Unemployment and jobhunting

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cantab
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Joined: Fri Oct 19, 2007 1:35 pm

Unemployment and jobhunting

Post by cantab » Mon Oct 05, 2009 2:59 pm

So is anyone else out of work at the moment. (I know most seem to be students)? I've been looking for a couple months now. Rewrote my CV a few days ago, it sucked before, and started looking in more places. Too soon to know whether it's made any difference of course.
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SSCBen
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Re: Unemployment and jobhunting

Post by SSCBen » Wed Oct 07, 2009 2:29 am

I don't work during the school year, but I do not have a job set up for the winter and summer breaks yet. I actually got really lucky today and definitely have a decent job secured if I want it.

Some guy in my 400 level math class (which is populated by a mix of undergraduates, graduates, and faculty) asked me to help him study for the exam this Thursday because I seemed to know what I was doing. So when I got there he reveals that he's working on his Ph.D and is one of the head honchos of the wind tunnel here. Turns out that he likes me a lot and mentioned if I ever wanted to work there, he'd love to have me as I seem to know what I'm doing. I'm going to talk to him tomorrow about working over the winter as I wouldn't have much of a commute.

Nonetheless, there's a job fair here on the next couple days and I'll be attending... better safe than sorry.

This goes to show that obtaining employment is often more about networking than skills. For once I'm taking advantage of this.

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cantab
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Re: Unemployment and jobhunting

Post by cantab » Wed Oct 07, 2009 9:13 am

Ben wrote:This goes to show that obtaining employment is often more about networking than skills. For once I'm taking advantage of this.
That is true. Figures are probably different in the US, but in the UK, 70% of jobs are NOT advertised (except sometimes on the company website or location). A lot's done by word of mouth, asking existing employees if they know someone who'd want the job.

The reason is simple. Going through the full-on recruitment procedure costs the company a lot of time and money. Circumventing that by employing a friend of a friend doesn't.
I work on Windows. My toolbox is Linux.
Arsenal:
Super Soaker: XP215, 2xXP220, Liquidator, Aquashock Secret Strike M(odded), Arctic Blast M, CPS1200, CPS2100, SC Power Pak, 3l aquapack, 1.5l aquapack
Water Warriors: Jet, Sting Ray M, Shark, Argon M, Tiger Shark, PulseMaster
Others: Waterbolt, The Blaster, Storm 500, Shield Blaster 2000, generic PR gun, generic backpack piston pumper (broken), 3l garden sprayer M, 10l water carrier:

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