Construction job situation in NI

Hilltop666

Hi everyone,

basically im going to be out of work in 2 weeks due to being made redundant from a construction company im a (female!) engineer with a 6 years experience on building jobs, fit out and civil eng jobs both in engineering and management, and im just wondering has anyone else has the same amount of rejection as i have had. I have applied for 12 jobs and not 1 interview!!

I have been applying for housing officers, maintenance officers, building control etc. as there are practically no engineering jobs. All asking for 3rd level qualification and relevant experience which I have. I knew it would be hard but did expect to get the odd interview!!

Just wondering what everyone else's experinces are and should i prepare myself for more of this?!

screwedagain

I was in a similar position a few months ago, having been laid off from a design consultancy where I worked as an m&e engineer for nearly 7 years.

I luckily found another job immediately afterwards, but it isn't permanent. Chances are I'll be in the same position in a few months time.

I've found the key, particularly in NI, is networking and who you know. Don't sit back waiting for jobs to be advertised, because there aren't many of them, and when they do appear competition will be fierce.

Instead get on to a few recruitment agencies, compile a list of local companies that are in your field, and send them all your CV. Also, if you know anyone in a sales field in the construction industry, their knowledge will be invaluable, as they will know who is busy, who isn't, and more importantly who the right people to approach within a company are.

It's tough, but not impossible! Good luck!

kltoddie

Try the usual job sites, e.g.:

www.nijobs.com
www.jobcentreonline.com

Network as well - are you a Member of ICE? It is all about who you know.

And get your profile on linkedin.com

KT