This blog post will focus on how to actually apply with Shaw. Those of you in the job market who may have applied with us or other companies may have experienced some frustration with the whole process and we get it. We have tried to build our process in such a way that makes it easy or at least intuitive, but what makes sense to us may not always translate as intended. I figure I’ll break it down for you in an effort to demystify the whole thing. …should any of you be mystified, that is. And if you aren’t mystified, perhaps you can read on and see if I can muddy up the entire thing for you in my attempt to break it all down. So here goes.
To Register Or Not To Register?
First of all, when you look through our job listings and decide you want to be considered, you are met with a login screen where you can either sign in if you are a registered user or create a new account.
I know what you’re thinking –
Thank heavens I can create yet another username and password that I have no hope of ever remembering! Yeah, we totally get this can be obnoxious. But let me tell you why we do this. At any given time, we can have hundreds of positions available – many of them similar jobs at different facilities. You may want to be considered for three different openings at one time. It makes it easier for you if all you have to do is log in and your information auto-populates. No more typing the same things over and over again. See? Easy, right?
And it’s not like we are going to bombard you with spam. We will only contact you if you want us to (more on that in a minute…). Just come up with an easy username and password that you’ll remember. And yes, we do have parameters around your username and password having to have letters, numbers, blah, blah, blah. That’s not necessarily a Shaw thing – that’s the software we use. We know you don’t like that, and we’re sorry about that. But you are
thisclose to being registered so don’t stop now! And please don’t give a phony email address. That makes it hard if you are selected for interviews, etc. I promise you we do not send you spam.
You will have to submit a security question in case you forget your login credentials which you also may find irksome. Just do what I do – make your security question and answer something easy like:
Q. What is your first name?
A. Maggie
*This answer will only work for those of us named Maggie
Or:
Q. How do you spell
pterodactyl?
A. Terradactuhl
Or even:
Q. Do you find it hard to forgive?
A. Of course everyone knows that forgiveness is really something you should do for yourself; not the other person. When you forgive, you are allowing yourself an opportunity to move forward and live your life. Just because you choose to forgive doesn’t mean that you necessarily have to forget what has been done to you. What’s that saying-
Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice shame on me? I’ll forgive you but I won’t forget what you did to me. I can’t forget it. It was awful. I still can’t believe you did that! It was really hurtful. You know what – forget it! I’m still angry! Don’t ever talk to me again!!! Also, you better sleep with one eye open!!!! I will exact my revenge – mark my words!!!
Anyway, what was I saying? Well, at any rate, choose your username and password and your question and answer. That’s all there is to it!
So, now you’re registered. What does that get you? Well, you get the aforementioned convenience of being able to apply quickly to future openings without having to re-type everything. Plus, you can also be made aware of positions that are available that meet your interests (more on that later).
Applying For A Position
Once you decide to click on a position to apply, you’ll see our Privacy Statement which basically lets you know that the information you share with us can be used in a background check. This is standard practice for companies. After you respond to the Privacy Statement, it’s time to input your information. If you have a LinkedIn account, it can be as easy as clicking a radio button and having it upload directly from there. This feature only works with LinkedIn. You couldn’t, as an example, upload your Facebook profile – although how fun would that be? Just think of all of the selfies and tasty recipes we could see. Has anyone tried that crockpot pork tenderloin recipe? Thoughts?? I’m off topic again. Anyway, you can pull your information in from LinkedIn, upload your resume, or manually input the data.
On the next screen, we will ask you what seems like a mind-numbing number of questions. The good news is that you only have to complete this part one time. And it’s important stuff we need to know like your preferred name, your address, where you heard about our job, and your take on what on earth happened with Brangelina. These are questions that help us know you, your background and experience.
One question you will be asked is whether or not you’d like to receive an email notification when a position comes up that matches your preferences. Remember earlier when I said you could be made aware of other positions? Well this is what I was talking about! See? I can get off topic, but I always find my way back. Just like the other day I got lost on my way to take my daughter to the orthodontist. And it was really weird because… wait…where was I? Oh yeah, I always find my way back.
So, basically, you’re going to answer questions and upload (or manually enter) your resume. You get the drill; you’ve done this before. So, what exactly happens once you’ve actually applied for a position? Where does your resume go? Does anyone see it and more importantly, even care that you’ve expressed an interest? The answer from Shaw’s perspective, is YES.
I can’t explain the inner workings of the internet but what I can tell you is that after you submit your information successfully, it magically appears in the candidate pool for whichever job you’ve applied to. And you will know it has because you’ll get a pop-up message on your screen as well as an email to the address you’ve entered (remember when I said to use a real one?) when you’ve successfully submitted everything. See, easy, right?
Check back to see how we handle the rest of the process (Interviews, offers, etc.). Happy job hunting!