looking for a hand

[eric77]

My name is Eric i have went to school for machine tool. I finished two years ago i was so proud of myself. the last two years i had to help my grandparents. I want so bad to find a job in my field and become a machiniest. i have a lot to learn and no one to teach me. i live in Lincoln NE. I want to work and be proud of what i do. but no one wants to give me a chance. i moved from Sioux city IA in hopes to find a job. If anyone can point me in the right direction please let me know thatnk you

[Matt@RFR]

If the spelling on your resume is as bad as your post above, that could be the reason you're not being considered. Machinists don't need to be great at spelling, but damn sure ought to be able to find the spell check button.

Have you checked with the school that you went to and asked if they could help find you a job? Have you offered to work for free for a week or two to get your foot in the door? Have you been learning more about the trade on your own via books and message boards like this one?

[Magnum164]

Originally Posted by Matt@RFR Have you offered to work for free for a week or two to get your foot in the door?

I don't know of a company that would do that, due to liability. You might find a small home shop for learning, but most will not. Also, in some states it may be illegal to have someone work for you and not pay. Might worry less about someones typing and more about substance in the message.

[dcoupar]

Originally Posted by Magnum164 Might worry less about someones typing and more about substance in the message.

Sorry, but I have to agree with Matt@RFR.

I don't think Eric's typing is the whole issue. His entire post made me think he is sloppy and doesn't care about the quality of his work, even though this may not be the case.

If I was an employer looking for a machinist, I'd pass right over Eric's post. If he can't even take the time to proofread and spell-check his work, I sure wouldn't want him running my expensive CNC equipment.

Eric, if you really want to work and be proud of what you do, you should start with your communication skills. Many potential employers will be turned off by your lack of attention to detail. There are lots of good CNC machinists out of work now, and it's a tough time to be looking for a job as one. Don't get doors slammed in your face because you made a typo... not many firms are looking to hire a "machiniest".

Take your time, check your work, and you'll have a better chance at a good job.

Good luck.

[eric77]

My last thread had me thinking how people look for flaws in someone else. I was not asking if my spelling was good. I was asking if someone could help me locate a job. I will be a man and say yes my spelling had some aires. as you get your check be thankful that its not you out of work. because i hope one day its you asking for a hand. Then you will know how it feels. Good luck and I hope I dont see you on the bread lines. to the one that understood what my message was god bless you.

[Danodizing]

I don't see where anyone was putting you down. YOU asked for help, and it was pointed out that potential employers look at thinks like spelling, punctuation and sentence structure on a resume/application. We have gotten some applications at our shop, and if spelling/grammar is way off, no way is that person getting a call. YOU asked for help and it was offered, you just got offended by it.

[Magnum164]

Originally Posted by eric77 My last thread had me thinking how people look for flaws in someone else. I was not asking if my spelling was good. I was asking if someone could help me locate a job. I will be a man and say yes my spelling had some aires. as you get your check be thankful that its not you out of work. because i hope one day its you asking for a hand. Then you will know how it feels. Good luck and I hope I dont see you on the bread lines. to the one that understood what my message was god bless you.

I am a Mechanical Designer so I can't offer help to your specific situation as a machinist. However I just went though programming classes and a class on finding jobs recently and this should work for any industry.

Make a business card with a one line statement about you and the type work you are looking for. On the back list your skills and contact information, even if that states you are newly trained and looking for an apprentice position.

Keep your cards with you at all times. You never know when you will run into someone who may have a lead.

Along with cold calling and networking, in this job market jobs are more likely to be found by accident.

[MrWild]

Originally Posted by eric77 My last thread had me thinking how people look for flaws in someone else. I was not asking if my spelling was good. I was asking if someone could help me locate a job. I will be a man and say yes my spelling had some aires. as you get your check be thankful that its not you out of work. because i hope one day its you asking for a hand. Then you will know how it feels. Good luck and I hope I dont see you on the bread lines. to the one that understood what my message was god bless you.

It isn't people looking for flaws. I'm sure you've heard all about how damaging poor first impressions can be. When you hold your hat in your hand and request someone to look your way, you need to present yourself in the best possible light. Shooting yourself in the other foot by replying with an argumentative tone and an insult further damages your position.

Truly, a person needs to be polished to a shine in the present job market. Just like bathing, neat hair, and clean clothes for a job interview are important, so is coming across as intelligent, thoughtful and being the type of person that dots all I's and crosses all T's. Considering how quickly you can cause tens of thousands of dollars by not being conscientious, showing signs of a lackadaisical attitude will shy a prospective employer more than a rattler will a horse.

[dcoupar]

Originally Posted by eric77 My last thread had me thinking how people look for flaws in someone else. I was not asking if my spelling was good. I was asking if someone could help me locate a job. I will be a man and say yes my spelling had some aires. as you get your check be thankful that its not you out of work. because i hope one day its you asking for a hand. Then you will know how it feels. Good luck and I hope I dont see you on the bread lines. to the one that understood what my message was god bless you.

Eric,

Another skill you may want to work on is how you deal with constructive criticism. I wasn't looking for flaws in someone else, I was offering some constructive criticism to help you better prepare for getting a job. I'm sorry you interpreted it as me being "shallow".

I've been a NC/CNC machinist/programmer/field-service tech/applications engineer since 1968. I've never been unemployed, and hopefully I never will. But if I do find myself out of work, you can bet that any resume, job application, or any other written communication that I present will be spell checked, grammar checked, and probably proof-read by at least one person.

MrWild referred to "damaging poor first impressions". A bad first impression can kill the deal. My whole point was don't let a poorly written document keep you from getting that job you want.

I sincerely hope that I don't see you in the bread lines too. We need a new crop of good CNC machinists, programmers, setup people, inspectors to replace all us old farts that are looking forward to retirement.

Good luck.

[Matt@RFR]

Originally Posted by eric77 as you get your check be thankful that its not you out of work. because i hope one day its you asking for a hand. Then you will know how it feels.

I mean this with no discrespect (as hard as that will be for you to believe), but you need to grow up immediately and realise you don't know nearly as much as you think you do.

I AM unemployed at the moment. Got laid off from a good job in aerospace welding over a year and a half ago. There are absolutely no jobs available in my area, so I'm concentrating hard on my own business. So, yeah, I know how it feels.

You also need to grow your skin a little thicker if you're going to be a machinist. If what has been said in this thread really got to you, you're going to be crying at the end of every day when you hit the real world! (That was sarcasm...mostly)

Again, I truly mean all of this as advice, not as insults.

Originally Posted by Magnum164 Also, in some states it may be illegal to have someone work for you and not pay. Might worry less about someones typing and more about substance in the message.

I fully understand that, which is why I used the word 'offered', not 'tried'. If someone offered to show me their skillset for free, I would hire them on the spot because they are showing initiative and desire. Neither of which seem to be very common anymore.

[Cartel, LLC]

eric- take this for what its worth... its not meant to hurt your feelings. i have to agree with dcoupar on this. i, like many others on here have my own business and ive had several people work for me over the last few years and i get resumes from all sorts of people because i am in the racing industry. the first thing i do is scan through the resume. if i seen any blatent misspellings then i toss it in the trashcan. not that i am the best speller but there are a lot of really good machinists out of work right now or weldor/fabricators that know what spell check is. next, out of those that were kept its onto grammar. again, not that im the best with my english but my shop is one that is in the public and we do a lot of advertising at the race track where you have to communicate with people. if you cant convey your message in proper english on a resume, then how will you do face to face?

nowadays, there are 1000's of people that need a job. any job. so, YOU need to do whatever it takes to make yourself stand above the rest. if you go for an interview... dress nice and bring work clothes with you in case they want to take a hands on test to prove your skills. my mother used to break balls that if i was going to an interview i needed to be presentable and she was right. so, dont wear the t-shirt that has holes in it or one that says **** the police etc... i personally wouldnt hire anyone that didnt show up in something decent or wore brown shoes with black pants or black shoes with blue pants!!! thats a fashion no-no! now, if i know the guy and he comes recommended than thats a different story.

if i can be of any help, let me know.

-joey b
theindycartel.com

[eric77]

I need to apologize to all of you. I wrote that thread in anger. My anger was not to all of you. It should have been directed to the person that made me angry at the time. I read the messages fast and only took it wrong. I would like to say yes I need to slow down and look over what I do. Not just in what I write but in everyday life. I have been poor all my life. I am trying to better myself. Again I only took what I wanted out of what you said. Thank you for the advice.