Job hunting advice

[Sparkle Fabulosa]

I have some mobility issues so being on a ladder picking fruit wouldn’t be a good idea.

I have applied and even emailed people directly asking about volunteer work and that hasn’t been successful either.

 

[Refuge]

Sounds frustrating. New Zealand has probably changed too much since I left. We lived in Titirangi and I got a job in a plant nursery. Half the day doing tissue culture and the other half nursery planting. Nothing too strenuous. Pay pretty pathetic.

Good luck. It's not easy being a little shy. You hear stories of people asking around and eventually getting a job but unless you fluke an interview it is often who you know. I have a vague memory of finding work doing dishes. I think to get the Unemployment Benefit (which I didn't need in the end) I had to go into the centre and apply for a certain number of jobs. However that system has possibly changed

People in this thread alluding to it's *who* you know are probably correct. I got another job working in the Army Camp in Papakura because Dad volunteered me. Maybe you could put your name up on a notice board like they have/had in supermarkets and community centres with a (safe) number not too much in detail offering to take in ironing or pet sitting. Pet sitters are becoming more and more in demand.

 

[Sparkle Fabulosa]

I’ve been looking up a bunch of law firms and some of them have a “send us your cv even if there isn’t a position available” section along with explaining who you are. I’m going to try that.

 

[Refuge]

That's an excellent approach. I hope it works out.

 

[Kilana2]

I received an unsuccessful application email today. Again. It's frustrating.

 

[Sparkle Fabulosa]

I received a “we don’t have any positions available but we’ll keep you in mind” email yesterday. I guess it’s good that it wasn’t a no.

 

[Kilana2]

I received a “we don’t have any positions available but we’ll keep you in mind” email yesterday. I guess it’s good that it wasn’t a no.

I guess it is like the Ferengi bargaining thing: the Great Material Continuum of available jobs. It's like being on the waiting list of Chief Edgar Willoughby. The secret is to get on top of that list..... I guess we have to Whisper our Way to Success....

 

[DonIago]

You've probably already done this, but if not, check out job posting boards and such. That's how I got a job at a company I've been at for the past 12 years now. I'd had my resume there for I don't even know how long when they called me.

If you get an interview, send a thank you card. Seriously, if possible, send a card, not an email. Work for it.

I have no idea whether NZ even has temp. agencies, but if you get your foot in the door via a temp. job you never know what it might lead to, and a temp. job is better than no job!

 

[StarCruiser]

Here's a quick list of Job Agencies in New Zealand - most seem to be in Auckland:

https://www.manpower.co.nz/

https://www.adecco.co.nz/

http://keyskills.co.nz/

https://www.alphajobs.co.nz/

Now - get crackin'!

 

[Butters]

There is a site in the UK called Indeed, don’t know if exists elsewhere but it’s the best single resource I’ve found for job opportunities.

Also, having a profile on LinkedIn can help. Keep it professional, list all of your skills and try to get some endorsements from former colleagues if you can.

Also, a book was recommended to me years ago called Great Answers to Tough Interview Questions. It’s full of tips on what to say, what not to say, etc. It also covers a wide variety of interview types and questions. It’s available on Amazon for a penny:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Great-Answ...=1551746066&s=gateway&sprefix=great+an&sr=8-3

It helped me a lot and changed my approach to interviews and since following its advice I’ve been successful in many interviews, even having more than one offer at a time. Unthinkable when I was long term unemployed not that long ago.

 

[Sparkle Fabulosa]

I went to all those job agency sites but couldn’t find anything suitable.

NZ has an Indeed site and I’ve looked on it along with a few others.

I’m continuing my “look up a bunch of law firms and send them my cv in hopes of something” approach.

 

[Kor]

Are there any short online courses or certificates you could do which are related to your field of work experience, to add skills and credentials to your CV/resume?

Kor

 

[Sparkle Fabulosa]

Brushing up on Microsoft Word would be useful and I know next to nothing of Excel but finding courses that don’t cost a fortune is difficult.

 

[STR]

Brushing up on Microsoft Word would be useful and I know next to nothing of Excel but finding courses that don’t cost a fortune is difficult.

Microsoft has its "virtual academy" online for free. I'm not sure how much Office stuff it has, but it's got a decent selection of intro topics.

Also, Edx has loads of free courses.

If you get an interview, send a thank you card. Seriously, if possible, send a card, not an email. Work for it.

I'd be creeped out by this. It's so, so thirsty.

 

[PhantomFan1]

As someone who works in the legal industry, let me let you in on a little too.

Even if the position you're applying for is just data entry, it won't matter if you have experience in another country.

Most firms will be looking for people who know a bit about the workings of the law in that specific country. Even simple data entry positions. If someone has a basic understanding of the basics, there is less chance of them messing up something by not bringing it forward if there's a problem.

My recommendation would be to get a course or two in New Zealand law from somewhere so that you can put it on your resume. It doesn't have to be a full university course, but there are career colleges that will give you the basics.

Otherwise, you're going to be fighting an uphill battle to get noticed.

 

[DonIago]

I'd be creeped out by this. It's so, so thirsty.

Unless the times have changed more than I believe they have, it's called showing that you appreciate your interviewer's spending time and taking taking an interest in you, and it puts you ahead of everyone who doesn't spend the little extra effort.

 

[Kor]

Unless the times have changed more than I believe they have, it's called showing that you appreciate your interviewer's spending time and taking taking an interest in you, and it puts you ahead of everyone who doesn't spend the little extra effort.

I think a brief typed thank you letter might be more apropros than a card.

Kor

 

[DonIago]

Depends on the circumstances of the interview, of course. Going in for an interview at a corporation employing 50,000+ people is different from interviewing at a Mom and Pop store is different from interviewing at McDonalds.

 

[STR]

Unless the times have changed more than I believe they have, it's called showing that you appreciate your interviewer's spending time and taking taking an interest in you, and it puts you ahead of everyone who doesn't spend the little extra effort.

What bearing does that have on your ability to do the proposed job? Will your job be focused on mailing letters? No? Send an email, and tell me you're still interested in the job. That's a valuable piece of information. I don't need you to tell me how important my time is. I already know that.

I'm open to the possibility that there are corners of the economy that are so traditional and formal that a written letter is not only acceptable but expected. However, most of the modern world will find that really weird and anachronistic. You're spending 10x more effort than necessary to accomplish a basic task. It's inefficient and my company is already full of people who spend too much effort on tasks with too little payoff.

Plus, I only check my office mail once a month because most of it is people trying to sell me shit I don't want or dont even pertain to my department. If I hired the other guy, I might toss the unopened letter out of paranoid fear you intended to anthrax me in revenge. Okay, not really, but reading a delayed letter from someone I didn't hire is sad.

EDIT: This may well be a generational gap. There is a firmer belief in effort as a moral imperative among older people and younger people more traditionally raised. Most in my generation are more mercenary (by necessity). Results count, not effort. Everything has an opportunity cost, and time/effort spent on low-reward initiatives is time that could be spent more productively. Work isn't bad. Wasted effort is.

Which is not meant to imply it's an entirely superior world view. When everything is about maximizing results, when the hell can you relax?

 

[Sparkle Fabulosa]

I think when it comes to showing your appreciation for being interviewed, simply thanking the interviewer for their time at the end is enough.