Student Job Articles

Confessions Of A Prospective Employee
I didn't work last Christmas. It wasn't that I was basking in loads of cash. I just didn't get the job. Monsoon Accessorize, Claires...name it. I applied. I tell you. I did. No, I didn't do McDonalds. No, not even Tesco. I did away with agencies too - they tend to reduce the pay cheque. I was looking for something befitting someone of my status. I'm a student. You see, for sometime now, I had made up my mind to do away with the more traditional jobs and go for something higher. That's right. Something more...prestigious. Yes, prestigious in the realm of casual/part-time work. Hence my magnetic attraction to the high street fashion houses - H & M, Zara, Next, Dorothy Perkins. Keep naming. They were all on my shortlist. Mind you, just because they were short listed didn't mean I bothered my pretty legs to trudge from shop to shop bestowing my worthy CVs on unworthy managers. No. This was my plan: Visit shop, see manager, drop CV, wait 2weeks for response. If unsuccessful, repeat process - in another shop. Just in case the noteworthy applications did not go as planned, I hedged my position with some job vacancies advertised in a certain newspaper. Near Moorgate station, I'd buy the paper - 3 times a week I might add. No way was I going to do that every day or even go through other newspapers. I'd buy this newspaper, scan through to make my selection and take an applicative shot at employers fortunate enough to have me select them. One potential employer I selected said to me over the phone 'You know, it's not the same thing'. I was trying to articulate how running my own retail business could pass for retail experience. After all, as the saying goes - any experience is work experience. She wasn't buying it. 'It's not the same,' she insisted. The vacancy advertised included the phrase 'experience not necessary'. Your guess is as good as mine how then experience became an issue of importance. I no longer put 'experience not necessary' and 'no experience needed' in the same boat. So this was my job search approach. Yes, I agree - fat lot of good it did me. In fact you are permitted to caption it 'How not to search for a job'. As far as one of my friends is concerned, I was never really looking for a job. How so? Well, how dare I do away with our faithful employers - the Tesco's and Sainsbury's of this world, the bars and restaurants too numerous to mention and reduce my part time job search to a specific newspaper's job advertisements. How dare I leave out the agencies who obviously need able potential employees to remain in existence. Another friend pointed out, both job search positions have valid arguments. If my high street fashion application had borne some fruit, I'd be well on my way gaining some sort of experience in the fashion retail industry. Yet another friend is quick to emphasize 'any experience is better than no experience.' That depends! Raised voices. Everyone trying to get a word in. That argument is valid if your potential employer is willing to see things from that point of view. The fact is not all of them are. One friend mused, the downside is that you may end up where you don't want to be. Enter the Simon Cowell theory. The theory states that 'X-factor's Simon Cowell started out in the post room of EMI publishing. Now look where he is today in the music industry. There are also many other examples in other spheres of life.' Okay. They've won me over. I have decided to be reconciled to our faithful employers and get some experience other than waiting for the fashion retail industry to open up its arms to me. Good things come to those who hustle while they wait, said Thomas Edison. I perceive he's right. Who knows, one day I might become bigger than Simon Cowell. However, considering my renowned musical prowess, I think I might just settle for becoming tops in another industry. Anyway, come tomorrow, the agencies shall see me signing up again, and stores shall see me asking about vacancies. Of course speculative applications shall still be part of the modus operandi. And I shall send out applications more frequently than fortnightly. Let's see where that's going to get me. Now, where's that CV?

Confessions Of A Prospective Employee

I didn't work last Christmas. It wasn't that I was basking in loads of cash. I just didn't get the job. Monsoon Accessorize, Claires...name it. I applied. I tell you. I did.

No, I didn't do McDonalds. No, not even Tesco. I did away with agencies too - they tend to reduce the pay cheque. I was looking for something befitting someone of my status. I'm a student.

You see, for sometime now, I had made up my mind to do away with the more traditional jobs and go for something higher. That's right. Something more...prestigious. Yes, prestigious in the realm of casual/part-time work. Hence my magnetic attraction to the high street fashion houses - H & M, Zara, Next, Dorothy Perkins. Keep naming. They were all on my shortlist. Mind you, just because they were short listed didn't mean I bothered my pretty legs to trudge from shop to shop bestowing my worthy CVs on unworthy managers. No. This was my plan: Visit shop, see manager, drop CV, wait 2weeks for response. If unsuccessful, repeat process - in another shop.

Just in case the noteworthy applications did not go as planned, I hedged my position with some job vacancies advertised in a certain newspaper. Near Moorgate station, I'd buy the paper - 3 times a week I might add. No way was I going to do that every day or even go through other newspapers. I'd buy this newspaper, scan through to make my selection and take an applicative shot at employers fortunate enough to have me select them. One potential employer I selected said to me over the phone 'You know, it's not the same thing'. I was trying to articulate how running my own retail business could pass for retail experience. After all, as the saying goes - any experience is work experience. She wasn't buying it. 'It's not the same,' she insisted. The vacancy advertised included the phrase 'experience not necessary'. Your guess is as good as mine how then experience became an issue of importance. I no longer put 'experience not necessary' and 'no experience needed' in the same boat.

So this was my job search approach. Yes, I agree - fat lot of good it did me. In fact you are permitted to caption it 'How not to search for a job'. As far as one of my friends is concerned, I was never really looking for a job. How so? Well, how dare I do away with our faithful employers - the Tesco's and Sainsbury's of this world, the bars and restaurants too numerous to mention and reduce my part time job search to a specific newspaper's job advertisements. How dare I leave out the agencies who obviously need able potential employees to remain in existence. Another friend pointed out, both job search positions have valid arguments. If my high street fashion application had borne some fruit, I'd be well on my way gaining some sort of experience in the fashion retail industry. Yet another friend is quick to emphasize 'any experience is better than no experience.' That depends! Raised voices. Everyone trying to get a word in. That argument is valid if your potential employer is willing to see things from that point of view. The fact is not all of them are. One friend mused, the downside is that you may end up where you don't want to be. Enter the Simon Cowell theory. The theory states that 'X-factor's Simon Cowell started out in the post room of EMI publishing. Now look where he is today in the music industry. There are also many other examples in other spheres of life.'

Okay. They've won me over. I have decided to be reconciled to our faithful employers and get some experience other than waiting for the fashion retail industry to open up its arms to me. Good things come to those who hustle while they wait, said Thomas Edison. I perceive he's right. Who knows, one day I might become bigger than Simon Cowell. However, considering my renowned musical prowess, I think I might just settle for becoming tops in another industry.

Anyway, come tomorrow, the agencies shall see me signing up again, and stores shall see me asking about vacancies. Of course speculative applications shall still be part of the modus operandi. And I shall send out applications more frequently than fortnightly. Let's see where that's going to get me. Now, where's that CV?