Job hunting at the moment

[homeismyhaven]

Is anyone else finding it really hard to even get an interview??

I have quite a versatile background in teaching, assessment/exams, educational quality assurance and run a clinical business so also science/healthcare based experience, I have lots of good professional experience and qualifications.

I came out of my business around 18 months ago as was burnt out (mainly from emotional burden of dealing with the public all day!) and needed a rest plus time to better support some family issues. Started feeling better early this year and ready to get back to work- looking for something ideally hybrid so I can keep a good work life balance, wouldn’t mind full time or part-time. I have had chats with HR, had a couple of interviews- positive feedback just always someone better qualified/suited.

I started off being quite picky with my applications but now applying for anything that looks relevant including lower salary and administration type jobs which would be a step down but at this point hut would be happy to do as I feel I just need to get back out there and get a foot in the door but still getting turned down (one employer told me I was over qualified and that they were worried I would get bored and that was why I didn’t get any further)

why is it so hard at the moment??! I have been told application numbers are very high by a couple of prospective employers?? Is the now 18month gap in my CV off putting and do I need to explain it when applying?? How do I do this without sounding like a basket case if so??!

Also any tips on useful places to go through my CV/cover letter style to make sure I’m actually doing it right (had been years since I applied for a job previously) - have googled tips/examples and even run it though chatGPT to look at how I can tidy it up (only used certain rewordings, not used fully AI version!!)

feel very disheartened at all these rejections as I really thought I’d be in a job by now, don’t really have much choice other than to carry on applying- fortunate we can just about manage on DH salary but nothing left over at end of month or for savings, so not a good place to be long term. I’m only 41 but feel like I’m over the hill and on the scrap heap!!

thinking of maybe doing a qualification in project management (but which??) as there seem be lots of project manager type roles around to widen my search or some kind of ‘digital education’ course to update my skills for that sector??? Would that show willing and that I’m still ‘in the game’?? Maybe just need something to focus on and feel like I have a purpose would be good for now…

I am - it’s awful. Got made redundant earlier this year. I am very well qualified and never had issues before either - but market is horrendous. Just went to an interview which was an achievement to get as they had 100s cvs. Turns out they are interviewing at least 10 people, we got half an hour each - so I imagine my chances are very slim of a second interview - there was no time to really show what I could do in 30 mins, and it wasn’t clear what the interviewers wanted - they seemed overwhelmed tbh and said all the candidates had been exceptional, The job was earning less than I have earned for many years. It’s an awful market - just don’t take it personally.

I’ve never struggled like this before. I was made redundant in 2020 and got three offers within a couple of weeks. Now, I’m struggling to even get an interview! I desperately want to leave my current role but I’m too scared to without securing something else.

@TheNavyOtter
@FuckoffeeBeforeCoffee

I know it’s no consolation to any of us but it does help knowing that it isn’t actually personal or something I’m doing wrong with others finding the same. I do have a lot of sympathy for the recruitment staff as it must be so hard to pick between so many well qualified individuals as you say- I bet it is completely overwhelming!!

good luck to all of us that something will turn up soon🤞🤞

I've been trying to recruit a role for over a year, granted its a specialised role but I've never known a market like it..

I haven't been able to get any decent applicants, with anywhere near the experience levels we need. However, 5 years ago we were turning people away. It's very odd, I'm not entirely sure what's happened.

@MooseAndSquirrelLoveFlannel how strange- maybe they are getting fed up and trying to chance it that they’ll get through?? Or less picky like I’m starting to feel about what they are applying for (although I’m applying down and not up and trying to stay in the same sectors at least!!!)

A friend of mine was recruiting a while ago and she found she had all sorts applying with no relevant experience as well - I know sometimes it can be a bit chicken and egg as you need to start somewhere but you’d think common sense would prevail when applying for more senior roles!!

@MooseAndSquirrelLoveFlannel I am wondering whether the matching system between applicants and jobs is out of skew in some way, perhaps with AI aided applications? What I have found just horrendous (given my broad cv with lots of skills) is that nobody seems able to say to me ‘hey looking at core skills on your cv, try x, do a course on x, they need people in that area). I’ve seen outplacement support coaches and they have no idea at all, they just say ‘I see a lot of highly qualified and experienced candidates in your position’ and look guilty. They literally don’t know what to advise. And presumably, there must be aligned areas/candidates who could transfer to the work you do with some training?

@homeismyhaven @FuckoffeeBeforeCoffee for what it is worth, I’ve at least started getting some interviews - I think you have to tailor as never before! To the nth degree! (And I always tailored) so good luck - surely the market needs hard working people in the end!

Yeah, maybe. I need someone with very specialised skills in a particular legal kind of area. I have had applicants that were an ice cream maker, a yodel driver, a roofer.

I'm all for people trying new things, but this role needs certain qualifications which they don't have, clearly.

It's hard out there at the moment. I'm finding there's not many jobs to apply for and salaries seem pretty low.

Not an expert here but I have heard that these AI scanners can't read cvs which have text boxes and other formatting so make sure your CVS are straightforward linear style ones else you won't even get through a first sift.

I think it's something to do with the AI matching buy i dont know what...

Both my husband and i were declined without interview for niche roles where we had the EXACT role experience in our current jobs ie. 5 yrs + experience.

We AI checked ourselves and we're over 90-95% matched to roles

He is oxbridge I'm a Russell group... good a levels blah blah
Decent enough cover letters again AI checked.

Rejected without even an initial recruiter screening and the both jobs are being readvertised after original close date due to no successful applicants... 🤷🏻‍♀️

At this point I am starting to feel i have no clue what i am supposed to be doing...

Yes this is it- I have applied for jobs where I absolutely meet and exceed the job/person spec and then nothing!!

interesting about the text boxes on CV… will go change that right now!!

@AlorsTimeForWine i reckon in this case of getting rejected for niche roles I‘d be going direct to the role hirer/manager on LinkedIn and asking them directly/saying you are excited about the job and what are they looking for! What’s to lose in a way? I hear you on the good qualifications and experience not cutting the mustard. It’s hard when you‘ve checked every box like you‘ve been advised to all your life and it turns out to apparently not be relevant 🙄

I work for a not for profit and currently have a job advertised, I thought we would be lucky to get 10 applicants but approaching 50 and not closed yet. The majority are worth considering, short-listing will be tough (we don't use AI). I don't envy people applying at the moment.

Have you applied at any awarding bodies? Or maybe as an apprenticeship assessor?

I might try this but have been burned by this over the bank hol weekend...
I wrote SUCH a polite professional message to this 20 something rrecruiter who bluntly got lucky getting her current job as her linkedon career is decidedly unimpressive and not only did she not respond she blocked me 😅😅😅

I am just amazed by it all... for well over a decade I was (correctly) very confident if I quit a job on a monday I'd have a few decent leads by friday and a offer or 2 before the end of the month...
Now I feel like I'm just screaming into the void... 🙈

I’m noticing job adverts that essentially want somebody who has done that exact job for an identi-kit organisation, so they moan they can’t get good quality candidates which is ironic because the whole point of somebody applying for a job is to do something different or a bit more challenging, so why would they apply to their same job elsewhere? It’s lazy recruitment.

meanwhile, dozens of people very capable of learning new things very quickly if given the chance.

recruitment is bonkers at the moment. I remember the days when people saw your potential, instead of ‘has this person done this job before’?

Sign of the times unfortunately. A lot of businesses are struggling so the number of jobs vs applicants is a lot lower.

A recruiter I know placed an ad for a Project Delivery Manager last week and had 1100 applicants within 5 days. Its a really tough market in tech, CV's have to be very targeted not only to show experience of the role but also value delivered within the role e.g. saved company X amount of money.

Just keep searching, something will turn up. Broaden your expectations and settle for less until more comes.