Fuck cover letters. I got my current job without one and also got interviews with other but companies just applying raw with resume only.
-
Ever wanted an RSS feed of all your favorite gaming news sites? Go check out our new Gaming Headlines feed! Read more about it here.
Applying for jobs is exhausting and soul-crushing
- Thread starter BarryAllen
- Start date
So after landing a job after 4 months of searching, I can certainly say that it was much easier to notice the red flags as I went from interview to interview. I was also able to get an idea of the type of place I would work best in just by their interview style. Some places were high stress and put me in front of a panel of multiple people and other places were 1 on 1 and the interview was more of a conversation instead of drilling me with questions.
My first interview in 9 years was in front of 6 people at a health care facility where the majority of the people in the room obviously didn't want to be there. They made it a point to tell me that the facility barely has any money to work with and the work itself was overly taxing considering the position. I left that interview really discouraged and wondering if this is the kind of situation I'd eventually find myself in. They applied a considerable amount of pressure on me during the interview and I responded by completely bombing most of the questions.
Compare that to the interview process for the job I accepted and the overall feeling was night and day. Again it was a panel of people but only 4 this time and they were all very supportive and upbeat during the interview. I had no problem answering all of their questions in detail and felt no pressure at all. They offered a second interview and this time it was with 4 people from the actual building I would be working in. Again, friendly faces greeted me and we had a really great conversation about the position. I left there with a real feeling that this a team that does a great job of supporting each other.
I got really lucky that my first offer was from the only place that really made me feel like I could enjoy working with them. I really thought there would be no end to the interviews that just go nowhere with these companies that never call me back when asking for update. Which leads me to something else I wanted to say.
These companies don't care about you. People talking about burning bridges if you just started a job and a better offer comes through, ya know, I feel you need to look out for yourself first. Explain the situation to your current company, let them get agitated, then take the other job and move on. No reason to lose sleep over hurting a company's feelings. All they're going to do is call the runner up for the position and get them in there.
My first interview in 9 years was in front of 6 people at a health care facility where the majority of the people in the room obviously didn't want to be there. They made it a point to tell me that the facility barely has any money to work with and the work itself was overly taxing considering the position. I left that interview really discouraged and wondering if this is the kind of situation I'd eventually find myself in. They applied a considerable amount of pressure on me during the interview and I responded by completely bombing most of the questions.
Compare that to the interview process for the job I accepted and the overall feeling was night and day. Again it was a panel of people but only 4 this time and they were all very supportive and upbeat during the interview. I had no problem answering all of their questions in detail and felt no pressure at all. They offered a second interview and this time it was with 4 people from the actual building I would be working in. Again, friendly faces greeted me and we had a really great conversation about the position. I left there with a real feeling that this a team that does a great job of supporting each other.
I got really lucky that my first offer was from the only place that really made me feel like I could enjoy working with them. I really thought there would be no end to the interviews that just go nowhere with these companies that never call me back when asking for update. Which leads me to something else I wanted to say.
These companies don't care about you. People talking about burning bridges if you just started a job and a better offer comes through, ya know, I feel you need to look out for yourself first. Explain the situation to your current company, let them get agitated, then take the other job and move on. No reason to lose sleep over hurting a company's feelings. All they're going to do is call the runner up for the position and get them in there.
^That last part is exactly how I feel about my current employer. That's why I'm been looking for a new place. I've been very thankful for my current employment, and given them some of my best work, but I can see there's no upward mobility at all for me here. That's why I decided to start interviewing again.
Surprisingly I've had some very positive offers so far. Hopefully one of them turns into something.
Surprisingly I've had some very positive offers so far. Hopefully one of them turns into something.
I really hate the waiting game after interviews. More so than the interviews themselves.
Did 3 solid interviews this weekend, all went well and all said they would be in touch by telephone soon.....
Now I'm checking my phone every 5 mins.
Did 3 solid interviews this weekend, all went well and all said they would be in touch by telephone soon.....
Now I'm checking my phone every 5 mins.
You know.....
Aldi is always hiring around me. ;-)
And yeah I wish that feeling didn't happen. I am still worried the job I start in 12 days is fake somehow.
Yeah. I can remember when I started the role i was in . I had to put in 6 weeks of notice and my new company said they would be in touch before my start date just to go over a few things, panic started to set in after they never contacted me until 1 week before my start date.
1 of the jobs has contacted me via text message bizarrely enough. It's just a polite message telling me that I am still in consideration and that the process is taking longer than anticipated.
So i have a situation question. My SO got accepted at their dream job about 6 months ago, and moved to a city four hours away, and we agreed that after the lease was up on my apartment, I would move down to join them, which there's about two months left. My resume and cover letter are all updated for my current position and I'm ready to start applying, but I'm a little anxious about applying for jobs while still 4 hours away, especially if they call me in for interviews.
On one hand, I want to get the application process started so I can hopefully have a job by the time I arrive, but making a 4ish hour trip for an interview during a weekday, and then either staying the night and waking up, or driving straight back isn't that good of an option, and would put a ton of miles on my older car that I don't want breaking down.
The other option I'm thinking is applying about a month before I move, and hopefully by the time I (hopefully!) start getting interviews, I'll be moved up where the commute is usually 15-20 minutes max. I have enough money saved up I can pay my rent and food for 9ish months without worry, and I'm confident with my skillset I'll have something before that point.
Would interviewers be willing to postpone interviews, or would I just be instantly passed over? I know the common advice is to not quit until you have something on lock, but going month to month at my apartment is super expensive, and the long distance has definitely been straining my relationship. Sorry for the long story, and thank you for any advice!
On one hand, I want to get the application process started so I can hopefully have a job by the time I arrive, but making a 4ish hour trip for an interview during a weekday, and then either staying the night and waking up, or driving straight back isn't that good of an option, and would put a ton of miles on my older car that I don't want breaking down.
The other option I'm thinking is applying about a month before I move, and hopefully by the time I (hopefully!) start getting interviews, I'll be moved up where the commute is usually 15-20 minutes max. I have enough money saved up I can pay my rent and food for 9ish months without worry, and I'm confident with my skillset I'll have something before that point.
Would interviewers be willing to postpone interviews, or would I just be instantly passed over? I know the common advice is to not quit until you have something on lock, but going month to month at my apartment is super expensive, and the long distance has definitely been straining my relationship. Sorry for the long story, and thank you for any advice!
As an HR person, I totally agree with this ^^^. Companies do not care, you shouldn't feel bad, and you have got to do what is best for yourself. The only situation where it annoys me is when people do this but don't look at their complete compensation package (when leaving is about money). I've had people tell me they are leaving because they got offered $1/hr more somewhere else. I then ask if their benefits are covered, what the retirement plan is, etc. and they don't know. Is it really worth an extra $2,080/year in hourly wages if you now have to pay $2,400/year for health insurance? We've all got our own decisions to make and that is clearly what that person values, so its fine. It just isn't how I'd make that decision.
I obviously don't know the situation, but I have done this before to applicants and it is usually when a manager wants me to make an offer to Candidate A and I don't think it is going to pan out, so I want to make sure Candidate B doesn't give up. I know it sucks to do that to applicants, but I also don't want to tell Candidate B no and then a week letter try be like, "hey, second choice, want to come work here now?" I only do this when I am like 99% sure Candidate A isn't really interested. It is more likely that the HR person has too many fires to put out and just can't get to it, or the hiring manager took vacation, or some other thing. Hopefully you hear back soon and it is good news. I think it sends a good sign about the company that they are reaching out to give the update. I feel like that is pretty rare.
I wouldn't instantly pass you over, and I don't have a problem with you asking (you wouldn't earn any negative marks), but I would absolutely not postpone the interview for any applicant (i'm in government, so I have more restrictions, but I doubt I'd do this in the private sector either).
Not quitting until you have something is the common advice and it is what I would personally try for, but you gotta do what you gotta do. Its your life and only you know what is right for you, so if the SO, the move, and quitting are all what you believe to be right, you gotta go for it. I think you should still definitely start applying now though. It can be unexpectedly hard to get things sometimes and like you said, it is costly to live off of savings. You'd hate to miss out on a great opportunity by a month because you were trying to time it right.
I'm also having issues finding work while in employment.
All three of the jobs I've applied for have got back to me and asked me for second interviews. One wants me to do a presentation as there will be some public speaking and they want to see what I've got.
Unfortunately alot of my current staff or on holiday in the next few weeks and I'm currently without an assistant so finding time to slot interviews in aswell as prepare for a presentation while holding down this job is proving tough.
I'm seriously considering either walking or throwing sick days. Which is not ideal
All three of the jobs I've applied for have got back to me and asked me for second interviews. One wants me to do a presentation as there will be some public speaking and they want to see what I've got.
Unfortunately alot of my current staff or on holiday in the next few weeks and I'm currently without an assistant so finding time to slot interviews in aswell as prepare for a presentation while holding down this job is proving tough.
I'm seriously considering either walking or throwing sick days. Which is not ideal
Oh my gosh, yes. I took a pay hit to leave my previous job for my current one (which I would've done anyway because I really hated my previous job), but the previous job also had lackluster health care (which becomes more and more important to me as I get older), no 401K matching, and awful PTO. It can be challenging to appreciate things that don't have an immediately obvious value like pure dollars do, but I definitely encourage my friends to try to think more carefully about those other benefits.
It took 8 months, but I've finally snagged a new job. Beyond excited. First interview where I had to prepare a presentation and then present as part of the process, only was asked 3 behavioral questions instead of the usual 5 or6.
Got a great tip that helped me a ton, I jotted down 10-15 projects that I was prepared to talk about, it saved me from having to think up a project on the fly to apply to these "STAR" questions.
Got a great tip that helped me a ton, I jotted down 10-15 projects that I was prepared to talk about, it saved me from having to think up a project on the fly to apply to these "STAR" questions.
Alright, so there is a company that has a recruiter job offer in my area. Now, I applied about a month ago, and there was a slight misunderstanding between us, in that I thought it was a recruiter job for this particular company (as in, an HR position), while he was looking for a recruiter as part of the sales team he has, since it's a staffing company.
After thinking about it, I want to try my hand at recruiting in this company. However, they are going to inevitably ask me "Well, didn't the search for an HR job work out?" What do I say to that?
After thinking about it, I want to try my hand at recruiting in this company. However, they are going to inevitably ask me "Well, didn't the search for an HR job work out?" What do I say to that?
Just to chime in on if a better offer comes in, I am still being heavily recruited for a permanent role with a large NGO, which definitely has better benefits and long term prospects barring total government meltdown/banking system failure on a grand scale, but it uses the software I want to keep getting better with, it offers good/comparative pay, but those benefits are going to be the push over the edge.
I honestly won't feel one iota of guild, because A: Right to work state (so no real rights/protections) and B: I am on a temp to hire contract, nothing is guaranteed, so I need to make sure I am safe long term.
I honestly won't feel one iota of guild, because A: Right to work state (so no real rights/protections) and B: I am on a temp to hire contract, nothing is guaranteed, so I need to make sure I am safe long term.
I start this job on Monday!
I think salary/compensation wise it would have been better for me to stay at my old job, but the benefits are much better at the new company and I think I'll see some quality of life increases too. They have a good tuition reimbursement policy so I'm looking into MBAs now too
Is it gonna bite me in the ass if I don't tell this company I just had a great interview with (seeking a temp-to-perm) that I'm relocating away in 4 months? They seem especially interested in finding someone to keep long-term and I'm just looking for a summer fling.
I don't know what your background professional background looks like, but I think you can tweak something like this to get the conversation refocused where you want it, "I am not looking for an HR job, I am looking for the right fit for my knowledge, skills, and abilities. Additionally, I am not just looking for a routine position and I want the ability to grow horizontally and challenge myself in something that is new, but where my past experience is still heavily relatable. For example, my past experience doing X, Y, Z show I can handle A, B, C tasks for the sales team recruiter. In addition to my past direct experience doing very similar work, I have these transferable skills and work history that I can draw from (list a few with context/examples that have quantifiable results)."
You may have to do a little more work as someone applying to a different field (again, just guessing by context). It really helps hiring people if you can lay out the path for yourself to get the job. That is where the, "I have past experience that directly relates to this job and here it is", type of sentence helps. Hiring people don't need to dig through your materials/history to see if you can do the work, because you showed it to them in a direct manner with an example. It helps you control the narrative about yourself a little.
The other hurdle you have to clear is to shake off the "this person is just applying for anything" stigma. I have someone that applies for every open position, no matter what. That person just wants a job because the jobs that they are applying for are incompatible. I want to hire someone that wants a career. That doesn't mean I expect you to work here till you die or put in crazy hours, but we all can picture someone treating work as any job versus wanting better themselves professionally and taking pride in their work. I really like when people show me that they understand the position they are getting into is a challenge and they are up for it. You will need to address that because this position will be a change from what you are used to (presumably). You don't want to go too over the top and be arrogant about it (I can do any job), you want to acknowledge that you have a lot to learn (hence, the challenge), but you aren't starting out with no experience (why you absolutely need to show you aren't going to need to be taught everything). In short, they've got you in this "HR Recruiter" box and you need to be able to open the door and walk them down the hallway to put you in the "Sales Recruiter" box.
I applied for and got an interview for a position and took a day off work for it. I got genuinely ill the night before and there was no way I was gonna make it, and my current job is keeping a close eye on my vacation/sick days so I knew I wouldn't be able to reschedule the interview for the foreseeable future, so I emailed the hiring manager and department head that I was ill and regretfully would be withdrawing my application and wished them luck with the search.
I just checked and saw that the same position has been reposted, it looks like they filled one of two openings for the same role. Obviously I screwed up not even trying to see if there was anything we could work out, but would it even be worth it to reapply? Maybe address my regret for missing the interview and excitement to see it reposted in the cover letter?
I just checked and saw that the same position has been reposted, it looks like they filled one of two openings for the same role. Obviously I screwed up not even trying to see if there was anything we could work out, but would it even be worth it to reapply? Maybe address my regret for missing the interview and excitement to see it reposted in the cover letter?
Can you call the recruiter you talked with before and explain the situation? It will still look weird but probably less bad than applying again.
I agree with doing it this way. Ask if they want you to resubmit the full application or if they can pull your old one. Also let them know how far you got in the process last time (had an interview scheduled, but fell ill and you thought you wouldn't able to present your best self at the interview and you didn't want to get everyone else sick (this is always appreciated)).
So of the 3 jobs I've interviewed for one has got back and offered me a position. Great news, but if I'm being honest the position is my last choice of the 3. It's the easiest to get to in regards to travel but the work seems really processed and I think I'd get bored quickly. Theyre going to send the contract over at the end of next week,so the other two positions have time to get back to me before I sign.
I just got turned down to return to my favorite position ever. Anybody know of any good positions in Omaha that don't involve open concept offices, large crowds, or standing up in a single spot doing the same repetitive action for 12 hours? I'm great with face to face interactions and I've done a lot of delivery work.
How far are you in the other processes? Do you know if there are more interview rounds planned, or are you just waiting for them to make a decision? If you are comfortable being a little pushy, reach out to the contact person you have for those positions, let them know you received an offer elsewhere, but you would rather work with them. Ask them what the timeline looks like for them getting back to you.
I feel like it was mentioned a lot on this page, but you can always take that job and then bounce if one of the other jobs come along. You gotta look after yourself and do what is best for you in the long run.
Hey, thanks for the advice.
I'm going to contact the other two positions in the morning and let them know the situation.
I'm really happy that I have at least secured one position and will be getting out of the hell which is my current job.
Last edited:
Current job is practically killing me since the owner went insane. And I've got around a month to get out of here before the business moves to downtown Toronto and my commute goes from obnoxious to unbearable. It's a shame because I really liked working here for a long time, plus I felt like I owed them since this job basically saved my life back in 2015. But I can't take much more of this. I get this sinking feeling in my stomach every time I see his car in the parking spot because there's no way to know what insane thing he's going to blow up over. Millionaire CEO of a company and he goes around checking garbage bins to see if you're wasting supplies, freaks out over icons on people's desktops (was fine with it before), lost his shit yesterday because I put a box back into storage and it was half an inch away from the wall.
Had my first interview in 4 years this morning at 5AM. I've been applying around since January but I didn't get any bites - I had an in here with my roommate/longtime friend who is a project manager at the company and knows the IT director. He's wanted me to apply here for about a year but they rarely have anything open up. I feel like it went really well, I stumbled a bit on one question but after about 20 minutes the interview turned into a casual conversation. That only happened once for me before and it was at my current job (with my boss who, unlike the owner, is great). End of the interview was him asking me how soon I could start, followed by a tour of the office and some in-depth explanations of things like how they automate the sign-in desk. I don't think he'd go that far if I wasn't being pretty seriously considered, and he said as much. Hell he said that me agreeing to come in at 5AM without batting an eye impressed his own boss. I certainly don't mind, but it was literally the only chance I had. I can't take time off right now.
Best part is when he asked for salary expectations I mentioned what I currently make and he said 'uh we'd pay a lot more than that'. I was expecting to need to take less, lol.
Anyways, just needed to get it off my chest a little, waiting until next week (it's a long weekend) to find out will be rough. Applying for jobs and going to interviews is hard enough when you're unemployed, but working 50-60 hour weeks at a toxic job on top of that isn't helping. So I'd love to be done with this process.
Had my first interview in 4 years this morning at 5AM. I've been applying around since January but I didn't get any bites - I had an in here with my roommate/longtime friend who is a project manager at the company and knows the IT director. He's wanted me to apply here for about a year but they rarely have anything open up. I feel like it went really well, I stumbled a bit on one question but after about 20 minutes the interview turned into a casual conversation. That only happened once for me before and it was at my current job (with my boss who, unlike the owner, is great). End of the interview was him asking me how soon I could start, followed by a tour of the office and some in-depth explanations of things like how they automate the sign-in desk. I don't think he'd go that far if I wasn't being pretty seriously considered, and he said as much. Hell he said that me agreeing to come in at 5AM without batting an eye impressed his own boss. I certainly don't mind, but it was literally the only chance I had. I can't take time off right now.
Best part is when he asked for salary expectations I mentioned what I currently make and he said 'uh we'd pay a lot more than that'. I was expecting to need to take less, lol.
Anyways, just needed to get it off my chest a little, waiting until next week (it's a long weekend) to find out will be rough. Applying for jobs and going to interviews is hard enough when you're unemployed, but working 50-60 hour weeks at a toxic job on top of that isn't helping. So I'd love to be done with this process.
This sounds very much like my current manager.
She sent me an email a couple of weeks ago setting a date for a 1 on 1 meeting to discuss 'faults with my work'
After shitting myself for a couple of days wondering what faults she was talking about I finally got in the meeting and my faults were as followed: (these aren't jokes)
- I had used a blue pen rather than a black one when signing a document
- I had used a guest code to leave the car park rather than the staff one
- I had left on time one day and handed over several unread emails to my assistant to get back to.
- I had sent out a memo to my staff late at night and not during business hours.
The woman is fucking insane and I've got to a point where I know I could work perfectly without fault and she would still pull me in for hour long meetings to talk absaloute bullshit.
It's taking every grain of my will-power to work the rest of my notice and leave amicably without telling her my thoughts and walking out of the door.
For those of you applying for jobs on indeed be aware that there are scammers out there trying to get your personal information. Scammers are becoming increasingly sophisticated now. They are setting up website that look very legitimate. After you apply for a job on indeed or monster you will receive an email with a link to their business. They will ask you to fill out an application online. They will ask the usual questions: name, address, social security number, phone number, etc. They use this info to steal your identity. Also, just by visiting these websites could put malware on your computer.
Soo, think I'm going to make a career change as I have completely failed in my current career path.
What is the best way to get into Labor representation/Labor relations/HR?
Every job I see posted requires at minimum 3 years experience.
What is the best way to get into Labor representation/Labor relations/HR?
Every job I see posted requires at minimum 3 years experience.
What is your current career? What is your work history/experience? There is no "entry level" anymore, so you are going to need to take what you've got and help the recruiter make sense of your resume/cv to see how you can fit in to that 3 years experience.
As an aside, why do you feel you failed your current career path?
If I'm being honest. I've quite enjoyed job hunting. The difference in approach from companies means I never know what to expect.
For example, I've had one company interview me for 9 minutes before sending me a 'no thanks' email. The whole thing seemed really bizarre and I have no idea how they could have gauged any sort of idea of what kind of worker I am in such a short period.
Another place I interviewed for was on the other end of the spectrum. I had 2 phone interviews, a video interview, an in-person interview followed by another follow-up phone interview....
Also, some companies leave you waiting for over a week to give you an answer while another company called me to let me know I had got the position if I wanted it while I was on my journey home from the interview.
Its all been a great experience, but there really is no right answer on how to prepare for an interview.
The only thing that has got me a bit pissed off with the whole process is the fact that I've been working while looking for a new job. It's been really difficult trying to set up interviews, pick up calls and answer emails promptly when I'm busy in my current position. I think I would have found this a whole lot easier if I was without a job.
For example, I've had one company interview me for 9 minutes before sending me a 'no thanks' email. The whole thing seemed really bizarre and I have no idea how they could have gauged any sort of idea of what kind of worker I am in such a short period.
Another place I interviewed for was on the other end of the spectrum. I had 2 phone interviews, a video interview, an in-person interview followed by another follow-up phone interview....
Also, some companies leave you waiting for over a week to give you an answer while another company called me to let me know I had got the position if I wanted it while I was on my journey home from the interview.
Its all been a great experience, but there really is no right answer on how to prepare for an interview.
The only thing that has got me a bit pissed off with the whole process is the fact that I've been working while looking for a new job. It's been really difficult trying to set up interviews, pick up calls and answer emails promptly when I'm busy in my current position. I think I would have found this a whole lot easier if I was without a job.
So my supervisor let it slip on Friday that I was going to get a promotion/transfer to another department. My initial gut reaction was "Fuck that, I spent five years at this job. I don't want to be trapped here another five." So I steeled myself and applied to a bunch of jobs on Sunday. And I got a request for an interview today. And my initial gut reaction was "Fuck that. I hate interviews. What if this new job sucks worse. And the people suck."
Been applying to jobs I've felt I've been qualified for and haven't even gotten a call back from anyone, feels bad man. Worse part is I tried to write a unique cover letter for each job I applied and still get nada, talk about feeling like a sucker.
Can confirm the waiting process sucks.
Went through multiple interviews with a couple places, both said they'd be reaching out at the end of last week.
Felt pretty solid about both of them, waited patiently till the end of the week with the hopes I'd at least have answers soon. One reached out Friday to say they're still going through the process and that I'll get an update in 1-2 weeks.
The other called to let me know that Monday they'd connect again with a final decision. Waited for the weekend to go by. Sat around all day today checking my phone and heard nothing.
Just tired of waiting and being bored inside all day. Feels like I can't even enjoy any of the things I normally would with this cloud of uncertainty over my head the whole time.
Went through multiple interviews with a couple places, both said they'd be reaching out at the end of last week.
Felt pretty solid about both of them, waited patiently till the end of the week with the hopes I'd at least have answers soon. One reached out Friday to say they're still going through the process and that I'll get an update in 1-2 weeks.
The other called to let me know that Monday they'd connect again with a final decision. Waited for the weekend to go by. Sat around all day today checking my phone and heard nothing.
Just tired of waiting and being bored inside all day. Feels like I can't even enjoy any of the things I normally would with this cloud of uncertainty over my head the whole time.
I'm in the same situation. $31k increase in base salary, and a $4k signing bonus. Feels kinda surreal.
I'm really not looking forward to putting in my 2wks notice. My boss is good dude, and even better mentor. I'm probably going to wait until next week.
I don't understand WHY most application processes I go through usually use iCims, and I still have to register and reinput all my information and shit again and again and again. It eats up so much valuable time. You'd think iCims could have one main dedicated profile across all hiring boards, and just autocompletes your profile.
Currently I am a case manager at a personal injury firm.
12 years legal experience ranging from file clerk, to legal assistant, to law clerk, to being a supervisor for a discovery department.
As to your last question, I've been trying to pass the bar exam for the last 5 years. Just failed again.
Do you typically expect phone calls or emails when hearing back from a place you applied for?
In my experience, It's normally a call if you've been accepted or an email if you've been rejected.
I did apply for a job a while ago that I felt I was way over qualified for. I smashed the interview and they said they would definitely call me within a few days regardless of the answer... 3 days later I received a 'no thanks' email, and that pissed me off.
This is somewhat similar to me, so long story time. I went to law school and did solo practice right away while doing doc review full-time. I hated both and was always stressed out at anything to do with my practice. I just really lacked self-confidence and I found out I am just someone that likes to have someone else telling me what to do at work. My wife wanted to move back to her home town, which is small (about 10-15,000 population). I ended up getting a job doing employment investigations the big employer in the town. It was boring, but it helped me start transitioning out of typical attorney work. For getting that job, I really emphasized my research and writing skills, familiarity with best practices, and being able to communicate effectively. I really tried to downplay a lot of the main "attorney" skills, because I was worried they would treat me as overqualified just by the work history.
Before I got that job, I applied for an HR position with the local government agency 2 separate times and was never offered an interview. I also applied about 6 months after I started that job (they kept taking it down and reposting it). One day, the agency posted an analyst position that sounded like an admin assistant job, but I just wanted something different, so I applied for it. I did well in the interview, and I really liked the people I would be working with, but didn't get the job. They called me the day after and said, "hey, didn't you apply for the HR job a while back? Would you be interested in that?" I came back and did that interview and they offered me the job a week later. For the analyst job, I did the same thing I did for the investigator job and downplayed some of the skills to emphasize what they were looking for, which was someone that could create professional work product from doing research. For the HR job, I really tried to play up the attorney aspects in those initial applications. I talked to my manager about it later and they said that I didn't look great on paper as I had no traditional HR experience and they really needed a generalist to do everything, but after sitting through the analyst interview with me, I came across well and they thought I was level headed and could adapt to the position better than I could based on just the paper application. Plus they felt the investigation experience (1.5years at that point) helped give me some employment related experience they could use. I also think they were pretty desperate because they hadn't had an HR person in a few years and it was really straining them.
Now that my long story is over, I think you should focus on emphasizing the experience you have that will translate well into whatever role you apply to. Don't try to edit your current resume. Throw it out and rebuild it while trying to generalize your experiences (limit legal terms and make it seem more broadly applicable, but keep quantified information). That way you take the work out of the HR person needing to translate it from something specialized, into something normal, so they can then see how it would work for them. I would worry about you getting typecast into a legal position by an employer and passed over.
I have another post on this page talking about transitional skills and wording things, but to add to it, I'd avoid calling out you are looking for a career change (I hear that as "I want to start over and you need to train me"). I'd like to see an applicant show me, through concrete examples, experiences you have had in the work place that will be what I need the candidate to do. It's not a "career change" you are just looking for something challenging that you know you have the working experience to do well.
I know this advice is not broadly applicable and it is extremely situational. I think I had more opportunity because I moved somewhere smaller where there isn't much of an educated/specialized work force. I think it would have been extremely difficult for me to get the job I have now if I was still in the major metropolitan area. While you obviously might not want to move somewhere rural (I have no clue where you are now) you might need to expand your search if you don't get any bites because the applicant pool is competitive.
My other advice that sucks is you might want to look at taking a job you normally wouldn't take to just get you on the way out of the legal field, that way you break up the typecasting on your resume. For me, that was that investigation job. I knew I wouldn't like it, (plus I just needed a job because we moved), but it helped show my current agency me taking a job with them wasn't going to be an experiment for me in trying something new. I had demonstrated some commitment to making the change, which is some actually applicable advice. Even if you take some CLEs (my state's BOLI agency offers lots of affordable trainings that anyone can attend) it shows you are making an effort toward this something new. The employer doesn't want to bear 100% of the responsibility of helping you transition into a new field. I actually ask, "what have you done in the last 2 years to prepare yourself for this position" often as an interview question. One question won't bomb you in an interview, but if you can't answer that one, why the heck should I look at you as an applicant?
Attending trainings is also a great way to network and get some advice in your area about who is hiring, etc. That type of stuff is really important when trying to transition. Also, while you are trying to figure out what to do, look up some local people on indeed in HR and ask them to meet for a coffee to talk about getting into the field, what resources you should be exploring, etc. I know it sounds dumb and personally, I loathe it, but I got this job by getting some face time with the people I would be working with in that analyst interview to let them see how I would work within their organization.
Finally, I am sorry about the bar. That is really rough and discouraging. I am sure you are doing everything you can and it is okay to feel disappointed, but I hope you don't take it too hard on yourself. It sounds like you are working full-time and studying for a pain in the ass test while trying to handle everything else life throws at you. I know it sucks, but I hope you'll come to feel it is okay.
It kind of depends on the stage of the process for me. If you make it to the final round, you deserve a phone call either way. Otherwise, it is just what I feel like. Sometimes, I just don't want to call someone and tell them they didn't get the job because it makes me sad, so they get an email. I don't consider it pushy if someone were to ask me at the end of an interview when and how they should expect to hear back, so if you feel comfortable doing so, I recommend asking at the end of the interview. I would maybe just not have that be the only question you ask, because it makes things seem transactional.
I applied for one part time and one full time two weeks ago. Haven't gotten an email and I ignore most calls from numbers I don't recognize unless they leave me a message.
Im off work next week so it'd be a really great time to schedule interviews which is why I'm so antsy about it this week.
I've always heard that government jobs take longer to hear back from but what is a reasonable amount of time for a response?
I interviewed at a city government agency for an analyst position and felt it went amazing. The HR person told me the standard I would receive a response (call or email) depending on if I made it to the next stage. However, it has been 2 weeks and going on 3.
I sent a simple thank you follow up the next day of the interview but haven't heard anything since.
I'm debating on calling and asking but at the same time don't want to seem too pushy since I've always heard these positions take a while.
I interviewed at a city government agency for an analyst position and felt it went amazing. The HR person told me the standard I would receive a response (call or email) depending on if I made it to the next stage. However, it has been 2 weeks and going on 3.
I sent a simple thank you follow up the next day of the interview but haven't heard anything since.
I'm debating on calling and asking but at the same time don't want to seem too pushy since I've always heard these positions take a while.