Finding employment

[frugal]

I was out of work for 7 months a few years ago. I would spend 8 hours a day on the phone to recruitment agencies (IT is pretty much all done through word of mouth or agencies, there are almost no walk ins). Look up job; adjust CV to fit; send CV; phone agent to make sure they got it (which forces them to treat me as a person not a CV); follow up call each day; go back to Tesco to stack shelves in the evenings.

In that time I did enough cash in hand work in order to keep my CV padded to look like I had been in work all that time (web site move to a new provider for a recruitment agency; Access database to hold training details for local NHS office etc).

At the end of that the only thing I could get was an 11 month fixed contract for less money than I was on a year earlier 100 miles from home, so I had to pay out for a room in a crummy dive. however it kept the roof over our heads and fortunately got me a security clearance as well which got me my next job.

 

[BradNaylor]

Hit them with something along the lines of " Yes, - can I ask, have you any reservations about my ability to do what is required of the position ? ". and back it up with something like 'because we can address and overcome these now, whilst we are all here'.

I like it!

A job interview is a sales pitch. You have the chance to close the deal there and then.

I have interviewed many job applicants over the years. Believe me, the decision is made within minutes of the right person entering the room. If that applicant plays his or her cards right then no-one following them stands a chance.

It's not fair, but it is exactly how it works.

BE that person!

Cheers
Brad

 

[Jenx]

:wink:

Its surprising how the 'interviewee' can actually control the interview, without appearing pushy.

Works a charm, every time. :wink:

 

[user 5053]

There are so many Poles, Latvians and Bulgarians joiners and carpenters who will work for half the wages and have decades of experience. If I was in London I would simply advertise my services in Loot, the local free papers, Craigs list or Gumtree and I'm sure you would something.

 

[wizer]

hehe I'd be surprised if any sort of quality wood trade employer is scanning Loot looking for workers :lol:

Would you list it next to the Masseurs ? :-$

 

[Jenx]

:lol: :lol:
Aren't most of the Eastern Europeans gone, or at least on their way back now ?

Latvia, Poland and Romania are a better prospect then being here, after all that. :wink:
It must have been like finding the end of the rainbow, but discovering the 'pot' was full of dogturds for them all.
:lol:
Good ol' blighty ... not even attractive enough for poverty-stricken eastern europeans to find it a decent prospect. :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[BradNaylor]

But surely Eastern Europeans are only filling the types of position that our unemployed friends feel that they are 'over-qualified' for?

:wink:

Brad

 

[Ironballs]

I've seen most types in my years of interviewing (and I hate interviewing), I've had someone do a very good interview and close the deal by quoting Chrurchill at me, they got the job and are doing very well at it, and at the other end I've had some window licker who didn't even know the terms described on their CV, even when I spun it round and put it under their nose.

Often it is about making yourself hire-able like Brad says, I will usually make my mind up very early in an interview, you're then looking for reasons to hire them or turn them away. Don't always get it right though, interviewing once and this woman gave a cracking interview, we got a really good feeling about her, gave her the job and she turned out to be a complete mentalist. Thankfully she was a contractor so we gave her the heave ho and gave the agency a going over too.

Every interview is a transaction or deal and each side is thinking what's in it for me, you have got to make yourself an attractive proposition and engineer a win/win situation, just like any contract. Lastly, like Frugal says, you've got to go where the work is and do things you don't necessarily like, that's why Mrs IB is currently working in Luxembourg having to put up with arsy cheese eating surrender monkeys - apols to our French members, but her colleagues are stereotypically arrogant and difficult!

 

[BradNaylor]

I've seen most types in my years of interviewing (and I hate interviewing)

The first proper job interview I ever did was when I was about 25 and needed a 'girl friday' to run the office of my manufacturing company.

The first girl in was an absolute stunner and my mind was made up instantly! I then had to spend the rest of the day interviewing old boilers who didn't have a chance in hell.

The 'stunner' actually proved to be extremely good at her job and has gone on to have a very successful career in furniture sales.

And yes, I did!

:lol:

Cheers
Brad

 

[RobertMP]

I've interviewed and employed quite a few unskilled and skilled factory workers in my time and was always biased towards the ones who made the effort to come to the door and ask. Even if there was no vacancy I would still spare a few minutes to talk to them and find out if they were any good and worth noting.

With times as they are I'm glad I got out of business when I did. To anyone seeking manual work I'd say it was worth some cold calling. It may be a long shot now but turning up would have got further with me than sending in even the most impressive CV.

 

[Doctor]

And yes, I did!

:lol:

Cheers
Brad

Are you sure old age isn't playing tricks with your mind Dunc, after a few years people start to remember themselves as right Casanova's in their youth, I bet it was the old boilers who showed you a thing or two :shock:

 

[big soft moose]

yep - when he says she was " a right stunner" what he means is that she still had her own teeth and hair and didnt need to put a per bag over her head to leave the house in the morning

 

[Doctor]

yep - when he says she was " a right stunner" what he means is that she still had her own teeth and hair and didnt need to put a per bag over her head to leave the house in the morning

the teeth were green and curly, are you sure she wasn't on the game?
Probably a fella

 

[HawkEye]

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am a student at Stratford Building Crafts College and I am eager to get on a PLA - programme led apprenticeship. I am currently training for City and Guilds level 3 Advanced Construction Award in Bench Joinery which finishes this July. I am looking for employment in the trade, and the firm that takes me on receives three thousand pounds from CITB. Further information can be found about this here, http://www.cskills.org/newsandevents/ne ... s/pla.aspx.

If you let me come to work for you for six to nine months to get my NVQ qualification, you will recieve £3000 regardless of whether I qualify. My pay is negotiable, and as well as that you could pay me out of the £3000 from CITB, so you will be getting a few months free labor.

I have past :-

The CSCS Health and Safety test
ERR ( Employment Rights and Responsibilities)
ICA Level 1&2 (Intermediate construction award)
Due to complete the ACA Level 3 (Advanced Construction award)

Other educational qualifications :-

GCSE English (A), Maths (B), Science (C), Religious Studies (C), P.E (C), Information Technology (C)

ASLevel in Design Technology & Business Studies & Biology

All my practical work at college has been categorized and compiled, and I have pictures of most of my work over the course of my stay at Stratford Building Crafts College.

The ICA & ACA modules consist of the following practical assignments, all completed during the three years on block release. The theory/ underpinning knowledge units have been completed for all modules and I am currently awaiting results of the ACA written test which I hope to pass.

ICA Years 1 & 2

Full size door & door frame
Softwood wall unit
ICA Joinery frame
Staircase
MDF Floor Units
Erecting working platforms assessment
Portable power tools assessment
Machinery assessment

ACA Year 3

Quarter turn staircase
Hardwood paneling
ACA triangular paneling
Door frame with semi-circular head
Framed, ledged and braced door
Hardwood picture frames

I can work very flexible hours and I have my own transport and have been a UK resident my whole life. If you have any placements available, please consider hiring me. I am 23 years old and live in Finchley, North London. My mobile number is **********, and my e-mail address is ************. You can contact me on my mobile any time.

Kind Regards,
(Insert name here)


Is this any better or no?

I have just about made a collage of all my work photos using photoshop, just have a few more to add. So a page for pictures + two written will be three pages in total.

After reading the opinions of you guys, I will probaly send letters instead of e-mailing employers from now on. And will keep track of who I have contacted so that I can give them a follow up phone call. At least this way they have some idea of my situation once I phone. Another option is to go round in person, which I will do for firms local to me.

 

[Jenx]

labor. LABOUR

I have past :- I have PASSED

Hardwood paneling
ACA triangular paneling PANELLING

HTH :wink:

 

[BradNaylor]

Are you sure old age isn't playing tricks with your mind Dunc, after a few years people start to remember themselves as right Casanova's in their youth, I bet it was the old boilers who showed you a thing or two :shock:

I can assure you that my memories of events a quarter of a century ago are as clear as a bell.

It's what I was doing half an hour ago that I have problems remembering!

:lol:

 

[OPJ]

Any job that is worthwhile involves 'customer service'. What about doctors, lawyers, accountants, architects etc etc etc ? They are all involved in 'customer service' - in fact it is their primary role!

Sorry, yes, you do have a point. I think the word I was actually looking for was Sales! :roll: Of course, I'm fully aware that every business and, indeed, most employees have a "customer" they must satisfy. I was doing jobs like this before I gained my previous qualifications and always told myself that I would never settle for anything less than what I was qualified to do... Sadly, this 'Recession' has had an effect on things while I'm looking for a slight change in direction - I know need to swallow my pride and just get back in to employment of some form...

 

[Steve Maskery]

Hawekey
You might want to change "I have past" to "I have passed", especially as you claim to have passed GCSE English at grade A sometime in the past.

It's a better letter.

S

 

[filsgreen]

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am a student at Stratford Building Crafts College and I am eager to get on a PLA - programme led apprenticeship. I am currently training for City and Guilds level 3 Advanced Construction Award in Bench Joinery which finishes this July. I am looking for employment in the trade, and the firm that takes me on receives three thousand pounds from CITB. Further information can be found about this here, http://www.cskills.org/newsandevents/ne ... s/pla.aspx.

If you let me come to work for you for six to nine months to get my NVQ qualification, you will recieve £3000 regardless of whether I qualify. My pay is negotiable, and as well as that you could pay me out of the £3000 from CITB, so you will be getting a few months free labor.

I have past :-

The CSCS Health and Safety test
ERR ( Employment Rights and Responsibilities)
ICA Level 1&2 (Intermediate construction award)
Due to complete the ACA Level 3 (Advanced Construction award)

Other educational qualifications :-

GCSE English (A), Maths (B), Science (C), Religious Studies (C), P.E (C), Information Technology (C)

ASLevel in Design Technology & Business Studies & Biology

All my practical work at college has been categorized and compiled, and I have pictures of most of my work over the course of my stay at Stratford Building Crafts College.

The ICA & ACA modules consist of the following practical assignments, all completed during the three years on block release. The theory/ underpinning knowledge units have been completed for all modules and I am currently awaiting results of the ACA written test which I hope to pass.

ICA Years 1 & 2

Full size door & door frame
Softwood wall unit
ICA Joinery frame
Staircase
MDF Floor Units
Erecting working platforms assessment
Portable power tools assessment
Machinery assessment

ACA Year 3

Quarter turn staircase
Hardwood paneling
ACA triangular paneling
Door frame with semi-circular head
Framed, ledged and braced door
Hardwood picture frames

I can work very flexible hours and I have my own transport and have been a UK resident my whole life. If you have any placements available, please consider hiring me. I am 23 years old and live in Finchley, North London. My mobile number is **********, and my e-mail address is ************. You can contact me on my mobile any time.

Kind Regards,
(Insert name here)


Is this any better or no?

I have just about made a collage of all my work photos using photoshop, just have a few more to add. So a page for pictures + two written will be three pages in total.

After reading the opinions of you guys, I will probaly send letters instead of e-mailing employers from now on. And will keep track of who I have contacted so that I can give them a follow up phone call. At least this way they have some idea of my situation once I phone. Another option is to go round in person, which I will do for firms local to me.

Having read your letter Hawkeye, there are a few things I would change.

In the first paragraph you state that the prospective employer will receive £3000 in letters and in the second paragraph you use numbers. I would personally keep to the same format and use numbers. You have also misspelt and then correctly spelled receive.

In the second paragraph I think you are attempting to reinforce the prospect of cash benefits of hiring you. It could also be construed that you are questioning the reader's comprehension skills, as you have already stated the benefits and provided a web address. Omitting this paragraph would make it more concise.

In the final paragraph you have used "and" twice in the same sentence. Try to avoid using the same word several times in a sentence as it is bad grammar. Instead of this "I can work very flexible hours and I have my own transport and have been a UK resident my whole life." You could write. I live in Finchley, have my own transport and willing to work flexible hours. You also repeat yourself by asking to be hired, I would omit this.

Finally, if you are using a spell checker make sure it is the English version. I hope I am not being too pedantic here and good luck with your job hunting.

Phil

PS. Pound to a pinch of salt that I have made errors

 

[StevieB]

Reads much better Hawkeye so long as you check the spelling as others have mentioned. One query - will every employer know what a PLA is? I ask only because all I know about apprenticeships is what is shown on the TV news, and I wouldn't know if there were different types of levels or schemes.

I am a student at Stratford Building Crafts College and I am eager to get on a PLA - programme led apprenticeship. I am currently training for City and Guilds level 3 Advanced Construction Award in Bench Joinery which finishes this July. I am looking for employment in the trade, and the firm that takes me on receives three thousand pounds from CITB. Further information can be found about this here, http://www.cskills.org/newsandevents/ne ... s/pla.aspx.

If you let me come to work for you for six to nine months to get my NVQ qualification, you will recieve £3000 regardless of whether I qualify. My pay is negotiable, and as well as that you could pay me out of the £3000 from CITB, so you will be getting a few months free labor.

If not everyone knows what a PLA is I might be tempted to draft your covering letter as something like:

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am currently nearing completion of a City and Guilds level 3 Advanced Construction Award in bench joinery and am now seeking active employment either as an apprentice or as a bench joiner. I am therefore writing to ask whether you have or plan to have any such opportunities available.

Should you be able to offer a place as an apprenticeship for a period of 6 to 9 months in the first instance, such an appointment comes with a grant of £3000 from the CITB (note you need to spell out what this stands for) which may be used to pay my salary if you so choose. I am therefore willing to work for a net cost to your company of zero, although the expectation is that should I be proficient during my apprenticeship I would be considered for a full time position afterwards should one be available. This is however not a condition of taking an apprentice. Further details of the scheme are available at: website address

I enclose a copy of my cv detailing my qualifications and joinery experience to date together with photographic examples of my work and would be very happy to discuss this further at your convenience if you feel you could offer me a position or advice in obtaining such a position in the industry.

Yours sincerely,


I would personally keep your qualifications and units on your course etc on your CV, not in a covering letter. Your CV sells yourself, your covering letter should make them want to read your CV. When you address the letter, put your address on the top right, with telephone number and e-mail under that so you have contact details on both the CV and letter. Then if they get separated someone can still get hold of you.

Of course, feel free to ignore all this if I am the only person who doesnt know what a PLA is

Steve.