Job Seekers thread Mark 2

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

That's just incompetence. A complete waste of everyone's time and resources. Unless they're lying to your face. But that's a waste of resources. If I as a manager pulled that, I'd be fired. Best you don't work there anyway.

I wouldn't be that quick to judge, and this is coming from a guy who judges up a storm. Things are changing so fataing fast in the world right now. You could easily lose a huge contract or need to shift directions to stay competitive. There are just so many possibilities and you have to be flexible and ready to pivot. Frankly, I'd fire somebody for being inflexible long before I'd fire somebody who is prepared to shift focus as required.

I feel for you guys looking for work. It must be so hard and that would be a kick to the nuts to have an opportunity evaporate like that.

[DoubleF]

Originally Posted by calgarygeologist

I just don't understand how hiring and HR work. I applied for a job and shortly afterwards was asked to do an online pre-screening and after that I was asked to do a video interview. I was qualified based on the requirements and I figured I would be a good fit. I know there is a lot of competition though and there are no guarantees. After almost a week of waiting I emailed the HR contact and received an auto reply saying she was on vacation. I could understand why the process was taking do long. When she got back she emailed me and said they expected to move things along that week. At the end of the week I recieved a rejection email with no useful info. The following Monday I emailed her again to ask for more details on the rejection and if she could provide any advice moving forward. Surprisingly she was on vacation again last week. She emailed me back on Monday saying that they wanted someone with more experience (I met their requirements in the posting) and that she had no constructive criticism to provide but my resume was great. What a frustrating experience and process and useless feedback. I feel like this person honestly just didn't give a #### and it is a poor reflection on the company.

There's a variety of reasons but some of the legitimate ones that might pop up are, hiring manager is asked to do some interviews on roles. Hiring manager led to believe higher ups are wanting to acquire talent, but higher ups are actually just window shopping.

Similar to above, they look at external talent to compare to an internal hire. Sometimes it's literally just going through the motions to make it seem like it was a fair "promotion", but who are you kidding? It's obvious they're motions from people on the inside and the internal talent likely wasn't the most qualified.

The vacation thing (if it bothers you) might be due to certain companies right now trying to force their employees to use up vacation so they don't have to carry forward too much vacation to 2021.

Originally Posted by GirlySports

Yeah that's awful. Sometimes HRs hands are tied and it's down to the director and manager of the department you're applying into, and either they are bat#### crazy or there are some shenanigans going on. You probably dodged a bullet.

Yep. Basically this as well.

Originally Posted by Sliver

I wouldn't be that quick to judge, and this is coming from a guy who judges up a storm. Things are changing so fataing fast in the world right now. You could easily lose a huge contract or need to shift directions to stay competitive. There are just so many possibilities and you have to be flexible and ready to pivot. Frankly, I'd fire somebody for being inflexible long before I'd fire somebody who is prepared to shift focus as required.

I feel for you guys looking for work. It must be so hard and that would be a kick to the nuts to have an opportunity evaporate like that.

It's not fun for sure. I've even heard some strange stories of companies refusing to hiring certain candidates because they don't want to pay the recruiter the finders fee. Some waited for the duration to expire on certain candidates and "head hunt" them "themselves" after a specific amount of time has passed. That's a dick move to certain recruiters.

This environment is pretty crappy for job searches for sure.

[squiggs96]

Originally Posted by calgarygeologist

I just don't understand how hiring and HR work. I applied for a job and shortly afterwards was asked to do an online pre-screening and after that I was asked to do a video interview. I was qualified based on the requirements and I figured I would be a good fit. I know there is a lot of competition though and there are no guarantees. After almost a week of waiting I emailed the HR contact and received an auto reply saying she was on vacation. I could understand why the process was taking do long. When she got back she emailed me and said they expected to move things along that week. At the end of the week I recieved a rejection email with no useful info. The following Monday I emailed her again to ask for more details on the rejection and if she could provide any advice moving forward. Surprisingly she was on vacation again last week. She emailed me back on Monday saying that they wanted someone with more experience (I met their requirements in the posting) and that she had no constructive criticism to provide but my resume was great. What a frustrating experience and process and useless feedback. I feel like this person honestly just didn't give a #### and it is a poor reflection on the company.

Here's why I don't think you should get mad at them. Just because you met the minimum qualifications for the job, doesn't mean there aren't people that exceeded them. I could say I need someone with 4 years of experience. You apply because you have 4 years of experience. However, I also interview someone that has 8 years of experience. Since the rest of your qualifications (salary, personality, test scores, etc.) come in at the same level, I might pick the one with more experience. There's nothing wrong with your application, but I went with more experience because at this point in my company's cycle, I need that. Sometimes we just pick someone else.

An HR rep doesn't always have time to give detailed feedback to every applicant. Right now the unemployment rate is high. If there were 100 people applying for a job, at least half won't make it past the first reading. Those do not deserve a response, especially if the posting says we will only contact applicants we want to pursue. I don't want my HR reps having to deal with 50 people's resumes that didn't make it. His/her job is to the company, not the people that don't work for the company. As the candidate search progresses, I feel unsuccessful candidates are owed more of an explanation, to a point. The last person deserves one, especially if you went a couple months through the process. I would rather the HR rep of my companies do not provide a long, detailed explanation. As much as people say they want constructive criticism, they are also looking to debate the points and convince you to pick them instead. It's similar to when I terminate someone. It's quick, brief, to the point, and leaves no room for interpretation.

It's different with a recruiter. A company will give more pointed feedback to the recruiter, so they can modify their current search and/or change for the next search. The recruiter should be providing more feedback to the candidate, as they will have future opportunities to place them. That is also why I pay a recruiter, to deal with all of those things. My HR employee has hundreds of tasks to the company, and providing counseling to unsuccessful candidates on how to get their next job is low on the priority list.

I have been the successful candidate many times and I've been the unsuccessful candidate many more times. I've been angry at companies for not picking me. I've found out who was picked and immediately thought I was better. I've said to myself that the company will regret it, and sometimes they did. What I take solace in is that they made the best decision they could for the company. Sometimes that means I am not the best decision for them.

[You Need a Thneed]

I finally got a call yesterday, setting up an interview that I had this morning.

Based on the interview, I'd guess that they don't think that I'm the best fit. The questions they asked me gave me some hesitations (maybe too strong a word?) about them too - but you never know.

Have a phone call with another place tomorrow morning too.

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by Lubicon

I've been in situations with my employer where things changed so quickly that we went from hiring to layoffs in a timeframe like this. It's not out of the realm of possibilities that they were intending to hire but are no longer doing so.

Originally Posted by Sliver

I wouldn't be that quick to judge, and this is coming from a guy who judges up a storm. Things are changing so fataing fast in the world right now. You could easily lose a huge contract or need to shift directions to stay competitive. There are just so many possibilities and you have to be flexible and ready to pivot. Frankly, I'd fire somebody for being inflexible long before I'd fire somebody who is prepared to shift focus as required.

I feel for you guys looking for work. It must be so hard and that would be a kick to the nuts to have an opportunity evaporate like that.

You guys are right but I still think it's incompetence in these cases. COVIDs been going on 4 months now, the time of uncertainty passed for most companies. I don't like seeing CPers jerked around.


I also find these long drawn out hiring processes insane. Like multiple interviews. I've hired plenty of people and do it pretty fast. I've seen other departments have 4th and 5th interviews, hire the person and they quit in 6 months. So what did you really accomplish with your extensive vetting process?

[CaptainCrunch]

I had another company reach out to me today to ask for a first interview. I had applied for the role back in mid April. Another one from Yesterday that I had applied for on the second day after I was laid off in March.


I will say in some defense that budgets right now are very um fluid. So yeah, with projects canceled or delayed a lot of companies that were hiring are drawing back on adding new employees.



A friend of mine was interviewing with a company he was expecting an offer because they were putting one together, and then got an email that because of some unexpected contract losses that they wouldn't be offering him, he was devestated.


The new normal sucks, especially for people that are stuck on the outside, and its difficult.


In terms of feedback, out of all of the companies that I interviewed with or talked to I got a lot of the we like you, but we like someone else better, and when you request feedback, your pretty much ghosted. But again, they're receiving 100's of resumes instead of like a dozen, so things are more difficult on the hiring end of things.

[You Need a Thneed]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

I had another company reach out to me today to ask for a first interview. I had applied for the role back in mid April. Another one from Yesterday that I had applied for on the second day after I was laid off in March.


I will say in some defense that budgets right now are very um fluid. So yeah, with projects canceled or delayed a lot of companies that were hiring are drawing back on adding new employees.



A friend of mine was interviewing with a company he was expecting an offer because they were putting one together, and then got an email that because of some unexpected contract losses that they wouldn't be offering him, he was devestated.


The new normal sucks, especially for people that are stuck on the outside, and its difficult.


In terms of feedback, out of all of the companies that I interviewed with or talked to I got a lot of the we like you, but we like someone else better, and when you request feedback, your pretty much ghosted. But again, they're receiving 100's of resumes instead of like a dozen, so things are more difficult on the hiring end of things.

In 2017-18 when I was looking for a job, I started looking in November.

I think I had the first interview with the company that hired me in February. My first day working there was in late April. Got a job offer on the third time I went there in person.

On my first day of work, I got a call from one of the first resumes I sent out in November - after not hearing anything at all from them for 5 months.

[Rutuu]

Originally Posted by Lubicon

I've been in situations with my employer where things changed so quickly that we went from hiring to layoffs in a timeframe like this. It's not out of the realm of possibilities that they were intending to hire but are no longer doing so.

The energy companies down here did this whipsaw in February. Struggling to find people in mid-Feb, to all postings cancelled and doing layoff lists by March 1st.

[You Need a Thneed]

So, in light of the mask wearing bylaw, should I be showing up to interviews wearing a mask?

[lazypucker]

Originally Posted by You Need a Thneed

So, in light of the mask wearing bylaw, should I be showing up to interviews wearing a mask?

If they insist for you to show up in person, you definitely should wear a mask, and bring extra masks for the interviewers if they are not wearing one.

You can just pull your mask down and show you full face for a second just so that they can recognize you, and keep your mask on at all times.

[You Need a Thneed]

Well, will be getting an interview next week out of the preliminary phone call I got this morning. That's good news.

[CaptainCrunch]

That's great news, kick butt. Let me know if you want to chat about it, I want to be helpful where I can if needed, and if you want to hook up on a call to talk or a vid, I'm here.

[You Need a Thneed]

Finished a list of emailed questions I got by email after a preliminary phone call a couple weeks ago for another position, and just sent them back.

[Mass_nerder]

So I have an interview set up on Friday in Edmonton, and have a zoom interview set up on Wednesday morning for a position in Vernon BC.
I've been looking since the middle of April, so I'm really hoping one of these comes through. I don't love the idea of moving (especially to Edmonton), but it seems like Calgary is in a massive rut, and I really don't have a lot of hope for the foreseeable future.

[Rutuu]

Originally Posted by Mass_nerder

So I have an interview set up on Friday in Edmonton, and have a zoom interview set up on Wednesday morning for a position in Vernon BC.
I've been looking since the middle of April, so I'm really hoping one of these comes through. I don't love the idea of moving (especially to Edmonton), but it seems like Calgary is in a massive rut, and I really don't have a lot of hope for the foreseeable future.

Imagine being in a rut...and living in Edmonton. *fingers crossed* for Vernon

[Inferno]

Originally Posted by Mass_nerder

I don't love the idea of moving (especially to Edmonton)

When I got asked for an interview from the game company I work for from Edmonton the first thought in my mind was "Oh god, I might have to move to Edmonton".

Even though I want to move I was relieved to find out it was freelance work.

[Johnny199r]

Originally Posted by Inferno

When I got asked for an interview from the game company I work for from Edmonton the first thought in my mind was "Oh god, I might have to move to Edmonton".

Even though I want to move I was relieved to find out it was freelance work.

Was this while you lived in The Pas? As someone who has lived in The Pas and Edmonton....one of those isn't bad...

[Inferno]

Originally Posted by Johnny199r

Was this while you lived in The Pas? As someone who has lived in The Pas and Edmonton....one of those isn't bad...

Yes, and if I did have to move to Edmonton I would have just to get out of The Pas but like Winnipeg where I have lived for a year Edmonton is a place I don't think I would want to stay long.

[Johnny199r]

Originally Posted by Inferno

Yes, and if I did have to move to Edmonton I would have just to get out of The Pas but like Winnipeg where I have lived for a year Edmonton is a place I don't think I would want to stay long.

I lived in The Pas recently for 3 years. I lived in Edmonton before then. Many people say Winnipeg = Edmonton. I found that to be false. I really liked Edmonton. The river valley was great for biking and running. The restuarants were really good and the weather was way warmer than anywhere in Manitoba when winter came around. Plus you have the Rockies a few hours away. I know it runs contrary to theme of many of these posts, but if you've never spent time there, give it a try.

[Inferno]

Originally Posted by Johnny199r

I lived in The Pas recently for 3 years. I lived in Edmonton before then. Many people say Winnipeg = Edmonton. I found that to be false. I really liked Edmonton. The river valley was great for biking and running. The restuarants were really good and the weather was way warmer than anywhere in Manitoba when winter came around. Plus you have the Rockies a few hours away. I know it runs contrary to theme of many of these posts, but if you've never spent time there, give it a try.

I have although not very long. I did get a "bigger Winnipeg" vibe from it though.

One of the factors for me is I want to move to a place that has game studios I want to work at. Edmonton doesn't even though they have Bioware which is a studio whose games I've never been into. I've heard from people who have worked there it can be a nightmare too. Calgary doesn't either so it's not a place I'm eyeing.

Going back to Vancouver where I lived for 5.5 years before having to move back to The Pas is where I have my sights set but I'd go out east too. Covid has kind of screwed up my plans though.