DU'ers helping DU'ers in the job market? Ideas, add your own

[The Straight Story]

Friday I got a call about a job in WA, 3-4 months, doing data management. I have the experience (though my 15 years in the field was not solely devoted to such I have done a wealth of it, and two companies I have done so for are fortune 500 companies).

Problem is, I am in Ohio and not sure I want to leave my daughter for that long if I get it (Interview next week on phone). On the other hand, I could easily pay for her dental care and such (very high paying contract). Then I worry about the health of the X and being so far away if things get worse (like, who will take care of daughter if things hit a downturn?).

I have pondered it all this weekend (and I think it was Lurk's thread that got me to decide to post this), finally decided I will talk to them.

It all got me to thinking though about DU

Suppose I just don't get it, or decide I just cannot be gone that long. How would I go about passing on the info to those here who might also be able to do so?

If it was a friend of mine I would just email them, call them, etc.

If I come across a job where people here might be a fit that is not of interest to me/too far/etc - how would I best let others know?

I know skinner once mentioned to me something along the lines of an alert/ping/attention list where we could alert DU'ers to a particular thread based on content (where they indicate they want to be alerted to such), and with such a system, especially with some of us being out of work and already searching, we could help one another out by looking for jobs not only based on what we need/want but on what others need/want.

You may have a job and know of openings and be able to pass those along (with just a link of course, no point in letting people know where you work as some would do weird things with such info).

The problem, IMHO, with how DU is structured is that many folks have their 'place' they gravitate to - like GD, the Lounge, Etc - and don't often see the other areas. On any given day you may not think to hit up a jobs area or someone else may not think to post something in such an area.

We have a lot of people here, a ton of resources, just not sure the best way for me/others to harness such in a simple way to help each other out.

So what are YOUR ideas? How do you think you could best help? How about a way to post resume's with company names/personal info removed and have others review such and offer advice on re-writing?

I don't know, which is why I am asking you :)

[drm604]

1. I'm in IT and looking for work.

I'm in the Philly area and can't really relocate. DU does have a http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topics&forum=362">Career Help and Advice Group, but unfortunately it's not very active.

[no_hypocrisy]

2. Green jobs.

At the program for this morning's ethical culture, the speaker talked about the coming green economy and how it outperforms non-green jobs during economic downturns.

I'll post tomorrow the name of the book I can't remember.

But check for job fairs for re-training for these jobs. You'll get in on the bottom floor, get established, and are investing for your future in more ways than one. Very exciting.

[The Straight Story]

3. Well, no always sure what 'green jobs' refer to - though I can relate from and IT view

Refreshing data center servers with ones that use less power as one example (SUN had some good servers in that regards a few years back - saved energy and money for companies).

If I see a job asking for 'green' experience, not sure how I would address that in my resume...

[XemaSab]

16. It's a double-edged sword

I "work" in environmental consulting, and a lot of projects out there are either shell games or they're evil.

[no_hypocrisy]

24. Book Alert: The Sustainable Enterprise Fieldbook: When It All Comes Together

http://www.amazon.com/Sustainable-Enterprise-Fieldbook-Comes-Together/dp/0814412785/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1263221755&sr=1-1

[dysfunctional press]

4. sign-up with temp agencies, and don't turn down the crappy assignments.

at least not right away.

[The Straight Story]

6. Well, I can see that - but here is my experience from both sides of it

Temp agencies will put out an ad, for a job that does not exist, just to get a list of people they can use to try and fill jobs later (they tout that they have a huge pool of people with X years' experience and then use that to market to companies).

You can spend a lot of time applying with them online, filling out a ton of forms, and never hear back - but they will profit from you based on the fact you applied.

And yes, I have applied at many.

When I was data center manager they were always taking me out to lunch, calling me, etc, trying to get me to hire someone even when I was not hiring.

At one lunch I told one recruited I would never use his company because when I was out of work before I spent a full 3-4 hours filling out paperwork, taking tests, etc, and never even got a call.

He told me 'well, we have changed - many companies post false ads or overstate what they need just to get a list of people, we don't do that anymore'. They still do.

But here is the problem with that, and it can be huge for those looking for jobs

Many companies will disqualify you if you get submitted by more than one contract agency or are listed with more than one that does business with them (larger companies especially have a preferred list, if you are on more than one you don't often even get considered - legal stuff).

If your recruiter cannot reach you to ask permission, they will sometimes toss your name out anyway if they think you have a shot - then contact you later to ask permission. Too late for your chance because now you are screwed.

On top of that, people leave those head hunting positions often to start their own company or join another one, and even though they are not supposed to do so they will take your info to try and help them in their new job.

It does work, found most my jobs through such agencies, but you have to be very careful.

[dysfunctional press]

8. my wife just got a job through one...

and a friend of mine who's now an hr director for a MAJOR national insurer started with the company as an office temp.

if you get in good with a reputable agency, you can do well.

[The Straight Story]

10. Now that is the key, and insights into such would be helpful

"reputable agency" - As noted, have gotten my best jobs through such agencies, and working with one now that found me.

But what does one, in your view, look for?

I have been some with a good reputation, only to find out later they were just fishing and screwed up job chances I had.

One thing I desire is for them to work for me, and not treat me like just some other applicant. They might do it for one job, then never call again...

[dysfunctional press]

25. i think that she uses a listserv(s) and web boards with people in her field.

people tend to spread the word about who can be the better agencies are to work with.

[MineralMan]

22. Wrong location:

[mth44sc]

5. I'm in need of..

someone who knows more than just something about · Java · Java Servlets · Java Swing · Java Sockets · HTML · PHP 5 · Javascript · MySQL · Visual C# · Apache 2.2 · Apache Tomcat 6.0 who would just love to work in Charleston, SC Its the only job you'll ever find that gives ya around-about 20 Holidays a year. If that is you - PM me...

[The Straight Story]

9. Thanks, I hope someone sees this

Me, not a huge java person (though I do have experience in swing/script/sockets/apache).

Just wondering though, do you think being so specific helps? If someone knows servlets they probably have experience in sockets. And how different is PHP 5 than earlier versions (ie, could you ask for 3-5 versions instead of just 5?). And on MYSQL - which version? And again, how different is Tomcat 6.0 than earlier versions?

Not trying to be difficult, just trying to understand from a job seekers' point of view.

[FreakinDJ]

7. IBEW LU 340 is putting out book 2s

But if your IBEW looking for work you probably already know that

[StarfarerBill]

11. SS, if I had any success beyond a few hours most weeks the past couple of months,

I'd let you in on my secret.

I'm an architectural drafter, and haven't had a full-time job since September of '08. The best work I've been able to find since returning to Tennessee in May has been an average of around five hours a week with a local architect; this after sending out over one hundred resumes and applications (the resumes which I re-send every three months). Jobs in my field just aren't available in this area at the moment, and I guess there are so many applicants with retail experience that I can't even find one in that field, either.

I just wish every DUer who is struggling too the very best, and that I had more advice to give than to keep trying and perhaps look in other areas. :shrug:

Good luck to you too, SS, in whatever you decide to do vis a vis taking the out-of-state job or continuing to look in your area. :)

[The Straight Story]

12. You are a perfect example here:

In my off cycles of looking for things for myself if I knew more about what you were looking for, if you wanted to relocate, etc and so on, I could help look for things for you. If I know someone hiring for what you offer, I could pass it along (as but one example). If I had a neighbor who needed your skills, instead of telling them to look up help for such online, I could refer them to you.

I just think we have a great social networking thing going on here, add that to facebook and such, and if I knew more about what others needed I could help put out the work not only for me but for others.

Maybe we could help each other as a community as we have on other issues/activism.

[StarfarerBill]

13. Obviously, yours is a great idea.

And I'll be more than happy to post pages with jobs in my area (Knoxville, Tennessee), if it will help anyone in the city or who might consider moving here. My resume is pretty basic as it's my portfolio that actually sells me, so I don't know if I'd be much help in offering advice to prettying resumes up.

But if you have any other ideas for me and anyone else to contribute to helping our fellow DUers, please spell it out.

For myself, I moved back to my hometown, so I want to tough it out here a while longer before thinking about looking elsewhere. :)

On edit: would a Jobs/Help Wanted forum be of any interest?

[The Straight Story]

14. We could use such a place here, but we could also use

a ping/attention list - so many visit the main forums but not other ones. I think it would help to tap into the many others here if we could help get such posts more attention.

Maybe something like we have with the photography forum where we can post the polls in GD.

[StarfarerBill]

15. Perhaps make the Jobs forum link/button really prominent on the main DU page?

Perhaps even have a link/button prominently displayed in every forum, so it can't be missed?

Sorry, I'm just trying to look at this as someone who doesn't go to many of the forums beyond GD, GD-P, LBN, and EaOA; I can't be the only one. :)

[The Straight Story]

17. Yes indeed - here is my idea:

Have a GD where you see all the threads posted to forums/etc that you check off as being interested in.

Any post to those places shows up in 'GD'. You go to one place here and see posts from all the places you subscribe to.

So if you don't want to see things from jobs/911/etc you won't see them. This would be different than 'latest' as it would look just like GD does now. If I reply/kick a thread in jobs you would see it, others would not.

A 'real' general forum. And when you posted a new thread it could go to the proper forum but also appear in the GD one.

[StarfarerBill]

18. Excellent idea. Alternatively:

Since we already have the states forums, how about adding a Jobs sub-forum to each, showing help-wanted and job-wanted ads for that state?

I know that won't help most of our non-American DUers, so how about another forum with ads for their countries/states/provinces?

And once the job is filled, either the original poster or the person receiving the job asks the mods to take that listing off.

[Yavin4]

19. You Have To Build Up Professional Relationships

What I'm talking about is moving beyond networking, which every career counselor hack will tell you to do. The problem with networking is that EVERYONE is doing it which makes it ineffective.

What you will have to do instead is build professional relationships. That means, volunteering, doing projects for free, working for others for free, helping someone get a business off the ground at little or no pay, but for the experience.

The more relationships that you build, the more opportunities you will create for yourself.

[The Straight Story]

20. Kicking for really good advice

Thanks for that, you make excellent points!

[Yavin4]

21. Let Me Add

The process of building these professional relationships takes a really, really long time, and there will be a lot of frustrations.

Don't expect a great job right away.

[MineralMan]

23. This worked for me:

I needed to come out of retirement and get some work, since my wife's freelance work had slowed down. So, I had to find some contract work doing writing, my profession.

Here's what worked, and it worked within a couple of weeks. Now, a couple of months later, I'm booked up.

1. I had an existing web site, so I added a couple of pages about the web content and blogging services I was offering, complete with resume, links to samples, etc. For SEO purposes, I put direct links to these pages at the top of my website's home page so Google would find them quickly. Google spiders my site on a weekly basis.

2. I started running two Craig's List ads with SEO oriented titles that included location and the type of work. The ads were carefully written and laid out, and designed to send people to my new web site pages. I delete and repost these ads each Monday morning to keep them fresh for Google's spiderbot. I change the titles to modify the SEO characteristics.

3. I started two blogger.com (owned by Google) blogs about the services I was offering, populating them with articles about the subject, and linking them heavily to my web site pages. These blogs had my target search terms as the titles of the blogs, and all article titles were written with search engines in mind.

The results were that I got top search engine placement for all three in my area by the end of the first week. By top placement, I mean the top three spots in search results. Google spiders Craigs List on an almost constant basis, and gives it's blogger.com blogs high priority, as naturally it would.

I got two contracts to write the content for complete web sites within a week, and began a relationship with a busy web site designer within two weeks. Now, I have all the work I can handle.

So, if you're looking for contract work, you might try duplicating these techniques. It can't hurt. Experiment. The key is Craig's List and blogger.com. Both get top billing from Google. If you choose titles well, you'll move quickly to the top. It takes about a week for a new blogger.com blog to get in the loop.

IMPORTANT: Include location in all your titles.