Are you applying for a locator job???

**TheCableVine** · December 18th, 2009, 02:32 PM

I've seen a few threads recently by people who are applying with their local locating company to be locators. I just want to give some advice to those of you who are applying for locator jobs. To better your chances of being hired you need to remember to do one thing. Actually remember to NOT do one thing...

DO NOT MENTION THIS WEBSITE. They WILL NOT be impressed. Not only will they not be impressed they will view you as a liability. Most management does not like this website. They don't want their locators reading this site and some have even been fired after being discovered to have visited this site.

If you are asked if you know of this website, LIE and tell them you've never heard of it.

You have been warned.

**haze** · December 18th, 2009, 05:16 PM

Wouldn't that be like discriminating?

**yahoo** · December 18th, 2009, 07:36 PM

well whatever we will call it.....he is right and what he says is fact !!! ye be warned!!!!

**AULupstate** · December 18th, 2009, 11:39 PM

They don't like it for the most part because ALL the 'dirty laundry' gets aired out here and shady individuals and or companies do not like it when the light of day is shined on their dirty little dealings and internal bullshit.

**paintitout** · December 19th, 2009, 05:34 PM

Very Good Advice!!

**6feetunder** · December 19th, 2009, 06:01 PM

Whaaaaat!!! Cablevine considered a bad thing by locating management??!!!! Nooooooo..... never. We are encouraged to express our opinions..... and then you get fired!!!

**ProfessionalLocator** · December 22nd, 2009, 10:37 PM

NEVER use the company computer to access the internet unless it is work related.

If you use the company laptop to access this site the company can know about it. At least 50% of all companies have some type of monitoring of internet traffic. So if you visit this site they can know. They can monitor the traffic through their server or put 'keylogger' software onto the hard drive of your laptop. I know of at least one company that has keystroke loggers on their laptops, records everything you type.

If you use the laptop to access a private e-mail account like Yahoo.com they can still know every word of any e-mail you send or receive.

Also if you use the a company e-mail account they can read any of the e-mails.

They do not have to sit down and read each e-mail or every site you visit. All this goes into database files which can be automatically searched for any set of words they have their software set to search for. The software finds the words it is programed to search for which can be a competitor's company, overtime, steal or whatever and highlights that entry to them. Once they spot something that arouses their suspicion they can manually sift though all your data.

So if it is not directly related to your doing your job do not do it on a company computer.

**Utilitrack** · December 23rd, 2009, 08:11 AM

Not all locating management consider it a bad thing, I advocate for our employees to take a look as the tech tips and locating forums are extremely helpful to locators in troubleshooting.

It also proves to them that the grass isn't always greener. The locating business is what it is...

**disgruntled employee** · December 23rd, 2009, 12:59 PM

I I agree wiith you... not always what is appears to be on the other side.
Locating is a strange business for sure; you just need to roll with what is going on and hopefully things work out in your favor.

**ifinditunderground** · December 23rd, 2009, 02:01 PM

Originally Posted by Utilitrack

Not all locating management consider it a bad thing, I advocate for our employees to take a look as the tech tips and locating forums are extremely helpful to locators in troubleshooting.

It also proves to them that the grass isn't always greener. The locating business is what it is...

I do the same.

**Utilitrack** · December 23rd, 2009, 02:10 PM

I would be more worried if an "Experienced Locator" was not keeping up to date on this stuff, to e it means that they are just about to be bit in the a$$ or their head is up their a$$....

**ProfessionalLocator** · December 23rd, 2009, 09:32 PM

Originally Posted by Utilitrack View Post
Not all locating management consider it a bad thing, I advocate for our employees to take a look as the tech tips and locating forums are extremely helpful to locators in troubleshooting.

It also proves to them that the grass isn't always greener. The locating business is what it is...

Originally Posted by ifinditunderground

I do the same.

These are healthy attitudes but the warning posted was because so many managers, and this is not restricted to the locating industry, do not share such a good attitude.

Unfortunately there are managers who believe in keeping employees as ignorant as they possibly can. I have in various jobs in various industries run into some of these. These managers are all about fear, their own fear of their feelings of insecurity. They feel that if they can keep their employees ignorant they can control them better. They feel if they themselves cannot control every minute of the day things will go wrong. Well, things do go wrong which is why managers are needed.

A good manager who has done their job need not show up for work because the employees will carry out the days tasks without direct supervision. A good manager has a well trained staff that can when confronted with a new problem see the solution and take appropriate action. Equally the staff recognizes when things have reached a point someone where higher must reach a decision and call for their supervisor.

A good utility locator is constantly running into something new and needs as much education and shared experience of others as possible. But perhaps equally important they must have instilled in them the attitude of getting the job done which includes finding the solution to the problem and getting the job successfully completed.

If all managers had you guys attitude a lot more people would stay in the business and overall damages would be less.

**USIC1** · December 24th, 2009, 03:08 PM

Originally Posted by TheCableVine

I've seen a few threads recently by people who are applying with their local locating company to be locators. I just want to give some advice to those of you who are applying for locator jobs. To better your chances of being hired you need to remember to do one thing. Actually remember to NOT do one thing...

DO NOT MENTION THIS WEBSITE. They WILL NOT be impressed. Not only will they not be impressed they will view you as a liability. Most management does not like this website. They don't want their locators reading this site and some have even been fired after being discovered to have visited this site.

If you are asked if you know of this website, LIE and tell them you've never heard of it.

You have been warned.

I take your whole statement as being contradictory-

Why would (the local (???)) the same employers list employment openings on a directly related site with that heavy exposure if the management disliked this website???

Also, I question who "local" refers to in relation to seeing a myriad of companys posting listings on the Locators Jobs site...

As for the separation between "the cablevine" and "Locator Jobs" I dont see a distant relationship, and figured the listings were a DIRECT result of exposure to the related membership pool of the cablevine...

I dont know???

This type of questioning is why Im so loved by my management- fingering the same type scenarios...
I like to play the checkmate scenario while amongst a group and always get the classic " I ll discuss that with you one on one later "...
I like to find that questionable area that often gets kept under the carpet... You know, the touche effect...

**Indy911** · December 24th, 2009, 03:14 PM

I brought it up in my interview and did not get hired........hmmmm

**USIC1** · December 24th, 2009, 03:36 PM

Originally Posted by Indy911

I brought it up in my interview and did not get hired........hmmmm

If you were trying to throw out frequenting the cablevine in an interview as a reference to compensate for lack of background in the trade it probably would nt have compromised your efforts... It was possibly just the inexperience... Or other candidates they evaluated with better qualifications...

In most cases these locating outfits like good track record veterans... Most times guys that are already locating currently and just relocating geographically have the best opportunities of being picked up...Then its easy for them to reference your employer for damage history, attitude, work ethic, and productivity (showing up and on time performance)... Finally they want a bargain on your compensation ( you making them substantial money relative to knowing your experience and without problems and a lot of questions)... In other words no fuss no muss wind your ass up like the energizer bunny and send your ass out in the field to bring in the bacon...

There are already alot of locators out in the field these days to choose from relative to the diminished work loads...

Right now locate outfits can be picky... Its off season...