Forgot how bad job searching was :(

Delvis said:
How can you successfully change careers?

I'm looking up Art/Illustration type related jobs and even if I had a cracking portfolio I have no idea where I could start to even begin applying for things with NO experience there :(
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It's tough but I've done it - from another thread:

I started off in IT as stated, before, during and after uni where I did an engineering degree. Carried on in the IT telecoms industry for about 8 years or so, working for a specialist company setting up telecommunication and bespoke IT solutions on luxury yachts - got to see the world and work with people all around the globe too, which of a teenager through to a young 20 something guy was very exciting.

I got fed up with my lack of training as well as career and personal devleopment. Furthermore, I had got as far in the company as I could - next step be was to be a director which they weren't interested in (besides I was still too young and immature in terms of business) - though I did offer them a business case to start up an office down in the south coast of France or Spain where most of our business was and that I would head up that region, but again they showed no commitment. Though to be fair this was still a time where IT was a well paid and slightly niche market, not as saturated as it is now, as such it commanded a better salary - even pre-uni I was being paid £10/h which for the 90s was a nice bit of income!

Changed jobs to something completely different, working in operational management for a cash management/logistics company, large FTSE100 corporation, along with operational/line management I developed my Lean Six Sigma skills and joined the continuous improvement team where I acted as an internal management consultant within the group which was amazing, right up my street. I won't name the company owing to the sensitive nature of the work but it's not hard to guess. However owing to numerous restructures it was time to move on again and after more than half a dozen years I felt I had done my "time"!

I now work for a massive £15bn+ infrastructure and engineering project in London, using a mixture of my skills from engineering to project management and lean six sigma but also a fair bit of IT work but in the sense of using technology rather than building/configuring it!

So I've had a bit of a meandering path, but it just shows if you apply yourself and work hard within the industry that you're working you don't have to get typecasted in a certain role, an if you pick up more skills along the way it makes you more interesting to employers!


It is possible to change path but it really helps to either have formal qualifications or experience in the new role you're after or experience in industry also helps... It's all a bit of a vicious circle unfortunately.
 
Cheers FF. It's just extremely soul destroying at the moment, I can do my current job I just don't enjoy it anymore (get on with it! some people don't have jobs etc etc you should be lucky) - I've always had the mindset of, why can't I better myself? Why do I have to stay in this job just because?

I've been in IT since before starting this thread, now been doing it nearly 10 years, different types of jobs, latest job types are Support related, I just don't like doing it any more.

I want to crack in to the Arts industry to some degree, be it drawing for a magazine company, creating packaging, books covers, games companys whatever, I just feel I would be happier doing that...Only problem is theres no direct path to get there, you can also guarantee no one takes on Juniors now either (by junior, I mean no experience, train on the job type junior)
 
One massive tip I'd give you, is consider any job within the industry you would like to work. If you're the type of person who will not only do his job, but look for more to better himself while there, you get your foot in and then the people tend to see what you can do, over and above your job. You know?

Or, look for jobs out there, any, in the types of industry you're looking at and then look what is required. If you can't physically get what is needed (it could be experience, par example) then drop a level and look there. You just need a foot in to start, and then after 6months you then have 6months at least in the right industry
 
randomshenans said:
One massive tip I'd give you, is consider any job within the industry you would like to work. If you're the type of person who will not only do his job, but look for more to better himself while there, you get your foot in and then the people tend to see what you can do, over and above your job. You know?

Or, look for jobs out there, any, in the types of industry you're looking at and then look what is required. If you can't physically get what is needed (it could be experience, par example) then drop a level and look there. You just need a foot in to start, and then after 6months you then have 6months at least in the right industry
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I'd quite happily be an artist mate or something, or a QA tester as long as it paid the bills.

Trouble is, half of the job sites industry filters just do not work :p
 
The hardest part of any of this is putting in the hours of research trying to find something that exists, that hits the things that you want.

One good thing to do is break down your skills, right back to the basics, and see how they translate to other positions in those industries. It's a massive ballache, but anything worth doing is.
 
My job skill set basically involves IT Support in a school, hardware and software and peripherals...:p

My actual Arts skillset is non-existant, grade C at school, and whatever I have drawn since then! I'll see if I can dig around this evening
 
Do you want me to just quote what i said before doovs? :p

Yes, lots of places ask for experience, i thought that was a limiting factor too. But everyone i know says that except for higher up/lead/senior roles it doesn't matter. I've seen many people prove exactly that by getting jobs that ask for 3 years of industry experience when they are fresh out of uni. It can't hurt to have experience but i know for me my portfolio is still my limiting factor and while i do have a bit of experience now, and should have more on my CV in a few weeks the portfolio just isn't there yet.

Skill > networking > experience for breaking in it seems. (i got my current work through twitter, for example)
 
Skillmister said:
Do you want me to just quote what i said before doovs? :p

Yes, lots of places ask for experience, i thought that was a limiting factor too. But everyone i know says that except for higher up/lead/senior roles it doesn't matter. I've seen many people prove exactly that by getting jobs that ask for 3 years of industry experience when they are fresh out of uni. It can't hurt to have experience but i know for me my portfolio is still my limiting factor and while i do have a bit of experience now, and should have more on my CV in a few weeks the portfolio just isn't there yet.

Skill > networking > experience for breaking in it seems. (i got my current work through twitter, for example)
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Cheers SKill. I do need things like this hammering in to my head sometimes :p

I need to find some good networks for the kinds of things I want to get in to, along with more specific jobs sites for what I want. I've also recently signed up on LinkedIn as well, which may or may not help :)
 
With anything, it's all about the content and use as well. I don't use it a lot, but people I work with, I'll tend to add. People I meet along the way etc.
I've set up a local SharePoint Community in the area and populate that with information and stuff. You know, it's all content about your chosen subject.
 
My company went into liquidation the Tuesday before last, I didn't receive any pay this month and I'm already in such a deep, dark state of thought.

I've had one interview so far and not a single call back from any other applications. A recruitment agency thought I was inline with a more senior salary bracket but heard nothing back.

I'm getting myself worked into some state and it's not helping me but I don't know...
 
W00t, got an interview tomorrow, with a quite big engineering firm and i am already shaking lulz.

FYI, its been a YEAR since the last interview but i already getting a lot of offers the last month which is a sign of change...

To all looking for jobs, it will only get worse before it gets better, hold on tight to your aspirations and keep lookin without a break.
 
shifty, set yourself daily targets of job applications, like 30 per day. You will likely receive many non responses, or talk to many recruiters offering the world. Just keep plugging away!
At times it's down right depressing! Massively so. You have to just keep it up. Plan your days well, set yourself mini targets. Say, a new company researched today, that is recruiting that you can apply directly. Little wins keep you going!

When I was made redundant, I applied for well over 250 jobs. Most days were a dark, lonely time. In the end I got 6 interviews out of that, offered 3 jobs. Just don't lose focus.
 
i totally agree with the above, just keep it up. I Know its hard and i have had gone through stuff most cant imagine, i was even scared to look up the ads online out of fear i wont be finding anything proper...
 
I was made redundant from an IT sysadmin role back at the end of March. I initially took some time out to recouperate after a very stressful last few months at the old company, but have now decided it's time to get out there and find a new challenge.

Saw a role advertised yesterday which looks very good on paper, working for a rapidly growing international company and after speaking to the recruitment agency it turns out it's in the same town as my old job (and where my gf lives) so that's quite convenient. Money is more than I was on and has a benefits package including pension and healthcare, which is something I've not had before.

My CV has been sent to the employer so just waiting to hear if they want to bring me in for an interview..the agency sounded confident but I'm not going to count my chickens until they're hatched..one step at a time hey :)

In the meantime I've done something I never thought I'd have to do and applied for JSA. I'm on the verge of dipping into my savings to pay for living costs, so the JSA money should help to cover fuel and food etc and help me keep as much of my savings for as long as possible in case this job hunt turns into a long hard slog.
 
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