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The job hunting support thread

I don't know if getting the job after a 15 minute telephone interview is a bad sign though?! I only wish all interviews were like this because ive realised im not that great at face to face interviews...at least, I haven't been successful in the 2 I went on.

So are these lot desperate? Or its because I've done a similar role before and its not permanent.
 
sovereignb said:
I don't know if getting the job after a 15 minute telephone interview is a bad sign though?! I only wish all interviews were like this because ive realised im not that great at face to face interviews...at least, I haven't been successful in the 2 I went on.

So are these lot desperate? Or its because I've done a similar role before and its not permanent.
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15 mins is impressive, I think I managed a 30mins interview and got the job. Sounds similar to you, I was contracting and went for a permanent position at another place.
Good luck
 
sovereignb said:
I don't know if getting the job after a 15 minute telephone interview is a bad sign though?! I only wish all interviews were like this because ive realised im not that great at face to face interviews...at least, I haven't been successful in the 2 I went on.

So are these lot desperate? Or its because I've done a similar role before and its not permanent.
Click to expand...

dunno really - the only telephone interviews i have done have been first stage that have led (or not) to a 'proper' interview later.

whatever the reason, they must have been satisfied that you're what they are looking for - i wouldn't try to analyse it too much

hope it goes well
 
Is there any point in looking for feedback in the event of an application not making it to the interview stage. I've failed to get an interview in the last 15 applications i've made, starting to wear me out.
 
flypanam said:
Is there any point in looking for feedback in the event of an application not making it to the interview stage. I've failed to get an interview in the last 15 applications i've made, starting to wear me out.
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I think it depends. If your application was based on the idea that 1) you were well suited to the role and 2) you really wanted to get to interview and win the role, then yes I think it probably is worth asking for feedback. Asking for it does not mean you will get it, but you might and it might be useful.
 
flypanam said:
Is there any point in looking for feedback in the event of an application not making it to the interview stage. I've failed to get an interview in the last 15 applications i've made, starting to wear me out.
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I know that feeling all to well from recent experience and understand the frustration.

I applied for 2 roles at the same organisation (central government) and they gave feedback on each of the competencies id addressed in the application. I guess it was helpful knowing which answers weren't scored as greatly as others so worth a try for sure.
Tried temp work?
 
sovereignb said:
I know that feeling all to well from recent experience and understand the frustration.

I applied for 2 roles at the same organisation (central government) and they gave feedback on each of the competencies id addressed in the application. I guess it was helpful knowing which answers weren't scored as greatly as others so worth a try for sure.
Tried temp work?
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I guess it's difficult because I'm trying to find work back in Ireand. I'll probably have to go down the temp road at first, I'm being greedy and would like to have something in place so that I can find somewhere near to my parents and be able to support my wife who is not European and although is N. American and will have to go through the immigration procedures.
 
flypanam said:
I guess it's difficult because I'm trying to find work back in Ireand. I'll probably have to go down the temp road at first, I'm being greedy and would like to have something in place so that I can find somewhere near to my parents and be able to support my wife who is not European and although is N. American and will have to go through the immigration procedures.
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Well temp work tends to pay a bit more because holiday pay is included. No harm in sending your updated CV to relevant agencies along with doing perm applications
 
trying to decide whether to apply for something - 3 days a week (or thereabouts) as office manager for a local voluntary sector thing.

travel would be about 15 minutes each way on the bus (compared to current nearly 2 hour train then another train then bus journey each way) and a heck of a lot less travel cost so wouldn't be a lot less in disposable income

reasonably socially useful

may be a lot of interest from current volunteers (although they tend not to be so keen on volunteers who are between regular jobs)

may be seen as a job for a female person of the opposite sex

would pretty much mean giving up on idea of any 'career' in my alleged professional line of work, although there's not a lot out there, and it's fairly clear that my current employer sees me as only fit to count down the years to retirement (which is still close to 20 years or more if they up the pension age again)

also means giving up on move back to london, and mum-tat (who lives in london) is only going to need more of my time in future, although this job might mean i have more time to spare at weekends (and would have time in the week to do the mundane stuff at home) rather than being too bloody knackered (and having too much mundane stuff to do at home) to do get there as often as i should)

blargh.
 
Have seen a job that is largely admin and a bit of volunteer coordinating that I like the look of and going to apply for this week. Problem is it also covers some basic finance stuff, such as sending invoices and overall financial monitoring, which I've never done before. Does anyone know of any online courses I could do to try and cover my lack of experience?
 
Threshers_Flail said:
Have seen a job that is largely admin and a bit of volunteer coordinating that I like the look of and going to apply for this week. Problem is it also covers some basic finance stuff, such as sending invoices and overall financial monitoring, which I've never done before. Does anyone know of any online courses I could do to try and cover my lack of experience?
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Lots of free stuff on YouTube which can be useful.

Would also recommend having a look on Udemy for more official courses and maybe Skillshare too.

Maybe just stress transferable skills, willingness to learn and do training and an understanding of what they are trying to achieve with this financial stuff and why.
 
Argh, stress!

Was meant to have a first skype 'informal discussion' over a role at a new employer on the 20th Dec but in a morning of errors wthe power kept tripping as the cat had pissed on a socket, the link had gone into my Spam inbox and the phone number I was given by the recruiter was wrong so whilst I had managed to get ready and online through phone hotspot and laptop we couldn't get through so it was rescheduled for today.

Today I was ready again and couldn't get their link working either through the web app or the Skype for business programme so disastrous again. But they must be reasonably interested as we are have rescheduled to try again in person at their site tomorrow.

However it's still been titled as a "*Principle Engineer* Discussion" on the meeting request, so not a full interview.
 
Bad luck with the connection etc Whagwan but they must be interested to have stuck with you thus far - so best of luck at your meeting, it is an interview though however they word it so I would prepare accordingly.
 
So after a disastrous Universal Credit meeting last week I have another appointment next week. I've made 27 applications since the 7th of December, after a promising start with some recruiters that ended up going nowhere. I found a vacancy this morning at a previous workplace, but their website wasn't accepting guest applications and I can't recover the account I signed up with before. Nothing is looking good, I've had no replies to my applications and for real fuck this shit. How the fuck am I meant to do 35 hours of this bollocks a week?
 
NoXion said:
So after a disastrous Universal Credit meeting last week I have another appointment next week. I've made 27 applications since the 7th of December, after a promising start with some recruiters that ended up going nowhere. I found a vacancy this morning at a previous workplace, but their website wasn't accepting guest applications and I can't recover the account I signed up with before. Nothing is looking good, I've had no replies to my applications and for real fuck this shit. How the fuck am I meant to do 35 hours of this bollocks a week?
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Do they actually check you've actually done 35hrs?
I understand the frustration but something will come through...try recruitment agents too.
 
sovereignb said:
Do they actually check you've actually done 35hrs?
I understand the frustration but something will come through...try recruitment agents too.
Click to expand...

Well at my last meeting they checked my online journal on the UC website, where I'm supposed to record all my jobseeking activities. Goddamn bastard had the cheek to ask to see my emails on my phone when I told him that I'd "forgot" to note down some activities. I told him no, that's personal. Then he gives me the shpiel about how are we supposed to know you're looking for work. Oh I don't know, how about the fact that being on the dole was never an easy ride to begin with, and now with Universal Credit it fucking sucks even more? At least that's what I wish I could have said to him. All this fucking pressure is so much bullshit, all it does is stress me out and make it more likely that I'll just think "fuck it!" make up the numbers with duff applications.
 
NoXion said:
Well at my last meeting they checked my online journal on the UC website, where I'm supposed to record all my jobseeking activities. Goddamn bastard had the cheek to ask to see my emails on my phone when I told him that I'd "forgot" to note down some activities. I told him no, that's personal. Then he gives me the shpiel about how are we supposed to know you're looking for work. Oh I don't know, how about the fact that being on the dole was never an easy ride to begin with, and now with Universal Credit it fucking sucks even more? At least that's what I wish I could have said to him. All this fucking pressure is so much bullshit, all it does is stress me out and make it more likely that I'll just think "fuck it!" make up the numbers with duff applications.
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I literally thought that's what everyone done! Bear in mind I have been on it since 2015 and haven't experienced this new system, though have heard it was bollocks. I couldn't bear to sign up when I was unemployed last year and relied on doing casual work. Not sure of your situation as to whether would be suitable for you
 
I've got one, potentially two interviews lined up now. This is the thing that pisses me off about the 35 hours a week bullshit. I don't need some cunt breathing down me neck, I need time to find a suitable role. It's not like I can simply carve myself a job out of the bare rock, by the sweat of my own brow alone. I have to convince employers to hire me. They can look at dozens of candidates and be choosy, but meanwhile I'm chivvied along and treated like a cunt for daring to claim a piddling amount of money, so that I don't end up starving or get chucked out on the streets.

As you can see, the despair's gone but the anger remains.
 
I'm joining this thread. I got made redundant last summer, which was actually wonderful because I was about to quit anyway. I've been freelancing since then and have had regular work but only have two weeks left. Am a little panicky - have never done been freelance before and have been applying for (temporary, fixed contract) jobs almost every day, all over the world.

I have a large document to keep track of all the correspondence/interviews. I've had so many interviews in the last few months but so far, nothing much has come of them :(

I had an interview yesterday which was an online automated video interview. This must be the new thing. It wasn't fun, and one of the questions was weird and didn't seem to have anything to do with the job.

Tomorrow, I've got an interview on Zoom for a job I really want. I'm overthinking everything and have brainstormed all the possible things they might ask me. Any other tips?

Also, I'm wondering how you juggle applying for different jobs. Thinking ahead and optimistically here, but let's say I'm offered a job, but it's not the one I really want. How long can I hold off making a decision?
 
:hmm:

advert out for something fairly local to me doing broadly similar to what i do now.

well respected employer (although this means potentially a fair bit of interest)

probably more chance to develop - i'm fairly clearly (in my late 40s) seen as just there to count down to retirement by my current employer

would mean maybe an hour a day commuting rather than close to 4 hours.

would pretty much kill off any prospect of moving back to london - mum-tat considerations (she's 80 this year and not getting any younger) as well as personal - although moving back to london is going to mean raising some finance.

have had a couple of bouts of flu in the last year, so may get a bad reference for that - risk of not getting this job and being in an even worse situation in current job (i know they can't sack me for applying for another job, but i've been pushed out of jobs without actually getting the sack before)

i wish i knew what the heck to do.

:(
 
miss direct said:
but let's say I'm offered a job, but it's not the one I really want. How long can I hold off making a decision?
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dunno really. sod's law when you're having a burst of job applications, the job you want least is the one to offer first.

letting an employer know that they are your second choice / last resort isn't going to be a good look, and there's a risk they will decide to offer to someone who appears more keen instead.

wouldn't have thought that delay of more than a day in responding to an e-mail / phone message is going to be accepted - you used to be able to string this sort of thing out a few days if something was in the post (or longer if you were prepared to take the risk of saying it must have been lost in the post.)

some offers will be the point at which you start asking more detailed questions about pay / conditions, so might be a chance to string that out a bit. And most offers will be subject to taking up references and that sort of thing so that will take a bit of time.

in UK law (i have a feeling you're elsewhere) my understanding is that technically your contract of employment starts once you've signed the deal, so you're bound by any notice period before you start - although i can't imagine any employer starting someone who's already working out their notice. most employers keep one or two 'second choice' candidates in reserve (you can usually tell when it's you as employer will take bloody ages to say yes or no)

most employers will have had people who have said yes to an offer who then say no. personally, i'd be inclined to do it as professionally as possible and tell them as soon as you can, rather than just not turn up - you never know when you will encounter that hiring manager again...

best of luck with it all
 
Thanks Puddy_Tat
I had an interview yesterday and it seemed to go well - but I often think that and never hear back/get rejected :mad:
I will try to string the other place out a bit longer.
Another interview tomorrow. All good practice, I think!

Just a tip for others going through internet based interviews - go through the job role/person specification, and brainstorm the questions/areas they are likely to ask about. Research the company. Look on Glassdoor. Sounds obvious, but it pays off - I kept my notes on the desk with me yesterday and referred to them - almost all of the things I'd thought about came up, so it was worth the preparation.
 
Rejected from the latest job interview and stood up for the other one! When will this end!
Another interview next week, again with a mammoth task attached. Uffffff.
 
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