak 18 points19 points ago

Or...

Educated at-risk youth, improving their potential quality of life and increasing their chances at a non-criminal future.

[–]thebehem0th 28 points29 points ago

I think he's trying to say that you need to use for that show that you've actually accomplished something. For example, instead of saying "great communication skills" say "mastered interpersonal linguistics" or something along those lines

[–]AsciiAQuestion 42 points43 points ago

"Mastered interpersonal linguistics" sounds like a line of bull. Someone would read right through that. It's good to spice things up, but be direct about it. I would say one should try something like "Excels at interpersonal communication. Easily establishes rapport with coworkers." Something like that.

[–]foldered 19 points20 points ago

Definitely, that is kind of what I was getting at. "Mastered interpersonal linguistics" is an application of action words. You could say "has great communication skills" which is still verb-based, but obviously not as effective as what you've pointed out.

[–]120110-imsdal 61 points62 points ago

You'd think someone who has mastered interpersonal linguistics should be able to communicate this simple fact without all the bullshit...

[–]petruchi41 32 points33 points ago

I also heard that you should write the outcome of those actions too, like "Wrote xxxxx which resulted in yyyy." Would you agree with that? If so, how can I as an entry-level applicant use that technique?

[–]Miketheguy[S] 111 points112 points ago

Depends on the action:

For instance:

"Wrote Reports which resulted in numbers."

Is silly, but

"Administered the company intranet which resulted in more fluid communication"

Hell yes!

[–]petruchi41 22 points23 points ago*

No, I understand the mechanics of it, I'm just wondering how I can do it without actually having too many results. I've done a few internships but mostly did very small parts of bigger projects, sometimes with the results not coming for months after I'm gone. I don't even know the results of many things I did.

[–]HookDragger 12 points13 points ago

As someone who's actually interviewed candidates for entry-level positions... let me put my 2 cents in.

For those types of situations I'd say the following:

<action> in <aspect> of <project>. <a bit more description>

Be prepared to expound on what you were asked to do, how you went about it, what troubles you ran in to, and how you overcame them.

I really don't care if you've done EXACTLY what I need. What I REALLY like to hear about is how you've done something similar (even if in a different field) and how you overcame problems.

Because lets be honest... if it was easy, you wouldn't need a resume for the job.

And yes, talking to 3 different people in different departments, understand what they said and how it all fit together... then describing that to your superior with recommended actions and possible consequences is FAR FAR FAR! better than saying: "Well, I just did it myself"

[–]bleakwood 137 points138 points ago

Do cover letters really matter? I often put a lot of effort into them but I'm never sure if anyone ever looks at them especially these days where most big firms have their own career portals where you just upload your resumes. If they do matter, any tips on making them stick out?

[–]Miketheguy[S] 219 points220 points ago

It depends on the position and company.

Small companies really care about the little details, same with high up managers looking at people for executive / senior managerial positions because attention to detail and extra effort really matter.

The most important thing behind a cover letter is not the letter itself but rather that you want this job bad enough to tailor your resume extra to it - it shows them that you are not just cramming your "HEY LOOK I CAN WORK TOO!" page everywhere.

But for a large company / entry level job it doesn't particularly matter, I usually take a 3 second glance at it because I have a stack of 100 in front of me. But a good cover letter will almost always push you from the "No" to the "hmm maybe" pile just out of interest if it is an entry level position.

[–]Sharkedog 277 points278 points ago

As a manager who has hired a few people, I agree. A cover letter is one more possible way to get noticed but does not really hurt you if it is missing. I had this one resume that was meh, but the girl's enthusiasm in her cover letter caught my attention so she went on to the next step...by that I mean a phone interview, not a casting couch.

[–]chimponabike 419 points420 points ago

not a casting couch

ಠ_ಠ

[–]dfriedland 233 points234 points ago

I'm disappointed i know what you are referring to.

[–]Shibidybow 103 points104 points ago

Her cover letter mentioned she liked anal

[–]notaplatypus 11 points12 points ago

-ysing tough situations and finding ways to overcome them

[–]Isambaard 34 points35 points ago

At the same time an email with no body and just an attachment usually makes me say no automatically. At least a little "Hey I want this job" action should be considered required.

[–]ReferenceEntity 8 points9 points ago

I don't work in HR but often screen candidates. The cover letter is critical. I recently dinged someone in part because there was a grammatical error in the cover letter. Not because I'm a dick but because the job involves a lot of writing and detail orientation and if you can't make your cover letter perfect then you are out of consideration unless you are obviously otherwise better than the many other candidates I see.

In addition, if a "maybe" writes a great cover letter they can often get moved up to "phone interview".

[–]gamergrl1018 60 points61 points ago

Oohh thank you for doing this. I'm in the middle of a horribly discouraging search for my first required engineering internship.

How long does it usually take to get back to somebody when they submit a resume/cover letter? (aka should I be panicking like I am?)

Also is it appropriate to contact the company after a few weeks and inquire about my submission/what would be the most polite way to do that?

[–]Miketheguy[S] 69 points70 points ago

It takes 1 day to 2 weeks, depending on the amount of applications / importance the company places on the job.

Yes, call back, give them a followup call and ask to speak to the person in charge of filling job XX, ask them what the next step is for you.

[–]four_reels 11 points12 points ago

I'm in HR and do a lot of recruiting and can give you an answer from my experience. It really varies, but at my place of work the hiring managers will look at resumes and send me a list of people that want me to do phone interviews with. If you aren't on that list, you may not hear back until the position is filled when we send out mass rejection emails from our system which can be weeks after applying. Typically if we like your resume, you will hear back from us pretty soon about interviewing usually within a week.

If it has been a few weeks, I would say go ahead and contact the HR department to ask about the status of your resume since sometimes managers just don't always get around to looking at resumes as often or as quickly as they should.

[–]tehaleks 136 points137 points ago

What the heck does it mean when an interview goes fantastic - like I mean both of you are getting along, the interviewer seems okay with everything I've told him/her, doesn't seem bored with it all, etc... and then they don't hire me?

I'm pretty socially awesome and a good worker, but my work history has a lot of gaps, I can't help but think that has to do with it. There's nothing I can do about that now or how to fix it without lying. If you were interviewing me and you liked me but my work history sucked, is there anything I could say to help? I can't change my past. D:

[–]oh_really_not_really 32 points33 points ago

PS I never cared about gaps in employment. Sh*t happens; seriously didn't matter to me. I just cared about overall experience, smarts, professionalism and positive/enthusiastic attitude.

[–]tehaleks 51 points52 points ago

Where are you?! Interview me!

[–]oh_really_not_really 235 points236 points ago

Former hiring manager here, too. I totally feel you on this one. What you might not realize is that sometimes when the person is hiring you for the job, they know one thing that you don't: the job (or the hours or the boss or the pay or whatever) sucks. So there have been times when I've been interviewing someone for a position in the company that I worked for, and I just thought to myself, "This person is awesome. Great experience, good attitude, very smart-- and there's no way I'm going to hire them for this job that the boss wants to pay way too little for, or is going to run them ragged over; or they're going to realize that he wants to call them at all hours of the day and night and because they have so much experience and self-respect they're going to do it for a month or so and then eventually be like 'eff this noize' and be out the door and then I'm going to be right back where I started. This candidate is way too good for this. They'll find something else. Someplace where they're more respected/paid what they deserve. Next!" Now, I know that's of little consolation for you when you're looking for a job, but remember-- just because a job looks good on paper doesn't mean it's good in real life. Sometimes it's not you; it's them.

[–]lawnmowerkitties 270 points271 points ago

They'll find something else.

It is presumptuous and condescending for the hiring manager to make that call.

I am educated and experienced, but the job market sucks. I needed to settle for less. And that was my choice; it shouldn't fall to anyone else.

[–]overthemountain 165 points166 points ago

They have to consider churn though. Are you going to take this job and stop looking? Or are you going to take this job so you have something for now and keep looking for something better? They don't want to hire someone, train them, get them to where they are actually useful just to have them quit and have to start the entire process all over again. Not only does that waste time but recruiting can be expensive - they have to relist ads, etc.

It has to be a good match for both sides.

[–]nreisan 46 points47 points ago

Yes but from their perspective, "this guy is overqualified, he wont stay around long and we will have to train and find another new person in 6 months~"

[–]Dabakus 57 points58 points ago*

Yes. Absolutely. Had a person say to me, "You wouldn't be happy here."

My happiness is neither your concern nor something you can gauge anyway.

My happiness is also secondary to my desire for health insurance and a good wage, for which I will work my ass off.

Absolutely condescending and an awful thing to say to someone if you're not giving them the job.

[–]MisterMcDuck 18 points19 points ago

"You wouldn't be happy here" - opposed to where exactly? Every job I've ever had has been depressing for me, and I'm more fortunate than most. My happiness starts from the moment I leave the job until I have to enter its doors again.

[–]DinkumThinkum 54 points55 points ago

How much internet stalking do you think most recruiters do before interviewing you?

[–]ThatDinkumThinkum 48 points49 points ago

And we meet after all this time... adjusts brim of hat

[–]Miketheguy[S] 13 points14 points ago

Depends on how many interviews I go through, or what the background check shows. Usually only a small amount.

[–]DinkumThinkum 11 points12 points ago

what is a small amount? like google their name, try to find facebook profile?

[–]detective365 1011 points1012 points ago*

I'm sorry, but as a perennial applicant that works a lot with small businesses/turnarounds/contract work, a lot of the advice I'm seeing you give would not only make me not want to hire an applicant, but I actually can't believe any HR person worth their money would realistically suggest things like:

-LYING about your employment history.

-suggesting that a cover letter isn't important. Sure, no manager wants to know that their applicants actually care about the job they're applying for...

-Talking about how you run behavior-based interviews.

I can't believe any HR person would actually want their applicants to lie about employment history. Beyond that, anyone that suggests that a cover letter isn't important for most work is deluding you. Finally, anyone that runs a straight behavior-based interview & doesn't even attempt to ask specific questions about one's ability to perform their job isn't worth much as a screening measure for any company.

Honestly, HR guy, it's people like you that have led me to network my way into jobs rather than actually getting to know anyone in HR. In my experience, and by definition, an HR manager's job is to SCREEN applicants, aka pick out an applicant's flaws & take them out of the running for a position. Which is fine, if it's clear that the applicant's technical qualifications don't fit the job. However, as an HR person, you aren't actually qualified to make that judgment, in many situations. I think the thing most HR people forget is that THEY'VE NEVER ACTUALLY DONE THE JOBS THEY'RE SCREENING FOR, and as such, are often a poor judge of the qualities necessary for a job. Which is why, in my experience, and in practice, I will find a job posting, then, rather than applying online, I will make every attempt to get in touch with the hiring manager directly, then apply if (and ONLY if) the manager tells me I must to meet some procedural requirement.

Applications get interviews, networking gets jobs.

Edit to respond to a few comments:

1) I understand that not all hiring managers value cover letters. However, how often does it happen that an applicant is disqualified because they included a cover letter that wasn't necessary? NOW, how likely is it that they won't be disqualified if leaving out a cover letter that was necessary?

2) Staffing companies are good for entry level & part-time work, and I would definitely suggest you use a staffing company before applying online on your own. However, once you have a reasonable amount of experience/marketable skills/contacts, my preference has always been to live on my own wits in the job market; staffing companies are much more interested in filling gaps in their client organizations than providing you with the job you need. That said, they can be a good help in determining what companies are hiring, and it never hurts to have as many people in your corner as possible.

3) I'm clearly biased against large corporate structures, and prefer to circumvent HR whenever possible. However, that has been a double-edged sword for me, and has cost me a handful of opportunities as well as opening many doors. That said, I have always been well-served by networking, and with the career path I have chosen, would not have had the opportunities I have had were I not so adamant about going the extra mile to make myself known to the people who make the decisions about hiring me.

[–]iarforner 183 points184 points ago

Little personal story about that cover letter thing:

I've been at my most recent job for 3 weeks now. After years of waiting, I have finally landed my dream job and could not be happier. It was only after I was hired that I found out that I almost didn't get a job because of one thing - my cover letter.

I was recruited by a staffing agency for a position and they basically coached me through the interview process telling me how to form my resumé and a couple buzz words to throw in to my cover letter. I did this with great success.

When I sent them my cover letter, there was one sentence that was a bit grammatically complex. It was very complete and very coherent, but a bit obtuse for formal business writing. I openly admit this. About a week after I got the job, one of my bosses (who had minimal say in the final decision) came up to me and said, "Hey... I have a bone to pick with you. That cover letter you sent us? Yeah... there was one sentence that just didn't have a verb."

I had been a writing tutor for over 2 years and had attained a pretty keen eye for this sort of thing, so I openly rejected this possibility. I pulled up my copy of the cover letter and showed it to him. Not a flaw. He was confused, so he showed me the version HE had. That one sentence that was a bit complex? The HR person at the recruiting agency edited the sentence so that it was not a complete thought at all. It wasn't a sentence.

I found out that because of this ONE thing a internal email was traded between some of the powers that be, and I actually started a step behind in an interview, because some dumb fuck HR person edited my cover letter, and caused ONE SENTENCE to have a grammatical error. Because of this, I had to fight my way through extra difficulty in my 3rd interview. Obviously I brought enough to the table that I was safe, but one single fuck up almost cost me the job.

To extend the story, I told my father about this. He has been a president/branch manager/executive/etc for upwards of 20 years now and he himself said, "That's actually really scary. If I get a cover letter from somebody and there is so much as a spelling mistake, then I will throw their application out. If they can't take enough time to concern themselves with their cover letter then why should I trust them to concern themselves with the job they are applying for?"

TL;DR Anybody who tells you that cover letters are unimportant is a fucking idiot. When mine got messed up in translation, it almost cost me a shot at my dream job.

[–]Terazilla 97 points98 points ago

Dude, for the love of god, do not send out .DOC files. PDF exists for a reason!

Even aside from people being able to edit shit, the formatting in .doc files never looks quite the same if the other guy isn't using the exact same version of Word as you. They don't embed fonts or anything either. When trying to present yourself, it is just not a trustworthy file format.

[–]ElCapitanMarklar 7 points8 points ago

I always send PDFs and recruiters ALWAYS ask for doc files so they can remove my personal details and what not.

Most companies must be used to receiving butchered CV's in the UK at least.

[–][deleted] 29 points30 points ago

This, by the way, is just one small reason out of a list thousand reasons I think recruiting/staffing agencies can get stuffed.

[–]iarforner 15 points16 points ago

Yeah... I was pretty pissed off when I found out about this. I'm hesitant to completely shit on them, because when it's all said and done, they found me, they called me, and they got me the interview. Obviously my skills got me the job in the end, but they DID make this possible.

That being said, the first thing I said to my boss was, "You know... obviously this is all a moot point and in hindsight, but it has to make you wonder, how many times has this happened to an ideal candidate, or how many times have you been duped in to a bad interview under the false pretenses of a well written cover letter?"

[–]Shalmander 7 points8 points ago

...how many times has this happened to an ideal candidate...

More often than most people would feel comfortable knowing.

[–]molkay 222 points223 points ago

Couldn't agree more with this. I've worked in HR for many years and I am truly appalled at some of this advice.

[–]Sumaes 158 points159 points ago

To be fair, he has explained many times, including in the title, that he's giving advice on how to deal with HR when trying to land a job. He's not here to lecture us all on the guidelines and code of conduct for his HR department... Obviously some of his advice is going to be tricks/hints to "beat" areas of the HR recruiting process, so you have to take all of the advice with the inherent risks that follow.

That being said, I do think his advice to lie about employment history is dead wrong... At most I would suggest being vague or particular with the data you give and/or how you display it, perhaps to make gaps seem less significant.

[–]IamAhamsterAMA 61 points62 points ago

You can be creative. Like on my resume, these posts count as "internet journalism."

[–]mrdelayer 66 points67 points ago

-suggesting that a cover letter isn't important. Sure, no manager wants to know that their applicants actually care about the job they're applying for...

As a non-HR manager, I tend not to look at cover letters, and don't mind if one's not included.

[–][deleted] 68 points69 points ago

As a non-HR manager, I tend not to look at cover letters, and don't mind if one's not included.

For what kind of job?

I'm a CEO, with experience previously as VP, Director, and direct hiring manager.

The companies I've worked for (and my company) always treat cover letters as a first-pass filter:

  • No cover letter? To the trash bin.
  • Duplicate/form cover letter? To the trash bin.
  • Poor english/grammar? To the trash bin.

Then, finally:

  • Provides a a cogent argument for why you'd be valuable, and why you're interested in working with our company or on our products? To the follow-up immediately pile.
  • Personalized cover letter, but missing the above? To the 'maybe' pile.

If we didn't do this, we'd be flooded with generic resumes from nearly identical blah applicants. There's an extremely high correlation between writing a great cover letter and having a great resume.

Companies that don't require cover letters are, in my experience, about as generically uninteresting and mediocre as the candidates they're willing to hire.

[–]ultimatt42 299 points300 points ago

  • Provides a a

TO THE TRASH BIN!

[–]RobotBuddha 14 points15 points ago

I think you've provided a good demonstration of why a "one strike and you're out" policy is bad. Extraordinarily minor mistakes happen. That's why we work on teams instead of as individuals on a laptop in bed.

[–]dietotaku 4 points5 points ago

i'm sure he's only referring to the kinds of lies the employer won't actually care about. as long as you're not being like "sure i know how to operate a nuclear submarine" when you can't program your VCR or claiming you have a master's from rice when you dropped out of community college, lying about gaps in your employment history only prevents you from falling victim to prejudicial attitudes and unfair assumptions about the what/when/why/how of your unemployment. it really doesn't matter why it took you 2 years to find another job if you have the knowledge and experience they're looking for, and hiding something like that behind a smokescreen won't hurt anyone. this actually isn't the first time i've seen someone on the inside suggest using white lies like that.

incidentally, writing a cover letter has never gotten me a job. i applied to one position that i had the relevant experience/education for and wrote a cover letter that went on for 3 paragraphs about my history and why i was so interested in the position, never even got a call.

[–]bleakwood 14 points15 points ago

do recruiters ever have a preference of currently unemployed vs currently employed candidates?

[–]goltrpoat 46 points47 points ago

You might want to let people know what industry you're in -- I've compared my experiences to those of people in other industries, and it seems that they diverge pretty significantly.

For what it's worth, in my entire 13+ year career spanning every position from junior to lead to executive/co-owner, and having been on both sides of the interview desk, I have spent approximately 20 minutes total speaking to HR personnel during the interview process.

Whenever I was involved with the hiring process, the resumes went directly to me, HR was not involved at all.

[–]shatmae 12 points13 points ago

I'm a new graduate and I'm trying to get an entry level job. It appears that they still want 3 years of experience for the most basic entry level jobs. I can get interviews for these positions but I've never been hired. When they've responded back to me they've told me it's because I lack experience. How do I get around this?

[–]charleyface 12 points13 points ago

Some jobs are posted online without the name of a superior, or sometimes even the name of the company. How the hell am I supposed to get a hold of these people when I apply and they don't respond? Also, some of these places are very small, what is their excuse for not responding to my application?

[–]deweyweber 24 points25 points ago

How should I respond during an interview when it become obvious that the interviewer knows very little about the job and is simple throwing jargon at you in the form of a question? ( my IT interview last week.

I didn't realize what was going on until later).

[–]PieterPlopplop 42 points43 points ago

After giving an interview, should I spit or swallow?

[–]Miketheguy[S] 33 points34 points ago

I think we differ in our hiring practices.

[–]Willhelm_The_Great 12 points13 points ago

trick answer. swallow just in case.

[–]puredemo[M] 232 points233 points ago

Verified.

[–][deleted] ago

[deleted]

[–]TheGoddamBatman 50 points51 points ago

I'm guessing a message from a LinkedIn profile. HR Managers love LinkedIn.

[–]JackassPenguinass 18 points19 points ago

I sent HR guy an invite on LinkedIn. HR Managers love LinkedIn invites.

[–]slickrhymes 9 points10 points ago

In his defense he does mention that he goes to work, school and play in a comment in that thread. Plus, there's another post 3 months ago where he talks about working as an HR manager. So I guess he could be legit.

[–]Xiphcreature 15 points16 points ago

Well now I'm just confused.

[–]bleakwood 19 points20 points ago

Do you have any tips on negotiating salary? I always feel that the company has the upper hand in this area and they can simply choose to hire the other guy who's asking for less.

[–]aulis14 36 points37 points ago

I want you to stop interviewing me and let me talk to someone who knows what the hell I do for a living.

[–]listn2moremetal 17 points18 points ago

This is probably going to get buried in the other 1200+ comments, but here are a few things I've picked up in the job hunting market.

First, a little back-story. I'm 22. I dropped out of college after 1.5 semesters as a Math major (because I'm apparently masochistic). Anyway, I spent that summer doing various jobs, mostly for the guy who hired me back in High School.

In 2008, I decided to get SOME sort of degree, so I went to a for-profit university that will remain unnamed, but it was a technical vocational school.

After testing out of every math class they offered, I was fully enrolled in the Networking program with an accelerated graduation date (a full semester ahead).

Now that you know I'm not some 40-year-old guy offering job advise about a bunch of stuff in which I have no experience, I will say this: I've never interviewed for a job I didn't get. But I haven't been called for many interviews, solely based on qualifications and experience. You look at job hunting the same way as farmers looked at growing plants back before all of the agricultural technology. You throw seeds all over the soil. Whether you think it's good soil, bad soil, or just a pile of rocks-throw seeds at it. 90% of these seeds will not sprout. Your resume will disappear into the pit of resume's they've already rejected. But the 10% that do get through, you may get called for an interview.

Here's the key part. If you can interview well, you'll nail almost any job, regardless of your qualifications.

If they called you for an interview, it means they saw SOMETHING on your resume they liked. A skill someone else didn't have. The way you wrote something. How professional it looked. They may have even known someone at your previous job. Regardless, they're calling you for some reason. At that time, erase all fears that you're under-qualified for a position. If they call you, you're qualified. That's what the resume is for.

During the interview is your chance to sell all of YOUR knowledge. Not what they can read on your resume, but what YOU have to offer to their company. Don't just sit there and read your resume to them, sell what you DIDN'T put on there. Things like "Hey, I can also do basic functions in Linux/Unix and in OS X." and they'll go "Oh snap, we have ourselves a renaissance man." At that point, you have their attention.

I suppose one more tip/trick is to read the interviewer well. If he seems laid back, you can feel free to speak a bit more frankly than if he's in his white dress shirt with his hands folded on the table, looking you square in the face. Every interviewer has his/her own personality and uses it to find qualities in a candidate that aren't readily available in a resume.

Jobs are gained and lost on the battlefield of the interview table. Even if you lose the battle, if you make your name known, you are 1 step closer to getting that 2nd interview and getting another chance to make them consider you a top candidate.

[–]whatisasofe 20 points21 points ago

Do heels on a girl really help that much during the interview and initial meetings?

[–]Miketheguy[S] 49 points50 points ago

Depends on the culture of the corporation! Heels at IBM? you won't be taken seriously. No heels at H&M? You won't be taken seriously

[–]Prololole 453 points454 points ago

Christ, this whole thread reminds me why I never want a job where I have to wear a fucking suit, or rather any company with a HR department. The amount of bullshit is just unbelievable.

[–]ErikaRedmark 17 points18 points ago

You know how they always tell you that they're testing you to see if you're fit for the job, but you're also testing them to see if the job's fit for you? I plan on applying this liberally.

Of course I'm going to have to work hard on improving myself to even get the choice, but there you go.

[–]wintremute 27 points28 points ago

As someone who has to wear a fucking suit, I agree that the amount of bullshit is unbelievable. The paychecks, however, go up substantially once you put that silken corporate noose around your neck. The shit I do for money....

[–]BTfromSunlight 71 points72 points ago

where do you work where there are no HR people to deal with ever? Are you a cowboy?

[–]punknoflowers 134 points135 points ago*

Okay, so I'm having incredible difficulty getting a job after graduation this year, and I'm feeling quite bitter. So nothing personal, but I really fucking hate HR at the moment.

So when I'm going for a grad job, and you guys ask me questions;

"Why do you want to work for us?"

What the hell are you expecting me to say?

Because I think we all know that I don't particularly want to work for you at all, the only reason I applied to your job is because you're going to pay me. I mean come on. Shit like;

"What makes our company special?"

Surely you know that the my real answer is that I got it off a fucking recruitment website, you aren't special at all.

And why is it you guys seem to judge me more on my answers to questions like;

"Give an example where you worked well as a part of a team"

instead of, oh I don't know, something stupid like; THE QUALITY OF MY DEGREE.

ie why is it you seem to only want people who can give excellent examples of leadership, instead of those who actually worked hard at university to get a good grade?

Why is it that you create a situation where you employ those who are best at lying rather then those who have shown themselves to be hard workers, or proven their intelligence?

Why do you want examples of times I demonstrated my business acumen, when I thought that's what I was going to learn at your company?

Again, on the sore end of a lot of rejections at the mo, so sorry if this comes of quite aggressive. This really isn't intended as an insult, especially on a personal level. It just seems that the best way to get a job presently isn't to work hard, but join a sports society, go out and get pissed, and then make out that it shows great character development. Or have a well connected Daddy.

[–]flowside 55 points56 points ago

Hey man, I feel for you. A lot of people I know are in your shoes, but hopefully I can help you out with a few things.

Teamwork is pretty much required at all jobs. I know of very few places where you work by yourself. When people ask you about this, they want to know about your personality and how you see yourself as part of the group you're working with. Are you a leader type? Do you put in the extra work to get shit done on a crunch-time schedule? Are you the type that bases your work on the best possible product, or are you more worried about what other people will say about it? All of these things matter.

There's a few things that you can do to help your interview game, and nearly all of them concern attitude. I'm not asking you to change who you are, but the things you do and say can get construed in many different ways, so play the cards that have the highest chance of allowing you to say what you want to say while conveying the correct meaning. Here goes:

  1. You are not a special snowflake. I know that you think your degree and your academic accomplishments are really neat, but that's not what a job is about. Nearly every job at a for-profit company is about one thing: ROI, or return on investment. The company is looking for someone that can provide a positive ROI for them. That's why you're there. Understanding this is crucial.

  2. You can be both a hard worker and a smooth talker. These things are not mutually exclusive. There is a technique to interviewing, and that technique involves translating your expertise into money. If you're working in technology or any sort of professional field, the one thing you need to understand is how your job role ties into the company's bottom line. If you can articulate that properly, you're already halfway there.

  3. Experience is translatable. If you don't have any direct "business acumen" examples to give, or at least the ones you think the interviewer is looking for, give an example of something you did at school, perhaps during a group project, that pushed you toward a result. "Experience" does not always mean work experience. If you don't have one, come up with one from anywhere in your life. Even come up with a hypothetical if you have to. I got my first job by essentially doing parts of the job hypothetically before I even got into the interview. When they asked me about my job experience with a particular problem, I pulled out the mock report I had created, explained my process, and moved on.

  4. Put yourself in the interviewer's shoes. You seemed to not understand where the interviewer is coming from when they ask questions. At a big company, they typically have questions they are required to ask and judge responses on. If something seems irrelevant, it's probably because they're required to ask it. Also, they don't know you. How are they supposed to know that you have no business acumen, or that you have no experience in this or that? They ask those questions because they want to find out if you do have those things. They are completely fair game.

  5. Being friendly goes a long way. Most people, I'd be willing to bet even you, would rather work with someone who isn't an asshole. If I was given the choice between a competent asshole and someone who was slightly less competent but nice, I'd go with the less competent one any day of the week. You need to be a good fit for whatever team you join, because you will always be working with other people. If you're skilled but all you do is cause problems and no one wants to work with you, it's only a matter of time before you, yourself, become obsolete, because, and I stress this again, you will always be working with other people.

  6. Finding a job is like finding a girlfriend. It's two parties that want to enter into a relationship with one another, but are trying to figure out through a brief interaction whether or not a long-term relationship is even feasible. If your interviewer is worth his/her salt, they're not looking for any rich guy, they're looking for someone they can have deep, meaningful conversations with and can keep up on an emotional/personal level. How this translates to real life is that you have to remember that no one gives a shit about your degree (aka how much sugar daddy money you have). That's all superficial. They care about who you really are.

Hopefully, this helps you get some perspective about work culture in the real world. Like I said, most of it is attitude. If you can get that sorted out, you'll be interviewing like a pro in no time.

[–]Chickpea123uk 9 points10 points ago

I like this dating analogy. It makes a lot more sense of the sorts of questions that are bugging punknoflowers. Yeah sure the REAL reason you want a job is because it pays money. And the REAL reason you want a girlfriend is for sex. But if a girl asks why you want to go on a date with her, you don't say "Well frankly there's nothing special about you, Sonia. It is Sonia isn't it? Oh sorry, yeah, it's Shona. My bad. Well, Sonia, you're just one of many girls I have tried to chat up in the last week alone. I figure if I buy enough drinks for enough girls I'm bound to get lucky sooner or later. Hey! Come back! I'm just being honest. Why won't you give me a chance? I'VE GOT AN MBA, BITCH!!!!", and then qq that only bullshitters get girls.

[–]ChrisCipher 106 points107 points ago

Protip: Many people who do well in school are shit in the field. A lot of high-up execs I know don't like hiring MBA's because they demand more pay, try to refuse tasks, and generally think they're experienced because they have a degree. Unfortunately, your degree is important, but it isn't by any means a guarantee. It's frustrating but your attitude towards the whole thing displays a certain level of entitlement that many employers don't like to see. The quality of your degree doesn't mean shit in the business world. You need to MAKE CONNECTIONS. I can't stress that enough. I'm trying to help you out here, not meaning to criticize you. Connections are everything.

[–]nreisan 9 points10 points ago

when got my first job at a the bank i was honest in the interview when they said "why do you want to work for us" i said "to be honest i want to work for any of the major banks blah blah"

and they were happy with that

[–]notkristina 8 points9 points ago*

I'm not an HR expert, but I have interviewed some, gotten some jobs, and done some interviewing, and from what I can tell, interviews aren't about your history or where you've been; the resume covers that. In the interview, they want to get you talking about job-related stuff so they can gauge your personality and try to get an idea of how you feel about your work. Whether or not you'll fit in with the team is the main thing interviewers are trying to estimate. I recommend being as personable and enthusiastic as you can, especially if the interviewer works directly with the position you're applying for, so they can see you working well there.

The "example of your business acumen" question is bs. Try to be honest about why you don't have much yet and hope they judge your attitude and not your experience. It's really unfair out there and I don't blame you for being pissed. I've been there too. Hang in and do your best to stay positive, because that's partly what you're being judged on. It'll happen.

*Edit: I accidentally a word.

[–]Solsavage 12 points13 points ago

What do you mean by real life experiences?

Im curious because i have a great deal of interns ships/volunteer/committee experience but no solid job exp. besides working as an assistant to a landscaper during my high school years.

[–]tawkwin 20 points21 points ago

I have an undiagnosed condition where my palms sweat profusely and it gets even worse when I am nervous. I am always consciously aware of my sweaty palms, and I am also aware that shaking someone's sweaty hand is never a pleasant experience. How should I go about this when shaking an interviewer's hand at the beginning of an interview? Should I just shake their hand and pretend like my hands aren't dripping with sweat? Or should I say something beforehand to warn them and then still shake their hand? Not shake it at all?

[–]tiffnyy 18 points19 points ago

How about keeping a paper towel on you (like in a blazer pocket or purse) so that you can casually reach in and dry your hands right before meeting the interviewer. Also, I could be wrong, but doesn't baby powder help with that sort of thing?

[–]PeeBagger 9 points10 points ago

Carry a hankie and just keep it in your jacket pocket.

[–]bezz 17 points18 points ago

How about applying unscented anti-perspirant to your palms.