🤞 Job hunters lounge 🤞

[CliveNextDoor]

Come and hang out with us here in that horrible space between endless applications, waiting and interviews.

Thanks for the encouragement, I’m about to crack on!

@Celticrosewave YUP. Same.

@ProfessorInkling I've been in a similar role and its soul destroying feeling under-utilised and bored.

Me too 😔 I have so much to do and not enough time to do it. I'll be working 8am - 7:30pm on Thursday due to a consultation evening. I won't get a proper break as I never do. I will be asking my manager for the time back rather than putting overtime in.

I'm waiting for a closing date 🤞

My job is also a bit boring. I’m still stressing over what to do about the two interviews. I wish I could be more cut throat and just not care.

Getting fed up of responding to job listings which are emailed to me then hear nothing.

I read somewhere that contacting job agencies or companies to ask what’s going on with the job listing, is deemed rude. Plus if when they decide to look through CVs and they remember your name, it goes into the reject pile.

Honestly we can’t win! Maybe if they responded in a timely fashion no one would have to chase?!

@MyCatIsBeautiful what’s the interview situation?

Monday morning, heavy sigh from me, another day of not rocking the boat, gritting my teeth and smiling through it.

The only thing worse than doing a job you hate on a Monday morning is not having a job to go to. I'd do anything to be able to have a job to moan about. An MA, twenty years' experience and can't seem to get anything.

Very true @LeafyGreenSalad

I’ve had two spells of unemployment in the last few years, fired twice in very different circumstances but both equally shocking and difficult.

Have you got any apps on the go? How long have you been out of work, in your day to day life busy enough or is it a struggle? Sympathies either way, it’s crap whatever the reason or cause x

Today is my final remote training where I will get qualifications in call centre, cybersecurity and IT skills. I will do then some free online courses on Excel as I am rusty in using this but once I spend a few hours doing these, I would feel comfortable in using Excel. Plus some employers may think I have not used computers in the past 17 years. I have. Those handsets you see staff use in supermarkets are handheld computers as they are the same systems as the computer based ones. Though the handset has a scanner for barcodes - which you need to issue tickets, check and update inventory and do price reduction stickers. Plus I use computers outside work. Those who think retail doesn't use much computer work have clearly not worked in retail.

Looking into call centre or admin roles after almost 17 years.

One of the problems with the two interviews I had were STAR questions referring to targets. Didn't have targets at my previous job of almost 17 years at the supermarket. I know had IPM on checkouts but this was not brought up in past 8 years.

All my best STAR examples happened in previous jobs but some potential employers may think that is too far ahead.

I don't think it's worse as both situations are horrible, but me too. I am looking for jobs below what I'm qualified in too.

I submitted the civil service application last night, that was a relief to get it out of the way! It says interviews are last week of Nov-4th Dec so not too long to wait to see if I get an interview. Fingers crossed for me.

And good luck vibes to everyone searching this week.

@ProfessorInkling Ive got an interview for one job, no interview for second job yet but the deadline was only on Friday.

It’s hard but I think I might turn down the interview for the external job and see how I get on with the internal interview. I think I stand a good chance.

Wasn't selected for the job I applied for. To be fair it's in a completely different area to what I'm working in now, so didn't expect much. Least they had the decency to say. Back to square one. I'm finding it difficult to find any jobs at the moment. I quite like the sound of leaving the sector I'm currently working in, but it's hard after 16 years in the same sector 😔

Congratulations 🙂 Have you decided whether or not you're going to the interview yet?

Well I had to change the time and I’ve not heard back from them yet. So who knows!

Applied for a job, it's my first job application in 23 years. I'm a teacher and retiring next year, this job isn't well paid and would supplement my teachers pension. My head has agreed to release me from my job if I got it.

I'm a good fit for it though and it's something that I'd love to do but since applying and reading stuff on here and in other places I realised I maybe should have given specific evidence and elaborated more with real life examples on each of the the person specifics.

It's done now but very much doubt I'll get an interview. Ahhh well at least I've learnt something in the process.

Always learning.

Fingers crossed you get an interview, @BG2015 we're all rooting for you.

I have been given an AI interview for a call centre role and its done on Willo. Never had an AI interview before. As last time I was looking for work, 17 years ago, it was all face 2 face interviews in the flesh! At least I can do the interview at a time when I am ready and prepared, ideally this afternoon. The interview of me responding will be recorded and recruitment team will assess it themselves.

I know some questions are timed, you don't get cut off after the time, but for example, if you were given 5 mins to answer a question and took you double that, the recruitment team will know you spent far too much time on this.

Apart from this, I am treating this like a Teams interview.

Have researched company and type of questions they asked, based on reviews of the recruiting process.

I am worried that if I click on the link on the e-mail, it will be a one time click (like when you want to reset password on websites) link.

Wow @Auburngal I've never heard of that! If the recruitment team are going to judge the answers why not just do it yourself? Blimey what a world.

I wish you the best! Let us know how you get on, good luck.

Ok I have just done it. Think the question times are tailored by the potential employer. With mine it was a 2 minute limit to take a breath, swap crib sheets about, glance at them. Then press record, get a 3, 2, 1 countdown then record. The screen has question on the left and your camera image on the right.

Saw 15 questions at the top and gulped. The first 5-6 were questions like how would I travel to the workplace and how long it will take. My eligibility to work in the UK "Yes I am fully legible to work in the UK as born here" and other adhoc things.

One of the questions I didn't have an answer for. I then suddenly thought of one at my previous work and thought it was ok for the question.

One good thing about this is you can do this interview at anytime - though some employers may give you a deadline. How many other interviews happen at 4:30pm on Saturdays.

I’ve got an interview for the internal role sidestep. Nervous now.

Feeling a bit anxious as haven't heard back from the civil service job that said the sifting phase was til the 14th, however my application still says processing so hoping all is not lost yet. Interviews are 25th Nov-4th Dec so will hear in the next few days I expect, feeling stressed every time I refresh my emails!

Someone was supposed to contact me about a job on Friday and nothing so far.

Can I join, current job is ok, very toxic culture following recent management shuffle. Had 2 knock backs after application, 1 internal. 1 offer after interview which wasn’t right and 3 applications pending. It’s so dire out there atm

I got an interview, woohoo! Not til the 3rd Dec though. Half the questions you get in advance which I like. I would really like this job but don't want to get my hopes up.

I can stop obsessively checking my emails now! Decided to have a break from job hunting for a while and not look anymore til after this interview result comes back, so I guess I'd know by christmas. Enjoy the festive break if I don't get it and start again in the new year. I've just had enough of it all now, I'm exhausted.

It is dire @Holycowss we all feel your pain!

I just want to say good luck to everyone. I am also taking a break from looking for jobs as I'm feeling stressed and tired. There's not much out there for me at the moment and think I need to re-evaluate things. So popping off for a while. Will keep everything crossed for everyone looking for jobs, or with interviews. Good luck 🙂