I didn't even get a job interview.
I have been at the Citizens Advice Bureau for 2 years now. I'm one of the most experienced assessors (that's a fairly new role) there, and out of those assessors who have been there long enough to be reviewed, I make less mistakes, see more clients, take less time between clients.
I was the first person to start assessing on the telephone (new advice telephone service being rolled out soon, we are piloting it) without missing a beat, just picked the phone up and got on with it.
I've even pushed myself on to the money advice team, and am now slowly and painstakingly learning to be a Money Advice Assistant. I volunteer 15 hours per week, and I can't do any more, without getting into trouble with the benefits system.
I saw a job at Advocacy Alliance, part-time, basically doing what I already do on the telephone at the CAB. I did not get a job interview.
The rejection letter, asked me to be a volunteer, and included an application form.
Did they even read my application? Because they would realise I already have a voluntary job.
Honestly, what is the point? I will be 40 soon, I have a string of unskilled jobs behind me, massive gaps of unemployment and no real history. However, I have got some qualifications at evening classes, A - level English, GCSE Astronomy, and I have buckled down and put 2 years in at this voluntary job.
It's not a swanning around, social club type job either, it's hard work at a level of skill and professionalism that I personally have never worked before.
My applications stand or fall on this really. BUT NO ONE IS INTERESTED IN HIRING ME!
and when they say "do some voluntary work to get experience" it all starts to sound a bit hollow, as that's what I'm already doing.
Support Worker - written application, telephone interview, 2 interviews on the same day in different towns, then a phone call "oh could you do voluntary work for us"?
rant over.
I was the first person to start assessing on the telephone (new advice telephone service being rolled out soon, we are piloting it) without missing a beat, just picked the phone up and got on with it.
I've even pushed myself on to the money advice team, and am now slowly and painstakingly learning to be a Money Advice Assistant. I volunteer 15 hours per week, and I can't do any more, without getting into trouble with the benefits system.
I saw a job at Advocacy Alliance, part-time, basically doing what I already do on the telephone at the CAB. I did not get a job interview.
The rejection letter, asked me to be a volunteer, and included an application form.
Did they even read my application? Because they would realise I already have a voluntary job.
Honestly, what is the point? I will be 40 soon, I have a string of unskilled jobs behind me, massive gaps of unemployment and no real history. However, I have got some qualifications at evening classes, A - level English, GCSE Astronomy, and I have buckled down and put 2 years in at this voluntary job.
It's not a swanning around, social club type job either, it's hard work at a level of skill and professionalism that I personally have never worked before.
My applications stand or fall on this really. BUT NO ONE IS INTERESTED IN HIRING ME!
and when they say "do some voluntary work to get experience" it all starts to sound a bit hollow, as that's what I'm already doing.
Support Worker - written application, telephone interview, 2 interviews on the same day in different towns, then a phone call "oh could you do voluntary work for us"?
rant over.
Post edited by thx1138 on
Comments
The fact you have to remember is that a lot of the people working for companies are incompetent, inept fools who are hired by other incompetent, inept fools who are already working for that organisation/company...
What this translates to is exactly the experience you have related.
It makes me very angry when I hear the old advice "do some voluntary work to gain some experience."
Translate that as "do some slave labour for us, we want to save money."
Digressing, I recently applied for a role as a System Admin.
Sent my CV as a .doc and a pdf.
Got a phone call from someone who asked "what experience do you have?"
I replied "have you read my CV?"
"No."
"Read it then call me. Bye."
I just hung up on her at that.
The only advice I can give is to keep trying! Doing voluntary work is the best impression for a potential employer as it shows that you aren't just sitting around doing nothing.
One thing you could try is putting on your CV that you are willing to work for 2 weeks on an unpaid trial period. This gives you a chance to prove yourself to them at no cost to them.
There is a very good chance that there were 100's of applications for that 1 job - its entirely possible that you're CV was skimmed over... the usual process is to get the applications and sort them into piles. If your CV stands out it will pass the 1st round - try printing it on different coloured paper! After that, there is more chance that it will be read... assuming there are no spelling mistakes and it is kept brief (certainly no more than 4 pages) then you have a good chance of getting to the next round.
In all that time and for all those applications how many replies have I had? 4. Yep, that's it. 4. Not a single interview. When I chase up the companys and ask them why I didn't even get a reply they simply say they are too busy to reply or that I wasn't successful this time.
I mean, what do they want? Blood? I am university trained and have experience coming out of my ears in both software and hardware AND they can see that I have been in solid employment for the last 11 years and that I was at university before that.
Employers don't care anymore and they CERTAINLY don't read C.V's or application forms.
Look what you've done, THX, you've got ME ranting now, too ;-)
/rant
When someone looks at a CV (especially when they have a whole stack of them) they form an opinion of it in less than 2 seconds. Therefore it is important that this is a clear and well presented as possible, irrespective of the content. Often they give it the 2 second glance and either keep it or bin it. Then later they read over the ones they kept in slightly more detail.
Blame outsourcing for that. There are thousands of very talented IT people out of work in the UK because there are no jobs. Many of them have had to re-train in an entirely different industry.
I've always just started work as a temp/part-timer, then gone for other jobs from within the company. It's much easier for both parties that way and if you are a good worker there they'd rather pick someone they trust.
My current job isn't permanent, when it finishes I don't intend to apply for anything, will probably just sign up with loads of agencies to try to get temp work.
Good adise (But use buff/grey not Bright Red or Pink).
Also send your CV in an A4 envelope so it's not bent.
Also basic rulle like adding your name on each sheet and a page number (helps when your CV gets stuck in the copier).
The fact that you did A levels at night class is commendable and should be highlighted, and not just in "education" section. If these coincide with "gaps" in your employment mention this.
Interests are seen by some as irrelavant, but are important to mention, as someone on the review commitee may have similar interests.
As mentioned there will be 100's of CV's for jobs, the thing is to make yours different and stand out (without printing on red paper).
You never know someone, may have an interst in retro computers as well.
That's very true, mate. I'm hearing this an awful lot lately. I'll see what happens...
They consider those two weeks as enough experience with dealing with the young'un's and school issue computers. And I tell you, two weeks with the kids in that class were better than a single day with my younger cousin (the thieving one).
Fogartylee/itsallgood - it's sadly true - I've had a severe lack of IT and video editing work. People are outsourcing to overseas or cheaper workers. I've been having to take up other jobs to bring in an income.
Some company's advertise jobs even thought the position is already unofficially filled..when I worked for Compaq they did that, the policy of 'fairness' they had meant they had to advertise the job...when I was hired to perm from contractor they told me they were going to advertise it but not to worry as it was already mine.
it's not who you know, it's who you blow. :razz:
Let me know when you want to apply for Janitor.
Well, I have helped set up quite a few people in their own business - basically they get paid for me working! They only get out of it what they put in though..
At least 1 guy gets ?35 for every hour *I* work for him!
I have several that were on benefits and now aren't... the benefits are adjusted depending on earnings...
They find people that want websites - either new ones or upgrades.... they get the requirements & some example sites they like, plus any images they want to use....
I quote on the hosting, design & development... they add their cut and leave it to me... One designer doubles the quote to the client so there is room to negotiate, and does her own designs - she is making a tidy profit!
The point here is that even when there are no jobs - make your own!
That sounds intriguing, Fogarty. I may well go down the route of self employed. It?s just knowing if there is enough work around.
Or find a niche market - one of my guys has 30+ rugby websites - all done off my code.. again, he's done the designs himself...
How about a website for the Sinclair ZX Spectrum? that hasn't been done befo......DAMN!!
Thanks for the advice, Fogarty. You have certainly given me food for thought, mate...
We were going to set it up at college and just see if people really would just give some random guy a penny cos' he asked for it?
But I think by the time we decided how we were going to do it, somebody had beaten us to the punch. The other person was saying something like "Give me a penny for good karma", it's like they took our idea and expanded upon it.....bastards! :D
thats not a business idea, thats just being a tramp on the internet.
you'd make more money sitting outside dixons with a scraggy dog on your lap. :razz:
But if it worked how would it not be a business idea? In theory if every muppet out there thought alright I'll give this guy a penny, how many pennies would we have got? It's a penny, most people don't even think of the value of one penny, but if several people had've gave one it could've been quite a bit of cash.
....and for what? Saying erm gimme a penny?
Even 100 people would've been a quid, and that would be a quid literally for nothing.
He swapped the paper clip for something more expensive, and eventually got a million dollar house - didn't take long to achieve...
Well apparently back then it was possible without getting slapped with every charge known to man. I just don't remember exactly how it was possible?
Maybe that was one of the reasons we didn't go ahead with the idea in the end?
support worker - specialist housing association
collections - bank
psychology assistant - prison service (note: NOT assistant psychologist! :) )
Bank is part-time, it's for a high street bank, and would complement my voluntary work in debt advice nicely, as it includes free training working towards industry qualifications, and would provide more experience and insight into debt work.
support worker job - this one might be all right, working with people with learning difficulties, but a lot of support worker jobs are in fact care work dressed up with a fancy title, and I wouldn't be so good at that, not sure.
prison job, well I meet the minium educational requirements, in fact I exceed them, and when I applied for this job, I had to phone the job centre, who faffed about a bit, and gave me an e-mail address and a reference number to put in the subject. The e-mail bounced, so I managed to track the job down on the HMPrison Service website, and apply online.
The application involved me ticking various qualifying declarations, and then answering 4 questions, designed to demonstrate my suitability to the job, and nothing else. Well, my Citizens Advice Role(s) really stood me in good stead there, I sold myself hard, and talked about how I met those requirements.
However, given my track record of applying for jobs latelty I'm not overly optimistic. But, I am hoping just a little bit anyway.....
Nah just messin' wiv' yer matey ;)
Good luck with teh jobby :)
Annoying and unfair but these hr people have their quota to fill.
Worth a conversation with the recruiter to discuss how you are looking for a paid position or at least get feedback on your application so you get further on the next one. And don't be afraid to explain that.
In terms of your cv you have some good soundbites there. "First person in team to do x" "Seconded to do telephone due to strong results in y". you need to get these hooks in. imagine how powerful that would be for a similar organisation looking to move people to telephony, as a lot of them are. You need to get some aces on the table to get the interview.
Good luck.
for the past 2 years I've worked in a news papper as a movie critic, until I got sacked because they said "any sort of journalist can do what you do..."
I was working on a script for tv, but that bombed so now I'm mostly out of job...
I worked in movies for a while, but at 31 I'm considered to old and to unexperienced, so I only get non payed jobs, but people prefer hiring kids straight out fo school for that... also I'm not considered a journalist, so no one hires me to write...
basically I've worked my self to a position where I'm not employable at all... I'm mostly a a specific useless worker...
However, being unemployed gives you the time to learn new things. I know if I was out of a job I'd begin writing programs, developing and selling mobile apps, websites and working on the big idea. I'd also take the time to learn new programming languages, frameworks, development techniques and platforms.
It all seems so easy, but in reality I guess its not.