How did YOU get your job? (degrees, interview, profit, degree)

[negativenancy]

I recently left my part-time job due to dangerous working conditions and I have since applied for at least 7 or 8 other part-time jobs. Although I've only gotten the call-back to interview twice, I've never been offered the job.

My question is: how did you get your job? Was it your overqualified skills? Flexible hours? etc.

Tell me your story about how you got your job

[Charles]

I think I got my most recent job (started 4/23) using Indeed. My strategy was creating accounts on all sorts of employers' websites (Boeing, Lockheed, Panasonic, Western Digital, Thales, Invensys and many others) and checking for jobs. In addition, and now I am beginning to get more confidence in this approach, I started writing many of my (key, targeted) contacts on Linkedin and explaining what I was looking for and where I wanted to work. I now have many HR/Recruiter contacts from those companies I mentioned above and they were able to at least get me interviews.

Recommend you "connect" with any person in a company that you receive an email from - even if it is a rejection. So, if "Mr. Jones from Widgets Inc" writes that you have not been selected, find him on LinkedIn and connect with him. Do the same with independent recruiters. Stay on their radar screen.

[bs13690]

I applied for a job in the newspaper, went down to the recruiters, took some tests, did some interviews and next thing you know I had the job. Of course, that was around 12 years ago so some of the processes may have changed.

[negativenancy]

Charles, if you don't mind me asking, what kind of job do you have now? IT?

bs13690, do you have a lit degree or anything? Also, I just noticed you're from the same down as Jordan from BB.

[D. Scott]

Originally Posted by bs13690

I applied for a job in the newspaper, went down to the recruiters, took some tests, did some interviews and next thing you know I had the job. Of course, that was around 12 years ago so some of the processes may have changed.

I did the same over 7 years ago. Got called for an interview and received an offer right away. My job before that lasted over 7 years and i got it by dropping a resume in person. Got an interview the next day and an offer a day later. I have had just 2 jobs in the last 14 years, With advancements in both places. I sometimes wonder if this was too long..

[bs13690]

Originally Posted by negativenancy

Charles, if you don't mind me asking, what kind of job do you have now? IT?

bs13690, do you have a lit degree or anything? Also, I just noticed you're from the same down as Jordan from BB.

I don't have any degrees. Yes, Jordan is from Matthews, NC. Never met here nor know anyone who has though.

I started as an Executive Assistant and after a few years made a lateral move to doing deskside support.

[TechGromit]

A friend told me about a job working as a contractor for the government. I applied, interviewed and with his recommendation got the got. I was working at the Atlantic City Casino's at the time, since I left in 2006, they have earned less profits every year, coincidence? I guess I'm one of the few people earning more money and doing better in this recession, than before it. Since I left they have cut benefits and salary's at the casino, not to mention laid off lots of my former co-workers.

[brocco]

i already had a job when i was job searching so i wasn't super aggressive about it. i wanted more pay and a more challenging role. i created a spreadsheet and used a few different websites along with company websites to search, adding each job i'd applied to on the spreadsheet. i only applied to jobs i was really interested in and for which i was qualified. i found the job i have now on indeed. my education was relevant as was the other job i had at the time. i think a lot of the "key" words on my resume matched the qualifications the employer was seeking. they didn't interview that many people- thank god lol. i suck at interviewing. it was my resume and relevant experience/training that got me in.

[hnsq]

I spent a year or so getting to know a director at a company I was always impressed with (going out to lunch, coffee, etc.). I went out to lunch/coffee with him about once/month (every time I happened to be in the area). When I decided I wanted to actually look for a new job, I spent about a month really asking him for advice on his specific job/his company. I applied for a job when it became open and got it fairly easily.

[KittenSparkles]

I was doing some contract work and thought it would be good to have a steadier paycheck with more consistent hours. I looked at the classified ads for the local newspaper on-line and applied for a job that sounded interesting. I got called in for an interview and offered the position. I have subsequently changed jobs two times in the same company - that was 12 years ago.