Help Rep get a job thread

[Daragon]

I could still claim while I was doing voluntary work.

[Pikate]

Are you applying for jobs exclusively in IT? Might be worth taking any job just to get yourself working/active again? I'm studying at Uni but I work part-time at a store in Liverpool One and I see loads of people dropping off CVs to my manager that get dismissed because of lack of recent/current employment... And that's just for shop work, I imagine showing you can actually turn up and hack the hours is more important to someone who is going to be investing in training and giving you responsibility?

Also remember to be self-confident and friendly? It sounds like a little thing but where I work I just walked in to enquire but I got chatting with the manager and she offered me a job even though they weren't advertising/interviewing at the time because she liked me and I seemed "bubbley and smiley" whereas we're actually hiring now and girls with 10 years experience and relevant degrees get turned down because they seem bitchy or like they wouldn't "fit in". It doesn't seem fair but honestly I think once you get an interview it's more about being someone they want to be around as opposed to being more able/qualified/experienced than the next person.

[EvilBoris]

My girlfriend is currently trying to get into becoming an archivist, plenty of people offer short term work experience placements (paid or otherwise) and she has to often go through an entire interview process even for that voluntary work.

She's trying to do a degree To become an archivist, but even that wants a particular level of work experience so she recently applied for a work placement at Boots Archive, who listed the job as being perfect for someone wanting experience for the course.
The only problem is they want someone with experience?! WTF

It's tough out there at the mo

[Brad]

Our most recent software engineer is a guy who came to work for us for free for a couple of months. No promises were made by us at the time but a few years later and he's still here. It seems unfair I know but times are tough and this strategy can work.

[dataDave]

Our most recent software engineer is a guy who came to work for us for free for a couple of months. No promises were made by us at the time but a few years later and he's still here. It seems unfair I know but times are tough and this strategy can work.

And he's still working for free??

[Brad]

Lol, no we employed him!

EDIT: Just read back what I wrote and it does read like he's still here working for nowt!

[Fader209]

I'm currently working voluntary doing graphic design, started late Oct I think and they want to keep me on for paid work (pretty much freelance as they can't afford a salary for me). Sure it's not ideal and I do need real monies but it's helping opening doors as I now have experience and am building up that portfolio.
Also Rep, can you code websites?

[Rep]

Blimey, loads of responses I didn't get the Altringham job, classic case of agency telling me it was one language, when I got there they wanted someone who could code in C.

I have considered voluntary work, but I wouldn't know where to start, coupled with the price of having to put fuel in my car etc, it doesn't seem feasible. I'm pretty much up for anything apart from designing, most of my stuff looks like it was done by Fisherprice.

[Brad]

If you can do C++ then you can do C! If you can't then I highly recommend learning to mate, it's part of being a C++ programmer really. There shouldn't be that much extra for you to learn really.

[Kaido]

My recommendation is to go in at a very low level, less than everyone else is asking for a trainee position, show enthusiasm and some unpaid personal coding since graduating and then work your way up from there. I was lucky to know a guy that got me into my first job without the commercial (or perhaps even academic) experience but the market is much worse now as there is a backlog of graduates looking for work.

In Wales there is a bursary for new welsh graduates where the university (or some part of?) reimburses the company a couple of grand for a trainee.
A guy that started with us on minimum wage is now on double that, a year later, so it's worth lowballing for the right opportunity.

Because of the low trainee salary, I would be too worried about you joining my team if you had to relocate. Send me your CV for some pointers though - I recruit for C# (MVC) and I might see where you are going wrong.

[Fader209]

There must be someone wanting a person with your skills to work from home voluntary, that way you don't have to worry about petrol. Check sites like Gumtree as there are always people wanting to take on free work in exchange for references in the future and as it's preferably home work you get to search nationally rather than region specific. Pretty sure I have seen a few places wanting coders recently for paid work.

[Brad]

Good idea Fader, that overcomes one issue at least. It would raise security concerns with some companies I imagine but it's certainly worth looking into.

[Daragon]

Most companies SHOULD pay out transport costs for volunteers or at the very least contribute a large percentage towards it.

Secondly, if you don't know how to get into voluntary work in your sector, then I'd recommend going back to your uni and asking your tutors for advice. Probably best place to start.

[Kaido]

A quick google map search of "from [my postcode] to software development" [then click 'another software development'] should give you a list of local small development businesses that you've probably never heard of that would be ideal for a bulk email.

[dataDave]

Bulk eMail is the best. It's how I've landed all my jobs. No agencies, no job sites, no adverts.