h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I hope so to!

I really appreciate the help you've been to me during this time.

No problem. I know when I was going through this there were a lot of people here who really helped me keep trudging through the process, providing reality checks here and then, and support always. It's great to have a chance to pass that on, especially since I know how insanely frustrating this is!

Well it seems that they have delayed the process til another week. It seems they have more people than they anticipated and they haven't finished the first tier of interviews yet. I was warned that it will be at least wednesday before any decision is made.

This of course doesn't look good for me since if there are that many candidates then it lessens my chance of getting selected. Well I have already gone on to sending out resumes to other companies, so far none of these new ones have answered but if they do then it will raise a new problem.


FLIR is located in a very good area and next year when it moves it will be in an even better location (closer to where I live). It is hard not to set my heart on this one company but things seem so ideal for me. It is one of a handfull of companies that I have looked at since day one here in the Northwest.

I have fully given up on Intel since I have come to realize that the driving would just be too long and tiring each an everyday. Doesn't mean it isn't a good company to work for but just not one of those ideal jobs for me.

Does FLIR have any other jobs you could be applying for as well? Hopefully this will come through for you, but I'm glad you're working on other options, too!

No they only have this one position. They are not that big of a company and each position is critical to the overall production of it.

I've been stung too many times to place all of my hopes in one vasket even if it is the one that I've always wanted.

Well an interesting plot twist has arisen. Tektronix has opened some jobs that I can actually do and I have put in for all three (at tektronix). All of them are manufacturing jobs within the engineering discipline.

I went through the Oregon state job bank which generally is an unlikely place for jobs and there they were. All well paid and all within my general technical background. Tektronix is also one of those employers who are on my all time best companies to work. Of course this is still very early in their process ('ve only just put in my resume) but they represent another possibility for the future if FLIR doesn't come through. Thay are also closer than Intel (although not as close as FLIR will be when they move to Wilsonville).

I wont feel so disappointed with a turn down by FLIR now (IF that happens). I can honestly say that if FLIR comes through I wont regret ignoring Tektronix. On the other hand those tektronix positions would be a natural furtherance of my career in electronics. FLIR's positions would just be a return to the bench (not realy all that bad but not a furtherance just a return.)

I am rich with opportunities (poor in Jobs but the opportunites are blooming.

Yay! That really is hopeful news!

Amen

Well Wednesday has come and no phone call nor even an email I think that my chance at FLIR is now gone for ever. I'm sad.

I wouldn't be ruling it out quite yet. I've had times when I suddenly got a call a week or two (or even a few months, quite frankly) down the road about a job I'd assumed I hadn't gotten -- often they had originally wanted someone else, who either turned down the job or quickly washed out.

Keep the spirits up!

So far I have not gotten any of these ("I'll wait until later" jobs). The people who do the interviews just dont like to write the letters for those who are not selected (they sometimes send form letters). They really dont like to explain to other candidates just why they were not selected. Outside of obviously unqualified candidates the process is not a rational one. It takes intuition and guess work, rational analysis can only go so far, then it gets very soft from then on.

So I'm hoping for the Tektronix openings now and getting over the Flir opportunity. I figure that there is a remote chance but only that remote.

Frustrating as all get, out to use an old expression. I'll keep you up to date whenever something comes along. bye for now

I will definitely keep hoping Tektronix works out for you! There were several jobs there, right? And it was close by?

There are three separate jobs that fit within my experience. Tektronix will not close them until Dec 4th so it will be at least that long until I know anything probably longer to give them time to make the evaluations and then additional time for interviews so I'm guessing they will not hire before the end of the year. Screwing all chances for a good Christmas (for me and my family). And that's being optimistic

Well this morning I got the final notice about FLIR and the news was not the way I wanted it. My last email to him said that he might make some suggestions to me to make my next interview better and his response was that everything was "fine" they just found someone better. This chorus of "fine but I've got someone better" is driving me insane. There is nothing I can do to improve but I will not get the job. It leaves me helpless, without a job, and completely frustrated. Most of these jobs that I've interview for lately have been the type of position that I would love, not just like, and I thought ideal for me, yet no deal.

maybe I should consider another career, move to Alaska and go fishing, or to Africa and be a missionary, or ...Those of course are not what I want but maybe they are available...

If this was the first time this happened I could just blow it off but so many times this very same thing. And on what I considered Ideal jobs.

Yikes, that is really frustrating.

However, you really have to take the whole "you were fine, we just found someone better" thing with a grain of salt. When they say that, it's virtually never a case of "you were perfect but someone else was slightly more perfect". Instead, almost all companies these days have policies of *not* giving any specific feedback to candidates who weren't selected - it's too avoid lawsuits.

I'd never say that there's nothing you can do to improve -- no matter where you are in life, there's always *something* you can be doing better. The problem a good chunk of the time, as is here, is knowing exactly what you need to be doing better.

The fact that you've gotten as far as the interview this many times makes me really wonder if there's something you're doing or saying in the interview that's giving off red flags of a sort. Have you given any more thought to doing a mock interview (and actually taking it seriously)? It would really have to be someone who knows your field doing it for it to have much use.

Keep your chin up!

Mikey

Oregon has a program for just that purpose and I've attended. I am particularly attentive to red flags( because I used to spread them around like butter), outside of just my physical appearance which is a less than changeable situation. (yeah I could/should lose weight). My hair is always well cut and combed, I apply reasonable amounts of deoderant, I talk carefuly and distinctly in the appropriate technical terms and I am always courteous. I am relaxed but not too relaxed (I'm definitely not an "A" pesonality type).

I just realized that the email I got this morning never suggested that it would be a good thing to re-apply in the future, even though I mentioned it in my previous email. (HMMMMM) FLIR doesn't have many openings so it will likely be awhile before another one comes up. Oh well that's just one of my "short list" companies that I've lost, for now.

I have just applied to the Oregon Lottery comission again for a post in Medford! Since I last interviewed with the lottery comission, I have learned that the person who took the job in Salem will be coming from Medford. I wonder if it is the same person.

I know very little about Medford except where it is. I would be repsonsible for all the lottery ternminals there in that town. Responsible for making the quarterly reports to the site holders and keeping them all up and running. I suppose that as long as they are all running there will not be that much worrk to do. But the job pays the same as anywhere else in Oregon. Dont let me kid you the terminals are all old and worn out, but even so the chance to get this opening is good. Especially since I interviewed with the same people for another position and we know each other already.

I almost would be willing to trade the Tektronix positions for this one since it is a government position with all the perks and the job stability etc. Wish me luck

That would be great -- job stability and good benefits! And wouldn't you have a lot of flexibility in your schedule for a position like that?

I'll be hoping and praying!