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The Why Don't You Get a Job Thread


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Best of luck Keith!

I got rejected from a job I desperately wanted on Friday, and I would've been great for. 5 interviews, but unfortunately there are 2x directors and one was a bit old school and didn't see me being the right fit so fair enough. Back to the drawing board. 

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55 minutes ago, Chest Rockwell said:

Fucking hell. First avatar change in 20 years and that monstrosity is what you pick??


Congrats Monkee; sounds like a great job!

He just makes me laugh, looks like a Viz character.

24 minutes ago, Keith Houchen said:

Start a temp job on Monday, first one since my health scare so glad to be back earning money.  May only be a two month deal but I needed it for the self confidence, reckon I'd have gone off the deep end if I didn't land this but been 10 days sober so hoping I'm on the up.

2 months is great.  Nothing stopping you applying for other stuff while your there, and with a bit of luck you'll go straight on to something else.  Well done on the 10 days, hope it carries on for you.

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3 hours ago, CavemanLynn said:

The "over-qualification" idea is the biggest pile of bollocks. I'm no careerist - having to work just to survive is the bane of my existence which takes time and energy away from what makes life worth living. I heard it best described as the "deferred life plan". In my current job, I worked my way up from floor worker to production manager on a healthy wage, but after four years of deteriorating health and totally fucked work-life balance, the financial benefits really aren't worth it. I'm still pretty young (33) and the wife and I can afford a reduction in household income. I'd love to step back down into an operator or assistant role, where I get to get my hands dirty and apply my intelligence rather than herding cats in a managerial position, which makes me miserable and has botched my life. Problem is, I know I'll get tarred with the over-qualification brush if I try and go elsewhere, but I wonder if a voluntary demotion will put a longterm blot on my CV. Contradictory, I know, but that's a sign of where I'm at right now.

I think the best way to approach this at an interview so that it doesn't come across like your too qualified is to say that you worked your way up to management and felt this was best practise to learn everything and would like to do so again in a different job/industry. I feel this has worked well for me in interviews before, then once your foot is in the door its up to you whether you want to pursue that.

 

2 hours ago, Ian 86 said:

Really? I've been interviewing for the past 10 years and never once been influenced by glasses (although I wear them myself so I guess there's no novelty).  For guys clean shoes and a decent tie knot create a much more impressive first impression for me.  For guys it's quite straight forward - suit, tie, and clean black shoes. 

It's funny you mention the tie, I have had feedback from interviews (positive suggestions) that wearing a tie these days is a bit old fashioned and too formal, and that employers these days prefer the non tie. 

I know thats subjective.

1 hour ago, Keith Houchen said:

Start a temp job on Monday, first one since my health scare so glad to be back earning money.  May only be a two month deal but I needed it for the self confidence, reckon I'd have gone off the deep end if I didn't land this but been 10 days sober so hoping I'm on the up.

Having done temp work before I think its actually a positive thing to do, if you impress they will most likely offer you a permanent position, if you don't like it its only a couple of months or if you find something else between now & then its an easy way out. Your also less likely to be bored knowing its a 2 month thing so will enjoy it too. 

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The tie is subjective and, of course, depends on the company but the main point is if you wear one make the effort to do it properly.

I'm working my notice currently and when I interviewed for the new role I'm moving on to the first feedback I got from the final stage interview was "really looked the part which leaves us no doubt he is as professional as his interview answers suggest and we are really keen to get him onboard".  That was a 4th stage interview so I'd already proven my technical knowledge and ability to do the role but it was the first face to face meeting  (I don't count Skype as F2F) and it's easy to get overly comfortable by that point.

I guess my point is that you should dress in a way that helps sell you and is appropriate for the role and company you are interested in  (make them want to hire you over someone else). And if in doubt, as an interviewer, I'd rather you overdress than under but thats just me. 

The problem (or part of the fun...) with interviews is there is no golden ticket answer, just do your best on the day and try to relax and enjoy it!

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I think I literally only wear ties to interviews now. I don't even wear them for weddings anymore.


I used to wear them to interviews and the first day of work, but don't bother with the latter anymore.

Edited by Chest Rockwell
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Thanks guys! I'm really looking forward to starting on Monday. Not looking forward to trying to get back into the morning routine though. It's been 5 months since I did the old 9-5 malarkey.

Also, great shout from Briefcase on the old 'over-qualified' front. Wish I'd thought before about saying it was learning from best practice and wanting to try again in a different job. I always said I'd tried it and wanted to take a step back from the admin responsibility and get back to being hands on. That would definitely have been worth adding in to try to convince potential employers though.

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More on my work placement. So, I actually ended up with quite a few reports published in two papers this week. I am most happy with Trench Art, which was in the Tribune's arts section, about an exhibition at the Guildhall.

I interviewed Sebastian Coe and wrote a piece on his visit to a school in Bayswater. And photography by me featured on the front page of two papers as well. 

The most local report I wrote was about a Labour councillor who succeeded in campaigning for a disabled toilet and baby changing facilities to be installed in a cafe. Groundbreaking stuff. 

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I'm currently filling in an application online for a job. With regards to the questions "please provide details of your current or most recent salary" and "please state your required salary", is it OK to just put "meets national minimum wage" and "to meet the national minimum wage" respectively.

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3 hours ago, WyattSheepMask said:

I'm currently filling in an application online for a job. With regards to the questions "please provide details of your current or most recent salary" and "please state your required salary", is it OK to just put "meets national minimum wage" and "to meet the national minimum wage" respectively.

For the required salary, I'd put the salary they are advertising for the position.  Tha way if it's greater than NMW you are not devaluing yourself.

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I spent this past Thursday and Friday in Preston doing the induction for my new job. I started today and it was only a half day, because the guy I am working with was supposed  to have been off, but got called in to do a small job. I should be finished by 4.30 most days instead of 6-7 which is what I was doing with my old job.

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On 04/05/2017 at 9:09 AM, Chest Rockwell said:

I think I literally only wear ties to interviews now. I don't even wear them for weddings anymore.


I used to wear them to interviews and the first day of work, but don't bother with the latter anymore.

I have two ties on my desk (one grey, one blue- that should cover pretty much any colour combo I wear) that I only use for external meetings and court hearings (as a claimant). I report to the MD and he never wears a tie, so I interpret that as not having to wear one myself.

Such a bizarre item of clothing and it's incredible that in 2017 they're still a thing.

Edited by PunkStep
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I don't think I ever wore one to work on a regular basis in any job I had in the UK, only for meetings or times when I needed to impress I think. I have to wear a tie to class in Vietnam which I find bizzare as it's considered "professional" yet I never ever see Vietnamese men wearing ties unless they are part of a uniform. That said on some people I think they look decent if the person knows how to wear them nicely but on most people I think ties look a tad awkward, myself included unless i'm fully suited and booted. 

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I gave notice at my sales job on Friday, said I'd be leaving at the end of June. For whatever reason, since I've started here the MD has bent over backwards to accommodate me - he gave me a six week sabbatical when I tried to quit to go on my Asia trip, he's let me cut my hours down to three days a week because of uni, he's given me subs, he's put up with my less than reliable attendance. Today, he asked if there was anyway I would stay. I said let me work two days a week, Monday and Friday (Friday is basically a half day) and give me a 3k pay rise, and he said yes. So I'm staying. At some point, going into my third year of uni and wanting to build a freelance career, I probably will have to actually, really quit but shit I seem to have landed on my feet here.

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