Job Hunting is sooooo frustrating right now! - Page 4 - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

djwazzy · 06-22-2009, 08:42 PM

Take a look at SMART Technologies, last time I looked we had over 40 open positions we're trying to fill

MissKat · 06-22-2009, 08:57 PM

WOOHOO I found it!

http://www.crossironmills.com/

Winsor_Pilates · 06-22-2009, 09:19 PM

What fields are all of you in that are looking for work??
I may be in a bubble, but I thought the job market was getting better again and am shocked to see so many people looking.

BlackArcher101 · 06-22-2009, 09:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Winsor_Pilates

What fields are all of you in that are looking for work??
I may be in a bubble, but I thought the job market was getting better again and am shocked to see so many people looking.

For me, anything manufacturing, be it design or quality. It's still hit hard.

MRCboicgy · 06-22-2009, 09:59 PM

here's a direct link for SMART
http://www2.smarttech.com/st/en-US/A...rs/default.htm

Lucifer · 06-22-2009, 10:06 PM

I also have been unemployed since January. I've dropped off lots of resumes, and still nothing. Went to temp agencies as well, and again nothing. Sure, I'll have the odd interview, but nothing comes from them. It does get frustrating, definately, but you just have to remain positive and know something will come up.

I'm to the point where if McDonald's hires me, I'll actually enjoy it because I'm working again, lol. Of course, I'll still be looking for something better but hey, at least I'll have something so I can be making money again.

First Lady · 06-22-2009, 10:36 PM

I had posted this in the Power Ring, but guess it might work in this thread too.

I am currently conducting interviews for this position:

http://executivedirectorsdesk.blogsp...ow-hiring.html

Still time to get in, drop me a line.

jtfrogger · 06-22-2009, 11:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jammies

I can't stress enough how important it is to MAKE FRIENDS at every job you ever work at. I haven't had to go *look* for a job since the mid-90's, instead I just put the word out that I'm thinking about a change, and connections do the rest. Networking is the most important skill you can ever develop - the best jobs not only don't get advertised, they get filled by someone who knows somebody.

This might not help you in your current predicament, but it's useful to think about for the future. Make friends with everyone and do people favours - no matter what their current position or authority - because being well-liked and respected is worth a hundred times any qualification you can put on your resume.

This is so absolutely true. I hadn't realized until recently that I have been doing this. I've always said that I have lucked into my job opportunities. In reality, I always got them from people I knew. Either from people I have worked with or even friends. Actually, now that I think about it, one of my best opportunities happened when a friend of mine told her uncle that I had just graduated. I ended up getting an amazing offer. I didn't accept the offer, but my then current employer gave me a 50% raise to compete. They also put me on a fast track for advancement that was absolutely amazing for my career.

In April I found myself unemployed. I am loving it. My wife has a good job (for now anyway... they are looking at cuts too). We had been living well below our combined income level. I got a good severance and we already had some cash to spare. I wasn't really too happy with work. We are now spending more than her income, but our savings should last much longer than I expect it will take me to find a job, and that is without a drop in our lifestyle.

So, at this point, I am enjoying a free summer. I haven't had one of those since my second year university. I figure I don't have much hope of finding anything before September. Even then, I think there is a very good chance that I won't find anything until the new year.

Interestingly enough, I have have a personal drive to network. I am mostly doing it because I want to keep in touch with people. I love to go out for coffee or lunch. When I do this, I sometimes get information about opportunities. So far, none have panned out, but that is okay.

A few of my former colleagues in Winnipeg have even casually offered me positions (or suggest that they can find something for me) if I were willing to move back. I've kept in touch with a few and the economy appears to be doing just fine there. This is good to know if thing get really ugly, but Calgary is home now.

What I think is interesting, is how different people react. My story is the same to everyone I tell. I say that I am happy about it, that we are fine financially, and that I don't really plan on starting to look until the fall. Very few people actually believe all three of those statements. I actually think I am in a much better mindframe to find something now than I was initially. Having a couple months to decompress has been wonderful. If I had been looking initially, I would not have come across very well in the interviews relative to what I can really do.

Anyway, I hope that those that do need the work find it soon.

Lithium · 06-23-2009, 07:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by djwazzy

Take a look at SMART Technologies, last time I looked we had over 40 open positions we're trying to fill

I agree, that's where I work

JohnnyFlame · 06-23-2009, 08:18 AM

Apply for city, provincial or federal jobs. Apply for any of them. I've got two relatives that played this card. Got their foot in the door and went from there. They pay for you to upgrade, you get first dibs on job openings. Both of them moved quickly into jobs they actually like after a couple of ladder jumping moves.

mykalberta · 06-23-2009, 09:25 AM

What type of job are you looking for?

Fed Ex/UPS and different service companies at the airport are always hiring. Its not office duty but it does pay well (+$15/hour).

With gas at $1/litre this "economic slowdown" at least in the O&G and related industries should get back to smooth running by September.

Any Oil company that says they cannot make money at $70/Barrell or $1/Litre is either out of touch with costs or lying.

Regorium · 06-23-2009, 12:54 PM

I'm in the same position too.

Every engineering job I've seen posted requires 5 or 10 or 20000 years of experience. As a new grad that (stupidly) turned down an offer elsewhere to come to Calgary, it is an absolute disaster. Just last year, I heard people were getting almost 100k out of school at Encana. This year I heard all the grad offers got rescinded.

How fast times change.

GreenLantern · 06-23-2009, 01:06 PM

I am also in the boat of joblessness.. I graduated this spring from UofS and have been applying like crazy and everyone I talk to tells me the samething "horrible time to be looking for a job, do another year of school..."

I have had COMPANIES tell me that.. lol

edit: I graduated with a four year B.A., Geography Major. Things like Environmental Impact Assessment, Hydrology, Remote Sensing, GIS, Forestry, Climate Change.. etc.. are all topics I studied. Companies love this, but hate the fact I have zero experience.. why do they post jobs in their "recent graduate" section that require 5-10 years experience...?

alltherage · 06-23-2009, 01:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MissKat

WOOHOO I found it!

http://www.crossironmills.com/

Check your PMs.

MissKat · 06-23-2009, 01:22 PM

I have a question for any resume experts on CP. I was told that its really critical to try to keep your resume 2 full pages at the max. For listing your previous work history, how far back should someone go? Im 28, and my first job was when I was 16. I have about 7 or 8 jobs on my resume but thinking about cutting it down to perhaps 5?

LChoy · 06-23-2009, 01:25 PM

Usually, you shouldn't list every job you ever had (unless you're young and don't have much experience). Rather, it's better to list the most recent/relevant job experience, and use that to inform your potential hirer how those experiences will help in the current position you are applying to. Such, unless one of the jobs you had 5+ years ago is directly relevant to this one now, it's safe to exclude it

Just my 2 cents from government experience

MissKat · 06-23-2009, 01:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lchoy

Usually, you shouldn't list every job you ever had (unless you're young and don't have much experience). Rather, it's better to list the most recent/relevant job experience, and use that to inform your potential hirer how those experiences will help in the current position you are applying to. Such, unless one of the jobs you had 5+ years ago is directly relevant to this one now, it's safe to exclude it

Just my 2 cents from government experience

Ok great thanks. So looks like its safe for me to ditch the jobs from 8-10yrs ago

alltherage · 06-23-2009, 01:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MissKat

Ok great thanks. So looks like its safe for me to ditch the jobs from 8-10yrs ago

As a rule of thumb I would try to make your resume 2 pages max. Also, don't include any mistake stints, like a 2 week job that you realised was not your thing.

zuluking · 06-23-2009, 01:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GreenLantern

edit: I graduated with a four year B.A., Geography Major. Things like Environmental Impact Assessment, Hydrology, Remote Sensing, GIS, Forestry, Climate Change.. etc.. are all topics I studied. Companies love this, but hate the fact I have zero experience.. why do they post jobs in their "recent graduate" section that require 5-10 years experience...?

Companies say they love that, because they have to.

Phanuthier · 06-23-2009, 01:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Regorium

I'm in the same position too.

Every engineering job I've seen posted requires 5 or 10 or 20000 years of experience. As a new grad that (stupidly) turned down an offer elsewhere to come to Calgary, it is an absolute disaster. Just last year, I heard people were getting almost 100k out of school at Encana. This year I heard all the grad offers got rescinded.

How fast times change.

Goes to show loyalty too, for all the hirers that said employees would come and go every few months or years and show no loyalty. Maybe a few decades ago, but on this generation where companies try to meet specific income statement figures or whatever, loyalty is a 2-way street.

Quote:

Originally Posted by alltherage

Check your PMs.

lol i'm so immature

Quote:

Originally Posted by MissKat

I have a question for any resume experts on CP. I was told that its really critical to try to keep your resume 2 full pages at the max. For listing your previous work history, how far back should someone go? Im 28, and my first job was when I was 16. I have about 7 or 8 jobs on my resume but thinking about cutting it down to perhaps 5?

Perhaps a 2-pager then have a detailed resume online? (i.e. linkedin)

For me and my profession, employers ask for a 1 page resume but I have a detailed resume on my website as well as papers or documentation for all the projects I did. One of my perspective employers (who wants to add me to his team) asked for the website as he wanted to go through all my project papers and see what kind of ideas I have.