How to get hired for a short term admin role?

Running_On_Empty

Look on employers own web sites, don't focus only on agencies nor on jobs' web sites. Use your network. Networking is an important part of job searching, keeping your ear to the ground, keeping in contact with your network, letting them know you are looking and what for, asking your network to ask their network.

PasturesNew

rageagainstessays wrote: »

My issue might be that i'm simply not good enough

There's only one type of people who aren't good enough: Vicky Pollard and the likes thereof.

The reason one is not picked is not about ability .... it might be that the agencies only have 2 jobs and those are going to people who've been working for them already. They advertise they have jobs just to stay in the game; they often don't have any in reality.

Then there are the unspoken requirements. Too old, too young, living wrong side of the town, want somebody a bit dim, want a rocket scientist really ..... you don't sound like them, somebody they hated went to your Uni, you don't have your own transport, they don't really understand your CV as the recruiter's too thick to realise you meet the job spec....

1001 reasons. Odd reasons. Things you'd never thought of. Even for temp jobs.

I once got a job because, the boss told me: You're too old to be having babies and you lived up the road so I knew you'd not have parking problems like the last bloke.

Don't EVER think it's you. It's the fickle nature of temping/agencies. They have a short time to get 2-3 (and no more) candidates' CVs in front of their client. Then they're on to the next job - either cold calling to try to get more work in, or smoozing old clients, or compiling fake job adverts and posting them online .... lots to do, targets to meet. If you're not fast enough it could be they found enough (2-3) who were "good enough" to pitch to their client and that job's now dead in their eyes. They'll smooze you on the phone to keep you dangling maybe.

rageagainstessays

PasturesNew wrote: »

There's only one type of people who aren't good enough: Vicky Pollard and the likes thereof.

The reason one is not picked is not about ability .... it might be that the agencies only have 2 jobs and those are going to people who've been working for them already. They advertise they have jobs just to stay in the game; they often don't have any in reality.

Then there are the unspoken requirements. Too old, too young, living wrong side of the town, want somebody a bit dim, want a rocket scientist really ..... you don't sound like them, somebody they hated went to your Uni, you don't have your own transport, they don't really understand your CV as the recruiter's too thick to realise you meet the job spec....

1001 reasons. Odd reasons. Things you'd never thought of. Even for temp jobs.

I once got a job because, the boss told me: You're too old to be having babies and you lived up the road so I knew you'd not have parking problems like the last bloke.

Don't EVER think it's you. It's the fickle nature of temping/agencies. They have a short time to get 2-3 (and no more) candidates' CVs in front of their client. Then they're on to the next job - either cold calling to try to get more work in, or smoozing old clients, or compiling fake job adverts and posting them online .... lots to do, targets to meet. If you're not fast enough it could be they found enough (2-3) who were "good enough" to pitch to their client and that job's now dead in their eyes. They'll smooze you on the phone to keep you dangling maybe.

I have always found temp agencies, and their high pitch condescending voices to be quite something. I phoned to talk to the 'consultant' who was dealing with a particular role to ask where it was based and all she said was 'It doesn't matter, work is work OKAY' and I said 'who are you talking to?' and she's like 'you, sir- this is a two way line' and gave a highpitch laugh so I said 'well you, can go (text removed by MSE Forum Team) yourself, have a nice day now' and put the phone down.

tomtontom

You need to learn to play the game here. Short term work is generally through agencies - you need to sell yourself to them. They might be condescending, but they will have hundreds of candidates in your position and they're not going to entertain helping someone with your attitude.

It's also good practice for when you graduate. You're going to come across many people that you dislike, and you're going to have to remain polite with them. Picking silly arguments is *never* a good idea in work/ job seeking.

rageagainstessays

tomtontom wrote: »

You need to learn to play the game here. Short term work is generally through agencies - you need to sell yourself to them. They might be condescending, but they will have hundreds of candidates in your position and they're not going to entertain helping someone with your attitude.

It's also good practice for when you graduate. You're going to come across many people that you dislike, and you're going to have to remain polite with them. Picking silly arguments is *never* a good idea in work/ job seeking.

I understand what you are saying, but at the end of the day, they need to place someone and they tend to end up in a better position by being nice to people, so being a condescending !!!!!! probably isn't a good idea. I'm nice to people until they speak to me like a child.

Running_On_Empty

I would have asked for her name and told her you have noted it and will look out for her as you rise up the career ladder and be ever ready to put in a bad word for her.
I definitely would not have sworn at her as you did, you simply lower yourself to her level, tempting though it is!

rageagainstessays

Running_On_Empty wrote: »

I would have asked for her name and told her you have noted it and will look out for her as you rise up the career ladder and be ever ready to put in a bad word for her.
I definitely would not have sworn at her as you did, you simply lower yourself to her level, tempting though it is!

I know, but she didn't have my name-- I have hers haha, it won't come and bite me back

tomtontom

rageagainstessays wrote: »

I understand what you are saying, but at the end of the day, they need to place someone and they tend to end up in a better position by being nice to people, so being a condescending !!!!!! probably isn't a good idea. I'm nice to people until they speak to me like a child.

She has hundreds of candidates, she doesn't need to be nice to fill the sort of work you are looking for. Added to which, recruitment agents talk to each other, give yourself a bad name with one and word will soon get around.

You need to give the agents a reason to put you forward over other candidates - at the moment I can't see that you are doing that, in fact you're only giving them reasons to bin your cv. Have you looked at voluntary work to fill out your cv?

rageagainstessays

tomtontom wrote: »

She has hundreds of candidates, she doesn't need to be nice to fill the sort of work you are looking for. Added to which, recruitment agents talk to each other, give yourself a bad name with one and word will soon get around.

You need to give the agents a reason to put you forward over other candidates - at the moment I can't see that you are doing that, in fact you're only giving them reasons to bin your cv. Have you looked at voluntary work to fill out your cv?

I need money, not a medal. The reasons to put me forward over other candidates are clear in my CV. I don't want to sound arrogant or come across as a bit of an egoist, but £6.50 ph is a bargain for someone of my pedigree.

comeandgo

But you say yourself your typing speed is slow and you have no particular specialism to offer and you swear at people.