Just applied for this job

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I'm in the same position as you Wizard, I have no experience but as you say most jobs want 6 - 12 months experience!!
What I have been advised to do is apply for any trainee/junior it position I see. So far I have applyed for 5 such jobs and I was called yesterday by a recruitment consultant to arrange an interview with the recruitment company today and (all being well) an interview on thursday with the company.
This advert asked for IT/helpdesk experience of which I have none, but I have still got an interview.

My advice is, apply for any trainee/junior it/helpdesk position you see, what have you got to lose?

BTW, any news on that job you applyed for yet?

 

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I've blown that one out the water, I tend to find if an agency doesn't contact you within 24 hours of applying for a job on a week day then they're not going to be interested in you.

I have applied for another job in Ripon, but haven't heard anything back yet, so not holding my breath again on that one.

 

What do you mean you've 'blown that one out of the water' you don't blow anything out of the water, call them up, be PROACTIVE, sometimes they need to see your effort/enthusiasm
don't leave it a week, call them up until they say 'not this time'
This also has the added benefit of building a personal relationship with the agent, your not just a piece of paper then, and they may remember you when another role comes up

if you want a job you apply for as many that you feel you could do comfortably
sure you wont get called back for most of them, but you don't need to, you need to get just one and succeed through every stage

also
Lower your outgoings
don't want to house share? well I cant say that's the best attitude to have, your in debt and your not making enough money to cover bills, something needs to give, you cant have everything, if you have to flat share for a year or two to get things sorted you will be a in a whole better place for it

Your customer service experience IS relevant to a first line role, even though its non IT related
make sure you highlight it, as well as any other soft skills you may have relevant to that type of role

Tailor your CV
sure its a hassle, especially when applying for loads of jobs, but tailor each CV to the job your applying for, highlight and emphasise the right bits relevant for that specific role

 

I cannot lower my essential outgoings any further than they are now, if my current employer had agreed to increasing my hours to 37.5 I would have been able to cover my bills. They wouldn't even entertain the idea of increasing my hours for 6 months.

I haven't blown the idea out of the water, the original job I applied for I haven't heard back from, so I've already moved on to the next one.

 

As Phoenix said - apply, apply, apply - the more hooks you put out there the more likely one will bite.

Not saying this about you, but just generally - people want the better jobs now, in the best location for them at the wage they want - unfortunately, unless you are lucky or highly sort after this won't happen.

As you're looking for entry-level jobs, apply for everything that says less than 12 months experience - you never know - that luck may just help you out!!

 

Entry-level jobs are out there... they might not be at the salary you want... but they're out there.

Pay your dues, get an entry-level job, and get that 6-12 months of experience that the next-higher-level jobs want you to have. At that point, you'll have that ammunition in your arsenal. Sure, it'll cause you to have to deal with 6 months of belt tightening... but it simply *has* to be done if you want to get your start in IT. You *have* to crawl before you can walk. Wish I had a more "magic" formula for you... but that's just how it is.

Bite the bullet and put in your time. In a few years, you'll be *so* glad you did.

 

I'm not solely looking at the salaries on jobs, the only ones I'm seeing are for guys with at least 6 - 12 months IT helpdesk experience. Some entry level ones do pop up but they're only for a short period of time.

 

Less than the 6 months you need to start looking for the better jobs? Hmm? ;)

 

Got a slight update, I applied for a job on the 4th of july and heard nothing back, the same job was updated yesterday, so I put my updated CV forward again and got a reply from the agency that received my CV today, asking for me to register formally with them.

So I've done that online and waiting to hear back from the agency.

 

Good luck with that, I think you have to chase these agencys up. I would not be supprised with some agencys if most CVs go in the bin if they do not have 'microsoft' and 'certified' on them.

My fingers are crossed for you, keep on that agencys case.

 

I agree with phoenix that you have to be proactive with the job hunting. Thats how I got my past and current new job in IT(and I have no IT certs). What I use to do was to call the agency and ask to speak to the contact on the job advert. I then ask a few questions about the job, sell myself alittle based on the job specification and then ask for his/her email address (Instead of sending my application to his jobserve/reed...etc inbox ). A few hours later, I call up to find out if he/she received my application/CV and find out whether they think my skills are relevant to the position or not.... and then take it from there.

Building a rapport with an employment contact complements your CV and allows you to demonstrate your communication skills too.

 

Everyone here gave good advice in my opinion.

Have you considered doing PC repair stuff on a side while you are working. Since your job is part time you could afford to have more time to work on some pc's that people need fixing?

Also the job I am at at the moment was asking for 1-2 years experience and I just came out of school with 2 months of internship experience and was able to get the interview and job.

I think that even though it is hard to find a job and even though you don't have experience at the moment, you can still get that job but it wont be easy.

My teacher always said that having connections with people who are in the industry is a big plus as they can put in a good word and recommendations. Try to meet people around your area that are in the same business as you. I was told that when you have interviews try to get some feedback along with contact information as you never know it might help.

To be honest what helped me get a job in IT was a recommendation which got me the interview.

Wizard, I wish you luck with the job hunt. Just keep trying and you will get something eventually.