The job hunting support thread

[purenarcotic]

Can I ask for advice/opinions please?

I’ve been in my job since August 2019 (newly qualified in professional, stat regulated role). It’s been really shit mostly and I’ve been very unhappy and already been off with stress last year.
I moved to a new team a month ago and it’s much better. Less stressful role, more supportive, better supervision and team work but it’s the same organisation and the issues are still there. I feel really unhappy even though I like the job. I don’t want to grow to despise the role completely after waiting 20 years and spending 60k to qualify.

My friend does the same role I’ve just moved to for a charity and has been trying to get me to apply for ages. She’s messaged again today and there’s a job closing tomorrow. Slightly better money, OOH pay and home working allowance. Good wellbeing support and she’s really really happy there.
I’m really tempted to apply but it’s a 6 month fixed term contract. Friend said all the jobs are initially but she’d bet her job on it being made permanent and hers was after 3 months.
I really want to go for it but I’m scared.
We don’t have savings or any buffer, I could afford to be out of work for 2 months max if we lived off my credit cards so it feels like a huge risk. Recruitment for these jobs generally take 2-3 months. I’m not good with financial risk, it makes me anxious.

Someone tell me what to do.

I would go for it. You’ll never not find work, even if you end up having to go back into something crap for a bit. If you go for it and get it, set yourself a plan that at three months you ask about contract extension and if they don’t make the right noises, you start looking. Put the extra salary into a savings account until you know what your position is. Life is too short to be unhappy and what’s the point of all that work and money to be so?

 

[Looby]

I would go for it. You’ll never not find work, even if you end up having to go back into something crap for a bit. If you go for it and get it, set yourself a plan that at three months you ask about contract extension and if they don’t make the right noises, you start looking. Put the extra salary into a savings account until you know what your position is. Life is too short to be unhappy and what’s the point of all that work and money to be so?

Thanks. Good idea about saving the difference for a few months. Mr Looby seems ok with it. I’m not very good with financial insecurity but you’re right that I should be able to find something. I’ll apply tonight and I’m hoping my friend will put a word in for me. She’s already mentioned me to her boss as I was going to apply for some freelance work when I was settled in this team.

 

[Puddy_Tat]

Can I ask for advice/opinions please?

I’ve been in my job since August 2019 (newly qualified in professional, stat regulated role). It’s been really shit mostly and I’ve been very unhappy and already been off with stress last year.
I moved to a new team a month ago and it’s much better. Less stressful role, more supportive, better supervision and team work but it’s the same organisation and the issues are still there. I feel really unhappy even though I like the job. I don’t want to grow to despise the role completely after waiting 20 years and spending 60k to qualify.

My friend does the same role I’ve just moved to for a charity and has been trying to get me to apply for ages. She’s messaged again today and there’s a job closing tomorrow. Slightly better money, OOH pay and home working allowance. Good wellbeing support and she’s really really happy there.
I’m really tempted to apply but it’s a 6 month fixed term contract. Friend said all the jobs are initially but she’d bet her job on it being made permanent and hers was after 3 months.
I really want to go for it but I’m scared.
We don’t have savings or any buffer, I could afford to be out of work for 2 months max if we lived off my credit cards so it feels like a huge risk. Recruitment for these jobs generally take 2-3 months. I’m not good with financial risk, it makes me anxious.

Someone tell me what to do.

gut feeling is if in doubt, apply for it, keep your options open. if they make you an offer (and if, after the interview, you still want to work there*) then make a decision. don't do anything now and it's always going to be a 'what if?'

* - i've had a few interviews where i've decided i really don't want to work for these people...

 

[Looby]

Decision made for me. They closed the vacancy early and I was going to finish the application tonight. I can’t work out if I’m more annoyed or relieved because the timing wasn’t great. I will apply if it comes up again though.

 

[Winot]

Decision made for me. They closed the vacancy early and I was going to finish the application tonight. I can’t work out if I’m more annoyed or relieved because the timing wasn’t great. I will apply if it comes up again though.

This sounds really odd. I’ve never heard of a job advert being closed early. Did they have someone particular in mind for the job? Anyway, sounds dodgy.

 

[Puddy_Tat]

This sounds really odd. I’ve never heard of a job advert being closed early.

it's increasingly common for adverts to say they may close early if they get a lot of applications

closing slightly early on the closing day is a bit unusual

 

[Looby]

This sounds really odd. I’ve never heard of a job advert being closed early. Did they have someone particular in mind for the job? Anyway, sounds dodgy.

I have, they’ve probably had loads of applications from people trying to escape my org.

 

[Looby]

it's increasingly common for adverts to say they may close early if they get a lot of applications

closing slightly early on the closing day is a bit unusual

I don’t know when it closed, it could have been yesterday.

 

[miss direct]

I'm meant to have an interview next week. Another Microsoft teams one. I stopped counting but I must have had more than 20 interviews in the last year. The interview task for this particular job is so drawn out and requires hours of work. I think I'm going to cancel the interview, although how I actually do that I'm not sure.

 

[Puddy_Tat]

 

[miss direct]

To be clear, I dont really need this job. It's only a short term contract and I have two others lined up. Not really sure why I booked the interview.

 

[Puddy_Tat]

To be clear, I dont really need this job. It's only a short term contract and I have two others lined up. Not really sure why I booked the interview.

some HR people seem to justify their existence by making the recruitment process ever more complicated. having said that, with the number of people applying for jobs now, some employers think the only way to deal with it is to set up ever more layer of hoops to jump through.

although how I actually do that I'm not sure.

presume you had an e-mail or phone call to set it up? i'd always say to get in touch and decline politely rather than just not turn up - in a lot of lines of work, you never know when you will encounter people again...

 

[miss direct]

Yeah, I'll just email HR, don't want to call again and go through their mammoth phone system and use the remaining 50p of phone credit I have.

It probably is a gate keeping exercise but its not a game I feel like playing at the moment. If the task is a reflection on the job, then it's not a job that suits me anyway

 

[miss direct]

Withdrew my application and felt relieved immediately.

 

[Mation]

Could I have some advice on how to approach a job app, please?

I have to demonstrate how I meet three 'behaviours.' There's lots of guidance on the kind of thing they mean by each behaviour, but the constraints on format mean I'm still not sure how best to approach it.

Each answer must be max. 300 words, and ideally written in STAR format (situation, task, action, result).

But I can't submit a CV, write a personal statement, or cover letter - the form doesn't allow it. The form only includes a request for details of my current job (in a separate, 300-word answer).

The form also doesn't ask about higher education, so if I want them to know about my degrees, I'd have to cram that into the answers, too.

To make things even more complicated, I wouldn't be applying for a specific job; only to work in a department with a broad remit that will develop over time, so I can't really rely on job description or person specification as a guide

So, should I select one focus for each of the behaviour questions, but potentially miss out loads of relevant experience from different jobs; or should I try to cram as much of my experience and training into their format? Or something else?

 

[nottsgirl]

Just applied for a trainee somellier in a 3 star restaurant. I'm really taking the piss job hunt wise.

 

[nottsgirl]

Could I have some advice on how to approach a job app, please?

I have to demonstrate how I meet three 'behaviours.' There's lots of guidance on the kind of thing they mean by each behaviour, but the constraints on format mean I'm still not sure how best to approach it.

Each answer must be max. 300 words, and ideally written in STAR format (situation, task, action, result).

But I can't submit a CV, write a personal statement, or cover letter - the form doesn't allow it. The form only includes a request for details of my current job (in a separate, 300-word answer).

The form also doesn't ask about higher education, so if I want them to know about my degrees, I'd have to cram that into the answers, too.

To make things even more complicated, I wouldn't be applying for a specific job; only to work in a department with a broad remit that will develop over time, so I can't really rely on job description or person specification as a guide

So, should I select one focus for each of the behaviour questions, but potentially miss out loads of relevant experience from different jobs; or should I try to cram as much of my experience and training into their format? Or something else?

Focus on the STAR would be my advice.

 

[Nivag]

Just applied for a trainee somellier in a 3 star restaurant. I'm really taking the piss job hunt wise.

Drinking on the job. Nice

 

[RubyToogood]

My great grandfather was a sommelier and died of cirrhosis of the liver.

 

[pseudonarcissus]

Could I have some advice on how to approach a job app, please?

I have to demonstrate how I meet three 'behaviours.' There's lots of guidance on the kind of thing they mean by each behaviour, but the constraints on format mean I'm still not sure how best to approach it.

Each answer must be max. 300 words, and ideally written in STAR format (situation, task, action, result).

But I can't submit a CV, write a personal statement, or cover letter - the form doesn't allow it. The form only includes a request for details of my current job (in a separate, 300-word answer).

The form also doesn't ask about higher education, so if I want them to know about my degrees, I'd have to cram that into the answers, too.

To make things even more complicated, I wouldn't be applying for a specific job; only to work in a department with a broad remit that will develop over time, so I can't really rely on job description or person specification as a guide

So, should I select one focus for each of the behaviour questions, but potentially miss out loads of relevant experience from different jobs; or should I try to cram as much of my experience and training into their format? Or something else?

Good luck...I just had to google that to figure out what it was all about. I would run mile from a job that was so complicated.

 

[Puddy_Tat]

Could I have some advice on how to approach a job app, please?

I have to demonstrate how I meet three 'behaviours.' There's lots of guidance on the kind of thing they mean by each behaviour, but the constraints on format mean I'm still not sure how best to approach it.

Each answer must be max. 300 words, and ideally written in STAR format (situation, task, action, result).

Dunno.

If they specifically say "give an example of a time you did X" then they want one example and adding other things will hinder not help.

If they are asking about particular skills / behaviours, then it's probably better to think of the best example and go with that, rather than have to go through the STAR thing two or three times in a limited word count, but it might work to talk mostly about one situation, but add a sentence at the end that adds something but references a different employment (or study or voluntary work) situation.

Personally, if I'm aiming at a word limit I tend to write first then edit, rather than try too hard first time.

 

[Mation]

Good luck...I just had to google that to figure out what it was all about. I would run mile from a job that was so complicated.

I don't think the job itself will be complicated. It's stuff I do every day, albeit beyond the useful remit of my present job.

The application process is terrifying, because I really care about it and because of the constraints.

Made lots of progress, but so much research to distill...

 

[Epona]

Drinking on the job. Nice

I can assure you that drinking on the job is not allowed!

Odd thing to be applying for right now given that the hospitality industry has hundreds of thousands of staff on furlough still!

 

[Badgers]

Have a 'first telephone 15 minute' interview this afternoon. Long time since I have had a formal interview and this is a big company. Not that corporate (family run) but one of the biggest in Europe for their sector.

Had made up my mind that commuting to London was over for me but this is too good an opportunity and it will only be a couple of days a week.

Know I can do it but the last year has left me feeling out of the game

 

[weltweit]

How did it go Badgers?

 

[Kaka Tim]

a year ago my plan to be a free lance community arts worker met covid and turned to dust. Ive been a delivery driver for sainsburys ever since - it was ok work wise - low stress, meeting people, useful work, workmates were a laugh, management generally not wankers - but money was not great and the shift work (very early mornings, very late nights, weekends) was seriously getting in the way of kids, relationship and what little rock n roll was available. Ive had a year a of getting to interviews and not getting the job (about 6 attempts I think) despite putting fuck loads of work in.
But - finally paid off - I had an interview today for running activities at a community centre and got the job!!! And its the best one out of all the ones id applied for. So chuffed - so keep plugging away folks - it does happen.

 

[Puddy_Tat]

well...

still haven't heard anything back from west london people who i did the interview with in february - seems a bit shit if they can't even be bothered to send an e-mail to say 'no thanks' once you have got to the interview stage. although there are some visible signs that all is not well with organisation in question.

but... interview that i thought i'd really buggered up - has led to an offer. provisional subject to all the usual bumf at this stage.

would be central london (so commutable from here short term, could move back somewhere sensible at some point), more money than i'm on now (and that's to start) and decent pension scheme.



what's going to go wrong?

 

[miss direct]

Sounds good puddy!


As for me, I've stopped even applying for "proper" jobs as I'm getting plenty of work. I have a summer contract lined up, which takes me through to September.

 

[Kaka Tim]

Update. Turns out it was extremely fortuitous I got the job offer. I'm about to take two weeks off cos of an operation, so Sunday was likely my last driving shift for sainsbury. I marked occasion by reversing the van into a brand new BMW sports car. The owner was very unhappy.
A few weeks ago I'd managed to knock over a garden wall so was already on a written warning. This would have meant suspension from driving and demotion to order picking or some such menial tedium. Plus profound sense of shame and humiliation.
My manager had her head in her hands but I saved her a boatload of aggro by handing in my notice alongside the incident report.
I think it was time to move on

 

[Petcha]

I just checked my LinkedIn for the first time since I got a job in October. It looks like theres more about and instead of hundreds of applicants for each job there seems to be more like 10. Anyone else noticed this? When I was looking last year I was applying for about 10 jobs a day and being pitted against loads of people far better than me (but somehow blagged a job in the end)

I think I'm on thin ice in my job so that was a good thing to see!