gap between classing dates and interview.

studentphil

seven-day-weekend wrote: »

Hi Phil.

I'm sure people have done this before, but I'll spell it out in words of one syllable.

Get an application form. Read the person spec and the Essential Criteria.

If you haven't got most, if not all, of the essential criteria, there is not much point applying.

If you have, you can carry on with the form.

Go through each of the criteria one by one and fill the form in in such a way that you can DEMONSTRATE that you fit that criteron. For example, if it says that you need to be able to prioritise, show them how you have done that in your University work. If they say they want a team player, tell them an example of when you worked in a team and the skills you learned from it (which should be qualities that are listed on the person spec.

In the space that says further information, tell them briefly about your hobbies and interests and other personal qualities that you consider relevant. Tell them why you think you would suit the job and that you would be eager to undertake further training. Mention any voluntary work you may have done, if you have not already done so when demonstrating your essential criteria/person spec.

If your writing is not much good, type it if you can. Otherwise mention in a covering letter why your writing is untidy.

Go over the form again and make sure you have demonstrated that you have all the things they ask for.

Keep applying and don't narrow your sights too much. Apply for anything vaguely suitable - you don't have to work there for the next forty years.

Take as much trouble over an application to work in Asda as you would for one at the University.

And remember (this is a good tip for interviews too) - you don't get a second chance to make a first impression. Do a good sensible application demonstrating that you have what they are asking for (no waffle) and eventually you will get a job.

Good luck!

Thanks, I thought I had done that for this job(apart from putting a couple of lines in my CV about an interest in educational methods), but for some reason I did not get far.

brazilianwax

studentphil wrote: »

Never said I disliked her or had anything against her.

I just take issue with because I do not get firsts that she thinks I don't work hard. I have worked myself to near mental break down on this stupid course and I am in tears with it at least twice a week.

Well, that's not anyone else's fault Phil, so stop blaming it for everything.

And I haven't seen melancholly say anything to suggest you haven't worked hard. The massive number of hours you've racked up on here is testament to the fact that you have not, in fact, done everything you could to do well.

brazilianwax

studentphil wrote: »

Thanks, I thought I had done that for this job(apart from putting a couple of lines in my CV about an interest in educational methods), but for some reason I did not get far.

YOU DID NOT MEET THE ESSENTIAL CRITERIA.

They wanted office experience - you don't have any!

:mad: :mad:

melancholly

studentphil wrote: »

Never said I disliked her or had anything against her.

I just take issue with because I do not get firsts that she thinks I don't work hard. I have worked myself to near mental break down on this stupid course and I am in tears with it at least twice a week.

phil, i know that you can work really hard and get a 2:2, which is an achievement. i did a course which made me do multiple subjects in each year and even with all the work in the world, i sucked at some of them - so i then picked the one that i was best at to get good marks in my final year.

although it's true that i don't think you work hard - but that's just because you're on here so much that it's impossible to be working flat out on your revision while posting 60+ messages a day!

studentphil

ts_aly2000 wrote: »

Now we're getting somewhere. Hello Phil

Right. To be honest I don't even know where to begin. I don't feel that confident pep talk will do any good as you're practically bullet proof. Or that's how you come across.

What ARE we going to do with you Phil?? Just keep on applying that's all I can say. It took me years after university to finally fall into my 5-year career. And now I'm doing something completely different. What I do now is to grab at straws doing anything. No longer do I have the security (HA!) of a single job. I have the security of several incomes, all of which are whatever I can lay my hands on.

I don't really know what to say in an offer of assistance Phil. I don't think you're a bad person or anything like that. But Christ alive. You just need to focus. It's as simple as that. Focus.

There is no magic answer or right or wrong. It just happens.

There's a book I suggest you read by Dale Carnegie I think it is, "How to win friends and influence people." I'm making no pun or joke or jibe, just read it. It's one of the pre-requisite books about life that people read. Buy it tomorrow, and read each chapter for what it means. Then read it again 6-months later. I think I've read it about 5 times over the years.

Please Phil.

Thanks, I know it takes people upto 20 years to find their right job as my tutor says he was 40 odd before he got a lecturer's post. I do not have 20 years though as my parents will most likely be dead before I am 40 and if I am going to be able to afford to get them all the things I want and to make them proud of me I need to do it soon.

I suppose that is my biggest worry that if all my friends have fab careers straight out of uni that it will disappoint my parents if I don't.

studentphil

brazilianwax wrote: »

YOU DID NOT MEET THE ESSENTIAL CRITERIA.

They wanted office experience - you don't have any!

:mad: :mad:

I think that is clear that the whole experience thing was deal breaker.

I have to find a way of getting office experience to solve that.

studentphil

brazilianwax wrote: »

Well, that's not anyone else's fault Phil, so stop blaming it for everything.

And I haven't seen melancholly say anything to suggest you haven't worked hard. The massive number of hours you've racked up on here is testament to the fact that you have not, in fact, done everything you could to do well.

I come here because the work makes me feel so awful inside. Simple as that really, if I did not hate it then I would not try to escape it so much.

studentphil

melancholly wrote: »

phil, i know that you can work really hard and get a 2:2, which is an achievement. i did a course which made me do multiple subjects in each year and even with all the work in the world, i sucked at some of them - so i then picked the one that i was best at to get good marks in my final year.

although it's true that i don't think you work hard - but that's just because you're on here so much that it's impossible to be working flat out on your revision while posting 60+ messages a day!

Yes, well, it is hard to work hard on what you hate and you have hated since the welcome meeting it gives you no motivation.

brazilianwax

studentphil wrote: »

I come here because the work makes me feel so awful inside. Simple as that really, if I did not hate it then I would not try to escape it so much.

Uh huh. I understand distraction Phil.

But it has to have contributed to your supposed failure.

If you'd hated it that much, why didn't you change course early on?

brazilianwax

studentphil wrote: »

Yes, well, it is hard to work hard on what you hate and you have hated since the welcome meeting it gives you no motivation.

Don't be someone else's puppet then!