Keep being rejected for jobs

[Keepbeingrejected]

Name changed for this as it doesn't tie in with any previous threads. And I'm prepared to be roasted, but at the same time I feel a bit fragile so don't be too mean please MN ers.

I'm currently on MAT leave from a 45k a year role in hospitality. I can't feasibly return to my role as I have no childcare for evenings and weekends.

So. Mat leave. Perfect time to brush up the CV and find a new role right?

So far I've been rejected from approx 30 roles.

I have years of experience in managing teams, developing and training people, managing financial aspects of business, hitting targets, recruitment etc etc. I also have a background in HR and Payroll.

I've applied for 3 x civil service roles
10 + roles for sales/operations
5 + roles for HR admin work

I'm not precious about coming close to my 45k salary (midlands) as the working hours were always ridiculous, so I am more than happy to take a pay cut to around 24k if I must to find a more 9 to 5 family friendly employer, preferably with scope for progression and development.

I tailor my CV to each application and painstakingly create a cover letter or go through each companies process online. I've had a few phone interviews that I thought I'd done well in, only to be told my application wouldn't be progressing.

Please help me oh MN hive mind. Any tips/advice? Feeling very deflated currently.

I have a new job! I start on Monday. The contract is a dream come true. Good luck OP.

It's not you, it's your CV (or your interview technique).

Use your cover letter to make sure you're explicitly laying out how you fit the person spec - preferably in the same order they wrote the person spec in.

I've never failed to get an interview doing that technique, and I've just got a friend (who's currently in a job that's barely above minimum wage) an interview for a more senior position in an industry he's got no experience of (interview is soon, fingers crossed that goes well....)

Before the interview do a practice interview - preferably with a friend who has done recruitment before

For civil service type jobs you have to use the STAR method when answering questions. There should be a capability dictionary you can find online that will help you.
Look at other government sponsored organisations / quangos too they have very similar conditions to the civil service such as the Environment Agency and Natural England these organisations all have admin support, HR departments etc to get into. I know the EA is having a national recruitment campaign so look there. Many jobs can be done from home, your nearest EA office or hybrid.

Good luck op. What I find odd is I keep seeing that there are so many jobs available and companies are desperate to recruit yet the you have capable people unable to get a job!

''@Sublimeursula
Being “over qualified” for a role is something of an urban legend that people say to others (or themselves) when unsuccessful.

in modern age, with so many returning to work and facing difficulties with transport and childcare… part time and more junior roles are being leapt on by much more senior people.''

it isn't an ''urban legend''.

Employer will at least ask you why you want a more junior role at the interview. The concern is that people who have had more senior positions will get bored, will struggle with being managed by less experience people or will have higher salary demands.

I have had the question asked during interview when I went for something a little less senior than my usual role. I did get the job but it turned out to be a mistake and I did not stay long and one of the reasons was that it just wasn't the best use of my skills in reality and my manager was just really inexperienced and inefficient.

So I think there is point about employer's misgivings.

It is not so much of an issue if you are going for a complete career change as it makes sense that you will need to start at a lower level, but again employers will have a choice of candidates and you will be competing with younger applicants that employers might see as more suitable.

As an interviewer, I may feel put off by lots of managing experience when you're now going for a junior role. I would be thinking why? You'd feel very over qualified and over experienced for what we would be looking for, but I'd also be interested to see you to discuss.

Would you put a pic of your CV on here with all the info blanked out so we can see is it the layout that's putting people off? Some CVs I've received don't make it any further than a quick glance because there's so much chaos on them or lots of mistakes etc, or even the same persons CV received from 2 agencies and they are both different so full of lies.

I went for admin posts at 1/2 my salary while my kids were very young. Much tougher than getting a job in my field. Apologies haven’t read all replies but I think it is essential you explain your position and your commitment to a new role. I’m also a hiring manager again now and concern will be that you’ll only stick around until something better comes along.

What type of CS jobs are you applying for? Are you getting any interviews?
What scores are you getting?
There are lots of websites that try to help. For example www.businessfirstonline.co.uk/advice/6-tips-on-getting-a-job-in-the-civil-service/

General tips from me is make it easy to read. Lots of white space etc... Each behaviour example should tell a little story (STAR) and you are the centre of that story. You would be surprised how many people say - we.

What are you scoring on your behaviours?

As someone who has recruited for a lot of roles from call centre to professional qualified roles I really don't care about cover letters.

Generally we get loads of CVS so sifting them is a quick review activity, I don't want to have to interpret, guess or extrapolate to see if you have the relevant experience and skills. I want you to tell me clearly and concisely.

You need to look at the Job description and person spec and make sure that the information you provide on the CV she's me how you meet those.

I will have a checklist of the key requirements of the role and the experience/skills/quals needed and I'll be ticking them off as I see that evidence in your CV. If you have enough ticks you'll get an interview.

Please also do a spellcheck before hitting send. We all make typos in real life but for something like a CV where you are presenting your best self you should take the time to proof read.

I agree with other posters, it's not an urban myth about being over qualified, the employer sees you as a flight risk, won't take to being managed again, will move on quickly if something better comes along

My thoughts are what transferable skills do you have from hospitality to admin, you don't say what you did in hospitality but an employer will have a set of key skills and experience they are looking for, admin type roles generate 100s of applicants so they will
shortlist the most attractive cvs, is your cv still to hospitality heavy? I think maybe agency temp work may help to get you some recent more relevant experience in the fields you are interested in, agency roles often go perm

Yes I agree with this, cover letters aren't always read and sometimes are like war and peace, nowadays there is software you can use to sift cvs using keywords and phrases, you miss they key things they want and your cv is gone

And yes typos, you see so many with typos!

it is true unfortunately that employers look unfavourably on over qualified. not an excuse

make your application/cv longer - can't hurt.
trawl through the job description and pick out their phrases.
during an interview talk abut communicaiton is the key, their values, show transferrable skills. smile

In my final year at university, like quite a few students, I applied for entry into the executive grade of the Civil Service as a sort of insurance policy. I sat the exams, went to the interviews and, eventually received a welcoming letter, which told me that I would get a posting as soon as a suitable placement became available. After nearly 51 years, I am still waiting.

I have PMd you as I am looking for someone and you might fit the bill
NOT MLM or similar!!

If you are going for public sector roles then they won't be interested in covering letters, you have to put everything on the application form and complete it very clearly based on the job description/person spec.

I would go for local authorities and universities as well as civil service - both are struggling to recruit as they pay below market rate but pension, flexible working, hours etc all make them really family friendly.

That's exactly what MLM would say🔎

😁

Don't write off agencies.
A lot of offices started using them because of the volume of applications (cheers jobcentre!)
I got made redundant from a trade retailer and decided I wanted to start again in office admin, ALL of the interviews I got were via agency. (Actually a couple were through LinkedIn come to think of it)
The very best for me as a candidate was Adecco, the rest seemed to use a "chuck the cv around and see what sticks" approach, but Adecco actually gave me a few online tests and then put me forward for around 2 interviews a week. I found my perfect admin job a couple of weeks later. I'm still there 4 years later and learning parts of the business I'd never thought about before.
Also use LinkedIn. I've been approached on there even when I've not been job searching.

Haterz!!

🤣
Nothing but sneks hun. Ignore them, I'll buy your shitty wax melts babes

😂

Brilliant 😁

Sorry for being patronising but how are you presenting yourself at interview? Maybe have a close look at what you are wearing and how you're presenting yourself. On the other hand, it's famously difficult for middle-aged people to get a more junior role when they've previously had a high salary. They're going to think that you're going to make demands, whereas a young person is more easy to deal with, in their minds.