Support Each Other In Looking For Work?

katkim

Got another rejection this morning - fell at the hurdle in the first interview and didn't make the cut for a second interview

This is so depressing and demoralising. I need a job. I can do the job! :wall:

Nothing more to add, really. Just wanted to vent.

November5th - make sure you clarify the type of work you want/can do, and sort of company/jobs you want to apply for. Ask what experience / sucess rate they have in relation to that.

I find that recuriters are more interested in getting you placed (which can be good, especially in this climate) but sometimes you really need to be forceful where because that comes second most of the time to ensure you're getting some benefit from this arrangement too.

first78

I think this thread is a great idea. I've been unemployed since September and have the added hurdle of being in the process of relocating for my partner's job.

While I'm waiting for the sale of our house to go through I've tried getting agency work but they're quiet at the moment and don't seem keen to put much my way as they know I'll be leaving in a few weeks.

I'm looking for jobs in the area we're moving to but there's very little about...I'm hoping that things will pick up in April but I have no idea how I'm going to manage in the meantime.

November5th

Drea wrote: »

You mean good ones actually exist?

Ha ha! Now more than ever in my case, it looks like more and more companies are turning to recruiters down to the enormous amount of CVs they are receiving. If I get a good ranking in a prestigious recruiters pool of talent I am on my way. This is my main aim for now. I treat recruiters as I would any contact or interviewer going for a job I really really want.

I am doing my hand washing so I have got 'dressed up to the nines' done and dusted, now I am writing my interview notes. My biggest interview fail is getting bogged down on one topic only, which I need to avoid at all costs tomorrow.

My industry is filled with ever changing buzz words and acronyms too, so I am adding a glossary

You know those novelists who say they got 250 rejections before they were published? I look at it like that. It is no evaluation of your future success.

katkim

I look at it as a numbers game too. However, Pre-recession, even up to a year ago, there were about 200 jobs nationally being advertised each week in the trade papers, this morning there were 36 - half of those were temp/contract through an agency and the other half have been there for the past month with nothing new being posted

If it weren't for the low number of jobs available in my field, I would be more confident that something will crop up eventually.

I'm not even sure jumping ship and applying for other more generic jobs will be a good idea because I'm worried I might not be able to return when this sector recovers - I don't want to lose skills, lose touch with the industry and then there's the problem of explaining the gap if/when I go to interviews...it's just so hard to know what to do.

Stew68

Drea wrote: »

You mean good ones actually exist?

Drea,

Just dropped you a PM about a local agency who was very helpful to me recently.

Drea

Righto everyone, chin up!

I have just been to the job centre to start my claim (although still not sure they'll give me anything but that's another story), I quite possibly had the nicest advisor ever! Any time I've been to the job centre in the past I've had people who have looked down on me and just generally not made me feel very good about myself. This man was fantastic, he spoke to me like a human being, we had a conversation and he gave me some really good tips about application forms etc.

When I handed him my CV a grin spread across his face, I asked why, he said my CV was the first today that was really good and at the end he said he'd been assessing my interview skills and that he thought I wouldn't be out of work for very long. I know maybe some of it was just patter but it made me feel much better about myself and gave me a bit more motivation (which I admit, was disappearing fast). I'm going to write a letter to the job centre to tell them how good he was as he is only working temp and said he'd be sat where I was soon. I really think they should keep him on!

One thing he said about the CV which I think is a really good idea is to use a slightly thicker paper (or different grain or whatever they call it) so that in a pile it stands out. I think I'm going to do this. Although I suppose usually I'm emailing them.

shikoku

I don't know if it is a coincidence or 'as a result of' but ever since I made my CV more concise, removed the waffle and just stuck to experience and skills I seem to have gained more interviews.

I also removed the 'interests' section after an interview where the interviewer discussed Japanese cookery with me at length, but not the job and unsurprisingly I did not get it

There is still some waffle in the covering letter but I understand many recruiters do not even look at these.

elfieb

I've been looking for work for 8 months :-(
My major hurdle is a gap on my CV due to ill health......getting employers, agencies or whoever to take a second look at me after telling them that is hard work. I even had one guy from an agency last week, who when I told him about my illness, put the phone down on me!!
My self confidence is taking a major battering.....I have applied for 82 jobs since December, and if I have heard back from 2 that has been it......beginning to think I am stuck in a huge rut :-(

first78

Wow Drea, an amployee at the job centre who doesn't look down their nose at you...I'm impressed!! I hated signing on as I felt I was being judged everytime I went in there!! I did some temping over Xmas but that seems to have dried up now and there is no way I'm going back into the job centre here, it did nothing for my confidence, they can keep their JSA.

I'm just going to keep looking and do my best to keep positive, hopefully with the help of people here.

Hang in there everyone, it can only get better!!

Moneywastingexpert

Excellent idea for a thread!

i will contribute with my efforts (and suggestions for what they are worth) in due course.

Drea, as an ex-JCP employee i can promise there are some real passionate, dedicated and actually quite cheerful advisors around........honest:money: