Support Each Other In Looking For Work?

stephyt23

katkim wrote: »

I should have gone for a walk today, it looks lovely today, I was going to but then got my rejection and suddenly lost the will to do anything except crawl into a corner!

stephyt - I would like to think that these jobs are not meant to be and that we'll all fated end up somewhere great. I would be nice

Good luck with your preparation this weekend, November. Fingers crossed it all goes well.

I've just sent on my CV for the Singapore Job. I was going to work on it this weekend, but he's leaving for China tomorrow and has no internet, so I sent it just now. It was a bit of a hash job! I would have liked to have spent some more time tinkering and tailouring it. Plus Asian employers expect different info - DOB, marital status, health, photograph, which is the norm :eek:

I'm not sure I've got it all right...I'm sure I've made some massive faux-pas, but I had a hour to write it!!

You never know it may not be as bad you think, and you can use it as a learning curve, it's bound to be a different process than applying for jobs here so you can use this as experience should it not work out and be even more prepared for other jobs that come up will have my fingers crossed for you

Mischa8

I was going to briefly post my agency experiences.

In the olden days when jobs were plentiful (remember them?!) us candidates were so lucky being able to pick and choose roles.

Certain agencies in Victoria (London) are either:-

a) useless - either don't return calls or have any temp vacancies, this is regardless of what they advertise.

or

b) Completely rude generally and when you dare to take off work due to snow (eg being completely unable to come in as trains were not running at all) I got a mouthful of abuse saying they'd dragged themselves in, so why couldn't I?!

I do wonder at some of these agencies because should I ever need to use a recruitment agency in the future I certainly know which ones I will use and which I won't.

I've also had the examples of where a position's role is unclear or vague and/or changes then it is really easy to use the temp as a scapegoat. Also, a lot of times, if there are more than one temp in a dept (especially government) and sometimes if vacancies are scarce then sometimes there can be competition for other temp vacancies.

To be quite honest, though there were some great agencies who bent over backwards and found me regular work there were equally agencies who could not care less about their candidates and viewed them as expendable which I suppose we were.

I often actually found roles in government departments through word of mouth - eg one role was finishing or the person was leaving so would I like to apply for that role? I even applied (and failed, as the application process can be arduous and hoop-jumping even for CS employees) for permanent roles within central gov - encouraged by permanent CS staff there.

I would always treat my temp role be it in gov or for other companies however the same as I would a permanent role - I never slacked off, worked my butt off and hence got glowing references from all. I was also very friendly and helpful towards my colleagues but tried not to get involved (you'd be amazed how many people bend your ear about their woes working in a certain gov dept) in any inter-departmental disputes, just sat back and listened. I suppose that's the beauty of being a temp, if it doesn't suit you can quite easily switch roles. I rarely (couldn't afford to!) take sick leave but did use my holiday as and when needed but tried to work that around breaks between contracts.

Linda32

Linda wrote

“We can supply them at about £12.00 taken out of first weeks pay, what shoe size are you” “and can you start tomorrow”

dpassmore wrote: »

Sorry to drift off the thread, but in response to this regarding charging
for safety shoes etc.

An employer may not charge his employees for anything done, or equipment provided for health and safety purposes - even deposits.

An employer cannot ask for money from an employee for PPE, whether it is returnable or not. This includes agency workers if they are legally regarded as employees.

If employment has been terminated and the employee keeps the PPE without the employer’s permission, then, as long as it has been made clear in the contract of employment, the employer may be able to deduct the cost of the replacement from any wages owed.

An awful experience Linda - but sadly, not surprising.

Well, there you go, in the first instance I would have been employed by Encore, for the first 13 weeks at least. In as much as they would have paid me, direct into my bank, one week in hand.

Linda32

lexilex wrote: »

I could really do with an impartial opinion.

As you may know, I was offered a job in events last Friday. I was absolutely chuffed to bits. The job isn't what I expected, although I still know very little about it. It is based in a community centre on a council estate, and I would guess budgets are very limited. The money and hours are far from perfect, but it felt like I was finally getting somewhere, getting experience in something I wouldn't mind doing as a career.

Before I went for this job I had already been for an interview for a credit controller job. They rang me this week asking to meet again, which we did today.

Because I haven't experience in the role, he wants me to start soon part-time (it was really advertised as maternity cover starting in july) spending half my time with the lady currently doing credit control, and the other half doing general office duties. He's warned me a lot of the job will involve taking abuse from from people who don't want to pay up their debt.

I came out wanting to cry. It's likely the job will lead to something permanent but it just sounds so not me. Working in an office has always been my idea of hell, but I just don't know if I can deal with people screaming down the phone at me. I am really not a very confrontational person. Even the guy interviewing me said we would have to improve my assertiveness and confidence in order to deal with this. At this point I wondered why he was even offering me the job.

The events job is 25 hours spread over 5 days on minimum wage. It's fixed term 6 months, and is about a half an hour drive from home.

The credit control job is 3 days for the first month, moving to 4 days, and then hopefully soon after becoming full-time. The money is also considerably better. The office is a five minute drive from home, and the other advantage is I could walk if need be.

What do I do? Neither job is perfect, and whichever I chose to do I will still be looking for another job, one which I went to university to do. I think the thing that has really upset me about the CC job is the idea of sitting there on the phone with someone shouting at me. I don't have much confidence at all, and I just don't know how great I would be at handling it.

There is a week between the start dates with the credit control starting first. In theory I could give that a week, or even a few days and see how it goes before contacting those at the community centre about the events job. That would be really awful of me letting them know at such short notice, but one of the guys at the job centre did tell me I should look after myself, because nobody else is going to, and I guess he is right.

Sorry for such a long post.

The events job, without a doubt, these nothing more to say really.

My story, I was in much the same position in my last office job, and I virtually begged the lady who I had to liaise with regarding redundancy to do the kind thing and let me go early

DCFC79

Its getting really bad for me, i do have a job but im actually losing the will to live as the job is so boring its getting me down, im constantly looking for jobs but weeks go by when theres nothing suitable as they are either care work, cleaning or jobs that require qualifications to do which i dont have

Buddingblonde

I am out of work is 3 weeks and 5 days. Local authority cut backs. No redundancy pay. Me and OH are sitting down tomorrow to look at the finances to see how they look (have been putting this off).
I am still stunned I think and I know I am going to burst into tears any time. I search for hours every day for a job but they are care work or telesales (neither of which I have the temprement for). I have applied for two since I found out I was going but had heard nothing from either.
Good luck everyone.

Linda32

Buddingblonde wrote: »

I am out of work is 3 weeks and 5 days. Local authority cut backs. No redundancy pay. Me and OH are sitting down tomorrow to look at the finances to see how they look (have been putting this off).
I am still stunned I think and I know I am going to burst into tears any time. I search for hours every day for a job but they are care work or telesales (neither of which I have the temprement for). I have applied for two since I found out I was going but had heard nothing from either.
Good luck everyone.

Hi, So sorry to hear that.

Thats what I've found as well, these always loads of vacancys for carers wanted. Not such a good thing, that!!!!

With regard to finances, if you don't already visit, try the Old Style Board for belt tightening, they are a lovely bunch, I can oftern be found there as well, and can really help you to feel more in control.

Best of luck

Stew68

Buddingblonde wrote: »

I am out of work is 3 weeks and 5 days. Local authority cut backs. No redundancy pay. Me and OH are sitting down tomorrow to look at the finances to see how they look (have been putting this off).
I am still stunned I think and I know I am going to burst into tears any time. I search for hours every day for a job but they are care work or telesales (neither of which I have the temprement for). I have applied for two since I found out I was going but had heard nothing from either.
Good luck everyone.

Hi,

It really is difficult to come to terms with i'm afraid. It's eight months since I was made redundant and even now I still curse my former employers for what they've done to me. I'll move on i'm sure but only when I get back to work.

You've got to keep plugging away with the applications, you'll find that most companies you apply for jobs with will not come back to you unless you get an interview.

Stick around with us on this thread and feel free to vent here whenever you feel like it, we all do it at some point and feel better for it.

Best of luck to you.

Buddingblonde

Thanks Stew x

Fruitloops

lexilex wrote: »

I was pretty open minded really, I just knew I wanted to help people. The sort of things I was looking at was charity project worker, careers advisor, working within a social services environment. Anything that didn't involve working in an office!

Lexilex - what Mischa has said below and what Linda said too, make a lot of sense. You seem like someone who wouldn't thrive in an office long-term. I don't mean that to sound like an insult :eek: it really isn't, I am exactly the same way and perhaps I am completely wrong in that and you'd thrive anywhere. If that's the case then I admire you

I think this will depend on what you're willing to do at the moment. For example, I would take an office job right now, even though I dislike office work, if that was all I could do until something else came along... but, if I'd been offered an events job too, I'd almost definitely take that instead. Of course, I don't know the details and I'm just rambling on about what I would do in the situation.

I hope you'll be happy with whichever choice you make, but don't forget you can still change direction if you choose to do something else later down the line.

Sorry for the babbling! I know these decisions can be difficult... go with your heart, I say.

Mischa8 wrote: »

To be brutally honest - based on your character and experience I'd go for the events job. It sounds like you'd be miserable as all hell in the CC job.

Who knows what will come up in 6 months time? You may well have another job offer by then.

I just know from previous experience (and even now in my current job) I would rather be in a job that pays less and where I am happy than stick in a job where I am utterly miserable and dread going in every day.