The past week went by incredibly fast and I have basically just been running from one place to another. I attended three job interviews, visited the embassy to vote for a new president, found a room to live in and got my bank account sorted, so things are finally starting to go right.
I accepted a job offer - an office job (from 9.30am til 5.30pm) just a tube ride away from my future room, so not only is the location good, but the job sounds ideal for the moment. I think it will prepare me nicely for my upcoming university studies in January 2013.
And yes, I have also managed to find a nice double room in a tidy flatshare! There is a tube station less than 10 minutes walk away, the rent is low and the location very central (on the edge of Zone 1). I won't be moving there until the 9th of February though, so in the meantime, I am staying here in this little suburb Surrey village :-)
Showing posts with label Job seeking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Job seeking. Show all posts
Saturday, 28 January 2012
Monday, 23 January 2012
Jobseeking in London; notes and tips!
For the past few weeks, I have been trying to find a (descent) job in London. This has been a tough task, as looking for work usually is. Moments of hopeful joy are usually followed by depressing rejections that make you feel like an undesirable basket case with nothing to give. And yet you have to keep trying, as painful as those rejections are. For how can you win if you do not gamble?
When I started job hunting, I hadn't decided what I was looking for exactly. I spent my first week applying to miscellaneous jobs (found from Gumtree) from waitressing to sales assistant jobs and modelling, which was a big mistake. The modelling agency that replied to me was just looking to exploit me by charging a ridiculous amount for test shots, and the restaurant jobs I didn't get. I went on a two-hour trial shift to the other restaurant only to be rejected by them in a very rude manner. After the trial, they said they'd contact me if they were interested, but nothing happened. Not even a "thank you for your efforts but we have chosen another candidate" note. Just silence - how infuriating!
Generally, I would advice you to beware of some of the ads on Gumtree. There are some valid ones, but after experiencing two scam attempts (one involving a house to rent a few months back and now this modelling agency), I would take extra care when checking their offers. If it sounds too good, it probably is.
Another website I have found useful is Reed.co.uk. They allow different recruiters post job vacancies and, when you apply, you just click a button and your CV is sent through automatically. Additionally, you can send them a cover letter, which you can edit for each vacancy.
A lot of recruitment agencies advertise their vacancies on Reed. Even if you don't get the job you applied for, the agencies usually keep a copy of your CV in their records and might contact you regarding other roles they think you might be suitable for. Also, some agencies jump at a chance to meet you. They might ask you to pop around to their office to get to know you. I went to one of these agencies and the guy I was talking to was very friendly and sounded genuinely willing to help. He gave me general advice with my job search saying that he could get me marketing jobs based on my skills but, for the more literal, editorial jobs that I have done in the past, I should just contact the companies directly. Thus, I have also checked websites for different publishing houses and have applied for jobs there too.
So, in conclusion, I have three interviews booked. Now I don't want to go into too much details about them, for I am afraid that doing so would jinx it, but I can say that one of these is a jobs I applied for through Reed, the second one the recruiting agency contacted me about and the third one I found advertised in the web.
I will keep you posted about things go. Hopefully, I have a job soon! :-)
When I started job hunting, I hadn't decided what I was looking for exactly. I spent my first week applying to miscellaneous jobs (found from Gumtree) from waitressing to sales assistant jobs and modelling, which was a big mistake. The modelling agency that replied to me was just looking to exploit me by charging a ridiculous amount for test shots, and the restaurant jobs I didn't get. I went on a two-hour trial shift to the other restaurant only to be rejected by them in a very rude manner. After the trial, they said they'd contact me if they were interested, but nothing happened. Not even a "thank you for your efforts but we have chosen another candidate" note. Just silence - how infuriating!
Generally, I would advice you to beware of some of the ads on Gumtree. There are some valid ones, but after experiencing two scam attempts (one involving a house to rent a few months back and now this modelling agency), I would take extra care when checking their offers. If it sounds too good, it probably is.
Another website I have found useful is Reed.co.uk. They allow different recruiters post job vacancies and, when you apply, you just click a button and your CV is sent through automatically. Additionally, you can send them a cover letter, which you can edit for each vacancy.
A lot of recruitment agencies advertise their vacancies on Reed. Even if you don't get the job you applied for, the agencies usually keep a copy of your CV in their records and might contact you regarding other roles they think you might be suitable for. Also, some agencies jump at a chance to meet you. They might ask you to pop around to their office to get to know you. I went to one of these agencies and the guy I was talking to was very friendly and sounded genuinely willing to help. He gave me general advice with my job search saying that he could get me marketing jobs based on my skills but, for the more literal, editorial jobs that I have done in the past, I should just contact the companies directly. Thus, I have also checked websites for different publishing houses and have applied for jobs there too.
So, in conclusion, I have three interviews booked. Now I don't want to go into too much details about them, for I am afraid that doing so would jinx it, but I can say that one of these is a jobs I applied for through Reed, the second one the recruiting agency contacted me about and the third one I found advertised in the web.
I will keep you posted about things go. Hopefully, I have a job soon! :-)
Friday, 6 January 2012
Settling in alright... But need a job!
Today is the third day of my London adventure. Here comes a brief summary of what I have been up to during these first few days.
I landed at Heathrow on Wednesday afternoon. My landlady was kind enough to pick me up from the airport and after about an hours drive, we arrived at this village I am staying at. I spent the rest of the day unpacking my things and getting cosy in my new, single bedroom. It is a light little room in a former council house (insert your frown here), but it has been refurbished recently. Needless to say, it is perfect for me, as I don't have a lot of things and don't need a lot of space.
This village is about 40 minutes train ride away from the London Bridge station, so it's not too far away from the city centre. The area is quite leafy and airy, and I have to say, very idyllic! I never thought that a place this close to such a big cosmopolitan city could be so relaxing and... quiet!
However, as much as I enjoy this room and this area, I have to admit that I would like to experience the big city living and am looking for a room in a more central area. This desire is partially this is due to the fact that I need a job and most jobs I am interested in are in the central London area. Also, after spending a year in a town that was too quiet to my taste I am longing to have a bit of a cosmopolitan experience. So, we'll see how things go.
After unpacking and settling in on Wednesday, I hopped on to the train on Thursday and spent the whole day just walking around in Central London. I treated myself to a small salad lunch at Carnaby Street in a little Italian salad bar. It was a lovely little moment - just drinking coffee, eating salad and looking at people, who were mostly tourists. I had to pinch myself for I was feeling so happy. I am finally here, after all the hard work!
I was also asking around for jobs, but most stores said they want people to apply for the jobs online. So today, I am going to spend the day looking and applying for jobs online. At the moment I am not too picky - I could do waitressing, retail, an office job... Anything to earn me some pocket money, really.
Partially because of money issues, I might have to defer my university place until next year. I really want to do the MA course and I already have the tuition fees saved up, but if I can't get a job NOW I won't have anything to live on, really. That is why I might have to begin the course in January 2013 instead.
I have to say, I am not too worried if I start the course this year or the next year. After all, it's just one year. I think spending one year working and getting used to things could be beneficial for me. At the moment it seems like there's so many changes in my life, all happening at once, that I can hardly keep track. Maybe a "slowly but surely" approach would be better at this stage.
To conclude, I really do feel like I am "Melly In Wonderland". Everything is so exciting and new I can hardly contain myself. Here is a little music choice that kind of describes how I'm feeling at the moment:
I landed at Heathrow on Wednesday afternoon. My landlady was kind enough to pick me up from the airport and after about an hours drive, we arrived at this village I am staying at. I spent the rest of the day unpacking my things and getting cosy in my new, single bedroom. It is a light little room in a former council house (insert your frown here), but it has been refurbished recently. Needless to say, it is perfect for me, as I don't have a lot of things and don't need a lot of space.
This village is about 40 minutes train ride away from the London Bridge station, so it's not too far away from the city centre. The area is quite leafy and airy, and I have to say, very idyllic! I never thought that a place this close to such a big cosmopolitan city could be so relaxing and... quiet!
However, as much as I enjoy this room and this area, I have to admit that I would like to experience the big city living and am looking for a room in a more central area. This desire is partially this is due to the fact that I need a job and most jobs I am interested in are in the central London area. Also, after spending a year in a town that was too quiet to my taste I am longing to have a bit of a cosmopolitan experience. So, we'll see how things go.
After unpacking and settling in on Wednesday, I hopped on to the train on Thursday and spent the whole day just walking around in Central London. I treated myself to a small salad lunch at Carnaby Street in a little Italian salad bar. It was a lovely little moment - just drinking coffee, eating salad and looking at people, who were mostly tourists. I had to pinch myself for I was feeling so happy. I am finally here, after all the hard work!
I was also asking around for jobs, but most stores said they want people to apply for the jobs online. So today, I am going to spend the day looking and applying for jobs online. At the moment I am not too picky - I could do waitressing, retail, an office job... Anything to earn me some pocket money, really.
Partially because of money issues, I might have to defer my university place until next year. I really want to do the MA course and I already have the tuition fees saved up, but if I can't get a job NOW I won't have anything to live on, really. That is why I might have to begin the course in January 2013 instead.
I have to say, I am not too worried if I start the course this year or the next year. After all, it's just one year. I think spending one year working and getting used to things could be beneficial for me. At the moment it seems like there's so many changes in my life, all happening at once, that I can hardly keep track. Maybe a "slowly but surely" approach would be better at this stage.
To conclude, I really do feel like I am "Melly In Wonderland". Everything is so exciting and new I can hardly contain myself. Here is a little music choice that kind of describes how I'm feeling at the moment:
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)