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When I was employed in PDX, my New Yorker get things done attitude allowed me to succeed well at my job, well above my co-workers. This attitude has always got me jobs and promotions, I guess when times were good this was true in Portland. I guess it's just a luck game, as you mentioned, even getting your resume looked at is a gamble.
I remember the looks I got for wearing a thousand dollar suit to my first entry-level administrative assistant interview in Portland. This kind of attire is common in New York, even for not-so-good paying jobs. This was a marketing firm and everyone looked so sloppy, my first culture shock of PDX. The guy who interviewed me was dressed like a homeless Steve Jobs, let's just say they didn't hire me.
You have to do research into the company. In my interviews I've dressed in everything from a business suit, to business casual, to Portland Business, to jeans with knee holes and a ratty t-shirt. It all depends on the company and the business they're in.
I have noticed lately that recruiters and HR people are starting to clue people in to the companies standard dress code.
Chicago: Ask a person for directions, they will pull out a map, point out North, East, South and West for you and make sure you are clear on your destination. They will ask where you're from and after you tell them, they will talk about some relative that lives there and how they would love to visit some day.
That is so true about Chicagoans. I miss that even after 30 plus years of living in Portland.
The best way of finding work in Portland is to network. Employers are so innudated by resumes that a word from a trusted employee goes a long way. Also don't aim for the subsistance jobs. Those are the most difficult to come by because there are so many people who are after them. Try to present yourself as having something special and unique to bring to the table for whatever professional job you apply.
I think maybe the difference between unemployment here and in Chicago is the competition. I doubt that Chicago is getting the large amount of people moving there as Portland does. People come here on vacation, fall in love with the beautiful scenery and want to relocate. But there are so many of them, Portland business just cannot handle them all.
Thanks for the advice. I know being apart for 3 years would be fine but the thing is, I miss Portland and can't stand New York. It's too loud, crowded and I could go on days but overall, not for me. I was hoping to hear something I know isn't true, I guess wishful thinking. Our second choice is Chicago, it's inexpensive, has a decent job market and the people in the Midwest are genuine. We visited last week and I was surprised. Here's what I gathered from talking to strangers in NYC, Chicago and Portland as a visitor over the years.
NYC: Ask a person for directions, they will ignore you and whisper 'stupid tourist' under their breath.
Portland: Ask a person for directions, they will tell you and will ask where you're from. After you tell them, they will give you reasons why Portland is better even though you never asked for their opinion. I'm probably guilty of this from my short time as a PDX resident.
Chicago: Ask a person for directions, they will pull out a map, point out North, East, South and West for you and make sure you are clear on your destination. They will ask where you're from and after you tell them, they will talk about some relative that lives there and how they would love to visit some day.
I know my experience is probably not the norm, but I just love the differences. Even looking at the NYC, Portland and Chicago sections on City-Data, the threads very by region.
The funny thing is, the unemployment rate in Chicago is higher than Portland, and according to indeed.com, there are more job openings per capita in Portland in Chicago. Friends of mine in Chicago are getting 60,000+ a year with ease, friends of mine in Portland are struggling with getting a part time, minimum wage job. I just don't get it.
Excuse me, that is not true about NYC. I have had people go out of their way to help with directions. New Yorkers might look a little apprehensive at first with someone approaching them on the street, but they can be quite helpful.
We had a guy once run after the car in NYC because he realized he made a mistake in directions. He ran for two blocks all out breath to say he made a mistake.
Portland if you remember is a pretty open minded city, yet you with just one comment painted all New Yorkers the same. Yes, the most diverse city in America and everyone gives the same response....LOL.
I can see you in NYC with a puss on your face, you kind of get back what you put out.
Excuse me, that is not true about NYC. I have had people go out of their way to help with directions. New Yorkers might look a little apprehensive at first with someone approaching them on the street, but they can be quite helpful.
We had a guy once run after the car in NYC because he realized he made a mistake in directions. He ran for two blocks all out breath to say he made a mistake.
Portland if you remember is a pretty open minded city, yet you with just one comment painted all New Yorkers the same. Yes, the most diverse city in America and everyone gives the same response....LOL.
I can see you in NYC with a puss on your face, you kind of get back what you put out.
Of course there are friendly people in New York and I was poking at trends I've observed. I should have added cranky forum people with nothing better to do than post irrelevant things on helpful threads. Is this called a thread? I'm not sure but if it isn't I'm sure you'll attempt to insult me.
I agree with your first paragraph. Sorry if what I wrote wasn't very clear.
Your second paragraph tells me there might be a link between helpful people and good runners. At least one lives in NYC.
I have no idea what you're trying to say in your third paragraph. I said that's what I gathered from visiting, from a visitor's point of view. Yes my responses varied but that's the overall vibe I got. I never painted all New Yorkers to be the same, I should have mentioned I didn't ask every resident of NYC for directions. Just so you know, it would take a really long time to ask over 8 million people for directions. I'm glad I didn't say New Yorkers like their pizza thin, you would have told me about how some guy you met loves deep dish.
Your fourth paragraph just simply tells me you're post is to be taken with a grain of salt.
This is why I've always tried to avoid forums like this, too many angry and miserable people with nothing better to do. Especially people who manage to post threads at all hours of the day, every day.
Thanks for the laugh before bed. I'm glad I have hobbies other than this forum.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rob Allen
Whatisacup, I sent you a DM with a lead on a job in Portland. Good luck!
Thanks very much! Too bad I'm not in the area to interview, I'll send them a copy of my resume anyway, it's a good match for my skills.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Minervah
That is so true about Chicagoans. I miss that even after 30 plus years of living in Portland.
The best way of finding work in Portland is to network. Employers are so innudated by resumes that a word from a trusted employee goes a long way. Also don't aim for the subsistance jobs. Those are the most difficult to come by because there are so many people who are after them. Try to present yourself as having something special and unique to bring to the table for whatever professional job you apply.
I think maybe the difference between unemployment here and in Chicago is the competition. I doubt that Chicago is getting the large amount of people moving there as Portland does. People come here on vacation, fall in love with the beautiful scenery and want to relocate. But there are so many of them, Portland business just cannot handle them all.
I was very impressed by how friendly people are in Chicago. I'm happy about the experience I had with city residents and local farmers at the market, I got the mid-west supreme on my trip. It's difficult for me to make a decision, I keep hearing how bad it is in Portland but I miss my friends and hobbies in the area. When I moved in 2007, I had 6 interviews my first week after giving a junk resume to a dozen ads on Craigslist. I'm sure things have changed, I had some good luck I guess.
I know Chicago has a lot of poverty issues as well, I'm not too sure about Portland. Chicago felt like a good New York/Portland hybrid, I really liked the vibe of the Logan Square/Wicker Park area. It reminds me of the hipness of where I live now, Williamsburg Brooklyn with the Alphabet District in Portland.
Quote:
Originally Posted by hamellr
You have to do research into the company. In my interviews I've dressed in everything from a business suit, to business casual, to Portland Business, to jeans with knee holes and a ratty t-shirt. It all depends on the company and the business they're in.
I have noticed lately that recruiters and HR people are starting to clue people in to the companies standard dress code.
The funny thing is I remember debating what to wear on the interview. It was a small company, so there wasn't anything more than a company website which was filled with cheesy clip art of people in suits shaking hands. My interview went well but I wasn't hired, I hope they found a better candidate and didn't make their decision based on my attire. If so, I wouldn't want to work for those knuckleheads.
Overall, this is a very stresfull decision. My girlfriend will know her LSAT scores either Friday or Monday, she is hoping for Columbia or NYU. She has safety schools in Chicago and Portland, her number one safety is Lewis and Clark for Environmental Law. I'm hoping to know soon, after a few practice LSATs, I'm considering law school as well. I just have to keep doing my research on Portland and continue taking advice. I'm not looking forward to TriMet, however, NYC transit has spoiled me.
What part of " NYC: Ask a person for directions, they will ignore you and whisper 'stupid tourist' under their breath." isn't painting all New Yorkers the same???
I will break it down for you, you get back what you put out whether it is Dublin, Ireland or Portland, OR or NYC.
You sound very unhappy in NYC and that is what you're projecting out and getting back. Also sounds like you're afraid the girlfriend will meet someone else if she goes to Portland on her own.
You sound very unhappy in NYC and that is what you're projecting out and getting back.
Just because I'm unhappy with my current city doesn't mean I'm projecting out. Speaking of projecting out, what is your beef with me and others on the forum? You seem like the unhappy one projecting out.
Quote:
Originally Posted by seain dublin
Also sounds like you're afraid the girlfriend will meet someone else if she goes to Portland on her own.
That's why we're getting married next spring. You're calling me out for judging New Yorkers while you sit on some forum and judge others. I'm not saying anymore, you're obviously a very depressed person. I actually feel bad for you.
I'm going to give you the best lesson you'll ever learn about Portland, and it will only cost you 25 dollars to Craigslist.
Go to Craigslist, and post a dummy job listing in whatever section you're wanting to get into (you said office management in the 'close to minimum wage' area, so admin/office would probably be the one for you). Toss up a list of qualifications that you think particularly suit you, pay the 25 bucks, and tag it onto the site.
Then, count how many resumes come flying into your inbox. I'd be shocked if you got less than 300 (I have a friend who works the IT department for a company that recently posted a manager position on Careerbuilder, and they got over 1200 applications in 3 days - so much so that the HR department went to him to adjust the spam appliance settings on the back end because they were being overwhelmed - yes, everyone from that day on went into the abyss). Then, if you're feeling daring, open a few of them up and take a look at the qualifications of those you're up against, and determine if you think you stand a chance against any of them.
After you do that, come back here and tell me how positive you think your chances are. Don't take our words for it, spend the 25 dollars and see for yourself.
In other words, if you decide to move there, I hope you've got a freighter full of savings.
Wow, this sounds pretty unethical, if not illegal. People are submitting their personal information via resumes. Exploiting others isn't the best way to land yourself a position.
Wow, this sounds pretty unethical, if not illegal. People are submitting their personal information via resumes. Exploiting others isn't the best way to land yourself a position.
1) People are submitting names and addresses. Which are publicly available anywhere, any time. And their resumes are publicly available somewhere else 999 out of 1000 times.
2) It's not exploiting anybody. Most of the people who respond are just getting their 3 contacts a week in so they can continue to collect their unemployment and not work. Those who are legitimately looking are, frankly, going to be pretty used to firing off a resume and never hearing back.
It's called a scouting mission, and it's a pretty common tactic that dates back to the 80's when people would post dummy ads in newspapers that had a phone number which led to an answering service, just so they could see what their level of competition would be for a position. Knowledge is power.
Just because I'm unhappy with my current city doesn't mean I'm projecting out. Speaking of projecting out, what is your beef with me and others on the forum? You seem like the unhappy one projecting out.
That's why we're getting married next spring. You're calling me out for judging New Yorkers while you sit on some forum and judge others. I'm not saying anymore, you're obviously a very depressed person. I actually feel bad for you.
I only made my comments after you attacked New Yorkers on a couple of your posts. You did label everyone the same. Very open minded...LOL.
Now you're getting married??? Does she know that?
You just said on your first post "I'm looking to follow my girl friend there as she does 3 years of law school. After this, assuming we are still together, we will venture back to the east coast, where our families are."
When you post hateful comments about a whole city, expect some comments back.
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