Black Friday

Ok…I’m NOT talking about my luck going out this morning to shop. 

This is last Friday’s fun and games in the job hunting world.   I had two prospective jobs come into my e-mail that day and I was awaiting a positive chance to reply/apply.  

First mail consisted of a match from a large company.  The mail said “This job might interest you” with a link to the job description.

The job description was intensely detailed with a long laundry list of tasks.  It sounded like things I have done, with a few misses.   However, I notice that there are no specific requirements for the job.   Strange?….but I continue and push the button to apply.  

Next screen is a list of 4 very specific requirements with a pull down checklist for number of years of experience.  Two I had, two were the items in their long list which were misses for me.   I see no point applying.

I’m annoyed that I wasted my time.  Why post this job without requirements when you obviously are looking for something VERY specific? 

So onto the next…The opening line outside says “Administrative Assistant III Job Opportunity at Danbury, CT | 1 year contract”.   Not a match, but I open it.   The opening line inside says “opening with our client in Norwalk,CT for a Risk Auditor II”.  

(E-mail and recruiter go into my blog notes as possible “Andy” award recipients.)

I’m game, so I send the recruiter a note asking about the Risk Auditor.  Reply comes shooting back…”no we wanted you for the Admin Assistant, but the job is now closed.”

Yes, Black Friday.   I feel like the Red Queen in Alice in Wonderland…running as fast as I can just to stay in place!   Is this as crazy as I think it is?   I suspect so….

PS…I’m not so crazy that I go out at 5:00AM to shop!

An ‘Andy’ Award for….

Timely presentation on a Website…

Found the second week in November:

“Please note that these assignments are filled quickly. Jobs posted yesterday may not be available today (last updated September 2011), so register now!”

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thoughts on Andy Rooney

Andy will be missed.  Although I didn’t watch him often, I enjoyed his curmudgeonly comments. 

While I thought he was wonderful at taking a grouchy view at the foibles of daily life, I do worry that in doing this blog I sometimes am being more of a curmudgeon than I feel comfortable with.   Although I come from a long line of worriers, one of my key beliefs is that positive thinking goes a long way.

However, I continue to come across the totally ludicrous aspects of job hunting.  So in honor of Andy, as they present themselves, I will present awards given in the spirit of grumbling about the comic impossibilities of looking for a job.

I present the ‘ANDY’

 

I just agreed to WHAT?

There’s all that stuff you have to agree to if you want to do anything but look at most job related websites.   By paragraph three, my eyes are glazed and before I get much further the mind starts to wander.  I hit the ‘accept’ button in frustration.

One recent site presented a privacy notice that said “This agreement specifically pertains to the XCompany.com site”….only the url where I was making the agreement was NOT for XCompany.   When I mentioned this to an HR person, the reply was “Well... XCompany.com is not protected.  Our vendor’s site is.” 

Say again?!!! 

So… I am either agreeing to abide to a privacy notice on an unprotected site…or I can agree on a protected site that is not mentioned in the agreement. 

This scares me!  What have I agreed to? 

The Bouncing URL – Part II

ING YOU!!!

On the major job boards the URL stays put at least long enough for you to review the job posting.  Choose a recruiter, or worse yet a company site,  the URL is off and bouncing before you can blink!

A very high percentage of company sites use a provider to manage their job listings.  No question about it, this is reasonable.  Why develop your own website and listing controls when someone else has already done this and probably can do it better than you can.

BUT, are they doing a good job?  ..or are they doing a sufficient job to get some resumes  (in these times quite a few) onto the hiring manager’s desk? 

My guess…they are doing enough to keep the payments rolling in,  but if the glitches in the process that I see are any indication, there are any number of companies out there raking in the dough for sub-prime service. 

One very interesting thing about doing this blog is that I look at the problems from another perspective.  Instead of beating my head against the desk,  I can say “Blog food” and track the issues. 

SO…COMPANIES BEWARE – I AM WATCHING YOU!

(Ranting is such fun!)

ING YOU!!!

(Ranting is such fun!)

(Ranting is such fun!)