🤞 Job hunters lounge 🤞

[CliveNextDoor]

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

Interview this afternoon for an internal sideways move. I really want this job so feeling the pressure!

Best of luck @ToddlerMumma rooting for you!!

Has anyone ever worked at hmrc? They seem to have lots of vacancies currently. Curious to what the culture and job itself is like.

Good luck to everyone with interviews. I haven't worked at HMRC @OhMelville but I know someone who does. Not sure if all locations are the same but the person I know feels undervalued and that their achievements during the year are not recognised. Gets extremely fed up at appraisal time.

I've got an interview! All day interview next week, I need to prepare a presentation and tackle a live issue with a staff team as well as have two different panel interviews, phew. Can't say I am looking forward to the process but I am interested in the job.

What's wrong with just a bloomin interview. 🤷‍♀️

Got my civil service one tomorrow and they've sent through half the questions in advance. That feels like a lot of pressure too to make it perfect!

I got the job! I start in January. New year, new start. I'm very happy and relieved

SO happy for you! What a great start to 2025. Congratulations

Well done @ToddlerMumma that is excellent news.

I completed my all day interview 😅. Wasn’t an unpleasant experience actually but I wasn’t successful, down to final three. Nothing but positive feedback but they could only choose one person.

Not too fussed, it definitely wasn’t my dream location or organisation, it would have just allowed me to leave a role I’ve come to the end of.

I hope your interview went well OP. 🤞

I interviewed for my own job last week (restructure at work) and found out yesterday that I didn’t get it. A candidate did who has barely any experience and no knowledge of the sector. Is there any worse outcome to an interview than that?!

Oh god that's ridiculous @DrRichardWebber I can only assume your replacement will be cheaper and probably combining jobs - for efficiency.
Before I left after being made redundant, I had to have six handover meetings with the people taking over my job.

That is dreadful @DrRichardWebber , is there a place anywhere else in the organisation for you?

A large LA near me is going through a huge restructure. It’s bad enough at any time but my heart goes out to the people receiving bad news (or no news this side of it) at this time of year.

I’m sorry @DrRichardWebber I’ve worked in a large public sector org where this stuff happens and it’s really demoralising.

I also had an annoying experience. Put in for a role that required a task to be done. They asked that the task demonstrated creative approach and ideas. Had a long interview to present it and ask questions (I found the interviewers quite humourless and didn’t vibe with them so was already feeling it wasn’t a fit). Then got the feedback that my task wasn’t focused enough on growth, metrics and results……you didn’t ask for that? You asked for creative ideas! Those are two different parts of the process! Yes, they’re related but if you want a growth focused person rather than a creative, know how to target your recruitment materials.

That's so frustrating @Ratisshortforratthew

I had an interview a while ago for a big charity and was asked to prepare a presentation and email it across for the interview. I worked hard on that and turned up with my notes ready to go. They didn't have a laptop set up and seemed to have forgotten about the whole thing so asked if I could just wing it without the presentation. Maybe that was a test, sometimes tech lets us down, but they seemed so weird about it... it went horribly and they showed no interest or enthusiasm for anything I was saying. I so wanted to work for them! Unsurprisingly, it was a no!

Joining this thread as well as the other one. It took me a long time and many interviews to get my current job a few years ago. I grew out if with nowhere to develop over a year ago and have been unsuccessfully looking for another one since then. Bit of a curve ball when we went to all remote working in the spring. It absolutely does not suit me at all and I would never have applied for a role that is 100 per cent remote, but here I am.

I hoped that job-hunting would be easier this time round but it's been a lot harder. Only had four (unsuccessful) interviews out of goodness knows how many applications. I live in London and feel like I've run out of organisations to be rejected from, sometimes multiple times.

Had an interview last week which I thought went really well. They ended it saying that they would be in touch with the recruiter about a second interview, although after chasing up the recruiter I was informed that they wouldn't be progressing my application. No feedback as to why.

Commiserations to everyone in a similar boat and I hope that the new year brings a wave us luck to us all.

More rejections today. Who are all these people who are super duper qualified for jobs I'm applying to? In pretty specialist fields in an out of the way location too? I'm applying to jobs I could do standing on my head and not even getting an interview. So utterly fed up.

Commiserations @LeafyGreenSalad . I know exactly how you’re feeling. Not sure if I’ve said on here but I actually applied for a CS role where I advise the dept from the outside as a sector expert and didn’t make the sift - laughable really!

My bf just got a job interview in Central London on Dec 24th at 2pm. I know it is a regular working day but I'm still annoyed. The traina don't run and traffic will be a mess.

I am sure they can arrange this on Teams etc.

I got offered the civil service job today. I've been accepted for a part time role, and applied under the disability access scheme. Yet they've now stated the training period is full time for 12 weeks in the office. For a part time role?!

I've contacted them to say I can't do this due to my disability and they've come back and said we will discuss it, but to 'manage your expectations as we've never allowed part time training before'.

I despair.

Ask for it to be an online meeting!

Congrats on the job!! But that’s so annoying about the full time training. How on earth is that disability access?

I’ve still not got a new job. Two unsuccessful interviews and one I’m waiting to hear back from. I need to be earning £45k in five years time. That’s my goal. I know it’s a shit salary for a lot of people but it would be a lot for me. Currently only on £27k which makes me feel so shit about myself.

He asked. We shall see how they respond. It includes an Excel test so we are not hopeful. Just annoying . We have to see if the position is worth the hassle if it has to be in person. It is NHS so we're wondering if they have someone in mind and making it inconvenient for external candidates. (I work for NHS and the not real interviews are real and annoying).

Transport runs as usual during the day on Christmas eve and central London will be pretty quiet.

Ahh I had the same thing with CS, had been advised the role would be flexible and family friendly, but they needed everyone in full time for three months training.

This was via an agency, and they dismissed my request immediately. I hope you have a better experience!