Slashdot Mirror
Getting Over the Stigma of a Previous Job?
Subm asks: "Some friends-of-friends worked at a company with such a high profile downfall their past employer became a liability. They weren't involved in causing the downfall, but with the name 'Enron' on their resumes, interviews were spent defending their past employment. SCO is more focused in its industry than Enron, was and its reputation is in a downward spiral in that industry (Unix and GNU/Linux, not lawsuits, that is). SCO's staff will have to look for other jobs sooner or later, and most within the Unix/GNU/Linux community. Can good workers get over the stigma of an employer's reputation? How will working at SCO affect its staff's careers? Does anyone at SCO talk about this?"
SCO is more focused in its industry than Enron
Which industry is that? scamming and defrauding people?
"A door is what a dog is perpetually on the wrong side of" - Ogden Nash
At least that's something respectable.
Sound Careers Offered.
I used to work for a tobacco company.
"Extremism in defense of liberty is more fun."
"reliable and honest" is exactly what SCO is known for. In fact, "reliable and honest" is exactly how my new Nigerian business partners describe themselves.
riding round the world on an old motorcycle
Would the answer: "What do you think dumbass!", cause me to *not* get the job?
ah yes. be careful about leaving that stint blank though (q: "what did you do for those two years?" a: "played cards. lifted weights") - i work for a company that's owned by americans and it was a bit awkward after a year of employment to confess that i wasn't allowed into the united states.
2 1337 4 u!
So is McBride looking to get out while he can and using a Ask Slashdot article for tips?
SuDZ
Do what everybody else does: Lie. They can't check everything. Half the employers that you work for shouldn't even know your real name.
The toilets around here need a good scrubbing.
"Kittens give Morbo gas!"
stigma lasts forever.
A little soda water works wonders.
KFG
When your interviewer asks you what on earth a whorehouse was doing repackaging and integrating AT&T SYSV code, tell him it you were actually working at SCO back when SCO was a software company with a mediocre UNIX distribution, and that you left when you saw the writing on the wall when its then-CEO said Linux would never amount to anything.
Then say "But there's still less stigma that comes with saying you were a whorehouse piano player."
He played cards and lifted weights for two years, so he must have been in the Navy. Maybe he deserted or something ...
Man, you were fucked!
Sorry, someone had to say it
So let's see.
-You were paid to have sex
-with women
-and you're posting, looking for sympathy
-on Slashdot?
Talk about trying to get blood from a stone!
There was a great story that took place years ago (during the 1970's aerospace crash) where a guy with a Phd consistantly got turned down for every job he applied for because he was "over qualified." So he modified his resume, while still telling the truth ;-)
;-)" He got that job.
He put under education - High School.
He put under Hobbies - BS,MS,PHd.
His first interview with the modified resume - the guy doing the hiring states "We approve of hobbies
Some times it's how you put the resume together!
Have you compiled your kernel today??
With all her horse and bar skills, she was the best helpdesk operator we ever had.Do you really get a lot of horses and drunks calling the help desk?
"Freedom means freedom for everybody" -- Dick Cheney
Not True.
I'm reliable and honest. What's your credit card number?
The updated version would go something like this:
Dear Abby,
My mother, an alcoholic, is currently serving a life sentence for murdering my father after discovering that he was selling child pornography to support our family. I'm helping to raise the illegitimate child of my sister, who is in drug rehab and currently appealing a prostitution conviction. I spent most of my youth in foster homes and on the street, supporting myself and my cocaine habit by robbing the elderly. Finally I took a high school equivalency exam, enrolled in college and learned computer programming. I am now making a good salary working as a developer at Microsoft.
Recently I met a really wonderful girl. She is caring and loving, and I want to have a serious relationship with her, but I am afraid that if she finds out more about me she won't want to see me again. So the question is, should I tell her that I work for Microsoft?
The poster is a SCO employee!! Burn him!!
I propose the addition of a new entry into jargon files:
Enroned (v. p. p.), To have one's rsum or reputation tarnished by a former (or current) employer.
USAGE: Man, I was totally Enroned the second it hit the news that my CTO was skimming the pot I've got no chance at a good job until this dies down a bit.
The previous sig has been removed due to
Oh, don't even get me started.
Mind you I know how it goes, your in the moment: the bullets are flying, blood is spraying, intestines are spilling onto the floor along with matted gore and hair. You're hot & sweat is making your finger slip off the trigger. The screams of the begging dying ring through your ears.
Future job references dont seem important at that moment do they? JUST DONT DO IT AGAIN!!
Reality check, the dot com bust, H1B visa influx, mass outsourcing and overall failure of the tech industray has resulted in many highly skilled, educated, certified and talented people having to take jobs outside of the field.
Are we talking about the same industry here? In most of the place I worked at, there were a good half dozen MCSE 2000 Losers that didn't know jack shit about Active Directory, Networking, or anything else covered on those god damn test.
The problem is NOT the abundance of "highly skilled, educated, certified and talented people", but more the paper factor. All these certified people who have no idea what they are doing have, with their incompetence, have filled all the jobs that would otherwise be taken by people who know what they are doing.
Can I get an eye poke?
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