Job hunting - apparently I am 'pitching myself' at the wrong level

[katymac]

I was at an agency today for admin/basic finance stuff - they tested my Word/Excel & normally they get 50% as a good score for Word & 40-45% as good for Excel, I got 70% & 90%

& this combined with my degree & experience means basic admin isn't really where I should be; they will find me jobs but I will be under utilised

But I don't have a clue where I should be, I mean my skills are fairly basic (compared to people I know that work in admin)

So what can an ex Nursery Manager who doesn't want to work with children right now, with a Systems Degree & an EYPS do?

I think I probably will temp for a bit & see if I can find something to interest me a bit more

But after a very positive summer (great holiday, moving house, moving city, new hobby) I am feeling a bit lost

We are crying out for Business Analysts. Sounds exactly your kind of thug. Have a google.

Err, for thug, read thing .

A librarian maybe? Admissions officer at a university? I really have no idea.

Well another interview bites the dust

So more applications today; I am applying if It meet 90% of essential and all desirable or 100% essential and some/40%+ desirable

Maybe

This one is a bugger; I wish I were better at application forms

Sorry things are going well for you katymac.

I know basic admin isn't what you want but it might be worth a try initially until you find something better. It might even open a few doors. I find increasingly often that it's who you know combined with what you know. When I change jobs and openings come up in my new company, I will always try to bring in good people who I've worked with before. My former colleagues do the same. Sometimes this means you can get a job that you have the ability to do but on paper you wouldn't get an interview because you don't have the "official" experience.

Oops, that was sorry things AREN'T going well for you! A double sorry now (I would never get a job as a typist lol)

I've been going for basic admin(ish) jobs & not getting them

I was second in the interview on Wed but the other perso had better/relevant experience

So changing tack & going after a bigger role (which means a more complex application form)

OK that was for twice the salary I 've been applying for....fingers crossed

If project management appeals, Groupon and the like often have PRINCE2 courses on there. That was where I got my qualification from. Just make sure it's a recognised body. Without me doing that I couldn't have got my current (ex?) job.

Is it about £500 normally? I wonder if I should do it, it's a lot of money right now (moving house)

Not sure, was it a lot cheaper with Groupon?

Prince2 can be seen a bit outdated before you spend £££

I second the executive assistant route - may be difficult to land if you don't have recent experience but in the current climate EAs have become jack of all trades and there's plenty of opportunity to expand into project management, budget management etc.

Think hard before you spend money on PRINCE 2 and be sure you will get something out of it, especially if money is tight. It has more value if you're looking for roles in the public sector but is less popular in the private sector these days where PMP is much more highly regarded (and harder to attain).

I write this as someone who until recently managed (and hired) a large team of Programme Managers and Project Managers for one of the big name global consultancies. PRINCE 2 on your c.v. was meaningless to me. It just means you spent a week on a course and passed an exam. I wanted experience and/or a good understanding of the project lifecycle from end to end using different methodologies. You'd be better off taking a Scrum Master certification (unless you want to work in the public sector).

I'm not the only one who doesn't rate PRINCE 2:

www.pmtoday.co.uk/articles/prince2-or-agile-which-is-right-for-your-project/

Def look at uni they have low level admin jobs but you have the right skills to progress. Plus the two tick disability thing to get interviews.

Apply full time and see if you can negotiate job share...

Everyone is obsessed with Agile currently in my workplace too

Mine too, I'm not a huge fan.