Online Job Applications

15 Jun 2007

Haveing had a Reggie Perrin moment t'other day I walked into my very well payed job (was on target for ahellofalotofmoney) told em I was off and promptly walked out confused

So for the last day or 3 I have been hammering the online job sites. You know the ones where you post ya CV and sit back and wait or you apply for jobs they have posted on their web site by other companies.
Now haveing never really had to look for a job before (the last time I applied for one job only and got it) I'm new to these things but I have frequently noticed this text

admin edit

the sods get everywhere lol

Obviously people post jobs vacancies on these sites and if they recruit via the site they have to pay the site owners a comission charge so I assume they try posting their e mail addy to get past paying the site owners. (sounds familiar this :lol: ) Now the question is. Is it worth my time applying for jobs that do this as I'm unsure as to if they have any intention of recruiting via said sites due to haveing to pay the commision.
So if anyone who works in recruitment could guide me it'd be greatfully appriciated be it by PM if needs be. As to be honest if I'm waisting a whole 30 seconds attaching a CV to these applications I could easily spend my precious time in a more constructive manner such as on the golf course or even like the other day when I drove to Nottingham simply to grab a burger at Hooters because quite frankly I'd got sod all else to do :?

15 Jun 2007

nice one Sheddy :thumbup:
Have spent far too much time trawling through these sites too recently, so will watch with interest.
Mrs G x

15 Jun 2007

As a man on this site I feel it is your duty to answer every ad you see regardless of whether they are looking for someone like you. wink

Apparently its a numbers game so you may just get lucky. biggrin

15 Jun 2007

Quote by keeno
As a man on this site I feel it is your duty to answer every ad you see regardless of whether they are looking for someone like you. Apparently its a numbers game so you may just get lucky.

Sorry gotta be crude here but the cliche I prefer is...............
If ya chuck enough sh$t at the wall some of it will stick but I guess the end result is the same lol

15 Jun 2007

Quote by sheddy
I drove to Nottingham simply to grab a burger at Hooters because quite frankly I'd got sod all else to do

And why didn't you tell me.......I would have popped out for one with you, as I live around the corner from it biggrin

Dave_Notts

15 Jun 2007

Having spent the last two months running a project recruiting Sales Executives for a large 'blue-chip' Corporate I can safely say that yes, online sites work as most of their applicants have come via this route.
They are applying for a progressive role with a realistic OTE of £44k, with 30% of the sales force earning up to £65K and the top 20% over and above that. The top earner last year earned £101K. I've given this detail/context as quite often people claim the title of 'Executive' when what they really are is a shop assisant (not that there's anything wrong with that).
Before you even think about attending an interview though I'd check your attitude/approach and be very sure you're ready to justify why you just 'walked out' of your 'well paid job'. Reasons for leaving are as important as reasons for joining to me.
I tend to look for evidence of what people actually DID achieve as opposed to 'almost' or were 'on target' to achieve.
I also look for behavioural evidence of past performance - this being the best predictor of future performance.
My thoughts would therefore be 'if he was suposedly about to earn so much money and walked out of that job with no reason then he must be either stupid or have no real need to earn...' Also 'what will stop him doing it with this one after we've invested £7K training him?'
Yes I am still recruiting for them until the end of June and 'no' it's not worth asking.

16 Jun 2007

Quote by Blokes
My thoughts would therefore be 'if he was suposedly about to earn so much money and walked out of that job with no reason then he must be either stupid or have no real need to earn...' Also 'what will stop him doing it with this one after we've invested £7K training him?'

When I said I was on target for a hell of a lot of money I was refering to my yearly salary as I am only 2 months into that year but was already doing great.
Top sales last month second from top the month before, with 75% of deals being closed full up (company average is 60ish%) never had a month where I haven't smashed my target. Last months conversions were top as were the month befores and all before that were never out of the top 3. The first month I passed my exams and got my licence to deal in my paticular field I won the biggest ever cash bonus the company had offered. Though I'll admit I'm not the strongest closer I'm much to sensative for that (and not experienced enough) so my profits though above average have never been top.
As for me walking out I was going to offer my explination via PM as the circumstances may give away my identity if any ex colleges read this but then I thought well they must use the site as well so why not. When I say walked out you'll have to forgive me for a little poetic licence.
When I took the job last year I lived local to my employer due to a change in my living circumstances I have spent the last 3 to 4 months driving 110 miles a day comuteing to and from work (circumstances meant that staying local to work wasn't an option but I'm not going to explain that one in public) this at first i was quite happy to do so untill I realised that me working 10 hour days and driving an hour and a quarter each end of that was not only affecting my health (lost a stone in the last month or 2) and more importantly due to me working every saturday and sunday (as is the norm) I was makeing no time for my children as my days off were in the week if I chose to take them and they were at school then so they were suffering. All of which the company owners were aware of and suported me in everyway no matter what decision I made and last week I made my decision went into work told them I was very sorry but I wanted to leave but wanted to do so in good faith and thats what I did simple as that. We shook hands went outside for a last fag together then home I went no bad blood or malice from any party and the promise of a good referance from my employers.
As for your views on my attitude I'm certain if it had have been of the wrong type I wouldn't have achived any of the above includeing us parting on good terms. I can only guess that since you have never met me or know of my career you have guessed upon what type of attitude I have from a few tongue in cheek posts I've made refering to work, like I said sorry about the poetic licence.

Quote by Blokes
Yes I am still recruiting for them until the end of June and 'no' it's not worth asking

I wasn't about to nor would I ever ask for favours in any career as I never have done......My family own a haulage buisness and as any truck driver will tell you that when you first pass your test it's near impossible to find work. It becomes a circle of can't find anyone to let you lose with a 38 ton truck (back then, its 44 ton nowadays unless they've upped it in my absense) and risk huge inusrance premiums if ya bump it with out you haveing any experiance. But you can't gain experiance untill you have driven one for any length of time. But upon passing my test did I turn to them for work? No I didn't I went working for some piss poor firm that only employed me because they could pay me in body washers and gave me a heap of crap to drive whilst expecting me to lie under the enitre fleet on a saturday afternoon and all day sunday fixing them because he knew I was handy with a spanner. But thats what I did to get my foot in the door so no I won't ask for a job I will however say thankyou for pointing out to me that online recruiting does work (as was the point of the thread) and if you do have any tips on how I can improve my options on said subject. But as I said I will not expect nor ask for job offers off anyone least of all someone who in my eyes has offended me.
Bloody hell that was a biggy I'm not meant to be posting much and only wanted a bit of career advice, I'm off for a fag I've not typed or ranted so much bollox in ages I'm knackered lol

16 Jun 2007

Quote by sheddy
As for your views on my attitude I'm certain if it had have been of the wrong type I wouldn't have achived any of the above includeing us parting on good terms. I can only guess that since you have never met me or know of my career you have guessed upon what type of attitude I have from a few tongue in cheek posts I've made refering to work, like I said sorry about the poetic licence.
.....But as I said I will not expect nor ask for job offers off anyone least of all someone who in my eyes has offended me.

I used the word 'attitude' in the behavioural sense as opposed to the 'talk to the hand coz the face ain't listenin' sense so there really wasn't any need for you to be defensive. I wasn't attacking you in any way - you asked for advice and you got it. If you're feeling stupid or vulnerable right now because of your actions (as your first post implies) try and focus those emotions on future positive action as opposed to justification for why you should be allowed to feel the way you do.
Regardless of your motives for leaving what I said still stands.. the fact that you have only been there for two months only magnifies things - i.e. even if you were best, second, highest % closer for 2 months total - so what? Professional recruiters look for consolidated experience as opposed to 'flash in the pan' successes.
Recruitment tip :idea:
Most successful sales people are recruited against the following kind of behavioural competencies:
1. Commercial awareness
2. Planning & organisation
3. Analysis
4. Influencing
5. Negotiation
6. Problem solving
7. Resilience
8. Personal motivation
Good luck and I hope your next interview goes well. If I've offended you with my comments you'll sure need to toughen up if you want to survive/succeed in a sales role for any period of time (see 7.).

16 Jun 2007

Quote by In the 6th month of 2007 sheddy
When I took the job last year

Quote by Blokes
the fact that you have only been there for two months only magnifies things -

I have plenty of experience otherwise I wouldn't even attempt to apply for jobs above my weight.
I'm not gonna post my entire CV on here but suffice to say it includes years of sales experiance in one form or another. smile

But non the less thanks for the advice biggrin

16 Jun 2007

Quote by sheddy
I'm not gonna post my entire CV on here but suffice to say it includes years of sales experiance in one form or another.

Great - then you'll have lots of evidence of all of the above competencies and don't need advice from any of us then.

16 Jun 2007

Sheddy. I've been in Recruitment for 4 years and yes - online recruiting does work. It is pretty much the only form I use now for finding my candidates as the local papers don't seem to work for me and the jobcentre is so full of rules and legislation it's unreal (eg. I was threatened with court action for saying the candidate had to speak German - for a German Tememarketing role rolleyes

) Anyway, I digress. If you want any help at all (I can't promise but I can try) then my pm box is open.
*Her*

16 Jun 2007

Sheddy, you know my work background and I can say that yes, the on line recruitment is the way forward and it definately works. So many companies are now restricting their recruitment processes to on line only (I do know that this is presently being looked at as a form of discrimination, but thats another discussion).
The charging is not an issue with most companies, because it saves them a small fortune in the sifting they would have to do. They are willing to pay the agency to do the work for them, and any agency who is worth bothering with, wouldn't allow 'inappropriate' applications/CV's to be submitted to the company because in the long run, it will damage their reputation/income.
Personally, it is 30 seconds well spent, uploading and sending, but go for the more reputable agencies. Good luck.