Where to find jobs?

Emmzi

I'd get her in *any* job at all for at least 6months, pref a year, to demonstrate 'stickability.' From there she will have a record of reliability and can move on.

Leeds was pretty booming last I heard.

Call centres?
Debt advisor with CCCS?
Classroom assistant?

Anything AT ALL she reckons she can stick until Christmas.

Failing that - time for voluntary work,

steveandel

lynzpower wrote: »

If she doesnt want to use her degree for a language based career, she may well have tpo accept the fact that there was no point in doing it. She will be up against people the same age as her who left school at 16 and have X amount of years experience - admin isnt BOG STANDARD, it is ensuring organisaions run effectively, setting up systems, being meticulous, being committed to sometimes the very routine jobs, otherwise organisations can and do collapse with poor administration in place.

Thanks for your help. I didn't mean all admin jobs were 'bog standard' (a bad use of the phrase i admit). What I was trying to get accross is that there are admin jobs and admin jobs. Some have a wide variety of work/tasks and some (from experience) are deadly boring with only a few repetetive tasks. I was trying to get the point across that even to get one of these more 'basic' admin jobs they seem look too much at what isn't on the CV (min 6 months admin experience) instead of what is on the CV.

steveandel

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

I think that this must be one of the most patronising, ill informed posts I've ever read. There are various types of administration jobs none of which could be learnt in a couple of days.
Having a degree, even a 2:1 from Durham, doesn't necessarily mean that person's more intelligent than a non graduate. The way she's been wasting time since she graduated doesn't speak well of her intelligence and certainly not for her common sense.

And your post isn't? Wasting her time? I've clearly stated she hasn't been wasting her time at all for one week since last September there have been other things to do which were more important than getting a job. She had 2 interviews in that time and got down to the last 32 of over 200 applicants for the HA graduate scheme.

I'll admit the 2 days training claim was an exaggeration. The amount of exaggeration depends on which admin job you are talking about. Some admin roles have a wide variety of roles/tasks which would take a few weeks to learn but some are very very repetitive and you really could learn them in a matter of days, bearing in mind she can operate a fax, a phone, a computer and filing systems etc.

steveandel

Lady_E wrote: »

I have read the post and I am a little confused . Why would the lady not want to do any translating? It seems to me that with our multi linguial society , the chance to use your degree to get a good job using your languages must surely be an opportunity not to be missed. I think she should pursue the translating angle and if she is finding things that difficult perhaps arrange a meet with her old tutors from Uni for inspiration. Jobs that come to mind using languages include Call centres/cabin crew/journalism/Embassy/Airline HQ...I could go on but how about just sending out letters with your CV to companies that you think would be good to work for and see what happens

I have to say I resent the implication that " bog standard admin work can be learnt in two days", perhaps it was not meant that way , but it came across as patronising IMHO.

It wasn't meant to be patronising but people seemed to have taken it that way so I apoligise! I based it upon my experience of some the admin roles I have seen/been in. But I do stand by the fact that there is a huge variety of admin roles, some of which are much much less challenging than others!

The trouble with that is that a degree in languages isn't usually enough to get a translating job, usually further study and a translating course is required. We can't afford that at the moment (both the fees and lack of her income when she gets a job)

Oldernotwiser

steveandel wrote: »

since last September there have been other things to do which were more important than getting a job. QUOTE]

How can anything be more important in the first 11 months after graduation than looking for work? That assumes that you haven't got down to it after Christmas of your third year which is when the bulk of the research and applications take place. Going back to live at home and spending 3 months looking for a house don't really come into it! How do you think people manage to move when they're already holding down a job? Believe it or not, they manage to do both at the same time, even from a distance!

She's now competing with people who graduate this year and who realise that their careers are important. She also has this gaping hole on her CV, which isn't going to enhance her job hunting. We all make mistakes; the thing is to learn from them and not to blame everybody else because you've cocked it up!

I hope she gets things sorted out. As others have said, a degree is rarely a golden key to graduate employment, even a 2:1 from a good university. It's too late to think of this now but it's usually better to move to the area where you're offered a job after graduation, rather than doing it the other way round. I agree with the poster who said that Leeds was booming; otherwise why move there?

liney

When you have no experience, whether you have a degree or not, a job, is a job, is a job, is a job, is a job, is a job.

Secondly you are always more employable when already working.

Thirdly, when asked at interview what she has been doing for the last 11 months i hope she has a really great answer because 'nothing' 'just looking' 'moving house' would definatley not get her a job if i interviewed her, degree or not.

steveandel

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

steveandel wrote: »

since last September there have been other things to do which were more important than getting a job. QUOTE]

How can anything be more important in the first 11 months after graduation than looking for work? That assumes that you haven't got down to it after Christmas of your third year which is when the bulk of the research and applications take place. Going back to live at home and spending 3 months looking for a house don't really come into it! How do you think people manage to move when they're already holding down a job? Believe it or not, they manage to do both at the same time, even from a distance!

She's now competing with people who graduate this year and who realise that their careers are important. She also has this gaping hole on her CV, which isn't going to enhance her job hunting. We all make mistakes; the thing is to learn from them and not to blame everybody else because you've cocked it up!

I hope she gets things sorted out. As others have said, a degree is rarely a golden key to graduate employment, even a 2:1 from a good university. It's too late to think of this now but it's usually better to move to the area where you're offered a job after graduation, rather than doing it the other way round. I agree with the poster who said that Leeds was booming; otherwise why move there?

Because she moved back home after graduating to try and find a job there with not much luck. In November we got engaged and decided she would move up to Leeds (where I was already in my job). She couldn't look for a job in December because you can't apply for a job and say 'well actually, I'm not really sure when I'll be up there, I'll let you know when I move'. Most jobs (with the exception of Graduate schemes) are for immediate/imminent starts, you can't just apply and hope the employer holds the position for you for a couple of months.

During Jan, Feb and Mar we were looking for and buying our first house so she was up and down the country all the time with no idea of when we might actually complete the move so how is she supposed to have worked during this time? In March/April when we had an idea when our move would be completed she started looking for jobs in Leeds as I previously mentioned.

I'm not saying 11 months 'missing' on a CV doesn't lead people to ask questions but I resent the attitude you are taking and effectively calling her lazy. In an ideal world she would have got more temp work from the agency where she used to live but there simply weren't the jobs going.

Kimitatsu

steveandel wrote: »

My gripe about companies looking for experience is that for companies with highly skilled employees, yes ok they take quite a time to train, but for a bog standard admin role you can learn all you need in 2 days which really isn't too much of a strain on resources is it? And in the long term, having someone intelligent as opposed to someone who just 'knows the ropes' is surely better for the company?

She did her degree because she wanted to, not to 'jump' the recruitment process and I appreciate that some degrees are pretty much worthless now. However, a 2:1 from the University of Durham, AAAAB A-levels and 6 x A* and 4A's at GCSE should show some differentiation from someone who's got a degree in a Mickey Mouse subject from a 'new' university? I think employers aren't paying enough attention to the actual degree anymore.

I have read this thread with a wry smile, firstly as an employer those grades mean nothing to me, it shows she is a bright girl but her lack of work experience would say to me on paper that she is not prepared to get down and do what needs to be done! I realise that from this thread that is probably untrue, but I am telling you what it looks like on paper from the other side of the desk!

I see many people who have a fantastic degree but no experience of the real world, I need someone who can be a team player, so who can make the tea if it needs to be done (and I dont care if its the MD - there have been times when that is exactly what he has done because its the best use of resources!) or who can work to a deadline whilst keeping my customers happy. Every job has boring bits, the admin is usually the worst bit of it, so to me it looks like actually she doesnt really know what she wants. My reccomendation would be to go and see her job centre and discuss what areas she is interested in, so that she can find a job that is suited to her.

Many graduates come out of University thinking the world is their oyster but in reality businesses want someone who has both a degree and experience because the academic world does not prepare them for real life. At the moment she has a degree which shows that she can learn but no experience and it will cost someone the money to train her, whislt paying her salary before they see any real benefit, and if she doesnt like the job, or moves on then its money wasted to that company. That is why they prefer people who have some form of history and training already.

My advice would be to get a job, whatever it may be because if nothing else it shows she is employable and it gives her an employers reference, someone who is in the business world rather than the academic world.

Sorry to be brutal, and I realise it is a catch 22 situation, but any money coming in for employment is better than the nothng she currently has at the moment. Also it cant be doing her self confidence any good, so she needs to get out there and convince people she is worth a shot whatever the money.

Emmzi

Out of interest,

1) why are you posting here and not her?
2) any feedback for us on if she is using anyone's suggestions or feedback?

steveandel

Emmzi wrote: »

Out of interest,

1) why are you posting here and not her?
2) any feedback for us on if she is using anyone's suggestions or feedback?

1) I was posting on her behalf to see if there were any tips anyone could give. Also we only have dial-up at home at the moment so internet browsing is kept to a minimum!

2) After pestering the agency for temp work she's got something sorted for a couple of days next week, hopefully more will come soon. The plan is for her to get as much temp work as possible before August (when we get married ) and be looking for more permanent jobs starting in August. I think she will also re-apply for the Highways Agency graduate scheme as she got quite far with it last time, she liked the look of the scheme and she feels she could do better this time (it was her first ever graduate assessment centre before)

Thank you to all the people who have provided feedback and constructive criticism, no thanks to all those who have just criticised :rotfl: