Disheartening searching for a job

Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.
My daughter has been job hunting for a year now. She has good A-levels and has previously worked part-time for 2 years while at school. In the last year, she has sent out dozens and dozens of cv's and covering letters tailored to different firms. She has visited places to hand things in personally. She has done her homework on the internet finding out about the firms involved and using the information in her applications. She has practiced her interview technique. In all that time she has had 4 interviews and one job that lasted about 6 weeks.

This isn't a rant about how difficult it is for youngsters to find a job at the moment. But one thing really peeves me. Virtually none of the jobs she has applied for has bothered to inform her she was not successful. Most don't even acknowledge receipt of her forms. Instead, the closing date for applications passes and there's silence. Even ones where she's been interviewed have been vague about the appointment process. 'Oh - we've still got people to see of course' seems to be a common response. Then - nothing.

In my previous work, I've been involved in appointing people in the past. As a routine courtesy, every candidate, once the decision for an appointment was made, was contacted to tell them whether they had or had not been successful. Furthermore, unsuccessful candidates were offered feedback about where they did well and what could have been done better.

If my daughter's experience is the 'modern way' of doing things, I think it's very one-sided of employers to behave this way. In fact, I think it stinks! :angry:
 

wafflycat

New Member
"But one thing really peeves me. Virtually none of the jobs she has applied for has bothered to inform her she was not successful. Most don't even acknowledge receipt of her forms. Instead, the closing date for applications passes and there's silence. Even ones where she's been interviewed have been vague about the appointment process. 'Oh - we've still got people to see of course' seems to be a common response. Then - nothing."

Par for the course, I'm afraid, from at least the 1980s onwards. Bad, isn't it.
 

peanut

Guest
has your daughter registered with any recruitment agencies for temp/permanent work ?
Its the only way I have managed to get work for the past 5 years:angry:
companies like Hays and Reed and Anders Elite etc

They often hear of jobs before they are advertised and they pay very well.

I know it seems rude not to acknowledge applications but things were put in perspective for me last week when my agent said that a position I had applied for had received 52 applicants :angry: its crazy out there
 

marinyork

Resting in suspended Animation
Location
Logopolis
If your daughter is really good at competency interviews keep an eye out for Department of Work and Pensions jobs. They mass advertise them every two to three months and what happens is they contract out to crapita Capita who rent out a venue for 1-3 weeks. They go through maybe 1000 people a week. They've been quite a few of these in the Yorkshire/Midlands the last year. Basically if you're very good at interview but a bit shorter on qualifications and experience than the people walking round with 10-20 years you're much more likely to get a job than normal.
 

MajorMantra

Well-Known Member
Location
Edinburgh
peanut said:
I know it seems rude not to acknowledge applications but things were put in perspective for me last week when my agent said that a position I had applied for had received 52 applicants :biggrin: its crazy out there

I applied for a part time job at Jessops and was told they'd had over THREE HUNDRED applications. Never heard a thing back of course.

Matthew
 
OP
OP
beanzontoast
MajorMantra said:
I applied for a part time job at Jessops and was told they'd had over THREE HUNDRED applications. Never heard a thing back of course.

Matthew

Yep - I'm not being naive about this. I get the thing about volume of applicants, but in this modern world where they ask for your email address on the application form, it's a simple job for someone to set up an email group specific to the post and then to send a general 'thanks for applying but on this occasion I'm sorry to say you were unsuccessful' email.

I think particularly if you've been interviewed it's really poor not to be told the outcome.

It may have become the norm not to notify applicants of the outcome of an interview, but that doesn't make it right. Some of us are old enough to remember when things were slightly the other way around in various sectors and employers had to be more careful how they treated applicants or risk the best ones walking!
 
OP
OP
beanzontoast
peanut said:
has your daughter registered with any recruitment agencies for temp/permanent work ?
Its the only way I have managed to get work for the past 5 years:angry:
companies like Hays and Reed and Anders Elite etc

They often hear of jobs before they are advertised and they pay very well.

It's something she's going to have to try, I think. We've chatted it through. Her brother did it for a time after Uni before he got his permanent post, and he told her a lot about it.
 
OP
OP
beanzontoast
marinyork said:
If your daughter is really good at competency interviews keep an eye out for Department of Work and Pensions jobs. They mass advertise them every two to three months and what happens is they contract out to crapita Capita who rent out a venue for 1-3 weeks. They go through maybe 1000 people a week. They've been quite a few of these in the Yorkshire/Midlands the last year. Basically if you're very good at interview but a bit shorter on qualifications and experience than the people walking round with 10-20 years you're much more likely to get a job than normal.

Thanks for this suggestion. I'll mention it to her. She's really trying so hard - it's heartbreaking for us parents. We're just trying to keep her positive. Suggestions do help; she still gets really enthusiastic about every job she goes for, bless her.
 

MajorMantra

Well-Known Member
Location
Edinburgh
beanzontoast said:
It may have become the norm not to notify applicants of the outcome of an interview, but that doesn't make it right.

I agree.

Matthew
 

HelenD123

Legendary Member
Location
York
If I was in your daughter's position I wouldn't hesitate to go temping. It gets you a foot in the door and hopefully a referee you can put on future application forms.

I think it's pretty poor not to inform someone they haven't got the job if they've been interviewed but would actually be surprised to hear if I'd just submitted an application. Where I work, we say if you haven't heard within four weeks of the closing date to assume that you've been unsuccessful.
 
OP
OP
beanzontoast
Long term, she's not sure. She completed a year of Uni and has the credits saved, so one day she may go back. I think the student debt was scaring her. Anyway, for now, she's been applying to all sorts of things: basic admin jobs and shop work would be the two that have had the most applications I think.
 

HelenD123

Legendary Member
Location
York
beanzontoast said:
Long term, she's not sure. She completed a year of Uni and has the credits saved, so one day she may go back. I think the student debt was scaring her. Anyway, for now, she's been applying to all sorts of things: basic admin jobs and shop work would be the two that have had the most applications I think.

Even more reason to go temping then. She'll get to try out a few different jobs and places of work.
 
I have found the same recently. You put in a lot of work to tweak your CV and get a covering letter that is individual to the job and dont even get a "no thanks".

I am a Solicitor and I went for a job in a post room along with 65 other people. Usually they would be pressed to get three responses.

Best to stay in education and get up the heap a bit higher until the market picks up a bit.

It is tough out there at the moment and any job she goes for she will be up against someone who has done the job before.
 

mossy

New Member
Hi I agree no replies are bad manners but it is now the norm.
My daughter graduated his year and only two peoples from her uni have jobs.Both accountancy.
My daughter has gone back to train as a teacher next year so I agree with the advice try for jobs but also build your qualifications at the same time ,if possible.
Its really desperate out there but my wife has just got a job after two years trying. So there is light at the end of the tunnel.Good luck.
 

Crankarm

Guru
Location
Nr Cambridge
IMHE recruitment agencies are the devil incarnate.

Why doesn't your daughter offer her services for free for a month?

Surely this would impress or tempt those she is applying to?
 
Top Bottom