Nanny McNo-Thank-you

It turns out that after all that, I don't think a nanny job is for me! I went to an interview today in a rich person's house in the middle of Camden. It was a beautiful area with lots of character and gorgeous houses mansions. I went in and met a nice lady who was holding her cute 2 year old son, with a housekeeper floating in the background. It was very strange, she asked me questions like, "did you go to boarding school?" "Are you married?" and the regular questions. I didn't do too bad with my answers, but I don't think I emanated enthusiasm, and it's because it just wasn't there. I realised in that moment that I do not want to work in this environment! I'd love to be a nanny for a working class, or even middle class mum of 3, but they just can't afford one so that isn't going to happen! I think I'll stick with the arts and crafts sessions and play work and leave the nanny jobs to the rich-tolerant people of the world. I gave it my all nonetheless but I won't be disappointed when she tells me she has opted for someone with more experience.

Killer Cover Letter

27th Feb - 4th March
I was working with my aunt and her three kids in Brighton this week and felt inspired by being with them and hearing about my acceptance onto a childcare course so I wrote a KILLER cover letter for nanny jobs. I posted an advert online, and applied to about 20 adverts. I recommend doing this, just write a long, passionate cover letter about how you would be perfect for a job. If you're writing an advert you should include bullet points that highlight important points and make you look better!

Here's a basic structure for a killer cover letter:
Dear "Insert name",
Firstly talk about yourself and your interests/qualifications. Mention what you would like to do, and why you are applying for this job.

Then talk about your most relevant experience. Be thorough! Give as many personal details as possible that make you unique and not just listing the duties of a job (examples etc.) and show off any knowledge and skills gained or used.

If you have done any voluntary work, mention this too. And here is where I throw in any relevant training that I have done, eg. did your last job train you up in the safe use of chemicals?

Then bring in some less relevant stuff but make it relevant, so you can mention any skills that you gained that would be useful in the role. Remember to keep giving examples.

Now mention your hobbies/interests and personal life, and how your experience of day to day living also equips you with the right skills for the job!

And then any irrelevant jobs you've done, but again list how any tasks or skills could be useful in the new role.

Close with a summary of yourself and any skills you haven't mentioned. For example, say that you are hard working and pro-active, or able to work unsupervised. Imagine you are answering the question, "Why should I hire you?"

And finish with a formal yet friendly ending, thanking them for their time and consideration. Remember not to suck up too much!

Yours sincerely
Me.

One Day Only

Applied for a job at cineworld because my friend sorted it out for me, I got offered an interview but I couldn't make the one date they proposed so that's that.

Application Forms

Jobs applied for today:

• Office cleaner, circle25
• Cleaner, jobisjob
• Nanny, 2 kids, gumtree
• Front of House Assistant, Wallace collection.

I just had to fill out an online application form. Does anyone else think they just take so long, and require so much effort. I feel like the life has been sucked out of me, I'm exhausted now! Why do they need such a tedious structure/amount of information!? I wish there was a one size fits all way of filling out my job history, I don't know about you guys but I've had a lot of jobs and just working out the dates and titles in chronological order is enough brain work for me! (I know, I could have just used my CV, but the thing is, they wanted no gaps so I may have had to tweak the information a little...) Shhh.

I hope that with application forms, they're more likely to read it though. Perhaps that 2 hours will be worthwhile!

"Youth unemployment: Fears over record figures"

Everyone's talking about unemployment among the youths this week, well they should try living it! With jobs no longer wanting to train people, and new rules on minimum wage and young people being paid properly it's no wonder no-one wants to employ us. It comes down to the simplest cycle: you have to get experience to get a job, you have to get a job to get experience... so what can we do? I have done years of voluntary work and employers don't really care about it, they want paid experience. They want you to step into a job and immediately know what you're doing so they don't have to bother with you. And with the amount of people coming to the UK to work, they can get that easily. So why would they make the effort of employing someone who has just left education?

Cameron says he wants to help young people, well then why make cuts to the most popular, effective scheme for young people- connexions... Hasn't anybody noticed that these increases in youth employment have shot up since 'the coalition' took power? Cameron, it is a matter of "great regret". The regret being: Why didn't we all just vote labour?

Article on BBC News
"Mr Cameron said that the unemployment figures, and particularly youth unemployment, were a matter of great regret."
Another article
"The dire jobs market is hurting young people more than older workers."
Independent -

"Steven Kirkpatrick, managing director of recruitment firm Adecco, said: 'There is still an imbalance between the number of new roles becoming available and the high proportion of people seeking employment.'"

The mirror

"The number of people claiming Jobseeker's Allowance increased by 2,400 in January to 1.46 million, with the number of female claimants rising for the seventh month in a row to reach almost 450,000, the highest figure since 1996."

Jobs applied for today:

• Nanny, gumtree
• Care worker, jobisjob
• Care worker, gumtree

CRB Checks have been scrapped!

Jobs applied for today:

• Employment Consultant, Directgov.
• Live out Nanny for 2 kids and 1 baby, gumtree.
• Nanny for 6 year old girl, gumtree

This is my first time applying for a nanny job, I figure it's like being paid to be a mum, and maybe it would stop my broodyness. I can do this. Surely. Who knows? I don't actually have an NVQ in childcare, nor am I registered with ofsted but we'll see if my experience teaching art, and helping to bring up my sisters is enough. I wrote a detailed application, and even went so far as to send them pictures and information about my family.

But most significantly, did you know... They've scrapped CRB checks! A bit weird, but it'll save me hassle and money when applying for jobs in childcare! (Go on, See for yourself) Was it a bit cheeky of me to slip that in to my application just so that they knew?

What do people think about CRB checks anyway; invasive or necessary? I personally have nothing to hide so am not bothered by them, and saw them as nothing more than a hassle, but did it make all the mummys and daddys out there feel more comfortable about hiring someone to look after their kids, and how will it affect them? 

Outcast

Today I haven't applied for any jobs. It's the day I decided to start this blog. I have felt really down, guilty, worthless and worn out. I was sat at the train station watching people go past, and I felt like I was distanced from the rest of society. I felt like a lazy, worthless, pathetic person who doesn't deserve to be alive. It was like everyone who looked at me could see how much of a failure I am because I can't get a job. I felt guilty for having a drink with my friends on Friday night and not being sat at home searching for jobs. But when I did get home, I couldn't concentrate properly, and just felt emotionally drained. I'm tired of feeling like a failure, I don't even get rejections any more. Being ignored by employers is the same as people being ignored by the government, helping people get into employment isn't just about getting them money or reducing the amount of money spent on benefits, it's about improving the quality of life, the wellbeing and the satisfsction of individuals and helping them to feel a part of society rather than an outcast, and a burden.

11/02/11

Jobs I have applied for today:

• Speculative letter to connexions
• Market Researcher, jobisjob
• Mail order assistant, directgov
• Care worker, totaljobs
• Parcel sorter, directgov

I spent a long time applying for that Market Researcher job. My cover letter was frankly amazing. I wrote to connexions, I know their funding has been cut but I would really like to work helping people to find jobs, especially the neglected young people of this country. I also decided to search for postal services on directgov, and applied for those mail assistant and parcel sorter jobs, I'm hoping my experience in art handling/archiving in museum/gallery will be enough experience.

Response: I didn't get the mail order assistant job. They said my CV was of interest but unfortunately they recieved a lot of applications and there were people with more relevant experience.

Lying on your CV

Jobs I have applied for today: 

• Care worker, gumtree
• Artist in residence, univeristy of arts website
• Home keeper, directgov
• Domestic cleaner, jobisjob
• Room attendant, directgov
• Hospital porter, nhs

I've come to my mum's house to use her internet, and I am trying to wack out as many applications as I can but I'm finding it harder to even see jobs I want to apply for now, I feel like I've exhausted most of the ones I want to do so I'm having to branch out into areas I don't exactly have experience in. This is not my first time applying for cleaner jobs but I decided to up my chances of hearing back by altering my CV...

So I lied about having a cleaner job, well, I technically bended the truth a little. But how hard can it be? I've done cleaning in ALL of my catering roles!! I have been trained in food hygiene, cleaning, and safe heavy lifting, and done all sorts of cleaning tasks from cleaning floors to toilets. All I really did was add a job title I didn't have. Is it wrong if I have the skills and experience without the title that they scan for when looking at your CV?

I bet they have thousands of applicants and I'm starting to think I might be overqualified. Should I take my degree off my applications? Is it really a sin of omission... Or just one of the things we do for money.

I have also exagerrated language skills I have such as saying I speak basic French, when I did it at GCSE 8 years ago and remember a few words. Saying I speak basic Slovak when I haven't used it since I got back in November and pretty much never expect or want to again.

Job Centre: you HAVE to apply for these or we'll cut you off

Jobs I applied for today: 

• Receptionist, jobcentre
• Marketing Assistant, jobcentre
• Warehouse packer, directgov

The top 2 jobs were ones that the jobcentre gave me. I only realised today that they're giving me 2 every time that I have to apply for or I won't get benefits anymore. What's stupid is that they didn't even inform me of that in previous weeks. I just naively thought they were trying to help me (luckily I applied for them all anyway, because I am actually desperate)

When I was in the Housing benefit office, I remember hearing some woman moaning that they cut her off because she didnt apply for "one job", now I know what she meant.

It's worrying though isn't it. What happens when people who are employed in high paid jobs (for example in the public sector) face unemployment due to being made redundant (laid off), do they have to apply for any old minimum wage job that the job centre give them? Do people have the right to choose the job they want to do?

Personally, I have experience in waitressing, so the job centre have told me I must apply for jobs in that. Luckily I swayed them into generalising it as customer service instead, because I just don't feel confident or happy as a waitress any more. Will it come down to people being handed a job, and told they start on Monday or they won't get benefits. I won't be surprised if it does. But it just makes one's degree even more pointless.

Closing of public libraries

Jobs applied for:

• Care worker, directgov

I'm having trouble applying for jobs at the moment because our internet has gone down and they're not going to sort it out until the end of March! I'm having to use the local library (where I can get a maximum of 2 hours per day for free) I spend most of that time just searching for jobs I can apply for. It is good that the library is available for people like me though, I heard a rumour that the government are going to close loads of public libraries! The idiots. I swear they want our country to become an uneducated country with high unemployment....why? Don't they recognise that libraries are amazing for a number of reasons, including helping people to apply for jobs! Plus there's of all those librarians whose job will be lost.
Library cuts- Guardian Website

Not even a rejection!

 Jobs applied for:

• Cleaner, directgov
• Housekeeper, directgov

What I hate most about applying for jobs, is not hearing back at all. I can send tonnes of applications, and not even a rejection. Is it me? I just wonder if they even read them! I guess they don't have the time, I can have a realistic view, it's just that I spend so much time individually writing each application because I CAN do the bloody job!

I wouldn't mind being a cleaner, I figure that I could work independently without interacting with the public!! I actually enjoy cleaning, and love things to be clean. In my last job I was a bit OCD, everytime someone put sugar in their tea, I was there wiping up the tea rings. My colleague said to me one day "you really like this job, don't you"- I felt like a bit of a loser, and sheepishly hung my head with an  "I just like things to be clean."

I have so much cleaning experience, why won't they hire me!?

Telephone Interview

 Jobs I applied for:

• Painter, artsjobs
• Census Collector (again)

Last time I applied for the census collector job I didnt do the tests on time, so I did it again with another Email address! I really think I could do the job and it pays £10 an hour, yes please.

I put loads of effort into this painter application, but the problem is, I don't have any good examples of my paintings, I'm so stupid. I never take pictures of them. All of my paintings from A-level got "lost" by my sixth form :( and my others have been lost or damaged at my mum's house. I don't even have a decent camera to take pictures of my work with. I really need to sort this out if I want to be an artist, I know. I plan on doing some more paintings soon, once I've moved into my flat and sorted out my studio properly.

Response: I had a telephone interview for the census collector job. It went terribly. I messed up by losing my ability to speak, I couldn't get out the word "approachable" and said things like "approachment"... Then I was put off, so my answers were short, but they only asked a few questions (I thought they would ask more so didn't say enough!) And then I read out an answer I had prepared, and it was so obvious. She said "I've recorded your answers and I'll pass them on..." I don't think I'll be getting it. I got really down and upset at myself today because it was technically easy and I still messed it up because of nerves. I knew that I could do the job and had the experience, but I didn't sell myself enough.

27/01/11

• Customer Adviser, gumtree 
• Support worker, gumtree

I put a lot of effort into the support worker one, as you know, I'd really like to help young people to find work. 

Response: I got an interview for this support worker job- I applied because I wanted to work with young people helping them to find employment, but it turned out to be more of a social worker position. I don't know very much about social working and found the questions really difficult. For example: "If you went to a house and a nine year old boy told you he was hungry because his mum didn't give him breakfast, or dinner the day before. What would you do?" My first instinct; buy him some breakfast! But I couldn't think of what to say. I answered, "I'd report it to a manager. I would hope to receive training about what to do in this kind of situation." They said they'd call. They haven't. I don't think I wanted the job anyway.

26/01/11

• Mark papers, gumtree
• Shop staff, gumtree

I wouldn't mind marking papers actually. I really want that job. I could go into something like that in the future. I love systematic tasks, filling out forms etc. I used to think that I wanted to be someone who marks art coursework (I guess that's the art critic in me). I wonder what you have to do to become part of an exam board? Probs a masters...

25/01/11

• Census Collector, directgov
• HSBC customer adviser, website
• researcher, gumtree
• Filing/archivist, gumtree

This census collector job seems cool, its going round knocking on people's doors and getting them to fill out the census survey. I got the HSBC one from the job centre. I have started looking into researcher positions, they said they wanted someone who did a degree in history or similar... History of Art? Who knows. I also applied for this filing/archivist one, even though I've technically only got 3 months experience.

Response: I had to do an online test for the bank job; it was really hard and I failed it. You basically had 5 seconds to do something like this. Seems easy, but 5 seconds is not long. Every time I clicked an answer the time had gone. No job for me.

GH897B20

Which one is the same?
GH879B20
GH897B02
GH987B20
GH987B20
GH897320

24/01/11

• Artist Application, artsjobs.

It was working as part of a human rights project. I sent a few examples of work I've done that links to human rights but I don't think they were very good. I really need to sort out a proper portfolio.

Didn't get this job. But they said that I could meet them and still get involved in their project if I wanted.

20/01/11

• Volunteering and Mentoring Administrator, recommended by a friend

I REALLY want this job. My mum sent me it, it's working with students at the uni of greenwich and helping them to get involved in mentoring and volunteering opportunities. You basically have to build a portfolio of resources for them, research and build contacts. I think I'd be really good at it, especially as I have good knowledge of volunteering because I have done it so much myself. I already have contact with Greenwich Volunteers and Lambeth.

17/01/11

• waitress job, gumtree
• temp waitress at an agency, gumtree
• workshop leader,gumtree
• waitress, gumtree
• receptionist, gumtree
• receptionist, gumtree
•  cafe assistant, gumtree
• cleaner, gumtree
• cleaner, gumtree

Good old gumtree. I wacked out loads of waitress applications and a few more.

Response: Had an interview and a trial shift at a restaurant, it went terribly. They wouldn't tell me anything, and just said I was being tested. It was so posh and I was really nervous. The thing is I do have experience and knowledge but they have to at least let you know how the restaurant operates! I'm not psychic! I was really pissed off at them, and basically asked if I could leave at the time we'd arranged because I knew I wasn't going to get it. I was also really sweaty because I was so nervous. Such intense pressure is not right to do to people! I'm not applying for any waitressing jobs from now on.

14/01/11

• Hospitality assistant, fish4jobs
• Art sessional worker in camden, artsjobs
• sales, marketing and customer service, fish4jobs
• Sales, marketing, office work, fish4jobs
• Customer service assistant, fresh start, fish 4 jobs
• Waitress at a kiwi restaurant, gumtree
• bar staff/waitress at a burlesque bar

I put loads of effort into the workshop one in Camden, I really want to do this. I'm thinking of doing some voluntary work to get some more experience. I'm going to wait til I get a job first though and do it once a week maybe. I put out a marketing CV on fish4jobs...

Response: I got invited to loads of marketing interviews. I went to one interview and I found it really dodgy. There were tonnes of applicants (I had to wait almost 2 hours after my time slot for my interview), and they didn't really specify what the job was or what it payed. I got the feeling it was commission based, but they were really mysterious. They said that I would have to do a trial shift, and see if I was suitable... the next ! but I wasn't allowed to know what I was doing. Previous experience with a job like this put me right off, so I didn't go to the trial shift.

12/01/11

• Food service assistant ref: CTS/5939, directgov
• Hospitality assistant CMB/12825, directgov
• Hospitality assistant with an agency, directgov
• General assistant, directgov
• leaflet distributor, directgov
• front of house staff, directgov
• waitress with an agency, directgov

I also uploaded my CV/registed with an events agency

11/01/11

• Waitress at a showroom- temp, 6 weeks, (gumtree)
• Customer service/ reservation clerk (gumtree)
• Customer service staff (gumtree)
• waitress at a sandwich bar (gumtree)

I also posted an ad on gumtree that I designed and wrote, called "Excellent Customer Service that goes beyond the call of duty." A bit lame.

Group Interview

• Waiting Staff at the National Portrait Gallery (from artsjobs)
• Workshop Leader, Camden. Also can get an NVQ! (Artsjobs)
• Front of House Gallery Assistant (artsjobs)
• Children's Workshop Facilitator (artsjobs)

I really want the workshop jobs!

Response: I've been invited for an interview to do some temporary playscheme work on the 24th Feb. It wont be until April but I'll also get training. I could just say I've got a holiday planned for 2 weeks if I get another job! woo hoo. I don't want to get too excited, but I reeeallly want it. Oh and it's an interactive group interview.... 

Are group interviews more or less scary than individual ones?

07/01/11

• Customer Adviser job (ref: BWH/33068) via job centre.
• Back packer Hostel Bar Staff (ref: KNN/11646) via Jobpoint

Got these from the job centre. I actually would like the hostel one, I could be friendly, chatty with travellers and offer advice on London!

05/01/11

• Cleaner, gumtree
• Art facilitator at bigfoot, artsjobs

04/01/11

• Receptionist
• Receptionist

Both from directgov. I've added a few admin duties on my CV but don't have a previous role as a receptionist...

03/01/11

• Receptionist, directgov
• Sales person

They say they want customer service, I can do that! I fucking hate sales though, dont want it at all.

02/01/11

• Paid Internship, PA/Marketing

I would quite like this job. Its doing marketing in the arts but it gives you the chance to train.