Tips for getting that job?

ak666

Hi All,

Does any one have any tips on getting a job.

I just got paid off after the company went under.

Now I am looking for a job.

I am using s1jobs, monster and the job center websites to help me find jobs.

I am applying with a pro written cv and intro letter but is there any more I cant do?

I just need some tips on getting a head. Some way of giving me a better chance.

If you can help that would be great.

Savvy_Sue

If you do a search for job hunting on this board or just trawl back through this board, you will find some good advice.

Agencies can be worth using if you're a good match for the kind of jobs they do: different agencies work in different kinds of work. So no good signing on with an agency which primarily places drivers if you want to work in the office, and vice versa.

Cazzywazzywoo

I interview people and also have just got the 'job of my dreams' with a massive pay rise.

The advice I would give you is at interviews come across as really keen and enthusiastic -as though you really want the job and have plenty to offer.

If you can't answer a question say that you don't know (Don't waffle or make it up) but tell them that you would either:
ask your line manager
find out for them
willing to learn

It is often the one who appears to want the job the most who gets it

Cazzy

ak666

Hey Cazzy,

I have been reading alot about how to come a cross in interviews.

All the books say be really enthusiastic and honest.

I just got to get an interview! :rolleyes:

Savvy_Sue

You say you have a pro written CV and intro letter, but if it's the same letter and CV for every application that won't be doing you any favours. There is no substitute for adapting every application to the job you are actually applying for. Time consuming, but a 'standard' application will be obvious to a practised recruiter. And even to a novice, if the application doesn't fit what's wanted in the person spec / job spec, you won't get far.

I rarely comment on people's written English, probably only in this kind of post. But if you have any mistakes in your application you may well end up in the bin before you start. I see three downright 'wrong' things in your first post, plus some things I would phrase better. And two downright 'wrong' things in your second post, plus things I would phrase better. Granted, I'm a pedant, living among pedants, and spelling comes fairly naturally to me, and writing good English is second nature to me. And there's nothing wrong with your style for a chat forum. BUT if you write that way in a covering letter, you're doomed! Get it checked. And re-checked. Get it right.

What field of work are you interested in, anyway?

ak666

Thanks for your feedback.

I change my cv and letter with ever job.

The spelling on them is always 100% correct.

I work in IT.

cmc_entertainment

i find that https://www.jobsite.co.uk and https://www.reed.co.uk are the best IMHO

Savvy_Sue

ak666 wrote:

Thanks for your feedback.

I change my cv and letter with ever job.

The spelling on them is always 100% correct.

I work in IT.

Well, that's a start, but it's not just the spelling. I mean, all the words in the post I've just quoted are spelled correctly, but one of them is 'wrong' nevertheless - ever when you meant every - because a spell-checker can only spell, not understand what you've written.

I'm not saying that you don't get what you submit checked and perfect, but in a spirit of helpfulness I'm pointing out what I see when you write 'naturally'.

IT is - and always has been IMO - a tricky field. For some reason, companies specify exactly what skills they want you to have, and don't want to teach people new skills. They'd do better getting good people, and teaching them the skills they need, because a good programmer will write good code in any language, whereas a sloppy programmer will write poor code in any language. Again, IMO, perhaps slightly biased by being married to an ex-programmer and having friends in the field!

So maybe work on the match between the job spec / person spec and your application: if you're a programmer, and they're asking for a language you have used but a version you haven't, stress what you've got. And also stress your adaptability, your ability to pick up new skills, and your versatility. I don't speak the jargon myself, but if I'd been applying for a job which asked for expertise on Windows XP when I'd only ever used Windows 98, I'd give practical examples of how I'd picked up Windows 98 in my current job despite only ever having used non-Microsoft systems prior to that.

That 'practical examples' thing may be key as well: no use saying two years' experience of BASIC, PERL etc without saying WHAT you've used them for.

And pounding the streets going into ALL the agencies in the area you want to work would definitely be worthwhile: make your face known to them, look smart, keep in touch and when a job comes up they should think of you. Again, a search of this board for recruitment agencies or job agencies will turn up several useful pointers.

jobbingmusician

In order to get an interview, take the person specification and paste it into a Word document. Then take each element of the person spec and use this as a heading for a paragraph demonstrating how you meet that aspect of the PS. You can cut and paste from your CV where relevant, but using a CV is not generally the way to get shortlisted (although it can be useful for submitting to agencies).

Example:

Experience of painting the town red

During my time at 'liveitup' company I was in charge of a department which had overall responsibility for !!!!ups for the entire international company. I was highly commended for my work in this area once my hangover had subsided.

Astaroth

Have to say that I strongly agree with Savvy_Sue and you should never use the same CV/ cover letter for more than 1 application.... as you say you do change it with every job I wonder either what the point of saying it is "pro written" (which I disagree with anyway) or if you are getting your "pro" to rewrite it each time?

If you want to go through the agency route then you need to keep on their backs constantly and remember that they are only paid if they get you into a job. If you arent going to be easily placed in the roles that you want then you arent going to be someone that they invest a lot of time (aka money) in. They want people who will take what ever they are offered so they can be put on their books and out the door as quickly as possible - they are not there for your best interests.

Are you "technical" IT or more a vanilla first level helpdesk type person? If you are specialist then a specialist agency may be better for you than the generic ones.

If you go for the Monster style sites you have to remember the volume of applicants they get. We advertised a middle management role requiring graduate preferably with an MBA, 5-8 years middle management experience and 4+ years large complex projects but got hundreds of applications from school leavers, a policeman from south africa etc - there was never a chance that we would ever be able to read them all and so the 30 second scan read we were able to give each application will undoubtably have ment that some reasonable applications were over looked (we ended up abandoning the ad and going to a specialist recruitment agency)