The Job Tips, Advice, Comiserations and Pitfalls Thread

[cpr]

Not particularly, as I'm not in the financial position to do so. I've enough debt to pay off in the UK, and whilst I could percievably raise the capital to provide accomodation if I moved abroad, I'd be sacrificing the deposit on owning my own property here (planning to buy somewhere after Christmas)

 

[sledger]

Reed is better than Monster, in my experience.

 

[cpr]

Gonna have a look on Reed (found them a bit narky in the past) and Jobsite, see what they've got. I'm presuming its probably the same companies though. Have applied for one through Monster already. What doesnt help is that I
A) Don't particularly know what I want to do and
B) My experience is in quite a specific field (Finding jobs that want tax knowledge without accountancy qualifications is slim)

 

[Top_Cat]

How much of a wrench would it be to get said accountancy quals? Bear in mind I know nothing of the field.

 

[cpr]

Taking the exams wouldn't be too difficult, certainly the first few levels I can walk with my prior maths and tax knowledge. Talking about £600 for the first two exams (each), then about £1000+ for AAT Level 3 onwards. I'd need to do a bit of study for them as there are subjects I've never covered in them. The issue is time (thanks to my commute my day is never less than 10 hours, usually nearer 12) and money (thanks to my commute I **** most of my wage away on petrol)

 

[andyc]

Some good advice in this thread. Currently going through this whole process, having finished uni last year and travelled for much of this year. Have an interview tomorrow for one gig, and in the final stage of a grad job process for another which I'd love, though that isn't until early December. The whole thing would be a lot easier if I had any idea of what it is I want to do though.

 

[NUFAN]

I'd like to hear the views of other members but I always thought it was better to have more money than less when studying. You're not going to have huge amounts of disposable income while studying and I'd rather put it towards the now more than the later. Things like travelling and buying that car are much easier with HECS. Pay it off when you've graduated and either have a better paying job or at least more available time to work

I think it would be different if you were a part time student though, so completing 2 subjects a semester but working 2-4 days per week (or weekends). You actually may have enough disposable income to pay it off.

Back when I was studying the discount was 20% which is not something to sneeze about. The current 10% definitely less of an incentive.

Being a bit older my circumstances were a bit different that when I got back into studying I just figured that the 10% discount was enough of an incentive to pay on time and not attract HECS. BTW, if you are only working a couple of days a week it is unlikely that you will be required to pay HECS as you only have to start paying HECS after earning around $50,000 in the financial year.

I have 4 units left of my professional accounting + applied finance and the units aren't all offered at the same time (I'm doing my last 2 electives now over summer) so I'm really keen to find full time work now in accounting/finance and have only just started applying for work this week.

 

[ripper868]

Update?

Didnt get it. have been working for a solid 3 months in sales though. still on lookout for better opportunities. at least some money coming in though.

 

[steds]

I'm on my way back from an interview right now. Was a bit of a train wreck. Good news is I don't have to move to ****ing Luton.

 

[benchmark00]

Easy to fly there.

 

[Maximas]

I'm on my way back from an interview right now. Was a bit of a train wreck. Good news is I don't have to move to ****ing Luton.

I remember going there for a day when I first arrived during a school trip to England, the touring party were the only people in Luton wearing shirts iirc

 

[Hurricane]

Didnt get it. have been working for a solid 3 months in sales though. still on lookout for better opportunities. at least some money coming in though.

Thanks for the update was wondering if you had found employment.

 

[Dan]

Down to 0% now as a budget saving. It will end up costing the bottom line as people who would have paid ahead will now defer payment.

Yeah, despite the advice in this thread I paid for the first year upfront. With no discount, there no incentive whatsoever to pay upfront next year.

On the job front, still sitting unemployed. I'm umpiring cricket on weekends, which is classified a 'hobby' but is an awesome supplementary income source, and trialled for a coaching job. Missed out on that, though I'm not entirely sure why, but it's not really that great a loss. Trying to find casual retail stuff, even pre-Christmas, isn't easy when you can't work Saturdays.

 

[andyc]

Had an interview today, reckon it went really well. Took me a bloody hour and a half to get there though, and that was only at 4pm.

 

[wellAlbidarned]

Yeah, despite the advice in this thread I paid for the first year upfront. With no discount, there no incentive whatsoever to pay upfront next year.

On the job front, still sitting unemployed. I'm umpiring cricket on weekends, which is classified a 'hobby' but is an awesome supplementary income source, and trialled for a coaching job. Missed out on that, though I'm not entirely sure why, but it's not really that great a loss. Trying to find casual retail stuff, even pre-Christmas, isn't easy when you can't work Saturdays.

Always get a good laugh from the minimum wage monkey job advertisements
"Here at ****ing ****s, we don't offer a job, we offer a career!"

so that's why 90% of your staff **** off to other jobs within 6 months?

 

[Spikey]

a career can be 6 months

 

[ripper868]

Having taken monkey jobs, I can confirm, they offer a career. Of ****.

In other news back to unemployment, left the sales gig as I wasn't enjoying it and they were moving the payment structure to a commission only basis. no thanks. So the good news is folks, I'm back on the market! (Sorry Burgey, in the job sense only, mrs Ripper still standing by me, good egg she is)

Plus side is Ashes starts in 2 days. Viva le unemployment...no no, i really do want a job asap. Especially since there is precious little of the redundancy left.

 

[andyc]

Had an interview today, reckon it went really well. Took me a bloody hour and a half to get there though, and that was only at 4pm.

Got a second (and most likely final) round interview for this one. Am obviously happy about it, I reckon it's a great job, but I'm also in the final stage of a grad program (picking 2 from ~ 10) which is being held a week after this other interview. Just hoping this second round will be stretched out a fair bit to avoid having to make an awkward decision and regretting it later.

 

[andyc]

Got a second (and most likely final) round interview for this one. Am obviously happy about it, I reckon it's a great job, but I'm also in the final stage of a grad program (picking 2 from ~ 10) which is being held a week after this other interview. Just hoping this second round will be stretched out a fair bit to avoid having to make an awkward decision and regretting it later.

Well this has happened. They offered me the job yesterday, and I mentioned that since the contract was only for six months with no permanent spot guaranteed, I'd wait till I finished this other process and then see where I stand. They were all good with that, but then they called me back today and said they'd spoken to management and have arranged for it to be a permanent job instead of just six months. Had a somewhat awkward phone call with me saying I still wanted to wait till next week especially since I've locked in this interview for next week. They agreed, but with less enthusiasm than before. Super awkward all round. Good news is it sounds like I've got a job either way I guess.

 

[wellAlbidarned]

had my first ever proper job interview on tuesday. Walked out looking like there'd been a tropical downpour in my armpits. Here's to the next one!