Finding employment

[RogerM]

...............

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

To be even more pedantic, there is a verb missing. It should read "I live in Finchley, have my own transport and am willing to work flexible hours". Each of these 3 points should be able to stand on their own after "I".

Please do not send out letters addressed "Dear sir/madam" - it makes the reader feel as though they are just part of a "job lot" whereas you want to be addressing them personally. Make them feel special. Even employers have feelings! Find out the name of the person you are aiming the letter at and address them by name. Then sign off with "yours sincerely". If you insist on using the sir/madam approach, sign off with "yours faithfully". Sign the letter personally, not a printed name - again you are adding the personal touch.

Your letter is getting better, but has become a bit long and runs the risk that the reader may not even bother to read to the end. Put your qualifications in your CV. The aim of the letter is to get you a meeting with the reader - nothing more! You can discuss the content of your CV when you are face to face.

Follow up the letter with a telephone call 2 or 3 days later. Too soon and they may not have received your letter, and if you leave it more than a week they will have forgotten you! Say something along the lines that you wrote to them a few days ago and you would like to call in and meet them. Would they be available next Thursday morning at 10 o'clock? Do not beat about the bush asking whether they have received your letter - regardless of whether they say yes or no - so what!? No matter whether they have or haven't, the aim is to get a meeting and your assumption should be that you are going to get one . If you name a day and time it more likely they will say "yes", or that they are not available and that Friday would be better. You need to lead then to the right answer, which is "yes". If this approach fails, thank them politely for their time and say thay if they don't mind you will contact them again in a week or two - do not let them off the hook. The only way that they get off your prospect list is to hire you - and even then you keep the information for future use in case it's needed.

P.S. Just noted that StevieB has made the same point about putting your qualifications in your CV.

 

[big soft moose]

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.

also that link is broken - i get page not found. It might be better to print out the info about the citb scheme and send it with your letter , as that will be one thing less for a prospective employer to do, and you want to make it as easy for them as possible.

also is your pay truly negotiable - ie could they pay you 500 pcm for 6 months using the citb 3 grand or is your placement subject to minimum wage legislation ?

 

[matt]

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

"HawkEye".

:lol:

 

[Doctor]

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

:lol:

That'll be Phil again, probably putting rohypnol in your coffee. Ever wondered why sometimes your trollies are on back to front?

 

[Steve Maskery]

"HawkEye".

:lol:

Hoist etc.
Excuse: Ibuprofen, co-codamol, Strepsils, antihistamine and no contact lenses. I've been up for doing "Probably the best lager in the world" voiceovers since Sunday. Yes, I know, it's a lousy excuse.
S

 

[billw]

Ref - "over-qualified"

Many employers want to find someone who will stay in the job they're employed for. Being over-qualified for a job is actually a bad thing as far as they're concerned. What you'd be doing is taking a job that both you and they know you're too good for, leading to boredom and you constantly looking for a job that is commensurate with your expectations.

Therefore they'd end up having to go through the recruitment process again, and you'd never really be concentrating on the job you had because it was "below you".

Ref - advice

You've been given some sound advice already

1. always address a letter to a specific person - it makes it look like you've bothered to find out (by whatever means) who your letter was destined for

2. always follow up with a phone call

3. if you get an interview, remember to contact the interviewer in writing (email is fine if you can get their address) saying thank you for their time and that you're still interested in the job, if you ARE interested obviously :lol:

4. spell check!!!!

5. Oh and remember that if you do have to start a letter Dear Sir/Madam, use Yours faithfully and not Yours sincerely at the end.

Good luck. It's a tough world out there at the moment.

 

[BradNaylor]

Ref - "over-qualified"

Many employers want to find someone who will stay in the job they're employed for. Being over-qualified for a job is actually a bad thing as far as they're concerned. What you'd be doing is taking a job that both you and they know you're too good for, leading to boredom and you constantly looking for a job that is commensurate with your expectations.

Therefore they'd end up having to go through the recruitment process again, and you'd never really be concentrating on the job you had because it was "below you".

Fair enough.

Unfortunately though, as the economy deteriorates further and the job market gets smaller over the next few years it is inevitable that many people are going to have to look seriously at opportunities which in good times they would have rejected as being 'beneath them'.

This is particularly true for the middle aged, unfortunately. Anyone over the age of fifty is perceived as either past it or as a threat.

I was talking to a friend the other day about her former boss who had been made redundant along with everyone else when their office was closed. In his late fifties, he has no money worries but he is bored.

He offered his services free of charge to a number of local charities. Thinking his degrees, his accountancy background and his high level management experience would would be invaluable to these organisations he sat back and waited to take the pick of the offers...


...nothing. Not a sausage.

He had completely misjudged the inevitable internal politics within even charitable organisations. No-one wanted him interrupting their cosy routines and existing heirarchy and power structure. He was a huge threat to the status quo.

The same is true in the commercial world. Do you think that David Brent would ever offer a job to Alan Sugar or Richard Branson? Of course not! Far too much of a threat to his personal fiefdom.

Yet it is the David Brents of this world who dish the jobs out.

In my view there are two options. One is to apply for jobs for which one is 'over-qualified' and to doctor one's CV in order to make it appropriate to the position and the organisation involved.

The second and IMO infinitely preferable option is to grow a pair of balls, follow Mailee's example, and join the glorious ranks of the self-employed.

Cheers
Brad

 

[MikeG.]

He had completely misjudged the inevitable internal politics within even charitable organisations. No-one wanted him interrupting their cosy routines and existing heirarchy and power structure. He was a huge threat to the status quo.

I don't doubt that there may be some truth in this.........but it is actually just speculation. He can't know why he wasn't offered voluntary work..........and even if he asked, he wouldn't have been given that explanation.

An alternative theory is that in a time of declining employment there are lots and lots of people like your friend who want to volunteer, and there just isn't enough for them to do.

Mike

 

[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.

also that link is broken - i get page not found. It might be better to print out the info about the citb scheme and send it with your letter , as that will be one thing less for a prospective employer to do, and you want to make it as easy for them as possible.

also is your pay truly negotiable - ie could they pay you 500 pcm for 6 months using the citb 3 grand or is your placement subject to minimum wage legislation ?

Its not subject to minimum wage legislation, CITB say £90 a week minimum, which is £390 a month. £360x9, for example = 3240. As I would be a first year apprentice I'm only entitled to minimum wage after the first year, therefore they could quite easily pay me out of the £3000 without much net cost to themselves, as StevieB stated.


Also, when it comes to the photos, is it a good idea to include pictures of me with my work, or just photos of the work?

At the moment I have about 8-12 minaturised pictures, which fit on an A4 sheet of paper, most of them are without me in them, but a few of them are. Thoughts on this?

 

[billw]

I would split the correspondence up into a cover letter and a CV, rather than the approach of combining them as per the above.

 

[Doctor]

The second and IMO infinitely preferable option is to grow a pair of balls, follow Mailee's example, and join the glorious ranks of the self-employed.

Cheers
Brad

I would just like to point out that unless you prepare very long and hard for this, you may have big balls but you also have the potential to throw away all your life savings, Dunc makes it sound so easy, it isn't.
Please don't do this on a whim, or if you are not 100% confident in your personnal drive.

 

[BradNaylor]

I would just like to point out that unless you prepare very long and hard for this, you may have big balls but you also have the potential to throw away all your life savings, Dunc makes it sound so easy, it isn't.
Please don't do this on a whim, or if you are not 100% confident in your personnal drive.

I guess the Doc's right.

It's just that when you've worked for yourself since the age of eighteen, and had a father and grandfather who were self-employed all their lives, it just seems the natural thing to do.

I really have no conception of what it must be like wanting to work for someone else. I realise however, that this is not most peoples' experience.

As for life savings; I've made and lost mine several times over - if the thought of that horrifies you then maybe self-employment isn't for you.

It certainly isn't easy - it's a way of life.

Brad

 

[OPJ]

An alternative theory is that in a time of declining employment there are lots and lots of people like your friend who want to volunteer, and there just isn't enough for them to do.

I've also noticed in the past that a voluntary work is used as way of getting the long-term unemployed (and even the homeless) back in to work. That could provide another reason as to why he was turned down and why they didn't perhaps treat his application seriously...? It's always nice to get a reply, even if it's a rejection.