Job hunting

Associate
Joined
5 Mar 2009
Posts
33
Is anyone else looking for work at the moment and finding it incredibly frustrating? I'm a graduate and have been promised the earth by the Uni and the government but atm I'm not even getting news back from applications let alone interviews! :(
 
Permabanned
Joined
3 Jul 2008
Posts
3,762
Location
My fabulous ship
Is anyone else looking for work at the moment and finding it incredibly frustrating? I'm a graduate and have been promised the earth by the Uni and the government but atm I'm not even getting news back from applications let alone interviews! :(

got a job but always looking to better my position and it's really dry out there atm, one years experience/graduate is a really difficult position to be in. Once you got the 2+ years experience though there are plenty of jobs out there. 3+ years and you're rammed. I get on average 4+ different agents asking if Im interested in work but nothing ever comes of them :/ its always better experienced people than I which is really frustrating. Why advertise for a junior position if your taking a guy with +3 years experience? if they are still a junior by then they are in the wrong industry.
 
Soldato
Joined
14 Jun 2009
Posts
4,172
Location
North East
ex is having the same issues, she's had god knows how many interviews, and the majority of the have told her she's "overqualified" tomorrow she gets to stop traffic and survey them in Portsmouth somewhere, so if any of you southerners are stopped on your way somewhere, be polite lol, she's taken the only job she could get, and it's a one day only thing too :/

she got offered an interview with one company looking for graduates, and it turns out they're just a massive pyramid scheme, Co & Co is the company, aka "powerhouse" but just a massive dodgy con of door to door selling :/
 
Soldato
Joined
7 Mar 2005
Posts
17,481
Experience on its own is no good if it isn't relevant to the job being applied for. If you've never worked in finance and the description says "Essential: experience within the finance sector" there's no point wasting your time. Far too many applicants at the moment. As for myself, hopefully with certifications and a degree being added on to my experience it will be enough to improve the situation...

ex is having the same issues, she's had god knows how many interviews, and the majority of the have told her she's "overqualified" tomorrow she gets to stop traffic and survey them in Portsmouth somewhere, so if any of you southerners are stopped on your way somewhere, be polite lol, she's taken the only job she could get, and it's a one day only thing too :/

she got offered an interview with one company looking for graduates, and it turns out they're just a massive pyramid scheme, Co & Co is the company, aka "powerhouse" but just a massive dodgy con of door to door selling :/

Sorry to hear that buddy, by the way how's the Microsoft job going?

/OT - did you get MSN working? :)
 
Associate
OP
Joined
5 Mar 2009
Posts
33
I recently got kicked back from one place for being overqualified for a 1stline support job... I've got 12months as a Uni work placement but I don't have enough experience for second line? How can I win?:p

I've rang a few places back and they've said basically that the position had been filled. I swear I'm on about 10 recruitment websites.
 
Soldato
Joined
1 Oct 2003
Posts
14,341
Location
Huddersfield
Go for any role in the field you're interested in, try not to be picky about pay, obviously don't sell yourself short, but you may have to set aside some ideas about jumping into a great job/salary straight after Uni. Once you've got a couple of years experience in the field you're persuing then things should be easier.
 
Soldato
Joined
7 Mar 2005
Posts
17,481
I recently got kicked back from one place for being overqualified for a 1stline support job... I've got 12months as a Uni work placement but I don't have enough experience for second line? How can I win?:p

I've rang a few places back and they've said basically that the position had been filled. I swear I'm on about 10 recruitment websites.

Did you build up any contacts while in university? Networking seems to be the way into the job 80% of the time..
 
Soldato
Joined
14 Jun 2009
Posts
4,172
Location
North East
Sorry to hear that buddy, by the way how's the Microsoft job going?

/OT - did you get MSN working? :)

well I've not heard from them, so I'm expecting I'll be starting on the latter end of the time scale they gave me, which is end of Nov/beginning of Dec, so nearly a year since the actually offered me the job :/

as for msn, no idea, I've pretty much given up on it at the moment, damn thing's just annoying me and I refuse to waste any more time on it at the moment lol

but anyway, when I was job searching or myself, it certainly wasn't easy, companies in my field only want the best, they don't want to waste time and money training people, getting them to speed, so if your work isn't as good as their current team, you've no chance, hence me starting from the very bottom and working upwards, when I get the chance :/
 
Associate
OP
Joined
5 Mar 2009
Posts
33
Did you build up any contacts while in university? Networking seems to be the way into the job 80% of the time..

I've had a ring around various people and had some good leads but most dont tend to pan out. Loads of places are tightening the purse strings but I'm 'on the list when we start recruiting again'.

Go for any role in the field you're interested in, try not to be picky about pay, obviously don't sell yourself short, but you may have to set aside some ideas about jumping into a great job/salary straight after Uni. Once you've got a couple of years experience in the field you're persuing then things should be easier.
I'm working in Asda atm which has been part time for 7 years+. Been applying for all tech support jobs I've come across. It's just so frustrating, cant even get interviews for the jobs I don't want! Don't suppose anyone has vacancies going where they work? ;):p
 
Soldato
Joined
7 Mar 2005
Posts
17,481
well I've not heard from them, so I'm expecting I'll be starting on the latter end of the time scale they gave me, which is end of Nov/beginning of Dec, so nearly a year since the actually offered me the job :/

What a load of bull...

but anyway, when I was job searching or myself, it certainly wasn't easy, companies in my field only want the best, they don't want to waste time and money training people, getting them to speed, so if your work isn't as good as their current team, you've no chance, hence me starting from the very bottom and working upwards, when I get the chance :/

Nobody seems to want to train these days. Its either you know everything going in, or you don't get in. Not so bad with a software-based role but you still need to know what you're doing.

I'm working in Asda atm which has been part time for 7 years+. Been applying for all tech support jobs I've come across. It's just so frustrating, cant even get interviews for the jobs I don't want! Don't suppose anyone has vacancies going where they work? ;) :p

Hey, at least Asda hired you :p
 
Associate
Joined
22 Dec 2005
Posts
1,196
Location
Cardiff
Is anyone else looking for work at the moment and finding it incredibly frustrating? I'm a graduate and have been promised the earth by the Uni and the government but atm I'm not even getting news back from applications let alone interviews! :(

It's a tough market mate, I just secured my first "graduate" job a few weeks back (starting 26th). At the end of the day you just need to grind the applications out, make your CV as readable as possible and more importantly edit a covering letter for the company your applying to.

You will get there eventually, unfortunately there £25k+ dream grad jobs just aren't going to drop on your mat, its often best especially now to just get your foot in the door at a company you like and work up. You degree will help your pay scale eventually.

Also don't not look at jobs on the Jobcentre plus website, graduate roles and good jobs do get listed on there quite often, especially if your prepared to move.
 
Soldato
Joined
13 Jan 2003
Posts
23,627
Is anyone else looking for work at the moment and finding it incredibly frustrating? I'm a graduate and have been promised the earth by the Uni and the government but atm I'm not even getting news back from applications let alone interviews! :(

All down to budgets, CVs and sheer bloody-minded effort unfortunately.

Be prepared to chase the role you want.
 
Last edited:

Nix

Nix

Soldato
Joined
26 Dec 2005
Posts
19,841
A year out of university and I finally found a job which just about pays minimum wage. The experience could be handy though, besides I don't intend on staying there forever! Using the time to get myself back on my feet, pay off a few things and then save for others.

You're in for a very hard slog and even then you might end up with little or nothing to show for it, but such is the way of things at the moment. Be flexible and don't wait for things to come to you. Apply, apply, and apply.
 
Associate
OP
Joined
5 Mar 2009
Posts
33
Thanks for all the advice, I find it amazing that someone who want to work for a living can't seem to get a job for love nor money atm. It might be easier on the dole :p (not that I would) but you can see why people might.
 
Soldato
Joined
7 Mar 2005
Posts
17,481
Thanks for all the advice, I find it amazing that someone who want to work for a living can't seem to get a job for love nor money atm. It might be easier on the dole :p (not that I would) but you can see why people might.

If you've got nobody else to turn to... sigh. But lets not go down that road, there's a big enough thread in here already. Like I said, at least you've got a part-time job in Asda, some of us have absolutely nothing to show for our apparent intelligence.
 
Soldato
Joined
13 Jan 2003
Posts
23,627
Thanks for all the advice, I find it amazing that someone who want to work for a living can't seem to get a job for love nor money atm. It might be easier on the dole :p (not that I would) but you can see why people might.

Money = jobs = money = jobs = ... ad infinitum. Your job is just numbers on a business ledger at the end of the day.

You may have to broaden your search criteria. Network and make as many friends as possible.

I was originally looking for a pure product manager job. The fun is that I'm coming in with a technical qualification rather than a marketing/MBA degree. So although I have real-world experience of doing the PM job.. I only have 'two' years (more like four) and no degree.. so it looks like I'm going to have to go for a technical job such as chief architect - a job that I can do with my eyes closed.. but that same PM experience means I can go for the high end ones (my previous role is CTO of a product that is larger than small company turnover.. :D)

If you scrub out the personal details and identifying things - we can critique your CV and perhaps suggest ideas.
 
Last edited:
Associate
Joined
26 Oct 2006
Posts
203
I finished uni in june and still haven't found a job yet, and i've lost count of the number of applications i've sent out.

I can count the number of replies i've had on one hand, only had one interview so far but haven't heard back from them yet so not looking good.
 
Associate
Joined
29 Dec 2007
Posts
1,414
Location
London
I graduated in July with a 2.1 in Computer Science, had been applying for everything left, right and center since December. Honestly must have applied to atleast 40 places, only got 3 interviews! But i've now managed to land a job as a junior systems engineer at a software development company. Pants wage, but they want to pay for me to do Microsoft exams (their gold certified) along with a £750 increase for each pass, which is nice! I'm purely doing it for the experience, give it a 2 years and i'll be sorted :D .Hang on in there, something is bound to come along.
 
Back
Top Bottom