Need Help – Writing Resume & Interviews

[Scarlet_Rose]

Without going into too much detail, unfortunately I find myself in the position of needing to find a new job.  I love my job, I love what I do and I don’t want to leave, but I have had to make the tough decision to look elsewhere for gainful employment because of my work environment and well, it’s been a while since I’ve done this and I am terrible at interviews and resumes.  So, I thought I would ask you guys for some help.  Please?  Do any of you have some really good web sites or examples that I could look at?  I mean not just any that you can find on Google or another search tool, but ones that you have actually used and that have helped you in your quest as well.

The thought of this terrifies me as this job is the one that was supposed to be my career until I retired.  It took me two years to find this job and now the economy is worse.  I figure that the least I can do is look and try, right?  I have another option as well and that is to ask for a transfer which I will do, but it can take a long time before something comes up.  However, the plus side would be that I still can maintain and add to my retirement plan. 

Boy I can’t tell you how this really puts a kai-bosh on things.  Thank you in advance for any thoughts, inputs, advice and references. 

[RabbitPam]

Ah, job hunting. It’s been my main occupation for nearly a year, though I did find a part-time job in my field of the last 10 years that is the best so far, and both boss and I are trying to write me into the next budget full time. But it’s a tough time to be looking, so first, don’t despair and assume any rejections or lack of responses are YOU. Absolutely not the case. It’s a bad situation nationally, and employers that do have jobs are often faced with the choice of several really good people. Right now they are hiring the cheapest one. Shortsighted, but that’s what it’s like right now.

That said, I urge you to get the latest edition of “What Color Is My Parachute” as well as check out author Richard Bolles’ site online. Just google the title of his book. It is filled with links to excellent resources for advice, and I’m sure they will steer you to an effective resume source. The book itself gives excellent advice on the entire interviewing process. Including how to not fall into fallacies and myths. If you can do it now, sock away enough $ to live on for the next 3-6 months. It will take at least that long (up to a year now) unless you have some very good personal connections. And that’s the best way to go, by the way. One personal reference (Employer asks, “do you know someone who can….” and person they ask says your name.) is worth a hundred cold resumes. Tell everyone you know that you’re looking, especially colleagues in your field.

Your resume has only one purpose (it is NOT your life story) – and that is to get you an interview. Period. It is a calling card to get a foot in the door. The self-promotion happens on the in-person interview. So it can be generic, or you can write several that target different fields if you are looking into changing. The book helps you determine whether you are staying in your current path, or want to try to use transferable skills. I urge you to try the exercises, especially the flower diagram. It’s easier to look when you are clear on what you want in your job, what you need and where. It’s amazing how many people think they just need a paycheck, but will actually be satisfied with making ends meet and taking a cut in pay if the job itself is more rewarding than the last one. Pinpoint what you would love to be doing if you could, and try to bring out those skills that support that pursuit in your resume and cover letters. If you’ve always hated a certain task, now’s your chance to drop it, rather than say you’re good at it and have to do it again, and again.

It is now perfectly acceptable to list your work experience of just the last 10 years only, unless something before that was impressive, describes a unique capability, or will in some way get you an interview. Be general in your dates – no one cares if you started in June or Sept of 2006, just that it was 2006 – 2007. Like that.

I have one thing on my resume that has gotten really good feedback from interviewers. I start with my contact info. as a heading, then have the next section called HIGHLIGHTS. I used about 6 bullet points and make brief statements of my strengths/skills and of a few impressive accomplishments. It’s sort of a quick summary of the best I bring to them, both in abilities and results. Only after that do I start with the most recent work under EXPERIENCE. Here are two from my resume:
• Able to prioritize numerous and varied projects and drive to completion.
• National Exhibition Coordinator for Norman Rockwell: Pictures for the American People, traveling national exhibition. Attendance figures exceeded one million.

Keep it to only two pages, but it’s OK to run longer than 1, as long as it’s good information. If you have very specialized skills like using up to date software programs, mention them if you like using them. Think of it as approaching others in your tribe and use your specialized language. Here, you speak fluent bunny. If you said “Loves to Binkie” to a dog person, they might say “huh?” but sending that to another bunny person will immediately tell them you understand things related to bunnies. DON’T do that if you are trying to change fields. Then list your responsibilities and accomplishments in chronological order for the past decade. Use bullet statements, not wordy descriptions. (ie. do what I say, not what I am doing here!!!) Use action verbs more often than adjectives in each statement.

And remember: even though employment is hard to find right now, the reality is that more people change jobs than get cut or create new ones. So the openings aren’t new, they’re ones where someone vacated for something else and now they need you to fill it. They are out there by the millions; it’s more like musical chairs where you all go around the room and just try a new seat. Maybe one of you misses out in the game, but 6 of you still got chairs, just new ones. The only way you will ever NOT get a job is if you stop looking. Otherwise, it’s just a matter of time. I hope this was of some help.
Good luck!

[ScooterandAnnette]

I think the resume has to be kind of tailored to the profession. If you’re apply for jobs that stress/require creativity and looking at things from a different perspective, then try a resume style that reflects that. When I was in travel school they stressed the importance of having a resume that reflected you and what you’d be bringing to the job. So I decided to do up my resume in a completely different way. I fashioned it as a 3panel brochure, and made it more like a promotional item. I used colour boxes for highlighting areas. The inside of the resume/brochure had the usual headings: Employment, Education, Memberships & Certification, Skills. But the back 2 panels I had fun with: Shameless Self-Promotion and What The Critics are Saying About Annette. It’s definitely not the right style of resume for fields that are more traditional, but works for others.
– Annette

[Deleted User]

Scarlet, best of luck in your search. When I found myself adrift after 15 years, I found a few things had changed. It use to be 15 years in one place showed stability, now a lot of companies see that as a lack of initiative! That was my biggest shock.

I have one resume that list everything and from that one, for every job I applied for, I tailored it to that specific job based on the add. I never sent my basic one size fits all resume. As for interviews….the more you go on, the easier it gets…I consider the ones that I felt did not go well as practice. I google the company and check out their web sites. I ask questions about the job, the company, their expectations and leave the money/benefits stuff till the end.

And I always send a thank you for the interview. I enjoyed speaking with you, based on our conversation, I believe I would be a good fit letter.

And the rest is luck and happenstance. Good luck and please don’t be discouraged.

[babybunsmum]

scarlet_rose i’m so sorry you find yourself in this position. i definitely know how scary it is to change courses and up-root yourself from a position.  the job i left when i decided to go freelance would have given me management opportunities (my manager left right before i was about to quit) but it was such a terrible work environment that i couldn’t imagine staying there.  even though i have excellent contacts in my field it was still a big risk to leave a paycheck. 

you won’t be freelancing however i think this still applies… have a short term & long term income plan.  i saved some money for a few months of expenses and several freelance jobs going for the short term but my long term plan was to get ANY job (grocery store / pizza place… any where needing a warm body).  i haven’t yet had to use this option but i still hang onto the idea just incase – tho i don’t know how difficult it would be to get a job like this.  i suppose you’d have to be less than honest about using it as a stepping stone.  anyways, i knew i would rather work at a temp job than stay at an office that was toxic and knowing about this ‘fall-back’ option took a bit of my fear away.  have you already resigned?  if not.. maybe you could find a night / weekend job while you’re still there and then resign.  that way you could have a wee bit of income but still have your days free for the job search.

prior to my freelance days when i was looking for work (laid off from my job of 8 years -owner was retiring & closing the company) i tailored each resume to the position i was applying for.  i ended up with several versions.  my resume is in this order… name & contact info… career profile (list 4 points i feel are most relevant like “highly trained and experienced in ontario building code aplication”)… experience & relevant accomplishments (list jobs most recent first with short blurbies that highlight skills not mentioned above)… additional (here i mentioned that i also designed freelance on a referral basis – kept it separate from jobs because its ongoing and this way seems to compliment my experience)… education & training (here i mentioned my diploma first because it’s most relevant so the list went earliest to latest)… and finally… software skills (point form with skill level – applicable in my field because design/drafting softwares vary, i know 2 diff ones, and also i have skills in some graphic software which may come in handy).

the parts i tailored were the career profile points (i pulled words / phrases out of the job ad if i had one), and the blurbies that described my various positions in past jobs.  because the blurbies were limited to a sentence or 2 what i chose to mention would be only what i think was the next most relevant (aside from the career profile points) to the position i was applying for.

i don’t know if there’s a more currently acceptable format / lingo for resumes (rabbitpams book sounds like a good reference) but this served me well.  at one time i had a ’personal’ / ‘interests’ part where i mentioned volunteer work & sketching but i took it out because i heard varied opinions on whether it should be included and because i already had 2 pages.  instead i added “sketching and water color instruction” under my education & training section.  i still wanted my art lessons mentioned because it’s half hobby / half job relevant for small builders who have in-house marketing.

you might feel a little rusty at first but you can do it girl!

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

My dad (retired now) did all the main hiring for Shell in Alberta: here are some tips he gave me.

Tailor each resume to the job you are applying for-do not use a general resume!!
Make a cover letter!! (Do you want help with the format for this?) Always ensure it’s directed to the hr person-phone the company and ask who it would be if your not sure

Now->This is important and keeps your resume from going in the garbage.

Go to a print place-and print your resume and cover letter on fancy-ish paper (not neon or anything) but thicker-classy looking paper
Mail it to the company-with a tracking number so someone has to sign to receive it.

The fancy paper will keep it from being thrown out and signing for it will ensure it’s noticed. Too many people apply online or email the resume/fax the resume-your sure not to be passed over (at least as long as your qualified for the position) if you go this route.

*HUGS* You’ll do great!!

*my other advise, move to ALBERTA everything is hiring-with signing bonuses, and all kinds of perks…even typical low wage jobs are hiring at 14-20$/hour it’s pretty insane right now !! Anyways mostly kidding about the move!! LOL

[ScooterandAnnette]

That’s really bizarre, because the economy in Alberta is one of the reasons we’re leaving! Housing and rental prices here are almost twice what they are in similar cities in the country. And I’ve found that because there is such a labour shortage that the people that are in the service industries (waiting tables etc) are mostly the ones that can’t seem to get work anyplace else. Most of them seem to have a real chip on their shoulder and are just plain rude. The Dairy Queen close to us has had to reduce their hours because they can’t get staff, which means that the last 2 times I’ve tried to go there they haven’t been open.

As far as the resume and interview go:

– I agree that good quality paper is essential. Doesn’t need to be fancy, in fact I’d stay away from any paper with a border or design on it. Those kinds of paper say “look at me I’m trying too hard!”. Good quality paper on the other hand says “I’m a class act and I know it”

– One tip I’ve heard over and over again for the interview is to make sure you “ask for the job”. Now depending on where you look they’ll advise anywhere from the subtle approach to the beat-them-over-the-head approach. Personally I wouldn’t be comfortable with being in an interview and saying “Please give me the job” or “so which one is my office?”. But there are phrases you can use and things you can say that let the interviewer know that you’re definitely wanting the job. Things like “I look forward to working with you”. Comments on ways that you fit in with the requirements and with the company environment. Let them know that you’re a positive force that they need.

– And remember that an interview is a 2-way thing — they’re not just interviewing you, you’re interviewing them as well. Ask questions. Remember that you not only have to be right for them, but they have to be right for you.

In a previous career I was responsible for hiring staff. The ones I didn’t bother with were the ones that had no interest in working for us, just workign in general. Hi there, hire me because I need a job. The one that sticks out in my mind most was the guy that said he’s divorced with 2 kids and het gets them every other weekend so he can’t work then (the job required weekend work) and his resume was written in crayon. Seriously.

– Annette

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

I know I hate going out here-everywhere is short staffed!! Luckily our rent didn’t increase!! And the 24 hour esso by my parents place is often closed at eight!!

[babybunsmum]

yes the paper choice is a good point… a nice heavy / thick bond would certainly stand out in a pile of regular bond paper.

[Lion_Lop_Lover]

I have a job interview tomorrow (eeeeh!!!) and I was wondering when they ask you ‘What’s your weakness?’ what is the best answer for that?

[ScooterandAnnette]

Scooter here. I’ll throw in my $0.02 as well.

(1) I agree with having “nicer” paper and keeping it SHORT. Preferably 1 page, no more than 2 but only if your credentials justify the use of the 2nd page. As previously stated, the only purpose of the resume is to get you an interview. After that, it’s basically useless to you, and only useful to the hiring organization as a “cheat sheet” about the job candidate.

I’m a professor and get resumes/CVs from prospective students, postdocs, and technicians all the time. I’ve served on my departmental graduate recruiting committee for 5 years; we require a resume from each prospective graduate student so I see a ton of those too. I’m amazed and appalled at how many multipage resumes I get from say freshmen that are chock full of irrelevant activities that simply do not justify more than 1 page. Nobody likes BS, and the people who monitor these things can spot BS from a mile away.

(2) Send a paper copy when you can, unless they require an electronic submission. It’s amazingly easy to hit the “delete” key on electronic
submissions.

(3) For a paper resume, make it visually appealing. By that, I don’t mean cutesy font and stuff like that, but the relevant information should be easy to read and find. That means no big blocks of dense text, not too small a font, important points highlighted, etc. Remember that the recipient will look at your resume at most 30 seconds, before deciding what to do with it, including filing it in the round cabinet. You don’t want the relevant points to be buried in small type somewhere in the middle, because it won’t be seen.

(4) having said (3) above, you also want the resume to be easily machine readable. Many organizations will either dump resumes into a database or keep them on file, and do keyword searches when they need to find people with attributes they are seeking. (I keep resumes and CVs on file, for instance, if for no other reason than to check back on them in the future when I see a name that sounds familiar.)

So no fancy fonts that can’t be read, no weird spacing or offbeat margins, etc. If you can convert your resume into a nice PDF that helps too.

(5) As said previously, do tailor it to the organization. Do your research ahead of time! I can’t tell you how annoying it is to get an unsolicited resume/CV from someone asking me to hire them as a postdoctoral fellow or a technician entitled “Dear Professor:”, and their expertise is clearly NOTHING like what I do, because they just emailed a generic letter to everyone linked to the webpage they found. Get these all the time. That gets you ignored, or in my case, they get sent back a terse boilerplate response that states “Thank you, this is what we REALLY do, and you lack the required qualifications.”

(6) Be patient. It took me 6 months to find my first job out of school, back in ’97 in a booming economy. You’ll get a lot of “no”s, but it only takes one “yes”. And if you don’t try, your odds are zero.

Good luck!

K&K: The Alberta economy may be hot and pay a lot, but we’re also shelling out a lot in living expenses. Cost of real estate has doubled or tripled since we first got here in ’02….we can’t afford to buy a house anymore. Neighboring Saskatchewan has run a rather successful ad campaign to get people to move there because it’s a lot cheaper, although I’m not sure how effective that is now considering housing prices there have also doubled in the last 2 years.

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

Yeh, Saskatchewan has almost doubled now too!! I wish I was a home owner-I’d sell and make a mint!! Defo don’t enjoy living here, but it is easy to get a job!! LOL

I had a good one, to use, when they ask what are your weaknesses but I can’t remember-when I do, I’ll be back!!

[ScooterandAnnette]

Career-help books like “What Color is Your Parachute” have good ways to address questions like “what is your biggest weakness”. Basically, pick something that will turn the weakness into a strength. For example, if you’re a perfectionist, you can state that’s a weakness because although you want to get things right, you also have to get the job done. So how do you find a balance? How would you deal with coworkers who don’t have as high a standard as you do, without setting them off or decreasing their efficiency? A reasoned answer to questions like this can showcase desirable traits. In this case, you can state how dedicated you are, how you balance multiple and conflicting priorities and give insight into your decision-making capabilities, and outline a little of your management and interpersonal skills.

It helps to have one or two of these possible answers worked out ahead of time.

[RabbitPam]

Annette,
I’m still laughing about the crayon resume. BTW, what do you think about leaving a business card also? I know many artists create postcards to leave with Art Directors with good samples of their work on them, so the AD can file a visual reminder.

I’ve heard about the notion to make a weakness actually be a strength – kind of like “I get so wrapped up in a project that I can lose track of time and work right through my lunch hour.” Not quite that goofy, but that’s the idea.
And doing your research before an interview really demonstrates an interest in the company. I like the story about the guy who had an interview at IBM and the HR Manager asked what IBM stood for. So basic, but really so important.
I’m a big believer in Thank You notes, which give an opportunity to reiterate your interest in getting the job. It also gives you some time (even if it’s just in the car ride home) to decide if you really do want the job. It is your life, and you have an element of control when it comes to who you approach and how you respond.
Just remember to smile and make eye contact. It lowers your nervousness in person, and also helps theirs! Many managers are very uncomfortable with the hiring process, since they would rather be working at what they do best, and are afraid of making a hiring mistake.

[Scarlet_Rose]

Lion_Lop, Bunzai, K & K, Babybunsmum, and Rabbitpam, Scooter & Annette, I want offer my heartfelt thanks, and wow with the time you all took to write so much!

I am going to go buy the book “What Color Is My Parachute.” It has been a long time since I have been “out” there and things have certainly changed and personalize and tailor are the big key words that I am seeing a lot here. In other words, no cookie-cutter resumes.

K & K a cover letter format would be great. I totally forgot about cover letters. Wow, would I ever love to just be able to pick up and move and I have to admit I LOVED it in Canada when I visited there for a short while. I just need to find me a nice, single, Canadian man… Then I wouldn’t have to mess with a work visa and all that headache. LOL

That is interesting that being in one place of work for 15 years is frowned on now. I am from the genere where that was a GOOD thing. My perspective is changing.

As for the resume, nothing too fancy schmancy font-wise or too small and rest assured, I always use the heavier bond cotton paper with a watermark. I also opt for a nice cream color over the stark white (I recall receiving a lot of compliments about it too). What I have done in the past with the Thank-You card is include a business-sized card with my name and contact information. Is that tacky?

With regards to the resigning or transferring, I have not nor plan to do that, just yet. I am having a get-together this weekend with someone who I can talk to about all of what is going on and making me very miserable where I am. They want me to stay and I also want to stay as well, so there is hope for things to be resolved in an amicable manner, which I much prefer. I do have a bit of money saved up, but I cannot do without a paycheck. I have also thought about finding a weekend job as well and will likely pursue that more.

I have to say, wow, this really struck me:

How would you deal with coworkers who don’t have as high a standard as you do, without setting them off or decreasing their efficiency?

How would you answer that? Because I do have a high standard for myself and strong work ethic. I am driven, efficient and I learn really fast and often find myself excelling over others in higher positions than myself. It’s not that I deviously plan on making anyone look bad or stepping on them to move up, it is just who I am and how I work. Hmm, I guess I am a lot of peoples nightmares then.

It really helps to to hear from all of you who have been out there and those of you who go over them. All of these tips and insights are amazing. I feel much more confident about things and I think I know just what to do. I will continue to look around and see what is out there. My field is very specialized, but I am thankful it is an area that is very popular (water) and will always be around. I have let everyone I know that I am looking for a job as I know how valuable it is to network and make it known you are looking. I’ve got my feelers out, so-to-speak. I did want to ask, what you all think about those job fairs? Are they worth it?

O.K. If I forgot to thank anyone, thank you, thank you, thank you!

O.K. I have a lot to work on this weekend then. Good luck Lion_Lop!

[RabbitPam]

Personally, I don’t care for job fairs, but it reminded me of something else. If you have a specialized field, then definitely check out any associations related to it that you could join, or search their specialized website job listings. If they have any kind of a workshop or conference you could attend, that’s a great way to network and bring lots of resumes and business cards with you. I was trying to be an artist, but once I worked in a museum I got a membership to AAM (American Association of Museums) and learned that they are the first place job hunters look – with national listings. Then there’s an international job site for museums. AAM has an annual conference that some people had the institution pay for them to attend. Talk about job hunters!

Your spirits sound very good, and your plans are excellent, so I think you’re in really good shape for a search. Good luck!!!

[Scarlet_Rose]

Thanks! I had the same thoughts about job fairs too. I am definately going to check out organizations that specialize in my field! I am on the hunt!

[osprey]

Another thing to note, Scarlet_Rose, if you haven’t looked for a job in a while, many jobs are now only posted electronicaly.  Be sure to check out Craigslist and Monster.com for listings in your area.  I got a new job about two years ago, and most of my leads came from Craigslist or recruiters.  I never even opened a newspaper.

[Gravehearted]

Scarlet, i’d be happy to take a look at your resume if you’d like to email it to me.

[Scarlet_Rose]

Thank you Osprey! Greavehearted I’ll definately take you up on that! I have been working on it but I am supposed to tailor it too (so confused) so, maybe this weekend I can get it to you. You rock!

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

Hey Scarlet-Rose

General format for a cover letter, is a formal note top left (detailing the person you are writting to, their title and address) ;

Then first paragraph you state that you are applying for blah blah position, you heard about it how (newspaper, friend, ad etc.). [Please accept this resume in application for this position currently available within your company]

Second paragraph->SELL yourself-why you are a good fit for the job, how it meets exactly what you want and what you can offer the company-> here’s where you toss in what you know about the company, the companys goals etc.

Third paragraph, thank them for their time, consideration and ASK For an interview. ie. I look forward to discussing my creditentials with you at a mutually convenient time. There is so much that cannot be conveyed in a resume and I look forward to meeting with you in person to discuss my experience. etc. etc.

Here’s a couple of examples

 

Your street or box number
City, State, Zip

Date

Contact’s Name
Contact’s Title
Organization Name
Street Address
City, State, Zip

Dear Mr. Or Ms. (person’s last name only):

Paragraph 1: State immediately the position you are pursuing and how you came to know of the opening. If you have an alumnus, family or other contact at the organization, you can mention that here as well. Tell the employer briefly (one or two sentences) why you are interested in this position.

Paragraph 2: Explain the skills and experiences you have that will make you successful in the position. Talk about classes you have taken, activities you have been involved in, summer experiences you have had. You do not have to have directly related experience but think about the skills you have gained from what you have done and how those could relate to the duties of the position you are applying for. You do not want to repeat your resume to the employer in this paragraph but this is the place to highlight related accomplishments that will make the reader want to learn more, which will lead them to your resume. The goal is to show the employer that you have confidence in your ability to succeed in the position.

Paragraph 3: Demonstrate that you have done some research about this organization. Go to their web site, look in industry periodicals (Ad Week, Wall Street Journal, Chronicle of Higher Education) and talk to alumni or other contacts that may currently work for the organization. This research does not have to be extensive but it shows that you have taken some time to think about this position and put some effort into this letter. This makes a very good impression on employers. It shows that this is not a form letter where only the address and contact name is changed for each position.

Paragraph 4: State that you would welcome a personal interview to further discuss this opportunity. If you need to explain anything out of the ordinary on your resume, this is the place to do it. You might mention that if you do not hear anything from the potential employer in two to three weeks time that you will call to follow up this letter to see where they are in their process. Finish by thanking them for their attention and express a desire to meet them sometime in the near future.

Sincerely,

Your signature (leave 4 blank spaces for this)

Your name in print

Today’s date

Your addressee’s name
Professional title
Organization name
Mailing address
City, state and zip

Dear Mr. (or Ms.) last name,

Start your letter with a grabber—a statement that establishes a connection with your reader, a probing question, or a quotable quote. Briefly say what job you are applying for.

The mid-section of your letter should be one or two short paragraphs that make relevant points about your qualifications. You should not summarize your resume! You may incorporate a column or bullet point format here.

Your last paragraph should initiate action by explaining what you will do next (e.g., call the employer) or instigate the reader to contact you to set up an interview. Close by saying “thank you.”

Sincerely yours,

Your handwritten signature

Your name (typed)

Enclosure: resume

 

[babybunsmum]

well you’re off to a great start!  more on what osprey mentioned… you can google ‘job search’ & come up with tonnes of job search websites to check out.  when i was looking i had about 20 different sites to check through. some were better than others but i checked them all anyways.  workopolis.com, jobshark.ca, jobsearch.ca, monster.ca… i’m sure there are even more in the states.

also, because your specialty is water it’s possible to check governmental websites… for example your city, region and state probably all have websites with job postings.  and professional associations will also have websites & job listings.  looking for a job is a full-time job in itself!

keep us posted!

[RabbitPam]

*slaps hand on forehead* Babybunsmum, you’re so right about the government websites!
While I’ve been job hunting they are on my list of occasional sites to check, and they ALWAYS have listings for jobs related to water specialists.

Scarlet-Rose…if you ever want to move to Florida (sun, sand, WATER)…Seriously, they tend to list them by county down here, as in Palm Beach County. Lots of links to other job search sites on the gov’t sites too.

[Scarlet_Rose]

Thanks everyone, this information is so invaluable I am going to print it all out and put it in my job search notebook! I cannot thank all of you enough! Gosh I am a neat freak…LOL I am aware of the government job listings (in fact I work for the government now), thank you! I am also checking the listings for city jobs as well.

Something that really disturbed me is that recently there was someone in CO who was scammed and their identity stolen when they responded and interviewed for what they thought was a legitimate job listing on Monster.com.

[RabbitPam]

Hmm. Was it a phone interview, or did they go there in person?

You can always do a few things to protect yourself: never give out your Soc. Sec. on an application, or any other personal info. other than what you put on your resume. I actually got a job here from a co. that had headquarters in Michigan. They emailed a standard application, and I politely said in a reply that I would be happy to provide more detailed information at the time of a personal interview, but was not secure about sending it via email or online. It was a Monster.com ad. They were legit, understood my caution, and it didn’t stop their interest in me at all.

Always check out a co. via the Better Business Bureau, their own website, the yellow pages, or any other public listing first if you don’t know them yourself. Oh, and google them under the NEWS heading for any problems that may have gotten into print. I rarely answer ads that don’t provide some way to ascertain who the co. is, or if I do, get their name & address after they reply. If it smells funny, drop it. (and an identity thief can just as easily get your info. and personal facts from reading some of our posts here as anywhere else, if they’re intent on doing so.)

[Scarlet_Rose]

It was a phone interview. Thank you so much for the tips!

[Deleted User]

Monster.com had their security breached about a year ago. On any of these job sites, I never check the option to have my resume on view by perspective employers. First of all I like to customize every resume I send out, secondly I like to know about the companies I apply to. I don’t like the idea of a company calling me out of the blue and I know nothing about them. Last but not least, I feel you reduce the risk of being phished or spamed by less then legit companies. It may cut down on the amount of opportunities, but I personally like to have a little control.

You also never, ever give out social security numbers or send money. I know we all know that, but that is how that person got scammed.

I will never forget one experience…I was looking through the Sunday NY Times on line and saw a featured job that was right up my alley career wise and money wise. I redid my resume to match the add, wrote a great cover letter and emailed it ASAP. Then I went back to searching the adds. I was about to log off when I got a notice I got mail. So imaging my surprise to get an email back saying my resume was impressive and they want to meet with me! The problem was….it was sent to me within 10 minutes of my email and it was not even 8am on a Sunday morning. I read further and they wanted money for something or other (I forget what). So I cranked up google and found the company but it turned out that the name of the company was stolen by the company that placed the add.  Poked around some more with Better Business and realized it was not the same company.

I sent an email to the legit company with the link. I notified the NY Times and pointed out, that yes I realize that they cannot investigate every job add, but if they are going to feature a job, then maybe it would be idea to check them out. But the best was, I sent a scathing email to the bogus company, busting them for their lies…I got an immediate response……..you guessed it……”thank you for your resume, it was very impressive and we would like to meet with you!” LOL!

 

[Deleted User]

Another trick I use to research a company that does not list their name. I google the phone or fax number….quite often I have found out who placed the add that way. My current boss was freaked out when on the phone interview to set up an appointment, I knew where they were located when he did not list the company in his add. I just told him I am good with search engines. 😉

[RabbitPam]

Yes! Reverse Phone Lookup, White Pages website, free and online. It’s great! I can tell where a job is by the area code and first 3 digits. It kept me from wasting my time on jobs that would never be within commuting distance, but were advertising in the county papers.
    Bunzai, Nice work on that ad. I learned not to post my resume anywhere after I discovered that the only ones who check them out are pfishers and time-share salespeople.

[kimberleyanddarren]

i hate monster.com it just spams me with rubbish, offereing me jobs in new york and stuff its ridiculous
keep us posted sending some (((vibes))) your way

[Deleted User]

Monster.com’s search engine is rubbish. I keep telling it to exclude phrases like “earn money at home” and I keep getting all those. And those adds the set you up for telemarketers! You have to hunt for the tiny little box to check off “no I am not interested” everytime to reply to anything of theres or every time you log on.

[Scarlet_Rose]

I have had the same experience with Monster, so I am going to try some others instead. Thanks everyone with all the input and well wishes. I got the stomach flu and so was not able to really work on my resume. It’s hard to say O.K. I do this, but to really explain what you do and how you do it because on the surface it seems simple when it really it isn’t and takes of lot of technical knowledge, familiarity with water law and research.

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

Scarlet-It helps to read a description of your current position either from your company or a similar one-that should help you come up with a job description for your current job.

[Scarlet_Rose]

Ooo GREAT IDEA K & K! You are awesome!

[Author]

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