1,000 job applications, no interviews... Whats the average??

seemasfriend

Hi Beta89

I admire your perseverance and today's economic climate is not the easiest for jobhunters.

You say you dont want feedback on your CV and approach - just to know whether your experience is the norm. I would suggest not although I am sure you are not entirely alone.

I have recruited 100s of staff and as an employer would be happy to give you some constructive feedback if you would like it, however I dont think a public forum is the place to do it. Feel free to pm me.

Dont get too disheartened, you have some great work experience you just need to show it to its best advantage.

Good luck

missymugwump

If I had a job to offer I would employ you
You sound like a versatile person with a varied skill set
Do the languages you studied float your boat ?
What about trying to work for the police an an interpreter ?

Marcheline

Hi Beta

Wow, that's a lot of jobhunting you've been doing and I am impressed with your perseverence. Regarding your method of looking for work, I would say that looking online through job agencies is the worst way to go. I do not know of one success story yet (friends and boyfriend have applied for jobs this way and never got anywhere) I would recommend applying for jobs directly to companies themselves (tho if you are not in a city you may have limited options) e.g. apply to local unis for entry grade admin jobs/charities/the police force in your area for police staff jobs.

There are a few things that I'd recommend regarding your CV too though:

1) get it down to a MAXIMUM of 2 pages: this should be easily done if you list your qualifications in table form i.e.

A-LEVELS GRADE ACHIEVED DATE ACHIEVED
List subject List the grade List the date

GCSEs GRADE ACHIVED DATE ACHIEVED
Again, list subject Again, list grade List the date

2) With your previous employment, I would recommend listing your main duties/successes in bullet form, rather than sentences

3) I would also leave out some of the more extensive info about setting up and running your own businesses (although this looks good, you may be coming across as overqualified)

4) On my CV i have a section devoted to 'Transferable Skills' where I bullet point my transferable skills

Also if you can get yourself some more recent volunteer work that might look good. Maybe you could see if your local force requires any volunteers, for instance, in the role of Appropriate Adult Volunteers. Look here for this if you are interested http://www.do-it.org.uk/ Given that you want to get into the police eventually, have you looked at becoming a Police Community Support Officer? http://www.policecouldyou.co.uk/pcso/overview.html

Sorry if i've gone miles off topic, just trying to help...good luck!

hundredk

Beta89 wrote: »

http://i41.tinypic.com/vo8z2w.jpg

http://i39.tinypic.com/vmtbwl.jpg

http://i42.tinypic.com/f06vys.jpg

http://i41.tinypic.com/2gy5aid.jpg


(CV in screenshots. Its only 3pages long, but i had to break it into 4 screenshots. And the bit at the top that i left out is just my personal details).




And heres my main cover letter
_____________________________

Dear Sir / Madam

I am writing to you regarding the position that was recently advertised, and would be most grateful if you would consider my application for this role.

I currently have 2years experience of running an online international shipping business where I gained an extensive skill-set in relation to data entry, customer service, computer skills and sales.

1years experience in stock-market futures trading, during which I developed a high level of knowledge about the financial industry.

And 2years of experience working in a highstreet shop as a sales assistant, rising to sales supervisor, where I gained experience in customer service and people management.


I would now very much appreciate the opportunity to work for your company so I can apply these skills to the job.

I’ve included a copy of my CV, and would be grateful if I could be considered for the position.



Thank you

TBH this skills set does not demonstrate you can pick/pack orders, drive a forklift, stack shelves, serve food etc - comes across as overqualified for those type of jobs.

Try local goverment - as long as you fill in application form as they require you should be able to demostrate examples of how your skills apply to many posts in local govt.

dugdale_2

Just playing devil's advocate here but why should I offer you an interview for a job? I want someone dedicated and willing to give me 100% at all times also maybe be a little bit flexible regarding finishing time on occasions.
The thing which stuck in my mind after reading your CV was that you're currently running a shipping company that provides you with an income of £640 a month profit. How can I be sure that you won't be spending time (that I am paying for) to work on your own company? Will you be content staying with me or are you using me to fill a gap between your own enterprises? Sorry but if I was an employer, after looking at your CV, I would not waste any of my precious time inviting you to an interview

MonkeySaving?

Beta, get rid of that section on GCSE's, no one cares, just list it as 9 GCSE's grades A-B or similar. As Marcheline mentioned your CV should be 2 pages TOPS, hell I can fit 16 years worth of IT industry experience and jobs in 3 pages

PolishBigSpender

This thread is one of the funniest things I've ever read on this forum.

The poster is running an international shipping business, is trading crude oil and more, yet is applying for menial jobs?

Yeeeah..right.

Oh, and he claims to be running his own car washing business elsewhere on the internet, and allegedly has girls washing the car for him.

Fantasist, anyone?

jessicamb

You have some spelling and grammar mistakes in your screenshots - it seems pedantic but does make an impression on employers.

I find your experience claims a little confusing and appear to be overselling yourself (just my opinion!). I would tone down your claims and try and target your experience to the job you are applying for. Using some buzzwords are good for self promotion but I am struggling to believe all that you have written - I accept it could be true but I dont know you and thats the impression I formed from reading your cv so others may do the same.

Good luck in your job hunt

My first thoughts were that if you have your own business and trading business why would you apply for a presumably low skilled job rather than develop your other interests?

Definitely cut the length back to two pages - in the nicest possibly way you really dont have enough experience to justify a longer length CV than this.

piggeh

I think a CV like that would put me at odds as to how you would feel motivated in a menial position, also you mention encountering some personal (?) problems associated with trading - you shouldn't mention such things on a CV even if it has made you mentally tougher, you can always bring it up in the interview as a weakness that you turned toa strength when the inevitable 'weaknesses' question pops up.

TBH you should go for import clerk jobs or similar given your experience.

Beta89

Hiya and thanks for all the helpful advice so far, i really do appreciate it..


In relation to my shipping business i should just say that im not currently earning £640 profit from it every month.. :huh:

(If i have a big order then yea i would earn a few hundred quid profit, could even make a few thousand if i got a big enough order) :rolleyes:


But especially with the recession and the gbp/usd rate being so crap im very very pleased to make £60 profit a month from it.
I set the business up in such a way that it costs me nothing to keep running, and so while it is good if it does make money and has no cap on its potential earning, i dont lose anything if it doesn't get any orders.



And yeah working in a more 'basic job', would be very very different from trading crude oil, and the limit on earning would be lower,
but atleast id then have a guaranteed salary every month.

Which is what i need so i can stop spending every day living in fear of endingup homeless by the end of the week.


I never ever had even planned to do anything like that for my career though,
had planned all my life to work in police force.

I fell into the stockmarket by accident, worked very long and hard to become skilled at it and earnt lots of money for the 8months that i did it for a living, and would enjoy it as a 2nd income in the future when i have a normal stable one too.
But the market doesn't pay a salary though, and thats what i need.




Thanks for everyone's help and tips though, i have also applied for a few trading and financial jobs, but not had much luck.


And il will send a few private messages to some of the posters tomorrow evening.