How many candidates per job?

Polarbeary

Looking on Reed, some admin/PA jobs have well over a hundred applicants! I've applied to over 200 jobs in London, 15 interviews including second interviews, yet no job. The market seems to be really saturated. I have around 8 years secretarial experience, public sector and more recently finance. There seem to quite a few NHS secretarial jobs going and I have a few interviews coming up with them but the money is a little low compared to jobs in finance/banking.

I feel like I'm never going to get a job If I'm up against 100 people every time. I'm not sure of course how many have good CVs and experience and how many are just applying to meet their quota for the Job Centre. Either way, it's depressing.

tomtontom

It's surprising how many people apply for jobs with zero relevant skills. A friend recently recruited for a physiotherapist and was able to discount a number of applications that didn't even have the qualification. In fact she didn't even reply to them, they were clearly timewasters.

NHS salaries are going to be lower than those in the financial sector, that is common sense. But there are perks to working in the NHS, you'll rarely be expected to work beyond your allocated hours and if you do, you'll be paid for them. The workplace culture will generally be calmer and more friendly. It depends on what your main motivations are?

makeyourdaddyproud

... and even if you do procure that ideal job, your employer will be watching you like a hawk. Any backward step, however insignificant will see your hopes ended brutally. You will cry, and will have to start over.

The end result is that many will be forced to consider starting one's own business. A latent blast of hope I guess - until the depressing headling telling you 90% will fail. So not only are you still unemployed, you're a few grand out of pocket as well.

What happen next is usually desperate: you dumb down your CV reaching for that last chance saloon of a subsistent NMW job, only to then realise 50,000 more migrants are competing with you.

Soon or later you then trudge slowly to your front door with the last item of furniture...

The future is not rosy.

xapprenticex

^ Sounds like you speak from experience. not very nice at all. All the best.

makeyourdaddyproud

xapprenticex wrote: »

^ Sounds like you speak from experience. not very nice at all. All the best.

No, not me. It was a parody of the MSE masses...

greenspark

Hi polarbeary

Have you tried looking at university admin roles? Lots of unis in London, pay can be reasonable, work varies but can be quite interesting. Jobs.ac.uk is pretty comprehensive. Even if you just get a temp role in a uni it can be a foot in the door and lead to something long term.

DKLS

I wouldn't give too much thought to the websites that show how many people have applied.

I invited a candidate for an interview and she turned me down, as she "only applied as she has to show the dole office she is applying for jobs" a lot of the applications I have seen in the past year seem to be applying for the sake of a returned application email they can wave at the JC.

Op its a numbers game keep at it.

TBagpuss

I understnad hat the numbers applying can be daunting, but just because they are applying doesn't mean that they are necessarily good candidates. Or suitable for the specific vacancy, particularly if they are (or some of them are) being put forward via agencies.

As an employer, I know we get lots of completely unsuitable applications when we advertise a job.

Another option (if it is practical in your personal situation0 would be to consider whether moving out of the city. Wages will be lower but so will costs of living, and depending where yo ugo,. you may find that there is less competition

If you are reading the adverts carefully and tailoring your application to the job you are applying for then you are probably doing better then at least 50% of the applicants.

Jobs in the public sector will typically have lower salaries than those in finance of 'city' jobs.

Murphybear

greenspark wrote: »

Hi polarbeary

Have you tried looking at university admin roles? Lots of unis in London, pay can be reasonable, work varies but can be quite interesting. Jobs.ac.uk is pretty comprehensive. Even if you just get a temp role in a uni it can be a foot in the door and lead to something long term.

I had a University admin job, it was academic related so pay was good. It did need a degree (academic rather than eg media studies).

Best paid job I ever had

AubreyMac

Bear in mind that public/NHS jobs will rarely (never in my experience) advertise via an agency. Most of the time they require an application form to be filled.


I personally find agencies a waste of time.


When I helped my current employer to recruit, a lot of agencies were calling asking if we needed help and I found out job advertised on agencies but with company name anonymised.

Sanne

My last employer advertised for a receptionist at one point. Within a couple of days they took the ad down as they had 150+ applications (not London by the way).

...I have seen the applications and can say that half could be dumped right away as they were crap. Spelling mistake after spelling mistake, people obviously applying for every job going and not tailoring their CV/cover letter etc. Some were clearly from very desperate people who were completely over qualified.

Bottom line - if you make sure your application is tailored, your CV effectively highlights your skills and makes the employer (or agent) want to read on, there are no spelling mistakes then your application is already better than most and you have a good chance.

If you are applying directly to a company (i.e. Don't go through an agency) the cover letter is important, too - companies like to hire people who want to work for them and know why, who fit into the business etc. This particularly rings true for smaller companies.

You've obviously been getting interviews - have you asked for feedback afterwards?

As for agencies, there are very, very few good ones and many bad ones. My last job was advertised through an agency I was registered with, yet they haven't seen a match - I applied to the company directly and got the job (and was very successful).
My current role was again advertised with an agency I had registered with, again they didn't see a match. A second agency obviously understood the role and employer much better and contacted me based on my CV which they found on an online database. Well, I'm there now and I know that the recruiting manager liked my CV very much and thought it was a great fit. Agency one obviously missed that.

Morale of the story - if you see a job advertised by an agency maybe also see if you can work out who the employer is and check if they advertise directly. That way you can send a cover letter which they might actually read and have a better chance of standing out.