Finding any kind of job in London

grizzleb

grizzleb

Well-known member
How the fuck do you do it? Sent away a good 50-odd applications for all sorts of shit I could do easily (and have experience of) in the last few weeks and I've heard absolutely fuck all back.

I don't have any bar experience, so I feel like I should be concentrating on trying to get a job in the areas I do have some experience in (retail/admin/data entry) but it seems fuck all is doing in that regard, or at least that for every job there's 50 applicants.

Should I make up loads of bullshit on my CV, say I've worked in in pubs that I know have gone out of business, etc, etc for a reference? I'm seriously close to being in a pretty bad financial situation atm...

Kitchen Porter/etc jobs I've applied for too, but I feel like there's no chance me getting something like that. Easier to bully/boss around migrant labour...

Tips, tricks, and yes, even offers for sex in exchange for cash will all be recieved with alacrity.
 
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baboon2004

Darned cockwombles.
Hmm ,will have another think for you. Guess my advice would be what I said to you in terms of getting signed up with some agencies that aren't bastards (will send you my tips/experience with agencies on email), cos they'll have done the donkey work of making the contacts with these ppl, prob much easier that way. Else it's all too easy to get lost in a morasss of applications :slanted:
 
grizzleb

grizzleb

Well-known member
Aye, cheers Hywel, I'll need to do an agency trawl over the next few days. It's a numbers game I suppose, it's just disheartening when it takes a fair bit of hump-busting to put out a load of apps (and writing cuvoering letters tailored to the job description, editing CVs to that end, etc) only to hear zilch in return.
 
Corpsey

Corpsey

bandz ahoy
I've been doing this for the last however many months now in Bristol. As you say, there are loaaaads of applicants for every job and most of them have more experience than I do (not very hard, considering I've spent half my life lying around in a self-indulgent stupor and the other half working temp jobs typing ''O'' and ''1'' into a tiny box and then clicking ''OK'' a million times per week).

Personally I'm thinking of going down the ''run screaming back to the safe haven of 'study''' route. I'm being cynical for effect, I'd quite like to do it again in a way...

But as far as I know, the best way to get a job in London is to do unpaid work experience for ages (making tea, polishing the managing director's collection of faberge eggs etc.). This means not living in London for a while, though, so I'm sure that's not what you're looking for.
 
grizzleb

grizzleb

Well-known member
I absolutely fucking hate London. I don't even want a job that pays well, I'd work for less than minimum wage at the moment.
 
Corpsey

Corpsey

bandz ahoy
If you're willing to do anything look into call centre work. I dunno if its the same in London but its pretty much always available around here. Personally (probably stupidly) I'd rather sign on lol

Oh another thing - are you applying for jobs that are advertised online on websites like totaljobs.com? Cos an agency I'm signed up for basically told me that there's little to no point applying for those jobs.

A careers advisor at my Uni told me that most jobs aren't actually advertised anywhere except internally, so a good approach (if you know what you want to do) is to send C.V.s and letters to companies that you would like to work for, even if they aren't advertising any jobs at the time. And to ring them, also. Just so they know who you are.

But it sounds more like you're looking for something to pay the bills. I reckon there are probably a lot of jobs out there depending on how willing you are to do night shifts, call-centre work etc... But yeah, depends on how 'low' you're willing to go.
 
V

viktorvaughn

Well-known member
Firstly I reckon in your position temp admin work is more likely than sending off loads of applications. There are going to be lots of people applying for those jobs.

Maybe better to get your CV perfect (like literally every single pixel right - people will look for any reason to thin the pile and if you have a type or a little bit done wrong that's an easy way to chuck a few away) and go in person to agencies. Dress smart, ber personable etc and drop it off. Get a named person and ring them every few days to keep in contact and ask if anything has come in. You have to be on it so you are uppermost in their mind etc.

Being friendly, amenable, reliable and on time is just as important for them as what's actually on your CV. They know the admin work isn't actually hard in itself - there are loads of people who can do it and that's where the problem lies.

For your CV don't write anything too long. Keep it short, clear and stripped down. Beef up all the office related stuff and bullshit a bit about your skills (can pick up along the way if needs be).

In terms of getting a long-term job in an office at the mo what's standing in your way is lack of experience. So getting a few months doing something (and you can jazz it up later on proper apps) in an office could then lead onto something..

Obvs depends what you want to do later but a few solid months of mundane admin is good experience and can be fun if in a decent org. Four years ago I did temping at the RNIB and tho the actual work in the finance team was pretty dull it was great - really safe people, lots of chat to make the day pass and general warm atmos.

Good luck! Just some ideas, could be BS.
 
D

DannyL

Wild Horses
I second the suggestions of temp work as a way in - it's what I used to do, though I don't know how the temp market has been affected by the recession. Also, if you can figure out which sector you want to work in, there will be agencies specialising i.e. Eden Brown for the Charity Sector. When you do get on an agencies book's, contact them regularly, drop into their offices, be friendly - that way you will be first to pop into their mind when something turns up. (Most of the agency workers I've met seemed to be bored Aussie girls rather than careerist harpies- don't know why I feel compelled to mention that, perhaps to imply it's not about placing the perfect candidate, if they can place someone they're on friendly terms with, they will).

You might even think about finding some places you want to work, and then trying to find out which agencies they use - maybe just ring up their HR departments and ask them? Then visit that agency and office and tell them that's why you're coming in. I did this once, and it worked. Had a friend who worked somewhere and I got her to find out who the agency in question was.

This leads into the final thing I'd say. Don't forget to ask every single bloody person that you are acquainted with, if not for jobs, then just for leads. Bit like the temping thing - your friends are a great resource you can draw on (not in a vampiric way, you'd do it for then) and a lot of employment and jobs come through this avenue. It's all about connections and who you know.

Good luck!

Just realised I've repeated some of what VV said above. That's 'cos it's the truth! Don't know how it will all work in the recessionary UK but still.. try it and tell us.
 
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DannyL

Wild Horses
Also, if you have time, do some voluntary work. Increases your connections, and makes it look like you are an active, resourceful person in a bit of bother rather than a dole wasteman. Plus you can learn a lot from it as well.
 
M

mistersloane

heavy heavy monster sound
If you're gettin really desperate let me know and I'll try and see what I can do.

Aside from that, I was walking around the city (Farringdon/Clerkenwell) way and was surprised at seeing a few 'staff needed' signs in sandwich shops and stuff.

Bar work is really easy grizzle, as long as you're OK dealing with the public. Make up a few references and make sure they're linked to friends emails in case they do a check. All you need to know for bar work is how to work a till ("could you run me through this till just quickly so I know it isn't any different from ones I've used before?") and how to change a barrel, and chances are they won't let you do that for ages until they trust you, and by that time you'll have watched how to do it anyway.

I'd say focus on a bar you'd like to work in and just go there a few times and then ask.

Cinemas are really good work, I did that for years. See also shelving jobs in libraries, you never know about them.
 
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Slothrop

Slothrop

Tight but Polite
A lot of big universities seem to have 'temp pools' and - based on Alison's experience - that might be worth looking into. It's irregular and often part time or whatever, and they'll probably start you off stuffing envelopes or photocopying things, but I think both times Alison's done it she's ended up doing a semi-long term admin job that pays alright and is good experience. Also, the people who work in universities tend to be fairly intelligent and interesting even if the work isn't.
 
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gumdrops

Well-known member
im going to look into the temp pools at unis. if anyone has a link or advice on how to find out about those, id like to know.

cinemas are hard to work for i find - they never seem to have openings in my experience.

if you go on sites like reed, they have temping jobs advertised regularly. i got my current one through there, but its less than 10 hours a week (prob a good thing actually as some of the people I have to work with are really insufferable and sad power hungry twats).
 
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ifp

ifp

Well-known member
now is a good time to try and get work at uni/college temp pools. enrolment starts in september and they always need a lot of extra admin staff for the first month of the year.
 
ifp

ifp

Well-known member
I've not done it for a uni, but I did it for a few years for a college and they would put ads on their website and in the local paper. if you can get in the pool they'll at least ask you back every year, and you'll likely be able to get work in different parts of the college once the enrolment period is over.

could be worth also emailing HR directly with your CV, they can always email back to let you know how/where to apply formally.
 
luka

luka

Well-known member
my cousin is 32. he has never held down a job in his life. he was smoking weed and getting drunk from the age of 12 so he sounds permanantly stoned. he has no skills and no experience in anything. he moved to sydney 3 weeks ago applied for 5 jobs and got offered 5 jobs. the lowest paid 16ph th highest $30 per hour. if anyon is desperate come here cos you cant fail to find a job. its crazy.
 
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