Getting frustrated now!

Guest101

Velvet_Glove wrote: »

It's so irritating why they just can't be honest - I know legally they have to advertise but it's such a waste of both your time and theirs with application and interview. I applied for a job once and it went to someone who was on the interview panel!

My mum says job hunting is a numbers game and that ours will come up eventually.

As far as I'm aware there's no legal requirement to do so. Usually it's just policy.

Malthusian

Fireflyaway wrote: »

Last time I did say something about wanting to progress my career to the highest level.

What, CEO, or Prime Minister of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?

It can be a difficult balance to strike, and the best way to strike it is to have a sensible career plan and to be open and honest about it. You can say that you feel there isn't any opportunity to progress in your current role which is why you're looking for a new one. You can emphasise that you are interested in the role you are actually applying for, and don't see it as just a stepping stone, but at the same time you'd want to have progressed further within the next two years.

IMO it is safe to talk in those terms without sounding as if you'll be off to the next lilypad within months. No company really expects its employees to still be in exactly the same place two years later (that's a huge amount of time in which to be promoted, or sacked, or have babies, or move to Dubai), and if they actually do want someone who is happy with their lot and will push paper at the same desk until they retire, it probably isn't the job you're after anyway.

Fireflyaway

Thanks guys. The shoe comment was a joke! I do take care to dress well at interview. He he!
I think Guest101 you are correct, maybe I could go into more detail on my covering letters and maybe get some extra qualifications to back up my experience. Eg I have supervisory experience but no qualifications in that area.
Interesting that these days 3 years in the same job is considered normal. I guess people do move about a lot more. I've been in my role 3.5 years and the one before that 8 years. Could be seen as commitment or just laziness / lack of ambition.
I am currently working but part time and looking for something full time and a bit more challenging and a bit more money.

Guest101

Fireflyaway wrote: »

Thanks guys. The shoe comment was a joke! I do take care to dress well at interview. He he!
I think Guest101 you are correct, maybe I could go into more detail on my covering letters and maybe get some extra qualifications to back up my experience. Eg I have supervisory experience but no qualifications in that area.
Interesting that these days 3 years in the same job is considered normal. I guess people do move about a lot more. I've been in my role 3.5 years and the one before that 8 years. Could be seen as commitment or just laziness / lack of ambition.
I am currently working but part time and looking for something full time and a bit more challenging and a bit more money.

it depends on which industry it is I guess, some places 3 years is about right, others you wouldn't make much headway before 5 or 6 years

ssparks2003

What do you want to do? you say that you are getting notifications for roles including "Everything from security guards to German speaking advisors, chefs and mechanics" so you are a qualified mechanic who has been to a German catering school and do a bit of door work on the side? no I guess not.

Stop wasting your time and the recruiters time, decide what you want to do, set up realistic alerts and review each job as they come in. Tailor each CV to pick up the key words and skills that are in the advert, write a covering letter, research the company before you go to the interview. Get some interview practice.

After each interview spend 10-20 mins and reflect how the interview went; what did you do well and where was you found wanting and work out how to improve.

Finally I will say, just because you are on X now it does not mean that in any other company you deserve the same or more. You need to consider if you and your skills warrant this amount of money.

I have just spent the last few weeks interviewing 35 candidates, so i now speak from bitter experience how bad some !!!!-sure candidates come across when in fact they would not know which way is up on their own.

ruperts

I think at salaries of £27k+ the vast majority of jobs require job-specific experience and/or qualifications. I'm surprised you're getting any interviews at all if you're really just applying for jobs based on their salary alone with no consideration to whether it matches your experience. I would think your biggest challenge at interview would be convincing the interviewer that your previous experience is transferable and that you haven't just applied for the job arbitrarily but instead have applied because it's what you want to do.

I suppose if you've got experience of supervising teams of low skilled workers then that could apply across various industries, but even then the ability to supervise in itself would be a specialism and you'd target supervising jobs.

parking_question_chap

ruperts wrote: »

I think at salaries of £27k+ the vast majority of jobs require job-specific experience and/or qualifications. I'm surprised you're getting any interviews at all if you're really just applying for jobs based on their salary alone with no consideration to whether it matches your experience. I would think your biggest challenge at interview would be convincing the interviewer that your previous experience is transferable and that you haven't just applied for the job arbitrarily but instead have applied because it's what you want to do.

I suppose if you've got experience of supervising teams of low skilled workers then that could apply across various industries, but even then the ability to supervise in itself would be a specialism and you'd target supervising jobs.

This.

If you dont have much specialist experience I would suggest at looking at lower paid admin type roles in an area that interests you. You are likely to be on a more level playing field with the other candidates. Then work hard and try and progress your way up.

Fireflyaway

Thanks everyone. I thought my job alerts were quite specific. I have stated I am looking for full time and still get part time and have stated min salary of 25k but still get notifications of 15k jobs. Also jobs in towns miles away.
I'm on 25k now and with previous role too, so I don't think its too unrealistic to expect the same or more.
An entry level admin role would be a step back I think. I'm 37, I want to advance, not the other way. The interviews I have had all had salaries between 25-32k. I am not applying just based on salary, they are all jobs I have some experience in and I have a couple more qualifications since I was last job hunting.

abernathy

Make sure your CV is spot on. Formatting, sticking to one page, bullet points. Name, contact details, profile, work experience and education. That's it - no hobbies, no mention of references. Keep it simple formatting wise - 10pt-12pt font, stick to easy to read fonts like Georgia, Arial, Calibri.

Write individual covering letters for EACH job - not just generic ones. Check your spelling, formatting etc.

theoretica

Fireflyaway wrote: »

The interviews I have had all had salaries between 25-32k. I am not applying just based on salary, they are all jobs I have some experience in and I have a couple more qualifications since I was last job hunting.

That is all about you - have you thought about the jobs from the employer's point of view? What do you think it is about each specific role that has made them decide it is a (say) £28k job, and that they won't get someone doing it as well as they want for £25k?