Job Hunting

G

GazBowes

New Member
It seems to me that applying for jobs nowadays is a real pain in the arse.
I've been employed in the print industry for many years now in various roles such as a hot metal comp, 4 col planner, scanner/camera operator, artworker.
After being made redundant 5 years ago I found a new job and now work as a creative artworker, which includes artworking, graphic design, illustration and web based templates.
Most of my jobs in the past have been by word of mouth with a couple through recruitment agencies, but nowadays I guess as the industry has changed and become a lot smaller it has become much more difficult to land a good job.
Applying for jobs through recruitment agencies nowadays seems to be a complete waste of time, I either hear nothing, or if I do, I don't have the required skills (apparently)
It's a good job I am employed because if I were relying on the agencies to land me a job I would have starved by now, or is my age going against me now that I am 49 (just a thought)
I was just wondering what everyone else was experiencing when looking for a job.
cheers
Gaz
bowesillustration.com
 
I'm self-employed and luckily never been out of work, but dread the time (if it comes) that I have to start looking for a proper job.
I'm on the wrong side of 40 too and feel that there's a huge amount of competition these days for every job. Every man and his dog is a "designer" these days.
 
I find recruitment agents a complete waste of time. Many of the jobs they list are little more than CV collecting exercises and the real jobs are so fiercely contested, you'd need to be 18 years old with 25 years experience working for Sachi & Sachi, to even get considered for a junior position.
 
I've been self-employed most of my working life but recently had a paid 'job'. Luckily I knew the company were a load of **** and sure enough after 3 months (and one week) they decided that they couldn't afford me and wanted to put me down to minimum wage. One of the 'directors' told me that minimum wage was 'company policy' and that I would make it up in bonus. Considering that I was marketer, salesperson, designer, machine operator and finisher for most of what I was doing I politely told them what they could do with their job. Self-employed again. I'm very much the wrong side of 40!
 
It's great that 'gprovan' and 'Katedesigns' have managed to stay self employed for so long, I've always been a bit worried about going down that route tbh, sounds like your last employer Kate was a right twat. Yeah 'bigdave' I think you are probably right about what the recruitment agencies are looking for, I guess I am the wrong side of forty. I guess I'll carry on doing what I'm doing, keep looking and applying but won't hold my breath and if this job comes to an end, maybe consider a new career.
Frigging recruitment agencies hack me off though, I'm sure half of them don't have a clue.
 
The problem with recruitment agencies - those of my experience at any rate (and I realised this early on so my experience doesn't amount to an awful lot) - lies with the fact that those on the job seeking side of the equation, who you'd imagine were their stock in trade, are not highly valued at all.
 
certainly seems that way Dave....I'm sure half of the jobs they advertise don't actually exist anyway, or am I just imagining that.
 
I truly believe the only way to get a decent agency job is to go direct to the agencies and use your loaf as to how you get there. ie; an emailed word document is lame, turning up at the bosses house in a bear suit is stalking, but somewhere in the middle is pretty frikin awesome!!
 
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