Misc The old experience clause?

[Everz]

So after another set of failed job applications/interviews due to 'lack of experience' in the relevant sector. I was wondering, how the fuck is anyone supposed to gain 'experience' when you can't get a fucking job because of 'lack of experience', it's a never ending circle of shit that'll see people perpetually unemployed because they're unable to actually get a foot in the door!

I give up.

 

[old.Tohtori]

Internship with no pay.

 

[DaGaffer]

So after another set of failed job applications/interviews due to 'lack of experience' in the relevant sector. I was wondering, how the fuck is anyone supposed to gain 'experience' when you can't get a fucking job because of 'lack of experience', it's a never ending circle of shit that'll see people perpetually unemployed because they're unable to actually get a foot in the door!

I give up.

What are you trying to get into?

 

[Tuthmes]

What are you trying to get into?

The pr0n industry, but he has no experiance u c!

 

[Everz]

What are you trying to get into?

Currently? Anything as I'm going to be broke come the 28th Feb .

Unfortunately my past experience is mainly office work/retail/bookies, and the positions I applied for were in sales since I'm having to search for part-time work to fit around University. The feedback I keep getting is infuriating nevertheless, it seems to be the bog standard 'your an excellent candidate and performed great in the interview, there was just a more experienced candidate'.

It's also extremely impossible for me to get into an office job currently due to my University hours being all over the show, bar staff won't have me as I'm totally unexperienced. It really is a shitter that I'm having to look at my possessions to see what I can sell.

 

[Chilly]

grad schemes, training schemes, shitty low pay versions of the same job...internships.

 

[Everz]

grad schemes, training schemes, shitty low pay versions of the same job...internships.

Probably should have mentioned that I'm (unfortunately) back at University, so have to fit any potential job around that.

 

[DaGaffer]

grad schemes, training schemes, shitty low pay versions of the same job...internships.

^This basically. However, as you're still in Uni (full-time? Part-time?) These options are all really for after you graduate (unless you want to/can do a placement year).

As I don't know anything about your background its difficult to point you in the direction of anything substantial (for instance I have loads of students/part-timers doing data entry and fulflilment work; I'd be surprised if that kind of work doesn't exist wherever you are).

 

[Raven]

Start at the bottom and move your way up. As said, data entry, tea boy...whatever. I started doing data entry and eventually got part qualified on CIMA but accountancy will tear your very soul from your being it is that dull.

I still work in finance but more IT/report building shizzle now.

 

[Everz]

^This basically. However, as you're still in Uni (full-time? Part-time?) These options are all really for after you graduate (unless you want to/can do a placement year).

As I don't know anything about your background its difficult to point you in the direction of anything substantial (for instance I have loads of students/part-timers doing data entry and fulflilment work; I'd be surprised if that kind of work doesn't exist wherever you are).

Could you point me to some websites or any general idea where I would find the highlighted?

 

[Raven]

Recruitment agencys is the way I went. Temping and whatnot. That was 15 years ago, I would really not relish being at the bottom of the pole these days

 

[Everz]

Recruitment agencys is the way I went. Temping and whatnot. That was 15 years ago, I would really not relish being at the bottom of the pole these days

Full-time only around here, even that most Agency want someone who can drive.. and I don't have a car/can't afford it.

My Uni hours are pretty much during the typical office hours. Why I didn't fuck this off I don't know, this degree isn't going to worth shit anyways.

 

[DaGaffer]

Could you point me to some websites or any general idea where I would find the highlighted?

Monster would be the obvious one. And Totaljobs. Its not going to be massive pay but would keep the wolf from the door. Just look for "data entry" or similar. The other thing I did when I was doing my Masters (back in the late Triassic) was night shift work - warehouse and factory work (in that case, me and about 100 cackling 50 year old women).

 

[Everz]

Monster would be the obvious one. And Totaljobs. Its not going to be massive pay but would keep the wolf from the door. Just look for "data entry" or similar. The other thing I did when I was doing my Masters (back in the late Triassic) was night shift work - warehouse and factory work (in that case, me and about 100 cackling 50 year old women).

Problem with that (without being to derogatory) is that most of the limited warehouse/factory work is covered by the many Eastern Europeans in Cheltenham. Already very much tried that route and ended up getting nothing.

Will try Monster though and have a google through once my lectures are over.

 

[DaGaffer]

You could always be a peon for Amazon:
https://www.mturk.com/mturk/welcome

 

[Cerb]

Decide what you have in mind for the path you roughly want your career to take...then start asking every family member/ friend/ ex co-worker / person you know if they know anyone in that business. If they do ask to be introduced and then offer to take that person to coffee/lunch to pick their brain. Ask them if they were you how would they go about getting into this path...if they don't offer themselves, ask them if there is anyone else they would recommend you talk to.

Find companies you might be interested in working with and start making cold calls and emails asking for "Informational interviews"....I've always found that people feel much less pressure if you ask for those....show up like your going to a real interview (With a folder of CV's in hand) and introduce yourself to everyone and anyone they will let you. Tell everyone "Please keep me in mind if you are looking for help, no job too big or small".

It sounds a little cynical but you've got to use people...anyone...that you can. It's the only way I've ever gotten a "real" job. I've done the sending CV's and applying online to every job I've seen and it's never worked for me....but getting aggressive and pressing the flesh always has eventually.

 

[Olgaline]

Sales is tough atm, as we're in a resession period, selling = harder = greater competition = we want experience!

 

[Everz]

You could always be a peon for Amazon:
https://www.mturk.com/mturk/welcome

Does that stuff actually work?

 

[eksdee]

Have you tried getting work at the Uni itself? A mate of mine did a job while at Uni where he went in at like 6am every day and went around replacing projector bulbs, checking everything was working in seminar rooms etc. You'd basically be the technicians' dogsbody but it's better than nothing obviously. Where do you live and what Uni do you attend?

 

[DaGaffer]

Decide what you have in mind for the path you roughly want your career to take...then start asking every family member/ friend/ ex co-worker / person you know if they know anyone in that business. If they do ask to be introduced and then offer to take that person to coffee/lunch to pick their brain. Ask them if they were you how would they go about getting into this path...if they don't offer themselves, ask them if there is anyone else they would recommend you talk to.

Find companies you might be interested in working with and start making cold calls and emails asking for "Informational interviews"....I've always found that people feel much less pressure if you ask for those....show up like your going to a real interview (With a folder of CV's in hand) and introduce yourself to everyone and anyone they will let you. Tell everyone "Please keep me in mind if you are looking for help, no job too big or small".

It sounds a little cynical but you've got to use people...anyone...that you can. It's the only way I've ever gotten a "real" job. I've done the sending CV's and applying online to every job I've seen and it's never worked for me....but getting aggressive and pressing the flesh always has eventually.

To be fair, you're a journalist; a bit of doorstepping is seen is a career skill; I'm not sure asking for "informational interviews" would go down that well in other professions (maybe in the US? I doubt it in Europe). I have to admit I use the HR dept as a shield to insulate me from that kind of thing, although I have occasionally interacted with job seekers on LinkedIn, even if its only been a polite refusal. Its not that I don't appreciate a determined person, but you can find yourself getting sucked into a pointless dialogue; I had a guy a few weeks ago who completely decided to sidestep a recruitment process I was going through to find a new manager for my team by attempting to deal with me direct. He went from "interesting CV" to "absolute pain in the arse" in the space of an afternoon.

Your other point about shamelessly using relatives, friends, co-workers etc. is more valid. I find people do want to help if they can.

 

[Everz]

Have you tried getting work at the Uni itself? A mate of mine did a job while at Uni where he went in at like 6am every day and went around replacing projector bulbs, checking everything was working in seminar rooms etc. You'd basically be the technicians' dogsbody but it's better than nothing obviously. Where do you live and what Uni do you attend?

Cheltenham, University of Gloucestershire.

Anyways.. my luck may have changed.. may have a leaflet job around Tewkesbury .

 

[DaGaffer]

Does that stuff actually work?

Try it and found out. To be honest it looks interesting from my end and I'm thinking of having a go with it as a way of outsourcing some product description work, but I've no idea what its like as an "employee". I'd guess you'd be up against a lot of amphetamine-fuelled former gold-farmers.

 

[Everz]

Try it and found out. To be honest it looks interesting from my end and I'm thinking of having a go with it as a way of outsourcing some product description work, but I've no idea what its like as an "employee". I'd guess you'd be up against a lot of amphetamine-fuelled former gold-farmers.

Will do that as I've got myself 6 weeks of temp work leafleting. A bad day gone good!

If you want to outsource, I'll be happy to have a go at it.

 

[eksdee]

Cheltenham, University of Gloucestershire.

Anyways.. my luck may have changed.. may have a leaflet job around Tewkesbury .

Ha. I went there. Volunteer as a model for life drawing.

Good luck with the job hunt, I've been where you are now and can only sympathise.

 

[Cerb]

To be fair, you're a journalist; a bit of doorstepping is seen is a career skill; I'm not sure asking for "informational interviews" would go down that well in other professions (maybe in the US? I doubt it in Europe). I have to admit I use the HR dept as a shield to insulate me from that kind of thing, although I have occasionally interacted with job seekers on LinkedIn, even if its only been a polite refusal. Its not that I don't appreciate a determined person, but you can find yourself getting sucked into a pointless dialogue; I had a guy a few weeks ago who completely decided to sidestep a recruitment process I was going through to find a new manager for my team by attempting to deal with me direct. He went from "interesting CV" to "absolute pain in the arse" in the space of an afternoon.

Your other point about shamelessly using relatives, friends, co-workers etc. is more valid. I find people do want to help if they can.

Yeah to be fair a lot of this may be exclusive to working in journalism but I think it's more accepted and expected over here. It's not enough to apply for a job. You have to follow up a lot and be really imposing to get a job. It's definitely taken me some time to adjust to after the closeted good manners of Ireland/England.

 

[Everz]

Ha. I went there. Volunteer as a model for life drawing.

Good luck with the job hunt, I've been where you are now and can only sympathise.

Hah, those poor people, when was that? Lived down here for nearly four years now (three at Uni)...

Cheers. It's a pain but got a solution for at least six weeks now and i'll hit up that HIT that DaGaffer recommended. Cheers one and all.

 

[eksdee]

I graduated in '09. God that makes me feel old!

 

[Scouse]

I graduated in '09. God that makes me feel old!

Try graduating in '96...

 

[Raven]

I left school in 96!

 

[eksdee]

Ancient bastards!