My job search 2.015

 Two months ago, I finished my temporary mission at Reservoir Dogs Day care. I had good hopes it’d be slightly longer than it actually was so I didn’t really planned the rest ahead. Since then, I have been sending CVs and applications like crazy and I landed a 10-days job at Ogilvy & Mather. I have had 12 interviews in the last four weeks.

What have I learned so far?

-       Getting a good/decent job is hard.

-       Every interview is different and, no matter how well prepared you are, the interviewer will always find a way to make you lose balance. The trick is to turn negative into positive.

-       It is very rare to receive feedback. You will usually be told that there was a candidate that was slightly more experienced than you. And curse him/her for stealing the job!

-       You will get calls from scam companies, even when you stick to big websites like Reed or Monster. I have found this very accurate testimony and can only advise you to follow this Facebook group to prevent any loss of time, energy and money.

-       Being rejected is hard. You put a lot of effort, sweat and hopes in every application and in every interview. It is ok; the right job will come along eventually. Allow yourself a bit of mourning then, dust yourself up and get back in the saddle!

-       Being rejected by your dream company; twice in the space of ten months is insanely hard. It is a pill I still find difficult to swallow.

-       Recruiters can be like fairy godmothers…or like Maleficent. Do not take it personally.

-       You cannot give up! Ever! Because you could be so very close to getting a great job. And because, as long as there is hope, there is a chance that things might turn around.

Job-hunting is like a job in itself. And it is a hell of a tough one!

It will make you feel down, useless and worthless. But, as I said just a few lines ago, you cannot give up on your dreams, on yourself.

My advices are:

- Make a CV that you like and aimed at the career you want. Use Google to find examples and create your own design (I worked on mine for a whole week but I have the satisfaction of being a proud mum! No pre-made templates, it is all mine!).

- Get in touch with an advisor from the National Careers Service: it is free and they will give you great tips on how to create your CV, how to word your professional experience and how to behave in an interview.

- Find support from your friends or family. Even better: if you have a friend who is looking for a job, get together in a nice café and work as a team. It will keep you energised and motivated.

- When you feel you’ve written a great cover letter, save it and use it as a template. You can alter it from application to application and it will save you time.

- Do send some spontaneous applications. Do not make it a priority but do it, especially if you are aiming at a certain type of company. 

- Allow yourself some time off. Sending applications is daunting: it can take time (damn online forms), it can be boring or you can feel you don’t find any new job ads to apply to. One of the perks of being unemployed is that you can do things when everyone else is at work. So, go visit that museum, go to the cinema, go to that pub, go for a walk…

- Do not lose hope! I am often close to a breaking point where I feel like I am never going to get back to work, that I should go home to my parents and wait for death in my bed. But, I refuse to give up on me and on my dreams. I’ve wanted to make a life in London since I was 18 and, even if I have to force myself down on you, you will have to deal with me, United Kingdom!

Let’s keep our fingers crossed, our chins high and our hopes high in the sky! We will make it!