Forgot how bad job searching was :(

[Delvis]

nice work Kristoph, I'm somewhat the same, I need progression and a decent workload...I've recently taken on a job and I can't see the progression being that amazing, coupled with not much technical work I can see myself leaving the IT Industry, particularly Support roles, I honestly can't think of anything else I'd like to get involved with IT wise now

Got the job in oxford I'm now part of the games industry woo! Absolute life goal for me right now!

HAd to properly fight for it though, got rejected twice for 2 jobs, sent an angry email (as they said my current salary wouldn't be matched due to how much training id need...). Email got sent to manager of the team, who liked it, and offered me a junior position so I can prove myself. Bit of a ball ache, but I'm in.

Moving to oxford next weekend

Awesome work buddy, something I always wondered whether to get involved in or not...Especially as Oxford isn't THAT far away from me.

 

[porushinobu]

Judt had my interview for BT openreach, they weren't too chuffed at my provisional license but theres still hope. Still I think I should keep looking, just incase it fails

 

[AndrewNR]

Applying for a job in work (on my lunch, yes lunch at half 3 ) while using work's WiFi.

I do my job searching, applications and agency phone answering/research during work time. No way am I wasting my own time doing it.

 

[regulus]

Thinking power ... ? A science or engineering degree shows more thinking power than a book by Trotsky imo.

A degree has been devalued so much now, its bordering on pointless in doing one.

I have a close friend who is a plumber, he put in the work from his mid 20`s and now at early 40`s he works 4 days a week when clocks change. House paid for, nice cars, too many motorbikes (git) and is always getting handicap down on the golf course.

The secret to his success as a plumber - Being honest.

The sign of a good plumber is that you're not able to get hold of the git without booking a few weeks in advance. My company (as in 'mine') is currently looking for two plumbing contractors to do work for me at THEIR convenience. You tell me when you have time and I can book you in for a few jobs... You'd think I'm reaching for the stars here. Impossible to get one, never mind two without giving away profit. In fact, I'm just about to accept that any plumbing work that falls into the scope of work I'm bidding for would lose me money.

I was so desperate the other day that I had to Google how to change a low level cistern and do it myself

If I had my time over, I'd qualify as a carpenter and plumber and make myself a million bucks by age 30.

 

[sports_brah]

nice work Kristoph, I'm somewhat the same, I need progression and a decent workload...I've recently taken on a job and I can't see the progression being that amazing, coupled with not much technical work I can see myself leaving the IT Industry, particularly Support roles, I honestly can't think of anything else I'd like to get involved with IT wise now

Awesome work buddy, something I always wondered whether to get involved in or not...Especially as Oxford isn't THAT far away from me.

You started this thread 5 years ago, surely you must have an idea by now?

Sounds to me like you need to take a risk or two.

 

[Delvis]

You started this thread 5 years ago, surely you must have an idea by now?

Sounds to me like you need to take a risk or two.

No idea what so ever buddy

 

[The Funktopus]

Rather depressingly, I've had it confirmed that my start date has been pushed back to October now, by a company that has a rather towering reputation for benevolence toward it's employees.

So, I now find myself scrabbling round to find temp work to tide me over until such time as I get a start date, filling out form after form for agencies you know full well aren't going to bother contacting you again.

So yeah, I've gone from buzzing about working for this company, to worrying about how I'll pay the bills for the next few months.

 

[sports_brah]

No idea what so ever buddy

Get a thinking!

What's your qualifications, current position and interests?

Rather depressingly, I've had it confirmed that my start date has been pushed back to October now, by a company that has a rather towering reputation for benevolence toward it's employees.

So, I now find myself scrabbling round to find temp work to tide me over until such time as I get a start date, filling out form after form for agencies you know full well aren't going to bother contacting you again.

So yeah, I've gone from buzzing about working for this company, to worrying about how I'll pay the bills for the next few months.

Chin up dude. I'm guessing its a permanent post after October?

Use the time before then to better yourself. Think of it as an opportunity.

 

[Delvis]

Get a thinking!

What's your qualifications, current position and interests?

No qualifications. IT technician. No idea...

I like drawing, lifting, science stuff, archaeology, technology development stuff...I am however starting to not enjoy IT Support and want to change to something more career worthy, I'm just a bit lost.

 

[sports_brah]

No qualifications. IT technician. No idea...

I like drawing, lifting, science stuff, archaeology, technology development stuff...I am however starting to not enjoy IT Support and want to change to something more career worthy, I'm just a bit lost.

For career, I can't see qualifications hurting to be honest. Have you got A-Levels, or enough to get you to University or at least onto a OU course?

How old are you?

The reason I ask is that I had the same problem once upon a time. I was completely lost and drifted. I signed up for stuff I shouldn't have, and pursued careers that were not good (all before I was 20 ). In the end I went for further education, namely a business degree. It didn't really help fill the gap so to speak, but it helped me enormously to develop. I've just done my Masters as a result of that choice, and the end result is a really good job at an investment bank.

I'm sure others will tell me I'm being unrealistic, but it sounds like you need some space to develop yourself. Maybe a degree isn't appropriate, but if you're already questioning things, then it means the mind wants more!

 

[RedvGreen]

Found out today that my CEO created my team and got the budget set aside for our salaries to be around £10k more than what we are getting (already including pensions and other expenses factored in). We've asked every year to be bumped up in salary to be equal to our peers across the industry, and across our workforce, but he keeps knocking us back. Folks without our quals and training, and some 4-5yrs younger are getting more for doing less than we are. We got the 'IT' stigma attached to our line of work though.

With this latest revelation, it appears that he has funding given to provide us with that salary, however we're not getting it. So where is it going?

Very frustrating situation, and very difficult with how to consider the best way to deal with it.

- Do nothing? Then you get nothing and go nowhere. Opportunities and payrises don't get given for nothing.

- Challenge him? Then you are at risk of alienating him (further).

- Discuss it with him? Then you provide enough time for him to weasel out of it.

- Go above him, to the people who provide the funding? Then you risk killing the entire revenue stream and putting yourself out of work!

- Get a job elsewhere? He won't learn and the fairness/equality will still not exist.

 

[semi-pro waster]

Found out today that my CEO created my team and got the budget set aside for our salaries to be around £10k more than what we are getting (already including pensions and other expenses factored in).

How did you find this out? It might be relevant to the approach you can take - was it told to you in confidence, did you happen across some documentation or is it something that you can directly take to your CEO?

Do you like your job (and the people you work with) generally speaking? Can you group together with your co-workers to present a united front? What evidence have you presented to show that you are underpaid in comparison to your peers. What reasons has your CEO given regarding why you shouldn't be paid more? What opportunities are there in your area to move jobs easily (or indeed are you willing to move elsewhere)? Are you meeting or exceeding targets and have good performance reviews?

Depending on the answers to the questions if it were me I might be inclined to have a conversation with the CEO to explain that you feel you are underpaid in comparison to peers, present the evidence to back up your claim and hopefully he acknowledges that it needs addressed. If he still doesn't or doesn't give a promise to address it in a reasonable timescale then it might be time to bring in the knowledge that there is budget available but remember if you do that then you show your hand and may have to be ready to move jobs.

If there's budget for higher wages and it's not getting used then it's possible it is being used to provide what is effectively a contingency in case there are overspends elsewhere in the team's budget. This might be something that your CEOs bonus is linked to so if he can show tight control of finance then that will help him. There's also an outside chance that it's being pocketed but that's pretty unlikely I'd have thought.

 

[.temp]

best advice is never give up on it.


i searched since january to get a new job as I really dislike where I currently am...a few weeks ago got an interview and nailed it and the subsequent following one too. Now I start my new job working for one of the biggest computing and technology companies (not sure i'm allowed to say who)....granted I start at in a store doing sales to start but the progression is there.

never give up

 

[Delvis]

For career, I can't see qualifications hurting to be honest. Have you got A-Levels, or enough to get you to University or at least onto a OU course?

How old are you?

The reason I ask is that I had the same problem once upon a time. I was completely lost and drifted. I signed up for stuff I shouldn't have, and pursued careers that were not good (all before I was 20 ). In the end I went for further education, namely a business degree. It didn't really help fill the gap so to speak, but it helped me enormously to develop. I've just done my Masters as a result of that choice, and the end result is a really good job at an investment bank.

I'm sure others will tell me I'm being unrealistic, but it sounds like you need some space to develop yourself. Maybe a degree isn't appropriate, but if you're already questioning things, then it means the mind wants more!

No A-levels, pretty poor GCSE's, best is a C in Art. And I'm 28. University never interested me unless it was specifically going towards something, so not something like English.

 

[.temp]

No A-levels, pretty poor GCSE's, best is a C in Art. And I'm 28. University never interested me unless it was specifically going towards something, so not something like English.

got a webcam?

heard you can make a pretty penny with that

 

[Dunks]

Anyone here work in Mechanical Engineering, specifically in London?

 

[sports_brah]

No A-levels, pretty poor GCSE's, best is a C in Art. And I'm 28. University never interested me unless it was specifically going towards something, so not something like English.

I'd definitely at least try and get A-Levels, as the lack of qualifications will surely hinder your opportunities, especially in the areas of Maths, English & Science, which a lot of people take as read.

I can understand the reluctance towards something like English , but I do think you should strongly set aside some time to think clearly about what to do.

You're 28 at the moment, which is a fine age for changing, and in 5 years you could change everything.

Don't let 5 years swing by and then think ****.

Bit of a trite saying, but still valid:

 

[The Funktopus]

Chin up dude. I'm guessing its a permanent post after October?

Use the time before then to better yourself. Think of it as an opportunity.

It will be a permanent post, yes.

It's their attitude that I find most worrying. I got an email out of the blue to the effect of 'Hi. Hope you're well, just to let you know that we won't have any slots available on board now until September/October', to which I raised an objection as they'd told me July/ August at the latest at the interview stage, and acknowledge doing so in subsequent emails, which meant (and I did tell them this at the time) I'd have to resign from my current position to ensure I'd be available for the approximate start date they gave me. To then suddenly push it back, knowing full well I've left a job for them shows a complete disregard for the impact that their decisions have on others.

 

[GAC]

yeah gotta love when that happens funktopus, i interviewed for G4S got told the following day i had the job if i pass the security checks and my references pan out. so 6 weeks later i email and ask where i stand and a couple of days later i get informed iv passed everything but theres no jobs for me anymore !?

when i pushed them on what happened i get some bs about i live too far out of manchester as im on public transport.

personally now im trying to get in to the photography game as a career, signed up for some jobcentre business mentoring course see how much use if any that will be, just had enough of being mucked about so may as well be my own boss.

 

[RedvGreen]

yeah gotta love when that happens funktopus, i interviewed for G4S got told the following day i had the job if i pass the security checks and my references pan out. so 6 weeks later i email and ask where i stand and a couple of days later i get informed iv passed everything but theres no jobs for me anymore !?

when i pushed them on what happened i get some bs about i live too far out of manchester as im on public transport.

personally now im trying to get in to the photography game as a career, signed up for some jobcentre business mentoring course see how much use if any that will be, just had enough of being mucked about so may as well be my own boss.

Photography is a risky risky career move.

Many people - my own family - move into it as a retirement career. You will NOT make money unless you capture an absolutely rare unique one-in-a-billion shot, and then somehow manage to sell it to Microsoft, Apple or Ikea. Sadly many of those big brands actually have thousands of images sent to them each day for free, just for the photographer to get some 'exposure' (pun unintended).

You will only make an absolute pittance sellings prints, as many people think 'That's a nice shot, I'll try it myself, thanks for the idea'.

Weddings are the staple earner for photographers, and these are ultra-competitive on pricing, and fairly stressful.

The only other obvious earning potential is working in media or as a paparazzi freelancer, which is not stable income and if your gear gets stolen/damaged/breaks, you are screwed.

With the advent of Digital cameras, and even those cameras on smart phones (which can produce incredible photographs in the right settings and conditions), people have devalued a skilled photographer, not through being as good as them, but through misplaced over-confidence in their own ability, and their inability to see the awesomeness of a good skilled photographer shot.