[soueupa]

Sick to death, having to send out my CV only to receive no response at all from the employers.
What about the jobs advertised, with full job description outlining the benefits and the experience needed to apply and a phone number to call if you fit the relevant criteria?
You call the no. and then get put on hold whilst the receptionist looks for the right person to take your call, once found you have to tell them yet again why you are calling them and this person tells you in order to be considered for the vacancy you will have to either post or email your CV details to them.
WTF didn’t they just say this on their ad in the 1st place ?
Sorry to whinge on but I’ve really got the arse-ache with these morons.
I know it’s an employer’s market at the moment because of the crunch but if they really want to find the ideal candidate to fill their vacancies why not give those that have taken the time to show their keen interest /positive attitude in the position offered and invite them for a face to face interview and then decide whether the person is suitable or not? (Come on it takes 2 to Tango)
The effort, time, and money I have spent posting out my CV and calling these phones no’s to no avail, just does not compensate.
My favourite – “Job description”---- followed by no experience necessary call now to apply.......
So you call and apply and what’s the 1st thing they ask?
Answer: Do you have any qualifications?
Maybe it’s just me?
Anyway I’ve decided to no longer answer or look for any more job vacancies via web, newspapers or agencies. Instead I want to place my own wanted ads.
Anyone have experience of placing these on gumtree?
What sort of response can I/have you received ?
Is it worth splashing out the £24.50 to place the ad?

[castlelgr]

I would say its not worth it, if you dont have much experience there is no point

[ggalin]

Isnt it free to post a work wanted ad?

[soueupa]

Not free - £24.50 for 60 days

Weird really because to place an ad offering a room for rent is free.

(still I suppose its a small price to pay if you can get a result within the 60 days)

[Fay_S]

There are loads of jobs advertised online that ask for email applications. I've found that the easiest way.
If they ask you to either post or email a CV, I always email 'cos it's free and quick and 9 times out of 10 the recipient spends their whole day in front of a computer anyway.
You should look at re-vamping your CV. I've got mine in .doc and pdf formats. using pdf makes you look as if you're more computer literate and taken more time and effort.
Always get straight in with the personal statement too. Mine is under my address/contact details before the quals and employment history. That's how you can really make an impact on employers before they even see what bits of paper you have.
Have different CVs for different jobs too. Even if you're not qualified or experienced, you can put more emphasis on stuff that's relevant to the job.
Instead of looking at job vacancies, look at companies you'd like to work for. Include a covering letter that explains you know they might not have vacancies right now but you're keen to work for them and hope they will keep your CV on file for future reference.
I wouldn't bother paying to advertise when there's so much free stuff available. The trick is to make yourself stand out of the crowd.

[soueupa]

to Fay_S
Good advice, thanks
I will revise my CV and try out your suggestion contacting companies directly that I would like to work for.

[Fay_S]

I understand your frustrations. I've been signing on now for about 4 months and its killing me. I was a stay at home mum and I hate to say this but I wonder if I wasnt better off you know?
Now, as well as the stress of jobsearching, interviews, REJECTIONS! and, as you said in your first post, being messed about, I've got the jobcentre breathing down my neck bcos they think I am like all the timewasting chavs they see every day. I just want a job!

I went to my local adult education centre for help with my CV but they were rubbish. well, they wanted to help and they were nice but the end result was rubbish. I did a better job myself. You've got to really lay it on thick about what a fast learner you are, how keen and eager, you're so very confident and competent, you absolutely love everything the job offers etc. Tiresome but its the only way.

[GeekyYetCool]

I am an employer and almost given up trying to find employees - especially with any technical knowledge/initiative or interests other than socialising, clubbing, shopping or football. The last job we advertised, we had 30 applicants (and responded to them all of them). None were UK citizens and the person we offered the job to arrived on the day and told us he may not be staying more than a month because he was going back to India to get married and wasn't sure if his wife would want to work in England! He did not disclose this before. Despite the recession, it is as hard as ever to find anyone any good and its only ever by word of mouth we find anyone. Most of today's graduates seem only interested in non-technical jobs for multi-national corporates or for government agencies. If you are a small company, it is very difficult. It is equally frustrating for both sides and I wish there was a way to bring good employees and candidates together without being ripped off by a recruitment agency (another sad story).

[soueupa]

Thanks for all the replies/advice,its actually helped boost my moral.

I've also been signing on now for approximately last 15 weeks, hate every second of it. After you have been doing this for a while it starts to get the better of you because no matter what attemps youve tried in securing a job nothing seems to work.

Im no longer looking at specific job description and apply for anything out there,thats available, including Road Sweeping/Waste collections, but I think the problem lies in too many people chasing the same idea and beating me to it.

I've even started thinking about selling my body ?
Somehow I doubt I would get any offers though.

[FYI]

Haha, don't open up that conversation again! I just had a rant at the bird who wanted to be an escort....she wasn't sure if it was prostitution or not...

...Anyway...

But good luck with it all, seems the available jobs are being given to non UK residents....so good luck

[ggalin]

I know that the Work Wanted section is free. The other sections in "jobs" are £25 or whatever, but not "Work Wanted". Try it.

[soueupa]

To ggalin

Yes you were right , it is free.
Just posted my ad. Thanks
Lets see how that does.

[soueupa]

to GeekyYetCool
"It is equally frustrating for both sides and I wish there was a way to bring good employees and candidates together without being ripped off by a recruitment agency (another sad story)"

Thanks for your input, your statement above has given me food for thought.

[chiefvillain]

To GeekyYetCool, want kind of work do you do and are you still recruiting or looking for good candidates.

Please try me

Regards

[qualitystreet]

There has to be a way to get people (employers) such as GeekyButCool in touch with real job seekers.

To my mind, I think a lot people don't want to work for large scale multinationals and be confined to life as just a number, I for one would get more job satisfaction in seeing a small company I am working for grow than just play office politics in some multinational.

Part of what is happening is that people (the very people who list their favorite pastimes as shopping or socialising) see thinks like The Apprentice and want that. Its all part of Celebrity Culture we are developping in this country.

Some of these said multinationals are screwing around with the agencies who develop this hostile exterior towards people in general, they become abrasive towards small companies and abrasive towards candidates.

As personality is more important within smaller companies, candidates find their 'cut and paste' interview style doesn't work (as its easily seen through) this scare some people off.As does the threat of going bankrupt.

You mention before that you have a lot of non-UK nationals going for positions. I, myself have been somewhat outspoken on this trend. Perhaps this trend is greater that you would think. With many immigrants arriving in the UK and the fact that you get a many people coming out of university with i) Zero Work Skills ii) an Over Inflated opinion of themselves.

With this in mind, it may give you some success to maybe look higher up the ladder, you might surprise yourself with the roles you would be considerered for as there seems to be a skills shortage in this area (particularly in technical fields)

[pestal]

[pestal]

[pestal]

[Elina]

I find it strange when people call us, waste of time

The add has clear information on what the job description is and how to apply (website address). People then call us and ask for an application form. FFS, it says in the ad that application forms are on the web address! Why would we want to spend money on posting hard copies to all 100 callers per week

[soueupa]

Don’t shoot me for living in the past.
But I recall that before CV’s became the “NORM”, it was so much easier and to the point:
I.e.: Employer posted an ad in a newspaper (or other forms of media) with brief details outlining vacancy as well as required skills to apply and benefits + pay.
Then the applicant would call the no. in the ad, the employer would listen and if he liked what he heard would suggest setting up an interview.
At the interview an exchange of questions & answers would ensue and if the employer found the candidate to his liking would offer the employment there & then.
The above is the ideal scenario for applying for a vacancy granted.
But isn’t this enough to show you have taken the effort and are keen & interested in the vacancy?
“No way”. Today you have to follow a set of rules which all favour the employer.
First you answer the ad and then told to send in your CV and then wait for a response which 99.9% of the time never happens (because the employer deems it unnecessary & can’t be arsed to, supposedly too many applications and so on). So you have shown your keenness by sending your CV and it’s your belief that indeed you fit all the requirements, why else would you go to all the trouble if you weren’t interested?
So in the end this is telling me only 1 thing “CV’s are a worthless piece of paper”
This is the reason why presently all employers choose the wrong candidate in most cases.
They prefer to believe in this crappy piece of paper (let’s face it mostly are fictitious anyway), rather than take the time to interview someone who has shown genuine interest in the position offered and merits the interview.

[anita.patt]

Hi Everyone!!

Hope you are well. Job search is simple but should be done prudently. Prepare a good CV and get prepared for the interview.

Check for local companies and apply to the posts you fit in:

You can do this by browsing for local companies in your area and then applying via their site or contact e-mail id. Next, try for recruitment and HR agencies to reach more companies and if you are open for other locations apart from your current place do the same thing for those areas and put "Ready or Open for relocation to the the following places and list the cities.

You can also try work from home opportunities to avoid the stress of going to office.

Also as always remember :

Any company will not ask you to pay for joining their work. If they ask you to pay then it is better to avoid such companies and go for the next.
There are lot of scams in Oil and Gas , Online Jobs etc. Be on watch-out always.

Do your homework and research to avoid getting burnt!!


Hope it helps .

[Elina]

Soueupa, that was then and you really can't compare it to job markets today.

I mean, Primark received 14,000 applications for their Bristol shop. Hell would I like to be HR if I had to take 14,000 calls and interview everyone. With a CV shortlisting is so much more efficient. And since there are only 500 jobs, Primark would have to send 13,500 letters to people who weren't successful. Waste of resources if you ask me

[soueupa]

[Elina]

Whether you apply to the post is your perogative. If you think sending CV's is a waste of time, I'd suggest you look forward to a lifetime on the dole.

For Primark to reply to all candidates, they would have to hire people specifically for this task. Why push expenses up for a task that is stricktly speaking not needed. Yes, it is nice, quaint and polite to reply to candidates but when there 13,500 addresses to be individually typed, this seems like a waste. Financially insane to hire people to do a job that is not necessary

They need a CV to assess if you are suitable for the position. Dur. Being suitable for the position would include things like customer service experience, retail experience, etc, etc

They actually DO have people applying who are seriously over qualified. With the recession malarky going on, people are willing to take what they can get.

[soueupa]

Hey ,i'm only expressing an opinion to gauge other's view's whether for or against.

When I originally posted this out of frustation, I wasn't after any sort of public sympathy for my woe's.

What I can say is this, if it helps you better understand my sentimentality....

Throughout my working life I have never once needed a CV to present to possible employer's.

I have 17 years experience in a Professional Trade ( working for same employer continuously )

5 years freelancing ( self-employed, for 4 different companies at the same time )

Lastly I too have been an employer ,albeit for approximately 4 years when I set up my own company ( which I had to abandon in the end due to complications with my divorce )
This is still alive and doing very well so I am told.

At peak I was earning/making £36+ per annum
my last take home pay was approximately £13+ per annum

quote

"They actually DO have people applying who are seriously over qualified. With the recession malarky going on, people are willing to take what they can get."

Exactly what I am doing presently.

When the situation arise's as it has in my case, i'm quite prepared to get my hands dirty and muck in, as and when neccessary just like everyone else.
It's a dog eat dog world we live in and as such I have no qualms about joining the ranks,if it means I get to put food on the table at the end of the day,so be it.