To ask how to get a bloody job?

[CupCakes00]

I have been a SAHM for 9 years, so my last employment and on my CV is 2008!

I have had my CV professionally done, and with regards to being at home it just says 'taken time out to raise my family' (I saw the previous thread about SAHM and what they put on cv) and now looking to return to the workplace.

I think my CV is quite appealing, I sell myself but not too much as advised.

But why am I not getting interviews? Is it really because I've been out of work for so long, have DC? Many apply for every job so they would rather give it to someone with no DC because apparently these people are more reliable?

its so frustrating and I feel like I will never get a job.

Any suggestions please?

Also have a look at google digital garage or future learn for free on line training to update skills.good luck!

Can you look specifically at small companies? We've regularly taken on people after a career break who want stability while they raise their families. We've gotten some amazingly qualified people at a cheap rate until they've been able to demonstrate their skills and moved up the career ladder. We also take people on for 4-6 weeks when work is busy when we get speculative emails.

Always tailor cv for each job.

Print off the job description. Go through it sentence by sentence. For every 'we are looking for someone with xxx skill' you need a corresponding sentence or para or bullet in your cv and letter that addresses it.

So for example: job description says 'looking for someone with x years experience in a lab environment who can create batch production and scale up production of xxx.' You make sure in your CV you have bullet points or whatever

• x years experience in lab environment or x and x
• responsible for creating process flow, testing and scaling up production of xx

ALL keywords from the job app need to be in your CV - this helps you get past Auto filters. The cv should show that you have done/are capable of doing every single item on the job description

Now, onto the interview. Think back to the questions you were asked: write down as many as you can think of.

I usually start with a brief ok tell me about your career so far, then I ask specific job related questions. Then I ask some that are more general.

Tell me about a time you made a mistake - how did you deal with that
How do you deal with conflict in the workplace? With your peers? With managers? With people who report into you?
Etc etc.

The way to deal with these is with the STAR technique - Situation, Task, Action, Result.

So : when I first started out I hadn't read the correct SOP and i accidentally miscalibrated the batch. We lost it and I was mortified. Obviously that was a bit learning point for me, not only have I never misread an SoP again it also made me look further into how we trained new people and that revealed that our training hadn't actually covered what I was doing. I managed to crate a new training plan and I think now over thirty new recruits have benefitted from it.'

For the conflict question I want to see someone who isn't an arse :)

A also ask how people manage others. Usually something like 'you have a direct report who is usually great but she's made some mistakes recently. What do you do?' You would be HORRIFIED how many people say 'sack her.' When what I want to hear is that they'd talk to her, see if anything at work was the issue, not pry into private life but make them aware that if they do wish to tell us anything we aren't monsters, check they aren't overloaded with work, etc etc...

So for each of these 'tell me about a time' things, think of a situation - think of maybe ten situations you've learned something from in the workplace - each one can be used to answer multiple questions.

Good luck. And keep trying. Rejection isn't personal - I've recommend people be hired that I know would be great and my asshole of a boss overruled it and went for the wideboy car salesman type who talked the talk but was clearly a git- and then whined at me that he was no good and it was my fault..,

Watching this thread!

For anyone looking for any type of job I've found Facebook local really helpful. Sign up to lots of local groups and very often jobs come up. Also look at what places are nearby and google the website and recruitment. Near me I have a couple of local attractions that regularly have jobs on their website.

I find this is a better way to get a job than applying through a big agency or the job centre etc abd thry will have hundreds of applicants.

Also LinkedIn might be worth looking at. I know my DP often gets head hunted through LinkedIn but he is in a senior role so obviously that's a bit different. Anything that is a networking opportunity is worth a look at though.

Also agree with commitees abd volunteering. My preschool were always crying out for people to get involved and I'm sure my dons new primary will be the same.

I honestly feel for you OP. I was also a SAHM for almost 9 years. For the past year I've been applying for almost every job going, and never even got called for an interview. It seems that, if you've taken time off to raise the next generation of workers, you stop existing as a actual intelligent human being. Doesn't matter if you have decades of experience. I then decided to volunteer at a charity, to get some up to date info on my CV (and I was losing my mind sitting at home), and while waiting for my DBS for the charity - sods law - I got called for an interview at a different charity, and I've been working there for almost a month now . Excellent hours and good hourly rate. I'd all but given up, but, even though this is only an 8 month contract, at least my CV will be up to date.

I'd definitely recommend volunteering. Not only does it gives you up to date info on your CV, but it also looks good and makes you look like a decent person - not that you're not lol, but you know what I mean.

Lots of places publish a people specification with essential and desirable criteria - you need to demonstrate how you meet these in the application form backed up with a CV.

Never use a blank CV, a lot of information is often irrelevant or will look like your strengths are somewhere else. Specially since you say you want to stop doing the kind of retail job you've been doing whilst studying. When I was in your position, I created three CVs that were aimed to three different job titles. That meant changing some work history to "Other: summer and holiday jobs in retail" when it wasn't relevant. If I was asked about it at Interview stage, at least I could elaborate in the interview instead of being dismissed as if I wanted a career on detail. For other jobs, I listed everything but highlighted the skills that could apply for this other job title. For example, if I was applying for admin jobs and I had been working on retail, I'd put job title as customer service officer and put at the front of the bullet point things such as balancing cash flows, writing sales reports, contacting providers, meeting representatives from wholesalers, etc. Instead of saying counting the till, sending an email to manager on what we had sold, etc. Reword it to make it neutral and suitable to other businesses (don't lie, though).
If you don't have a lot in there, you can also add a table of skills and how you meet them. This is very useful to highlight the requirements when you had been working in different industries or when you have had lots of temp jobs. So you put on one column the requirement 1 on their job description: "highly organised" and one column 2 you'd put how you meet this skill: I've dealt well with deadlines over my 3 years of study, never missing one, by making sure I set clear and achievable deadlines within the frame period. I've been in charge of (whatever) and I've either completed the task on time or ahead of the deadline. " You get the gist. I'd add this with the CV, not instead of.

You need to really pick and choose your applications and tailor each CV and cover letter. If you have a chance to check their website, it's also good to refer to something there, such as "I would love to contribute to the new charity program by doing X" or "I would love to be mentored by Ms Smith from X department because of her experience in the global markets, in order to expand the knowledge acquired during my degree by adding real practical knowledge of the industry", etc. Don't over do it, but sometimes one of these lines will make you stand out from the rest and show that you really want to work for that company, instead of having spammed all the companies within the industry.

Good luck!

OP, I would also suggest that as you are applying you phone a relevant person to express interest and 'find out more about the role' .I did that and it seemed to work