I got my first "Thankyou for your application but.." letter!

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I got my first "no you cant have a job but thanks!" letter today since starting this A+ malarky and applying for any job I see that has the word technical, junior, trainee, or support in the title. It was printed on 'heavier-than-normal' paper (I'm touched!) and they promised to keep my information on file just in case any jobs come up that need a mental monkey like me.

It's a start, just gotta keep on applying.

At least I don't have to worry about the postman nicking my application letters anymore, seriously, I was worried about not EVER receiving a reply to any of my many many applications, I thought I was gonna have to design a way of GPS tracking an envelope just to make sure my applications got to where I sent them.....Even if I had made the tracker, I would have probably had to make miniature flying cameras to make sure the letter got to the correct person and then a bug to... etcetera etcetera.... lol.

off to buy more stamps...
Andy

 

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I hate to say it, but you might as well get used to it. I used to call them "Thank you but drop dead" letters.

The important thing (despite what I said above) is not to take rejection personally. It has nothing to do with your intellegence or being worthy. They are trying to hire the best person to fit *their* needs (as opposed to your needs) and they will only hire one person. Everyone else will get *the letter*.

Keep on cruising. It only takes one acceptance to get you in. Don't give up.

 

Ha ha Andy, I'm glad that you're applying a great sense of humour to this game!

Nevermind though, when I was knocked back it just made me more determined...you'll get there in the end (normally sooner then you think!). Keep thinking positive, like you are, and something will come up...it always does to those who really want it!

Also, don't forget to check out the Internet...I got my last 3 IT jobs via the internet: Local Rag's website, Jobsite.co.uk and Local Authority websites have served me well over the past 5 years!

Keep it up and good luck m8

Sacha

 

glytch

Try to keep positive about your
job search!

If you are persistent, then I
believe you will have an IT
job someday.

 

I'm never quite sure which is best, either them throwing your application straight in the bin, or them actually taking the time to write back to you telling you exactly how much you suck.

There's got to be a happy medium.

 

Sorry to hear it, Andy.

I personally at least take some comfort from teh "no thanks" letter - at least they take the time to send it. It's the high and dry, nothing back at all applications I can't stand.

You didn't say (or I missed it) - did you actually get an interview, or was this just an on-spec application ?

Like the Guys say - never ever give up !

 

Hey Andy,
Thats one down one million to go, Keep your chin up and think positive.
You will get a job and a job you really want, with a brillant company.

 

thanks for your kind words of encouragement everyone!
To tell the truth it was a relief just to know that my letters are getting there!

I knew I would be getting a lot of F.O.A.D letters simply because I applied for so many. The sticky link at the top of the forum about CV's is useful - mainly changing your cv to match certain jobs is a good idea, the way he whittles down 100 applications to only 10 certainly made me change the bits on my cv's front page about swimming and reading ;)

A friend of mine who was dumbasfok with computers started a course with computeach and he must have applied for 10-20 jobs a week, by the time he had got to 400+ applications he knew a bit about computers from the course and he finally started getting interviews. I think I remember him saying it took more than 400 letters and 40+ interviews before he got his job!

I don't think it will be that bad for me (but I am prepared for it) because I am much better looking ...ahem, I mean better qualified ! than him.

I hope I can post again in this forum area again soon!

thanks for the support all, it really helps!

Andy

 

Don't forget.
Do not spam an employer. I posted something on another topic about application letters.
100 copies of the same letter and CV is a waste of time.
If you want an employer to spend time reading your application, you have to take time writing it!

 

thanks, I figured i needed to do different applications for each one.
I'm keeping a record of who I apply to and what happens.

Does anyone use online job search sites, if so, which ones?

regards

 

http://www.jobsite.co.uk/

http://www.jobserve.co.uk/

The above 2 are the only sites I have ever had any come back!I had a lot of agencies call me and put me onto interviews within a week of registering! I got a job last year through jobsite.co.uk at ITNET, I applied online and they called me the next day...I was working there within a week!

My current job I got through the Local Authority's website! The day of my interview at the council I also had an interview with Britvic! The Britvic interview I got through an agency called Allegis and they found my CV on Jobserve and Jobsite.

Even though I moaned on this site about agencies, I have to say that I think I would have got a result from one of them...I was getting at least 2 calls a day from them! But the council job came up trumps!

Give it a try m8...I started to enjoy the attention to be honest...my mobile had never been so populer!!! LOL

 

thanks! those are great links, I heard somewhere else that local authorities where a good place to look too.

thanks again

 

Join the club mate, unless you are lucky, there will be a few more. I average a 9:1 rejection letter to interview ratio i think. I call the letters "Piss off" letters - or P.O. letters to my mum! At least you get closure from the letters, as some firms don't bother to reply at all.

I have never had an interview from a local authority, and I have applied for alot of jobs. From my experience, councils prefer to promote from within or often recruit relatives of staff. I know several people who work in the council and all of them have a parent who works there.

Having just missed out on a few jobs, I know its just a matter of patience. Once you have some certs, your chances will increase - I'm hoping so! Good luck in the future.

 

I have had plenty of these in my time, starting to get used to it in fact. Just keep plugging away and one day your time will come. It will happen.

 

Glytch,

Well done. I have sent loads of apps off and only two people have "bothered" to even say "no thanks".

As Trip said you only need one to get you in. I am in exactly the same boat as you.

Best of luck.

 

thanks! the two sites mentioned earlier in the thread are great! I have applied for loads more, I had a call from an agent already but that was for a job I mistakenly applied for in cambridge (typical!).

getting the letter motivated me to study harder and do more of my mike meyers book which can only be a good thing.

I am used to being "the one who knows" when it comes to anything computer or internet related with my friends and I've got used to solving almost any problem I get but after reading in mikes book about some of the history behind cpu's, ram, bios etc has shown me how much I don't know!
i can't wait to see what else I find out.

 

Sorry m8 but that is incorrect! Local Authorites have specific guidelines that they HAVE to follow when it comes to employment! Yes they do promote from within but that is because the internal candidates are far more experienced and suitable for the position!

At the council where I work, if a IT Support Officer role is available the job will be posted on the website. Internal and external people will be selected for the interview providing they meet the PERSON SPECIFICATION of the job! If they don't then no interview is offered!

Once again, during the interview the internal or external candidates will be asked questions based on the person specification and a technical test. Normally, internal candidates within the dept will be able to answer these questions with ease; however, there have been some external people who beat the internal people. And that is regardless of whose mum or dad works for the council!

It all comes down to who scores the highest points during the interview...if you want to score high read the person specification and research the subjects!

On other occasions, external people aim too high when applying for a job. A lot of Support assistant positions come up where hardly any internal people - except those outside the dept - apply! The external people who fail the Support Officer interviews are normally encouraged to apply for the lower position. But some don't bother because being an "Assistant" is below them...they don't realise that it is easier to get to the Officer position via the Assistant position! Usually within 3-6 months most Assistants become Officers purely because they have the right dept know-how!

I was lucky; I applied for an Officer role from the outside and got the job due to my studies and experience. I have no relatives working at the council!

 

Being turned down by a local authority isn't a bad thing in my eyes, have considered jobs in the past and have sat interviews at various local government or such type places and every time I was scared off by the lack of progress they were prepared to make in adopting new technologies.....

 

Well where I work they have a roll out of new PCs and Laptops every 4 years! 95% of machines are running XP and we are rolling out XDAs to replace the old PDAs. No one in the council is using the old CRT monitors as they have all been replaced with TFTs.

The network is being upgraded to AD 2003 from NT and Netware 5, also email is going from Exchange 5.5 to Exchange 2003.

We have also introduced CIsco IP Telephony to the network in an effort to do away with the old style POTS system. The council also provides it's own Broadband service to local schools in the area too!

So getting turned down on a Local Authority job is not really a good thing either! Not all Local Authorities are penny pinching when it comes to technology! And I work for the least govt funded council in the UK - we get less per head of the county population then everywhere else!