The Workthing+ blog

How pretending I had a job helped me find a job

My contract as writer working in the public schools, running workshops for children, ran out last spring, and it was unfortunately not renewed. I suddenly found myself out of a job at the beginning of the summer; it wasn't enough time to seek out other teaching jobs, as many schools had already finalised their contracts for the following year.

I had to change my focus and look for jobs outside of my comfort zone. In many cases, finding a job in academia versus finding a job in the professional world consists of many different things. Essential this meant that I had to relearn how to find a job. I decided that throwing myself fully into finding a job was the best option; I couldn't ride out the summer complacently and wait for one of my many contacts in the schools to help me out.

I decided, then and there, that my new job was going to be finding a job.

So what does finding a job as a job really look like?

Why employees are calling the shots

Headlines in the summer proclaimed there to be 68 graduates competing for every job. But employees potentially have as much control over their careers as their would-be employers. What does this mean for the future of the British workplace?

A survey from the Association of Graduate Recruiters this year suggested there are 68 graduates competing for every job. You could forgive the class of 2010 for resenting their would-be employers: anyone reading the headlines might think of recruiters as spoilt dictators lording it over hordes of graduates desperate for gainful employment.

But employers can’t take as many liberties as the headlines might lead you to think. For one thing, the figures that prompted the news stories are mostly based on the UK’s larger employers – they don't apply to all businesses. People might be concerned about there being too much competition for every job, but in our experience the opposite is true: at Softcat you could almost say we have 68 jobs for every graduate that has the right mix of skills. According to the UK Graduate Careers Survey 2010, Britain's top graduate employers actually increased their recruitment by 17.8%.

How to approach a phone interview

I'll never forget my first phone interview. I was in the middle of cleaning my flat and was up to my elbows in cleaning products when the phone rang. Seeing it was an unknown number, I answered it. A woman representing a company to which I had applied three weeks ago was calling, requesting a phone interview.

Me: "Yes, I'd be happy to do a phone interview.”
Her: "Would right now be an appropriate time?"
Me: "Uhhhh. yes! Yes, I believe it would."

That was my first mistake; it was actually a terrible time for a phone interview. But I didn't want to miss out on a potential job opportunity, so I agreed to the interview right then and there.

Your chance to participate in a Channel 4 documentary series

Do you have children aged 14 to 22? Have you lost your job in the recession? Would you be interested in taking part in a documentary series looking at the challenges faced by families as a result of job loss?

Channel 4 have commissioned Rare Day to make a five-part documentary series about what it’s like to be a young person in Britain today. For one of the films, we are looking for bright and engaging young people who have seen their ‘normal’ life turned upside down by a parent suddenly being out of work. This will be an intelligent, compassionate film about the impact on the whole family when a parent loses their job. 

All of the films in the series will be about individuals facing some kind of challenge or difficulty as they make the transition from childhood to adulthood. We’re particularly interested in thoughtful people who have a ‘unique’ take on the world, informed by their particular life experience, who are in the process of working out who they are and where they’re going. We want the films to be hopeful and inspiring, featuring young people with spirit and resilience.

What Gen Y think the future of work should be

Gen Y: the managers of the future. Yet the younger generation of new recruits have very different attitudes to work and careers. These tech-savvy idealists are unfamiliar with authority, don’t expect to work long hours, and the traditional career hierarchy is alien to them. This is according to The Future of Work, a new report to be published by the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising on Monday 6th September 2010, in association with Working Families; the leading work-life balance charity.

Based on benchmarking, desk research and interactive workshops with 50 21-30 year-olds from advertising agencies, Gen Y’s vision of the future is one where the individual will have more personal responsibility for meeting targets and deadlines, within a more flexible, less structured working environment:

Issue 44 - 10 ways to job-hunt during work hours

I’m about to fly off for some late summer sunshine, but there’s one topic I wanted to address first – the rights and wrongs of looking for a job during work time. After all, we know over 90% of job applications are made on company time – in fact, the single most popular time is Tuesday morning!

Job hunting at work is a risky business, as well as a moral and ethical minefield that I’ll neatly sidestep. If you’re going to do it, follow my practical tips to doing it right:

Issue 43 - I've got a criminal record - will it stop me from getting a job?

Q.   I’ve got a criminal record – will it stop me from getting a job?

I was convicted six months ago and now have a criminal record. I’ve just started looking for a job – do I need to tell future employers? Will my conviction stop me from getting a job?

E.R., Essex

Issue 42 - How do you present multiple jobs in the same company on a CV?

Q.   How do you present multiple jobs in the same company on a CV?

I’m a Finance Director and I’ve been ‘climbing the career ladder’ in the same company for twelve years. In that time, I’ve had a series of different jobs. How do I present these on my CV?

M.P. Brighton

Institute of Directors launches senior executive job and recruitment site in association with TotallyExec

The Institute of Directors, Europe's largest membership organisation for business leaders, has launched a job site in association with TotallyExec.

The site will provide IoD members with instant access to the latest director-level jobs and advice, as well as the opportunity to advertise senior executive vacancies to the senior professionals.

Paul Halliwell, Managing Director of Trinity Mirror Digital Recruitment, the company behind TotallyExec comments: “The partnership provides IoD members with the largest pool of UK executive jobs in key business functions.  It also allows our executive recruiters to reach even more senior professionals; both the active job seekers using TotallyExec and the passive candidates the IoD reaches through its member marketing.”

The job site offers executive candidates free access to over 2,600 director-level roles with a minimum salary of £60,000, from blue-chip employers, executive search firms and recruiters. 

Andrew Main Wilson, COO at the IoD said:  “In the current economic climate, every organisation needs to recruit high calibre management efficiently and cost effectively, so we are delighted to team up with TotallyExec, the leading job site for senior executive jobs in the UK. Members will now have access to a significant number of senior executive vacancies and the facility to advertise for senior executives at specially negotiated rates, which start from as little as £175.

Issue 41 - Debunking reference myths

References are an employer’s method of validating you. It’s a way for them to verify your work experience, professionalism and reliability, and it’s a crucial part of your job application.

Here’s everything you need to know about getting references right:


Myth #1 – You should include references on your CV

Your CV is a snapshot of your career achievements, skills and experience; it’s not the place for references. References are typically squeezed on the end of a crowded CV, and writing “References available on request” just states the obvious. Employers ask for references once an offer of employment has been made rather than at the first stage of the screening process.

Issue 40 - What's the best way to work with recruiters?

Q.   What's the best way to work with recruiters?

I’m signed up to recruitment agencies but I find their attitude towards their candidates extremely frustrating and haven’t had much success so far. What’s the best way to work with recruiters and search for jobs?

S.M., Cheltenham

Issue 39 - How can I make the most out of a networking meeting?

Q.   How can I make the most out of a networking meeting?

I’ve managed to secure a meeting with someone from a company I’d really like to work for. The thing is, I’m not a natural networker – can you advise me on how to play it?

P.K., Birmingham

Interview with George Garfoot – The next generation of work experience

Work experience can be as challenging to source as paid work. Recent findings from The National Council for Work Experience (NCWE) suggest that over 80% of students and graduates are unaware of work placement schemes in their region.

Sometimes, it’s the opportunities that you create for yourself that can really make a difference. It’s more important than ever to network and use who you know to help you kick-start your career with an impressive CV.

Equally, it’s never too early to start, as George Garfoot (fifteen years old) found out when he undertook a work experience placement with Trinity Mirror Digital Recruitment (TMDR), part of Trinity Mirror plc, one of the UK’s largest newspaper publishers:

“When my mum told me I was going to do my work experience at Canary Wharf, I was so excited. Every time work experience was mentioned at school, I took the opportunity to remind my friends that I was going to be working somewhere a million times better than where they were!

Issue 38 - I went for a job interview during work hours and got caught - help!

Q.   I went for a job interview during work hours and got caught – help!

I told my manager I had a doctor’s appointment so I could go to an interview. Not only did I not get the job, but my manager found out and now he doesn’t trust me. How can I stop this from ruining my career?

F.T., London

Issue 37 - I’m going to enjoy handing in my notice!

Q.   I’m going to enjoy handing in my notice!

TCI – I’ve had enough. My manager is a tyrant; my salary is a joke, and I’ve been offered a decent new job. I’m going to hand in my notice and really going to tell the boss exactly what I think of her – what have I got to lose?

O.F., Manchester

Issue 36 - How to spot duff career advice

I can tell from my mailbag that not everybody likes what I have to say, but I tell it like it is because it helps you better understand what is expected of you as a jobseeker. What really gets my goat is when so-called ‘experts’ skirt around the issue and offer inane advice. Have a look at this Q&A scenario I read the other day:

Q. I’m tired of always just missing out. Could it be my face doesn’t fit?

A.

It’s an almost irresistible human instinct to look for patterns, to try to make sense of the otherwise confusing … you are beginning to believe … that there must be some common reason [for not getting the job]; but, in fact, you’re looking for a pattern where almost certainly none exists.

The danger of this line of thought is that it becomes destructive, and therefore self-fulfilling. Come to believe that your face doesn’t fit – that you’re destined to be the perpetual runner-up – and you’ll come across at interview as despairing and defeatist.

Issue 35 - Why do people moan about recruitment consultants?

Q.   Why do people moan about recruitment consultants?

Why do some people persist in moaning about recruitment consultants when we are doing everything we can to match the right candidates with the right jobs?

P.I., Hertfordshire

Issue 34 - How to spot bogus job adverts

I get many emails each month concerning fake jobs adverts, scams or ‘bait and switch’ fishing schemes. They’re annoying at best, illegal at worst – but not hard to spot if you know what to look for.

Jobseekers want to believe that the perfect job is out there for them, which makes them more susceptible to attacks from scammers. The potential consequences of not being vigilant can be as serious as ID fraud and theft.

When it comes to bogus job adverts, there are some common warning signs:

Issue 33 - What's more valuable - the job you do or the people you work with?

Q.   What’s more valuable – the job you do or the people you work with?

I’ve been offered a really interesting job that’s a logical career step. I was surprised to get the offer as although I gelled really well with one interviewer, I didn’t get the same vibe from the other. Now I’m not sure whether to take the job – what if all the team are like the person I didn’t click with?

P.W., Weston-Super-Mare

Interview with Peter Jones CBE: Star of TV’s ‘Dragons’ Den’, NEA founder and self-made business tycoon

Entrepreneur, investor, and philanthropist, Peter Jones CBE is as successful a businessman as they come. Shooting to the public eye following the huge success of business reality show ‘Dragons’ Den’, he is widely recognised as the ‘friendliest’ of the dragons.

Peter Jones has interest and personal investments in many companies within a variety of markets, which collectively generate sales of more than £250 million and employ more than 1,000 people.

Perhaps his proudest public role is at the helm of the National Enterprise Academy (NEA), nurturing the creative business potential of young people. In this exclusive interview, he tells Natalie Harris how he came to steer and influence the next generation of entrepreneurial talent.