The job hunting support thread

[Corax]

I posted the except below - amongst other things - in a thread about Recovery. But it's very relevant here.

Because of the bike, and my restored confidence (because of Reach) I've been able to apply for better full-time jobs in Cambridge, rather just looking for part-time admin or shop jobs locally. My new-found focus has allowed me to apply for the jobs more effectively, rather than waving my willy around about things they didn't ask for in a desperate plea for validation. Same applies in interviews.

As a result, I've had three recent interviews. One last week for a Learning Disabilities support worker No idea whether I got it, as they don' tell you until after your DBS check comes back, which is a bit weird IMO. They used to tell people "on condition that..." but got told off by their HR department apparently. It would be minimum wage, but still enough to get a little flat and feed myself, just.

One on Thursday, for a band 5 Project Support Officer role. I got a call Friday morning to say I hadn't got it. Feedback was to explain my employment gap early on, whereas I just had an answer mentally prepared in case asked. But the main reason I didn't get it was that they said my "natural operating" level was a grade or two above, which was quite nice to hear because...

Yesterday I had an interview for a band 7 Service Improvement manager with the same organisation. I'd done all my preparations, thought of the examples I could use, etc, but beforehand I just took half an hour to stare out over the local parkland, have a coffee and a cigarette, and handed it over to my higher power, I just decided that I'd done all that I could, I didn't know what was going to be asked or what I would answer, so now it was over to God.

As a result, I was relaxed, my answers came naturally, there was nothing I thought I missed out or struggled on, and I was through without waffling or repeating myself. I addressed my employment gap early on as advised, truthfully but framed as a health issue. I incorporated other bits of the feedback in to my answers as well. Even areas that I thought were a weakness "What areas of your work could be developed?" - my lack of direct commissioning experience - they replied back saying they thought it was a big plus because I'd been involved from a provider perspective. I went in thinking it might be aiming a bit high, but it really wasn't.

What's more, at the last minute they'd added an extra person to to the interview panel as they'd had funding approved for an additional post with a sister organisation, so there are two positions instead of one.

I won't find out until Monday afternoon as they're interviewing in the morning. I can't pretend I'd not be disappointed at this point, but at the very least it's given me the confidence to know what I should be aiming for. I've also today applied or another very similar vacancy with the same organisation - although I wonder if that advert isn't actually for the last minute additional role.

I've also got another interview for a Project Support Officer role booked next week. I stand a better chance this time round from the feedback on Thursday.

I was told to expect a call Monday afternoon about the band 7 role, but still nothing.

I almost phoned up, but figured I'd either be chasing bad news, or one of the interview panel was ill or something. Maybe they had three outstanding candidates and were fighting to get additional funds released? They must have my contact details right as it was through NHS.jobs, so with no missed calls, no texts, no emails, no notifications on the site... who knows. So I didn't.

11:00 Tuesday though, I called the number and am expecting a call back now. So, we shall see. I'm content that it's all part of the plan, whatever happens. Having made the call, I'm nervous now though.

 

[Corax]

I appreciate I may be missing some info here but why does your mother have any say over where you want to work?

I assume that "mum-tat" is the mother of his kids, rather than his mum.

 

[Corax]

Okay, didn't get it. Really liked me, but went to someone with a clinical background as they felt they could engage with the consultants better.

Gutted, obviously, but have to get my head in the game for Thursday's interview now.

Also, the second post is going out to advert, so I can apply for that one with good hopes of an interview at least.

But yeah, a bit gutted right now. I'm sure a good afternoon at Reach will sort my head out. Whilst I've been focusing on job hunting, my clients will have had eviction letters, benefits sanctions, run out of money/food/power. getting arrested, and so on.

 

[Orang Utan]

I assume that "mum-tat" is the mother of his kids, rather than his mum.

Doubt it

 

[Corax]

Right, I've got the LD support worker job. I've gone from high hopes of a dream job with a take home of £2,070 to being offered a job bringing in £1,200 a month, doing something which I'll do diligently and compassionately but doesn't exactly play to my strengths. I really ought to be grateful.

I'll have to look at housing options etc, but I ought to be able to find somewhere to live, feed myself, and expenses like petrol and prescriptions, right? People do.

It has to be better than being on benefits and living in my mum and dad's spare room

 

[8115]

Woo hoo, I've got a 6 week temporary job which a) gives me some breathing space b) might lead on to bigger and better things.

 

[8115]

I'm waiting for the final confirmation and all the details tomorrow but I think I'm good to go.

 

[Corax]

Another interview booked today, band 6.

I'm starting to think I should decline the support worker role. I've another three NHS vacancies lined up. It really does look like that's where my future lies. Got an appointment with the JobCentre next Friday. Maybe I'll just stall the DBS information until I've seen whether the DWP will support me turning it down? It'd not really be enough for a flat tbh, so I'd remain 'homeless' by the legal definition...

Just noticed that the interview for tomorrow's band 5 job is lead by the guy who liked me, but turned me down in favour of someone with a clinical background, on Friday's band 7 interview.

This ought to make things interesting/difficult/awkward... ?

 

[Puddy_Tat]

until I've seen whether the DWP will support me turning it down?

generally speaking, declining a job offer if you're on the dole will not go down well. Possible sanctions.

Just noticed that the interview for tomorrow's band 5 job is lead by the guy who liked me, but turned me down in favour of someone with a clinical background, on Friday's band 7 interview.

blargh.

although he should approach the whole thing objectively. don't fall in to the trap of not mentioning something in this interview because you said that in the other interview a week or so ago.

hope it all goes well.

 

[Corax]

generally speaking, declining a job offer if you're on the dole will not go down well. Possible sanctions.



blargh.

although he should approach the whole thing objectively. don't fall in to the trap of not mentioning something in this interview because you said that in the other interview a week or so ago.

hope it all goes well.

I suspect he might feature on some other posts I'm applying for too. If he does, I can always tell him that I clearly really want to work for his organisation

 

[Puddy_Tat]

I appreciate I may be missing some info here but why does your mother have any say over where you want to work?

I assume that "mum-tat" is the mother of his kids, rather than his mum.

Doubt it

and as for the original question - hmm.

mum-tat (as i refer to my mother) is close to being 80 and on her own, i'm an only child, and while she's still a very long way off needing 'care' in the medical sense of the term, the amount of stuff i'll need to do is only going to increase in the coming years. I live an hour and a half away (on a good day) now and there's times that's a problem...

where i live / work now, i have a journey nearly 2 hours each way to work, calling in at her place on the way home doesn't work, and i'm usually too bloody knackered to do much come the weekend.

she was somewhat unimpressed a couple of years back when i did get offered something a similar sort of distance away (north of london rather than west where i am now) and this was one of the factors for me deciding not to take it. (i also had some doubts about how long term it would have been, and my current employer did make an effort to talk me out of leaving so this wasn't the only factor)

i'm also not sure i've got the energy or enthusiasm to do a job application now, and the state work's in at the moment, i can't be sure of being able to take a day off if it got as far as an interview.

blargh.

 

[Corax]

and as for the original question - hmm.

mum-tat (as i refer to my mother) is close to being 80 and on her own, i'm an only child, and while she's still a very long way off needing 'care' in the medical sense of the term, the amount of stuff i'll need to do is only going to increase in the coming years. I live an hour and a half away (on a good day) now and there's times that's a problem...

where i live / work now, i have a journey nearly 2 hours each way to work, calling in at her place on the way home doesn't work, and i'm usually too bloody knackered to do much come the weekend.

she was somewhat unimpressed a couple of years back when i did get offered something a similar sort of distance away (north of london rather than west where i am now) and this was one of the factors for me deciding not to take it. (i also had some doubts about how long term it would have been, and my current employer did make an effort to talk me out of leaving so this wasn't the only factor)

i'm also not sure i've got the energy or enthusiasm to do a job application now, and the state work's in at the moment, i can't be sure of being able to take a day off if it got as far as an interview.

blargh.

Sad that you were forced into justifying yourself, but it sounds like you're a good son

ETA: From the reaction, I'm assuming I've not noted something about your preferences...

 

[purenarcotic]

I wasn’t forcing him to justify himself, fuck off.

 

[8115]

Another interview booked today, band 6.

I'm starting to think I should decline the support worker role. I've another three NHS vacancies lined up. It really does look like that's where my future lies. Got an appointment with the JobCentre next Friday. Maybe I'll just stall the DBS information until I've seen whether the DWP will support me turning it down? It'd not really be enough for a flat tbh, so I'd remain 'homeless' by the legal definition...

Just noticed that the interview for tomorrow's band 5 job is lead by the guy who liked me, but turned me down in favour of someone with a clinical background, on Friday's band 7 interview.

This ought to make things interesting/difficult/awkward... ?

I think you can still specify a minimum salary that you will consider at the job centre which sounds ridiculously reasonably but you always used to and I read it somewhere the other day. Have you done that? If so (and its less) or if you haven't maybe there's a good conversation to be had there. It might be no more than the local average wage.

 

[purenarcotic]

and as for the original question - hmm.

mum-tat (as i refer to my mother) is close to being 80 and on her own, i'm an only child, and while she's still a very long way off needing 'care' in the medical sense of the term, the amount of stuff i'll need to do is only going to increase in the coming years. I live an hour and a half away (on a good day) now and there's times that's a problem...

where i live / work now, i have a journey nearly 2 hours each way to work, calling in at her place on the way home doesn't work, and i'm usually too bloody knackered to do much come the weekend.

she was somewhat unimpressed a couple of years back when i did get offered something a similar sort of distance away (north of london rather than west where i am now) and this was one of the factors for me deciding not to take it. (i also had some doubts about how long term it would have been, and my current employer did make an effort to talk me out of leaving so this wasn't the only factor)

i'm also not sure i've got the energy or enthusiasm to do a job application now, and the state work's in at the moment, i can't be sure of being able to take a day off if it got as far as an interview.

blargh.

Only child solidarity, not at the stage yet but live in a different city so not sure what I’m gonna do when it comes. That sounds tough, I have no idea how you do that commute every day and do, well, anything tbh.

 

[Corax]

I think you can still specify a minimum salary that you will consider at the job centre which sounds ridiculously reasonably but you always used to and I read it somewhere the other day. Have you done that? If so (and its less) or if you haven't maybe there's a good conversation to be had there. It might be no more than the local average wage.

I don't remember doing so, but my jobcentre have been eminently reasonable and supportive throughout. I'm led to believe that not all are like that - including info from the local staff themselves (speaking to me in my capacity at Reach, not as a client)

 

[alcopop]

Right, I've got the LD support worker job. I've gone from high hopes of a dream job with a take home of £2,070 to being offered a job bringing in £1,200 a month, doing something which I'll do diligently and compassionately but doesn't exactly play to my strengths. I really ought to be grateful.

I'll have to look at housing options etc, but I ought to be able to find somewhere to live, feed myself, and expenses like petrol and prescriptions, right? People do.

It has to be better than being on benefits and living in my mum and dad's spare room

If you are on universal credit you may well get a substantial top up from them.

 

[Corax]

I wasn’t forcing him to justify himself, fuck off.

I didn't mean you, FTR.

 

[Corax]

If you are on universal credit you may well get a substantial top up from them.

I've run it through their calculator and I don't think I do, but I'll have another look - thanks.

 

[Puddy_Tat]

Sad that you were forced into justifying yourself, but it sounds like you're a good son

I wasn’t forcing him to justify himself, fuck off.

at squabbling hoomans.

have some catnip cake, both of you.

I think you can still specify a minimum salary that you will consider at the job centre which sounds ridiculously reasonably but you always used to and I read it somewhere the other day. Have you done that? If so (and its less) or if you haven't maybe there's a good conversation to be had there. It might be no more than the local average wage.

at one time, the theory (with old unemployment benefit) was you were allowed so much time to try and find a new job in your usual trade / usual sort of pay - although if you didn't manage it after X weeks they would shove you in to looking more widely, but even when i was last on the dole (some time in the early 90s - not sure how i've managed that) the consensus was you shouldn't be too ambitious or they would say you weren't actively seeking work.

i had heard somewhere that now there was the legal minimum wage you couldn't state that you wouldn't work for less than X, but that may be bollocks. i'd seek informed advice (CAB or some such) before turning a job offer down if the dole know about the application. Can find references online to risk of having your dole stopped if you refuse a job 'without good reason' but it's all a bit vague what a 'good reason' may be, and it may depend whether that particular joke centre employee is under pressure for not meeting their sanctioning targets that week. All I can find is a few other forums where this question has come up, not any definitive guidance.

I've run it through their calculator and I don't think I do, but I'll have another look - thanks.

the benefits calculator here (Turn2us) is fairly good - it's anonymous and not linked to dwp or the like - you can run 'what if' situations (e.g. a wage you might get if you got a particular job / a rent you might have to pay if you got a particular place) and see what happens. In theory, you should never be worse off working than you are on the dole, but in some cases you're not a lot better off. And don't think the 'disregard' (amount you're allowed to earn 'free' before they start taking it off your benefits) is still a fiver a week, and has been that since you probably could get a week's worth of bus fares for five quid...

 

[8115]

They haven't got back to me about the temp job but a couple of other really interesting things have come up in jobsite emails, one was a seen your cv type thing. They might email tomorrow anyway.

 

[8115]

Ok so the temp job doesn't seem to be coming off. I might be going away over the weekend but tomorrow I'm going to do a bit of job-hunting and then when I get back from my weekend away start looking properly, 5 hours a day or whatever. Pfffft.

 

[pseudonarcissus]

I think you can still specify a minimum salary that you will consider at the job centre which sounds ridiculously reasonably but you always used to and I read it somewhere the other day. Have you done that? If so (and its less) or if you haven't maybe there's a good conversation to be had there. It might be no more than the local average wage.

In January, when I started contribution based JSA, I was offered this option. I basically said I’d apply for jobs above 85% of my previous salary. They gave, I think, 12 weeks in which I could do this.

 

[Treacle Toes]

Oh hi thread

Thought i'd come in and rejoin this thread on account of having resigned from my post this week.

I have generously given 6 weeks notice because I have a substantial case load and am also a union rep.I want to respect the trust and responsibilities I have been given by clients and members.

Apart from that, I am feeling strangely calm and relieved. I hate looking for jobs however I detest other people building their reputations and careers on the back of my hard work even more...Time for a change.

 

[Treacle Toes]

The last time I looked at my CV was 2013 when I joined this organisation.

I couldn't even find a copy on my computer so had to search my email sent items and sure enough it's there attached to the application I made at the time.

What are the current trends in CV presentation etc? Anything new I should be mindful of?

 

[MickiQ]

What are you going to tell them when they ask why you left your previous job? I've left 3 jobs for better ones but not until I was offered the new one, Saying things like wanting more opportunities and a chance to further my career always seemed to work better than I need the money (always the real reason), I've been made redundant 3 times as well and no-one ever questions that especially in this day and age.
You need to put some thought into explaining why you left your previous job without anywhere else to go.
You don't want to say things like I couldn't take any more shit without the possibility of it reflecting on you, Could you spin it as regretting it but it being down to personal or family commitments?
And best of luck of course hope you find something soon.

 

[Treacle Toes]

'Prospects/opportunities for progression were limited'

'Decided to take a sabatical'

'Took time off to travel/train'


Or variations on a theme.

 

[MickiQ]

When I was last made redundant, the company paid for an outplacement course for those that wanted it, the main advice it offered on CV's were keep them short 2 pages max, put a summary at the front with the most relevant data in it, don't bother listing any jobs that are 15 or more years old and put in keywords since if there are a lot of applicants, someone in HR will probably be given the job of filtering out candidates before it goes to the hiring manager and they will be given a list of keywords to look for, read any adverts carefully to get a feel of what they are looking for.

 

[chilango]

Still looking. Had an (ultimately unsuccessful) interview recently. Went well, got v. positive feedback and they want me to apply for a more senior position that may become available soon.

I don't want the more senior position. Nor would I be likely to get it. Ah well. I hadn't expected anything from that application so was a pleasant surprise that it went as well as it did.

Got another interview coming up. In London. We'll see.

Still, been shortlisted for 5/13 applications in the last couple of years so its waaaay more positive than it was 5 years or so ago when i was first posting on this thread. At the cost of prospective earnings however.

Didn't get either in the end. Positive feedback which is nice. But, given the paucity of vacancies during what ought to be peak recruiting season, of scant consolation frankly.

 

[Treacle Toes]

When I was last made redundant, the company paid for an outplacement course for those that wanted it, the main advice it offered on CV's were keep them short 2 pages max, put a summary at the front with the most relevant data in it, don't bother listing any jobs that are 15 or more years old and put in keywords since if there are a lot of applicants, someone in HR will probably be given the job of filtering out candidates before it goes to the hiring manager and they will be given a list of keywords to look for, read any adverts carefully to get a feel of what they are looking for.

Yeah, great standard advice thanks. Doesn't seem to have changed since I was last looking for a job. Just wondered if things about any new fangled method I may not have heard of.