Forgot how bad job searching was :(

TheLegendOfMart said:
Trying to get info for my father.

He has been out of work for 3 months but has potentially scored himself a job after being called back for second interview.

The problem is that the wages are monthly paid, I don't have much to spare but I will help where I can but how is he expected to last a month without pay or benefits?

I know he can get a 4 week run on with housing benefit but that doesn't buy his dinners or bus fares to work.

Is there no job center fund that can help him?

I tried ringing and they wont deal with me, I asked my father to ring and they only told him about the discretionary fund that can help with 'expenses' like interview clothes and such.

I looked up the Social Fund but that could take a month in itself from application to payment assuming they accept it.
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talk to the employer, they may be able to give him an advance. That will obviously mean his end of month pay check is slightly lower, but still.

Apparently there isn something called a 4 week run on also form JSA?

http://www.nidirect.gov.uk/benefits-and-help-when-going-back-to-work
http://www.nidirect.gov.uk/index/in...rt/employed-or-looking-for-work/job-grant.htm
 
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Trying to get my wife an admin job (she has a background as a healthcare assistant in the NHS for 6yrs, customer services and most recently a teaching assistant in the international school here) yet it seems a complete nightmare to try and get even an interview for a role!

Like, seriously a pain. It's a bloody admin role for christ sakes!! She could do the job blindfolded yet she gets "currently not in an admin role" or "people with better suited qualifications..." it's a bloody ADMIN ROLE!!!!???

UGHHHH! Getting annoying now.
 
Rids said:
I know that professional CV writing services have been pretty maligned here previously - but has anybody had a good experience with one and would recommend them?
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No - from experience, they offer very little. I tried a free review but the guy just unleashed a torrent of vitriol about how bad it was (trying to make you feel insecure) then stated he was the only one to save the world. Odd how I managed to get a job without a problem..

Had a bit of a slow break with lots of family and car stuff.. but woke up last night at 2am, my head going into overdrive about jobs. So I spent 2-4am doing job applications before heading back to sleep.

Starting to consider looking at the contracting market otherwise I'd have atrophied too much..

Agent says they want to talk to find out what I really want because I've applied to two roles 2 months apart without any feedback (regardless of chasing). The large agency is not doing their clients justice if they're blocking CVs for other clients based on the fact that they don't want an awkward conversation that they took over 2 months without any feedback.
That to me is exceptionally bad professional conduct.

Problem is that a lot of agencies are using the fact that people apply online resulting in 100s of applicants as justification.

Times where simpler when you could apply by writing a paper letter.. then get a response.
 
My technique while looking for a job a few months ago was to plan everything out into a spreadsheet. I would apply to a job, note down the closing date of applications and make a reminder for 2 weeks after that date. Once it reaches that 2 week mark with no word, send a polite email to see what the status is and then after another 2 weeks, move it into the "rejected" column.

I just ended up slowly cranking out applications and then to forget about them until the reminder pops up to follow them up. It becomes easier that way when getting rejected as it just becomes a process. I graduated uni recently and landed a job after 24 applications
 
My Architecture practice is 5 years old now, somewhere in this thread is my early concerns about starting up. Its been a slog in the recession but its done well and are now about to employ someone out of university which feels quite cool to be honest.
 
LOAM said:
My Architecture practice is 5 years old now, somewhere in this thread is my early concerns about starting up. Its been a slog in the recession but its done well and are now about to employ someone out of university which feels quite cool to be honest.
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Congrats, well done :). Would you do it again in hindsight?
 
alx said:
Congrats, well done :). Would you do it again in hindsight?
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Yeah absolutely, its hard work starting from zero with no client list and quite daunting as it was borne from redundancy for me at my last practice so it wasn't like we had a project to start out with.

I've learned so much though about running a practice at a management level and found that I really enjoy parts of it that I thought I never would and every £ earned still makes me smile knowing its been earned by the company I helped start up.

It would be harder to go back to being employed I think, than doing it again.
 
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SeriousBusiness said:
My technique while looking for a job a few months ago was to plan everything out into a spreadsheet. I would apply to a job, note down the closing date of applications and make a reminder for 2 weeks after that date. Once it reaches that 2 week mark with no word, send a polite email to see what the status is and then after another 2 weeks, move it into the "rejected" column.

I just ended up slowly cranking out applications and then to forget about them until the reminder pops up to follow them up. It becomes easier that way when getting rejected as it just becomes a process. I graduated uni recently and landed a job after 24 applications
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Yup - agreed, I do this too.

The main issue is that some companies are even slower - often it's 3-4 weeks before they've decided if they want to interview with more senior positions. Couple small and senior.. and it can take a while.

What I've found is that agents will contact you. Then give it a chase each week but usually I mark most as a terminal if they're not returned in 2-3 weeks.

Direct will often give you a return but the larger companies using software based filtering often don't even respond - that pushes my buttons as it's very bad manners (and the fact the software isn't being used to confirm rejection shows a slack HR department).
 
Hmm mixed bag today.. applied to a financial opportunity via an agent this morning, upon discussing it later today it turns out it's a micro-loans style company.. something I hate with a passion (goes against personal POV) so I've retracted the application.
Also got contacted by another agent.. interesting opportunity..

Been averaging two applications a day at the moment, but I need to get this up to three or four. That's two after searching and ensuring i've not applied to them or they're way out of date.

Tomorrow sees week 5 of one opportunity - I've emailed the agent but no response but it's not unusual for him to not respond for a couple of days. Giving this one the benefit of the doubt because it's interesting. Will call him tomorrow because it sounds like either it's a negative or the company has problems justifying the position..

Applications direct take priority, and I'll start looking at contracting again I think.. really think the economy has slowed - regardless of what people are saying..
 
What's everyones thoughts on this!!

I am a freelancer and have a opportunity to meet the design team at a low/mid level marketing agency, whom I think (imo) I could produce better work than they current have advertised on their website.
I have a portfolio of stuff that will impress but I want to make it more relevant to their style.

Would it be arrogant and obnoxious to take the ideas they did and rework and redo to show them they could have been better? I am thinking yes atm.

My problem is I have been working for individuals and small business when designing, they are working for much larger ones. I can create fake work with big companies that shows my talent, but a lot of people overlook you if you haven't worked in a big agency regardless of your abilities. I want to impress them but am treading a fine line of looking like a ****
 
ChroniC said:
What's everyones thoughts on this!!

I am a freelancer and have a opportunity to meet the design team at a low/mid level marketing agency, whom I think (imo) I could produce better work than they current have advertised on their website.
I have a portfolio of stuff that will impress but I want to make it more relevant to their style.

Would it be arrogant and obnoxious to take the ideas they did and rework and redo to show them they could have been better? I am thinking yes atm.

My problem is I have been working for individuals and small business when designing, they are working for much larger ones. I can create fake work with big companies that shows my talent, but a lot of people overlook you if you haven't worked in a big agency regardless of your abilities. I want to impress them but am treading a fine line of looking like a ****
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My sister is a freelance illustrator and did exactly what you think for a variety of companies she did work for. It worked very well for her.
 
Rids said:
Argh.
Had my pay showdown discussion with our Finance Director today after complaining that I was drastically underpaid after a complete redesign of my entire job role and a whole heap more responsibility placed on me. They've done their own benchmarking and apparently I'm at the very bottom end of the benchmark but I'm just about in it so they are not prepared to offer me any more money as it is not within the budget.
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Basically they are happy to pay you the minimum they can for the role.

The thing is they are then likely to offer you more money once you hand in your notice. At this point after going through all the interviews i am always inclined to leave still unless there was an amazing counter offer.
 
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