job-seeker contacts/advice

[nodakfan17]

Loyalty still matters. When a company invests resources in your training and exercises patience as you work your way up the curve - they’re hoping you don’t leave too soon. A pattern of job-hopping, while not disqualify, is still a red flag. Choose your moves carefully.

 

While loyalty still matters (the extent of which is debatable) we’re all the CEO of our own careers. Our high earning years are limited. Eventually, better opportunities arise and no one will think any less of you for capitalizing on them.

[Humans Need Water]

 

As someone that interviews engineers for a small engineering firm, I always question people that have bounced from job to job. Maybe I'm just old school and value loyalty and longevity. Unless it absolutely feels like the right decision to you, it sounds like you have a lot of negatives about the new job.

 

Loyalty is for fools especially in the corporate world. It is very common for people to jump from job to job in the corporate world especially for people under the senior level management.

 

For the banking industry if you want to get paid but don't want to climb the corporate ladder jumping from one bank to the next is actually a very good move financially. For example the current company I work for if I want a real raise I will need to leave and then come back otherwise just moving up is a "lateral move" according to HR. So no pay increase and if you do get a pay increase it is less than what they would pay someone outside of the bank.

 

So where does loyalty get you in corporate America? The answer is absolutely no where.

Working for an employer that values its employees and their development will change your opinion. Or maybe find an employer that provides an opportunity for vertical growth and doesn't require an external jump. And until you get to a certain level, comp increase for an internal promotion (vertical or otherwise) will typically be less than that seen by an external candidate.

[Humans Need Water]

I would say that turning down the job would definitely not give you a negative reputation. In my opinion it actually could strengthens you as a future candidate. We really value people that are dedicated, loyal, and will do whatever it takes to get the job done. It is what we try to gauge when we interview...which is definitely not easy to do.

 

If I get a resume that I can see you have worked 3 different jobs in the last 5-10 years, I probably wouldn't even give a first interview. My first impression is that this is someone not worth hiring. By time they would get trained and understand how we operate, they would already be looking for another job and then we would have to go through the whole process again. Training employees is very expensive and negatively affects productivity.

 

Here is something that happened to us 2 years ago. We hired a great engineer that was with us for 2.5 years. He got frustrated with the type of projects we were doing and he ended up taking a different job for more money and also did projects that interested him more. After 6 months, he got burned out because it was not what he signed up for. He was working occasional 70 hour weeks and he ended up doing more babysitting than engineering. He sent me a text asking to see if I could pull some strings with the owners to get his old job back. We already filled his old role and the owners weren't very keen on bringing him back, so we had to turn him down. I believe shortly after he sent that text to me, that firm got bought out and the situation got worse. The last I heard from him, he quit that job and now works for the firm he was at before we hired him.

 

This story is why I said the grass isn't always greener. However, sometimes it can be. I would highly recommend to you to make a list of all of the positives and negatives and make the decision for yourself. If you don't see yourself at either place long-term, it might be best to stay at what you are doing now and wait for a better offer. Maybe your next job will actually be your dream of being your own boss.

*Assuming* the reasons for job changes will cause you to lose great candidates - if they look good on paper then always speak with them. Every decision maker can carve out 20-30min to learn about that person and their experience, including reasons for job changes (or have HR or a recruiter feel them out first). Spending 2-3yrs at a company has already started to become common place for a variety of reasons, including people chasing the dollar.

 

And if it's taking 2-3yrs to get trained and understand how your company works then your company has issues...

[Baldkin]

Loyalty still matters. When a company invests resources in your training and exercises patience as you work your way up the curve - they’re hoping you don’t leave too soon. A pattern of job-hopping, while not disqualify, is still a red flag. Choose your moves carefully.

 

While loyalty still matters (the extent of which is debatable) we’re all the CEO of our own careers. Our high earning years are limited. Eventually, better opportunities arise and no one will think any less of you for capitalizing on them.

 

You're assuming the company is compensating and allowing people to work their way up.

 

The new way of doing things in big companies is to care less for training, make people do that in their own time, then not give them compensation in accordance with their new skillsets.

 

Loyalty flows two ways, it's something I've learned in tech over the last 10 years, and in general, companies over 50 or so people, don't have loyalty, only profit margins.

[Jimbo]

I have two friends who work in HR who told you take a job with a company, you owe them two years and that's it.

 

We just had a guy in his early 60's who was here three years, who had the no loyalty philosophy, got jerked around a bit but stuck it out, then was let go when we re-located and re-engineered the workforce.

 

It doesn't take two years to train an experienced employee. The honeymoon lasts a couple of months, most.

 

Unfortunately, it took many years into my career to realize employers only pay you enough to keep you from leaving, while the gap between what you earn and your market worth widens.

[nodakfan17]

Yes, every company seeks profit and operates on thin margins. While you can (and should) occasionally seek a better salary elsewhere, I think aligning yourself with the right manager can be equally effective. There are still good men and women out there who go to bat for their direct reports and care about their development.

[jerichoholicninja]

I've got a contact on LinkedIn who's always sharing posts by HR and Recruiter people talking about do's and dont's of finding a job and interviews. Basically the original poster will say "doing this will increase your chances of getting the job" and then half of the comments will be people saying "that's a great idea, that would really make a candidate stand out to me" and the other half saying "I would never hire a candidate who did that". It's such a crap game where you never know the rules and those rules change with every person you deal with.

[superfly]

Finding the right fit is most of the battle from what i've experienced. It took three jobs in about 5 years for me, but i'm settled in now with a small lawn company that cares for lakefront & millionaire type homes with a great employer and a wage significantly above what the going rate is for a lawn care worker.

 

Work hard, care, and show interest in the success of your employer's company and you will be rewarded. If they don't give a **** about you move on, there's a better owner out there somewhere that would die to have you.

[zurch1818]

Finding the right fit is most of the battle from what i've experienced.

 

Work hard, care, and show interest in the success of your employer's company and you will be rewarded. If they don't give a **** about you move on, there's a better owner out there somewhere that would die to have you.

 

I agree with this 100%. If you are at a place you enjoy the people, the environment and you feel like you are treated fairly...don't use money as the only reason look for another job.

 

Without getting political, my opinion is the only exception is if you aren't being paid enough to live a lifestyle where you can be happy. Being able to save for retirement and still being able to afford to do most things I want to do are part of my definition of happy. Yours may be different. I feel that's why they are different opinions on this topic of looking for a new job.

[GAME05]

Job just opened up, with housing, right on the barrier islands along the coast. Very busy but generally not much nonsense happens there. I thought it'd be a little cooler due to the coastal breeze, but a co-worker was just there and said it was hot as blazes. People always say you get used to the heat, but my Wisconsin blood still can't deal with it well. The job rarely comes open, but I don't think I'll apply. Who'd want a job protecting thousands of girls in bikinis, anyway?/s

 

Thinking a lot about the possibility of working toward a superintendent job roughly five years down the road. I don't particularly want the bigger leadership/responsibility/go-to-guy role. But I won't be retiring with a full pension and the extra $1000/mo I can make at the position would be a tremendous benefit.

[GAME05]

Just interviewed to work at a different park. Professionally, everything is there: Good working atmosphere, chance to learn the Boss' role to take that job in a few years, more relaxed pace, get along with the boss really well, all that stuff. But toured the Ranger residence and wow that house is SMALL. Not sure the square footage, but my current one is about three times as big. My last one-bedroom apartment was about the same size--it's basically a tiny dining area and a living room the size of a not-master bedroom, with three small bedrooms attached.

 

Initially I didn't have a single hesitation about taking the job. Suddenly the house is a big one, though probably I wouldn't be living in it much more than 2-4 years until a promotion (more $) at a different park or becoming the boss at that one (more $ plus I could swap houses) opens up.

[nate82]

Just interviewed to work at a different park. Professionally, everything is there: Good working atmosphere, chance to learn the Boss' role to take that job in a few years, more relaxed pace, get along with the boss really well, all that stuff. But toured the Ranger residence and wow that house is SMALL. Not sure the square footage, but my current one is about three times as big. My last one-bedroom apartment was about the same size--it's basically a tiny dining area and a living room the size of a not-master bedroom, with three small bedrooms attached.

 

Initially I didn't have a single hesitation about taking the job. Suddenly the house is a big one, though probably I wouldn't be living in it much more than 2-4 years until a promotion (more $) at a different park or becoming the boss at that one (more $ plus I could swap houses) opens up.

 

Assuming you don't have kids or a significant other then I would take the smaller house with the job that has better possibility of advancement but that is me.

[GAME05]

Thanks. My big boss found out I interviewed today and apparently thought it would be a good move.

 

I suppose the only reason I'd hesitated is that I was hoping my next park could be something of a retirement park, where I could stay where I was should I decide not to become a Superintendent, and the size of the house isn't one I'd want to stay at another 15 years. But I suppose most likely is I'd get bored and want to move somewhere else in time, either way.

 

At this point I'll take the job if I'm offered it. I don't totally know if I want to be a Superintendent yet, but at the least I'd like to put myself in position to get that promotion should I eventually decide that's what I want to do. Tiny house, yeah, but it's looking like a 2-4 year stint there, which isn't any crazy amount of time. And yeah, no wife or kids, so I'm sure I can manage.

[GAME05]

Movers come tomorrow. It seems like once you start pulling everything out of the cabinets, that's when the mice and roaches start coming out. Stupid cats just stared at the mouse. Still a lot of loose junk, but I'll have to come back and clean, anyway, and I can grab it with my 5' truck.

 

Got a surprise new boss, but I hear she'll be good. Also retires in about a year.

[nate82]

Movers come tomorrow. It seems like once you start pulling everything out of the cabinets, that's when the mice and roaches start coming out. Stupid cats just stared at the mouse. Still a lot of loose junk, but I'll have to come back and clean, anyway, and I can grab it with my 5' truck.

 

Got a surprise new boss, but I hear she'll be good. Also retires in about a year.

 

Cats are the spawn of the devil!

[GAME05]

Cats are currently locked in an empty room with food and water and a toilet. They HATE their cage and it requires leather gloves and long sleeves to get them in there with a lot of fighting. When people come they hide and even I can't find them. Hence the empty room.

[nodakfan17]

I’d like to improve my data science and analytics skills using low cost, online training. Can anyone recommend a good platform? I’m aware of Coursera and treehouse.

[nate82]

There is always udemy and I use datacamp from time to time. I havent used udemy in a long time some like it and some really really hate it.

 

 

https://www.datacamp.com/courses/topic:case_studies

[CheezWizHed]

LinkedIN Learning seems to have a good amount of training. So far, I've only done first level classes on a particular subject, so I'm not sure how "deep" they get.

[owbc]

I’d like to improve my data science and analytics skills using low cost, online training. Can anyone recommend a good platform? I’m aware of Coursera and treehouse.

 

The free Udacity one is really good: https://www.udacity.com/course/intro-to-machine-learning--ud120

 

If you don't know Python you might want to take a quick crash course first...but if you already have programming experience Python is pretty easy to pick up.

[nodakfan17]

Thanks for the suggestions.

[nate82]

Amazon's machine learning is now available to the public.

 

https://www.amazon.science/latest-news/machine-learning-course-free-online-from-amazon-machine-learning-university

[sveumrules]

If anyone here is a Data Engineer, it looks like the Brewers are looking for a new one...

 

https://blogs.fangraphs.com/instagraphs/job-posting-milwaukee-brewers-data-engineer/

[CheezWizHed]

So very close, but not quite the right experience. But maybe I'll show this to my HS son. He is looking to go this direction (Computer Science) and it is always interesting to look at job options.

[nate82]

So very close, but not quite the right experience. But maybe I'll show this to my HS son. He is looking to go this direction (Computer Science) and it is always interesting to look at job options.

 

While a degree in computer science would be good he should also do hackathons and other events depending on what he is interested in.

 

A coding boot camp would also be beneficial if he hasn't had much in terms of coding experience.