Is There Really a Test?

I haven't been here because I have been searching and applying away for jobs like my life depends on which now that I think of it...it does.  Anyways, I had an interview on Wednesday for a position that is definitely in my field that I have experience doing so I was extremely excited.  The interview ran very long but I think it went well.  I sold myself and my skills and I also think I came off as very personable and reliable which is always a good thing in an interview.  However, I won't get too excited or over the top confident about my performance because there was a TEST at the end of the interview.  Yes you read right a TEST!  I wasn't expecting it and this is probably the second interview that I went to that included a TEST.  

As it is very obvious and apparent everyone is not a great test taker and that's cool, can't fault anyone for that because there are a number of reasons why people don't do well on tests and it often has nothing to do with intelligence or the knowledge they possess.  Here are my suggestions for those unexpected test during interviews:

1.  Do the best you can.
2. If the test is not timed use that to your advantage to do your best work.  However, if it is timed answer the questions you know first and then go back to the weird ones.
3. Please don't skip out on the test even if you are nervous or worried TRY anyway not trying is failure.
4. Hope for the best this test is not the end of the world and you still have time to win them over with you interview and resume.

My test was a sample caseplan which I haven't written one of those in awhile but you know what I did my best and that's all that matters.  So as I continue my work search I will remember the possibility of a pop quiz every now and then but I won't be afraid because it's all in  day's job search.  So until next time...Happy Hunting!

Switching It Up

So I had an epiphany...well I have quite a few of those a day but this is a good one.  I think it's time for me to move on to a different career track.  First let me clarify...I am not giving up on what I originally obtained my degree in but I want to try something new.  I have been thinking a lot about the direction my life is going, my interests and just the places I want to be so I felt like it was time for something grand to happen.  I went to college and got the "acceptable" degree, did that route for a few years.  I am still very passionate about that aspect of my life but I need to put things into perspective.  I am 26yrs old already went down one career pathway so now it's time to start another I'm still young and have the opportunity to make a name for myself.  This time I am focusing on my interest purely, not what I think is acceptable for my mother or anyone else.  It's time for things to be about me and expressing myself.  My passion for children will still be there and I can fill that void with volunteer work once I get my new career jumped off.  With all of that said though I have decided that I would enroll in an Associates Program at the College of Southern Nevada...random right?!  I know but as much as I would love to have a Master's Degree I refuse to spend $90,000 on yet another degree to be in the same position once I graduate.  I want to be moving forward and being happy with my life and most of all being productive.  I have come to realize that I am smart and driven, there is nothing in this world that can stop me from being great so it's time to put my plan into motion.

Now the rational side of me comes out to give people a real view on things.  With today's economy I have come to realize that you have to be adaptable and your skillsets have to be transferable.  Employers are looking for people that can do the job and just that nothing more or less.  I think that is very bias however it makes sense when it comes to fiscal purposes.  Why pay someone more for a position that they are obviously over-qualified for.  Here's what I recommend or suggest for people who are looking for a new pathway.  

1. Look at the current trends in the job market and evaluate what seems to be the most stable direction for employment in your state, city or region.
2. Assess your skill set and determine if you have crossover appeal.
3. Consider your current and past interests and hobbies regardless of how whimsical they maybe, remember this is not the time to be politically correct or do the acceptable thing that your parents may want you to do.
4. Look at the resources in your community such as technical schools, community colleges, or even professional programs to see if there is something that sparks your interest.
5. Create a plan and then take the steps necessary to explore your findings.

By no means am I saying this is the plan for success but it is a start.  I have felt trapped for so long so to be stepping out on a new adventure is exciting me and making me want to do more.  So until next time...happy path-finding!

Rejection

The hardest part of being unemployed and applying for position after position is the generic rejection messages you get.  I think that throughout this process of looking for employment it hasn't been the task of looking and applying for positions it is the continuous feeling of not being good enough.  Rejection creates a lack of worth in a person and it really makes them doubt every aspect of who they are.  I would rather never get a call back then for someone to insert my name which is most often spelled incorrectly into a general letter or e-mail message telling me that my skills are impressive but no thanks.  

The most memorable rejection letter I ever received was from a local non-profit organization here in the Las Vegas Area.  I had an interview there, I followed up after my interview and then randomly I received a letter in the mail.  The envelope was addressed to me but when I open it up it is a rejection letter addressed to another individual.  When I call to make sure that this letter was indeed intended for me I never get a callback.  I mean really it is bad enough that you are not offering me a position but the least you could do is send the right rejection letter to me, that act alone made me seem irrelevant. 

I don't know the best way to deal with rejection besides to just remain optimistic but I know that is a lot to ask when one feels so beaten up.  I suppose that once I get over the feelings of worthlessness that tomorrow I will be back on the grind but for now I am sad in Las Vegas....so until next time!

The Waiting Game

Have I mentioned how short my patience can get in certain situations.  It often amazes me how I can have all the patience in the world with things that are seriously meticulous but with other things I am tapping my fingers, blowing and pacing needing a response immediately.  It's a struggle for me but I will get better at it I promise.  So I had that wonderful behavior based interview last week for that amazing job that I want extremely badly and I haven't heard anything yet.  I guess that's the hardest part of applying for jobs is that you have to wait until they get ready to get back with you.  I wish there was a way to hurry the process but I suppose that highlights my constant need for control in certain situations.  As I skim the internet for answers as I always do when I have questions, there seems to be no standard wait time.  I have heard though that it is a good idea to send a Thank You to the interviewer because they didn't have to take the time to interview you and it shows that you do indeed still have interest in that particular position.  Honestly I don't think there are any sure fire tips to getting a call back or keeping your interview fresh in the interviewers mind with the current state of affairs in terms of unemployment in the US right now.  My best advice is to put your best foot forward when doing any interview but continue to apply for positions so you will have more options.  The search for me continues even though I am drawn to the potential of that particular position all I can do is wait and see. So until next time...Happy Hunting!

Behavior Based Interviews

Today I had a phone interview which I was really looking forward to because I was completely sold that the position fit well with my qualifications.  I actually spent time preparing for this interview however, thinking of potential questions they may ask and comparing my resume and skill set to what the position was looking for.  I was presented with my nemesis the Behavioral Based interview.  You just never really know if you are giving the right answers to the questions.  I don't really know but I gave the best answers I could to the questions and hopefully my skills will shine through.  To be honest I really want this position not because I am desperate for a job but simply because I really like what the position is about.  So we will see what the results are.  I am extremely nervous though because after the interview she said that I could potentially have another interview like the one I had this morning.  I suppose though the more you do them the more comfortable you get with that style of interviewing.  I don't really know if there are any keys tips to this type of interviewing style but I do know that within your story you should be descriptive and really express the high points that direct back to the job at hand.  As I wait for the result of this experience this morning I will continue to plug away applying for other interesting positions.

Interviewing

It has been presented to me that it may be time to re-evaluate the direction of my resume.  Perhaps it is too technical and only relevant in my current area of expertise.  I am not really sure but with much pushing I made the decision to make the effort to change my resume...and that will be a job all in it's self.  

Resumes are supposed to be the instrument that makes that first meeting a little less awkward but I find that to  be the opposite.  As I have sat in many interviews feeling like I am being quizzed or interrogated about the experiences presented on my resume, I often feel more nervous after I depart than I did when I first walked into the room.  So this week I have yet another interview.  This time though I am going to spend time trying to figure out what I could potentially be doing wrong during this critical event.  I mean my resume says so much about me but it seems like after that things fall apart.  Am I just not as good in person as I appear on paper? Am I talking too much? Do I not seem happy or enthusiastic enough?  Whatever the answer may be to these questions I plan to figure it out prior to my interview this week.  My goal is to do a few mock interviews and get some feedback.  

The Low down

When you say you live in Las Vegas the first thing that comes to mind is...wait for it....CASINO!  And the reality of this all is there are a LOT of casinos.  In fact in a story posted on http://www.worldcasinodirectory.com/nevada-casinos/las-vegas the city of Las Vegas has 122 casinos listed in their directory. Their database also reveals that within those 122 casinos there are 116063 gaming machines and 4323 total table games.  Now putting this into perspective and taking in account all the possible positions that are needed to operate and manage a casino you would think that the unemployment rate in Las Vegas would be low right?  Wrong!  The unemployment rate in Las Vegas sits at slightly above 13% not to mention that Nevada right now holds the highest unemployment rate within the United States. 

Let's dig deeper, before I moved to Las Vegas about 7-8 months ago I resided in the state that had the second highest unemployment rate....Michigan.  So coming from that dismal place to this one you would think that I would be pessimistic about the state of affairs in terms of employment but I haven't been.  Actually to my surprise I have had far more interviews here than I ever had in Michigan but the downside to this is that I have heard many more "No's" and that begins to wear on one's ego, psyche and self-confidence. 

What I'm getting at here is that work is hard to come by at this point in time...especially for people who feel like they made the right choice to reach for higher education, we now make up about a third of the unemployment rate in Nevada at about 4.8% (http://thenevadaview.com/?p=66). Looking at the numbers and statistics it is often hard to see the light at the end of a very long and dark tunnel.  News reports periodically talk about a rise in the employment rate in Nevada but for what types of jobs? 

I find myself competing with people who have high school diplomas and GEDs and probably very little actual work experience.  It feels like a punishment or a scarlet letter to be college educated or to have more than retail work listed on your resume.  I often feel mocked for applying for positions that I know my skill sets exceed what they are looking for because that puts my resume into the "Better Luck Next Time" pile. I can't count the number of times that people question my intentions during a pre-interview screening.  I keep asking myself is it better to be under-qualified or over-qualified because it seems like there are very occasions that my resume fits into that "just right" category.