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I was unemployed after uni for about 8 months. (after sept 2008)
But what I did was said I'm going to apply for almost anything and take each stage as it comes.
So I got offered a job for the summer working shifts in a factory (for little above min wage and 6am start at the start of the line). I took it. I took the attitude that almost no job should be discounted in a bad recession. 2 weeks into the factory job I got offered my first proper job. I've now progressed to my 2nd job and feel a lot better about things. The factory job helped me for both the last 2 interviews as it showed I was prepared to work hard and do tasks other people might think they are above doing.
Has anyone had their CV professionally re-written.
The cost is not out of reach at about 500 pounds and if it helps get a job that much quicker its sounds to me like a reasonable investment.
McBoo has it nailed there.
Hi, only signed up to respond to this post.
PLEASE dont spend your money on these companies that garantee work etc.
It is impossible to make such a promise and therefore is not worth the paper it is written on.
The sort of advice they give (network by joining the local golf club and loitering near the bar) is nothing that you wont allready have thought of yourself.
I have a lot of experience in this field and lost count of the number of senior execs i spoke to who paid up to £15,000 (they will try and charge you what they think you are worth) and got nothing.
It might be worth going to a decent CV writing service as if they are any good they will probably highlight things you may not have thought of and speak recruiters language in a way that you wont but shop around and never pay what they ask for because you dont need to!
damn I wish I was still unemployed, I was racking up 100+ mtb miles a week up until last monday, when I had to start a job, jobs just get in the way of riding, i hate them,
Had an interview today, apparently 500+ people applied and only 8 others being interviewed 0_0 They said my cover letter and CV are great so at least I don't have that to worry about - it's just my interview technique still isn't brilliant which is annoying when it's so competitive.
I was made unemployed a long while ago from a management position the day after I'd exchanged contracts on my new house. I took a much more junior and unskilled position to ensure I had an income. I ended up doing other work during this time including cleaning out pig sheds not nice but much needed extra income.
In the end my past experience and skills improved my position/earnings within that company. I kept looking for other jobs, moved and increased my position further bringing a new view to such management positions.
At the end of the day you need to be or doing whatever is required to bring in an income more so if you have a family and liabilities to meet. As they say pride comes before a fall.
To those that are still looking I can offer a few tips.
Get yourself noticed. As you have already read 100's are applying for the same job as you. Make your CV stand out by ensuring it's on quality paper, well laid and no spelling mistakes (shocking how many come through with these errors). If you have done other work to fill gaps in your career include them and say what you gained from the position and what you brought to the role. Applicants with gaps in their employment rings alarm bells so do something even volunteer work.
If you're sending out a CV on the hope of gaining employment even though the company aren't advertising then make sure your covering letter makes it clear that you have researched their company. Try to and get it deliverd to the relevant director in charge of the department you are looking to get into. Follow up on it even if you hear nothing from them with another CV and covering letter with reference to any development within their business or company.
It takes hard work so ensure you are organised and professional to keep one step ahead of your competition.
Interviews are awkward as most people are asked to attend one on the basis that they already meet the requirements. The face to face is to get to know the person, so relax and be yourself. The interviewer may not be that good so try and keep the conversation going instead of giving just one word answers and don't be afraid to ask questions as your progress through the meeting. Again you need to stand out so make sure there is something that gets you noticed such as bright but smart shirt or tie. At the end of the interviews most people are referred to as to what stood about them such as bright shirt guy, the woman whose the Man Utd fan so make sure you're not remembered as sweaty guy that looked a mess because they only arrived 2 minutes before becuase they didn't know where the building was.
Good luck.
Go to ten different CV "companies" and you'll end up with ten very different CV's
Please don't pay anyone £500 to sort it out for you. The Job Centre can point you in the direction of companies who will do it for free.
[i]Go to ten different CV "companies" and you'll end up with ten very different CV's
Please don't pay anyone £500 to sort it out for you. The Job Centre can point you in the direction of companies who will do it for free. [/i]
I'm sure it will also be worth the money...
£350 with this guy, so less than a days pay
craig.heeley@yourcv.com
www.yourcv.com
Pleased with the result
To OP,
Have you tried AussieLand or Canada or NZ?
Ship building? or Oil industry? or related?
Too specialise then you might have to wait for a long time until the economy gets better again ...
£350 to write a CV 0_0
need to get into that line of work!
I haven’t used those agencies, and don’t think I ever would! I think there are many companies that can potentially help you the same way without the massive charge. Re-vamping your CV may be a good start though. I went to www.cv-shop.com and they had loads of articles, free resources, services etc and they were kinda useful.
Mid/Senior Contaminated land professional here, so pretty niche.
Redundant March 09. A years sabbatical with pre-school kids, with the Mrs back to work and a fair amount of 'We like you, but we've no positions' since March 10.
TBH, I could be back in work by now if I was prepared to move, but I've done too much of that and I'm sick of it - Its strips the life from you because you're constantly away from friends, family and the things you enjoy.
Working as a bike mechanic at the moment, which is more rewarding than I thought it would be, but pay is atrocious. Keeps me the right side of the overdraft though, with some care.
May come in handy - ta.http://www.cv-shop.com
The use of apostrophes on their homepage is questionable though...
Anyone need to employ a pedant?
Have you tried AussieLand or Canada or NZ?
Ha ha ha yeah that's right our economy is positively boooming.
To be fair Christchurch has a wee bit of building work lined up - in all seriousness you'd get work there immediately. Small risk of death but completely random likelihood.
I am trying to recruit at the moment, my company has the enviable position of having grown quite significantly in the last 4 years. Even though, I am looking for *just* over entry level support analysts, the quality has been atrocious! I have three posts to fill and out of over one hundred CV's, interviewed 10 and offered a position to one!
C.V.'s are my biggest bugbear, this is your one chance to sell yourself to me, it does not have to be amazing, just intelligently structured with [b]no spelling or obvious grammar mistakes[/b]. Make sure that your sentences end and all make sense, get some one else to read it over, twice.
When it comes to interview, personality goes a long way. I have interviewed lots of people who are very skilled but I would never let on a Support Desk as they would bore the pants off our customers, not to mention that they would never fit into the team dynamic.
It does not matter what the role is, Customer Service skills will be critical and the ease and confidence that you communicate with is one of the main factors in an interview.
Don't let age put you off at all, all bar one of my team are under 35 and the oldest has just celebrated his 60th!
Just be confident in your abilities and use the spell checker on the computer (Watch out for Americanisms) and you will be fine!
Good Luck!
Rysz.
Don't let age put you off at all, all bar one of my team are under 35 and the oldest has just celebrated his 60th!
As your team probably includes you does that mean that you are the only old one at 60.
Doesn't sound like a good spread of age to me.
TurnerGuy - Member
Don't let age put you off at all, all bar one of my team are under 35 and the oldest has just celebrated his 60th!
As your team probably includes you does that mean that you are the only old one at 60.Doesn't sound like a good spread of age to me.
We go from 22 (The apprentice), through the range of the twenties into the early thirties, I myself am a fresh faced 31. Funnily enough, there are not that many IT professionals looking for first line support work, it is an exhausting position to have. I consider myself lucky to have someone like my sixty year old on my team for the wealth of experience and steadying nature he brings to the team dynamic. So really don't worry about your age.
Rysz.
[quote=rysz][b] Funnily enough, there are not that many IT professionals looking for first line support work, it is an exhausting position to have.[/b]
That's because it's probably their [u]first[/u] IT job - every person I have met in IT support (not development) worked for up to 2yrs on first line support.
It's the bottom rung of the ladder, and the pay acknowledges this. Everybody hated it, but it was a necessary evil.
I was earning 1/3 of my current salary on 1st line support.
What I meant was older IT professionals!
Support is a young man's game to be honest as it can be soul destroying and exhausting! I agree though it is the best route into IT that there is!
Rysz.