Reply With Quote
Good luck Phil.
Try the Netherlands, they can't find enough people here :)
I was notified that my job of 25 years was at risk of redundancy at the end of November. I was offered a good severance package so have taken that instead of going through the redundancy process. My employment finished on 31st December so I am now looking for a job for the first time since I left university.
So far I have created a profile on LinkedIn for the first time and have produced a first attempt at a CV. I actually did this in August when I applied for an internal position so it does need a little bit of work. I have registered at Monster but haven't finished creating a profile there. I have also sent a first email to the career transition service my former company has engaged to provide assistance.
I would value any pointers on what the best way to go about finding a job is these days.
Good luck Phil.
Try the Netherlands, they can't find enough people here :)
Got a new watch, divers watch it is, had to drown the bastard to get it!
I found Total Jobs to be the most active site by recruiters when I was looking for a job. Make sure your LinkedIn profile matches your CV so that when you apply for a job via LinkedIn you don't need to attach a copy of your CV, but can attach a cover letter instead. Always personalise your cover letter to the job. Also start connecting with recruiters on LinkedIn and turn on the switch that will flag them that you're looking for a new job.
Linkedin I find a good platform for business networking, recruitment companies use it a lot, its like a business Facebook, create a profile and connect to ex colleagues etc.
( edit, I missed your LinkedIn reference in your OP, sorry )
Cheers..
Jase
I get sent jobs through Indeed, in fact I found my present job from an Indeed email. Most of what you get sent isn't a good match but you never know and it's free.
Hi Phil
Although in schools, I have seen hundreds and hundreds of CVs, many of them shocking. If I can help with this part, PM me and we can then chat. Good luck fella.
David
Hi Phil:
I am sorry to hear your news. My brother is going through this now after 20+ years and I have been through it a couple of times in the past.
Now is the time to reach out to people. We can all be (too) proud at times, now is not the time. Get out with ex-colleagues, old clients etc. Assuming you are staying in your current industry, a lot of potential leads will be driven this way.
Linkedin is a great tool and you should really spend some time building a top profile. Look at some other profiles with big networks and copy the formatting that you like. Your profile needs real care and time to build out.
Treat the job hunt like a, well, job. I would suggest dedicating a certain amount of time each day to the grind of job hunting. 9-5 would be extensive but a couple of hours each morning and afternoon will really build out your reach.
Good luck.
I have recently recruited several people though Indeed, they seem very popular, my only moan was the lack of filtering.
I would say it is worth spending the time to get your CV loaded
i have recently started a new role as a result of a company approaching me directly on LI.
Remember that recruiters use a search tool to scan for keywords in LI profiles.
You will greatly improve you visibility by including keywords for ALL of your skills and competencies in the personal summary section at the top of your LI profile.
I am happy to assist via PM if I can
What field you work in?
You really need to get in with the agencies who are the specialists in your field and area.
What field you work in?
You really need to get in with the agencies who are the specialists in your field and area.
Reed is BIG and Total Jobs. Depending on your field there'll be a website that's best.
I was in a similar position a couple of years ago - took VR after 20+ years with the same company (though several different roles). I would suggest the following;
1. Maximise the support at the Career transition service you have been provided with - as this is usually time limited (i.e. 3 months from date of leaving). They will usually help with CVs and interview skills etc. The one I had also provided help for people changing career and/or becoming self employed / contracting etc. All useful info. They usually will also provide help with your LinkedIn profile - see #2
2. Get your LinkedIn profile sorted with a decent (read professional looking) pic etc. This doesn't have to be a copy of your CV necessarily but should be close enough to "hook" potential employers and recruiters. I've had 2 (permanent) job since I left and both were through recruiters contacting me via LinkedIn rather than from my CV on a JobSite etc. (though I did have several interviews that way too).
3. In the early stages, go to interviews even if you're not 100% interested in the job; when you've been in the same company for a long time you forget how to interview (at least I knew I had) as it's not the same going for an interview for an internal role. The experience really helped me build my confidence and try and get feedback whenever possible. Most interviews will have an element of competency based questions so prep for that - see # 4.
4. When you do get a bite, do a thorough and extensive prep on the company and role. If you get called for an interview be sure to know what they are looking for and tailor your scenarios and answers, highlighting your skills and experience that match those areas.
5. Last but not least - Be Positive! Perhaps most important and I know it's easy to say but keep your chin up.
Good Luck! :-)
I'm in a similar position at the moment so i'm following the advice here with interest.
I could see redundancy on the horizon so i've been job hunting for a while now with little success. I'm now building up a bigger network of ex-colleagues and clients on LinkedIn and refining my profile. It seems to me that despite the technology we have now the recruitment process seems to take a lot longer than before. Its incredibly frustrating but the advice to go at it with the commitment of it being a job is good advice.
Good advice above especially regarding LinkedIn. Most of our recruitment is through that channel.
I would also work up some generic competency based responses using the STAR format, so you are well prepped for interviews.
Definitely take the advice regarding competency based interviews onboard.
I had no idea what one was until I was sat in one. They probably work for certain roles in very structured/governed industries but seem ridiculously stupid for my line of work.
Be prepared to tailor your CV for each application you make. It's worth having a few people look it over too, not just the person from the transition service.
Hi,
Was in a similar position end of 2014.
Couple of questions - what do you do ? and How old are you ?
I was out of work (Financial Services - Treasury) for 11 months. I got back in through contracting.
maseman
Went through this last year after 10 years at my employer. I live in Hampshire and really wanted a local job and thought I was prepared to accept lower pay to have an easy commute. I’m a well qualified chartered accountant with a great CV so felt confident. After 6 months of LinkedIn applications, sending my CV directly to preferred employers and meeting a few local recruiters I admitted defeat. The only sniff of a local opportunity paid about a third of what I knew I could earn in London. With my confidence waning I moved my search to London. This meant accepting a 1 hour 20 minute commute each way but I decided to man up and live with it. Within 3 weeks of registering with some London recruiters I was presented with many opportunities and had numerous interviews. I’m now all sorted and found a great job that genuinely does pay three times as much as the local finance opportunity I mentioned. I’m lucky that I work from home on Mondays and I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the commute. It’s really not that bad on my train line. What I learnt in my sector is that LinkedIn is hyped up utter shite. I had not one opportunity or reply from anything on LinkedIn despite wasting many an hour on there. There really is no substitute for networking and meeting face to face with some old fashioned good quality recruitment consultants.
There will be agencies that specialise in your profession, job role or industry, it can be painful dealing with them but they do yield opportunities. Also target particular potential employers and their own vacancies/careers pages. Companies recruit differently some trawl Linked In, some use agencies, some job sites, some directly through their own recruiters and web sites.
My last ten roles, a mixture of permanent and time limited contracts:
7 x agencies that I was registered with contacted me.
1 x I answered advert in professional magazine
2 x contacted by ex-colleagues
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
some excellent advice on this thread & this in particular.Originally Posted by vagabond
only thing I can add is potential employers often prefer taking on someone in a job, not someone out of a job. So get a good answer prepared to this and focus on loyalty to previous employer, redundancy package attractive etc etc...
also make looking for a job a full time job. do not be reactive - you may be surprised that companies frequently do not respond with a "sorry not interested" any more; you just don't hear back at all, so "waiting to hear back" is a waste of time.
best of luck & let us know how you get on
Can't help or offer any advice but good luck in your job hunt Phil.
A friend of mine is an MD at a specialist recruitment agency and they trawl through Monster and Linked in searching for people to fill roles so worth putting yourself out there.
Cheers,
Neil.
My wife uses head hunters to search people for her company. One thing sticks out: a lot of people underestimate their own skills. What’s ‘normal’ for you, can be a very interesting skill for a new employer. Ask a ‘third party’ to have a look at your CV. Be honest, but don’t be shy.
Further: what Daddel has written: Dutch companies are often looking for native speakers. Most business is done across the border and are 99% in English.
Finally: without turning this into a LinkedIn Light version: what are you looking for?
Good luck with the search and keep us posted.
Menno
Thanks for all the feedback so far. I need some time to read it through then I'll answer the questions you've all asked. To add some extra info, I am 46. I have provided technical support for bridge design software for 22 years and been a senior software QA engineer for 3 years on the same software. I have a degree in mechanical engineering but have never used it in anger. My skills are is customer service, software training and more recently software testing in an agile environment. I am not in a position to relocate so am looking in the Greater Manchester area. That's because I have two children ages 9 and 5 who are at a great primary school and my wife has a full time job as a pharmacist at the main Manchester hospital.
Do you want to stay in the same industry? Do you enjoy what you do? Do you want a change of pace. Fancy self-employment/contracting? Do you have to worK? Got financial commitments? What about something completely different?
You will be a long time dead. Is it time to start enjoying life?
Last edited by Templogin; 3rd January 2018 at 18:18.
Eng. degree, software, QA, Agile, some very valuable skills there!
And bridges........the rail industry, it’s boom time.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Last edited by BillyCasper; 3rd January 2018 at 19:01.
These qualifications would get you a job overhere in a heartbeat
- - - Updated - - -
These qualifications would get you a job overhere in a heartbeat
I'm the same age as you. I took VR in 2010 after 22 years in employment with the same company (give or take privatisation and outsourcing) as I'd had enough in my industry (IT). For a few mins I thought what the hell have I done but I was happy to get out. OK, it's different with VR I appreciate but it was a good thing to do. I spoke to my wife about it and she was very supportive and I gave myself 6 months to get something. I intended to go freelance in forensic work but a month before finishing, got cold feet and started to look. 2 weeks later I'd secured a contract for 6 months doing pretty much a similar piece of work albeit more consultancy. Finished work on the Friday, started new one on the Monday
2 weeks before the end of that contract and during negotiations to go permanent, I was offered a role at a prior competitor on approximately 20% more than I'd left at my previous role. Exactly the same, finished Friday, started Monday. I'm still here 7.5 years later. I realised it wasn't the role/sector I disliked, just the rut I was in.
The advice I'd give you and has been alluded to in here is promote yourself, big yourself up. You have good skills, the ones you mention above are both valuable AND transferrable. It's a scary time but certainly for me I now realised how little I trusted myself and my abilities. You have to really get over that and opportunities will come. Just have total belief in yourself and your abilities.
I found LinkedIn a godsend when I took VR although I find it annoying these days, But I wouldn't be where I am without it. I also decided to validate some of my experience by taking exams I'd put off for years. This helped hugely
Good luck with your search.
Really sorry to hear about your situation. Some great advice on this thread. LinkedIn is definitely the way to go these days. Get your profile updated and try connecting with colleagues and acquaintances and expand your network as much as you can. Recruiters are also on there.
I would also recommend registering with agencies that are specialised in your field.
Finally, most employers also present the possibility of applying for jobs directly.
I have some first hand experience which might help.
First off you must maximise the outplacement consultant.
They all have different ways of going about their job. A good one will help you to review your future, help with a CV, give interview tips and assist you with your job search. They may even have access to a database of unadvertised vacancies. They'll also teach you about working your contacts. They are being well paid so take everything on offer.
Next, as has been said, your job now is getting a job. You need to structure this and work at it every day.
Sadly getting a job is also a numbers game. You are going to apply for a lot of jobs to get a small number of interviews. Not sure on the stats for your field but for me the expected hit rate for a first interview was 3%. That's right, for every 100 applications 3 interviews.
However the odds get better from here on in 20% for 2nd interview and 30% for job offer. But that still means a lot of applications for ever offer.
Make each application specific. If you have the skills they need make sure they are high up in your CV. Don't assume They'll know you have the skill. A low level HR person will trawl the applications and they may know nothing about the job so your CV has to reflect their ad for you to get into the maybe pile.
My advice is look at all sources that are relevant. Keep records of who you've written to. Don't hesitate to send CV's on spec to people you'd like to work for.
When you get an interview then research the company and the people you will be meeting. Make sure you know what the job is that they actually need and use the interview to tick off their needs list.
Top tip if you don't get a 2nd interview. Call after two weeks, tell them you hope they got a good person and ask for feedback. Can be hard to hear if they hired. However they may have blown out and they may still have the vacancy.
Best of luck.
Last edited by aldfort; 4th January 2018 at 09:44.
If you've used and are proficient in Agile get on the BBC job site. Media City is always after folk. Also just hop on the tram from Sale
Try Manchester airport. There is an upgrade project currently underway in Terminal 2 that has large elements of both mechanical engineering and software implementation/testing as part of the solution.
An ex colleague of mine is the client 's project manager.
Good luck with your search
Hi Phil,
are you an Agile tester?
My friend may be able to help if so.
Cheers,
Neil.
As most have said, REALLY focus on getting your linkedin profile looking good and extend that network as wide as you are able.
Also copy every word in your linkedin profile and drop it into one of the free word cloud programs on the internet. Have a look at the result and see if the stand-out words are the ones that you expect your ideal recruiters to be searching on.
If the right words aren't standing out in the cloud, tweak your profile until they do. That way you will be near the top of the list when anyone searches on the keywords that you feel are the best fit for who you are and what you are looking for.
The company I work for has various test / test manager roles they are recruiting near you. If I can help let me know.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
After 25 years take what has happened as a wonderful opportunity.
A chance to do those things you have not had time to do.
Do you want to travel ?
Do you want to spend time doing something you enjoy ?
Do you fancy a career change, doing something you have a vocation for ?
I did and it was the best thing that happened to me for years, a change of career and a big chunk paid off the mortgage.
When I eventually went back to work I had the big shock of not paying any tax for the first 2 months, which I was not expecting :-)
I can’t travel with children of 9 and 5 in primary school. I’m not sure what I want to do at the moment but am pretty much open to anything. I’m lucky that I have no financial issues for more than a year but do want to get a move on to find something sooner rather than later.
I’m going to take an hour tomorrow morning to respond to everyone else in the thread.
Please excuse the thread revival. I'm possibly looking at a career change. Some really positive info noted here. How did the OP get on?
I haven't found anything yet unfortunately.
Hi Phil,
The company I work for owns an engineering recruitment company, PM me your details.
Sorry to hear that you've not been successful yet. Is there a pattern of circumstances why you've not been asked? Distance, salary, etc. It would be interesting (for you) to find out if those parameters can be changed.
I am not good with Li, but perhaps someone here can have a look at your profile and comment on what they see/read (PM'ed would be more polite, I think...). Other people can find certain details you've overlooked!
What Daddel and I wrote in January. Come over to us. Unemployment is at an all-time low and there are new jobs every day. Employers search high and low for qualified people. We're officially running out of 'potentials' here. But you already wrote that your kids are still small. Having said that: we have tons of English speaking families living here! And, e.g. in The Hague has 4 British schools: https://www.britishschool.nl
(Everybody speaks English over here. As a matter of fact, there's a rant going on in a Dutch newspaper about waiters in Amsterdam only able to speak English! A lot of Dutch people are not amused by the fact that they have no choice than to order a coffee in English within walking distance of the Rijksmuseum... )
M
Your suggestion of moving is a good one but one I can't do. My wife has a good job, my kids are settled in school and we have my parents and my father in law (who is 92) who we need to be available for.
Have to say that's spot on - I was offered severance about 3 years ago & did just that.
Even though it can be a pain to travel to the 'outplacement service' it was worth it & really helped me get my CV & Linkedin profile in order.
I went to many interviews - did my research & came 2nd in several - which was disappointing - but I managed to remain positive.
I got an interim position within a month & a full time position after 3 - which although a step down in responsibilities was full time & secure.
This was an important consideration for me as I did not want to hold out too long & dwindle the severance package down to nought.
The outplacement service were advising me to hold out for an equivalent of my previous position, but that's a fairly small pond & could take some time to find the plum role, so I took the lesser role. It means I have a decent income - so no financial worries (I too have 2 kids in school) & I can still shop around if I tire of the current position.
It can be an unsettling period, but handled positively it may work out to be a valuable experience - it was for me.
After the initial shock it proved to be a useful revision exercise in how to sell myself - & means I'm better prepared if I choose to hit the job market again.
Best of luck !
z
Sorry to hear that Phil. All the best for future though. I hope something turns up soon for you and the family.
Posting Permissions
