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Fun Stuff => CHATTER => Topic started by: Christophe on 26 Jun 2010, 12:46
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Dear Infinite Pony,
I have been out of school for about a month and a half with a BS in Management, and yet I have not made any meaningful inroads into finding a job. I have no working experience, which immediately makes it hard for me to find gainful employment.
There are a few things I could apply for above the retail/foodservice industry, but they very much seem like long shots. At this rate, I will be lucky to get a job at Starbucks or wherever (especially considering that I live in a city with 19.9% unemployment). Long story short, having never held down a job before the whole venture of looking for one is a little daunting to me (at no one's fault but my own), and that I suck at this.
I do have sort of a really, really stupid but nonetheless present apprehension about getting a job, considering that I've never had one, namely that I'm afraid that I'm going to fuck up royally on the first day or somewhere down the line some asshole customer will walk into wherever I work and I'll have a breakdown right then and there.
I do has a specific question other than asking for "how do I not suck at getting a job" --the follow-up call after submitting an application, online or whatever. The whole thing where I ask if they've looked at my application and are currently hiring. The one time I tried this at a supermarket the person who answered the phone told me I'd be better off asking the manager in person, as he didn't take kindly to being asked shit like that on the phone. Is that normal? How many times to try to ask them is in the realm of annoyance?
TL;DR: I suck at getting a job, help me not suck at getting a job?
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Sorry mate, welcome to the biggest economic recession since the 30's. Kinda sucks don't it?
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The only advice I can give you is don't set your sighs too high. ANY job is better than no job and it will also give you something to put on your resume. It took me...4?...months to find a job after I graduated college, so don't give up! Apply anywhere and everywhere, whether you think you will get it or not.
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the best thing that works for me when it comes to finding a job you like without much experience is unpaid work. employers love interns and volunteers because they don't have to pay them anything, and a LOT more people hire volunteers and interns than you might think. you, in return, can get all kinds of really cool experience working in the field that may even come easier than for a paid employee because, again, they don't have to pay you anything to train you. i started at the two shelters i volunteer at now as a sort of admin assistant type and now have most of the same training and responsibilities as the case workers there. i know it's not a real paid job, but here's the best part - when you this on your resume, you don't actually have to say that it was unpaid. just put it under "work experience". i got into a really competitive program in vancouver which is going to involve working in the youth justice system a lot based on the fact that i "worked" at two shelters for a year. it's not really lying because technically, you did do the work and it is practical experience, you just didn't get paid for it. i've never had an employer inquire about how much i was paid for the volunteer work that i have listed as a job on my cv and i honestly don't imagine it comes up very often, unless anyone has some stories that prove me wrong here.
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Apply to those jobs anyway. It can't hurt, and if you get an interview it's good practice. Even writing your CV / cover letter a couple of different ways is good practice.
You know what really helps when you want to get a job? Have experience in web programming, dealing with web technology, etc. Flaunt that shit, even if it's very little. The fact that you know how to post on web forums already makes you so much more knowledgeable than the average applicant.
Also, don't give up. A month and a half isn't that long to be searching for a job. My flatmate has been searching for a year, but the reason why he doesn't have a job (I'm almost certain) is because I think he's applied to at most seven jobs in total. Just continue applying.
Do as much talking in person as possible. I would first send an e-mail, and gage by how long they take to respond whether they're an Internet person or not.
Edit: also, it's summer, try applying to jobs at festivals. They usually don't require any work experience, sometimes they're paid, you get to see music for free, and its padding for a resume. They're also usually over the weekend, meaning you can do other stuff, and only last one weekend. (I'm working at T in the Park this year, which will end up paying me 150 pounds which isn't stellar, but I plan on writing it down as 'bar experience', and I also get to see a couple of good bands)
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I applied to work for the BBC, had to do a hilarious online test.
With the helluvamuchness of jobs just sprung up thing's look alright for this homeboy.
If that fails I'm either gonna do a Masters in Operational Research or a PGCE.
My future's so bright I gotta wear shades.
I hope.
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i agree with tania, though to be honest the fact that it is volunteer work is seen as a huge asset in the jobs i've had. you're doing good work for no pay, so imagine how good of work you'll do when you are getting paid!
but i haven't had to work very hard for a job because i live in north dakota and we have lots of jobs. my work is hiring, we get to tell bankers what to do!
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how I got a job this summer with little/no real work experience: fucking carpet bomb with your resume. craigslist and newspaper classified ads. don't get mixed up when sending out emails/inquiries (take time!) but send out as many as possible.
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I've never been good with job hunting. For the 4 jobs I've had there are about 50 jobs I've never heard from after sending them my resume/finishing an application.
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actually my resume is just so good that the employment officers decide that to waste me on any of the mediocre jobs I apply for would be doing the world a gross misjustice
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Apply lots, don't be afraid to end up in a mediocre job for a little while.
Look around for job fairs, they are good things that will probably deal with your industry/field and people will be looking for people right away.
Also, yeah, the callback. Going back in person is useful but can be pestering but it is often a better way. I followed up on a lot of jobs on this silly fucking island and it gets really fucking depressing really fucking fast when you walk out of six places in a row doing follow-ups where people say the position has been filled or they aren't looking anymore.
Job hunting is depressing.
Expect to be unhappy.
This is life.
You will feel much better when you finally find a job and it'll be OK.
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also, like everyone said, apply EVERYWHERE. never, ever assume that you'll hear a callback because you applied to a place that was hiring. other people have seen that they are hiring too and they might be a lot more qualified than you. you can assume you might hear a callback once you have applied to at least 50 places. i have never had too much trouble finding mediocre jobs only because, like ally, whenever i am looking i fucking smother the entire town and every employment website in resumes every single day until i get an interview. it's a bit harder to not find a job when literally every single employer within a 50km radius of you has a copy of your resume.
also, keep in mind that april-june is the toughest time for new graduates to find work because, obviously, that's when everybody's graduated and is now looking for work. you are up against a LOT of people right now. just keep trying, and in a couple of months you might find that the competition dies down a little bit.
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Here is a question: I'm looking for a summer job and have been told by two places that they don't take applications but to bring them a resume and they'll consider me.
I understand what a resume is but as a junior in high school, how does one right a resume? Seeing as I've never held a job, what would I put on it?
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I second (third?) what people said about volunteering. People like hiring people who have volunteered and also it gives you something to do while you're waiting for a job. You may be lucky enough to find something that is also related to what you want to do jobwise. Otherwise, just pick something that interests you. And if you can find an internship, that is even better.
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Another thing to do? Ask your friends. They probably have jobs somewhere and there may even be openings. Ask them to look into them, see what is needed, and maybe even put in a good weird for you. It's how I got my cousin a job and how my girlfriend got me a job.
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Hell, ask people who are just acquaintances rather than close friends too. Weirdly enough, I've read theories that say it's the people who you -aren't- particularly close friends with that are most likely to point you in the right direction. It's actually rather elegant and obvious when you think about it: people who aren't part of your own close social network run largely in different circles than you do, and thus they hear about opportunities you don't and vice versa. Pick their brains and good things might happen.
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I've never been good with job hunting. For the 4 jobs I've had there are about 50 jobs I've never heard from after sending them my resume/finishing an application.
This is not an indication of sucking at job hunting. This is normal and how the process works.
That may be the problem right there, if you think that not getting a call after every resume submission means you suck at job hunting. The person who sucks at job hunting is the one who gives up after sending out two resumes.
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Do what you can to keep your spirits up and take heart from your success. I've got an interview this week. Whether or not I get the job (which I hope I do), I've already achieved something by getting an interview. If you give in to depression and hopelessness you won't bother getting up in the morning.
Also, could you enroll on a vocational course? It shows that you're willing to make the effort, it shows that you're not just sitting at home and it would probably enhance/demonstrate you have the skills for the jobs you are applying for.
Don't be afraid of following up crazy ideas: I was unemployed for a while after I graduated. At that time I had not bought a flat so I was fully mobile. I reasoned that I was helpful and I had been on so many interviews that I was getting to know the rail network pretty well, so I phoned up National Rail Enquiries and asked if they had a job. A few phone calls later I was invited for interview and got a job.
{edit}I can't comment on American universities/colleges but, in Britain, the Careers Advisory Service attached to an educational institution normally gives help and vice to people for a few months after they graduate. They can give you advice on constructing a CV[1], applying for jobs, etc.
Ps.
I just had a thought, if you're planning to stay in the same town you're studying in, are there any jobs going at your place of study?
[1] Or resume
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i've always found getting an interview a lot harder than actually getting the job once you have an interview. getting an employer to actually notice your resume and call you in for an interview is one of the most painfully nerve-wracking things ever. once i get an interview i always relax immensely because if you're called in for an interview, it means you have all the qualifications for the position and they want to hire you, and all the employer is really looking for you to do is confirm that you can do the job. if you give all the right answers and do all the right things, i've never found it too difficult to pass an interview. there's only been a few times i haven't been hired after an interview and that tended to be only when i really fucked up on certain answers or was just up against too many people.
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No, when i first looked for jobs I applied to a company and within 3 hours they had called me to schedule my interview and in another 2 I was hired.
Of course, this means that I do not actually know how to apply for a job and since that job was pretty great paying I now have issues because when I left most places hiring seemed underpaying and menial.
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What's funny is that most of the jobs I've applied for have hired me right away. My first job I got a call to come in on Thursday for an interview, then half an hour later they told me I had the job and should come in on Friday.
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Yeah friends putting in a good word for you helps bunches, and persistence is also key. when i got my interview at world market i had been calling them every few days for about a week and a half, and when i got there they'd lost my application. but they just had me fill out another and i got the job anyway.
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Of course, this means that I do not actually know how to apply for a job and since that job was pretty great paying I now have issues because when I left most places hiring seemed underpaying and menial.
That is the awkward flip-side of landing a great freelance gig. It'll be over in a few weeks, and now it'll be harder to land the next gig because my standards have been raised.
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My best advice is to hang out around universities. There is almost always a menial temp research-assistant position around somewhere that doesn't require any special skills and pays surprisingly well for the amount of work involved, and once you're in the network of academically-oriented day workers, you can usually find another job like it if you need to, there's always another research project that needs people to make it happen. Also, if all else fails, you can get money by participating in the studies.
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I've been applying to places since January. Just started getting interviews last week.
Really hope I get the preschool job.
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With the college thing, many colleges have sites that local business' use to post job openings. It's actually how I got two of my jobs.
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In the mean time of being unemployed, do what Tania says and do some volunteer work! It looks awesome on your resume. When I have "Helped raise over $10,000 for The Wishlist Foundation" I always get interviews, and people love talking about it, and the founder is one of my references and she thinks I am awesome. So its a pretty good win win.
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Generally speaking, I really suck at job hunting. I have a very wide range of disciplines in my background which makes me an absolute specialist in nothing. Though it really is very often a benefit to be able to speak with some degree of authority on a wide range of subjects in practice, it translates horribly to a resume. Especially when those disciplines are not necessarily obviously related.
Did I mention that my resume looks like ass? HR folks don't look for dabblers as a rule.
About an hour ago though a recruiter called me saying "Oh my God, I've been looking for you forever!" ...And this is how I always end up with jobs. Someone needs to fill three or four half-time slots with one body and needs a generalist like me. For the last half dozen years somebody calls me and makes me an offer, I help them out for awhile, then somebody else calls. I'm keeping my fingers crossed, because it's definitely time to GTFO from under my current employer.
I'm so glad I'm not searching. Every time I search I get really frustrated and discouraged.
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While I already have a job I'm looking for something in retail because quite frankly I like it and I figure if I want to open my own shop one day the bank will look at me better if I can show that I've been a manager of a store for a while (typically I've made assistant manager within a year of all my retail jobs because it's really piss easy work if you're halfway intelligent and put effort in). That said, I've been looking for work since January and I still haven't found anything. I can't get a job in the only places that are hiring (all high end fashion and lingerie stores) and since I haven't been in retail for 3 years I effectively have no retail experience because HR fucks (sorry, if you're in HR you're basically a terrible human being at least between the hours of 9am and 5pm) won't look at anything that isn't recent despite the fact that my resume is fucking awesome. I honestly rue the day I got a job in a call centre as it's basically fucked my chances of getting back into retail at least until Christmas. Everything now is only hiring for managers or assistant managers at best and I'm just not qualified for anything and everything I apply for I either never hear back from or I'm told (at the shop) that they do not want my resume, please leave if you're not buying anything.
Fuck job hunting.
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I spent about 4 hours revamping my CV using this tool; https://www2.careers.govt.nz/cv_4_me.html?&no_cache=1
It's an NZ one but I think it's pretty global in terms of relevance etc. Once I'd done that I got 3 interviews for 4 applications.
I reckon having a dynamite CV is the most important thing after your actual skills.
Also totally agree with the previous posters re: volunteer work. Looks amazing on CVs and shows you're not a total cunt and will work hard regardless of pay.
And to disagree with previous posters, don't accept the first job you're offered unless its actually a good deal. If you've applied at Subway and your local university (or whatever) and Subway calls up to offer you the job, spend a few days thinking about it and calling the university. Cause it's totally ok to call places and say someone else has made an offer. People often say this is bad form but frankly, fuck them, jobs are there to provide you with money not vice versa. Unless you're in the states. Then you're fucked and should take anything that is offered. But if you're in Canada or anywhere else be picky.
Post your CV here and people will most likely offer constructive criticism.
ALSO. Make sure you have an awesome cover letter.
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Dittoing Rizzo's last point. I've gotten jobs based solely on the strength of my cover letter (i.e. my boss has said, "We don't usually hire X kind of people [my age, my experience, whatever], but your cover letter was so good...").
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I've had that too! I tend to make my cover letters a bit personal, with some lame jokes thrown in. One place told me at the interview that it was my cover letter that got me there. I don't think I got that job, though.
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I don't have a cover letter for my resume. I really need to come up with one because I'm gonna apply at some super fancy bakeries soon. I have no idea what to put in it though.
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Only once have I had to use a cover letter, which was all kinds of awkward for me to make.
That reminds me, I need to remake my resume
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I don't have a cover letter for my resume. I really need to come up with one because I'm gonna apply at some super fancy bakeries soon. I have no idea what to put in it though.
If they're anything like the ones here, then you highlight bits of your CV/resume that are suitable for the job, expand on your experience and mention things not in your CV that would help.
I don't know your experience but I can imagine a person applying to a bakery writing something like:
I have worked at Morestone's Bakery for 5 years. I was promoted to Senior Baker in my first year and I won "Baker of the Year" for the Timbuktu branch 3 times.
blah...blah...
My team working skills are shown by...
{edit}
You have to cover everything mentioned in the Person Specification and all the implied/common points (e.g. being reliable, committed, etc).
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Exactly. In your cover letter, you tell them in succinct, plain language why you'd be perfect for the position (which is why you need a different cover letter for every position you apply for)--and how experience you have that doesn't seem related actually is. For example, if you've done a bunch of retail and you're applying for a bakery, you might explain how you think your customer service skills and multitasking abilities will transfer over into the bakery arena.
I usually start with 2-3 sentences explaining why I want the job and then 2-4 paragraphs expanding on my resume and telling them why they want me.
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bakery arena.
Would watch this reality television show!
re: Job Hunting.
I think everyone has said everything, but yeah.
1) Do an internship. This gets you experience, contacts and references in the field you want to get into.
2) Make your CV look awesome. Look these things up if you don't know how to do them. When I was in science I actually borrowed a library book on "technical resumes" so I could spruce up my CV in a format that was technically orientated.
3) Make your cover letter awesome. Find out the name of the person it's going to by calling the company, and put it in the letter/email. Find out things about the company, look them up and work out what they do. Address the job criteria in the cover letter, but keep it succinct, never go over a single page.
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ITT: Andy has 3 dollars to her name and not a cent more unless she magically finds them on the ground.
Man, no jobs want cover letters or etc unless it's a job where it requires a degree and it's, y'know, a 'career job'. At least here, if your resume is longer than a page they usually through it out unless you have something incredible on the first page.
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not always true! i've sent in a lot of cover letters for jobs i have applied for because they specifically requested them. usually it is just online job postings though, i would probably never include a cover letter with any job i applied for in person since these tend to include application forms and the resume is just supplementary. a two page resume is also a really good idea (again, over here at least) if you have a lot of relevant experience you want to include, otherwise you end up having to mash everything together on the first page and a resume that is clear and concise with a lot of white space tends to be easier to read and understand than one where everything is squished. again, though, this is just based on my experience applying for jobs.
good luck with the job hunt andy!
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Your CV shouldn't be longer than a page for most 'career jobs' either. They don't want to know everything you've ever done, they want to know what you think is applicable, and why, and they want you to say so in as few words as possible.
My mom used to be in charge of the application process for people wanting to intern at the EU mission in New York, and she said that most CVs over a page long they completely ignored, just because of the sheer volume of applications they'd get.
Also, a good cover letter is also great for small time jobs, it's your chance to tell them a bit about yourself. Make it interesting and not a duplicate of your CV. Your cover letter is usually the difference between an interview and not, most everyone has the same qualifications for working in a coffee shop. One of my favorite things I have heard of as a job application was this example (http://carsonified.com/blog/work-smarter/five-tips-for-kicking-ass-at-an-interview/).
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I can't help my CV being two pages long. I think I need to reformat it just to be a list of things I've done and the skills used in them.
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I had my CV re-written by a friend of mine who has a job as a recruitment officer, getting jobs for other people who've just come off of worker's compensation and various rehab programs. It didn't look that much different from the one I already had to be honest. But I'm going to try it out and see how it goes. I'm in the middle of applying for a job as a travel agent. I keep getting distracted because it's such a boring application and I don't know if I can be bothered to do it right now. Maybe I'll finish it tomorrow.
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So it's been like what, a little more than a week since I started this thread, and you guys have put a lot of awesome info on this.
My situation right now is that I sort of have two things all up ons right now: one being assistant to the sound guy (or assistant sound guy) at the local bar. 99% likely it's not a paid gig, hell I don't think the regular sound guys get paid, but it'll be experience working with something I'd love to be doing. I start tonight with the open mic night; probably won't be too extensive but at least it'll show me what's goin' on.
The other thing is that two professors from my alma mater are opening up a bookstore. I caught up with one of them last week, talked to them about if they'd need an extra hand, and it seemed like he thinks I'd be a good fit. I sent him my resume a day later, and I sent a message yesterday asking if they've gotten the keys to the space yet to start working in it and if he managed to get a look at my resume. Assuming I don't run into them downtown within this week (which considering the size of this town I probably will), that's pretty sufficient contact, right?
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Your CV shouldn't be longer than a page for most 'career jobs' either. They don't want to know everything you've ever done, they want to know what you think is applicable, and why, and they want you to say so in as few words as possible.
My mom used to be in charge of the application process for people wanting to intern at the EU mission in New York, and she said that most CVs over a page long they completely ignored, just because of the sheer volume of applications they'd get.
The one-page rule is pretty iron-clad for internships or your first job out of college, because someone just out of college will have so little experience that if their resume is longer than a page then they have definitely padded it out with irrelevant fluff (eg. unless you were the financial officer and you're applying for a job as an accountant, nobody cares what clubs you were in.) Once you have a lot of relevant work experience to list out then you can go onto a second page, but even then be really ruthless about culling out irrelevant information.
I've had arguments with people about whether to list every summer job you've ever had, but I definitely fall on the side of "when in doubt, cut it out."
I can't help my CV being two pages long. I think I need to reformat it just to be a list of things I've done and the skills used in them.
I work freelance so my resume fills up fast with a lot of small jobs, but even then I was able to restructure it a lot to be more relevant to recruiters. For starters, I lopped off everything older than 4 years (a LOT of small jobs) and used that room to expand a bit on more recent experience.
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another way to shrink your cv: if you have a lot of experience that you feel is relevant but it's varied, try making specific resumes for certain jobs. i've had a lot of jobs and volunteer positions in different fields so i give a different resume depending on if i'm applying for a service industry job or a social services sector job, with each resume tailored to highlight the skills and experience i have that would make me suited for that job. it's a lot easier to get rid of jobs and trim your resume this way, although be careful about leaving funny looking unemployment gaps in your history when you do this as employers may question why you seemingly didn't have a job for that period of time.
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I thought I was terrible at job searching, but I just got a job! Well not just, it was last week, but I haven't started yet so it's still fresh to me. It's pretty informal; I just pestered the owner at a local coffee shop a few times until he decided to give me the job. It wasn't like I just walked in and got hired; it's was somewhat competitive to get because it's both a good cafe and a major student hang-out spot. But I guess most of the other applicants just dropped off their resume and waited for a call, whereas I went back repeatedly to check in on the job. It's great because I know my customer service experience helped me get it, but I've never worked in food service before, and now that I've got this job I'll have experience that'll keep helping me for a long time to come.
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Congratulations DL.
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Yesterday I sent out 10 applications. Today someone called me and now I have to go to an interview tomorrow. Sounds good?
The problem is, none of those applications were serious. I don't want any of those jobs. I tried as hard as I could (without it being to obvious; I have to show copies of my applications to the long arm of the government) to make myself look unemployable. I didn't even put my phone number on my CV, so they had to search for it in the phone book That can only mean that they must be really desperate.
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I am trying to get a work study job at the community college i'm attending in the Spring. I have no clue how to go about this, since I am not taking courses yet. I'm already registered with the school though...hm. I desire a job that is Homework Time, this'd be that. Also want to meet some cool ladies, and the community college in question of full of punk+artsy girls. Dream job???
Lab tech in the arts department. Best job I have ever had and probably ever will have. Try and trump up any experience you have with IT stuff, even if it's building your own computer or replacing a video card or anything like that. You won't actually be using those skills - more than likely they'll have full-time IT bros handling all that stuff - but it looks good anyway. KNOW HOW TO USE MICROSOFT OFFICE. Word + Excel + Powerpoint + Access. Knowledge of music or design software is also a big plus. But overall they're not going to look for dynamos, they're going to look for people who have a clear capacity to learn the programs that students will be asking about.
I'm coming up on graduation and I don't know what the fuck I'm gonna do. Best case scenario right now is to get a job at Best Buy or some shit in the Geek Squad (by the time I graduate I will have had 3 years of lab tech experience, including 2 years of fairly rigorous client-side IT, and a year of security IT) but I'm not sure what the odds are of that happening. Even if they're hiring I'd probably have to go up against a whole boatload of CIS grads who can't get jobs in the real industry. And then I'd be doing volunteer stuff for awhile, and then maybe I'd go back to school, either for grad stuff or for management.
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Yeah it's pretty great I love not having a job and having rent to pay :D
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Update: first interview done, they would have hired me on the spot, but i told them that I have more interviews and I'd call them to set a date for tials. Which I might actually do, they seemed very nice and the restaurant seemed pretty good too. As a matter of fact, though, I do really have another interview scheduled for tonight, at a place which seems even better, so of the two I take that one. Maybe I'll finally be employed soon!
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Sent off a load of applications for assistant manager positions in a load of exciting places. Dunno what my chances are considering my limited experience (a year and a bit), but it's pretty exciting.
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I accidentally got a job!
It was only for a week but still, I signed up for a volunteer program at an orphanage summer camp and at the end they handed me an envelope wirth money.
I had to go here (http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q78/ESpaceman/CA3G0200.jpg)
and I had to do (http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q78/ESpaceman/CA3G0197.jpg)
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I have an interview this Friday! With a giant awesome east-coast spanning solar company! That I thought I had no possible chance of being noticed by! Backflipping with excitement.
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I've been turned down by every job I've applied for in the last 6 months. Backflipping with disappointment.
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I had an absolutely brutal three hour long series of interviews this morning that was just four people in sequence each with the questions.
The "Thanks but no thanks" email was in my inbox before I even got home. I knew that I didn't impress the first interviewer much, and probably not the third, so I'm not terribly surprised, but I was pretty sure I knocked it out of the park with interviewers 2 and 4. The haste of the rejection really kind of sucks.
In other news though, I went and had lunch, went three buildings down, and had another interview this afternoon. I'll know on that one in two weeks. I also have two more lined up, so all hope is not lost.
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An employee LEFT.
It's a RETAIL STORE.
My mother KNOWS the OWNER.
WHYYYY haven't they called me back yet?!?
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I got the worst job ever, one you don't get paid for.
It's a placement at the company that runs the course for the long-term unemployed I was/am on. They turned around and told me they needed an admin clerk. I think I was chosen because I have three A-levels and am not a lazy 19 year old m-cat snorting moron with two kids (actually most of the guys on the course are good people, some from genuine circumstances. I say guys because there's almost no women at all.)
It's a bit weird though. I still have to do the course one day a week, but most of the time I am doing filing and paperwork, and I'm allowed to use the staff-only toilets and kitchen. I feel a little bit like a concentration camp kapo. Still, back to uni in September.
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I've been turned down by every job I've applied for in the last 6 months. Backflipping with disappointment.
It's extremely important to keep your spirits up. Cook yourself a meal, spend time with your other half, etc, but never give in to disappointment.
Have you had any interviews? If yes, then you've achieved something? If not, then are there any courses you can go on to make yourself more appealing to employers?
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I need a new job.
Who would be willing to keep me on a semi-decent wage for next to zero marketable skills?
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http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/royalmarines/
:-D
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I'd like to give some advice but the way I got my current job is I walked into the place and asked if I could have an application and they were all "nah don't bother we like you can you start tomorrow?"
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So I spent a solid month thinking my degree was totally flipping useless, but now I have three interviews in the next week. We'll see if they like me in person, but it's at least heartening having spent so much money on the education!
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http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/royalmarines/
:-D
Ha...
Any other ideas?
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A company that I've had two phone interviews with now wants to fly me to Atlanta to see me in person.
I'm thinking that's a good sign. Although I suppose someone could just have a metric butt-ton of Delta Sky Miles to burn.
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Today I turned down a good job offer from a company I really liked. I had my reasons, but man was that one of the hardest calls I've had to make. It felt a lot like breaking up with someone.
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I just got offered a job in Hawaii. I love Hawaii and have been wanting to get back there for over a decade. I'm going to turn it down though, which makes me incredibly sad.
1) They want me to start in three weeks. That's just completely unfair to my wife to make her handle everything that would need to be handled in order to move
2) It's only about a years worth of work. I have a very real danger of being laid off when the project is over and have little assurance I'd be able to find something else. (If it was at least two years worth, I'd be seriously considering it. That's enough time to meet people and develop a reputation so that I don't have too hunt to hard when the work is over)
3) If I'm lucky my house is worth what I owe on it. Right now I just can't afford to pay someone to buy my home.
So Sad.
Edit: Just had another call though and the company that was going to fly me to Atlanta is now moving my interview to Newport News, VA, which is driving distance. I only need to take one day off for that rather than two. They sound enthusiastic about me, I'm certainly enthusiastic about them, and I think it would be a good fit. While I was typing this, I got a call about another job I've been tracking too, which would be a slightly lower salary, but bigger bonus potential and a whole lot less stress. All-in-all, as much as I'd rather be in Hawaii, it's starting off to be a good Monday.
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Good luck Wet Helmet.
* * *
After signing on today I went into town to buy some stamps. I was stopped by someone representing a well-known charity. They were asking for my e-mail address so I asked them if they had any admin jobs going. I gave them my e-mail address and I plan to contact them to ask for a job when they next phone me.
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Wheeeee continually failing to even get to the interview stage for entry level retail jobs! I didn't think I was unemployable (aside from my current job...) but apparently I am. Fuck seven months of rejection and failure. Getting so fucking sick of this.
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Need a better CV and cover letter probs? Highly highly recommend the cv generator at careers.govt.nz. Gotten an interview for every job I applied for using the CV that made me. (Needed a wee bit of editing of course).
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Wheeeee continually failing to even get to the interview stage for entry level retail jobs! I didn't think I was unemployable (aside from my current job...) but apparently I am. Fuck seven months of rejection and failure. Getting so fucking sick of this.
Get someone to look over your CV. Make sure you cover all the points in the person spec (stated or implied) when applying for jobs.
If everything there is fine then don't lose heart -- if where you are is anything like the UK, over 100 people are applying for every job going so competition is fierce.
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This is the thing, I've had my CV re-written a couple of times, most recently by a friend of mine from uni who's job it is to write CV's for people who are unable to find work.
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Make sure you cover all the points in the person spec (stated or implied) when applying for jobs.
I'm torn on this one. I used to list people skills and such (is that what you mean by "person spec"? my apologies if I'm misunderstanding) on my resume and was eventually advised to remove that stuff because it looks amateurish. I think it's better for your people skills to be implied through your previous work experience rather than directly listed.
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The "person spec" is a very specific document detailing the necessary and desirable requirements for an employee, and the interviewers in a place that uses them will be bound by it over their feelings in the matter (it's viewed as a sort of contract with the applicant). I got my present job largely by making a copy of the person spec interlined with notes highlighting how my experience equipped me to meet each point in it (and nicely formatted).
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Make sure you cover all the points in the person spec (stated or implied) when applying for jobs.
I'm torn on this one. I used to list people skills and such (is that what you mean by "person spec"? my apologies if I'm misunderstanding) on my resume and was eventually advised to remove that stuff because it looks amateurish. I think it's better for your people skills to be implied through your previous work experience rather than directly listed.
I'm not sure if you get them there but a person specification is sometimes issued by companies to accompany job adverts. It's normally a table. For example, a customer service position may list the following:
Skill Essential Desirable
Customer Service skils Must be able to put customers NVQ Level 2 in Customer Service or
at ease (some of whom may equivalent
be aggressive)
etc
So in a covering letter a person applying for that job may write:
I achieved a promotion to supervisor, in part, due to my customer service skills. As a supervisor I dealt with complaints...
{edit}If you interested, in seeing a real person specification just look at any job in the NHS (http://www.jobs.nhs.uk/). Please note that they often combine the Job Description and the Person Specification into one document.
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I've always found that it is a very delicate balancing act between spelling out how your experience directly applies and patronising your interviewer. It's best to assume that they are going to read your CV for about ten seconds at the most, so you have to make it easy for them to figure out what being president of baseball club actually did for your management skills, or whatever.
Don't get despondent, Jimmy! Entry-level jobs can be harder to get, purely because there aren't many qualification requirements so it's basically a lottery!
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It's best to assume that they are going to read your CV for about ten seconds at the most,
Seriously this is not an exaggeration. At many of the interviews I've had over the years, the first time the interviewer has seen my resume is AFTER they've sat down across from me at the interview table. They are literally skimming it while I answer their first question.
The first time that happened to me it was a little demoralizing, but I got used to it quickly and now I'm actually surprised when they know more about me than what I mentioned in my cover letter (eg. they browsed through my entire portfolio.)
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This is why dealing transparently with the person spec is so important - the first thing that happens to applications is that a secretary scans them and simply discards all that do not meet every point; they are not looked at to see if there might be some other reason to consider them, like all-round awesomeness.
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Another interview tomorrow morning. Honestly, it would probably be a giant step backwards in my career --it is certainly less money-- however, it might give me a couple of years of fairly chill work in order to go get an MBA before jumping back into the high stress rat race again.
So... I'll interview and do my best, but I'm not super thrilled about it.
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Helmet, I hope your plans work out.
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Not quite a job interview but this afternoon I have an interview for a 3-year PhD scholarship that would allow me to continue avoiding the real world. Oh shit.
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Good luck! I'll hopefully be in your position in about two years... I'm terrified already, I can't even imagine how you'll be feeling! Tell us how it went!
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Good luck, October.
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I have never been so painfully and cripplingly anxiety riddenly unemployed in my life.
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Ugh... so the interview was almost two hours long. I went from sure I didn't have it, to sure that I had it locked up, and then back and forth a couple more times before I finally got out of there.
We'll see I guess.
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Two hours can be long if it's excruciating, but if it's the right place then that time flies. In fact, whether or not you enjoyed the interview can tell you a lot about the job.
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I signed my contract on sunday. Now I'm officially an apprentice, doing basically the same job I did for the last 2 years, except now full-time and at a different pub.
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i'll be doing army service for 15 months starting on january, so my company began looking for people to fill my position. yet they've found out that they can't find someone like me, so they're gonna hire three people to do my job lol :lol:
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Dear
blog job thread
I don't know what to do about my job.
I love my co-workers. I really do, and this might be the first job where I can say that. But the hours suck and are really weird and change every day and week, and my days off are difference each week except for the fact they are never on Fridays, which is the only night something happens in this town.
I'm the door greeter, by the way. I stand in one spot for eight hours and do nothing, and it drives me up a wall. I want to hang myself with a roll of stickers about half and hour into it, and they won't transfer me to another position until next year. Maybe.
Anyways, I want to move to Ithaca, NY, which is like three hours away. If I stay at Walmart, I can maybe transfer out there to the Walmart THERE and move out there, but at the same time I don't know if I'll last there long enough in order to transfer out.
So I guess my question is: Should I try to tough it out as long as possible and let this job overwhelm my life for now, or should I find a different (more consistent, better-paying) job and then try to find a job later when I want to move? I think I know the answer but I'mma ask you people since you're so smart and all
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Try to find a new job, but do not quit this one or tell anyone you're trying to get a new job before you have it. It's probably self-explanatory, but being a door greeter (they need those at wall-mart? why?) is better than no job, I guess.
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they need those at wall-mart? why?
i've had to do this to some degree at every retail job i have had. one of the factors that often goes into ranking the performance of retail stores is the satisfaction of the customers that shop there, usually determined by surveys that customers fill out. often, the very first question is some variation of "did anybody greet you and/or were you made to feel welcome in the store", and to get higher ratings in this area is often why a lot of places employ people specifically to do this job. high customer satisfaction is then taken to mean that the store is successful and the employees work hard, which means more good things for the people who work there. in the grand scheme of things it's still all just part of a big fake numbers game that ultimately demonstrates nothing about the reality of the situation but in the scheme of how the success of a corporation is determined at store level, that's basically it.
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I... that's... whatwhy?...
USA
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We have a very similar system here, but we don't have greeters because who wants to be greeted at the door? What they want instead is to be asked whether they have a nectar card and to be engaged in false conversation as they try to put their food into a plastic bag.
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Try to find a new job, but do not quit this one or tell anyone you're trying to get a new job before you have it. It's probably self-explanatory, but being a door greeter (they need those at wall-mart? why?) is better than no job, I guess.
I also write a number on a sticker if someone wants to return an item (no, really - 'how many items do you have?' 'two' so I write the number two on a sticker and give it to them) and watch to see if anyone's stealing anything. Not that I can do anything about it if they are. I just write it down and tell my managers and they write it off as a loss.
I...I am not kidding in the slightest.
Tania also has it right to a degree, though
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Greeting also lets people know as they walk in the store that people are watching them, so it's supposed to help prevent theft. Sure as hell doesn't at Walmart, but it does in smaller stores. Usually. Or at least you get a weird reaction and know that this is a person you should probably watch.
And from listening to all the stories from people I know who worked there, Walmart has possibly the shittiest theft policies ever to the point I'm surprised they even have any at all. But whatever, they make enough money I guess that having a shit ton of stock stolen doesn't really matter!
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Seriously, I'm actually glad I got this job because it lets me know how insanely easy it is to walk out with shit I want and don't want to pay for.
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I just spent the morning writing a two page capabilities briefing for a company that says they want to hire me to run their proposal department. They requested it under the guise of a writing sample, but I had already provided them with one that came out of an actual proposal. This leads me to believe that what they may really be looking for is me to provide them with free marketing materials. Therefore, I spent the morning balancing my ability to craft something that would impress them with trying to give them something they can't just steal and print.
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This is why dealing transparently with the person spec is so important - the first thing that happens to applications is that a secretary scans them and simply discards all that do not meet every point; they are not looked at to see if there might be some other reason to consider them, like all-round awesomeness.
This must be just a UK thing, because you pretty much never match the job description exactly around here. The common wisdom is that employers rarely know exactly what they want until they meet the person that excites them, so the job descriptions are just vague indicators of what direction they're hoping to go. About the only exception is specific technical skills (if they say they want a C++ programmer, expect to be quizzed) and even then the employer may not know exactly what they need, they just wrote down what sounds good. For example, if the job post says 3 years experience, they really just mean "someone who knows what they're doing and isn't a new graduate."
Admittedly you will get past the HR screener to an interview more often if you do happen to hit every bullet point, but the important things is just to be close on most of them. The initial secretary scanning over the mail is not qualified to judge who the awesome candidates are, but they do pass resumes that aren't a perfect match to the people who are qualified to judge candidates. Obviously this does depend on the amount of competition for the job (ie. the more resumes to screen, the more they throw away for missing the right degree or whatever.)
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Just got back from an interview. I feel pretty sure that they're going to offer me a job. Hoo-effing-ray.
If not, I have another interview tomorrow.
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Good luck dude. Sometime next week I've got an interview with a bookstore that's opening up in Downtown. Hooooly crap.
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The interview I had Thursday has come back and asked me for a writing sample. That's pretty typical when a substantial part of what you do is write for a living, but they've asked for an unusually large one. Ok, whatever. The in-house recruiter said that the feedback from the interview panel was very positive, and that's a good sign, though they do have a few more interviews to do.
The interview I went to yesterday I was expecting to be awful and it wasn't. In fact, it was very much not what I expected. The last guy I talked to walked me out the door and confirmed my email address with a promise of I'd be hearing from him soon, then the first guy I talked to called me 30 minutes later to ask me how much I wanted and when can I start? Also with a promise of I'd be hearing from him next week...
Having been on the interviewer end of several dozen of these things, I understand that all of what I might be taking as good signs may just be procedure. With both of these last two, I never got a vibe that I was the wrong guy, whereas all of the previous ones I had anything from an inkling to a pretty good certainty I wasn't the right fit before the interview was over. So I'm really hoping to have the problem of having to pick between two job offers next week. Wouldn't that be a nice problem to have?
For the record, if this were to happen I'm leaning heavily towards the company I talked to Thursday, despite Friday's interview being with a larger and more well known firm that would probably look better on my resume in the long run.
Edit: Got two offers today. The one I want is a significant pay cut, so I need to see some numbers on the one that I don't. We'll see what happens.
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Welp my interview is tomorrow. The City Council just approved the bookstore so now they're gonna start doing stuff. Tomorrow, 3pm PST, Starbucks Coffee on main street. I should probably go to bed soon; honestly I think it's in the bag except for the people interviewing me aren't the owners (whom I'm good friends with), they're the managers (who I don't know/includes the girlfriend and the brother of one of the owners). This will basically be my first interview in forever, and I hope it goes well. I know the owners would be jazzed to have me working for them but I'll be interviewed by people I have to convince to be on the same page. And again to be honest, I don't see any difficulty in doing so but it's still a point of apprehension.
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Goddamnit, trying to write on my resume what my current job entails is really hard. I am a waitress. I wait on people. How do I make this sound like I have a lot of skills (which I guess I do) without making it seem like I am stating the bleeding obvious?
I haven't even gotten to the cover letter stage of things and I already feel like I am full of shit. I hate job hunting.
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So state the bleeding obvious.
You provide one-on-one customer service
You communicate within your team effectively
You are able to take concise and easily understood orders
You answer the phone and organise bookings (presumably)
You help with stock inventory (Oh hey we're out of chocolate powder soon)
You plate and serve desserts and assist with meal presentation in the kitchen (wiping up that spot of gravy on the rim)
You are able to open/close the shop on your own/as part of a team, including cleaning and stocking for the day/next day
etc etc
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I recently transferred from one department of the agency I work for to another, so I could live with my gf and pursue a future and all that stuff. The downside was that I went from working full time 9 or 10 months a year to working full time 6 or 7 months a year (budget issues). 6 months of work just doesn't cut it for me, so I have a dilema. Stay where I'm at, a job I honestly love and feel lucky to have, or apply for another job in the same field that would be full time work with great benefits, but would also be terribly boring. It sucks.
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Congratulations, Wet Helmet.
Sonof, could you take a part-time/season job to cover the time when you're not employed?
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It ended up being the one I didn't think I wanted turned out to be a pretty awesome offer. The one I thought I wanted got a little bit worse every time I talked to them. I sent back my offer acceptance today and gave my current job two weeks notice. Time to move on.
The suckiest part of this is I'm now going to have to deal with Tyson's Corner traffic every fucking day. I know that means nothing to 99% of you, but to DC forumites, they know that's a special kind of hell.
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HiFranc: Thats def. an option, but working two jobs to make ends meet as a plan is getting tiring. I've done the seasonal work for 3 years now, and 9 months seasonal is pretty good, but when it starts dropping then all the financial worries start to make boring, but steady, work look better every day.
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Tyson's Corner is fucking awful. Where are you coming from? I had a temp job there in April, and from Germantown it took me 45 minutes to get there in the morning, and 2 hours home, bailing off the highway as soon as I got into Maryland. But the office building was only 2 blocks from the beltway, thank god.
Actually, that company where I temped seems to really like me and would hire me permanently, but they don't have anywhere to put me right now. Boo. So they just call me when they need a temp. And now I'm back at the idiocracy that laid me off last summer, except I have a little job security this time, because the office manager just had a baby on Saturday.
But also our realtor from when we bought our house sent my resume to "Mr. B" of "A & B Real Estate" so fingers are crossed on that.
I just want to find a damn job that I can stay at and know what's expected of me and not be bored out of my mind.
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I'm coming from the south, so I get 495 and 95 traffic. Construction in the area is even worse now then the first time I moved here in the 80s. Holy hell, it's been well over 20 years, finish already. I remember it as not being so bad heading out there when I lived in Arlington and could just take surface streets, but yeah, it took me three and half hours to get home from that interview. I think I'm going to try to go in super early and leave super early. The other alternative is late/late. We'll see how it works out.
I wish you the best of luck in your hunt.
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I'm currently residing in Auckland, New Zealand and planning on moving to Sydney, Australia in January. However, I am kinda keen to speed this process up. Since I'm an Australian citizen already I figured I'd start applying for jobs as a librarian in Sydney from here.
Is this a good idea? How likely do you think I am to get an interview? If I do get one would it be worth flying over for a weekend (at a cost of around $500 NZD) to do the interview?
I think yes on all of the above but I'm interested in hearing others points of view.
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i'd recommend that yes, apply, but ask if you can do a telephone interview if it gets to that point. my company does that all the time which is awesome so we have people from all over the country who have a chance where normally they wouldn't
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Sounds like a good idea to me, you could stay at my place! Or not. Whatever.
In related job hunting news I applied for a job at a bookshop (http://www.basementbooks.com.au/basement-books/home.do;jsessionid=E3B1521B48C680EE633A4204DB2330E7) last night. This morning I got a call asking me to come in for an interview. This is pretty fucking awesome because it's my first interview after 8 months of looking for job. I'm going tomorrow afternoon. Hopefully the job will be pretty cool and they will be ok with my already planned and set in stone holidays at the end of October.
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Give it a go, Riz. You can't really lose anything.
I'm not sure many places would be keen for a phone interview but maybe it would be a good idea to come visit for job hunting purposes beforehand, as I know that library jobs are really hard to come by here.
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Today was the first day of my new job today. Hopefully, I won't have to be posting in this thread anymore.
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I've been talking to one of my friends from work about job hunting. Apparently at some places she has interviewed at lately she's been told that the company she (we) work for has a really bad reputation among HR and recruitmenty people for having a really high turnover so even though she's been there for 3 years and I've been there for almost 2, it is harder for us to get interviews because as soon as they see the company name on our CVs they instantly have a low opinion of us. Damn.
Also, I've put an application through for a job on this companies website but they don't let you put your CV or anything so I've been tweaking the job history I've put through. Anyway, does it make any difference if I apply for than once? I mean I've applied with these guys for a couple of different positions over the last 8 months so at this point I'm happy to apply a couple of times if it's going to help my chances.
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most retail and customer service locations will keep your resume on file for three months before they scrap it. even if some companies keep it longer, it's very likely that after a couple of months it's gonna get pushed so far down to the bottom of the pile you might as well have just shot it into space. general rule of thumb is three months.
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No I meant applying for the same position (for instance the most recent one was advertised on September 13th) multiple times. I've applied for different positions with this place, almost twice a month for the last 8 months.
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Today is a glorious day. The first employer in over 50 has taken the effort to notify me I did not get the position in a timely manner. The HR lady even gave me a written letter (hand addressed) to my home. It's a fantastic, remarkable thing to simply be notified. With the way HR acts lately, in general, you would think they can't be bothered. I would say a vast majority don't even make an attempt in covering their asses with a "if we don't notify you in X then you didn't get it."
I get it; people hound HR when they don't get jobs. There are a lot of people (~200 per position) applying. The thing is... you merely screen the applicants for the most fundamental requirements. The former problem could merely be solved with an anonymous, no-reply email. I'm normally not a spiteful or outwardly thrashing person, but it seems like HR is getting lazy and rude at an exponential rate as the downturn pans out. It just grinds my gears when I have 2 BAs, a handful of up-to-date certs (plus dozens of expiered ones), and a reasonable attitude that a snot-nosed communication major acts like an enormous, put-upon prick.
Lastly, to expand on the HR getting hounded thing, that's part of their job IMHO. When I have(had) to deal with moronic executives, incompetent users, and general stupidity I didn't purposefully do things to avoid them like some fearful child of their drunkard father. To me, not notifying people (even en masse via mailer) is a pussy thing to do and circumvents something implicitly part of your job.
</rant>
"While your experience and education are impressive, we would like to inform you to go fuck yourself."
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I on the other hand just got an email from Apple (when did I apply for them? oh yeah, two months ago) asking for the best time for them to call me to arrange an interview. Anyone worked at an Apple store before and want to tell me how good the pay/work environment is?
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This isn't wholy on topic as I haven't applied for any jobs but it seemed the most sensible place to ask for advice.
Ovviously term is about to start again and as a result I've got a ton of emails about law firm networking events. I hate these events, they're invariably boring, alcohol-ridden and full of small talk, which I'm really bad at. It's made worse by the fact that I was certain before I even began the degree that I don't want to be a lawyer. The events aren't compulsory but everyone keeps telling me that "you should go, you might change your mind and then you'll regret not having schmoozed a law firm already".
And that's the question: Are they right or am I? I have no doubt in my mind that I don't want to be a lawyer. I don't want to be a solicitor, I don't want to be a barrister, I don't want to work for a law firm full stop. The things I've considered as careers I'd enjoy are teaching, being a PA to someone in theatre or similar, working in an antiques shop and being a housewife. None of these things require me to network with law firms.
I've reached a point where I've begun to consider changing to another subject for my final year, just to make it completely clear that I do. not. want. to be a lawyer. Is that a bit too drastic? There are other reasons for changing, which I've covered before but mostly involve not really enjoying the compulsory modules (compulsory because they are necessary to qualify as a lawyer. Sigh.) and enjoying parts which are in another course as well.
TL;DR do I stick with the awful, awkward networking elements of being a law student on the miniscule chance that it might be useful in the future, or do I put my foot down and refuse to go to endless dinners, drinks parties, conferences, workshops and goodness knows what else because I hate them and have better things to do?
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If you absolutely don't want to be a lawyer then don't waste your time. From what I gather you already do a shitload of theatre stuff which is way more relevant to what it sounds like what you want to do.
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This isn't wholy on topic as I haven't applied for any jobs but it seemed the most sensible place to ask for advice.
Ovviously term is about to start again and as a result I've got a ton of emails about law firm networking events. I hate these events, they're invariably boring, alcohol-ridden and full of small talk, which I'm really bad at. It's made worse by the fact that I was certain before I even began the degree that I don't want to be a lawyer. The events aren't compulsory but everyone keeps telling me that "you should go, you might change your mind and then you'll regret not having schmoozed a law firm already".
And that's the question: Are they right or am I? I have no doubt in my mind that I don't want to be a lawyer. I don't want to be a solicitor, I don't want to be a barrister, I don't want to work for a law firm full stop. The things I've considered as careers I'd enjoy are teaching, being a PA to someone in theatre or similar, working in an antiques shop and being a housewife. None of these things require me to network with law firms.
I've reached a point where I've begun to consider changing to another subject for my final year, just to make it completely clear that I do. not. want. to be a lawyer. Is that a bit too drastic? There are other reasons for changing, which I've covered before but mostly involve not really enjoying the compulsory modules (compulsory because they are necessary to qualify as a lawyer. Sigh.) and enjoying parts which are in another course as well.
TL;DR do I stick with the awful, awkward networking elements of being a law student on the miniscule chance that it might be useful in the future, or do I put my foot down and refuse to go to endless dinners, drinks parties, conferences, workshops and goodness knows what else because I hate them and have better things to do?
Just to be clearr; you are a law student with one year left and you are certainly planning to change your major?
I'm a bit perplexed by this since law school is generally a graduate endevour, and I am not sure what you would change your major to. I could use a bit of clarification since my reading comprehension is dwindling in these wee hours.
If my assessment is correct, I would say yes you can cut-down on the hobnobbing and networking. I would advise, though, to finishing your JD is a good idea if you only have a year left. At the end of the day, it can't hurt you really (assuming you're that close).
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I'm just entering my second year, and it's not quite the same as in the US - I don't have a major as such, I'm just doing a law degree. There are no non-law exams or papers, and I don't get a whole lot of choice about the papers I do (this year I am doing five, and three are compulsory).
In the UK law isn't a graduate thing, you take an undergraduate degree and then professional exams afterwards. In my opinion the undergraduate degree shouldn't be as vocational as it is, but obviously I'm in the minority.
The thing about Cambridge is that you do your degree in two parts, so I've done Part IA and am about to start Part IB. Then I could do a completely different subject for Part II and still have a valid degree after just three years of studying. But I'm not sure whether or not to go for it. I'm glad you guys agree that the networking isn't as necessary as everyone who does want to be a lawyer thinks it is. I just feel guilty when people look at me and basically go "you don't know what you're talking about, why wouldn't you want to be a lawyer?", because then I kind of doubt myself.
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I just got registered to participate in paid studies. Kinda thing where you get paid $5 for half an hour of your time. That kinda thing. Yes, I need money that badly.
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I'm just entering my second year, and it's not quite the same as in the US - I don't have a major as such, I'm just doing a law degree. There are no non-law exams or papers, and I don't get a whole lot of choice about the papers I do (this year I am doing five, and three are compulsory).
In the UK law isn't a graduate thing, you take an undergraduate degree and then professional exams afterwards. In my opinion the undergraduate degree shouldn't be as vocational as it is, but obviously I'm in the minority.
The thing about Cambridge is that you do your degree in two parts, so I've done Part IA and am about to start Part IB. Then I could do a completely different subject for Part II and still have a valid degree after just three years of studying. But I'm not sure whether or not to go for it. I'm glad you guys agree that the networking isn't as necessary as everyone who does want to be a lawyer thinks it is. I just feel guilty when people look at me and basically go "you don't know what you're talking about, why wouldn't you want to be a lawyer?", because then I kind of doubt myself.
Over 70% of people (at least in the US) do not go into a field related to their degree. The degree does not define who you are or what you can/will do, albeit an important piece of paper. Figure out what you want to do, get the degree, and prioritize. If you're 100% certain that the networking in the law field cannot/will not aid you in a non-law pursuit, then fuck it. This isn't to say networkin gisn't important, unfortunately.
My apologizes for assuming you were from the US.
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10 months now of looking for a new job. 10 months of getting continually knocked back (if I get a reply at all). How fucking hard is it to get a goddamn retail job for fuck's sake. I'm going to be stuck in this fucking call centre until I fucking kill myself. I can't handle having to go in there every single fucking day.
Fuck.
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Have you considered temping to get some more varied experience?