War Stories

Two posts in one day?! Maybe the world is coming to end. I'm interested in hearing your job search stories. What is driving you crazy? What have you appreciated? It's definitely still an employer's market and I just want to check in to make sure that potential employees are still being treated well.

Madam Interview

I must preface this entry by saying that I feel lucky to be landing so many job interviews. The conclusion I draw from this is that I am professionally desirable and have skills that are of value. In the past two months, approximately 85% of my initial phone interviews have turned into on-site, full-team interviews. There are generally 3-4 steps between those two stages, which usually involve some sort of analytical exercise and some more phone interviews. Thus far, my skill set and experience/background is good enough to propel me to the final stages. Here is where the process becomes confusing.

If I have reached this stage in the interview process, I am feeling pretty confident of my professional skill set. In other words, I have done quite a bit to prove my hard skills. For many of the companies I have interviewed with, these case studies I have to complete are often long and complicated and do a more than sufficient job of demonstrating my technical skill set. Beyond that, I have been asked very specific technical questions by many people...over and over again. Short of actually working for the company, I don't know how else to demonstrate that I can do what I say I can. So, the final interview is more to see how I fit as it were. This is a chance to demonstrate my soft skills. How do I relate to people? Can I think on my feet? Am I abrasive? Communication skills? Etc, etc.
For those of you who have read this blog before or who know me personally, you know my background is in clinical psychology. I have been trained in, essentially, how to communicate with other people...crazy people. I have NEVER felt anything but supremely confident in my people skills. Sure, everybody has their pet peeves and annoying habits but I am very in tune with mine and these don't generally come out in the first meeting with others. I can safely say my first impressions are usually positive, if not on the shyer side.
In fact, some of the feedback I received from several of the folks who interviewed me (during the interview) were, Wow! You have such a great presence about you. You really seem cheerful and upbeat. and Oh my gosh! You're so funny! You would totally fit in to this team so well! and Exactly! That's the type of thinking we're looking for in a candidate! Perfect. It's perfect.. I can quote more, but I would be bragging. In general, all of my interviews went very well with one HUGE exception:
The Interviewers.

In general, my final interviews consist of talking to many individuals or "decision makers". Overall, there appears to be one person who is always prepared, has questions on hand, has my resume, and is ready to go. Usually, this person is the hiring manager. The other 3-5 people can really vary but they are all part of the team who will decide whether or not I should be hired. What has been my experience thus far is that the interview with the hiring manager goes very well. I am able to answer questions specific to the position, tell them how I make the best candidate, tell them why I want to work there, etc. Then, depending on where I am, the other individuals may or may not be prepared to interview me or may or may not really care. Many have not had my resume on hand (which is why I always bring extras), most don't have business cards, many come completely empty-handed, and one never even introduced himself. Their canned questions last about 5 minutes, to which I attempt to answer to the best of my ability and then they rattle off what they do for the 10 minutes. The last portion of the interview is left to allow me to take over with any questions I may have. I usually ask the same ones because they're really good ones, and most of time, the interviewers have really bad answers.
How on earth is one supposed to come out ahead in an interview like this? Today I received an email from one of those companies letting me know that I wasn't a "perfect fit". How could they tell? What could those people have possibly reported back to their boss about me? Maybe I was never really a consideration to begin with but yet another case of "seeing what's out there?". STOP THE MADNESS!
Employers: For God's Sake, Listen To Me!
A). Do NOT bring me in for a 3 hour round of interviews if I am not, at the very least, in your top 3 candidates.
B). Do NOT send in your staff to assess me if they are incapable of doing so fairly. Of course the next guy who has the same Alma Matter as your Marketing Manager is going to seem like a better fit if he doesn't ask us the same questions - or any questions pertaining the job at all.
C). If you think I am a great fit, then hire me! I promise you, you can look forever for the "perfect fit" but Jesus Christ will probably never walk through the door no matter how long you look. Statistically, it is in your best interest to hire the first person who fits all of your criteria for said position. I should know!

Still Truckin'. Job Search Efforts: R.O.I.

It has definitely been a while and, quite frankly, I wish I could say that my search was over. But with unemployment still at a record high (despite the minuscule drop), I am not alone. The average job search being about 6 months, I am about half way through the projected average. Here's to hoping I'm on the left-side of the curve!
In the last month or so, I've been able to gather more data which has allowed me to start seeing trends in my job search. Hopefully, this data will prove valuable in shortening my job search time as I can start to really hone in on what is really working. Before I begin:
These results are not generalizable. Each person's job search is very specific to them. There are a number of variables that go into a job search and each carries different weights in terms of importance and R.O.I. I present this as an example of what has been working for me given my specific situation. Additionally, remember that none of these methods has actually resulted in an offer so they're all ineffective in the truest sense. For this reason, I am measuring success as obtaining a phone interview or more.

1). Job Boards: I've seen a lot written about how useless job boards are in a job search. In my particular job search, I couldn't disagree more. One has to know how to use job boards as a tool rather than a crutch. Job boards are great for developing leads (e.g. specific jobs, names of companies, recruiting firms, etc.). Using the right job board - and I prefer aggregators like Indeed.com or Simplyhired.com - you can hunt for the job that is right for you. Of course, the next step is to apply via the method available. If your pursuit stops at this point, you will probably never hear from the company again. As soon as you hit the "apply" or "submit" button, you jump on over to LinkedIn and do some detective work to find the appropriate person with whom to follow up. Sometimes that person will be a recruiter. It's better if that person is a manager. Either way, figure out a way to connect with someone in that department, if possible, so that you can begin to be seen as a person instead of a resume. This has worked for me when I see positions that are close to what I'm seeking but maybe too senior or junior. Again, I find a person associated with that position and let them know that I am very interested in pursuing work with them if there is anything else available or something that may come up. It all comes down to being a bit of an investigator and having the appropriate means of contact. Which brings me to:

2). LinkedIn: If you don't have a LinkedIn account, get one. NOW. I am not sure how anyone is finding work in this economy with the help of LinkedIn. I am an incredibly active user and have found that this has been very valuable in my job search. Make connections! Join groups! Answer questions! All of these features get you closer to the decision makers who can ultimately get you employed. I would say that 75% of my job search success has been a direct result of LinkedIn. Networking does not always have to be in person. In fact, I have found that the face-to-face networking that I have done has had very little R.O.I. People are busy and they have their own lives to worry about. It sounds harsh, but it's true. And quite frankly, just because you know Roger in Accounting doesn't mean he can do much for your bid in Marketing beyond walking your resume over to HR. This might have worked even a year and half ago, but things are far different now. Don't get me wrong - networking is incredibly important. However, if you don't have a direct line to the hiring manager of the position that you want, your chances are very slim. I say: Why don't you be that line?

These are my top two methods that have brought me the most phone and face-to-face interviews. They can be a bit time-consuming but finding a job is my new job. And I am perfectly find with that. Currently, I am seriously being considered for 2 positions. I have been here once before and it did not pan out, but I continue to keep my hopes up and keep on truckin!

Losing Steam

I didn't think I would arrive at this point so soon, but WOW- rejection can certainly catch up with you quickly! I consider myself a fairly goal-oriented person. In my mind, few things are left to chance. This is especially true when it comes to one's personal success. I have very few regrets professionally and I think this is because I am well thought out and weight my decisions very carefully (I am a researcher, after all). I think this is why this job hunt has been particularly difficult for me. Despite doing "my best" and following a well laid out plan, I am met with a whole lot of nothing.
When I first met unemployment, I looked it in the eye, ready to fight to the death. Bad economy? Ha! I laugh in the face of 11% unemployment! 1 year at my previous employer? Who cares? It is my previous experience and transferable skills that will win everyone over! I suppose ignorance really is bliss.
I try not to think too hard about my competition. Since I was a child, fearing what the other girl had on me was my usual downfall. I have since been able to graduate from a prestigious school and ascertain management-level jobs not thinking too much about who I was up against. I think this tactic might have worked against me this time around. Understanding the statistics of my job search is crucial to my success. It has also been incredibly sobering.
Enter my pity party.

For each position that I am 105% qualified for, there are probably 50 solid candidates who equally qualified if not more so. This req. might have already gone through the "friends and family" round, too (e.g.-someone in the company knows someone who is a good fit and will, most likely, get the job) which means that there is no REAL chance for any applicant. In addition, recruiters have no room to be creative. They have deliver an exact match for their client. What this means is don't bother applying to a position that a recruiter posts unless you have been doing that same exact job for the past 5 years. Oh, it also helps if you have done this job at a competitor.
Faced with these facts, I did due diligence to my job search. I followed (and continue to follow) the most common tips and advice like: networking, keeping your online presence strong and following up with folks. I put all of these things into practice and yet, here I am. Jobless still. One could say that I've had 3 interviews, which is pretty good. But as my husband would say, "Interviews don't pay the bills." Here is my consensus about all of this job hunting advice:
The economy sucks.
Kind of like the title of this blog. Guess what? I have a solid network of very influential people at large companies...who are hiring. These people care a lot about me and my future (some are related to me). This hasn't resulted in a single interview. And it's not their fault. It could be that the position is too senior- there is nothing that can be done about that. It could be that the req. is another department where they don't know anybody. Here in the Silicon Valley, companies are huge and knowing one person in department X doesn't mean a damn thing if you want a job in department Y. So the whole network, network, network thing has resulted in nothing more than me feeling like a pest. Online presence? I'm pretty much writing this blog for myself because it doesn't seem to be attracting many readers...purposely. I update my LinkedIn profile often and am active in my groups but again, it hasn't resulted in much. Oh, and following up? I've sent so many emails to so many hiring managers and recruiters about open positions, my head might soon explode. What's worse is I haven't received a single email back. Not one. For the average person, this can become very discouraging very quickly.
But I don't want to wallow in self-pity. I'm not the type to do that. Today I heard that most economists are in agreement that 3rd quarter employment numbers should look promising. That's a glimmer of hope. I have noticed that there are more open positions each day than there was the day previously. Again-a possible flicker of light at the end of the tunnel. I will continue to keep data of my job hunt to see what is working best for me. I will continue to enjoy spending time with my friends during this unemployment period because, once I find work, it will be a while before I have that kind of free time. More importantly, I will be realistic and understand that competition is fierce, there is no doubt about it. I will try not to lose focus. Most importantly, I will understand that not everything goes according to plan.

Coolhunting Pays Off?

First, for all of those who are unclear as to what "coolhunting" is, read this. It's a Wiki article so it's not terribly detailed but it will give you a sense. Coolhunting is something that I have been doing for many years now. I only actually started harnessing the power of social networks a professional sense for the past few years. Truth be told, most companies still don't understand exactly how to navigate this incredible medium for marketing purposes. Social networks are complex systems of group think stirred with individuality added to a cup of anonymity sprinkled with a dash of arrogance. Marketers have always known that word-of-mouth is the most powerful selling tool in their arsenal. Now imagine that a single customer has the ability to turn one transaction into a good or bad review for thousands to read? The force is strong.

Having a positive online presence can make or break your company. Enter NVIDIA. Which, by the way, I can't help but sing to the tune of that "Activia" commercial, which I really hate. Slowly driving me crazy...
Anyway, I found a job listing for a Social Media Manager at NVIDIA this morning and was very intrigued. Being that it was a manager position, I didn't think it would fall into line with my 85% qualified rule, but I decided to check it out anyway. I am incredibly glad that I did because I am certain that I can rock NVIDIA's world in this role. Essentially, they are looking for somebody who can stay on top of their online presence and utilize "the force" to gain a competitive advantage. I wonder if they understand how my background combined with my professional and personal skills make me a perfect candidate. You don't? Oh! Let me explain...
Firstly, like I've said before, my online presence is vast and I have always been involved with the latest and greatest. I fully believe "the power of the people" and rarely go to movies, events or dinner anymore without first checking out what others have said first (via Yelp and Yahoo reviews, etc). I am generally the first of my peer groups to know what is hip and what the online world is up to. With that said, I have clout. I am "one of them". I am not simply a marketer who is trying to infiltrate a social group with the intent of selling or gathering information. And to all marketers who are attempting this: they know! Real coolhunters can spot a fake a mile away. Secondly, I have a solid understanding of social psychology which is crucial to deciphering social networks. Like I said before, it is a very complicated system and its members very quick to banish. One must have a well thought out plan before embarking on any marketing initiative. Thirdly, I have the experience because I have done it before. I know what to do and what not do because I have made mistakes before. I have also had huge successes, as well. I can walk the line between soft and hard skills, as I have written about here in the past. In terms of social marketing, this is really key. So, NVIDIA, what are you waiting for? I'm available for an interview whenever you are!

Ask and You Shall Receive

Just make sure not to mess it up when you get it.


So I managed to land a phone interview with both Netflix and Google! When I got the emails I was elated and my job search felt like it was finally paying off. The Netflix interview was sort of unexpected and, as a result, I didn't feel 100% prepared. I knew the req. inside and out and knew how great a match I made for it. The recruiter was very friendly and we went through the typical background questions first. What did I do at my last job? How does that translate to what this position requires, etc. etc. I was a little thrown off my game when she asked about the way we ran our data. What software did we use? Ummmm......ummmm.....drawing a blank....didn't really think about this....she's waiting for an answer. DAMMIT! When I think about it now, our data sets were never really that large and so we generally used online survey hosts to build our surveys and gather our data. As far as running analysis, we stuck to Excel most of the time. Oh hindsight, you bastard! Where were you when I needed you? Needless to say, I probably sounded like an idiot. She then asked a little bit more about my last company and I told her that it was a rather small company (about 15 people) to which she sounded less than enthusiastic. Strike two. At this point, I could have told her that I have worked for large companies before but my last employer was not one-which makes me quite versatile. But, nope. I was silent. I let her think that I am a small fry and have no experience in a large company setting. Strike three? Finally, she tells me more about the position and puts great emphasis on how quantitative it is (not sure if this is to subtly hint that it is beyond my skill set)and that it requires someone who can jump from one statistical package to the next to the next very quickly. She then asks me what I am looking for in my next position. Here is where I am sure that I sealed my fate. Instead of being succinct and to the point, my nerves get the best of me and I drone on about finding a place where I can continue to learn and grow and blah blah blah blah blah....kill me. Poor woman. I am pretty sure there is no way to salvage the interview at this point. She tells me that she is going to talk to the hiring manager a little more about me and my skills and will then get back to me sometime next week to let me know. I kindly thank her and hang up. Here is me:

Except I'm not a gorgeous athlete. So, I will wait but I am not expecting any miracles.
Next up: Google. I am still in a bit of shock that I was even noticed by Google. Out of the thousands of resumes they receive they called me! Regardless of what happens, I will always have that. When I saw that email in my inbox, I nearly peed my pants. I immediately googled (that's irony)"google phone interview" to gather pointers about what to expect. What I saw both helped and freaked me out a bit. I did everything I could to prepare for this interview. I even talked to someone in HR about the best way to prepare (friend of a friend). I think I might have been better prepared for this 30 minute phone interview than I was for my GREs. No, I know was better prepared.
Day of reckoning: The recruiter is very friendly and puts me at ease pretty quickly. She spends a great deal of time getting dates and degrees in order and then talks a little bit about what I did at previous jobs. Then the technical questions come out. My heart sinks and I know it's do or die. Despite my preparation, I am still a little thrown by a couple of the questions. I do my best to answer and she is very sweet not to rush or make me feel silly about obviously drawing a complete blank. Overall, I would guess that my score was 82%. That's a B-. Not exactly Google material. She did give me some insight into the position and informed me that what they were really looking for was someone with a background in mathematics. This is definitely not me. She said she pulled my resume because I had done a lot of the analysis that they were looking for and she, essentially, thought she'd give me a chance. I don't know what this means, exactly but I hope I didn't disappoint her too much. I won't find out if I made it to the second round until about 2 weeks from now. So few people make it much further than the 2nd interview and I don't think I will be one of them, but it was a great experience and one that few people get. It also shows me that my job hunt has not been in vain. That has given me a bit of hope.

Netflix- Your search is over for your next Consumer Insights Research Analyst.

So you want a Consumer Insights Research Analyst, do you? Well, I can't think of a better person for the job. I mean, really. If there is anything that I can consider myself an expert on it's human behavior. I've got a very expensive advanced degree from a great school that says so. More importantly, I've been studying and conducting research for such a long time, I think I do it in my sleep now. There will be some naysayers out there who will be quick to point out that the majority of my experience has been in Psychology and not Marketing. This is true, naysayer.

However, if one really understands the empirical method, particularly in social sciences, they will quickly see the similarities. Hypotheses are formed in the same way. The definitions of independent variable and dependent variable do not change, they just measure sales instead of sleep, for instance. When it comes to survey design (which is a large part of market research), the fundamentals are completely the same. Good questionnaire design ensures reliability, validity and weeds out the nonsense without putting the respondent to sleep. Certainly, the statistical analysis of data does not change from one subject to the next, either. The big lessons I have learned in making the transition from clinical research to market research are:
1). Time is not on your side, oh no it isn't.
Deadlines are inflexible and budgets are tight. Often times this means you have to speed up the empirical method and make cuts where you can and where it won't be detrimental to your study.
2). The client is always right, even when they aren't.
Okay, maybe not always but remember that the client has often invested a great deal of money in some result. It is not exactly your job to test their hypothesis as much as it is to help them find a better direction. In the end, if they decide that they want to throw all of your data out and go with what they want, you say:
SOUNDS GREAT!


But I've gone off topic. I'm convincing Netflix to hire me. As you can see, I know how things work despite the fact that a great majority of my research experience has been in a different field. What is more important is that I do have market research experience and feel very comfortable in a fast-paced corporate culture. I love developing surveys almost as much as I love analyzing them. I consider myself the Sherlock Holmes of consumers. Who are they? What makes them use the product? Do they like it? If we change this feature, how will they react? What is more exciting to me is that this information can be measured, in numbers! It's really quite fascinating.
In truth, I have been browsing the Netflix job listings page on and off for years now hoping that one day a perfect position would pop up. I could hardly contain myself when I saw this one. Obviously, there will be a flood of resumes that will come pouring in and may very well drown mine. There are some unbelievably qualified people out there. Truthfully, I don't know how to compete. Which is why I write this. I hope that someone finds this and sees my potential. I wish that my enthusiasm, experience and smarts win me, at the very least, an interview. So, if anyone at Netflix can hear me, give me a call! You won't be disappointed.

My Journey So Far

Like most job hunters, I have done my best to stay active and follow the best practices of a successful job search. There are many pieces of advice out there and, for the most part, they all say roughly the same thing. I wanted to see what methods of job hunting have been panning out for me so far. I whipped up a simple chart to get a visual representation of my very small (sigh) success rate.

Leads= Any notice of interest or "bite" that may come from the company itself or someone close to the company. Simply put: anything that brings me one step closer to an interview.
Total Jobs Applied To: ~40
Total Time Searching: 35 days



As you can see, I am having approximately the same amount of luck with my traditional job board search as I am with my personal network job search. What is more important is that the traditional method is what has gotten me the most amount of interviews which is ultimately the goal. Social networking (aka LinkedIn) has resulted in not much of anything nor has the recruiting route. I will continue to pursue all avenues and report again at the end of this month to see if these trends continue of if anything changes. Most notably, of course, is that none of these has resulted in any job offers. Hmph.

A brand new job board with all new promises

While I have been mostly sticking to the usual suspects, like Indeed.com, LinkedIn and Simplyhired, I am always open to new methods of increasing my chances of employment. I continue to hear about this "hidden job market" and it is proving to be much harder to find that I anticipated.



The more defined the employer and job hunter search parameters can be, the easier it is to find a match. Let's face it, I'm sure there are a lot of people who are not sticking to my 85% rule and are trying the "hail mary" approach to their job search. This is bad for everyone because:
1). No matter how great your cover letter, no matter who your connections are, you probably aren't going to get that VP of Finance job if the only bonds you know are bail bonds.



2). Recruiters and hiring managers have to sift through all of these unqualified applications in addition to the ones that are real candidates, which slows down the hiring process.

The companies and job hunters all want the same thing: we want the position to be filled. Obviously, we want the jobs to be filled by US and not that other guy who is clearly not as qualified, but we're all working toward the same goal. In this recession, when there are far too many applicants and not enough jobs, job searching has become a hot topic and new, "better" ways are springing up all over the place. The latest one that I have come across is called Koda.
Koda calls itself a social recruiting site. According to it's co-founder and CEO, Jeff Berger, “KODA is more professional than Facebook but more personal than LinkedIn, letting both sides of the hiring equation get to know each other. Using a job board is like searching for a needle in a haystack. KODA gives you more needles, less haystack, and we’ve developed proprietary technology that facilitates a smoother recruitment process for both candidates and employers.” Koda has developed relationships with about 350 companies with whom Koda's site crawler brings up-to-date job listings from each company's website. Koda focuses on entry to mid-level jobs and hopes to have a strong presence with colleges and universities.
I was intrigued, to say the least. I love the idea of social recruiting. So, I signed up. My review:

User Interface/Usability: WOW! The site is really gorgeous. It is so clean and simple-particularly for a job board. The sign-up process couldn't have been easier. A pop-up box allows you to complete your profile through a step-by-step process with a progress bar at the top. You can close out at any time and finish your profile later. No problems attaching documents or saving/editing information. You can upload a picture or video if you want (I chose not to). Tabs at the bottom of the screen keep track of any messages you might receive, job listings, feedback about your profile and a profile percentage complete tab(like LinkedIn). There are fun little functions like "waving" at a company, just to show that you're keeping an eye out. 4 stars for UI.

How it's Different: I really like what Koda is attempting to do. They see the value in looking beyond someone's resume. Koda allows you to post your resume, of course, but they also have a section where you write 3 things about yourself that make you unique. In addition, you can share what your favorite hobbies are, what organizations you're a part of and even a section to tell "your story". I think this is a great feature and could be incredibly beneficial for the right company. My previous employer was a mushy, touchy-feely company (I loved them!) and this would be incredibly important because how a person fits became more important than their particular skill set. On the other hand, I don't know that Genentech would care much about someone's hobbies.

Will it get me a job?: This is still up in the air. Koda is young and continues to make friends with other companies. They are improving their search feature which, as it stands, really sucks. You can only search by keyword, which is very limiting. I did a search using keywords: market, research, analyst, business, consumer (individually). Each search brought back between 5-30 companies. Of those companies, about 75% were in the location I wanted to work and about 15% were actually hiring. Of the 15% that were hiring, 13% were engineering positions. Hmph. So no, Koda hasn't even found me an open position yet but I haven't given up on them. I suggest you try them out, too.

Analyze This!

No,I'm not talking about that horrible movie with Robert DeNiro. Wow, that movie was bad. I am speaking directly to the powers that be at Google. Yes, that Google. I know, I know, why does anybody bother applying to Google anymore when it seems to be far easier being accepted to Stanford? Well, I am job searching and I want to make the best of my job search. I do want to apply to positions for which I am at least 85% qualified for. And one of those positions, dammit, was at Google.

The role that I am after is called a "People Analyst" (hence my post title). Quite frankly, I don't know if another person exists who is more perfect for this position. It is in the HR department and focuses on new employee initiatives and their respective successes. I'm sure it delves deeper than that, but this is the little bit of information I gathered from the job listing.
Google, oh Google, here is why you need me on your team, seriously:

1. I have the statistical prowess needed to run the numbers (just take a look at my previous posting)
2. I can develop surveys in my sleep...good ones!
3. If there was ever a need for an individual who can effectively navigate human behavior, AND number-crunch, this position would be it.

I am not sure, Google, if you're familiar with the term "EQ"? It stands for emotional quotient. If anyone from HR is reading this, I would hope that you are familiar with the term because it is incredibly important-I would say paramount-to job success. I know Google prides itself on having a staff of very cerebral, top-tier school graduating, 1600 SAT-having individuals, but if you haven't considered the emotional quotient of an individual, then you are really missing the boat.
To prove what I great fit I would be, I am providing my results from a version of a common personality test given by HR that reveals my score for the Big 5 personality traits. To get more information about validity, reliability and the open-resource nature of the test, click here. Keep in mind that my real name isn't used, but that I did answer all questions truthfully and the narrative provided was not altered in any way. This is all me, take it or leave it!
Enjoy.

How I love statistics!

I know that may sound sarcastic, but it really is true. As is the case with many woman (and research will back me up) I lost my interest in math long, long ago. And, as research will also show, most of the people in my life, including my math teachers (except one-thanks, Mr. Hirakawa!), were only to happy to oblige to this self-fulfilling prophecy. It's much easier for them, after all. And so, my fierce battle, or more appropriately, avoidance of, math continued. Until I was required to take a statistics course my second year of college.

The individuals who had acted as math tutors for me in the past talked about the nightmare that was statistics. And these guys could do calculus in their sleep. Needless to say, my introduction to statistics was not a fair and balanced one. However, my goal since beginning college was to achieve a high GPA so that I could get into an exceptional graduate program. This would mean that I would have to do everything in my power to do well in this stats class.
As the class pressed on, I quickly became cognizant of the fact that I was actually understanding everything! These frequencies, ranges and chi-square things made sense to me. Before I knew it, I was taking the final exam with little effort and made it through with an A. In a math class! Being the researcher that I am, I could say that perhaps it was the attention that I decided to devote to the class in the beginning and not Statistics itself. Maybe this is a new self-fulfilling prophecy? Well, shortly after, I took a Financial Accounting class with the same fervor and struggled desperately. So, perhaps not. My personal feeling is that the part of the brain I use to understand statistics is not the same part that I use for other, traditional math. It makes more sense to me for many reasons. To me, it is less abstract and more visual-which is key to my method of learning. At any rate, I have becoming a stats junkie and have been able to parlay this into my job search.
Fast forward to today. (Phew!)
I am in the interviewing process for two positions that have both required me to pull out my statistics gloves (it's been a while). They are research analyst positions that require an intermediate/advanced knowledge of SPSS (statistical package)and Excel. I have been furiously studying away in preparation. A few interesting things about this whole situation:
1.) Both of these positions have been a result of the traditional resume submission process through Indeed. com (again, the best search engine!)
2.) I am now applying for positions in which a test has become part of the interview process
3). This woman, who has hated math her entire life, would be most happy in a job where she is, for all practical purposes, a statistician!

Who is getting hired and how did they do it?

I recently read this article claiming that my city, San Jose, was ranked third on a list of cities with the most job postings per capita. I haven't been looking for a position long, but my search thus far hasn't been particularly robust. According to the article, most of the job postings are related to the tech industry which makes sense but quite irrelevant to me since I am not an engineer. It seems, for the rest of us, the outlook remains steadily bleak...but not dead. There are jobs to be had. My question is: In this fiercely competitive market, who gets the interview? How do they get it?
Advice abounds. The consistent prevailing message seems to be an emphasis on networking, particularly utilizing online social networking tools like LinkedIn and Twitter. Establishing an online presence is undoubtedly important. I, for instance, have a LinkedIn account, Facebook account, Twitter following, blog (duh) and am working on a personal website. Granted, I haven't been searching for long, but I have yet to see any ROI. A huge problem for me is a career switch I made about a year ago that, although providing me with incredible experience and opportunity, did not afford me numerous personal contacts. In addition, I am not that far out of graduate school so my professional network is fairly small. This is definitely a roadblock that I need to prevail. So what works? Unconventional methods? Possibly, but could be risky. Many of these stories I have heard are anecdotal and statistically unlikely. I read many recruiting blogs in an attempt to navigate the world of head hunters but much of the advice is conflicting. Who do I believe? What do I do? Did you land an interview? How? Let me know!

Job Search Engines: Winners & Losers

Like most people who are searching for jobs right now, job search engines have become both a friend and enemy to me. There are the usual suspects that I have used in past job hunts and then there are new job boards that utilize social networking that I am using for the first time. Obviously, human networking is always best but not always practical. In the meantime, job boards are the sea into which I throw my net in the attempt that I can catch a single fish. My opinion thus far:

1. Indeed.com

Having a vertical search engine do most of the work for me makes my job quest much easier. Indeed consistently finds positions that I might have overlooked using other search engines and it is not unusual to find a listing that has been put up by the hiring company itself. The user interface is simple and easy and I like that the positions are updated regularly. I find the most hits (jobs most closely aligned with what I am searching for) using this job search and generally find them much sooner than the other job sites. Two thumbs up for Indeed.com!


2.Simply Hired

Much like Indeed.com, Simply Hired is another job posting aggregator. The UI is very similar and just as easy. The reason I am giving Simply Hired only 1 thumb up is because it does not seem to update as quickly as Indeed. I don't often find positions on Simply Hired that I haven't already seen on Indeed when the reverse happens pretty regularly. However, Indeed seems to have been taken hostage by JobFox recently (which I will review shortly) making for a very annoying application process. If this continues to happen, Simply Hired might move up a position.


3. LinkedIn

I appreciate what LinkedIn has become and what LinkedIn can do...for a select few. My experience, along with many of others I know, LinkedIn is similar to your high school yearbook. Your "popularity", as it were, can be easily determined by looking inside of the yearbook and seeing how many pictures you are in and whether or not you were homecoming queen or class president. I compare this to your resume and overall professional accomplishments. When the end of the year comes (or when you lose your job) you make a fruitful attempt to get as many signatures (or connections) as you can. Sometimes, you ask your teachers (or bosses) to also write something in your yearbook, too (recommendations). In the end, those who were most popular will not need LinkedIn to network because their connections are real and not signatures in the back of their yearbook. So, for me, I can apply to the very few positions that are available on LinkedIn but often times I know my resume will be glossed over because I am just not popular enough.


4.LinkUp

LinkUp is a fairly new (to me, anyway) job posting board that is supposed to uncover hidden jobs from company websites. They monitor thousands of companies to connect applicants to unadvertised jobs on company websites. Their only source are actual company postings which means that they should remain current and there shouldn't be any duplicates. I don't know about any of you, but I know of many companies in the past whose "open positions" I applied for only to realize that they hadn't been updated in some time. Although LinkUp is pulling advertisements of current company postings, they have to assume that the company is actually updating their career section regularly. The UI is a little fuzzy. I mean, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure it out but it could be a little friendlier. In addition, all I have come across thus far are engineering positions which isn't helpful to me in the least. The concept is so promising, I will continue to give LinkUp a try.

5. Tweetmyjobs

I have to admit that I was very excited about the possibilities that Tweetmyjobs brought when I signed up. Everything that I had been reading said it was going to take the best of social networking and the Tweeting phenomenon and keep job seekers updated about the latest and greatest opportunities as they rolled in. Being a social Tweeter for the past couple of years, I thought this would finally give me a good reason to utilize my Twitter account. The sign-up process is somewhat laborious but, again, the anticipation of non-stop job Tweets makes you forget about the pain. You can sign up for specific "channels" that represent mini job boards. These channels are specific by location and job type (i.e., San Jose- Marketing Jobs). I signed up for about 6 channels and waited for the firestorm. Well, it's been about 4 days now and my daily Tweetmyjobs updates have produced less than 6 jobs a day. Of these 6 jobs, I would say I 2 are close to what I am looking for. So far, I am still not impressed.


6.JobFox

Well-played, JobFox. You nearly took advantage of my dire situation with your "free" resume critique and seemingly personalized service. Your UI is very pleasing and simple enough to navigate. What I think got me was the in-depth questionnaire that I filled out after uploading my resume. For some reason, it reminded me of meeting with a job coach who was going to provide some valuable feedback and locate jobs that matched my search perfectly. The resume critique I received did seem as though it was talking directly to me, which is a nice touch. However, what I have received thus far has been absolutely nothing. I can go to the site and see what jobs most closely match my skill set based on a star rating. I can even apply to these set of jobs if I'd like. However, it is not without constant pestering to sign up and receive better matches and personal introductions. The cost? $20 a month. Seems pretty steep for positions I have already seen on Indeed and Simply Hired and can apply to without being told how upgrading can increase my chances of landing said job. Just show me the jobs without me having to show you the money, okay?


7. Monster/ HotJobs /CareerBuilder

Ah, The Big 3. Updated regularly? Check. Access to many jobs? Check. Relevant jobs? Depends. Friendly User Interface? Sure. Helpful? Well, let's just say in all of my job hunting that I have ever done, none of these search engines has ever proven successful. In addition, these sites are a favorite for spammers and scammers alike. Want to work at home and make hundreds of thousands of dollars a year? Well, if you're on Monster, Careerbuilder or HotJobs, you'll have no problem finding your next opportunity. I have uploaded my resume to one of these sites but I still can't shake the feeling that it's gone to an abyss with millions of others. Overall, I don't find these sites to be worth my time. And right now, time is not on my side.


8. Craigslist

Don't get me wrong, I am a CL lover. I've used Craigslist for all sorts of things, including job hunting in the past...when I was still in college. Now that I consider myself a working professional, I don't think I would trust a Craigslist search for my next career. Firstly, a company that can only afford to post a position on Craiglist is really pinching pennies and probably won't pay you what you're worth. Secondly, if the company's only employee search is via Craigslist, then they aren't putting much energy into finding the best possible candidate which says a lot about the company itself. Thirdly, Craigslist is a breeding ground for all sorts of scams right now. It's an unfortunate thing, but when times are bad and people are desperate, sleazebags get creative and look for every opportunity to take advantage of the situation. What I'm saying is: Buyer Beware.

Hear me out, Frost & Sullivan

Another position I covet greatly is that of In Vitro Diagnostics Market Analyst at Frost & Sullivan, a widely respected business research and consulting firm and leader in their industry. As I have mentioned in a previous posting, one should not apply for a position for which they are not qualified. At first glance, my inclination was to bypass this posting altogether but I took a good look at the qualifications and compared them against my skills. As it turns out, Frost & Sullivan hiring manager, I am a better than average fit. Let me explain why:
I have the research capabilities, this is not up for debate. You have my resume and can see for yourself exactly what my experience entails. I know how to analyze a market, I understand competitive research and I have the ability to report on these in a way that conveys expertise and is comprehensive. I am also familiar with aspects of the medical field, having worked on several projects with Allergan and Boston Scientific. I understand the steep learning curve that exists for such analyses and have been able to keep up thus far with no issues. In fact, I would say that my innate desire to learn about the medical field (something that I am truly passionate about) makes this learning process all the more interesting and, therefore, quicker.
I obviously enjoy writing but am also incredibly comfortable speaking in front of large crowds. Communication, in all of its facets, is at the top of my strengths list. I have experience conducting in-depth interviews with physicians, nurses and medical device engineers. I have also spent a great deal of time with patients and have incorporated their feedback and needs into user design, brand development and market analysis. I suppose what I am saying is this ain't my first time at the rodeo.
I also want to address my weaknesses here. Obviously, a resume is going to present a slightly puffed up version of one's self. A good interview will likely uncover some shortcomings of the candidate, but it might not be until after the interviewee is hired that one realizes the candidate didn't quite live up to their resume. I don't intend to blow any steam up anyone's, ahem...

so let me be frank.
A graduate degree in a Life Science I do not have. My graduate degree is in Psychology. I know that in the world of science, the social sciences have always been the redheaded stepchild. Social science is not real science. Social science is a soft science, unlike Biology or Chemistry of Physics which are all hard sciences. This ideology is not lost on students or professors of the social sciences. Most of my professors explained to me the burden of proof that is laid upon the social sciences. We have to work harder to be heard and to be taken seriously. Consequently, the training that I have received has been quite rigorous. Being that social science is rarely black and white, much like human behavior, I have learned how to pick apart quantitative data using sophisticated methods. I have also learned to look at everything with a skeptical eye and to take nothing at face value. Because, unlike the hard sciences, a social scientist cannot take for granted that x will always equal y. Such is the human condition. Now, Frost & Sullivan, I'd love to talk more about what a wonderful addition I'd be to your team!

Wal-Mart: You hear me callin'!

Since devoting a post to each resume I send out would be overwhelming, I thought I would focus on those for which I have a shot. First on my list: Walmart Consumer Insight Analyst. So, Walmart hiring manager, if you're listening, here is my quick and dirty analysis:
Say what you want about Walmart (and many people do)but it seems as though Walmart continues to laugh in the face of this recession. Let's face it, Walmart carries essentially everything that anyone could need at an incredibly low price. Last time I checked, it wasn't a bad thing to try get a good deal on something, right? I know there are issues with low wages and an overall feeling that Walmart is destroying small business. And when considering consumer opinion, even if these things are not directly related to the shopping experience itself, they have a huge influence on Walmart's success. In the end, however way you want to slice it, people are shopping here. As the economy continues to tank, more people will shop here. Many consumers will inevitably face the moment when they can no longer afford their organic, detergent-free, $24.99 dish soap and may have to walk through Walmart's sliding doors out of necessity. How does Walmart use this opportunity to convert these newly thrify into confirmed Walmart shoppers?
Walmart has already begun this process. Target started its transformation when it began partnering with high-fashion designers and incorporating trendy decor into much of its store layout. Furthermore, Target makes an effort to maintain as uncluttered a store as possible. This is an area where Walmart is really lacking.

Walmart cannot neglect the importance of the Customer Experience when attempting to reach out to their new shoppers. Obviously, pricing is what brought them in but it's not what's going to keep them around. Two other aspects of the Customer Experience that cannot be neglected, especially with this population, are:
1. Store Aesthetics (Layout, Navigation, Appearance)
2. Staff (Competence, Helpfulness)
I will use myself as example as I fall into this demographic and psychographic profile quite nicely.
I am a female in her early 30's with an advanced degree. I am married with no children and live in affluent area of California. Up to my recent job loss, my annual household income was above the national average but comparable to Silicon Valley household incomes. I am responsible for decision-making when it comes to consumer goods purchases in our household. My husband and I don't make our purchases according to any particular budget so we have some flexibility in what we buy and when. I have categories of goods that are bought at different retailers each with different levels of significance attached to them. At the middle and bottom of the totem pole are the items I would most likely buy at Target. These items tend to be smaller, cheaper, or will be bought in bulk and not available at Costco. Here is why, from start to finish, I do not go to Walmart to buy them:
1. The parking lot is a nightmare
2. Unsupervised children. Running. EVERYWHERE.
3. Crowded aisles
4. Products in disarray
5. Staff are generally unavailable, usually unhelpful and some seem to really hate their job
6. Nearest Walmart is still inconveniently far
Some of these cannot be solved by Walmart (children, parking lot, location) but others are pretty basic and can make a huge difference. The overall $10 I might save on a trip to Walmart is not incentive enough for me to switch from Target at this point. However, the changes that Walmart seems to be making are intriguing enough for me to perk up my ears. I will be first to admit that the selection at Walmart is second to none and I do miss that at Target. If Walmart can figure out a way to appeal to a customer like me by sprucing up its Customer Experience a bit, it might have one convert already. At any rate, I'd love to find out what others are thinking. Walmart- Why don't you give me a call and we can set something up? Can't wait to hear from you.

Resumes

2. Sending out Resumes
Of course this is a no-brainer and, quite frankly, not terribly effective. Most resumes are never viewed by human eyeballs and instead are scanned by computers for key words or phrases. If you're lucky enough to get passed this round, you still have many opportunities to be eliminated before ever setting a foot in the door of the company. I have read stories of individuals who have sent upwards of 2,000 resumes without a single interview. However, statistically speaking, if you cast enough nets you are bound to catch a single fish (even if it is a minnow).
Obviously, you will waste less of your time by applying to positions for which you are 85-100% qualified for. Any less and you will probably be weeded out in the first round. Any more and you fall into the "overqualified" trap. Nobody is going to hire an individual with a PhD in Economics to be a teller at BofA. You're a risk because you will become bored very easily and, at the first opportunity, will switch jobs. Obviously, my example is exaggerated but you get the general idea. Additionally, you cannot fake a background in Law with a degree in Art History. Experience will ultimately be most important in this economic climate but you need to figure out how to explain in wordsyour skill set and this cannot be conveyed in a resume. The interview is the goal here. As I begin my hunt (job search), I will be tracking my prey (submitted resumes) and demonstrating, via this blog, a sample of the skills I can bring to each open position. Bring. It. On.

I've included an "official" list of individuals in my network. This does not include friends and family who may know someone who knows someone-which is also networking, obviously, but will not be considered as such for this research. As seen here, 7 initial contacts were made and resumes submitted. From there, my resume was sent on to 4 more individuals and a unknown number of recruiters. I am not sure how to follow up with this network flow but I suppose one way would be to monitor my emails and check in with the initial 7 contacts in a week's time.

Just the facts.

The hunt begins. I will be only 1 of the millions of other Californians looking for work right now. Although June numbers aren't out yet, May unemployment rates were a staggering 11.5%,nearly a whole 2% more than the national average. This is also the highest unemployment rate on record. To say that finding a job in this market will be difficult is severely understating the obvious. And unlike past downturns, this market is full of fierce competition-Senior Executives, CEO's, PhD's, Stanford graduates, the list goes on. In addition, there is less than 1 job available for every 5 job seekers in America right now.There are no two ways about it. It is BAD. BAD. BAD. With all of this in mind, this is my plan:
1. Network
Everything you read and everything you hear will emphasize the importance of networking. I tend to agree. Let's attempt to dissect this scientifically. At the core of human behavior, we all want to belong. This might be one of our deepest drives (aside from sex).

Fast forward through evolution and we continue to make connections to those who are familiar to us. This happens on the most superficial levels, like when we're at a really boring conference and we recognize that person we worked with 3 years ago who we really didn't like but we end up spending 2 days with because we don't know anybody else. When a hiring manager has to sort through 70 resumes, it will ultimately make a difference when her colleague (someone she trusts), personally delivers a resume of a fellow trusted acquaintance. The hiring manager will, at the very least, take the time to look over the entire resume of said trusted acquaintance. Should the connection be stronger between the hiring manager and the recommender, the recommendee will probably move to the top of the resume pile and quite possibly land an interview.
All of this because becoming part of a group is a very complicated, time-consuming process that can have disastrous consequences if not achieved. When you have a member of the tribe already vouching for you and guaranteeing your ability to fit, your specific skill set becomes less important. This is my hope. Although, my professional network is limited to my years of post-baccalaureate work I am optimistic that the tentacles of my network will be far-reaching. I do know some"powerful"people who know some even more influential people who might be able to pull some strings based on this chain of familiarity. However, regardless of the amount of recommendations I come bearing, if there is no job to be had there is no job to be had. Let's hope there is a job to be had.

It has happened.

I suppose I saw it coming. Small company, no new projects coming in, proposals being turned down, hours being reduced. You'd have to be blind not to realize you're on a sinking ship. But I was so hopeful. We all were. We just needed 1 or 2 more projects to keep us afloat and then things would start ramping up in the Fall.
Alas, in the morning meeting, we were told that our time as a team would be coming to an end. The 1 or 2 projects we'd been hoping would act as life preservers did not quite reach us. As a researcher, I was painfully aware of our statistical probability of failure. But observer bias can become deluding when your livelihood is on the line.
So, here I am. Tomorrow will be my official last work day although my financial security will run out at the end of the month. As will my benefits. My intention for this blog is not only to keep myself accountable during what, I have no doubt will be, a brutal job-hunting endeavor but also to carry out some very non-scientific research into what it means to be unemployed in the worst economy since the Great Depression. I am still working out the kinks in my head but, as you can imagine, I've been a bit distracted.