Recruiters asking about where you are in your job search

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I got a reply from one of the top government contractors for a position. They gave me several questions to answer and send back to them...one of them being:




"where are you currently within your job search?"




To be honest I got an interview with another top company already and awaiting responses from some others.



I'm not sure what they're trying to get from that question, if they're trying to determine I'm "hot" or whether they have flex room with their potential offer.



What would be the best way to answer this? I thought of saying "Actively searching" but I'm not sure what the best strategic approach would be (if any)







share|improve this question




























    up vote
    18
    down vote

    favorite
    3












    I got a reply from one of the top government contractors for a position. They gave me several questions to answer and send back to them...one of them being:




    "where are you currently within your job search?"




    To be honest I got an interview with another top company already and awaiting responses from some others.



    I'm not sure what they're trying to get from that question, if they're trying to determine I'm "hot" or whether they have flex room with their potential offer.



    What would be the best way to answer this? I thought of saying "Actively searching" but I'm not sure what the best strategic approach would be (if any)







    share|improve this question
























      up vote
      18
      down vote

      favorite
      3









      up vote
      18
      down vote

      favorite
      3






      3





      I got a reply from one of the top government contractors for a position. They gave me several questions to answer and send back to them...one of them being:




      "where are you currently within your job search?"




      To be honest I got an interview with another top company already and awaiting responses from some others.



      I'm not sure what they're trying to get from that question, if they're trying to determine I'm "hot" or whether they have flex room with their potential offer.



      What would be the best way to answer this? I thought of saying "Actively searching" but I'm not sure what the best strategic approach would be (if any)







      share|improve this question














      I got a reply from one of the top government contractors for a position. They gave me several questions to answer and send back to them...one of them being:




      "where are you currently within your job search?"




      To be honest I got an interview with another top company already and awaiting responses from some others.



      I'm not sure what they're trying to get from that question, if they're trying to determine I'm "hot" or whether they have flex room with their potential offer.



      What would be the best way to answer this? I thought of saying "Actively searching" but I'm not sure what the best strategic approach would be (if any)









      share|improve this question













      share|improve this question




      share|improve this question








      edited Oct 14 '13 at 1:11









      jmort253♦

      10.4k54376




      10.4k54376










      asked Oct 14 '13 at 1:00









      hotsauce

      91113




      91113




















          4 Answers
          4






          active

          oldest

          votes

















          up vote
          10
          down vote













          They might have a need to fill a position starting x weeks from now. They know it will take time to arrange interview, conduct them, make a decision, do the final background checks and get the person into the chair.



          If you are just putting resumes online and applying to one or two things but with no desire to move to a new position unless the perfect offer comes along; then you might not meet their window.



          If you are unemployed and desperate but they have to wait to see if they win the contract and the position won't start for 3 months; you might not fit their window.



          This is equivalent to the questions a car salesman or real estate agent asks. If you are just looking, and they are trying to make the sale by the end of the day, you don't fit their window.



          There is no perfect way to answer this question. If you know their window, and want to make sure you fit it, then you can choose your words carefully. If you answer honestly, then you could eliminate yourself for consideration for some positions. The tricky part comes with positions that won't be available for months, you can't know if you will still be in the market at that time.



          The prudent way is to discuss the situation with the recruiter, to minimize the wasting of your time and the companies time, while still keeping you in the running for good positions.






          share|improve this answer




















          • To properly discuss the situation, make sure to call the recruiter instead of simply responding via mail.
            – parasietje
            Mar 12 '14 at 17:04

















          up vote
          6
          down vote













          I ask this question to everyone I interview. It's important for recruiters to know how quickly we need to move, especially if you're a strong candidate who has interest from other companies. We ask candidates complete multiple interviews and a test before we can hire them, and sometimes that can take weeks depending on interviewers' availability. If I think you're awesome based on my initial call with you, and if you tell me you have other employers that are farther along in the interview process, then I'm going to pull whatever strings I can (eg. after-hours interviews) in order to expedite things on our end.



          I think this question is beneficial to both the employer and the candidate. But if you question an employer's motives, I'd say it's perfectly acceptable to counter the question with, "I'm interviewing, but your company is among my top choices; how soon would you like for someone to start?"






          share|improve this answer



























            up vote
            1
            down vote













            Note top government contractors. This may be one of two things, one related to the current shutdown/debt ceiling mayhem the other being related to conditions under which some companies seek recruits.



            Government contractors may not be able to hire at present because their contracts are suspended until the politicians GTST. However, contractors have another habit recruits might find annoying.



            Companys X, Y, and Z are bidding on some managed service contract for DOn, where n is Agriculture, Defense, Energy, Edumacation, Transportation, or whatever. Each has to provide DOn with a resume for every position it intends to fill. Since the companies are each proposing to populate a building with 1000 warm bodies, they each need 1000 resumes - preferably without any overlap with other companies bidding on the same work. Therefore, the gist of this question is 'are you being submitted to the government for the same (or different) roles for each of several contractors?'. In some cases you may not even know this is why your resume is being solicited or how tenuous this opportunity is.



            Thus it's possible you might be hired, but only if the contractor wins the bid. If you're out of work, you may find employers are hot to talk to you to fill their resume pool, even though you don't stand a snowball's chance of actually being employed. If you're working somewhere else and you're in a hurry to get out, don't hold your breath.



            Having done government work (for the US Air Force in the 1990s) I've noticed two things: first is the pay is miserable, which is OK if the alternative is none at all, the other is that one has outsized opportunities to learn new stuff. These tend to be big organizations with aggressive technology portfolios. Private industry would not trust people with trivial amounts of experience with such responsibilities. Someone hardly in the Air Force for more than two years is designing and maintaining Oracle databases - at age 20 with no college this is pretty significant.



            Ideally, you are in one of two situations: first is that you are working somewhere but not in a big rush to move. Once the requisition is sorted out you will get an offer, if you are actually needed. For IT work, you are actually needed (if you know what you're doing).



            The second is that you're camped out at home with a recently acquired degree and can mow lawns until something better comes along, and you need a 'break' to get some experience. Believe me, this is an experience.



            In the meantime, to answer the question, if you are close to 'closing', what it means to them is that they have to find another resume for the slot. If you're still wandering in the wilderness, they'll presume you're available when the contract comes through. If one or more other contracts has you listed for the same position, you're likely to be more valuable than if there each contractor has a distinct candidate.






            share|improve this answer



























              up vote
              1
              down vote













              Quite simple. If you already have 10 applications running and are in the last stages of negotiating a potential contract, there's less opportunity there for them (and they'll have to take care to not send your resume to the companies you're already talking to or have talked to recently too of course).

              It's also a means to gauge how serious you are.






              share|improve this answer




















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                4 Answers
                4






                active

                oldest

                votes








                4 Answers
                4






                active

                oldest

                votes









                active

                oldest

                votes






                active

                oldest

                votes








                up vote
                10
                down vote













                They might have a need to fill a position starting x weeks from now. They know it will take time to arrange interview, conduct them, make a decision, do the final background checks and get the person into the chair.



                If you are just putting resumes online and applying to one or two things but with no desire to move to a new position unless the perfect offer comes along; then you might not meet their window.



                If you are unemployed and desperate but they have to wait to see if they win the contract and the position won't start for 3 months; you might not fit their window.



                This is equivalent to the questions a car salesman or real estate agent asks. If you are just looking, and they are trying to make the sale by the end of the day, you don't fit their window.



                There is no perfect way to answer this question. If you know their window, and want to make sure you fit it, then you can choose your words carefully. If you answer honestly, then you could eliminate yourself for consideration for some positions. The tricky part comes with positions that won't be available for months, you can't know if you will still be in the market at that time.



                The prudent way is to discuss the situation with the recruiter, to minimize the wasting of your time and the companies time, while still keeping you in the running for good positions.






                share|improve this answer




















                • To properly discuss the situation, make sure to call the recruiter instead of simply responding via mail.
                  – parasietje
                  Mar 12 '14 at 17:04














                up vote
                10
                down vote













                They might have a need to fill a position starting x weeks from now. They know it will take time to arrange interview, conduct them, make a decision, do the final background checks and get the person into the chair.



                If you are just putting resumes online and applying to one or two things but with no desire to move to a new position unless the perfect offer comes along; then you might not meet their window.



                If you are unemployed and desperate but they have to wait to see if they win the contract and the position won't start for 3 months; you might not fit their window.



                This is equivalent to the questions a car salesman or real estate agent asks. If you are just looking, and they are trying to make the sale by the end of the day, you don't fit their window.



                There is no perfect way to answer this question. If you know their window, and want to make sure you fit it, then you can choose your words carefully. If you answer honestly, then you could eliminate yourself for consideration for some positions. The tricky part comes with positions that won't be available for months, you can't know if you will still be in the market at that time.



                The prudent way is to discuss the situation with the recruiter, to minimize the wasting of your time and the companies time, while still keeping you in the running for good positions.






                share|improve this answer




















                • To properly discuss the situation, make sure to call the recruiter instead of simply responding via mail.
                  – parasietje
                  Mar 12 '14 at 17:04












                up vote
                10
                down vote










                up vote
                10
                down vote









                They might have a need to fill a position starting x weeks from now. They know it will take time to arrange interview, conduct them, make a decision, do the final background checks and get the person into the chair.



                If you are just putting resumes online and applying to one or two things but with no desire to move to a new position unless the perfect offer comes along; then you might not meet their window.



                If you are unemployed and desperate but they have to wait to see if they win the contract and the position won't start for 3 months; you might not fit their window.



                This is equivalent to the questions a car salesman or real estate agent asks. If you are just looking, and they are trying to make the sale by the end of the day, you don't fit their window.



                There is no perfect way to answer this question. If you know their window, and want to make sure you fit it, then you can choose your words carefully. If you answer honestly, then you could eliminate yourself for consideration for some positions. The tricky part comes with positions that won't be available for months, you can't know if you will still be in the market at that time.



                The prudent way is to discuss the situation with the recruiter, to minimize the wasting of your time and the companies time, while still keeping you in the running for good positions.






                share|improve this answer












                They might have a need to fill a position starting x weeks from now. They know it will take time to arrange interview, conduct them, make a decision, do the final background checks and get the person into the chair.



                If you are just putting resumes online and applying to one or two things but with no desire to move to a new position unless the perfect offer comes along; then you might not meet their window.



                If you are unemployed and desperate but they have to wait to see if they win the contract and the position won't start for 3 months; you might not fit their window.



                This is equivalent to the questions a car salesman or real estate agent asks. If you are just looking, and they are trying to make the sale by the end of the day, you don't fit their window.



                There is no perfect way to answer this question. If you know their window, and want to make sure you fit it, then you can choose your words carefully. If you answer honestly, then you could eliminate yourself for consideration for some positions. The tricky part comes with positions that won't be available for months, you can't know if you will still be in the market at that time.



                The prudent way is to discuss the situation with the recruiter, to minimize the wasting of your time and the companies time, while still keeping you in the running for good positions.







                share|improve this answer












                share|improve this answer



                share|improve this answer










                answered Oct 14 '13 at 10:58









                mhoran_psprep

                40.3k463144




                40.3k463144











                • To properly discuss the situation, make sure to call the recruiter instead of simply responding via mail.
                  – parasietje
                  Mar 12 '14 at 17:04
















                • To properly discuss the situation, make sure to call the recruiter instead of simply responding via mail.
                  – parasietje
                  Mar 12 '14 at 17:04















                To properly discuss the situation, make sure to call the recruiter instead of simply responding via mail.
                – parasietje
                Mar 12 '14 at 17:04




                To properly discuss the situation, make sure to call the recruiter instead of simply responding via mail.
                – parasietje
                Mar 12 '14 at 17:04












                up vote
                6
                down vote













                I ask this question to everyone I interview. It's important for recruiters to know how quickly we need to move, especially if you're a strong candidate who has interest from other companies. We ask candidates complete multiple interviews and a test before we can hire them, and sometimes that can take weeks depending on interviewers' availability. If I think you're awesome based on my initial call with you, and if you tell me you have other employers that are farther along in the interview process, then I'm going to pull whatever strings I can (eg. after-hours interviews) in order to expedite things on our end.



                I think this question is beneficial to both the employer and the candidate. But if you question an employer's motives, I'd say it's perfectly acceptable to counter the question with, "I'm interviewing, but your company is among my top choices; how soon would you like for someone to start?"






                share|improve this answer
























                  up vote
                  6
                  down vote













                  I ask this question to everyone I interview. It's important for recruiters to know how quickly we need to move, especially if you're a strong candidate who has interest from other companies. We ask candidates complete multiple interviews and a test before we can hire them, and sometimes that can take weeks depending on interviewers' availability. If I think you're awesome based on my initial call with you, and if you tell me you have other employers that are farther along in the interview process, then I'm going to pull whatever strings I can (eg. after-hours interviews) in order to expedite things on our end.



                  I think this question is beneficial to both the employer and the candidate. But if you question an employer's motives, I'd say it's perfectly acceptable to counter the question with, "I'm interviewing, but your company is among my top choices; how soon would you like for someone to start?"






                  share|improve this answer






















                    up vote
                    6
                    down vote










                    up vote
                    6
                    down vote









                    I ask this question to everyone I interview. It's important for recruiters to know how quickly we need to move, especially if you're a strong candidate who has interest from other companies. We ask candidates complete multiple interviews and a test before we can hire them, and sometimes that can take weeks depending on interviewers' availability. If I think you're awesome based on my initial call with you, and if you tell me you have other employers that are farther along in the interview process, then I'm going to pull whatever strings I can (eg. after-hours interviews) in order to expedite things on our end.



                    I think this question is beneficial to both the employer and the candidate. But if you question an employer's motives, I'd say it's perfectly acceptable to counter the question with, "I'm interviewing, but your company is among my top choices; how soon would you like for someone to start?"






                    share|improve this answer












                    I ask this question to everyone I interview. It's important for recruiters to know how quickly we need to move, especially if you're a strong candidate who has interest from other companies. We ask candidates complete multiple interviews and a test before we can hire them, and sometimes that can take weeks depending on interviewers' availability. If I think you're awesome based on my initial call with you, and if you tell me you have other employers that are farther along in the interview process, then I'm going to pull whatever strings I can (eg. after-hours interviews) in order to expedite things on our end.



                    I think this question is beneficial to both the employer and the candidate. But if you question an employer's motives, I'd say it's perfectly acceptable to counter the question with, "I'm interviewing, but your company is among my top choices; how soon would you like for someone to start?"







                    share|improve this answer












                    share|improve this answer



                    share|improve this answer










                    answered Oct 15 '13 at 17:21









                    Joe Humphries

                    713




                    713




















                        up vote
                        1
                        down vote













                        Note top government contractors. This may be one of two things, one related to the current shutdown/debt ceiling mayhem the other being related to conditions under which some companies seek recruits.



                        Government contractors may not be able to hire at present because their contracts are suspended until the politicians GTST. However, contractors have another habit recruits might find annoying.



                        Companys X, Y, and Z are bidding on some managed service contract for DOn, where n is Agriculture, Defense, Energy, Edumacation, Transportation, or whatever. Each has to provide DOn with a resume for every position it intends to fill. Since the companies are each proposing to populate a building with 1000 warm bodies, they each need 1000 resumes - preferably without any overlap with other companies bidding on the same work. Therefore, the gist of this question is 'are you being submitted to the government for the same (or different) roles for each of several contractors?'. In some cases you may not even know this is why your resume is being solicited or how tenuous this opportunity is.



                        Thus it's possible you might be hired, but only if the contractor wins the bid. If you're out of work, you may find employers are hot to talk to you to fill their resume pool, even though you don't stand a snowball's chance of actually being employed. If you're working somewhere else and you're in a hurry to get out, don't hold your breath.



                        Having done government work (for the US Air Force in the 1990s) I've noticed two things: first is the pay is miserable, which is OK if the alternative is none at all, the other is that one has outsized opportunities to learn new stuff. These tend to be big organizations with aggressive technology portfolios. Private industry would not trust people with trivial amounts of experience with such responsibilities. Someone hardly in the Air Force for more than two years is designing and maintaining Oracle databases - at age 20 with no college this is pretty significant.



                        Ideally, you are in one of two situations: first is that you are working somewhere but not in a big rush to move. Once the requisition is sorted out you will get an offer, if you are actually needed. For IT work, you are actually needed (if you know what you're doing).



                        The second is that you're camped out at home with a recently acquired degree and can mow lawns until something better comes along, and you need a 'break' to get some experience. Believe me, this is an experience.



                        In the meantime, to answer the question, if you are close to 'closing', what it means to them is that they have to find another resume for the slot. If you're still wandering in the wilderness, they'll presume you're available when the contract comes through. If one or more other contracts has you listed for the same position, you're likely to be more valuable than if there each contractor has a distinct candidate.






                        share|improve this answer
























                          up vote
                          1
                          down vote













                          Note top government contractors. This may be one of two things, one related to the current shutdown/debt ceiling mayhem the other being related to conditions under which some companies seek recruits.



                          Government contractors may not be able to hire at present because their contracts are suspended until the politicians GTST. However, contractors have another habit recruits might find annoying.



                          Companys X, Y, and Z are bidding on some managed service contract for DOn, where n is Agriculture, Defense, Energy, Edumacation, Transportation, or whatever. Each has to provide DOn with a resume for every position it intends to fill. Since the companies are each proposing to populate a building with 1000 warm bodies, they each need 1000 resumes - preferably without any overlap with other companies bidding on the same work. Therefore, the gist of this question is 'are you being submitted to the government for the same (or different) roles for each of several contractors?'. In some cases you may not even know this is why your resume is being solicited or how tenuous this opportunity is.



                          Thus it's possible you might be hired, but only if the contractor wins the bid. If you're out of work, you may find employers are hot to talk to you to fill their resume pool, even though you don't stand a snowball's chance of actually being employed. If you're working somewhere else and you're in a hurry to get out, don't hold your breath.



                          Having done government work (for the US Air Force in the 1990s) I've noticed two things: first is the pay is miserable, which is OK if the alternative is none at all, the other is that one has outsized opportunities to learn new stuff. These tend to be big organizations with aggressive technology portfolios. Private industry would not trust people with trivial amounts of experience with such responsibilities. Someone hardly in the Air Force for more than two years is designing and maintaining Oracle databases - at age 20 with no college this is pretty significant.



                          Ideally, you are in one of two situations: first is that you are working somewhere but not in a big rush to move. Once the requisition is sorted out you will get an offer, if you are actually needed. For IT work, you are actually needed (if you know what you're doing).



                          The second is that you're camped out at home with a recently acquired degree and can mow lawns until something better comes along, and you need a 'break' to get some experience. Believe me, this is an experience.



                          In the meantime, to answer the question, if you are close to 'closing', what it means to them is that they have to find another resume for the slot. If you're still wandering in the wilderness, they'll presume you're available when the contract comes through. If one or more other contracts has you listed for the same position, you're likely to be more valuable than if there each contractor has a distinct candidate.






                          share|improve this answer






















                            up vote
                            1
                            down vote










                            up vote
                            1
                            down vote









                            Note top government contractors. This may be one of two things, one related to the current shutdown/debt ceiling mayhem the other being related to conditions under which some companies seek recruits.



                            Government contractors may not be able to hire at present because their contracts are suspended until the politicians GTST. However, contractors have another habit recruits might find annoying.



                            Companys X, Y, and Z are bidding on some managed service contract for DOn, where n is Agriculture, Defense, Energy, Edumacation, Transportation, or whatever. Each has to provide DOn with a resume for every position it intends to fill. Since the companies are each proposing to populate a building with 1000 warm bodies, they each need 1000 resumes - preferably without any overlap with other companies bidding on the same work. Therefore, the gist of this question is 'are you being submitted to the government for the same (or different) roles for each of several contractors?'. In some cases you may not even know this is why your resume is being solicited or how tenuous this opportunity is.



                            Thus it's possible you might be hired, but only if the contractor wins the bid. If you're out of work, you may find employers are hot to talk to you to fill their resume pool, even though you don't stand a snowball's chance of actually being employed. If you're working somewhere else and you're in a hurry to get out, don't hold your breath.



                            Having done government work (for the US Air Force in the 1990s) I've noticed two things: first is the pay is miserable, which is OK if the alternative is none at all, the other is that one has outsized opportunities to learn new stuff. These tend to be big organizations with aggressive technology portfolios. Private industry would not trust people with trivial amounts of experience with such responsibilities. Someone hardly in the Air Force for more than two years is designing and maintaining Oracle databases - at age 20 with no college this is pretty significant.



                            Ideally, you are in one of two situations: first is that you are working somewhere but not in a big rush to move. Once the requisition is sorted out you will get an offer, if you are actually needed. For IT work, you are actually needed (if you know what you're doing).



                            The second is that you're camped out at home with a recently acquired degree and can mow lawns until something better comes along, and you need a 'break' to get some experience. Believe me, this is an experience.



                            In the meantime, to answer the question, if you are close to 'closing', what it means to them is that they have to find another resume for the slot. If you're still wandering in the wilderness, they'll presume you're available when the contract comes through. If one or more other contracts has you listed for the same position, you're likely to be more valuable than if there each contractor has a distinct candidate.






                            share|improve this answer












                            Note top government contractors. This may be one of two things, one related to the current shutdown/debt ceiling mayhem the other being related to conditions under which some companies seek recruits.



                            Government contractors may not be able to hire at present because their contracts are suspended until the politicians GTST. However, contractors have another habit recruits might find annoying.



                            Companys X, Y, and Z are bidding on some managed service contract for DOn, where n is Agriculture, Defense, Energy, Edumacation, Transportation, or whatever. Each has to provide DOn with a resume for every position it intends to fill. Since the companies are each proposing to populate a building with 1000 warm bodies, they each need 1000 resumes - preferably without any overlap with other companies bidding on the same work. Therefore, the gist of this question is 'are you being submitted to the government for the same (or different) roles for each of several contractors?'. In some cases you may not even know this is why your resume is being solicited or how tenuous this opportunity is.



                            Thus it's possible you might be hired, but only if the contractor wins the bid. If you're out of work, you may find employers are hot to talk to you to fill their resume pool, even though you don't stand a snowball's chance of actually being employed. If you're working somewhere else and you're in a hurry to get out, don't hold your breath.



                            Having done government work (for the US Air Force in the 1990s) I've noticed two things: first is the pay is miserable, which is OK if the alternative is none at all, the other is that one has outsized opportunities to learn new stuff. These tend to be big organizations with aggressive technology portfolios. Private industry would not trust people with trivial amounts of experience with such responsibilities. Someone hardly in the Air Force for more than two years is designing and maintaining Oracle databases - at age 20 with no college this is pretty significant.



                            Ideally, you are in one of two situations: first is that you are working somewhere but not in a big rush to move. Once the requisition is sorted out you will get an offer, if you are actually needed. For IT work, you are actually needed (if you know what you're doing).



                            The second is that you're camped out at home with a recently acquired degree and can mow lawns until something better comes along, and you need a 'break' to get some experience. Believe me, this is an experience.



                            In the meantime, to answer the question, if you are close to 'closing', what it means to them is that they have to find another resume for the slot. If you're still wandering in the wilderness, they'll presume you're available when the contract comes through. If one or more other contracts has you listed for the same position, you're likely to be more valuable than if there each contractor has a distinct candidate.







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                            answered Oct 15 '13 at 4:25









                            Meredith Poor

                            8,8661730




                            8,8661730




















                                up vote
                                1
                                down vote













                                Quite simple. If you already have 10 applications running and are in the last stages of negotiating a potential contract, there's less opportunity there for them (and they'll have to take care to not send your resume to the companies you're already talking to or have talked to recently too of course).

                                It's also a means to gauge how serious you are.






                                share|improve this answer
























                                  up vote
                                  1
                                  down vote













                                  Quite simple. If you already have 10 applications running and are in the last stages of negotiating a potential contract, there's less opportunity there for them (and they'll have to take care to not send your resume to the companies you're already talking to or have talked to recently too of course).

                                  It's also a means to gauge how serious you are.






                                  share|improve this answer






















                                    up vote
                                    1
                                    down vote










                                    up vote
                                    1
                                    down vote









                                    Quite simple. If you already have 10 applications running and are in the last stages of negotiating a potential contract, there's less opportunity there for them (and they'll have to take care to not send your resume to the companies you're already talking to or have talked to recently too of course).

                                    It's also a means to gauge how serious you are.






                                    share|improve this answer












                                    Quite simple. If you already have 10 applications running and are in the last stages of negotiating a potential contract, there's less opportunity there for them (and they'll have to take care to not send your resume to the companies you're already talking to or have talked to recently too of course).

                                    It's also a means to gauge how serious you are.







                                    share|improve this answer












                                    share|improve this answer



                                    share|improve this answer










                                    answered Oct 15 '13 at 6:16









                                    jwenting

                                    1,46257




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