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Thread: How Did You Find Your Job?

  1. #1
    Forum Member ch willie's Avatar
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    How Did You Find Your Job?

    It's been 16 years since I've had to search for a job. As a lot of you know, I live in a small Tennessee town about 3 hours from downtown Nashville. When I got my job here at the college, I was looking at trades for the profession.

    I'm not sure which direction I'll be going in now. I'm through with education. But I'm starting to look at it and think about what I can and want to do--It's something I have to figure out first and soonish.

    The point is, I am isolated in this town and must rely on sites like Indeed to find out about job openings.

    If you found your job through the internet, what sites did you use?

    I'm pretty sure that once I've decided on a direction, I'll got directly to company sites.

    Just want to hear your experiences. Thanks.
    Last edited by ch willie; 11-30-2019 at 02:06 PM.
    If we'd known we were going to be the Beatles, we'd have tried harder.--George Harrison

  2. #2
    Forum Member Don's Avatar
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    Re: How Did You Find Your Job?

    My wife found my job on indeed. It turned out they were looking for someone exactly like me.

  3. #3
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    Re: How Did You Find Your Job?

    There was an opening and I filled out a state application and then proceeded to kick ass in the interview.

  4. #4
    Forum Member S. Cane's Avatar
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    Re: How Did You Find Your Job?

    My parents wanted me to be a complete douche. So they made my mind to become a lawyer.

    I had to leave my actual priorities (playing poker, playing live rock, hustling pool, and other gentlemen’s activities) as hobbies...

  5. #5
    Forum Member Offshore Angler's Avatar
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    Re: How Did You Find Your Job?

    I get recruited and made offers. Headhunting is pretty standard in my profession.
    "No harmonic knowledge, no sense of time, a ghastly tone, unskilled vibrato, and so on. Chuck is one of the worst guitar players I know" -Gravity Jim

  6. #6
    Forum Member OldStrummer's Avatar
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    Re: How Did You Find Your Job?

    Same as OA. Interesting enough (or sad, if you choose), I was out of work for 18 months, literally filling out applications and sending out resumes every day. Then, I got a call from a recruiter, seemingly out of the blue. "I have a job I think you might be a good fit." Here I am, eight years later...

  7. #7
    Forum Member Laker's Avatar
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    Re: How Did You Find Your Job?

    First, a little background. Back in 1970 I was a touring musician who married a boss’s daughter and gave up the road life to learn a business. As a result, I managed to become a pretty competent machinist learning a lot about the manufacturing environment.

    Move ahead many years and I’m no longer married to the daughter and I am a programmer/analyst with a bachelor’s degree in computer science who is out of work because of a major downturn in the economy. I got a call from the president of a local company who says he hears I’m a good machinist so he offers me a job as a machinist. I never thought I’d be back to working on machine tools, but a job is a job when you’ve got no cash in the pocket. I retired from this company after a 22 year employment where I worked my way from the shop floor to manufacturing engineer and retired as the quality assurance manager with 12 years in that position.

  8. #8
    Forum Member dirtdog's Avatar
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    Re: How Did You Find Your Job?

    Connections. Seriously, every job I've every had I've ever been offered was because of connections. Some I've sought out, some have sought me out.

    Willie - job number 1 would be letting everyone in your network know you are looking (and what you might be looking for). You never know what might come out of the blue.

  9. #9
    Forum Member gibsonjunkie's Avatar
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    Re: How Did You Find Your Job?

    26 years ago I knew I had to get out of the plumbing business and I desperately needed a change. I was told that the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities was a looking for a lobbyist and I had done a lot of volunteer lobbying for the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education (CABE). Anyways, the word was out in February that the position was going to be posted and in April it finally was. I pulled in every string I could. A former President of CCM was Chairman of UCONN's Board of Directors back then and he owed me a favor (he was best friends of CCM's Executive Director). I networked, lobbied for ( ) and fought for that job. What better way to get a lobbyist job than by lobbying my ass off. Anyways, out of 350 applicants I made the first cut, interview in June, second interview in July and follow-up writing assignment in August. Third interview in October and hired October 30th. Here's the kicker... I was miserable. I had three bosses all who gave me conflicting orders. I did write their manual for telling elected officials how the legislative process worked, but otherwise I just attended meetings and took notes. My passion is education and they had me going to meetings about transportation and environmental protection and other stuff like that. I was bored sick... I couldn't believe it when the Executive Director of CABE called me two weeks later and offered me a better job, with more pay and 75 fewer miles a day to commute. I'm still there 26 years later doing what I love. CCM still talks about me and how I only lasted two weeks...
    "We catched fish and talked, and we took a swim now and then to keep off sleepiness." Mark Twain

  10. #10
    Forum Member Laker's Avatar
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    Re: How Did You Find Your Job?

    You know GJ, I ended up in a position with a lot of stress but working for people who respected what I did and gave me a living (and retirement) that reflected their belief in me and my capabilities.

    As was said above, it’s all about networking, getting your name out there for who you are and what you can do. In the grand scheme of things you kind of sell yourself.

  11. #11
    Forum Member ch willie's Avatar
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    Re: How Did You Find Your Job?

    Thanks for the responses.

    I've been looking on indeed.com, and I suppose I ought to do a linked in page. My biggest thing now is trying to figure out what I want to do. I know for sure I don't want to teach or have anything to do with education. Totally burned out.
    If we'd known we were going to be the Beatles, we'd have tried harder.--George Harrison

  12. #12
    Forum Member ch willie's Avatar
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    Re: How Did You Find Your Job?

    Guys, I've come up with the perfect job for me--freelance editing, writing, and proofreading. I've already been doing it for 35 years, and that's what I know. It'll be tough to get started, but I'm getting a good biz plan together. I'm so relieved; I know this is something I can really get into, and I've really been worried about what I do. This job will allow me to use my skill, training, experience, intellect, and sometimes creativity.

    Thanks for all the responses. I'll let you know how it goes.
    If we'd known we were going to be the Beatles, we'd have tried harder.--George Harrison

  13. #13
    Forum Member gibsonjunkie's Avatar
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    Re: How Did You Find Your Job?

    Quote Originally Posted by ch willie View Post
    Guys, I've come up with the perfect job for me--freelance editing, writing, and proofreading. I've already been doing it for 35 years, and that's what I know. It'll be tough to get started, but I'm getting a good biz plan together. I'm so relieved; I know this is something I can really get into, and I've really been worried about what I do. This job will allow me to use my skill, training, experience, intellect, and sometimes creativity.

    Thanks for all the responses. I'll let you know how it goes.
    Great news - good luck, Amigo!
    "We catched fish and talked, and we took a swim now and then to keep off sleepiness." Mark Twain

  14. #14
    Forum Member Don's Avatar
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    Re: How Did You Find Your Job?

    My son is working in a machine shop and is taking a 2 semester automated machining certificate program at the local community college. Last Friday recruiters from a major corporation that you've all heard of showed up to take applications for entry level jobs with good pay. He has a job (that's paying for his education and has promised a promotion once he receives his cert), but took a business card.

    To think, last year he was miserable, working his butt off for the Christmas rush as the operations coordinator at a FedEx facility. A friend of mine ran into a manager at the machine shop at a holiday gathering and told him about my son's interest in becoming a CNC programmer. They hired him right off the street. These companies are desperate for good workers!

  15. #15
    Forum Member DanTheBluesMan's Avatar
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    Re: How Did You Find Your Job?

    Quote Originally Posted by Don View Post
    My son is working in a machine shop and is taking a 2 semester automated machining certificate program at the local community college. Last Friday recruiters from a major corporation that you've all heard of showed up to take applications for entry level jobs with good pay. He has a job (that's paying for his education and has promised a promotion once he receives his cert), but took a business card.

    To think, last year he was miserable, working his butt off for the Christmas rush as the operations coordinator at a FedEx facility. A friend of mine ran into a manager at the machine shop at a holiday gathering and told him about my son's interest in becoming a CNC programmer. They hired him right off the street. These companies are desperate for good workers!
    wish we had some of those around here, the industrial base in my city got decimated by the off-shoring of the last 30 years. many industrial complexes around here with vacant buildings. Maybe I can find something up north in Manchester if my brother and I get an apartment up there.
    "Live and learn and flip the burns"

  16. #16
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    Re: How Did You Find Your Job?

    I wish there was work around here for our kids. Our economy was based on copper mining, and for years our kids could work for the mine, or in the town sector, (mining the miners). My skills were valued for keeping vehicles running for all. Now the mines have curtailed many operations, and new processes are eliminating many jobs. Add to that the greenies having swarmed the area, filling suit after suit attempting to thwart mining operations at every turn. The area has also (unfortunately) become a retirement destination, with folks selling their house at home, and willing to pay, (to us) an exorbitant amount for local housing, or even new construction.

  17. #17
    Forum Member gibsonjunkie's Avatar
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    Re: How Did You Find Your Job?

    Here in Connecticut there are a lot of small machine shops feeding Pratt and Whitney's giant factory complex. My daughter has been bouncing around different shops - netting a substantial raise every time she moves - and they're paying for her Master's degree.
    "We catched fish and talked, and we took a swim now and then to keep off sleepiness." Mark Twain

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