Forgot how bad job searching was :(

grudas · 19 Jul 2012 at 17:55

after applying to tens of jobs i have decided to go for apprenticeship and got an interview at advanced apprenticeship.. i know everything that i want from me bar one thing.. i need to have some "Exposure to linux"

anyone with linux experience could point me to the right directions for things to know? obviously i can't learn it all right now right here but its worth taking a look at things just so i know the basics of the OS

TheOtherOption · 19 Jul 2012 at 19:17

Well after nearly 4 months working as agency and finding out about a month ago that I had not been successful at interview I had an email this week saying that I have now been offered a position

Seems someone else must have turned down the offer of a job! It's only a 2 year term as they don't seem to like using the term permanent contract any more but 2 years steady work is fine by me!

TheLegendOfMart · 19 Jul 2012 at 19:30

After a LONG time unemployed (not by choice, im not a dosser) finally managed to bag a fulltime job, manual labour for minimum wage but its better than being looked down at for being on the dole.

I have been doing temp work but only managed to get the odd week or two, a month max.

gothic_hobbit · 19 Jul 2012 at 20:36

sharingan_sasuk said:
I don't get why they don't just e-mail me so we can communicate back and forth at a convenient time for both of us? Has anyone tried putting something like '(preferred method)' next to their e-mail address on their CV, or is it not recommended at all?

This.

I think job agencies should be more flexible.

'Harry · 19 Jul 2012 at 20:53

I started a new job last Monday, then yesterday got handed a letter saying I would be laid off next Tuesday. 20 new starters, and every single one is being laid off.

I'm glad for the work, but it has put me into debt. I will owe all my wages in rent arrears by the time I get paid for this work. Until I can get signed back on that is all the money I have. I can't pay arrears on JSA as it just isn''t enough. I already have to contribute 1/3 of my JSA to make up for shortfall in HB.

I come out of this worse off then being on JSA. What a crock of ****.

bum · 22 Jul 2012 at 01:24

'Harry said:
I started a new job last Monday, then yesterday got handed a letter saying I would be laid off next Tuesday. 20 new starters, and every single one is being laid off.

I'm glad for the work, but it has put me into debt. I will owe all my wages in rent arrears by the time I get paid for this work. Until I can get signed back on that is all the money I have. I can't pay arrears on JSA as it just isn''t enough. I already have to contribute 1/3 of my JSA to make up for shortfall in HB.

I come out of this worse off then being on JSA. What a crock of ****.

I just got laid off too, after been employeed for about 3 weeks.

The manager was really interested in me at first and the reason I was laid off was because it's not "working out".

There were no new projects assigned to me for about a week so you just see me sitting there doing nothing. :confused:

Also put me in debts now.

mp260767 · 22 Jul 2012 at 03:40

i'll be keeping an eye on this thread, just got told i'm being made redundant after 18 yrs

.

cheap skate company paying the minimum redundancy they can get away with so can't even pay the house off, so close as well to finishing it

.

Number_25 · 22 Jul 2012 at 03:47

What did you work as mp?

Pneumonic · 22 Jul 2012 at 10:23

Belloni said:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1H0tJtSsNpZA9PZcu0L3WiuD4tcuW_DTtR1pbtxnzGB0/edit

I know it's 3 pages and missing address etc but that's just in docs

Perhaps it's the google docs format but your C.V. has a poor structure which makes it difficult to read.

I would suggest something along the following:

Personal Details

Personal Statement (2 - 4 lines)

Key Skills Change depending on the job, try to include the ones that you have that are on the job spec.. 5 - 8 of these is probably a good start no more than 1/4 of the page.

Employment History: When talking about your role keep it concise, also include a bit about what you achieved.. how did you add value as an employee? for the most part if your applying for a role I know that you should have the required skills (or atleast some of them) I am much more interested in how you have previously added value.

Qualifications / Education: List your highest level in detail, everything else in summary.

When writing a C.V. you need to consider the following... the person reviewing your C.V. has probably 10's - 100's of other applicants for that role.. so their first pass is going to be to get rid of as many as they can.. this means taking a 30 second look at your C.V. and going:

1. Does he have the required skills?
2. Can I see any reason to chuck this? - spelling mistakes for instance..

They are not going to spend 5 mins reading through reams of information to gather this info.. much better to present it to them

TheLegendOfMart · 22 Jul 2012 at 10:44

I was advised not to write too much as a description for what you did as a job, just put the gist of it in bullet points, it makes it far easier to read, you can go into detail when you get an interview.

Imagine being an employer having to read hundreds of CVs, yours is in the second half of the pile and they are sick of reading large paragraphs, if they are bullet points they can look and see oh he has this, oh he did that, quickly and easily.

drone · 22 Jul 2012 at 11:44

Things seem to be getting worse round my way lately for jobs and it says temp on the advert ring up and its one days work? These agencies really getting on my nerves also noticed with being in construction that there is more and more self employed vacancies for £6.50 ph is that even minimum wage after being self employed.

mp260767 · 22 Jul 2012 at 18:46

Number_25 said:
What did you work as mp?

IT tech support, problem is it's on ibm hardware, not much around that i've seen so far

.

good luck to everyone looking, hope you get something sorted.

Ev0 · 22 Jul 2012 at 19:50

mp260767 said:
IT tech support, problem is it's on ibm hardware, not much around that i've seen so far .

good luck to everyone looking, hope you get something sorted.

Sort of thing you could go and work for IBM directly maybe, what hardware is it? Clutching at straws but might be an option depending on what it is exactly.

mp260767 · 23 Jul 2012 at 09:03

Ev0 said:
Sort of thing you could go and work for IBM directly maybe, what hardware is it? Clutching at straws but might be an option depending on what it is exactly.

it's known as iSeries, big black boxes

.

IBM is pretty tight as i understand it from someone i know that works there, so pretty difficult to get in.

Rameses · 24 Jul 2012 at 13:21

I think this will be the right thread to ask this,

I'm after some tips regarding emailing an ex-boss of mine regarding some new vacancies I've spotted on their job site, it's been 2 years, left on good terms and I still have contact with a few colleagues and he always asks in passing how I am, but trying to construct an email but I don't specifically want to mention the job but give a general 'if you see/hear anything of interest can you let me know' but a bit more formal as it were. Any idea what I should/shouldn't ask or mention?

Thanks.

manic111 · 24 Jul 2012 at 14:02

AmTechFox said:
I think this will be the right thread to ask this,

I'm after some tips regarding emailing an ex-boss of mine regarding some new vacancies I've spotted on their job site, it's been 2 years, left on good terms and I still have contact with a few colleagues and he always asks in passing how I am, but trying to construct an email but I don't specifically want to mention the job but give a general 'if you see/hear anything of interest can you let me know' but a bit more formal as it were. Any idea what I should/shouldn't ask or mention?

Thanks.

Honestly? Just mention that you've seen they're hiring. No point beating around the bush, it'll just look weird. If they've got the jobs on their site they're being up front with it. You should too.

ash_scotland88 · 29 Jul 2012 at 18:14

Although I'm in a summer job, dont't know when it'll actually end =[
But i feel the job market has taken an other spell of drying up!

rubberduck · 29 Jul 2012 at 18:32

manic111 said:
Honestly? Just mention that you've seen they're hiring. No point beating around the bush, it'll just look weird. If they've got the jobs on their site they're being up front with it. You should too.

This. Just say hi, mention that you have seen they are hiring and ask if is worth you putting in an application.

Meridian · 29 Jul 2012 at 22:33

Ho hum. I've now been applying for about four months, and out of work for nearly three. I've now applied for 54 jobs, all of which I am fully capable of doing. So far I've had:

3 interviews, turned down for all
3 rejections without interview (but at least they responded)
about 11 which are probably too recent to be certain that sifting has been done
37 no response of any kind.

Everything I hear from everybody says this is not unusual, especially for old men like me. We shall see...

BloomerzUK · 29 Jul 2012 at 22:36

Hi all - we've got a vacancy in central Bristol for an Front Line IT Support person:

http://www.sustainitsolutions.co.uk/about-us/job-vacancies.html

Just drop CV's to j.bloomfield 'at' sustainitsolutions.co.uk - I will pass as many as I can to my boss.

Thought I'd let people know