Are jobs getting harder to get?

[Optical668]

Atm im looking at getting a new job, but after browsing though about 250 pages of jobs in bristol none of them suit me at all. Its all mostly you need 2 years min experience in this and that bla bla, need a degree, need this and that, none are really intrested in training the person anymore so you can learn a new trade and stuff. So basicly if you dont have much experience in a job you would like to try you have pretty much zero chance of getting that job because you dont meet their requirements. The only thing i can see happening in this kind of requirements is that more and more people are gonna become jobless and theres going to be a huge gap bewteen people who get crap jobs and people who dont. And nobody seems willing to give someone a chance to prove themselfs that they are good at that job...

[dave87]

Its an age old cycle, need a job to get experience to get a job.

The way a lot of people break that cycle is Uni, or do some voluntary work that gives the required experience (good if you are self taught).

[staffsMike]

What sort of thing are you looking for?

I know a lot of people who go against the requirements of job posts for IT jobs and use their (has to be said) very impressive portfolio of work.

As they say pictures are worth a 1000 words. If you can prove you have skills for a job you will more than likely be given it over someone who requires training or a fresh pup straight out of uni.

If you do want to get some training it would be better to target compaines who have graduate schemes (regardless of having a degree or not) during the slow parts of the year for them i.e they will be looking around the summer time for new graduates so target them during the winter as they may need work and have no graduates to fill the posts.

I'm in my final year of uni and a lot of people are paying my final year project a lot of interest and have told me if it goes well it will probably be worth more than the degree itself.. wish i'd known that before I started 3 years ago

[tiggerai]

Even if you only fit 2/3 criteria, still apply...

remember the job spec is for "perfect" candidates... and everyone knows no one is perfect.*

If you've not got the experience but can demonstrate the skills then there is no reason why you shouldn't be given a chance.

Remember it's the recruitment people who choose who is and isn't suitable for a job, so stop being so critical of yourself and ruthlessly apply to anything that takes your fancy... I did.


* apart from me of course.

[TheAnimus]

Also thanks to the moronic concepts of socail design brought in by our current governement, people will expect a degree, because getting a Physcology/Enlgish/Philosophy one now seams to only indicate that you sat the paper, spelt your name correctly, and paid the £3k tuition fees.

if 50% of people are to goto uni, regardless of how low standard 50% of those people's degrees are. If your left without that peice of paper, your going to have a harder time than you would of 10 years ago. Remeber that next time its time to vote.

If its a technical roll, you could try finding a local charity that needs something doing, similar to what it is you want to work in eventually, and use that to start building experiance.

[Flibb]

We just advertised for a lab support job, basically tidying up chemical labs, keeping stocks in date, etc. All the applicants had degrees, and the winner has a MSc, all for £16K. Bloody scarry

[TooNice]

Doesn't most fields have graduate trainee positions where they expect less work experience? [I say this even though it's becoming rather disheartening to face rejection letters over my applications for those positions, over and over again]

[staffsMike]

The best gradute positions are usually very sought after though making it very competetive. You need something to make you stand out and shine amongst the others. Portfolio's are the best way to do this.

[schmunk]

What kind of job are you looking for?

[MadduckUK]

What kind of job are you looking for?

subway sandwich artist

[zulander]

Yep they sure are, competition is fierce. Degrees now are almost worthless seemingly. Everyone has one but i have seen graduates going for 14-15k jobs processing application form. Its a joke. Get youself in debt for years on end then earn next to nothing for it. I must admit the few managers i speak to have changed there attitudes to graduates over the last few years because a degree doesnt carry the same weight it used to they would rather have some experience and relevant "workplace" qualifications

[0iD]

On the engineering side, good technical people are hard to find. I will take aptitude over a degree any day when it comes to employing new staff.

[TooNice]

At this point, I'd work for *free* as long as the job gives relevant experience. Okay, I'll admit, by 'relevant' I mean anything that'll count toward an RICS APC - and that sort of training done properly isn't 'free' (but chances are, I'll give back more than I leech).

[Wh@l3fish]

It depends what industry you're looking at as well, there's a big shortage of town planners at the moment! (which is why i'm leaving to do aerodynamics!)

[TheAnimus]

The best gradute positions are usually very sought after though making it very competetive. You need something to make you stand out and shine amongst the others. Portfolio's are the best way to do this.

Depends, many of the really sort after jobs would laugh at someone who brought in a Portfolio.

(sorry, but i would, at my old place i hired 3 grads on 35k (one of whom has to do the job i quit. I feal really sorry, poor sods working 12 hour days, as a systems developer!), kinda sort after rolls i guess)

[javalord]

It depends what industry you're looking at as well, there's a big shortage of town planners at the moment! (which is why i'm leaving to do aerodynamics!)

True, friend who did a masters in something similar practically got the job on the spot.