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The Job Hunting Advice Thread |
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#1 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Nelson Mandela House- Peckham
Posts: 3,478
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The Job Hunting Advice Thread
I thought I'd start a thread where people can share their experiences, advice and any questions about all things to do with job hunting.
Like the e harmony thread that seems to have spawned into a sort of update thread of how your doing, be great if this one was the same. So I'll start... Ive not found full time work in a few years and only seem to find temp work here and there. I may have a job coming up but its very early days but being called in for a chat which sounds promising. How has job hunting been for you? discuss. |
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#2 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Apr 2009
Posts: 10,447
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I've been unemployed since I left school in May 2011. I had a cold calling job for two weeks last January (a friend got me in) and then another cold calling job for a week last month. Aside from that it's been about one interview every few months that goes well but I'm always unsuccessful. I volunteer with a befriending project and I was at college and got three highers this year so at least I have something on my CV even if it's irrelevant.
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#3 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Nelson Mandela House- Peckham
Posts: 3,478
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Quote:
I've been unemployed since I left school in May 2011. I had a cold calling job for two weeks last January (a friend got me in) and then another cold calling job for a week last month. Aside from that it's been about one interview every few months that goes well but I'm always unsuccessful. I volunteer with a befriending project and I was at college and got three highers this year so at least I have something on my CV even if it's irrelevant.
![]() Try not to get downhearted. I'll give you some advice on how maybe to get some help getting work. Back in 2005 I was 18 and had left school two years previous to that with only qualifications and no experience. It took me two years to get work it was that bad! and it was in a time when the jobs market wasnt as bad like it has been since 2008 when recession hit. I didnt know what to do or where to turn but I went in to see a Connexions advisor who dealt with young people and within a month I was in work, it was an apprenticeship doing admin at my local college. I was paid weekly so it was an earn while you learn placement. This went on till the summer of 06 when the government slashed funding and I was left on the scrapheap looking work aged 19. But it was my first job and it was experience! I see there are a lot of apprenticeships out there at the moment and something that might well help you and gain you experience to carry on to a full time job. Failing that why not seek out some of these job companies that help the young, I dont know if Connexions are still going any more but if there is something similar around (google is your friend here) maybe thats something you could try? I know what its like when I was your age (god I feel old saying that Im 26 now!) and how hard it can be little or no experience, so your not the only one I totally understand how you feel. |
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#4 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Nelson Mandela House- Peckham
Posts: 3,478
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Lets not let this thread sink without trace like most of my other threads seem to do..
Share your advice, tips and what not or just ask for some pointers etc. We can help each other. |
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#5 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Derby
Posts: 1,216
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I left my job at the start of August - it was a clusterf**k of bad circumstances and timing. I hated the job, and after discussing it with my partner we decided that it would be best for my own sanity to quit, and focus on completing my OU degree on a full time basis, whilst (hopefully) finding part time and/or temporary employment. It was a risk, sure but a calculated one. Handed in my notice, a week before I was due to finish my partner tells me that he wants out of the 5year relationship and asks me to leave the house we shared. In the space of a week I lost my job, my partner and my home. Not good
![]() Since then, I've been trying to find a job. The area where I am with my parents isn't exactly rife with job opportunities, particularly not for professionals. The only available work is warehouse operative type roles. I've tried applying to the agencies for this, only to be told that because I don't have any experience, and because my past work history is all in offices/professional settings I won't be considered. Great. So I'm having to expand my search into larger cities within commuting distance (I don't drive, so have to rely on public transport). Luckily, it's not going too badly - I've had 5 interviews so far, 4 have said thanks but no thanks, and I'm waiting on the latest one to get back to me this week sometime. I've also got another couple of interviews lined up for this week, so fingers crossed. As hard as it can be, I think the key to the great job hunt is to a) stay positive, and b) not dwell on your application. The best piece of advice I ever had with regard to jobsearching was this: Once you've submitted your application/attended an interview, forget all about it and move. Don't lie in wait for the phonecall, don't stress and pick over every tiny detail of the interview and try to unravel what it means. Forget and move on. If you get called back for an interview, or a job offer it's a nice surprise. But if you get a rejection email (or, more likely at the moment, no contact at all), mentally you've already moved on and so it's not as big a hit as it could have been. I don't know if you've already see this, but I have found this website a great resource for job hunting tips and advice: www.askamanager.org. Admittedly it's an American site, and deals with a larger range of job/career questions than just jobhunting, but there's a lot of good stuff on there regardless. There's also a preparing for interview downloadable pdf (free!) which is really useful too. |
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#6 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 1,066
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I'm retired so not jobhunting but I'm a volunteer adviser with Citizens Advice. One thing that's surprised me is that once you're trained and have some experience under your belt, there seem to be quite a few jobs going in CAB bureaux that require experience within CAB and that volunteers can successfully apply for. This is only of any use to anyone interested in working in this field of course. But also, CAB training has a good reputation and volunteers often find that experience in an organisation like CAB helps them in the job market. And before anyone asks, you can volunteer at the same time as claiming JSA although some Job Centre staff may try to tell you otherwise.
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#7 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Nelson Mandela House- Peckham
Posts: 3,478
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Quote:
I left my job at the start of August - it was a clusterf**k of bad circumstances and timing. I hated the job, and after discussing it with my partner we decided that it would be best for my own sanity to quit, and focus on completing my OU degree on a full time basis, whilst (hopefully) finding part time and/or temporary employment. It was a risk, sure but a calculated one. Handed in my notice, a week before I was due to finish my partner tells me that he wants out of the 5year relationship and asks me to leave the house we shared. In the space of a week I lost my job, my partner and my home. Not good
![]() Since then, I've been trying to find a job. The area where I am with my parents isn't exactly rife with job opportunities, particularly not for professionals. The only available work is warehouse operative type roles. I've tried applying to the agencies for this, only to be told that because I don't have any experience, and because my past work history is all in offices/professional settings I won't be considered. Great. So I'm having to expand my search into larger cities within commuting distance (I don't drive, so have to rely on public transport). Luckily, it's not going too badly - I've had 5 interviews so far, 4 have said thanks but no thanks, and I'm waiting on the latest one to get back to me this week sometime. I've also got another couple of interviews lined up for this week, so fingers crossed. As hard as it can be, I think the key to the great job hunt is to a) stay positive, and b) not dwell on your application. The best piece of advice I ever had with regard to jobsearching was this: Once you've submitted your application/attended an interview, forget all about it and move. Don't lie in wait for the phonecall, don't stress and pick over every tiny detail of the interview and try to unravel what it means. Forget and move on. If you get called back for an interview, or a job offer it's a nice surprise. But if you get a rejection email (or, more likely at the moment, no contact at all), mentally you've already moved on and so it's not as big a hit as it could have been. I don't know if you've already see this, but I have found this website a great resource for job hunting tips and advice: www.askamanager.org. Admittedly it's an American site, and deals with a larger range of job/career questions than just jobhunting, but there's a lot of good stuff on there regardless. There's also a preparing for interview downloadable pdf (free!) which is really useful too. |
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#8 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Manchester
Posts: 5,806
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I'm feeling pretty despondent today with looking for work (and I only finished my last job on Friday) my problem is I have no confidence in my abilities I have loads of office experience but none of it is particularly specialised and I find it really difficult identifying jobs that a) I might have a chance in getting, b) I can actually do.
I'd love to get a job where I am happy but at the moment I'll settle for not downright miserable. |
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#9 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Nelson Mandela House- Peckham
Posts: 3,478
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Quote:
I'm feeling pretty despondent today with looking for work (and I only finished my last job on Friday) my problem is I have no confidence in my abilities I have loads of office experience but none of it is particularly specialised and I find it really difficult identifying jobs that a) I might have a chance in getting, b) I can actually do.
I'd love to get a job where I am happy but at the moment I'll settle for not downright miserable. I can understand why you get dispondant but in this fight to get work you just gotta shake it off and keep moving on. I have office and admin experience and cant find full time work and havent done so since 2008 so you was very lucky to recently be in a job. How I think of it is that there are worse off people than you and that you do have something behind you with something to at least show for your efforts. Keep your chin up |
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#10 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Manchester
Posts: 5,806
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Quote:
Sometimes it can get really tough and I understand that, Ive been in jobs where I have hated it but stuck it anyway. Other jobs were so unbearable that I quit there and then, all I can say is what most people say is keep trying and at some point a company will take you on.
I can understand why you get dispondant but in this fight to get work you just gotta shake it off and keep moving on. I have office and admin experience and cant find full time work and havent done so since 2008 so you was very lucky to recently be in a job. How I think of it is that there are worse off people than you and that you do have something behind you with something to at least show for your efforts. Keep your chin up |
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#11 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Nelson Mandela House- Peckham
Posts: 3,478
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Quote:
Thanks. By the way when you say you have not had a full time job do you mean you have only had part time hours or that you have not had a perm job?
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#12 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Nelson Mandela House- Peckham
Posts: 3,478
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Hmm went for a job earlier, I rung the number but it went to answerphone and has done for past few days. I looked further into it and saw there is two other numbers I rung them and they have all gone to answerphone, I have just this minute got a text from the guy apologising about the missed calls and he will call me asap.
Why am I wary? I dont know what to think about it, strange feeling. |
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#13 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Glasgow - Land of everypoo
Posts: 5,378
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Was it an interview or just a job enquiry, it is a bit weird to me for all numbers to be on answerphone, unless they are inundated with enquiries. I am a bit fresh to the jobhunting scene after a long gap bringing up kids after redundancy. Now a single mum after divorce, bah.
I thought I would contribute to your thread anyway to keep it going! I was actually supposed to attend a course via jobcentre today and tomorrow, subject matter being tips to improve your CV and interview technique etc. I told my advisor at the jobcentre I would have to leave a bit earlier to pick up the kids from school, she said just to tell the course provider on arrival. I did so after turning up early, and they refused to allow me to participate, and turned me away, I got names, dubious reasons etc. I feel a letter of complaint is in order. I'm trying to get a part time job between 9am-3pm. They seem to be non-existent here, I could work weekends at a push (grandparents as childcare). obviously I am saving childcare for school holidays as it is about £200 a week, term time for 2 hours per child is £20 it seems. Even with tax credits its a huge chunk. So after applying for 4 different office based jobs where hours suit, I have had no joy, one company did get back to me to express interest and they would call me for interview, but they failed to, I even bought a business suit, I was hopeful. It's only been 2 and a half weeks since on jobseekers so fingers crossed, I have an appointment with a regeneration agency funded partly by the council, however the earliest appointment was mid October, so hopefully they will be of service and advise on childcare issues, how to approach my covering letters and CV. Any handy tips I discover or receive, I will post them here if that's ok good luck to you apologies for grammar errors etc on this post, on ma phone in the kitchen! |
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#14 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: London
Posts: 14,737
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I've been job hunting since being made redundant in June and the only interviews I've secured so far have been where I've applied to the company directly. Sending your CV and covering letter to agencies seems to be largely a waste of time because often they just bin your application straight away and the potential employer doesn't get to see it. Cut out the middle man at least then you know your CV has been glanced at by them before hitting the reject pile.
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#15 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Nelson Mandela House- Peckham
Posts: 3,478
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Quote:
Was it an interview or just a job enquiry, it is a bit weird to me for all numbers to be on answerphone, unless they are inundated with enquiries. I am a bit fresh to the jobhunting scene after a long gap bringing up kids after redundancy. Now a single mum after divorce, bah.
I thought I would contribute to your thread anyway to keep it going! I was actually supposed to attend a course via jobcentre today and tomorrow, subject matter being tips to improve your CV and interview technique etc. I told my advisor at the jobcentre I would have to leave a bit earlier to pick up the kids from school, she said just to tell the course provider on arrival. I did so after turning up early, and they refused to allow me to participate, and turned me away, I got names, dubious reasons etc. I feel a letter of complaint is in order. I'm trying to get a part time job between 9am-3pm. They seem to be non-existent here, I could work weekends at a push (grandparents as childcare). obviously I am saving childcare for school holidays as it is about £200 a week, term time for 2 hours per child is £20 it seems. Even with tax credits its a huge chunk. So after applying for 4 different office based jobs where hours suit, I have had no joy, one company did get back to me to express interest and they would call me for interview, but they failed to, I even bought a business suit, I was hopeful. It's only been 2 and a half weeks since on jobseekers so fingers crossed, I have an appointment with a regeneration agency funded partly by the council, however the earliest appointment was mid October, so hopefully they will be of service and advise on childcare issues, how to approach my covering letters and CV. Any handy tips I discover or receive, I will post them here if that's ok good luck to you apologies for grammar errors etc on this post, on ma phone in the kitchen! I understand how you must feel trying to get a job in between school hours, my best mate is trying to do the same but cant find anything and I dont think she can really get work until her son starts primary school, he needs looking after though as he has autism. |
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#16 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Back of the shed.
Posts: 14,029
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I've been job hunting on and off since i left college in 2006. In between that time I've managed to only find 3-6 month contract jobs. I do a lot of volunteering in between but i still haven't managed to secure/find a job through volunteering. Even though volunteering is "supposed to help you find a job"
Last week i had a job interview at Yo! Sushi for an office assistant. If i had a little more experience in dealing with customer complaints i would have bagged that job, they told me they were impressed with experience elsewhere in the administrative side of things. I have a lot of administrative experience through paid work and volunteering, i just want to find a job that lasts more than 6 months. |
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#17 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Between Venus and Mars
Posts: 9,023
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It might be worth speaking to your local college too as some colleges are taking on JSA claimants onto courses to help them back into work.
Normally the courses would be quite expensive but you get the fees waved if you're on certain benefits JSA being one of them. My friend got his local Jobcentre to refer him to college on a ITQ course which he got on and got the form stating all fees are waved as he is on JSA. |
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#18 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Manchester
Posts: 5,806
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Some good news to share I have an interview this afternoon... talk about short notice only applied yesterday still maybe it is better not having loads of time to worry.
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#19 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: London
Posts: 14,737
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Quote:
Some good news to share I have an interview this afternoon... talk about short notice only applied yesterday still maybe it is better not having loads of time to worry.
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#20 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Team Moira is not a slag.
Posts: 25,870
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Quote:
Some good news to share I have an interview this afternoon... talk about short notice only applied yesterday still maybe it is better not having loads of time to worry.
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#21 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Manchester
Posts: 5,806
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Quote:
Good luck
Quote:
best of luck
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#22 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: London
Posts: 14,737
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Quote:
Thanks. Well it is done now, not sure it went that well it was a competency based one and my mind just went blank, still they knew it was short notice and they made me feel at ease. Just need to wait and see now.
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#23 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Back of the shed.
Posts: 14,029
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I'm looking at an online application form now and one of the questions is this: "What makes you stand out?" What are you passionate about, what have you done previously that is relevant, and what would this experience mean to you?"
I hate those kind of questions, isn't that what your CV is for, to highlight these things? |
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#24 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Sep 2009
Posts: 3,120
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I just found this vacancy advertised on the gov.uk site during my jobsearch.......
LBAOURER Job description 2 operators required to work in a waste transfer station. This is a full time position. No experience required as training will be given. Excellent opportunities. 45 hours per week, Monday to Saturday, between 8am-4.30pm. Must be hard working and relaible. That is shocking.
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#25 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 1,009
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Quote:
I'm retired so not jobhunting but I'm a volunteer adviser with Citizens Advice. One thing that's surprised me is that once you're trained and have some experience under your belt, there seem to be quite a few jobs going in CAB bureaux that require experience within CAB and that volunteers can successfully apply for. This is only of any use to anyone interested in working in this field of course. But also, CAB training has a good reputation and volunteers often find that experience in an organisation like CAB helps them in the job market. And before anyone asks, you can volunteer at the same time as claiming JSA although some Job Centre staff may try to tell you otherwise.
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