cesare
shady's dreams ♥
Fantastic news - well donei got it! start 5th Jan.
i will end this fucking horrible job at the end of this fucking horrible year.
here's to 2015, it can only get better
x x
The job hunting support thread
- Thread starter Cloo
- Start date
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cesare
shady's dreams ♥
Call centres can destroy your soul like no amount of bar work could ever do
Sapphireblue
Well-Known Member
resignation letter sent and acknowledged
it amazes me when you get a surprised response as i have had today. really - they couldn't tell i was dying inside and hated every second? i must be even more professional than i thought!
it amazes me when you get a surprised response as i have had today. really - they couldn't tell i was dying inside and hated every second? i must be even more professional than i thought!
Puddy_Tat
naturally fluffy
Seem to be really stuck finding work
may be stating the obvious here, but depending on circumstances, e.g. if you've had a run of temp jobs, it's sometimes worth lumping them in to one entry on the CV, e.g. "between 2010 and 2012, temporary jobs including A, B and C" then bring out any particular bits from any of them that you want to emphasise in the covering letter / personal statement bit.
may also be worth using the variety of jobs to sell the ability quickly to learn new jobs / systems / software / build new relationships with colleagues / customers
(or to put it another way - if you cant' blind them with science, baffle them with bullshit)
News from puddyville is I've decided I can't face staying indefinitely in the current job (although this pretty much means i've got to give up on the idea of moving back to london)
one application in just after xmas - invited to interview later this week - this will mean moving house slightly further away from london -
another one about to go in today - very local and 4 days a week, which would suit me OK - cost of commute would go down from about £ 380 to £ 50 a month so in disposable income, not much in it and might have time to do other stuff. Although I applied for more or less the same job about 2 years ago. Wonder if they will remember me? Or will notice that half the application blurb is recycled? (I got interviewed but didn't get it last time)
(worries about current employer guessing / finding out i'm applying for other jobs - i'm out of the initial probation period, but nowhere near 2 years in the job so have no 'unfair dismissal' protection)
story
Changing the facts
I am currently employed at Listen, a professional fundraising organisation, in Brixton. They have another office in Holloway. They raise cash for the big charities (Oxfam, Unicef etc). Pay is minimal and it's pretty shitty call centre stuff, but it serves a purpose (cash). It's flexible and they recruit every week. Three days training, for which you get paid on completion of the three week probation. There's a further three month probationary period, after which you get a contract.
It's pretty flexible in terms of hours etc.
If you're good you end up getting more per hour, by complicated combinations of conversion/hours/attendance etc.
Flagging this up for anyone who needs to get a source of income quick-sharp.
It's pretty flexible in terms of hours etc.
If you're good you end up getting more per hour, by complicated combinations of conversion/hours/attendance etc.
Flagging this up for anyone who needs to get a source of income quick-sharp.
Treacle Toes
Time
Congratulations all the job finders and getters....all the best those waiting to hear and still searching! 
I am now in my 3rd month of my new job and LOVING it. Happy days indeed. New team and actual work/project are fantastic. Feel chuffed and very fortunate.
I am now in my 3rd month of my new job and LOVING it. Happy days indeed. New team and actual work/project are fantastic. Feel chuffed and very fortunate.
Puddy_Tat
naturally fluffy
I wish I knew what the heck to do.
Possible new job is somewhere faintly dull a bit north of london. (i'm currently somewhere faintly dull a bit west of london) It will mean moving (probably renting or something short term before moving properly - too far / awkward to commute daily from here - and bollocks to doing half the M25 twice a day)
Current job is in a bit of SW London I can't afford to live in (i'm currently spending nearly £ 400 a month and up to 4 hours a day commuting which I'm pissed off with)
Current job is a bit of a specialist niche of the line of work I'm in. I'm not convinced I'm ever going to be much more than mediocre at it. I'm also not really sure I'm a 'specialist niche' sort of person. Possible job is pretty much along the lines of what I have done for most of my working life and means being a bit closer to the real world rather than in a virtual 'bunker'. Although current job would offer the chance to do some (paid overtime) weekend work that's a bit more real world if i lived a bit closer.
Current job seems reasonably stable the way funding is. Possible job is outside London where funding is a bit more tenuous (and the job may mean implementing cuts) although complete eradication of the function seems unlikely even if UKIP get in. And the job's being offered as a permanent post for what that's worth (many similar organisations are only offering fixed term contracts at the moment if they are in the rare position of seeking rather than shedding staff.)
Money is marginally less in the new job, although probably less than a 'london weighting' would be on jobs that formally have that sort of thing.
(I'm aware I'm being slightly vague about the detail - I'd rather not identify myself...)
Part of the plan with the current job was moving back to SE London (Mum-tat lives sort of catfordish, and isn't getting any younger - it would be good if i lived close enough to be able to nip round with not much effort.) The joys of the property market mean that having thought this was possible a year or so back when I applied for current job, it now isn't, unless I go for a much heftier chunk of mortgage than I feel comfortable with (and according to some sources, getting more mortgage once you're over 40 isn't easy) - I have a feeling mum-tat is not going to be impressed by me moving somewhere fractionally further away although similar sort of travel time than from here.
I also have a worry that current employer will give an unhelpful reference and I'll be landed in a position where I've little choice but to quit (or get the push - with less than 2 years in the current job then they could) and not have a new job to go to.
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaargh
(ETA - suppose in the grand scheme of things, there are a lot worse quandaries to be in. but still Aaaaaaaaargh)
Possible new job is somewhere faintly dull a bit north of london. (i'm currently somewhere faintly dull a bit west of london) It will mean moving (probably renting or something short term before moving properly - too far / awkward to commute daily from here - and bollocks to doing half the M25 twice a day)
Current job is in a bit of SW London I can't afford to live in (i'm currently spending nearly £ 400 a month and up to 4 hours a day commuting which I'm pissed off with)
Current job is a bit of a specialist niche of the line of work I'm in. I'm not convinced I'm ever going to be much more than mediocre at it. I'm also not really sure I'm a 'specialist niche' sort of person. Possible job is pretty much along the lines of what I have done for most of my working life and means being a bit closer to the real world rather than in a virtual 'bunker'. Although current job would offer the chance to do some (paid overtime) weekend work that's a bit more real world if i lived a bit closer.
Current job seems reasonably stable the way funding is. Possible job is outside London where funding is a bit more tenuous (and the job may mean implementing cuts) although complete eradication of the function seems unlikely even if UKIP get in. And the job's being offered as a permanent post for what that's worth (many similar organisations are only offering fixed term contracts at the moment if they are in the rare position of seeking rather than shedding staff.)
Money is marginally less in the new job, although probably less than a 'london weighting' would be on jobs that formally have that sort of thing.
(I'm aware I'm being slightly vague about the detail - I'd rather not identify myself...)
Part of the plan with the current job was moving back to SE London (Mum-tat lives sort of catfordish, and isn't getting any younger - it would be good if i lived close enough to be able to nip round with not much effort.) The joys of the property market mean that having thought this was possible a year or so back when I applied for current job, it now isn't, unless I go for a much heftier chunk of mortgage than I feel comfortable with (and according to some sources, getting more mortgage once you're over 40 isn't easy) - I have a feeling mum-tat is not going to be impressed by me moving somewhere fractionally further away although similar sort of travel time than from here.
I also have a worry that current employer will give an unhelpful reference and I'll be landed in a position where I've little choice but to quit (or get the push - with less than 2 years in the current job then they could) and not have a new job to go to.
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaargh
(ETA - suppose in the grand scheme of things, there are a lot worse quandaries to be in. but still Aaaaaaaaargh)
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Even though I'm happy in the job I'm in and don't want to move, I'm curious to see if I'd still be able to get jobs elsewhere so I've been applying for any jobs similar to this that appear. Just to see if I get offered an interview, the good news is that of about 6 jobs I applied for, I was offered interviews for 4 of them. That's boosted me a bit, reaffirms that my skills are a good choice and this job is going to upskill and help me out in the future. The jump to a career change in my late very late 30s has been a good one. Phew.
Puddy_Tat
naturally fluffy
new job isn't going to happen.
got the online health questionnaire thingy today - very detailed for what's effectively an admin job, and all the questions were "have you EVER had..."
think there's things from 20 years ago that may not go down well, and keeping quiet is asking for trouble if they find out - don't really want a "got sacked for lying in application" on the CV.
I can't take the risk of not getting that job while letting them contact current employer for a reference which could lead to me getting eased out of the current job.
Also mum-tat's reaction wasn't great.
I'll ring them tomorrow and come up with some BS why I want to withdraw.
Bollocks.
got the online health questionnaire thingy today - very detailed for what's effectively an admin job, and all the questions were "have you EVER had..."
think there's things from 20 years ago that may not go down well, and keeping quiet is asking for trouble if they find out - don't really want a "got sacked for lying in application" on the CV.
I can't take the risk of not getting that job while letting them contact current employer for a reference which could lead to me getting eased out of the current job.
Also mum-tat's reaction wasn't great.
I'll ring them tomorrow and come up with some BS why I want to withdraw.
Bollocks.
Puddy_Tat
naturally fluffy
yes, a health thing.
i think if i ask them not to take up references until the health thing has cleared then that's going to put ideas in to their minds. (and piss them off because they want someone to start soonest)
in view of the doubts I already had, this, and mum-tat's reaction, have kinda helped me make a decision.
just wish i hadn't wasted an evening or two on the application and a leave day going there
Sapphireblue
Well-Known Member
yes, a health thing.
i think if i ask them not to take up references until the health thing has cleared then that's going to put ideas in to their minds. (and piss them off because they want someone to start soonest)
in view of the doubts I already had, this, and mum-tat's reaction, have kinda helped me make a decision.
just wish i hadn't wasted an evening or two on the application and a leave day going there
you could ask them not to take up references until an offer has been accepted, without mentioning the health thing.
that's fairly standard most places.
harpo
Listening to Radio Jackie
Sounds like you've made your decision for now but please don't forget, the law protects you re disabilities and most employers do respect that. If they don't, you don't want to work for them anyway, but really, most do. Don't be afraid to declare.yes, a health thing.
i think if i ask them not to take up references until the health thing has cleared then that's going to put ideas in to their minds. (and piss them off because they want someone to start soonest)
in view of the doubts I already had, this, and mum-tat's reaction, have kinda helped me make a decision.
just wish i hadn't wasted an evening or two on the application and a leave day going there
Puddy_Tat
naturally fluffy
thanks.
i've had a word with the recruiting manager and asked if the references thing can be put off until the health clearance is done (think this will raise suspicions)
having attempted to discuss the whole thing with mum-tat, i think that from that angle, it's going to be the wrong thing whatever i do.
aaaaaaaaaargh
Mogden
I like tea
CV is online and quite active. I've applied for a handful of jobs and had 2 agencies ring me with possible roles, both of which are call centre customer service roles. Not quite my brew. Done that and it makes me wobble. They have been asking me what job I want. To say well most things would be okay is too blasé so I've said office and admin type things for now. At the moment I just see myself looking for a job rather than a solid career so I'm fairly open to experiences at any wage and am hoping that doesn't come off as desperate for anything.
Puddy_Tat
naturally fluffy
hmm.
have cleared the health thing with potential new employer.
spoke to current boss yesterday, as didn't want a reference request just to land on someone's desk.
current boss was rather more constructive than i expected - keen to keep me on, is prepared to put a business case up for a pay rise
*wonders what the heck to do next*
have cleared the health thing with potential new employer.
spoke to current boss yesterday, as didn't want a reference request just to land on someone's desk.
current boss was rather more constructive than i expected - keen to keep me on, is prepared to put a business case up for a pay rise
*wonders what the heck to do next*
Puddy_Tat
naturally fluffy
hope all goes well.
although i get the feeling that there's a lot of people out there looking for 'office and admin type things' - you may do better being more focussed
Mogden
I like tea
Yeah I need to think about it a bit more. Spreadsheets, filing and organising things in an office environment are like a dream to me but answering phones all day I can live without.
A warehouse role application is progressing nicely but lots have applied for it according to the count on the website. And why do so many bloody ads ask for everything but your inside leg measurement just to submit a CV! I want to be selective about who knows what but it seems impossible these days.
Sapphireblue
Well-Known Member
hmm.
have cleared the health thing with potential new employer.
spoke to current boss yesterday, as didn't want a reference request just to land on someone's desk.
current boss was rather more constructive than i expected - keen to keep me on, is prepared to put a business case up for a pay rise
*wonders what the heck to do next*
i think it's only worth taking a counter-offer from your current employer if it is in writing and your main reason for leaving was lack of recognition/money.
otherwise, most of the time leaving is preferable.
Sapphireblue
Well-Known Member
although, reading back, the move was all about location.
so, does the more money in the current job make the location more do-able?
so, does the more money in the current job make the location more do-able?
Puddy_Tat
naturally fluffy
A bit more money will help, I suppose.
Mulling over just how 'permanent' possible new job would be - having felt faintly unsettled most of my adult life (although lived in one place nearly 10 years, and have been in current flat for 11 years) would like to feel that next move could be 'home' rather than another staging post for a few years.
Feel like I'm going to be letting potential new employers down if i say no to that, letting current employers - and potentially mum-tat - down if i do move.
aaaaaargh
Sapphireblue
Well-Known Member
don't worry about letting down employers - pick the one that's best for you.
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