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Is it easier to find a job when you have a job?

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
I ask this because I hear this phrase all the time but am not convinced. I'm in a full time job and have been applying for other jobs with little success. I cant apply for jobs when I am at work and I don't get home until 6.20 PM at the earliest. By this time the job vacancies will have been posted since the morning and already have enough applicants. I don't think I am even being considered.

I seemed to get loads more interviews when I was unemployed, possibly because I could get an application sent within an hour or so after the vacancy was posted so my CV was actually being read.

Comments

  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Businesses don't take just the first days worth of applicants. They usually consider everyone who applies for jobs over a certain period.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    It's easier to get a job if you've got one.

    Generally someone who is currently employed is a more attractive prospect than someone who's unemployed.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    G-Raffe wrote: »
    Businesses don't take the first days worth of applicants. They usually consider everyone who applies for jobs over a certain period.

    why don't they take the first days applicants? seems a bit strange to me, surely some people apply on the first day because they are enthusastic
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    curly_boy wrote: »
    why don't they take the first days applicants? seems a bit strange to me, surely some people apply on the first day because they are enthusastic

    Sorry I meant to say dont take "just" the first days worth of applicants.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    normally jobs have a deadline usually at least a couple of weeks from when its first advertised as you want someone to take time to look at the job and then fill in the application form and or write a covering letter explaining why they want the job. Because you want to get the best person for the job not just whom ever happens to be reading the paper that morning. But maybe i've only ever advertised for jobs for which we need people with specific skills, qualifications and experience........

    Plus its surely just HR best practice to ensure that your not discriminating against anyone by giving everyone a fair chance.

    Have you signed up with any agencies?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    curly_boy wrote: »
    why don't they take the first days applicants? seems a bit strange to me, surely some people apply on the first day because they are enthusastic

    Job applications aren't first come, first served....
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I imagine its different for very professional jobs or jobs with very specific skills. However the kind of jobs I am going for are generally the kind of jobs anyone with a good work ethic and some admin experience could do.

    I ask this because when I did my first job search immediately after graduation in 2009 I was regularly being called to interview and now I have not had any interviews. This is despite the fact that in 2009 I only had experience from my summer retail jobs and now I have office experience and a better CV.

    I know most job adverts are open for at least a few weeks but I cant believe that they will read every single CV. One extreme case I saw back in 2009 was an advert for an office assistant in London that had over 100 aplicants in just one hour. Surely after a week they'd have 1000s of CVs most of which will have similar qualifications and experience. I cant believe that someone would carefully study each CV for an office admin role. Some sites do say that they will close the advert when they have received enough applicants.

    I have signed up to some job websites but don't get their emails until I get home from work.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Can you not get emails on your phone?

    Also, have you not noticed how much the job market has changed since 2009?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    The job market has changed quite significantly since 2009, there are many more people searching for fewer jobs. I work in a niche sector with not all that many people qualified and experienced to do the job I do; the last job I was interviewed for had over 100 applicants.

    As for whether being in work or out of work helps, it depends on the jobs you're looking for. For menial office work being out of work, but only recently out of work, is likely to be preferable- you can start immediately, rather than having to give a month's notice. But for something requiring more skills and specialist knowledge, the longer you are out of work the less likely you are to get the job. Rightly or wrongly, it becomes harder for you to convince employers of your ability when you've been completely out of the sector for six months or more.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    My phone is a really old cheap one. I think it can get the internet but its not really good enough for browsing and searching for jobs.

    I figured it would be worse than 2009 but not that much worse. I am being pickier though, not so much about the kind of job I want but I want a job which would make me move to another place. Obviously I have to hold out for full time hours and a living wage which cuts down the vacancies a bit. More jobs seem to be part time and I don't think I'd be able to rent on part time wages.

    I accept that it could take a while to find a job but I would have thought I'd at least get some interviews. I can see that being in work looks good on your CV, its just harder to get someone to read your CV when you don't get to send in an application until the evening.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Get 2 part time jobs instead?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    How long have you been looking?

    The job market is drastically different to what it was like in 2009 and certainly not in a good way.

    Do you not have any access to a computer with internet access during your lunch break?

    I do not believe that it makes any difference if you submit your CV before 5pm compared to after 5pm. As someone else has said jobs usually have closing dates stretching over days if not weeks and all applications recieved in that period will be considered assuming they fulfil the essential criteria.

    As an aside - if you are apply for jobs that do not specifically stipulate office experience you will be competing with everyone and his dog. It may be better for you to aim slightly higher and for jobs that have previous experience as an essential requirement - it may not reduce competition much but it should to a degree.

    Does your current employer give you any training opportunties or courses that will make your CV look better? Also have you let many people (most likely someone at work with experience of hiring and firing) read your CV and offer advice?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Melian wrote: »
    Get 2 part time jobs instead?

    Could you have a life at the same time though? Coordinating getting annual leave at the same time with both jobs and having free time in the evening would be tricky and you could end up doing 2 commutes. I'm not saying I would completely rule it out but that I'm not so sure its something I could stick with.

    I do have access to the internet at work but I really don't feel like applying for other jobs in the middle of the office in front of everyone would be a good idea. I'm already in the bad books for refusing to switch to a shift where I would work on Saturdays and Sundays. There is talk of redundancies, if it happens it happens but I don't want to make it happen. I really struggled on JSA and want to save up money for when I move out.

    While I do tend to go for the office based jobs what I meant was that I have a lot more experience and different skills than I did in 2009. Sometimes I will say that I have office experience while other times I will emphasise an aspect of the job such as dealing with difficult people over the phone. It depends on what I am applying for.

    I've only been searching for a few months. I didn't expect to have landed a job so soon but I am surprised at not getting any interviews. I thought the job market seemed bad in 2009 but it must be a lot worse now.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Also, if you're looking at something out of the area you are currently in then you will look like an odd candidate - as most people wouldn't move for the sake of an office job. I'd hazard a guess that several places have binned your CV because they've assumed that you've applied to a job without checking where it is.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    JanePerson wrote: »
    While I do tend to go for the office based jobs what I meant was that I have a lot more experience and different skills than I did in 2009. Sometimes I will say that I have office experience while other times I will emphasise an aspect of the job such as dealing with difficult people over the phone. It depends on what I am applying for.

    OK, here's something really important. Every person specification is different and what an employer is looking for is that you've read it and applied yourself to answer it. A generic application is never good enough. You need to cross-reference the person spec with everything you write on a form, from the duties you do in your current job right through to your personal statement.

    Not everyone follows best practice, of course, but best HR practice is to create a grid of all the criteria in the job advert and person spec and tick them off for each candidate as you find them. If you're not answering their person spec you won't get an interview.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    JanePerson wrote: »
    Could you have a life at the same time though? Coordinating getting annual leave at the same time with both jobs and having free time in the evening would be tricky and you could end up doing 2 commutes. I'm not saying I would completely rule it out but that I'm not so sure its something I could stick with.

    Obviously, it depends. You won't always have to commute for jobs. My current offer of work experience is a 20 minute commute by bus and a 5-10 minute walk.

    As for the free time - well, if you work 2 days in one job and 3 days in the other, there's no issue there. It really depends on what job you end up doing.

    When my mum had 2 jobs, she did have the problem of one job phoning her up to work one evening - well aware that she works that evening. The second time, she told her new job when she was working and they worked around that.

    I would consider getting 2 jobs if I had too - however, many say they want people to work for only, say, 8 hours but they want them to be flexible about the when they can work.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Normally in the covering letter I'll say something like "I am looking to move to the xxxx area" to explain why I am looking for a job in another town. I have not applied to any jobs in my own town.

    I don't use generic applications, I always read the job spec and use the skills and experience I have to try and match it. I'm fairly open about the kind of work I'm prepared to do so I don't see how a single personal statement would be a good idea.

    I'd work 2 jobs if it seemed reasonable. 2 days at one place and 3 at another does not seem so bad. A lot of the jobs I have seen are part time every day which would mean having to travel to 2 jobs per day and not finishing until really late.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    An interview. Finally! :D

    Any tips on what to say if the question of why I am going for a job in a different place comes up?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    JanePerson wrote: »
    An interview. Finally! :D

    Any tips on what to say if the question of why I am going for a job in a different place comes up?

    Wanting to expand and broaden your experiences?
  • LauraOLauraO Posts: 535 Incredible Poster
    JanePerson wrote: »
    An interview. Finally! :D

    :yippe: Well done JanePerson!!

    It's perfectly reasonable to say you are interested in living in a new place and as G-Raffe says to get some new experiences. Maybe you could think of a couple of things that are drawing you to the place the job is based in? :)

    Good luck :thumb: and let us know how you get on. If you would like some interview tips and haven't already seen it there is a thread open at the moment with lots of tips and links which might be useful.

    LauraO
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Yes that sounds about right. I was thinking about saying how I feel like I would have a better life living in the new place or that the place is more suitable for me. Something along those lines.
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