Applying for jobs and scheduling interviews????

[LD1]

This is just my experience from working for the government for around 20 years. In all those years I NEVER had an applicant that was currently working in a similar position elsewhere that applied for a position in our department. I think an unemployed applicant is a lot less concerned regarding hours, salary & benefits. They are just a lot more concerned about a job and meeting their on-going financial obligations. You may have to accept the fact that a "better" job in your area of expertise simply does not exist in your immediate area. Likewise - the conditions you are looking for may only become a reality after you have obtained seniority in any new job.

A person could look a lifetime and never find the "perfect" job. I feel you must tread lightly in your questioning - otherwise you will come off appearing as not really committed to any company, job or position. You do not want to appear as an individual who will be continually applying for or looking for the "better" position. At least in the area of government I was in - we were looking for a qualified person who would fit in with the team, learn the specifics of the position & become a long term employee. Fortunately, in the department where I worked there was the opportunity for a new employee to advance in both salary & position.

Thats entirely possible that there just isnt another job out there. And thats fine. Again, I like where I am at, but its one of those things that if I were to ask myself what I would prefer to be different about my job......there are some things I can come up with. As I listed them in my first post. Maybe nothing will ever come up.... But there are several great companies in this area, that I have "heard" are excellent to work for in terms of pay and benefits and schedule. Ive got nothing to lose by shopping around so to speak.

What I still dont understand is why some companies choose to put all the info out there. Starting pay, benefits, shift, hours, etc etc. And others choose to put NOTHING at all.

To me, its like buying or selling a used tractor. Look at an ad with a picture of a nice tractor that looks promising, yet dont list the hours, price, year, model, HST or gear, or any other relative details. VS looking at an ad that has all the information. And ad that has all the info, and is still something that interest me, its simply a matter of calling and setting a time to look it over. The ad lacking all the detail......when I call, I aint calling to come look just yet. I need some questions answered first.

 

[NorTracNY]

Interesting reading... Lots of very good points coming from different view points.

I have seen what many here have discussed. Some companies are not reachable, job discriptions are always weak, when you get a call from a HR person they won't be able to answer many questions, 3 interview minimums, etc... I had a friend go to a company for a scheduled interview. He walked into the lobby which just had a few chairs, a phone, and a locked door into the place. He called the number he was given and just got voice mail. After 10 minutes and not being able to see or talk to anyone he left.

I have interviewed many people for positions. I think a phone interview would have saved time with over half of them. I've learned that resumes and the people don't always match once you start asking questions.

 

[oosik]

Those "weak" job descriptions make me wonder/nervous - what are they trying to hide. A friend interviewed for a job - only to find out that it required relocation to a foreign country. This fact was not mentioned in the job advertisment. Your current job may require that you walk around in poo up to your ankles - most wouldn't want to have a new job that required working in "it" up to your chin - regardless of the benefits.

 

[LD1]

I think a phone interview would have saved time with over half of them.

Agreed 100%. And alot of places still do a phone interview. And after a few minutes, I have my mind made up if it is something I would be willing to go in for a face-to-face interview for. And if they agree, it gets scheduled.

I just dont know a more politically correct or polite way to put it. But I really dont want to waste my time going to an interview if the pay, schedule, hours, etc arent up to my expectations. And Have no idea why a company would want to waste their time interviewing me if I would be unwilling to accept a job with them based on those reasons. 90% of the calls I get......they are thanking me for asking the questions and NOT wasting their time. As they know what they want in a candidate and know what they are able to offer........and I know what I am looking for in a company in terms of compensation, shift/schedule, benefits, etc. We dont need to waste each others time with a formal interview to determine if a face-to-face is either going to be mutually beneficial, or a waste of time.

I've learned that resumes and the people don't always match once you start asking questions.

While I have never interviewed or hired anyone....I know just what you mean. There have been several times over the course of my work history that someone new gets hired......and every one in the department is wondering.....what the h3ll was management thinking? Assuming they must have one heck of a resume and stellar interview skills. But writing resumes and having interviews are not skills that pertain to the job we do day to day.

 

[CDN Farm Boy]

I think a lot of companies forget that an interview is a 2 way thing. It's not just if you fit for them, they have to fit for you.


I had an experience a few years back similar to yours about the company wanting everything for nothing: I applied for a Licensed Carpenter position with a local company. They stated licensed which here (unfortunately) isn't mandatory for carpenters, as well as crew leader, apprentice mentor, deal with clients & other trades on site etc. Sounded like a pretty decent position to me. They called and asked if I'd like to come in to talk and I did exactly the same as you did -- I asked them some questions that they hadn't listed in the ad, particularly pay & hours. They'd already mentioned in the conversation company van, big tools provided, company shirts etc. but not pay or hours. They wanted me to start every day a their shop (35 min away), travel time to the site was on the clock, work all day ending at 5 and then drive back to the shop OFF the clock. Not a chance. If I had to start/stop at their shop, I was paid from/to there. And they were offering a glorious $16/hr for this position and somehow they thought that was fair. To put that in perspective, a broom pusher in the union was making about $20 at the time and I was making $16 fresh out of college 15 yrs earlier. I told them to double it and we'd talk and that $16 was insulting for what they were asking for. They called me a year later offering $18 an trying to get me to come in for an interview. They seemed surprised when I told them the exact same thing that I'd told them a year earlier: double it and we could talk.

I think very few companies are truly interested in finding the best candidate for a position and are willing to pay for it with the understand that even someone costing more will usually be a better bargain in the end. They are usually interested in just the numbers on the pay cheque

 

[dickfoster]

I don't do this anymore and I'm glad I don't. However I figured out early on that no matter what you do, make dayum sure that you like what you're doing, otherwise your job is just that, a job and a chore. It's hard to get up in the morning and do something you don't like doing just for the money. I also figured out early on that you're never likely to get anywhere working for someone else, especially for a larger company, no matter how much they are paying you. Therefore, I set out to work for small startup companies where I could get a piece of the pie should the startup succeed. Since 1 out of 10 succeed, I consider myself lucky having hit on the 8th startup.
Now I gotta tell ya the wages are typically lower, the hours are long, the tasks varied and everything is your job. The upside is that you're never bored and you're motivated because you have to love your work to do it. The flip side is that it's also heartbreaking when one goes down the tubes after all the hours and effort you've put into it. However you're more likely to end up much further ahead, if not you're sure to get a lot more out of it and not hate your job. Hating your job is just wasting your life since you spent most of your waking hours at it. If you like what you're doing, you'll also be good at it so that also tends to assure your eventual success.
Now I'm a full time professional goof off and clocks and calendars don't mean squat anymore.

 

[MossRoad]

Are you guys really that naive????

The main reason they don't post how much the job pays is because they don't want people already working there who make less than that or people who have been there a bazillion years and only make that amount now getting ticked off.

 

[LD1]

Are you guys really that naive????

The main reason they don't post how much the job pays is because they don't want people already working there who make less than that or people who have been there a bazillion years and only make that amount now getting ticked off.

I dont have a problem with that. But not get upset or act like I am doing something wrong when I want to inquire about wages and benefits before wasting time on an in-person interview.

 

[rox]

Let me ask a few clarifying questions. Do you always fill out applications on line?
As part of the application process typically are you able to attach a file to the application, a file such as your resume?

Or are you sending out your resume in response to a job posting you saw. Forgive me it has been over 2 decades since I have applied for a job and i honestly don't know what the process is now. If you can reply back with an answer I believe I have some concrete suggestions for you depending on your response.

Additionally, the positions you are applying for, are these generally unionized positions?

 

[LD1]

Let me ask a few clarifying questions. Do you always fill out applications on line?
As part of the application process typically are you able to attach a file to the application, a file such as your resume?

Or are you sending out your resume in response to a job posting you saw. Forgive me it has been over 2 decades since I have applied for a job and i honestly don't know what the process is now. If you can reply back with an answer I believe I have some concrete suggestions for you depending on your response.

Additionally, the positions you are applying for, are these generally unionized positions?

They are all different. There are many job posting "boards". indeed.com, monster, careerbuilder, etc

Most job postings have a little button to click that says "apply"

From there, 99% of the time, it takes you to a place to upload a resume. But from there on is where it can differ. Some places prompt you to answer a few qualification questions, like do you have at least xx years experience, at least a x-year degree, legally able to work in the USA, etc.

Some forward you onto a website where they ask more detailed questions beyond yes or no. Like why you are seeking a job, what is your salary requirement, what shifts are you available to work, etc.

Then some places just use the above listed websites for advertisement only, and not for the application process. And give you a link to a company website to fill out a application and upload resume.

Like I said, they are all different. But I'd say 99% of them have a way to upload a resume to them.....which I do. And 99% of them have no way to contact anyone to ask further questions, no contacts listed, etc.