Out of work for 8 months...

ozma83

Hello everyone....I'm here to ask for advice on the 'big issue'...how to find job!
I wasn't born in England, but I have been living in London for the past 6 years. My English is basically mother-tongue level.

I have a BA and a Master's Degree, years of experience in sales and customer service, and have quit my last customer service job 6 months ago as it was driving me crazy and making me really depressed.

I've been working as an intern (for free) for the past 8 months, until a couple of weeks ago when I decided it was enough.
Now, I've been applying for jobs for the past few months. My experience is in media and marketing, and my desire would be to work in film pr, but would be more than willing to start with any entry-level position if given a chance.
I've tried everything: I've changed and reworded my CV, rewritten my cover letter thousands of times, tried different approaches, sent CVs by emails, called up the company, etc....
I've only scored 2 interviews so far, and I've (as it seems) been unsuccessful at both.

I don't know what to do. Am I doing something wrong? Should I change my approach? What should I do?
I am a hard worker and I would like to show this.

Any advice?

sharpy2010

ozma83 wrote: »

Am I doing something wrong?

Yes, you quit your job.

These are difficult times, once you get a job, stick with it.

ceridwen

Oh dear - the unpaid intern trick...

Seems to be quite a common practice these days for firms, etc, to get some months' worth of unpaid work out of people with the promise of a job being dangled in front of them at the end of it - but the job never materialises.:(

First question I guess is - what sort of firm was this that you did this "internship" for and what sort of work was it that you were doing for them?

EDIT: 'tis not quite how I would phrase the last 8 months...I wouldnt have said "been out of work for 8 months" - I would have told it like it is and that I had been working unpaid for 8 months (amended - if you are saying this to an employer as "being an intern for 8 months"). Bit of a difference between unemployed (which is how I took your title originally), doing voluntary work and "getting caught for working for free" (aka "being an intern").

soupdragon10

You mention that you have revamped your c.v. but have you had it checked by someone experienced in putting together a top notch c.v.? Likewise your covering letter?

Have you approached anyone about a possible voluntary job which might give you more clout than the internship which seems to have had little benefit. At least working with a bona fide charity you would have a nationally recognised organisation who could comment on your skills and expertise.

I'm sure there are charities that would welcome someone with your skills, and could enhance your reputation in your chosen field.

Good luck with the job hunting.

juniee

Seems like a degree in Media is worthless nowadays unless you have contacts or family in the business.
My daughter has a degree in Media and can't get a job at all. She's been jobless a year now as she was made redundant from the Job Centre. She's tried for cleaning jobs, dinner lady jobs, offices , everything! The job centre say her CV is excellent but zilch!
Too many people searching for too few jobs.
Her friend ( she doesn't have much contact with her now), who didn't do Media is now a production assistant at the BBC (her uncle works for them)

j:(

gingerdad

juniee wrote: »

Seems like a degree in Media is worthless nowadays unless you have contacts or family in the business.
My daughter has a degree in Media and can't get a job at all. She's been jobless a year now as she was made redundant from the Job Centre. She's tried for cleaning jobs, dinner lady jobs, offices , everything! The job centre say her CV is excellent but zilch!
Too many people searching for too few jobs.
Her friend ( she doesn't have much contact with her now), who didn't do Media is now a production assistant at the BBC (her uncle works for them)

j:(

Was a degree in media ever any use?

GothicStirling

gingerdad wrote: »

Was a degree in media ever any use?

I'm not having a go at Media students here, but I really don't get the subject.

Wouldn't something like English, Journalism, Film Studies, Film production be of more use at trying to break into those industries?

To the OP have you tried looking into work experience with the BBC or Film 4? You may have to get a good track record in PR first [publishing?] and learn how to network.

ozma83

To everyone who replied:
Yeah, I have spoken to a recruitment expert as part of my "CV revamping".
No, I never said I had a degree in media. My degrees are in politics and film studies.
And yes, I have applied for work experience with the BBC and Film 4, and I'm still applying. I have applied for so many work experience opportunities out there... but I am indeed thinking that knowing someone or having someone in the industry must be the only way to get a foot in the door, at least for BBC and all the big companies... hummm...

I didn't post this to get depressed or discouraged. I posted it to ask for advice as to how to approach companies because I admit maybe I am not really savvy in this sense (just a hypothesis).

Sharpy2010 - you don't exactly know why I quit my job. It was driving me crazy, making me depressed and making my spirit so low that I felt really unhappy about myself. Plus, with it, I wasn't going in the direction I wanted, the one I studied for all my life, so it was a waste of time. Like I said, I DID NOT post this to whinge and say "oooooh whyyy none hires meeeee bohooo" but just to ask for advice from people who might be more used to the UK market and/or work applications methods etc.

Wellery82

You mention you weren't born in England - does your CV make explicitly clear, at the top, that you have full right to work indefinitely in the UK? It may be if people see you were educated abroad etc they think there will be Visa problems and ignore you? Just a minor thought but i do know one individual (who actually was British but his name did not sound it) who changed his CV to make this clearer and started getting far more response

ozma83

I see what you mean - well I am from Italy, so I just assumed people would know that being from the EU I can work here indefinitely - do you think I should still specify it? Maybe it's my name...maybe they think I can't speak English properly?

Ihatecameron

Have you thought of changing your name? only some people here still hold a grudge against Italians for siding with ze Germans during the war.