Suspended
Be better.
seriously, what do i have to do to get a job!?!?!?!?
- Thread starter jabroni_83
- Start date
Soldato
A good example of what not to put in your CV:
Associate
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- 23 Jul 2006
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Lashout_UK said:A good example of what not to put in your CV:
Associate
Photoshop 
Hang in there. I hadn't worked since february, and only got my current IT job last month. At the beginning i applied to jobs every now and then, but towards July i basically sat infront of the computer 9-5 applying online, had to as i was running out of cash quick and the boredom was driving me mad. Nothing worse than being bored out of your head today, and knowing tomorrow is going to be exactly the same. When i started to take job hunting seriously (applying from 9-5) i got roughly 2 calls a day to schedule interviews, so i was doing ok. You just really have to work hard in looking for work, treat it as a job in itself. i also strived to learn at the same time so i could add stuff to my cv, i got my hands on MCSE related info, studied it, and mentioned it on my cv. When you do things off your own back, using your own initiative and drive, without it being organised by others, it really counts.
Persist.jabroni_83 said:
Last time I advertised a position, I got more than 200 applications. With the best will in the world, that means at least 200 disappointed candidates.
Obviously, I have no idea why you haven't been successful, and there may be a reason, but it equally may well just be that some other candidate was better suited.
So, look over your applications carefully, think about what you say and don't say, try to see it from the perspective of someone trying to weed 200+ applications down to a handful (probably ten at most) to interview, and look for :-
- anything the potential employer may not like, and reject your application because of
- anything he's likely to be looking for that makes you stand out as a good candidate, that isn't there.
If you have to think 200 applications down to a handful, the criteria you use to do it can be merciless. For instance, sending a CV claiming you have "attention to detail", and then having loads of spelling mistakes, or suggesting that the reason you haven't worked for two months is the time the unfair dismissal claim you were taking against your previous employer was taking (and yes, I did get that one
). It may just be that your handwriting is dreadful. It may be that other candidates are better qualified, or have better experience, or that you're over-qualified.One thing that often does it is the quality of the application and/or CV, and I don't mean spelling. I do NOT want a 10-page autobiography, for instance. I want all the relevant information clearly and concisely presented, and easy to access. If it's going to take me an hour to read through page after page of detailed description of every nut and bolt of your last job, the application won't even get read. It'll get binned. The ONLY point of a CV is to get you an interview. As an employer, you need to provide the necessary information, and do it in a simple, clear and concise manner, and you need to do enough to get into the pile of 10, rather than the pile of 190+. And that's ALL you need to do. So try to think about what I (the employer) wants/expects to see, and what I'm looking to find.
Essentially, if I'm looking to eliminate 190 out of 200, it doesn't have to be much for an application to end up on the 'rejection' pile, does it? I know it seems harsh and unfeeling, but at the end of the day, I don't have time to conduct 200 interviews and I generally don't need to do more than ten .... so why should I? Also, if I can get the right person from ten, why drag another 190 in for an interview, only raising their hopes unnecessarily?
One more point. Of that 200, many are obviously not going into the "interview" list, and are easy to eliminate. I can generally halve the list very easily. It should be easy for a good candidate to stay out of that group. I can probably knock it down to 50 relatively easily, and it need be no reflection on the quality of those not in the top 50. Getting 50 down to 10 can be quite hard, and sometimes it's very small things that make the difference. It might be something as simple as a hobby or sport that intrigues me.
Beyond that, just keep trying. You're playing a numbers game, and by definition, you can't know the standard of the competition. You only need to be up against one candidate, per position, that's marginally better suited than you and you're probably out of luck. I know this is a depressing reality, but none the less, it is a reality. So ..... persist. It's about all you can do, other than refining and fine-tuning your applications.
And, when I say I got 200+ applicants, I've known others get several times that number.
Soldato
Freefaller said:Not necessarily the marine industry, but I'm just a little tired/bored of the constant travelling and putting my life on hold for my job - certainly for the pay I get and the hours and inconvenience I go through!I'm less techy oriented now, I'm less fussed about doing this sort of stuff - I've done it all, from cable monkey to hardware/software programming to project/team leading... I just fancy a change... just a general sense of growing apathy I guess..
Thats a sign that you're getting old mate!
So true.Chronos-X said:
I found myself in a bit of a "You lack working experience" / "Your too qualified for this position" trap after leaving uni.
Basically the lower end jobs they said I was over qualified for (basically we know you will leave as soon as you can) but these were the ones I needed to get the experience for the higher level jobs. Bit of a catch 22.
Good luck with it though. You might have to expand your search criteria a bit and consider a side door into your chosen profession which is what I'm currently doing.
Geoff said:Persist.
Last time I advertised a position, I got more than 200 applications. With the best will in the world, that means at least 200 disappointed candidates.
Obviously, I have no idea why you haven't been successful, and there may be a reason, but it equally may well just be that some other candidate was better suited.
So, look over your applications carefully, think about what you say and don't say, try to see it from the perspective of someone trying to weed 200+ applications down to a handful (probably ten at most) to interview, and look for :-
- anything the potential employer may not like, and reject your application because of
- anything he's likely to be looking for that makes you stand out as a good candidate, that isn't there.
If you have to think 200 applications down to a handful, the criteria you use to do it can be merciless. For instance, sending a CV claiming you have "attention to detail", and then having loads of spelling mistakes, or suggesting that the reason you haven't worked for two months is the time the unfair dismissal claim you were taking against your previous employer was taking (and yes, I did get that one
One thing that often does it is the quality of the application and/or CV, and I don't mean spelling. I do NOT want a 10-page autobiography, for instance. I want all the relevant information clearly and concisely presented, and easy to access. If it's going to take me an hour to read through page after page of detailed description of every nut and bolt of your last job, the application won't even get read. It'll get binned. The ONLY point of a CV is to get you an interview. As an employer, you need to provide the necessary information, and do it in a simple, clear and concise manner, and you need to do enough to get into the pile of 10, rather than the pile of 190+. And that's ALL you need to do. So try to think about what I (the employer) wants/expects to see, and what I'm looking to find.
Essentially, if I'm looking to eliminate 190 out of 200, it doesn't have to be much for an application to end up on the 'rejection' pile, does it? I know it seems harsh and unfeeling, but at the end of the day, I don't have time to conduct 200 interviews and I generally don't need to do more than ten .... so why should I? Also, if I can get the right person from ten, why drag another 190 in for an interview, only raising their hopes unnecessarily?
One more point. Of that 200, many are obviously not going into the "interview" list, and are easy to eliminate. I can generally halve the list very easily. It should be easy for a good candidate to stay out of that group. I can probably knock it down to 50 relatively easily, and it need be no reflection on the quality of those not in the top 50. Getting 50 down to 10 can be quite hard, and sometimes it's very small things that make the difference. It might be something as simple as a hobby or sport that intrigues me.
Beyond that, just keep trying. You're playing a numbers game, and by definition, you can't know the standard of the competition. You only need to be up against one candidate, per position, that's marginally better suited than you and you're probably out of luck. I know this is a depressing reality, but none the less, it is a reality. So ..... persist. It's about all you can do, other than refining and fine-tuning your applications.
And, when I say I got 200+ applicants, I've known others get several times that number.
I much easier & quicker way is just throw 190 CV's straight into the bin without looking at them, this saves you from employing unlucky people
Man of Honour
leaskovski said:Thats a sign that you're getting old mate!
Oh good God no... make it stop... please!
True, but any batch of 200 CVs typically includes a proportion of totally unsuited applicants, and your lottery technique increases my chances of wasting much more time interviewing such disasters than it does spending a minute or two eliminating CVs, and missing the real gems.paul8811 said:I much easier & quicker way is just throw 190 CV's straight into the bin without looking at them, this saves you from employing unlucky people
Thanks for the suggestion, though. I did, I'll admit, get a good chortle from the thought of it.
I've been job hunting since June too! It's getting a bit depressing now really, BUT i do seem to be able to get interviews I've had about 7 or 8 interviews now, and a few more coming up, so it's not all bad.
The main bit which people seem to reject me for is experience, though i'd say, this just seems to be something everyone says so they don't have to give real reasons
I should find something soon i'd have thought, and i've widened my search area to about half of the country now
Keep at it, and make sure you don't limit yourself to much. Be willing to move to another area, and apply for jobs that aren't perfectly suitable. You have to remember that what the adverts advertise, and what the job actually is, are two different things!
I've had about 7 or 8 interviews now, and a few more coming up, so it's not all bad.The main bit which people seem to reject me for is experience, though i'd say, this just seems to be something everyone says so they don't have to give real reasons
I should find something soon i'd have thought, and i've widened my search area to about half of the country now
Keep at it, and make sure you don't limit yourself to much. Be willing to move to another area, and apply for jobs that aren't perfectly suitable. You have to remember that what the adverts advertise, and what the job actually is, are two different things!
Caporegime
You say you have supported friends and family for 7 years?
Try doing it 9 - 5 Monday to friday, literally doing nothing but fixing PC's, then you can say you have experience. Because you never know what problems are going to happen etc. My Suggestion? find a job as something like a builder monkey and work your way up from there. Climb the ladder, you will gain so much from starting from the bottom and working your way up. Gotta get your real experience from somewhere
And as far as "ive been job hunting since June" I was doing it since christmas, and only got the job 6 weeks ago, and now don't have it anymore, so I'm looking for a job again! Hunting since June isn't very long
Try doing it 9 - 5 Monday to friday, literally doing nothing but fixing PC's, then you can say you have experience. Because you never know what problems are going to happen etc. My Suggestion? find a job as something like a builder monkey and work your way up from there. Climb the ladder, you will gain so much from starting from the bottom and working your way up. Gotta get your real experience from somewhere
And as far as "ive been job hunting since June" I was doing it since christmas, and only got the job 6 weeks ago, and now don't have it anymore, so I'm looking for a job again! Hunting since June isn't very long
Phate said:
Exactly what i did (and am sort of still doing but field based now). Seemed easy to get into the very low level (started on sub £14k), and am slowly working up. To be honest though i am beginning to think IT isnt for me, it gets really draining at times and for little reward.
Man of Honour
Jez said:
I'll echo that.
Jez said:
this is exactly what i've been trying to do (looking at around £12k for entry level work) but even doing this seems like a nightmare to get in on atm. i'm well aware i havent got an commercial experience and would love to get some but am at a bit of a loss as to what to apply for now! ah well, guess i'll just keep looking