I GOT THE JOB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's over! No offense to my five readers, but I never want to write in this blog or a similar blog again. Ever. I got the job I wanted, the one I mentioned in my last post, and I am thrilled to bid good riddance to Monster, CareerBuilder, HotJobs, the daily classifieds, resume and cover letters, interviews and pointless career fairs. Job hunting sucks a big one and I hope to never take a good job, or any job, for granted again.

Here is the final tally:

Applications Submitted: 66
Interview Invitations: 5
Direct Rejections: 9 (the others didn't respond at all)
Time Spent Hunting: 81 days

I found the job I got in the Sunday classifieds and almost didn't apply because I didn't have experience in a certain kind of software. I think I got an interview because I was one of the first to apply and I think I got the job because I took a lot of time on the editing test, (the manager said everyone bombed it but me) and because an employee gave me a helpful hint. I will have to buy that woman a beer someday. I still maintain that finding a job depends a lot on luck, timing and connections. If I were to give anyone advice I'd say apply, apply, apply and try to keep a positive attitude. I know better than anyone how difficult that can be. I'd also say don't bother with career fairs. Before the woman called me today, my husband and went to our third career fair and it was just as big a waste of time as the previous two. In my experience, most of the employers at career fairs will tell you to check their company website and apply online. A few are annoyingly smug and will say they don't have anything for you. Why bother dressing up and driving downtown to hear something you already know? I know many people will probably disagree with me, but that is the experience my husband and I have had. The woman called at a nearly perfect time to tell me I had the job. I was feeling so frustrated and low. The only way it could have been better is if she'd called at the career fair itself.

Wish me luck with my new job. I am going to bust my ass to pay back the hiring manager for giving me a chance. I told her that. Perhaps I was over excited but enthusiasm rarely hurts. I start Monday at 7:30. Thank god!!!!!!

The Job Hunting Lottery

The interview, like most interviews I've had this time around, seemed to go well. The manager didn't ask any of the typical interview questions. She just explained the duties of the position, asked if I was interested and had me take an editing test. I spent a lot of time and attention on the test, as I've had trouble with editing in the past, so hopefully I didn't miss anything (or too much). After talking with me, the manager sent another employee into the room for me to speak with and the employee gave me a hint about the test. The test was in the form of a letter and the employee told me to change the date. Most people (and I would have made the same mistake) assume the letter is an old sample and leave the date alone. When I handed the test back to the manager she was all impressed, saying something like "I've interviewed 25 pepole and you're the only one to catch the date!" I felt guilty, but how could I not change the date after the employee went out of her way to give me a hint? I did accidently write 2007 instead of 2008 so maybe that will even things out. The manager told me she hoped to make a decision by the end of the week (which would have been Friday) but I haven't heard anything yet. I am too hopeful about this job and more anxious than I've been about the others. I really want it because it's in a field I'm interested in, the pay is far higher than I expected and the company is laid back. My heart skipped a beat when I heard the phone ring this morning, but it was a call for my husband. All hope is not lost yet. Tomorrow my husband and I will trek to Career Fair #3.

This morning I got a completely unexpected call from a local theme park about a job I applied for on January 10th. I have an interview with them this Wednesday. I was very surprised because an HR person there sent me a rejection email not even a week ago. HR Anthony said no, HR Becky says maybe. Meanwhile, the television people still haven't called and they've changed their application closing date yet again. It's Friday, February 8th now. Are they trying to collect as many applications as possible? I've given up on them. The interview invitations have been so sparodic. Sometimes it seems potential employers just throw a batch of resumes in a bucket and choose who to interview at random. Getting a job is like winning the sweepstakes.

An Interview!

I have a job interview tomorrow! Hooray! It's for a company I applied with yesterday. I saw their ad in the Tampa Tribune classifieds and applied on a whim. I almost didn't apply because I was worried about my lack of graphic design experience. This will be my first interview in a month. I did a lot of sulking and fretting during that dry spell. Let's hope the fourth time's a charm.

I followed up via email with the tv station lady, and she told me they are just starting the interview process and she expects I'll get a phone call soon. According to their website, the closing date for applications is February 1st. I find the whole thing kind of weird. Her emailing weeks after I first applied to see if I'm still interested and then calling to say they will be calling for an interview, but then not calling. However, I will give them the benefit of the doubt and assume they're just busy. I won't be surprised if I never hear from them though. Just a feeling I have.

At 2 months, 2 weeks the tallies are currently:

Applications Submitted: 61
Interview Invitations: 4

To be continued......

Happy Anniversary

Ladies and gentleman, as of today I've been job hunting for two months. So what is the tally you ask? Well.....

Positions Applied to: 53
Interview Invitations: 3
Time Spent Hunting: 61 days!

I don't know if my tallies are good or bad, normal or abnormal. 53 seems like a lot of applications for only 3 interviews. The only new thing to report is that the HR lady at the TV station called to tell me that she would be calling me for an interview sometime next week. I think it's good that she emailed me to see if I was still interested in the job and good that she called to tell me she would be calling in the future, but they relisted the job on the site so who knows how many other people will be applying. I haven't heard from any other prospective employers other than random sales recruiters who found my resume on hotjobs or what not. I am not interested in selling insurance policies. Tomorrow my husband and I are going to a career fair.

Tomorrow Is Another Day

Well, I got an email from the PR lady today. I didn't get the job. Ten minutes after that email I got a generic rejection from another company I'd applied with. The classic "although your background is impressive, we are pursuing other candidates for interviews at this time." Awesome. As you may have noticed, I tend to get a bit insecure and negative when facing rejection. I tend to have pity parties where I tell myself I'm never going to get a job, much less one I want, because everyone else is more qualified/suited/connected/personable/etc. than me. Thankfully, the pity parties generally don't last long. I'm going to try to be more positive this time around. I'm still searching for jobs and applying daily so hopefully another opportunity will become available soon. I thought the HR lady at the televison station would email today, but so far I haven't received anything. I actually found the rejection emails when I was looking for one from her. Oh well, maybe tomorrow. Will tomorrow be the day? That's my adapted Monster slogan.

Update

Not much new to report. Still looking for a job. No new interview invitations as yet. No news about the PR position. I haven't checked my mail since I've been in Tampa, but I expect to receive a rejection letter from Anheuser Busch soon. I did receive an email today from the HR person at a television station in reference to a job I applied to weeks ago, November 24th to be exact. The position I applied to had been filled but has since reopened and the woman wanted to know if I'm still interested. I am of course interested, so hopefully I'll be able to interview soon. I think it's promising that she remembered me and thought to contact me when the position became available. Hopefully, I can scoop up the job before they relist it and start the hiring process all over again.

Positions Applied to: 41
Interview Invitations: 3
Direct Rejections: 4
Time Spent Hunting: 49 days

And Then There Was One

I interviewed for the beer bitch position yesterday. Not really the job for me. It's primarily planning and executing parties at various bars and clubs, which sounds fun, but being home at 3 a.m. every night does not. I'm too old, married and unhip for the job and I think the interviewer came to the same conclusion. The 22 year old me would have loved it, the nearly 28 year old me does not. The lady told me they receive 85 applications per week for the job and interview something like 25. I think it's safe to say they will not be calling me for another interview and even if they did I'd probably decline. That means I have only one possible job offer in the works and that's at the PR agency. The woman there didn't give me a time frame so I have no idea when to give up hope. As she said she wants to have someone start working by mid-January I'll assume that someone isn't me if I don't hear from her by early January. I've applied to a couple of other positions, but nothing that I feel confident about. Hopefully a bunch of new jobs will become available after the new year.

My husband and I are making the final move to Tampa this weekend. We drove from Tampa to Beaufort, SC yesterday (6 hours). Today we're driving from Beaufort to Greenville (4 hours). Saturday it's Greenville to Beaufort (4) and Sunday Beaufort to Tampa (6). So many hours on the road! I'll be so happy when we have all of our stuff and our cats in our new apartment. We got Tampa cell phones yesterday so I finally have a local address and phone number. I hope this helps my job search. I've been searching six weeks now.

Saturday

Positions Applied to: 36
Interview Invitations: 3
Direct Rejections: 4
Time Spent Hunting: 36 days

I've been trying not to get over confident about the job interviews so that I don't find myself back at square one should neither opportunity work out. I want to keep cranking out applications and initiate interview invitations rather than risk being without job prospects. A mistake I made in my last major job hunt was to base all of my hopes on one interview and more or less discontinue the application process. It was devastating when I didn't get a job because I usually had nothing else in the works. Lately, I've been having difficulty finding entry-level positions to apply to and I'm hoping it's just the time of year. I've been sending lots of general applications and applying with huge corporations like the Home Shopping Network that I have little hope of impressing. Hopefully, I'll be able to find more promising opportunities after the holidays. Right now I'm just waiting for the beer interview on the 27th and to hear back from the PR lady I interviewed with a few days ago. I sent her a handwritten thank you note, the first I've ever sent. I know applicants are supposed to send one every time but I always thought it was silly or old fashioned. I think I had the wrong idea.

Going Back In Time

Once again, after hours of driving, I'm back in South Carolina after a job interview in Florida. The interview today seemed to go okay, but the woman was a bit intense. As soon as I sat down she handed me five informational handouts, one listing the duties of the position, the others listing the traits of a successful PR person as dictated by some guy who wrote a business textbook. I had to read the information and say whether or not I possessed these traits (I of course said yes) and she then asked a couple of standard questions like "Why PR?" and "Where do you see yourself in five years?" After the Q and A she told me that no one she's interviewed has really stood out (I'm not sure if she included me in that group) and that she is looking for someone with "charisma, presence, moxie," an inquisitive mind (Requirements for Success, Trait 5, Handout 4). I really didn't know how to respond so I just nodded and tried to exude moxie and inquisitiveness. She did say that she liked my varied internship experience, my time in Japan and the way I answered her questions so perhaps there is some hope for this job. I think it would be great experience although I'm sure I'd find the woman a bit intimidating. She said she has to interview two other candidates and will then either choose someone from the current pool or initiate second round interviews. We'll see how it goes. Meanwhile, my other interview for the beer marketing/beer bitch position is a week from tomorrow.

Thankfully, I'm going to become part of the "local talent" next week. After the interview my husband and I looked at a couple of apartments and ended up signing a lease at the same complex we lived in a few years ago. It's where we met actually (on the dock pictured below). We had a great time while we lived there and we've missed it over the years, but never did we think we'd be back. In a way my husband and I feel like we've regressed as we expected to own a home by now, but then I did earn a Master's degree and gain relevant experience in Charleston, not to mention our stints in Japan and Thailand, so it's not like we don't have anything to show for our time away. Plus there's this...

I can certainly think of worse apartment complexes to return to. We move the day after Christmas.

On the Road Again

Positions Applied to: 32
Interview Invitations: 3
Direct Rejections: 4
Time Spent Hunting: 32 days

This afternoon my husband and I are off to Tampa for my interview at the public relations agency. Hopefully I can convince the woman that I'm better than the local talent. While researching the agency I learned that it handles publicity for the Historical Royal Palaces in England. For example, Hampton Court Palace, Kensington Palace and the TOWER OF LONDON! That's no big deal to most people, but I am possibly the biggest English history nerd around. For me, visiting the Tower of London was like visiting Mecca. I have no idea why a small, American PR firm has anything to do with the royal palaces, but I be thrilled to work on that account.

I also got a phone call about another job, so I have another interview in the Tampa area next week. I'll be interviewing for a marketing position with a well-known beer company. The listing did not give much information, but from what I understand I and two or three others would be responsible for the planning and execution of various promotional events. My friend had a similar job for a cigarette company and she was paid very well, got tons of free samples and had a huge budget to work with. The downside is that I'd likely have to spend lots of late hours at bars and clubs and my husband would not be thrilled. Plus, I feel too old and unhip for the club scene these days. Never the less, I'm going to the interview with an open mind.

I've pretty much given up on the Ft. Lauderdale ad agency. My husband more or less has his heart set on Tampa and is talking of looking at apartments while we're down there. If the agency had contacted me when they said they would and offered me the job I would have taken it, but now I feel like I'm being strung along. I did send them an email saying I'd be unavailable by phone for the next two days, but haven't heard anything. Oh well, the job hunting process just wouldn't be complete with a seemingly promising opportunity evaporating into thin air for reasons unknown. Every time I've searched for a job I've had a seemingly great interview, sometimes two, with a company that promises to call and never does.

It's Just Another Mundane Monday

Positions Applied to: 32
Interview Invitations: 2
Direct Rejections: 4
Indirect Rejections (3 weeks with no response): 12
Resumes Currently Floating in the HR Void: 14
Time Spent Hunting: 31 days

I'm beginning to feel discouraged and negative again because the ad agency, of course, hasn't called. I know I said I didn't really expect them to call today, but the longer this goes on the less likely I think anything is going to develop. They've broken two of their own contact deadlines now. I won't be here to answer the phone tomorrow and the next day, due to the Tampa interview, nor will my in-laws. We also don't have a cell phone, so if by some miracle the agency did try to call me in the next day or two there will be no way for them to reach me. I considered sending a message saying I will only be available by email the next two days (and hopefully extract some additional information) but haven't so far. My husband says screw 'em, he would rather live in Tampa anyway, but I need a job and the "interview" seemed so promising! How frustrating! Just what are they doing and why do they keep making contact promises they can't keep?

Need Job, Will Travel

Positions Applied to: 32

Interview Invitations: 2

Direct Rejections: 4

Indirect Rejections (3 weeks with no response): 9

Resumes Currently Floating in the HR Void: 17

Time Spent Hunting: 28 days

Please forgive that last entry. I'm feeling a bit more positive today. While the ad agency never called, one of the women I spoke to sent an email and told me she'd have feedback for me on Monday (hopefully). So the waiting game is to go on a little longer. I won't be surprised if I don't hear anything by Monday, although I do think I'll hear something early next week. Be it good or bad I couldn't say. After meeting and seeing firsthand that I'm not a degenerate, it seemed that the agency people had decided to hire me without going through all of the usual rigmarole, but if that were true why this delay? My guess is that they have to clear it with the director of the account I'd be working on (he was too busy to speak with me the day of the interview) but I'm afraid they're just going to hire a local person for the sake of convenience. They were all so amazed that I drove down to Ft. Lauderdale just for the interview and I don't think they realize that my husband and I don't have qualms about traveling for interviews or relocating immediately.

At least I have the Wednesday interview in Tampa to distract me, although the women there, herald of local talent, also seems to have reservations about my being from out of state. If for some reason both of these agency jobs fall through, my husband and I are definitely moving to Tampa after the holidays, job or no job. Living in South Carolina is putting me at a disadvantage as none of the employers in Charleston have contacted me and Florida employers may see my current out-of-state residency as a reason not to hire, or even contact me. I certainly see why it would be easier for hiring managers to narrow their search to local candidates.

Outsiders Need Not Apply

Positions Applied to: 31
Interview Invitations: 2
Direct Rejections: 4
Time Spent Hunting: 26 days

It's now 4 o'clock and no word from the agency. I suppose there's some hope left for the day, but it's looking grim. Before I left yesterday, I specifically asked them for a response time frame and they repeatedly told me they'd call today. Wankers.

While I was waiting, I sent a couple of follow up emails to the places I applied to nearly three weeks ago. One of them was to the public relations agency I mentioned in my last post. The contact immediately responded and said she'd previously sent a reply and that her message must have been filtered into my junk mail. I checked and there was nothing there. If she sent a reply I never received it. I'm not sure that she did. She went on to say that while I was a viable candidate, the agency would not be flying candidates in for interviews or paying moving expenses and that the Tampa market is overflowing with talent as there are two universities in the area, both with excellent communication programs. I don't know why she thought I assumed they'd be paying my way. In my cover letter, I specifically say that interview travel and relocation will not be a problem. She did say that if I was in the area soon she'd be glad to meet with me, so I sent her an email asking if she was available next week. So we now have an interview on Wednesday, December 19th. Wish me luck against all the local talent!

Tell Me About a Time When...

Positions Applied to: 31
Interview Invitations: 1
Direct Rejections: 4
Time Spent Hunting: 26 days

Well, I'm back from my interview in Ft. Lauderdale and things seemed to go well. It wasn't so much of a traditional interview as a time for 2 or 3 HR people to talk about the duties of the position and for me to nod enthusiastically. I literally spent hours formulating answers to every interview question imaginable, yet they didn't ask much in the way of my qualifications or past experiences. I especially focused on the behavioral questions that I hate so much. You know, like "tell me about a time when you overcame a challenge" or "tell me about a time when you didn't perform to the best of your abilities," but they didn't ask anything like that. They seemed more interested in my Japan experience than anything else. The whole thing was much more casual than I expected, which is good I guess. I feel pretty confident about my chances right now, but don't want to assume anything. I've had casual interviews like this in the past, where I was certain I'd got the job, but then didn't. They're supposed to call with a decision tomorrow. Oh please, let me know one way or the other tomorrow! I find the suspense of waiting for a post-interview call unbearable.

None of the other companies I've applied with have contacted me, and I'm a bit surprised, and irritated, by that. I was confident the publishing company that I interned with would have at least emailed me by now. If they blow me off again that's just ridiculous. Another puzzling black hole is the PR agency in Tampa that was seeking a entry-level account executive. Why haven't they contacted me? At the risk of sounding arrogant, I doubt there are many candidates as qualified as me. Do hiring managers even look at all the resumes they receive? Often times it seems they don't. I know this is totally one sided and that HR managers are constantly swamped with resumes, but when I put all this time and effort into crafting a customized cover letter and resume for a position that I know I'm perfectly qualified for, and then hear nothing, it's frustrating. Especially when it happens over and over again. Okay, rant over.

Hopefully, I will have no need of this blog come tomorrow.

New Resume

Positions Applied to: 30
Interview Invitations: 1
Direct Rejections: 3
Indirect Rejections (3 weeks with no response): 6
Resumes Currently Floating in the HR Void: 21
Time Spent Hunting: 23 days

After doing some reformatting, I was able to add more information to my resume yet keep it to one page. I like this version much better. We'll see if it makes any difference.

My name
Address
Phone Number
Email

EDUCATION (This part is screwed up in the blog, but nicely formatted on the resume)

2005-2006 1998-2002
College of Charleston, The Citadel University of Central Oklahoma,
Charleston, SC Edmond, OK
Master of Arts, English Bachelor of Arts, Public Relations

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

2/2007-11/2007 Nova, Tokyo, Japan English Instructor
• Taught conversational English to hundreds of students of all skill levels and age ranges
• Lead preparation seminars for both national and international English proficiency tests
• Responsible for the coordination of all children’s classes within the branch. This included the organization and assembly of weekly materials and paperwork, the coordination of semiannual performance reviews for approximately 170 children and management of special needs students and cases

5/2005-1/2007 Tour Company, Charleston, SC Customer Service Manager
• Responsible for coordination and execution of ten nightly walking tours which included the management of customers, tour guides and on-site staff
• Assisted in the planning and execution of annual Halloween event, including reservations, ticket sales and on-site operations
• Composed tour descriptions for company brochures and website

8/2006 – 12/2006 Independent Paper, Charleston, SC Editorial Intern
• Researched and wrote short pieces for online and print publication. Topics included art, theatre, health, beauty and community events
• Assisted editors in researching and planning content for upcoming feature stories
• Organized and entered community events in print and online community calendars resulting in easier access for both readers and staff

4/2006 – 6/2006 Artsy Fartsy Office, Charleston, SC Arts Management Intern – Piccolo Spoleto Arts Festival
• Served as house manager for various festival performances which entailed the management of volunteers, box office staff and theatre coordinators
• Assisted in the planning, preparation and execution of large scale, outdoor events such as intern produced block parties, concerts and grand finale celebrations
• Completed various Public Relations tasks such as composing and editing copy for event fliers, assembling media kits and event clipbooks and working in the festival press room

4/2005 – 6/2005 Publishing Company, Mt. Pleasant, SC Public Relations Intern
• Wrote press releases, author bios and other materials for newly published X books
• Developed professional media kits featuring X books and authors
• Telephoned media contacts in order to generate interest and publicity for new books

We're Living in a 2-5 Years Experience World, but I am an Entry-Level Girl

Each time I apply for a job I copy and paste the wanted description into a Word document and save the information for future reference. As I was looking over the descriptions today I realized I have applied to a lot of jobs I'm simply not qualified for. In fact, of the 23 positions I am waiting to hear back on, only 10 are at my level of experience. I was so eager to apply to as many positions as possible that I didn't really heed the employers' qualification requirements. It's the old Catch 22. The majority of companies I applied to want someone with experience, but how can I get experience if no one wants to hire me? It's frustrating because I know I could do the jobs I applied for, but I don't have the 2-5 years of related experience. Of the 10 positions I am qualified for, 3 are approaching the two week mark and another the three week mark, so even those applications aren't attracting much interest. I guess that makes my interview with the ad agency all the more important. It's scheduled for next Tuesday at 2 p.m. Wish me luck!

Tuesday

I got in touch with the HR guy today and had a short conversation with him on the phone. While talking I quickly realized my interview/BS skills are a bit rusty as I found myself stammering and babbling a few times. He asked me a couple of basic questions to get me talking about my ideal position and former job duties. The questions that tripped me up were "why advertising?" and "what kinds of clients would you be interested in working with?" I should have been prepared for both of these questions, but wasn't. When he asked me about what kinds of clients I would be interested in I said something about retail clients, thinking of a popular shoe company they represent and mentioning that I used to work in retail, and got a lecture about how all of their clients are essentially retail and that a retail product is not just something you can buy in the store. He sounded almost annoyed (and arrogant) and I really didn't have a good feeling when I hung up the phone. Apparently my answers weren't too terrible because I'm supposed to email him to schedule an interview in Ft. Lauderdale. To be honest, I have reservations about the job and company and am hoping someone else will express interest soon. Never the less, I'm glad that I have the opportunity to interview somewhere and if they're willing to give me a chance when no one else will I'll be grateful.

Monday

I tried calling the "Talent Acquisition" guy from the Ft. Lauderdale agency four times today but was unable to reach him. I left a message after the fourth attempt but so far I haven't heard back. I'll try again tomorrow.

No word from any other companies.

Current Job Hunting Stats

Positions Applied to: 25
Interview Invitations: 0
Rejections: 3
Resumes Currently Floating in the HR Void: 22
Time Spent Hunting: 17 days

Dare to Dream

While checking various company websites in the Charleston area, I was thrilled to discover that a local publishing company here recently posted three PR/marketing opportunities. What is even better is that is that they are the same company I interned with a little over two years ago. Considering that I interned with the company and did the very jobs they are advertising now, that I have both a B.A. in Public Relations and a M.A. in English and that I have completed two other relevant internships, one would think I have a decent-great shot a getting at least one of the jobs. The down side is that most or all of the people who might remember me have left the company. Also, I applied for a job there when I was an intern (doing the very job they needed to fill, at the very desk they needed to fill) but they never even interviewed me. Of course, I was just beginning my Master's studies then and hadn't had any other relevant experience, so maybe things will be different this time. I hope so. My husband and I would really like to stay in Charleston, but haven't been able to find many promising openings. As dangerous as it is to hope like this, I will be checking my email like crazy and my heart will skip a beat every time the phone rings.

Tomorrow I'm going to call the Ad agency in Ft. Lauderdale and see what they're about.

First Bite

On Friday I got a bite from a Ft. Lauderdale advertising company, my first bite in the job hunt thus far. It's a generic email response, something along the lines of :

Hello Lady Wanderlust, I received your resume and would like to speak with you regarding your credentials. Please contact me to discuss a potential opportunity within Advertising Agency. Thanks and I look forward to speaking with you!

I researched the agency, and everything seems to be on the up and up. They are something like the 15th largest agency in the country and have a number of big name clients. I applied for an entry level position, and though I wasn't really considering moving to Ft. Lauderdale, it might be something worth pursuing.

I found an article posted on the Miami Herald online, and while the article said good things, the reader response comments worry me. There are at least 15-20 comments from current or former employees claiming the agency is a terrible place to work, that the pay is low, the hours long and the staff mistreated. The comments remind me of the negative Nova comments I found when I was researching opportunities in Japan. I'll call the HR guy on Monday and see what he has to say, and perhaps travel to Ft. Lauderdale for an interview, but I'd hate to move to an unfamiliar city only to end up trapped in a miserable job. Still, it would be agency experience....

We'll see what happens.