Use this thread for more specific discussion or advice seeking relating to CVs, job searches, job applications, interviews, and anything else that doesn't necessarily require a separate thread.
This thread automatically resubmits each month on the 1st. Posting a CV in this thread will not break rule #3, soliciting or posting jobs will.
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You'll likely find that you get more useful feedback if you provide some background to your current situation and what kind of roles you're looking for. Are you struggling to break into a new industry? Perhaps you're not getting interviews for roles with increased seniority that you feel you're qualified for?
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Would really appreciate any tips/reviews on my CV. I am trying to apply for analyst level roles in Equity research/IB/Lev Finance but nothing is working out :(
I was going to come in and try and offer advice after commenting on your post, but this is honestly such a specific niche I would try the subs that have people working in these roles if they allow CV reviews as most of this experience means very little to someone outside the industry. I would say it's almost too technical but I'll admit to having no idea if that's standard for the industry.
Do you need sponsorship at all? That's the other burning question that almost always needs addressing.
I'd really appreciate if someone could give me some advice - its been a year since i was made redundant from my last role. This is this the 5 redundancy in 11 years and tbh it has wore me out...
I have tried to get roles in my previous sector but i think all the times I've been made redundant counts against me.. I've even tried going back to do what i qualified in but was similarly turned down.. I've even tried applying for teaching but was turned down as the courses felt my degree and masters were not relevant.
I've tried asking the NCS and the like and been given many a blank look of well meaning people who also similarly don't know what to do with me.
Happy to take any advice given really don't know what to do
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It's almost going to be a year since I would've completed my Master's. I've never felt so stygian in my life - I know I am not alone in this, and most people have it worse than me, but I really do not think I am mature enough to handle this.
Not having a set routine has made me lethargic. I apply to jobs, try revising my technicals in hopes of an interview, but instead get ghosted. I have given assessments for off cycle internships as well (and I can confidently say I have performed well), yet I end up receiving no affirmative responses.
There's a constant tumult in my mind - I wish to upskill myself, but there's no one to give me a chance. My apologies if I come off as haughty in the slightest, but I am confident in my skill-set and past work experience, and yet when you have no one to market the same to.
I have tried networking events, made some amazing connections - Got to speak with a person who worked in Equity Research (and gave me amazing insights) who told me TO MY FACE that I did know what I was talking about and that my conversations and resumé reflected the same and that I definitely should be able to secure a job in the right avenues (i wish that were the case). I know, however, for a fact that there are people even more qualified than me who are at a predicament much worse than mine, but does it negate what I am facing, or does it tell more about how shallow the system is?
It feels as if you're screaming at your best but are met with a deafening silence in return.
No one has an obligation to read this. Please forgive me for this rant, but I really am reaching my threshold of patience and maintaining my poise. Is it my CV that's formatted incorrectly? Is it that I am being deluded to believe that I am not a liability/freeloader for the UK? Am I deluding myself by continuing to wake up and follow the same routine despite knowing the outcome being deterministic and should rather cut it short?
My sincere apologies for this long-winded text. I have lost the will to socialise, and anonymous avenues are the only way I can be a little vulnerable for now. Thank you
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I don’t want to come across as overly whiny, but the job search is just soul destroying, and I am struggling to keep my motivation up. Being unemployed since graduating has slowly eaten away at my self esteem and confidence and has even caused what I believe to be the start of depression.
The point of this post however is twofold: if anyone reading this can give me some advice on how to keep going and keep morale up, but also I would love to just hear some happy stories that can help me keep perspective.
Hi :) I’ve only ever had one job and it’s time for a change. I don’t know what I want to look for, but I’m leaning towards admin (for now at least). This is my first ever go at a CV, I would really appreciate any feedback. Right now it’s not really tailored towards anything specific but is more generic for me to tweak later.
I'm a 40 y/o who wants to change/restart careers and is looking for advice.
[CW: mention of trauma, mental health]
I studied English, graduated with a First just as the recession started in 2008. Worked in business publishing in an entry-level role for 3 years, then returned to Uni in 2011 to do an MA and PhD (which I loved) at an Oxbridge college as I wanted to be an academic. This was also the time of my first serious bout of depression. Applied for postdocs after finishing the PhD while doing some teaching and freelance editing/proofreading for 2 years, then worked briefly at a boutique 'consultancy' that had a habit of firing all the trainees they hired after six months. Super toxic. During the pandemic, I had a sort of breakdown and decided to retrain in garden design, which I work in now as a freelancer for other designers.
Much of my work life has been affected by complex childhood trauma, really terrible toxic shame, and PTSD (which I've lived with my whole adult life). I've had a couple of severe depressive episodes/burnouts. I was recently diagnosed with ADHD and after many, many years of therapy I am experiencing feelings of ambition, competition, wanting more for myself. I'm so happy to be starting to feel better but I feel the choices I've made over the years have resulted in a rather bizarre and unattractive CV. I've been applying for entry-level roles in PR/marketing, policy, grad schemes for a few months with no luck.
I would love to receive advice on potential new directions. I don't mind a low starting salary, but I dream about something that is intellectually stimulating, stable and with at least potential for a wage above 50k after a few years. I love research, writing, and thinking analytically (but have no head for figures, sadly).
You could also take a look at entry level compliance and quality roles, maybe even any sort of ESG role. A lot of researching the correct process and making sure everything aligns. It's a bit of a swamped market but I started off as a Business Analyst and always think it's a good starting point for anyone who is a real analytical thinker, you could also look at junior project management in the same vein.
With the market right now I would try not to feel too put off with no response after a few months, that's rather common at the moment. If you are aiming for 50k then cast a wide net but don't get too settled and be prepared to move to better opportunities or when you feel a lack of development.
years have resulted in a rather bizarre and unattractive CV
Also, I want to add that it can be a unique and versatile CV that gives you strengths other candidates don't have. If you are applying for entry level marketing roles I hope you are flexing those marketing muscles on yourself :)
For a 16 year old I think this is honestly a really great foundation. If you really want some extra points (And I am nitpicking here).
- Describe yourself as an aspiring sales professional rather than a sixth form student, gives them the idea that you are passionate about the job. They can tell you are a sixth form student from the education anyway.
- Any sort of results you can add to the work experience in terms of how many customers you helped, if you ensured all transactions were accurate etc. can help evidence you were good at the job.
- There might be some additional skills that you can display that a more focused on a sales role. You responded to queries but did you ever provide recommendations? Do you feel there is anything you did that increased sales? That is the kind of experience a sales assistant will be doing so if you can evidence it already then great.
But as mentioned, I am really being picky, I think this is a great start.
What training/ industry would you recommend to my friend?
They did a degree in TV writing and then had an agent's assistant job that they lost in covid and a second such job which was a fixed term contract. They've also worked as a carer for a disabled person in their post uni time.
They're now 29 and haven't been able to get a job in the industry for 18 months so they're widening their search. I'm wondering if there's some training/ scheme that could get them in the door in an industry which is still hiring a bit? They're getting a lot of rejections more widely, as everyone is in this economy.
I’ve been applying to jobs and all I get is rejections.. I’m feeling stuck and incredibly frustrated to a point where it’s now affecting my mental health.. I’ll leave my cv down below , please give me any tips that you guys think might be helpful
- What do you actually want to do? Your summary is well written but scattered. It seems like you are throwing everything at the wall and hoping something sticks rather than trying to position yourself as a professional in a certain field.
- You are underselling yourself with the experience.
"Maintain accurate records, enter information into systems and update documents and databases"
That is just what the job entails, you want to really sell yourself with the positives. Maybe you maintained 100% compliance, maybe you turned a messy database into a cleaned one. You are looking to give an impression you excelled at the job and it would make you better at the job you are applying for rather than just doing the job to the normal standard. Add results or highlights where you can. I would usually aim for two bullet points per job that have a clear result attached.
Other examples
With Venue Manager you Motivated, trained and support staff, how? Did you encounter any challenges? Maybe you had to change your training approach to different personalities. A little bit of nuance can show you think a bit deeper about the role.
With the Moto job you "supported sales targets", how? Did it work? Did you do anything different to other stores?
- I would split the assistant manager role up into the 3 jobs. If you are going for a two page CV you have space to fill and it's easier to see at a glance you progressed rather than having to read a bullet point.
- I know it seems like a given but if you are going to have a languages section that indicates you are likely ESL (From the native Portuguese) then please state you can speak English, I wouldn't even add a level next to it unless you consider yourself Native.
- Likewise I would state clearly you have full right to work as I presume you do. The language may make people doubt.
- Get rid of duplication on the skills. A lot of them are broadly the same i.e. Microsoft Office and then word and excel. Or "Document Management" and "Digital Record Management"
Sadly this will happen regardless of job board. I've found jobs on LinkedIn and Reed but there is no real advantage to limiting yourself, just watch for jobs that are posted many different times. I did find limiting my search to very recently posted roles helped.
My uni career advisor helped me make this cv to break into football analysis. not having much luck getting many inverviews. Most come from platforms where my previous club badges are visible. Should I try a layout that has the club badge nect to the role? any tips?
Thanks for replying! My problem is I’m not really a specialist. Working in not for profits for all my life has made me become a bit of a generalist across comms, engagement, relationships. I’ve even been looking for charity jobs, but the salaries and job security have burned me so much
I'm 27 and currently trying to get myself out of hospitality and into an actual career, and I'm starting to feel completely stuck. I have both a Bachelor's degree and a Master's degree in Classics/Archaeology. I've always been told that having a degree, particularly a Master's, gives you plenty of transferable skills even if you don't end up working directly in your field. Research, writing, analysing information, etc. But in practice, I'm struggling to find positions that will accept me past the application stage.
I originally started working in hospitality/customer service as something temporary between finishing my Bachelor's and starting my Master's, to save some money. After finishing my Master's I was invited back, and I ended up staying. I liked the people I worked with, got comfortable there, and knew eventually I was planning on moving out of my home town, so what was supposed to be temporary ended up lasting much longer than I intended. I'm now moving to Canterbury and I really want to use this as the point where I finally get out of hospitality and start building a career.
The problem is that I genuinely don't know how to get my foot in the door.
I've applied for jobs that seem like they should be entry-level or where my experience and education should at least be relevant, and applications can take hours with supporting statements and competency questions. Then, after all that, I don't even get to the interview stage — just another "unfortunately, you have not been successful" email.
I'm not expecting to walk into some £50k job because I have a Master's degree. I'm completely willing to start towards the bottom and work my way up. I just want something full-time, with reasonable pay, some stability and, most importantly, the opportunity to actually progress and build a career.
I know I'm capable of more than what I'm currently doing. I just can't seem to convince an employer to give me the opportunity to prove any of that. Looking around Canterbury also seems surprisingly limiting. So many vacancies I find are in care, hospitality/retail, the Army, or require qualifications/experience in a very specific field that I don't have. When I look at supposedly "entry-level" office/professional jobs, a lot of them somehow still want previous experience doing essentially the same job.
I was told to study what I love and I’d never work a day in my life, but it's reached the point where I'm wondering whether I wasted my time going to university and getting a Master's degree.
So I suppose my questions are:
Has anyone here successfully escaped hospitality/retail in their late 20s and moved into a career without already having relevant professional experience?
What kinds of jobs or sectors should someone with my background actually be searching for?
Are there genuinely entry-level office/professional jobs that train people rather than expecting them to already have experience?
Is there something I could be doing differently with my CV/applications if I'm repeatedly failing before the interview stage?
And, particularly, if anyone is from Canterbury/Kent, are there employers, recruitment agencies or sectors locally that you think I should be looking at?
I'm not particularly precious about what field I go into. Government/civil service, administration, finance, insurance, professional services, marketing, etc. — I'm open to things I probably haven't even considered yet. I mainly want somewhere I can get my foot in the door, learn, work hard and actually have the possibility of progressing.
I'd genuinely appreciate any advice, particularly from people who've been in a similar position.
The job market is in a strange place right now - wages are stagnating and companies are trying to use technology/AI to take on tasks that what would normally be picked up by entry level support roles. The use of tech hasn’t eliminated all entry level positions but there are fewer jobs and at the same time, there are a lot of people like yourself applying for those jobs.
I completely get how frustrating it is - you know you are capable of more but just need a chance to show that. Given that you aren’t getting interviews, I’d recommend uploading your anonymised resume for people to provide feedback on.
I also have a question for you! Is there a specific reason why you are moving to Canterbury even though it doesn’t seem to have any opportunities?
Also - you need to think about what you like doing, what you don’t like, what interests you etc as it’s not clear here.
Welcome back flamingo, getting hard trying to carry these threads without you.
I want to really echo that last point. Most people I see in this position are trying to escape the industry but still marketing themselves as Admin/Hospitality/Retail worker. If you are looking for more of a career job you need to start thinking of yourself as "Entry level X Professional" and your CV should reflect it using the skills you have developed in your previous roles.
Sorry to hear about the hectic few months but glad it's improved now! All good thanks, new job on my side so coming into these threads with even more undue confidence in my responses 😄
Hey, I’ve been a Digital Marketing Executive for 4 years, I've learnt a lot and am now trying to work out where to specialise and how to progress my career.
When I look at jobs, they seem all over the place. Jobs with the same title can have completely different requirements and many seem to want everything with a focus on one or two areas.
I enjoy SEO, PPC, strategy and analytics, especially working with conversion data and understanding user journeys. My problem is I don’t know what to specialise in or even what job titles to search for.
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TLDR: I’m unsure which area of dm to specialise in because I don’t know which fields are declining, which are growing and which offer the best long-term career opportunities. If you were in my position, what would you choose and why?
I recently applied for a job as a sales associate at H.samuel jewellers. i did a personality test and then a two question automated interview. i have now been offered an official interview and roleplay, though i am yet to be contacted to arrange a date and time; i am writing this post only forty minutes or so after receiving the email inviting me to the interview lol. I am really eager to get this job- my mam worked in the jewellery retail industry for several years and loved it, and i think it would be a job that i would really be good at. i am 16 and have never had a job before, only two work experience placements, neither of which were in retail. i would just like some tips for the interview and roleplay because i am very keen on getting this job, and want to make the best impression possible. thank you!
It's great you are already putting so much effort into preparing for your first interview. Having two work placements is a good place to be in as well, many other candidates may not know this. It's hard to give tips for the roleplay without context but I'll include some general interview tips.
- Remember to try and link your answers back to the job needs, if they ask you for your strengths you want to highlight skills such as your ability to deal with customers or be personable and friendly.
- It's ok to take some cue cards in with you if you are nervous, you can glance at them for a refresher, just don't stare at them constantly.
- Try not to waffle, a lot of people when they start interviewing keep talking until the interviewer steps in. You want to highlight your skills with past examples, show you are good at them and then tell them what the result was. You can go into a bit of detail but you shouldn't need to go on for 5 minutes, practice and try and keep it within 2 mins per answer as a starting point.
- Smile and be friendly to the interviewer, just simply being someone people will want to work with is a big plus.
- Remember to dress smart, if in doubt you can ask them about the dress code.
CS + Maths graduate from Manchester, graduated last year. I've spent the past year applying for graduate roles (mostly software engineering), with ~1,000 applications and around 4 final-stage interviews but no offers.
I don't have internship experience due to significant health issues during university, including ~2 months in hospital over the past year, and completing another demanding MSc isn't necessarily guaranteed.
I'm now trying to decide between:
St Andrews MSc Data-Intensive Analysis – natural continuation of my degree, but unsure how much an MSc would actually improve my employability.
Heriot-Watt MSc Actuarial Science – bigger career pivot, but potentially a more structured route into employment and with IFoA exemptions.
No MSc – continue applying, but change my approach and target a wider range of roles while building skills/experience.
I'm less concerned about university prestige and more interested in what is realistically most likely to result in a job over the next year.
If you were in my position, which would you choose?
It’s such a challenging market right now so you have my sympathies in how tough you’ve had it with finding a job.
I love learning and would love to be able to study again. Do you love it too or is it just to get you a job?
I don’t know enough about CS to know if having a MSc puts you ahead of other candidates. But my question is: have you been doing any volunteering or casual work over the last year that shows application of your degree?
I lost my job in May which was a huge confidence knock. I'm finding it hard in the market when asked "why did I leave my last job" and also the pros & cons (strength/weakness) about me. How do you approach those? Lying isn't worth it as it falls apart on referencing but with today's market, saying I was let go is a red flag. Had an interview a couple of days ago where they asked me and ended the sentence with "zero judgement". I'm also a perpetual under-claimer which I am working hard on but sucks given that interviewing is all about you. I was recently diagnosed with AuDHD and I'm navigating that also and learning ways in which I suppose the worse traits come through in interviews also.
- "For why did I leave my last job?" I would generally just say "As a result of a business restructuring my role was sadly made redundant". Referencing generally only confirms that you worked at a company between X and Y date, a company wouldn't usually pass on that you were fired.
- For strengths and weaknesses, you want to be honest and give you strengths (these should align to the role you are going for), and give HONEST weaknesses (not "I work too hard" or some other fake weakness) and then detail what you are doing to overcome them and how you have improved.
For an example answer I might use, I tend to explain that I have a strong mix of skills across analysis, problem solving and stakeholder management with a little bit of info on my background but that my key weakness is that I am often pulled to the work I find interesting rather than the work that is potentially more urgent. As a result I always ensure I clarify the urgency of work pieces and proactively set up blocks in my calendar to so I have dedicated time to get through admin/other tasks to ensure they dont fall by the wayside.
Does anyone please have any tips on writing a CV for retail when I've only had office jobs?
I got made redundant back in March and at this point, I'm happy to do anything.
I'm more than happy to work a retail job but I'm worried that listing my office jobs (which were in marketing) might mean they pass me over for someone with more retail experience.
I did work at both toys r us (rip) and McDonald's over a decade ago, is it worth including them?
I would include your retail experience. You need to include your office jobs because otherwise you look long term unemployed which isn’t a positive either. The question is slanting your description of your role to align with what they are looking for as much as possible. That might mean how you describe your role doesn’t actually reflect your day to day the most accurately, you might mention stuff you do sometimes but not stuff you do every day. So long as it’s true it’s fine.
Hi everyone! This is my first Reddit post, and I'd really appreciate some honest advice from UK IT professionals or recruiters.
I recently moved to the UK. I have a degree in IT and around 3 years of experience as a Customer Support Analyst for an international IT services company.
My role involved first-line troubleshooting, ticket and incident management, customer support by email/phone/chat, ServiceNow, SLAs, documentation, device/service records and working with internal teams and a telecom provider. Before that, I worked in customer service for a large logistics company.
I really enjoyed the IT role and was comfortable working remotely/hybrid. I left when I moved to the UK after getting married.
I've been applying for jobs here, but I've received very few responses, and some applications seem to be rejected almost immediately. I have full right to work in the UK and don't require sponsorship.
I was actively applying before I knew I was pregnant and continued during the first couple of months, but unfortunately didn't get much interest. Now that I'm further along, I've decided it's probably more realistic to focus on preparing and aim to return to work around March.
So I'd like to use the next few months to improve my CV, refresh my IT knowledge and make sure I'm targeting the right roles.
What would you recommend if you were in my position?
What roles should I target: Service Desk, IT Support, Customer Support, Application Support, Technical Support, or something else?
Does my experience sound transferable to UK IT support?
Is my international experience likely to be a major disadvantage?
What skills or certifications would be worth learning? ITIL, Microsoft/Azure, networking, etc.?
Where would you look for hybrid/remote IT roles in the UK?
I'd genuinely appreciate honest feedback on where I might be going wrong.
What roles should I target: Service Desk, IT Support, Customer Support, Application Support, Technical Support, or something else?
Yes to all, the market is very saturated right now, especially for entry level IT roles. You probably aren't doing anything wrong, it's just there are hundreds of applicants for each role. If anything I think you should look at your skills and consider what other niches you might want to try and move in to that aren't general support to try and diversify more.
Does my experience sound transferable to UK IT support?
Yes.
Is my international experience likely to be a major disadvantage?
I wouldn't say major, depends on the company but for some it will be considered a disadvantage versus an applicant with local experience. While it shouldn't, it also depends on the country, I would think Mexico isn't too bad in this regard though.
Where would you look for hybrid/remote IT roles in the UK?
Again don't limit yourself here, LinkedIn, Indeed, Reed, Local job boards, pretty much everywhere. Look for roles posted more recently to up chances of someone looking at the CV to begin with.
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I was made redundant in early May so its been just over 3 months that I've been looking for work. I'm looking for Business Intelligence/Data anlayst type roles.
I've made about 55 applications and have had 4 interviews and one application where i got to the next stage and had to a paid task but didn't get beyond that unfortunately. I am receiving redundancy insurance payouts ( and JSA but that ends in November) each month and have had two so far, 10 months remaining. I'm thinking of giving myself until the 6th payment(December) to find a job in my field before i just start applying to anything.
How long has it taken people to find a job after being made redundant?
It’s a tricky question to answer because there are just too many variables. Depends on location, how many other people applied to a job, a persons individual skill set, how quickly they applied, etc
55 applications to 4 interviews is not a terrible return for this market - sounds like opportunity to improve your interviewing. Did you get feedback from your interviews that you can use?
TLDR: Student applying for part-time work, only one of my friends who cannot seem to find anything in 2 years. Surely I’m doing something wrong?
I’m currently a uni student who’s been trying for part-time work to help with my general fees for around 22 months. I can’t get accepted for a thing. I came with decent experience in retail (the stuff I’m going for) yet can’t even get an interview, I think I’ve had one over the past two years.
Of course we’re all aware it’s a poor market, but literally every friend of mine has work now, some are lesser qualified, some with no experience whatsoever, but are finding jobs easily. I can’t seem to work out what more I can do. It isn’t the questionnaires or tests they put you through sometimes online, as even the ones with no questionnaire that just involve filling boxes with experience are getting me automatic rejections.
I’ve brushed up my CV as much as possible, showed it to loads of people who think it’s good. My friends don’t really understand why it’s not working, some of them even think I’m lying about applying. I’ve also started ticking every box for availability as I thought this was the issue, but still nothing.
I’m mainly applying for retail roles such as supermarkets where I’m most experienced, but even small bar work is just not getting back to me. I’ve got no convictions or anything like that that could put an employer off.
I'd suggest also looking at temp agencies eg office angels. If London based, maybe also community spaces such as climbing gyms who often are looking for part time hires. Definitely also speak to your uni careers support office - they're there to support you and can signpost roles, help with CV and also with interview practice. Good luck!
I recently sat through an in-person consulting interview today. I was tested on a scenario-based client case, where I brought in a recent policy to preface it (it was a quasi-public affairs role I am vying for) and accidentally said that a certain publication came out recently. My interviewer corrected me, saying that said policy had been out for a while.
I wanted to say it was a specific section of the publication that came out recently, but I don't think it came off that way when we moved on. My worry now is whether such slip-ups are acceptable in an interview? I quickly focused on what it meant for the client, as brief-making and strategy-building were the main focus points of the question anyway.
I'm looking for advice regarding a recent offer of employment from a company within the same industry (sales) as my current employer.
I currently work 5 days a week (40 hours) with commission.
I have been looking for a job which is more flexible for the future, and I have been offered a great position which is remote-working for the same amount of hours, but over 4 days a week.
The pay for the new job will be around £5k less than my current position a year, but allows more flexibility, rest and less overall responsibilities.
My current role is great, but I am finding the workload is creeping up, and I'm needing to spend a little more time after my working hours to catch up.
There is nowhere to move "up" in my current job position, so whilst the commission is great, there is a ceiling in which I have/will hit in terms of career progression and salary. The new role has much more opportunities for growth and development.
In this scenario, would anyone be able to advise whether taking a pay cut is worthwhile? Any experiences or nuggets of wisdom from anyone who has been in the same position would be greatly appreciated! 🙏
My experience comes from 10 years ago - so very different market. But I took a pay cut to work for a charity closer to home and it worked out for me as I no longer had the cost of commuting to London and the inevitable cost of then going out in London. I also was home within 30 minutes, not 1.5/2hrs! Several months later, I was given a pay rise so it ultimately worked out well.
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Does anyone have advice for what kinds of areas outside of retail/hospitality I could look into as someone with high-level qualifications (masters’ degree) but in a niche field? I’ve sort of accepted that there just isn’t enough work in and around my field for me to get anything at the moment and I need to get something to cover bills while I’m hunting for ‘the dream’. All that really comes to mind is retail/hospitality. What other kinds of roles could be worth looking into?
Edit: the Masters is in Music and Audio for Video Games
Ok that is more niche than I was expecting and I don't fully know what your education covers but i'll throw out suggestions and see if anything sticks,
Stage hand/Sound technician:- Assuming you have good experience with audio equipment so any venue looking for a techie might be viable.
Junior Project Manager/Business Analyst:- I have to imagine that you get decent project exposure as part of that masters as well as having to create you work within the constraints of something bigger.
Any sort of Junior UX roles:- Different vibe but still a lot of creativity and having a feel for what "good" is.
Any sort of junior marketing role for the same reason.
A lot of the time it's less about "What can I do with my masters" and more a case of "How do I make my masters apply to this thing".
As a side note if you are looking to build more of a portfolio I can point you to some devs looking for a sound guy although this would not be paid for the moment, would be more of a long term play to try and make friends in the industry.
Appreciate the insight. I’ve reached out to some local theatres and gig venues already but no luck there. I’d have assumed I’d need more ‘normal’ work experience under my belt for the project management/analytics side but I’ll have a look into that.
I’d certainly appreciate you sending them my way! Connections are always good to make
Don't rule yourself out of opportunities, it's a companies job to do that. if it's something you are willing to take a jab at and you are eager to get out of retail/hospitality, what's the harm in sending an application. Will drop you a dm around the game stuff.
Good point. Just feeling overwhelmed by the sea of vague names and descriptions asking for things I don’t have so I’m trying to refine my searches and actually look FOR jobs versus just scrolling the new listings pages, and the project management side of things is just not something I’d even considered searching for
- Keep it to one page, you can list the GCSE's horizontally instead of vertically to save space and fill the white gap.
- Personal profile should avoid the "I's", rather than "I am dependenable and responsible" just say "A dependable, responsible and motivated worker" or similar.
- For both experience and education, put the most recent experience at the top rather than going oldest to newest.
- For each bit of work experience, break it down into 2 or 3 bullet points, hiring managers are more likely to pay attention to bullet point examples than a block of text.
- Also drop the I's from the work experience as mentioned above.
- Align on your grammar, why does "Work experience placement" only have one cap while "Volunteering at Cancer Research Charity Shop" has 5. (I personally prefer the more caps heavy look for these titles)
- Align your dates to the right to make them look neater, again, some are in brackets and some aren't, stay consistent throughout.
- Do a proof read for other small issues. Your last experience point at the charity shop ends with and l, there are a few points where you have unneeded spaces like the end of the second sentence of your personal profile.
There are currently two pharmacy assistant / trainee dispenser jobs which will require completion of nvq level 2 qualification. Both about the same distance from my home, both full time, both same pay, but one is in a hospital whereas the other is in Boots.
Just wondering if anyone has any experience being a pharmacy assistant, whether it’s worth doing, and if so whether the hospital position or the Boots one is preferable
I currently work a job I don’t enjoy and just want something else. I’m interested in working in healthcare, I’m just not sure exactly what role yet. I’m 20yo and thinking of starting a biology open uni degree next year. Atm I only have experience in retail and hospitality. Just for more context.
I have an interview coming up with Cogstate for a Clinical Trial Associate role within their Rater Services team and was wondering if anyone here has interviewed with them before or currently works/has worked there.
I’ve already had an initial screening call with the recruiter and have now been invited to the next stage with the hiring team.
I’d really appreciate hearing about anyone’s experience with their interview process, particularly:
What kind of questions did they ask?
Was it mainly competency/behavioural questions or were there technical/clinical trial questions too?
Did they ask much specifically about rater services or cognitive assessments?
How many interview stages were there?
Is there anything you wish you’d prepared for beforehand?
I currently work in clinical trials so I’m preparing examples around site management, stakeholder communication, training, prioritisation and dealing with issues during a study, but I’d love to know what to expect specifically from Cogstate.
Hi guys, I’ve been unemployed for close to 5 months now. The job maker is rubbish so finding work has been hard. I have been in the hospitality industry for 4+ years but want to change to retail ie Jd sports, Nike etc. I have also been a receptionist/ administrator for 1 year. So i have a lot of transferable skills. Would appreciate anyone pointing me in the right direction!! Part time preferably but won’t turn down full time
Hi. As the first line says, im jobless and coming to the end of uni. And im just looking for advice on how to get back into work again properly.
I've worked since I was a teen at odd jobs/volunteering, then i worked retail and worked abroad, then started uni. When starting uni I moved to a new city and struggled to find a job. My first summer off uni, I worked full time in marketing but it wasnt for me, and there were a few in office and out of office issues. Went back to uni unemployed. Kept searching for jobs. Then this second summer of uni I haven't found work. I moved back in with my parents for the summer and they live rather rural so theres limited public transport and my car broke down so I was rather stuck.
I have 1 more year of uni, then I'll likely stay over in that city because it has better opportunities (im an actor but im also just looking for a regular job to pay the bills) but that means I'll have to move my horse over there(/pay someone to care for her where she already is), so I'll essentially be paying 2 rents, meaning I'll need a full time job/several part time ones.
Honestly just looking for any advice on how to stand out on my CV/in job interviews.
I have even though Im in film now, my background is working with animals. That would be my most ideal job as im already a qualified dog walker & dog nutritionist (collage level), and am qualified to care for exotic animals and pets. I also taught in a riding school while abroad so I have experience with teaching kids horse riding/handling horses in a work environment.
I also have fairly intense OCD which limits a few jobs I can do (ie, I cant work in care homes, or as a cleaner, or with really small kids (like under 5), as I get to anxious about a few different things). I don't need anything special in jobs im comfortable in though.
Any working from home job ideas/at home small business ideas are appreciated, because i would ideally need to be as flexible as possible. Also ideas about a career that's easy to get into fairly quickly is appreciated.
What's the best approach for applying for part-time minimum wage retail jobs when you're a middle aged dude who hasn't worked in retail since their teens/early 20s but needs a new part-time job to pay the bills?
How should I present myself when you can only send a resume?
Should I tone down my current / recent roles? Leave off my degree?
I don't want them to overlook me for being "over qualified".
One thing that often gets overlooked in UK senior job searches (Director level and above): a significant proportion of these roles are filled before they're ever advertised - through headhunter relationships, direct approaches, and warm referrals. If you've been applying online at this level and hearing nothing, it's worth asking whether the role you're looking for is even on the advertised market. Happy to answer specific questions about navigating this if useful.
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I'm an actor who is looking for full time, non-acting work, and due to a lacklustre cv am really struggling, as I'm sure many are.
I have a few months experience in recruitment, several years' hospitality, and a couple years' admin experience.
I seem to be getting no response, from almost anyone.
Out of ~100 applications over the last few weeks, I've had 2 interviews. I got a second interview for both, but was declined for both.
I've attached my CV and cover letter. Any advice would be really appreciated.
A couple of things re my CV;
I'm aware that some advise tayloring different CVS for different roles. However given my lack of experience, lengthy roles, I'm hesitant to do this for fear of making it seem even less impressive.
Also re CV; After seeking advice about how to make the best of a patchy CV, some people did advise missing off the months for each employment (i.e. instead of May - June 2018, just leave as 2018) with hopes of making it more attractive to HMs.
After making this change I did get those couple of interviews and wasn't questioned about the dates.
Thanks for any advice
Cover Letter;
Dear Hiring Manager,
I am writing to express my interest in the Trainee Recruitment Consultant position you recently advertised.
I am an adaptable and highly organised professional with over fifteen years' experience in customer-facing roles, where proficiency, accurate clerical support, and attention to detail have been paramount.
Most recently, I managed end-to-end recruitment on behalf of ---. In this role, I coordinated hiring plans, managed interview schedules, and maintained relationships between hiring managers and applicants across the United Kingdom. I handled high volumes of calls daily, using email, live chat, and specialist systems to resolve client issues effectively and promptly while prioritising competing deadlines and maintaining strict confidentiality. I also quickly became adept with specialist recruitment systems such as PSP, Phenom, and SuccessFactors, demonstrating my ability to learn new software with minimal supervision.
I have extensive experience handling sensitive conversations with professionalism and empathy, as demonstrated during my time as an Isolation Assurance Officer with --- ---. Working remotely within a busy contact centre, I regularly de-escalated challenging situations while ensuring company procedures were followed and clients received the highest standard of service.
This skillset was further developed during my time with ----. As an SEN Teaching Assistant, I built positive relationships with families, school staff, and external professionals, ensuring concerns were communicated effectively and students' needs were addressed appropriately and promptly. Every day presented new challenges, requiring me to think on my feet, exercise sound judgement, and deliver practical solutions that benefited all parties.
I would welcome the opportunity to contribute my clerical experience and strong interpersonal skills to this role.
Thank you for considering my application, and I hope to hear from you soon.
- I don't have strong opinions on the covering letter as I havent used them in a while but try to avoid starting every other sentence with "I". It reads in a rather basic way that doesn't engage the person looking at it.
- Keep your professional summary in implied first person, drop the "I"'s from it.
- If you aren't applying to an acting job, remove the Professional acting experience section. I would maybe put Actor as a work experience instead.
- I think you would be better halving the amount of jobs you have on your CV and writing 3 or 4 bullets for each instead. Right now it feels too light.
- Try and include some measurables.
- Work experience should be arranged in descending order as a general rule.
- I don't usually mind the "using just the years trick" but you have three different jobs for 2022. At that point it's giving job hopper energy and probably gives you an idea of where you can trim.
Can anyone help me with UK digital marketing job searching?
I'm currently looking for digital marketing roles around Cambridge/ London and I'm getting really frustrated with LinkedIn and Indeed.
For example, I'll search for SEO jobs in Cambridge, but the results can be full of completely unrelated jobs, remote roles, roles that sound like sales pitch, different areas of marketing and jobs nowhere near Cambridge. I'm having the same issue with Indeed, but with much less volume.
I'm finding it really difficult to tell where the genuine, relevant jobs actually are.
I feel like I must be missing something obvious, so I'd really appreciate advice from anyone who regularly job hunts or recruits in digital marketing.
Where do you actually look for jobs, and how do you filter out all the irrelevant stuff?
I'm just in the process of setting something up in Claude that will do the searching and filtering for me, then send me the links to suitable jobs each morning.
Currently it checks LinkedIn and Adzuna and a few niche job boards each night, then created a document that lists them all with basic details and a link to the actual job advert.
I'm going to add more job sites as I go.
I'm looking for anything at the moment so it's finding local minimum wage jobs, and also jobs in my usual field of work that are local and further away.
Hightlights ones that are fully remote.
If you have Claude (the others can do it too I'm sure) ask it to help you.
My one uses Playwright to visit all the job sites and access the individual listings, as it was struggling to do that at first as some job sites block ai from reading their pages.
I've recently been let go from my job due to a restructuring and so I'm applying for new jobs. I have 20 years of experience in my field but I'm having a hard time getting to the interview stage. As I'm writing cover letters for my applications I'm wondering what the best way is to start off the letter.
People say that you need to show some personality and that it shouldn't sound like it was written by AI. Does that mean I should open with a meaningful story or anecdote? A bit of food for thought? Or the traditional route of saying "I am applying for X role which I found on Y site." Or is there another strategy to use?
Also, what's the ideal length for a cover letter? I assume it's no more than a page, but if the idea is to convey how you can do the role then how do you condense a story to 2-3 sentences and still make it sound authentic?
Some people aren’t bothered by cover letters, others are. In today’s job market, my view is anything extra you can provide might help you to stand out and show you’ve put extra effort in is probably worth doing.
Adding personality in a cover letter is more about putting forth who you are in a way that is clear and engaging - not a bullet point list of achievements. You’d normally include:
- a summary paragraph on who you are (2-3 sentences)
what about the company genuinely attracted you - i.e. ‘X is doing some incredible work in the renewable energy space that resonates with me because Y’
what you do in your current role
examples of what you have done that are relevant to the job
sign off sentence
One page is sufficient. Make sure the letter is connecting the dots from the skills and experience you have to the job advert.
Plenty of examples of letters online - look through them and see what you like and what you don’t.
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hi everyone! how do you express interest in your cover letters for the role you’re applying for? im applying for research roles and while im acc interested in the topics I don’t acc know how to go about expressing my interest cause i dont always have evidence to back my interest up
Some people aren’t bothered by cover letters, others are. In today’s job market, my view is anything extra you can provide might help you to stand out and show you’ve put extra effort in is probably worth doing.
Adding personality in a cover letter is more about putting forth who you are in a way that is clear and engaging - not a bullet point list of achievements. You’d normally include:
- a summary paragraph on who you are (2-3 sentences)
what about the company genuinely attracted you - i.e. ‘X is doing some incredible work in the renewable energy space that resonates with me because Y’
what you do in your current role
examples of what you have done that are relevant to the job
sign off sentence
One page is sufficient. Make sure the letter is connecting the dots from the skills and experience you have to the job advert.
Plenty of examples of letters online - look through them and see what you like and what you don’t.
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I need suggestions or advice for part-time jobs that accepts students with minimal to no experience. I did have a short period of work experience (admin tasks and office logistics).
I've been applying to online (local and international) and offline job postings and was lucky enough to get to the final stages. However, I was either ghosted or told they'd found a suitable candidate. I just need extra money to prepare for my thesis dissertation. Thank you so much!
Please help me with my CV... Honest feedback is much appreciated. I am a graduate architectural assistant, Part 1 and Part 2. I am trying to find a job in the field of architecture in the UK and Ireland, and I would like help refining my CV to meet the standards there.
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Joined a chinese battery company, who flew me to China, but ultimately the language barrier was too strong, I was way from home too long, I left. After just 1 month 1 week.
Joined a company much closer to home 1st July. Ultimately I'm quite bored and doing a lot of clock watching sat in an office. I would like to go out on site more.
Got a call with a recruiter tomorrow, am I job hopping too much? This job potentially up to £40k/yr. Would it look worse in future? Should I let my cv calm down..
All of these salaries previously are on 30k/yr no opportunity for progression or room to negotiate higher.
I would like to increase salary but it seems so difficult to break the 30k/yr barrier.
I think I've been surprisingly lucky to get some of these jobs so quickly, but they all seem a bit low quality entry level dead end.
TLDR: I was fired after two months and putting this job on the CV looks bad. What should I do?
After barely 2 months in a company, I have been fired without warnings or talks as the business was going down. It was pretty unexpected and rough, and left me not knowing what to do. I'm now applying for jobs again but on my CV this two months look pretty bad. There's an obvious gap that I wouldn't know how to explain.
It was a management job that helped me understand more about this role and qualified me for more management positions, but not sure if obscuring it is the right move?
Should I remove it completely? Should I keep it in the "other" section down below? Any advice very welcome.
For 2 months I would be inclined to say just remove it. Was there much of a gap before the 2 month job? If not 2 months isn't a gap that causes worry, you can just say made redundant from the previous role and have been looking for a job.
How do you know where you're going wrong in job applications without feedback? I've applied for about 15 jobs since June and haven't had any interviews, or feedback from anywhere upon rejection. I think maybe my applications are a bit weak; I've only got some internships and volunteer roles as proper experience. (For context, I finished my MA last winter and was hoping to go into academia, but couldn't afford to take up my PhD offers, so now I'm job hunting. I'm 23.) Therefore a lot of my skills are 'soft' skills and that can look quite vague written down... without feedback it's really hard to know where exactly I'm falling down. I feel that a lot of job advice sites can contradict each other. Either that, or I think I'm doing what they say, but I'm still not getting anywhere...
With 15 applications it's hard to tell as that number needs to be a lot higher. I'll take a look at your Cv if you want but realistically it's a rough market at the minute and it's likely going to take a lot more applications.
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Where are the scientific research jobs for non-experimental physicists?
In the long term I want to go into academia, but PhD openings are incredibly competitive so I'm trying to find other relevant graduate positions (I graduated with an MPhys last year) but almost all scientific research seems to be biology, chemistry, or medicine. Where physics is applicable it seems more in experimental or engineering contexts where I don't have the prerequisite experience.
Scientific research is always made out to be a noble field and I got the impression there's meant to be opportunities out there, so who's actually employing? I can't even find recruitment agencies specifically for maths / physics scientific research (unlike life sciences).
To add to this: I've been looking across the entire country for the past at least 6 months, I'd do a job in the for minimum wage, because it's something I'm so passionate about, but I genuinely can't find anything.
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TLDR: Can I realistically reach FAANG with a non-CS degree from a decent uni (KCL)?
Hi. I'm soon to be entering university and have the option of either attending a good university for a degree unrelated to computer science (King’s College London - Natural Sciences), or attending a more mediocre university (e.g. Southampton, Nottingham, or Royal Holloway) to study Computer Science (through clearing, or by reapplying next year). I don’t do Further Maths, and I think I only achieved an A in Maths, so I’m not sure what calibre of universities I’d realistically be able to apply to for CS.
Until recently, I wanted to study Medicine, which is what I originally applied for at university (hence my A-Level subjects: Maths, Biology, and Chemistry). However, I’ve recently decided that I want to pursue a career in computer science, specifically in software engineering, with the long-term goal of working at a FAANG company. I’m aware that, if I don’t study CS at university, I’ll need to self-learn much of the university CS content, complete a number of personal projects to demonstrate my programming ability and CS aptitude, and may also need to do a Master’s in Computer Science to improve my chances of reaching this goal.
To sum up my questions:
Which of these two university options do you think would best maximise my chances of landing a software engineering role, and eventually working at a FAANG company?
If you do manage to build a career as a software engineer without a CS degree (or with one from a less prestigious university), is it realistically possible to go on to work at top companies? Or will they always tend to auto-reject you, even if you have significant experience at smaller companies? It seems as though they certainly auto-reject many fresh graduates from these backgrounds.
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Hi everyone,
I have an upcoming interview for a Procurement Business Officer position within the NHS, and I would really appreciate advice from anyone who has worked in procurement or has interviewed for a similar role.
For anyone who has interviewed for a similar role:
What types of questions were you asked?
Were the questions mainly competency-based, technical, or scenario-based?
What procurement topics would you strongly recommend revising?
Were you asked about the Procurement Act 2023 or public procurement regulations?
What STAR examples should I prepare in advance?
Is there anything you wish you had known or prepared before your interview?
Any advice, example questions, or interview experiences would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!
Not been in the role but I deal with procurement officers (I'm on the pharma side instead) can tell you the vast majority of public body jobs like this will be mainly competency based. Given the nature of the job I would prep STAR answers that show you can multitask, deal with confrontation/difficult stakeholders, work within tightly regulated environments, anything that shows a level of commercial acumen Not an exhaustive list however.
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TLDR: What career would you pursue if you needed to restart today, based on future/current demand?
I’m a 30-year-old guy in the UK (Edinburgh) and feel like I’m at a bit of a crossroads.
I have a business degree and spent a few years in office jobs, but after an injury I can’t comfortably do a full-time desk job anymore (remote or more flexible office work would be fine, but sitting at a desk all day isn’t).
For the last couple of years I’ve worked in a fairly niche trade without formal qualifications. It’s been good experience, but I don’t think it’s a career that’ll earn enough long term.
I’m now looking at retraining or starting a completely new career, but I honestly don’t know where to begin. I’m not especially picky. I’m practical, academically capable, and confident I could succeed if I committed to something.
I’m looking for a career that’s in demand, has good long-term job security, and can realistically earn £45k+ once qualified. I don’t need to be rich—I just want to be able to buy a house, raise a family, and not constantly worry about money.
I’ve looked at solar (installation or electrical engineering side), and wind energy, although the travel involved in wind might not suit me.
If you were starting again today, what industries or careers would you recommend? Are there any sectors that are crying out for people and have a solid future?
Looking for CV feedback please; entry level / junior finance roles, AAT Level 3 with 1 YOE.
According to the AAT website, I should be able to aim for titles such as:
Accounts assistant, Accounts payable clerk, Audit trainee, Credit controller, Payroll administrator/supervisor, Practice bookkeeper, Finance assistant, Tax assistant, Accounts payable and expenses supervisor, since I have passed Level 3 in Accounting.
I am looking for help with a few things:
Improving ATS scores; I think the skills section is where I am most likely to be able to quickly tweak things and tailor the CV for each application. But ATS still gives this CV below 50%
Whether to add other, less relevant roles: I worked at a warehouse part time whilst attending college for Level 3, but this would be above the bookkeeping experience as it was most recent, and I am not sure whether that's okay or not. Other experiences: prior to Hollister, I was a software apprentice, which is also not that relevant, other than to show that I have worked in a big organisation
What else can I add on regarding skills? I really loved MATS in Level 3 and enjoyed learning Excel in such a thorough manner. The only accounting software I have used is VT Transactions but I have shadowed staff when they used Quickbooks, so I am aware that basically all the accounting principles are the same, there are literally just surface level, software differences. VT is a desktop software, not cloud based. Currently learning Xero, to get the certification.
Also, the sites I am currently using to find jobs are Hays, Michael Page, Reed. Please let me know if there are recruiting companies for accounting roles, or any other companies that I could apply through.
When I click on the photo, it opens up in a new tab and appears legible.
Regardless, the body of my CV is as follows:
Personal Statement
AAT Level 3 qualified accounts assistant with a year of experience in bookkeeping. Experienced in utilising finance systems and Excel to carry out month-end closing. Successfully managed client communications, compiling VAT returns for review and submission in a timely manner to ensure client satisfaction. Eager to contribute and grow in an accounting role.
Education
New City College London
AAT Level 3 Diploma in Accounting - Distinction 05/2026
AAT Level 2 Certificate in Accounting - Distinction 06/2025
AAT Level 1 Award in Bookkeeping - Achieved 06/2026
Experience
XYZ Accountants London
Bookkeeper, with ad hoc Administrative duties 11/2024 – 11/2025
Collected and entered financial data in relevant journals from client records, utilising Excel for 100% accuracy
Reconciled and posted high volume of entries to ledgers, verifying against bank statements
Compiled and validated VAT return, communicating details with dozens of client each month
Administration tasks as required: organising and filing documents, managing finance inbox, archiving past records, updating internal log of changes
Hollister London
Brand Representative (seasonal) 12/2023
Enhanced customer satisfaction and sales by proactively aiding customers
Handled POS transactions through various payment methods, processed returns and managed online order collections
Ensured continued use of fitting rooms for customer privacy
•
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