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Job situation - need advice

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elrohwen

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Some of you might remember my post last month about losing my job. I would really like to switch industries a bit (similar job, just producing a new product I guess) but, unfortunately, companies only seem to want experienced people right now and I'm experienced in the thing I don't necessarily want to continue doing.

I have an interview on Friday with a company I worked for as an intern. I'll say that I do like the company and the work environment seemed ok (at least if you had the right boss; mine was awful, but the other supervisers seemed great for the most part). The only issues are:
- it's the same industry I've been in and hoped to get out of
- travel is required up to 30% (which usually means it's more); I had really really wanted to stop traveling for work as it totally burned me out in the last year
- the commute would be an hour to an hour and 30 min each way depending on traffic (this irequires going near NYC, though not into it, so traffic can absolutely be bad)

I'm really worried that they're going to interview me and offer me a job next week and I won't know what to do. Jobs aren't growing on trees, so I feel like I should take what I can get. It's a good company and I wouldn't be totally miserable there. However, the commute sucks, I don't want to travel, and I wanted to get out of my industry.

They do have a job that's much closer to me, but I'm not as qualified for it. I'm trying to push for that, but the recruiter only seems interested in me interviewing for the jobs in NJ. I don't want to push too hard and make it look like I don't want the jobs in NJ either though ... When she calls back this afternoon I'll certainly try to get more info on that job, but I might not have any luck even interviewing for it.

Assuming I get an offer (which isn't certain of course, but I like to plan ahead), what should I do? Help me out, good PSers, and talk some sense into me.
 
2 things come to mind:

1) do not worry about job offers that have not yet materialized--first of all, it may not happen and second of all you can always turn it down respectfully. Don't start thinking things before they happen. The interview is set up, give it your best--if nothing else it's good practice and good to not burn bridges (ie by giving a lousy interview or backing out).

2)Recruiters make money once/if you accept a job offer (and in some cases stick it out for certain # of months). The higher the salary the higher the commission, but they have no interest in whether that job is a good match or career move. So speak up about what direction it is you do want to go in and don't let him/her push you into areas you have no interest in. I'm not trying to bad mouth recruiters, just saying they have a job to do and if you're quiet and easily influenced, it's not really their role to get to the bottom of what it is you really want to do. Of course, be realistic too--in the current market it's not a great time to try to move into a different industry without experience.
 
First, coming from someone who just left a job she took because she was unemployed and needed something to pay the bills. Jobs don''t grow on trees, but neither are they permanent. In today''s market it''s understandable if there''s a little bouncing after a layoff. People get that, so don''t focus so much on the future. If you get this job and it pays the bills and you can tolerate the commute and travel for awhile, take it and try and use it to gain some additional experience to beef up your resume while looking for something else.

In addition, do some research on product development in other industries or development of the product type you''re interested in. Try and find ways to tweak that knowledge and apply it to your new role so that you can show that while you might not have direct experience working with one product, you have experience using related techniques and methodologies in your current position. You want to show that your skills, while not directly related, are transferable. Sometimes this can even be seen as a positive because you have knowledge of how to do the job and general knowledge of the product/industry, but you''re an outsider, so you can approach the role with fresh eyes, fresh perspective often leads to innovation.
 
Janinegirly, thanks for weighing in. I know I shouldn''t think about offers I don''t have, but I''m worried that things could move fast and I won''t know what to do. I''d rather think it through ahead of time (and talk it over with DH too). I definitely won''t back out on the interview or anything either ... if anything, they might like me and I might be able to work that into an interview for the closer job. And you''re right that I can''t let myself get pushed around. The job she doesn''t think I''m as qualified for is almost the same as the ones I am qualified for. It doesn''t really require anything I don''t have, I guess it''s just not an obvious fit, if that makes sense. I will absolutely bring it up again the next time I talk to her and let her know I''m very interested in going for that job too. If I get good reviews from my interview on Friday I hope she won''t turn me down for a chance to interview at the other location.

HH, thanks for the advice! I was hoping more companies would want people with fresh outlooks, but I guess not in this economy. Haha. Heck, most of the jobs I see are for people with 5-10 years of experience and I''m certainly not that experienced in anything yet. I''m hoping things open up in 6 months or less, but I obviously can''t sit around waiting for it. Having a job and aquiring any skills would be better than sitting at home doing nothing. Btw, how long did you feel it was necessary to stay at your last job before leaving? What''s the general consensus on that? 6 months? A year? 18 months?

I have to say I''m very lucky that my DH works in the field I''m trying to get into. I have a lot of friends helping me find a position so part of me feels like it''ll just take time to get a job there ... but I also don''t feel comfortable turning down other jobs in the mean time while I wait for this one company. Though I did kind of hope I''d at least have a month or two to work on people in DH''s company before interviews and things started happening at other places. Oh well.
 
Date: 10/21/2009 3:55:07 PM
Author: elrohwen
Janinegirly, thanks for weighing in. I know I shouldn''t think about offers I don''t have, but I''m worried that things could move fast and I won''t know what to do. I''d rather think it through ahead of time (and talk it over with DH too). I definitely won''t back out on the interview or anything either ... if anything, they might like me and I might be able to work that into an interview for the closer job. And you''re right that I can''t let myself get pushed around. The job she doesn''t think I''m as qualified for is almost the same as the ones I am qualified for. It doesn''t really require anything I don''t have, I guess it''s just not an obvious fit, if that makes sense. I will absolutely bring it up again the next time I talk to her and let her know I''m very interested in going for that job too. If I get good reviews from my interview on Friday I hope she won''t turn me down for a chance to interview at the other location.


HH, thanks for the advice! I was hoping more companies would want people with fresh outlooks, but I guess not in this economy. Haha. Heck, most of the jobs I see are for people with 5-10 years of experience and I''m certainly not that experienced in anything yet. I''m hoping things open up in 6 months or less, but I obviously can''t sit around waiting for it. Having a job and aquiring any skills would be better than sitting at home doing nothing. Btw, how long did you feel it was necessary to stay at your last job before leaving? What''s the general consensus on that? 6 months? A year? 18 months?


I have to say I''m very lucky that my DH works in the field I''m trying to get into. I have a lot of friends helping me find a position so part of me feels like it''ll just take time to get a job there ... but I also don''t feel comfortable turning down other jobs in the mean time while I wait for this one company. Though I did kind of hope I''d at least have a month or two to work on people in DH''s company before interviews and things started happening at other places. Oh well.

I ended up at my last job for seven months. I would have stayed for a year; however, the company went through layoffs, I was spared in that round but was spooked, so I applied for my new job (product development no less!) and got it. So while it was not an ideal situation, it was the right decision. When I was laid off last year I had to take a hard look at my career and industry (I think I''m around where you are years of exp wise) and I decided that if I was going to get a new job I had to think outside the box and look for jobs that required my skill set under different titles in different industries. I ended up going from being and editor and project manager for an educational publishing company to a technical writer/editor/marketing coordinator for an environmental consulting and engineering firm. I''m now a project/product manager for a nonprofit who publishes content for the construction industry. So it''s all connected through a roundabout way, but I had to work in my interviews and on my resume to help the hiring managers see the connections.
 
HH, I''m an engineer, so I feel like I have the knowledge to do just about anything process/product related. DH has the same degree as me, but chose a different field. Now I''m p*ssed that I chose the field I did and seem to be stuck in it after only 3-ish years. Lol. I''m willing to be entry level somewhere and start all over, but no one seems to need that at the moment. You''ve definitely changed your title quite a bit and I really hoped to use this job change as an opportunity to do that. When/if entry level stuff opens up again I''ll need to follow your example and really work my resume to show I can do what they need, even if I haven''t quite done it yet. I will be kind of bummed if I end up in the exact same type of job doing the same stuff, but I guess you take what you can get sometimes.
 
What type of engineer? Process, civil, chemical, mechanical??? My company (NFPA) is full of engineers of all sorts of type doing non-engineering stuff (editors for our codes and standards).
 
Date: 10/21/2009 4:16:49 PM
Author: Hudson_Hawk
What type of engineer? Process, civil, chemical, mechanical??? My company (NFPA) is full of engineers of all sorts of type doing non-engineering stuff (editors for our codes and standards).
Chemical, though my title has been process engineer. Actually, being an editor or something would be fun. I''m far better at reading/writing than your average engineer seems to be
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Haha. I will definitely have to look into that.

My other interest is to get more into the manufacturing side of a business. Maybe I''m just jaded on R&D, but I like the day to day process of making things more than the bs that goes with working "at corporate" sometimes. It''s just tough to find manufacturing jobs in the north east. Most factories tend to be in the middle of nowhere.
 
wait. did you work with cookies?
 
Date: 10/21/2009 4:35:48 PM
Author: Hudson_Hawk
wait. did you work with cookies?
Haha, yes! I did.
 
Ha! I thought so.

So maybe you could ask the elves to let you transition to crackers?
 
sorry, i forgot the part about you losing your job...
 
Date: 10/21/2009 4:51:07 PM
Author: Hudson_Hawk
Ha! I thought so.

So maybe you could ask the elves to let you transition to crackers?
LOL I actually worked on crackers even more than cookies. I''m very experienced for an elf
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Anybody want to hire an elf?
 
Date: 10/21/2009 4:53:33 PM
Author: Hudson_Hawk
sorry, i forgot the part about you losing your job...
No problem. I lost it, but the place was horrible, so I was happy to get out. Sitting on the couch, watching Sex and the City while job hunting is way more enjoyable
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Don''t forget non-stop access to PS, FB and Perezhilton!
 
Set up the interview for Friday. Then use the truth you''ve just learned about what you really want to spur you into rapid action ASAP to overhaul your resume quickly and get them OUT for the jobs you''ve just realized that you truly want. Elrowhwen, whether you see it or not right now, you may have just been given the dual gifts of clarity and a reason not to procrastinate. Don''t squander the moment of clarity you''ve been given.
 
Date: 10/21/2009 5:33:44 PM
Author: fleur-de-lis
Set up the interview for Friday. Then use the truth you''ve just learned about what you really want to spur you into rapid action ASAP to overhaul your resume quickly and get them OUT for the jobs you''ve just realized that you truly want. Elrowhwen, whether you see it or not right now, you may have just been given the dual gifts of clarity and a reason not to procrastinate. Don''t squander the moment of clarity you''ve been given.
Thanks for the advice, Fleur. Actually, I have overhauled my resume and applied for all of the jobs I really want. But as I said, the jobs I really want require at least a few years of very specific experience in that industry, which I just don''t have. At some point, as things improve, more low level positions will be offered, but they just aren''t right now. So I''m torn because I wanted to wait a bit and see if I could snag a position in a new industry, but if I can get another job now in my current industry I feel like I''d be a fool to pass it up. Know what I mean? I''m really not figuring out my career desires right now - I''ve known it for weeks. I''m just conflicted now because I have an interview for jobs that aren''t ideally what I wanted.
 
Also, aren''t you ''technically'' supposed to accept any reasonable job offer when you''re receiving unemployment?
 
Date: 10/22/2009 8:41:56 AM
Author: Hudson_Hawk
Also, aren''t you ''technically'' supposed to accept any reasonable job offer when you''re receiving unemployment?
I''m actually not on unemployment. It''s kind of a weird situation, but I basically got a deal from my last company for a while.
 
Sorry to assume
 
Date: 10/22/2009 11:17:23 AM
Author: Hudson_Hawk
Sorry to assume
No prob
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It''s definitely not a typical situation ... so it''s kind of hard to explain.
 
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