That’s how it used to be for me too, something has changed. Before this current job search, I’d never put out more than 4 applications to get a job. Now I’ve put out dozens (I refuse to spray and pray), and am still unemployed 6 months later.
The problem I have identified is that the people and or systems who do initial screening don’t really know what they should be screening for.
You might have a real technical position that you need to fill requiring like archaic engineering knowledge. Then they do the screen and remove everyone who doesn’t have a resume polished to whatever the latest MBA format is. Which removes a bunch of weirdos that are perfect for the job (because let’s be real, it requires a strange skill set) and you are left with a bunch of candidates that can talk out of their ass perfectly, but don’t actually have the knowledge or skills needed.
Then you get this bubbly Kevin who is good at communication when you really need Kwame who just wants to be left alone working on the technical problems.
That’s true, being an effective technical interviewer to really sus out bs vs skill is hard. It’s not just asking some rote set of questions, which often time are easy to rehearse answers for, but rather trying to get into the interviewee’s mindset when you give them a scenario and assessing thought process rather than effective communication.
Yeah, I have always thought the interview process is a bit BS as it always puts interpersonal skills over technical skills, even for positions where interpersonal skills aren’t needed.
I as both an employee and someone hiring would rather be able to hire 4 people for a week or two with them knowing only one person will get the job. I think in today’s labor market people would jump at that and it gives opportunities for weaker candidates to learn what they need to learn. Culturally it would be hard to get a company to adapt to a model like that, and it probably goes against labor rules in a handful of states.
Society will frame this as self-sacrifice. They won’t recognize that you’re trying to survive long-term. They’ll pretend blindly following commands would give you better chances of survival and health than a “refusal” that leads to 6 months of unemployment. They will sacrifice your health and well-being in the name of reframing what you’re doing, pretending you’re the one sacrificing your health and well-being to protest your choices not being exactly what you want, when you’re actually just trying to survive while offered choices that aren’t viable.
Or maybe you actually are intentionally protesting. Nothing wrong with that. But a lot of people aren’t
That’s how it used to be for me too, something has changed. Before this current job search, I’d never put out more than 4 applications to get a job. Now I’ve put out dozens (I refuse to spray and pray), and am still unemployed 6 months later.
The signal-noise ratio is too low nowadays that even genuine talent is purged.
Ive met too many colleagues who just arbitrarily filter out candidates because there’s too many resumes that get past the automation.
That sounds like the hiring manager joke about throwing away half the resumes because you don’t want someone unlucky getting hired.
Not a very funny joke for unemployed people
The problem I have identified is that the people and or systems who do initial screening don’t really know what they should be screening for.
You might have a real technical position that you need to fill requiring like archaic engineering knowledge. Then they do the screen and remove everyone who doesn’t have a resume polished to whatever the latest MBA format is. Which removes a bunch of weirdos that are perfect for the job (because let’s be real, it requires a strange skill set) and you are left with a bunch of candidates that can talk out of their ass perfectly, but don’t actually have the knowledge or skills needed.
Then you get this bubbly Kevin who is good at communication when you really need Kwame who just wants to be left alone working on the technical problems.
That’s true, being an effective technical interviewer to really sus out bs vs skill is hard. It’s not just asking some rote set of questions, which often time are easy to rehearse answers for, but rather trying to get into the interviewee’s mindset when you give them a scenario and assessing thought process rather than effective communication.
Yeah, I have always thought the interview process is a bit BS as it always puts interpersonal skills over technical skills, even for positions where interpersonal skills aren’t needed.
I as both an employee and someone hiring would rather be able to hire 4 people for a week or two with them knowing only one person will get the job. I think in today’s labor market people would jump at that and it gives opportunities for weaker candidates to learn what they need to learn. Culturally it would be hard to get a company to adapt to a model like that, and it probably goes against labor rules in a handful of states.
Society will frame this as self-sacrifice. They won’t recognize that you’re trying to survive long-term. They’ll pretend blindly following commands would give you better chances of survival and health than a “refusal” that leads to 6 months of unemployment. They will sacrifice your health and well-being in the name of reframing what you’re doing, pretending you’re the one sacrificing your health and well-being to protest your choices not being exactly what you want, when you’re actually just trying to survive while offered choices that aren’t viable.
Or maybe you actually are intentionally protesting. Nothing wrong with that. But a lot of people aren’t