why cant i get a job?

I had a similar problem. Maybe you should try and access the manager when you go to pick up an application form....and TALK TO THE CURRENT STAFF. If you know which type of people got the job....u'll know what you need to be like/act like/present of yourself. Trust me in retail it ain't exactly mensa or people running round with PhDs and i think that they might be put off by such qualifications.

There is a reason: 1)The type of person is generally not interested anyway
2) Not suitable

I personally felt like qualifications at GCSE etc. were putting people off. For retail etc, the store doesn't need an expert, they need someone who can speak to customers about products happily, the slight arrogance of 'lazy' people helps with confidence sometimes....i think this is the problem....cos if your too hard working your just a groupie....nobody likes a groupie!!!

Reply 21

Micropanic

hyuuga

I had a similar problem. Maybe you should try and access the manager when you go to pick up an application form....and TALK TO THE CURRENT STAFF. If you know which type of people got the job....u'll know what you need to be like/act like/present of yourself. Trust me in retail it ain't exactly mensa or people running round with PhDs and i think that they might be put off by such qualifications.

There is a reason: 1)The type of person is generally not interested anyway
2) Not suitable

I personally felt like qualifications at GCSE etc. were putting people off. For retail etc, the store doesn't need an expert, they need someone who can speak to customers about products happily, the slight arrogance of 'lazy' people helps with confidence sometimes....i think this is the problem....cos if your too hard working your just a groupie....nobody likes a groupie!!!

I might be getting at the wrong end of the stick here, but are you saying that no-one likes a person who works hard?

As in, no-one likes a person who studies hard for school?

Reply 22

NickNack

1

Micropanic

You said, when talking to people you feel under pressure?

Perhaps, this is because youre not a very social person?

Some people find that it helps when they talk to themselves in a mirror, so for instance you could stand in front of a mirror and explain why you would be good for the shelf stacking job (Just an example :smile:

)

Remember, the few important rules that I can remember right now:

Don't fidget damnit
Don't keep looking around, keep looking at the interviewer, that doesn't mean to look into his/her eyes. Look around his/her eyes instead or look over the top of their head :smile:

Speak confidently and in a clear voice.

I learned these skills, when I volunteered to be a mentor in Secondry school.

All of these skills can be learned infront of the mirror.

Good luck! :biggrin:

Grades can give u an edge, but when i applied, went for and passed my interview at marks&spencers a week ago for a full time job, not once did they asked what grades i had or subjects i was doing - just where i was at the time (finishing A2s). For a cashier/sales floor person its virtually all going to come down to the interview. Great u have 5As at alevels in maths, 3 sciences and english, in ur 3rd year of a maths degree, but a well-trained ape can operate a till. Theyre after some1 whos friendly and will make their customers feel welcome - their not employing a phd to sit at a till, their employing you

so force urself to do the above, plus:

Smile, say Hi/Bye
Shake their hand at beginning AND end
Talk to the interviewer not the floor, but DONT stare - glances to the side every now and then are fine -
Remember you havent got the job, so if Qs are asked or u want to ask something, say "if i get the job" or something like that
Be honest
Be smart - wear a suit/tie, polished shoes, brush ur hair, hands out of pockets, and for god sake use deodorant :cool:

Dont fold your arms, just clasp your hands in ur lap - ull appear more relaxed
And for GOD sake, ir u need to cough or sneeze dont splurt it all over the interviewer :p:

everyone gets nervous at interviews, nd im a very shy, self conscious, quiet guy usually, but using all these sorts of things i fake confidence and in 2 years ive applied for, and had 2 jobs. So read all this, BELIEVE it to be true, and at ur next interview FORCE urself to do all of it - it does and will feel slightly unnatural depending on the kind of person u are, nd ur mouth will be very dry by the end, but tell urself when u go in that u have an interview therefore uve all but bagged the job :biggrin:

goodluck

Reply 23

Apricot Fairy

16

When I got my first job, I'd just started sixth form college, and I had 6 A*s, 4 As and 2 Bs at GCSE under my belt, so I don't think employers automatically turn you down for having qualifications.

I applied for a job in a garden centre coffee shop. They were absolutely desperate for staff. I soon found out why - the pay was £3.60 an hour! They asked me what experience I had and I told them my grandparents ran a bed and breakfast in North Devon and I quite often helped out serving breakfast to the guests and making the early morning tea. This was true, but there was no way of proving it either way, so anyone could say that. I started working in September.

At Christmas, I decided I needed a bit more money, so I walked into a local restaurant and asked them if they had any seasonal work. I explained that I already had a job in a coffee shop, but as I was on holiday I was looking for a few more hours. They gave me a trial and soon I was doing 3 or 4 shifts per week.

In January the work in the restaurant ran out but I had saved up some money and decided to quit the job in the coffee shop anyway, as I was sick of working there and had just got together with my boyfriend, so I had better things to do with my Saturdays. I had a few months off, whilst keeping an eye open for another job.

In April I saw an ad at college for waitresses in a local pub, for £5 an hour plus tips. I thought that sounded pretty good, so I went in and was able to say that I'd worked in a coffee shop and a posh restaurant, so I had plenty of experience. I worked there for almost a year.

Just before I did my A-levels I decided to take a gap year, so I applied for an office job. When I was writing my CV, I included my grades, but also wrote about the other jobs I'd had and how each one had helped me develop professional skills. I concluded by saying how my grades showed I was literate, numerate and capable of doing the technical side of the job, whilst my employment history had allowed me to develop my organisational and inter-personal skills. About six weeks later they invited me to interview and I had to attend an assessment day along with seven other candidates. I had to do a maths test, a written exercise, a spoken group exercise to test communication skills and the ability to work in a team, and finally a formal interview. I dressed smartly, got a good night's sleep, and prepared well for the interview. Two days later I was offered the job.

After my A-levels I phoned up another pub which was within walking distance (because my family were away and I couldn't drive) and asked them if they had any work. By then I'd worked in a coffee shop, a restaurant and another pub, so I had plenty of experience.

These are the things I have learnt from applying for jobs:

* Tailor your CV to suit the job you are applying for. If you're applying for a job in a shop, think what skills you have which are particularly relevant and emphasise these. If you're applying for a job in a restaurant, you might want to change it slightly to put the emphasis on different skills and experiences.

* Big yourself up. Exaggerate. Make your past experiences seem more useful and more relevant than they actually are. But get someone to read it and make sure you're not coming across as an arrogant know-it-all, and even more importantly, DON'T LIE.

* Brush up on your interview technique. Talking in the mirror is always good. Maybe a friend, teacher or member of your family would also be prepared to give you a mock interview.

* Go into Sainsbury's and pick up an application form. If I recall, they've got pages and pages of stupid questions such as "describe an occasion where you worked as part of a team" or "give an example of when one of your ideas was used successfully" etc. Spend some time writing out perfect answers to these questions which don't sound too silly and memorise them. People will probably ask you similar things in interviews.

* Make sure you know why you want the job and what skills you can offer them. Then make sure you get this across in the interview.

Feel free to PM me if you'd like any personal advice.

Hope this helps :smile:

Reply 24

hyuuga

Micropanic

I might be getting at the wrong end of the stick here, but are you saying that no-one likes a person who works hard?

As in, no-one likes a person who studies hard for school?

Nah, I mean the pushover type. A manager may appreciate that you do everything they say but it gets boring after a little while... you tend never to exceed expectations cos your too scared to try something different.

Interview techniques, in addition to above: I went through one interview with my elbows on my knees leaning forward, it was fine. Its not just that you have to pretend your comfortable, you have to be comfortable too. A person will come across well if they speak clearly...because you need to be like that with customers.

why cant i get a job?

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