[Elina]

Sorry if it seemed I was having a dig at you, I wasn't. It's equally frustrating receiving 300 applications every single bloody week AND most are filled in incorrectly. Why have 'I have experience in custormer service and am a friendly person' if applying for a junior finance assistant role? Get the bloody covering letter to match the job description! Similarly I've seen application forms which have simply been left blank at the person specification pages. WTF? Do you want to work here or not?

Companies don't ask for CV's to piss off people. Companies don't ask for application forms to piss of people. Companies don't write 'only successful applicants will be contacted' out of spite. It's a coping mechanism to deal with the hordes of applicants

Luckily almost all companies accept emailed CV's and application forms so there's really no cost involved when you send yours out.

[ggalin]

[Elina]

[castlelgr]

Nice response Elina.

The fact of the matter is if people took the time to investicate the company and role and send their CV's and cover letters to address the skills the role and compnay require, they would be a lot more successful than wasting HR's time by sending loads of CV's (which any experienced recruiter knows are just sent on the off chance)

[qualitystreet]

Elina is 50% right.

Every position you apply for must your own special golden project and you have to nurture it, instead of being pi**ed off with the application form, having a frame of being annoyed try 'This will whittle down a few more uninterested people'

Joining the Prison Service in the UK is a typical example, you have 2 sets of online tests (Ok they are really simple), then you have a grammar test, then a 30 odd page application form. Then travel to an assessment day miles away unless you live in Croydon or Birmingham, then you have to wait for a position to come up.

If you can't be bothered to do all of those stages - What are you going to to be like on the job? Are you going to want to keep going when things get tough? (After all that effort?)

The same psycological principal applies to any job.

In a way its wrong though because, can you imagine, going through 2 interviews, an application form and/or a CV, just to be told 'You won't fit into the team','You don't represent the company ethos' or other wooly sh*t like that. That gives the candidate NOTHING to take away and work on. This is what winds people up. The employer forgets that that candidate cannot see what he/she is up against, often only applying after seeing the vaguest job title/description.

[KILLSCAM]

[punk rocker]

[montyzuma]

but you have to have skills that someone wants

[Richardlloyd09]

I think the focus should be on what you can change, rather than what you can't. Improve your cv by targeting it to the role you want. Use a cover letter that relates your experience to the roles. Then take massive action and get your cv to every relevant agency and employer in your location. In my experience of job searching in two recessions, keeping a positive attitude helps as firms aren 't looking for people who come across as bitter or frustrated, so keep going. Easier said than done I know, but that's what you have to do.

Richard Lloyd, UK

[friendlyanimal]

[Sibby]

I've just given up. I'm a student and with no experience i'm left at a disadvantage. The funny thing is that they ask for people with experience, well let me tell you this. "HOW THE HECK AM I SUPPOSED TO GET EXPERIENCE IF I CAN'T GET A JOB?!?!?!"

I've applied to a new KFC store opening in Manchester Fort as soon as the banner was up and i haven't recieved a reply for a month now so i'm not suprised that they've not taken me because "I DONT HAVE FUCKING EXPERIENCE..."


Looked in the papers the other day to see a betterware advert (I did my research and since they give free catalogues and equipment i thought i had nothing to loose) so they have their advert saying they're looking for distributors in manchester. And i phone them just for them to say that there are no current jobs in Manchester... WTF!!!!

[ggalin]

First few jobs are very difficult. What are you supposed to put on your CV? That you're a good student and brush your teeth twice a day? It's ridiculous.

So you have to make stuff up. My strategy was to use business that recently closed. No way they can check the references then. I also used totally invented companies but with the internet today that might be more difficult.

I was 20 and in university when I got my first job. I delivered pizza. They didn't ask for a CV and there was no interview. I just left my phone number with them and a month later, they called asking me if Im still interested. Worked one day a week but its a real job to put on the CV at least.

Things got progressively easier from there as I was able to add real companies to the CV. So yeah, the KFC is a good idea. Crap restaurant jobs. Just so you have something to show that isn't totally invented.

[KarlRW]

I want to give the view of an employer....

I am looking for freelance salespeople, to sell a variety of products and services on a commission basis. But here is where we hit the problem:

I put ads on gumtree and other places, but i didnt get any good responses (for the role, i was expecting a decent understanding of the english language, but i kept getting people who couldnt type a coherent 1 line response). I have taken the time to reply to every single one i recieved, but it seems to be doing me no favors whatsoever.

Karl

[punk rocker]