State of Telecoms\IT industry

Gav_b

Wondering if anyone has info on the state of the IT or Telecoms industry in releation to jobs.
I have over 2 years experience in hardware design and some software, but when I apply for jobs which I feel I am qualified for, I get no responce what so ever, even from agencies.
Is this normal?

Imposter

Yes it is perfectly normal. Most people in the agencies are fückwits who know nothing about the responsibilities involved in the jobs they (pretend to) offer.

An idea would be to suss out what companies you want to work for and what companies would like someone with your experience. Chances are most of them will also ignore you but you might get lucky.

As for the agencies keep plugging away you might get lucky. Wrt the jobs advertised by agenices some are fabrications by the agencies, some fabrications by companies (looking to suss out the market to see what they should be paying employees usually). And sometimes the jobs are actually real. These jobs are generally few and far between and advertised by more than one agency and it should be easy enough to recognise them as the same job, and a real one.

seamus

It's perfectly normal, and something you have to get used to.

With 2 years' experience, you should find it a little easier to get a job, but don't expect everyone to get back to you.

I've just graduated, and since the beginning of September, I've easily sent out over 60 CVs, either applying for jobs, or submitting them to companies. I'd say I've gotten maybe 20 personal replies (ie not auto-responders) via email, and I can count on 1 (and a half) hands the amount of people who've rang me. I've had 4 interviews though, which is good from what I hear. Have a job now too

The trick is to be as aggressive as they are. If a recruitment company has two jobs advertised on one site, apply for them both separately. Two different people may be dealing with them, and so your CV won't be passed around for consideration.

Recruitireland and monster.ie are handy because they'll let you know, which jobs you have and haven't applied for. When you're being aggressive, it's easy to lose track of which jobs you've applied for

p.pete

Those are extremly good rates of reply Seamus. The telecoms industry is still "rationalising" and is tricky to get into. Definitely more opportunities on the IT side to get started.

Try to be constantly improving your CV and tailor it for the type of jobs you are looking for - no matter how good you think it is still take an interest in other peoples for ideas (especially those getting jobs!).

Sposs

Try picking up certs while your looking be over qualified if you have to, to a least get your foot in the door.

Gav_b

Thanks for the info

I have started a policy of blanket bombing the recruitment sites and while I haven't got an interview yet, there has been some interest and a few replies.
One thing I do think that has changed from the last time I was job seeking is that you MUST match their criteria before they will consider you.

RicardoSmith

Originally posted by Gav_b
you MUST match their criteria before they will consider you.

Thats been my experience of late. Even when the Agency doesn't understand the criteria.

Gav_b

Originally posted by RicardoSmith
Thats been my experience of late. Even when the Agency doesn't understand the criteria.

Very true, one example of this was a job looking for 1 years test experience with a cert\diploma in computers.
I have 2 years of test at diploma and 6 months of design at degree, the girl from the agency didn't even bother to read my CV properly and mailed me back saying that I was unsuitable because I only had 6 months experience in total. Really think that either the jobs are non-existant and that the agencies post up false postions to maintain a presence, or that the people in the agencies just dont have a clue.

RicardoSmith

I'd say a lot of the jobs aren't real ones. Though that said I have managed to pick up one or two from agencies. But I had the exact skillset req. Anytime theres been the smallest of deviation I haven't got it. Either having too much or too little of the skillset or experience. Theres lots of muppets in the agencies and I have little time for any of them.

p.pete

Originally posted by Gav_b
...or that the people in the agencies just dont have a clue.

I'd go along with that option. In IT they seem to love hiding behind multiple choice quizes, quite often they will have no idea what the words on your CV actually mean. A lot of technical jargon on a CV which may be directly related to the job will just be background noise to them as most of them won't understand it.

The opposite scenario is also annoying - getting contacted as a graduate for positions totally unsuitable, Senior development manager or something like that.

seamus

Originally posted by p.pete
The opposite scenario is also annoying - getting contacted as a graduate for positions totally unsuitable, Senior development manager or something like that.

/me nods

Sometimes when they ask for 2 years experience, that is an actual minimum, yet whoever in the agency doesn't have a clue. Twice I have gone to interviews, only for both me and the interviewer to realise about 10 minutes in, that I'm badly lacking the necessary experience. Of course, the interview must continue..... :rolleyes:

Either overqualified or underexperienced. That's pretty much what I've been hearing.

dazberry

Originally posted by seamus
/me nods

Sometimes when they ask for 2 years experience, that is an actual minimum, yet whoever in the agency doesn't have a clue.
[SNIP]
Either overqualified or underexperienced. That's pretty much what I've been hearing.

AFAIR its always been like this. I remember when I didn't have a lot of experience and the college stuff was on there, Malborough used to keep sending me letters for a VAX operator because VAX appeared on my CV. Possibly explains why I've been working for 9 1/2 years and never once got (or took) a job via an agency.

I do recall doing an interview (via an agency) and explaining to the interviewer what they should be looking for, as apposed to what I was there for - should have been paid conslutant fees.

I tend to get hit by the too much experience card. There have been cases whereby I'm a 100% match, but because the job might pay 1996 salary levels I don't get a look in (1996 is better than the dole ppl). Although I will say that in some cases its the employers acting the mick, but the agencies always get the blame.

The worst is that agency that will advertise, you'll apply, and they'll gleam you current details from the CV and start spamming your boss with w/end specials - really making a commodity out of the computer industry - like playing the futures market.

D.

tHE vAGGABOND

"Of course, the interview must continue..... "

No it does'ent! I have stood up, said sorry, explained that we both know that we have been messed about by agency and left an interview to stop messing with my own time, and the time of the people interviewing me.

Twice, both times a few years ago during the time of the celtic tiger when companies just wanted people, who cares if they can actually do the job. I'm not good at suffing fools and idiots and dont want someone to have to do the same with me, so have had to do this when muppet agents have sent me for jobs I am not close to being qualified for.

"Oh he has a 5 day programming course on his CV, so we will send him to a job looking for experienced OO programmers, and maybe the mupppets with hire him, and we will be rich!"

As has beed said, when you have those few years experience, you know what your looking for things get easier

RicardoSmith

I'd be the same. Some people are happy going bluffing their way into a job that they are not qualified to do. That might be ok if you are doing low tech stuff, but if the project is anyway critical its a good way to get sued. Its one of the reasons most contractors work as limited companies these days and most agencies insist on it.

dazberry

Originally posted by RicardoSmith
Its one of the reasons most contractors work as limited companies these days and most agencies insist on it.

AFAIK, another reason being that some agencies got hit for massive TAX bills because the sole traders employed by said agencies neglected to pay any, and unable to recover the amount from the sole trader (who?), then went up the chain to the next target. Could be just an IT urban legend, but I've heard it a few times.

D.

RicardoSmith

Thats a new one on me

Gav_b

Looking for more advice...

After a month of applying through agencies and not getting interviews (for jobs that I'm perfectly or even over qualified for), I was wondering if anyone ever got a job by sending off CVs to HR departments in companies eg. by getting a list of companies in your area and posting off a cv with a cover letter?

RicardoSmith

Originally posted by Gav_b
Looking for more advice...

After a month of applying through agencies and not getting interviews (for jobs that I'm perfectly or even over qualified for), I was wondering if anyone ever got a job by sending off CVs to HR departments in companies eg. by getting a list of companies in your area and posting off a cv with a cover letter?

Never worked for me. It was always because I heard on the grapevine that there were openings or through word of mouth or replying to ads. In the book "What color is your parachute" they reckon that cold calling is the least succesful method. But then some people do find work this way, just not very many. The most successful way BTW is through contacts, friends and networking.

Start pestering your mates and people you know. ring up people you haven't heard from in a while and that kinda think. Do some volunteer work while your not working. Anything to meet people.

dazberry

Worked for me once in 1998 for contract work - and it was a phone call. But that was more blind luck than anything else. Any work I've managed to get over the last 2 years have been from that same company.

I have otherwise tried direct [mailing / phoning] a few times over the last 9 years, otherwise it has never worked. One thing to bare in mind is that some companies appear bigger from a distance

D.

sceptre

Originally posted by p.pete
quite often they will have no idea what the words on your CV actually mean. A lot of technical jargon on a CV which may be directly related to the job will just be background noise to them as most of them won't understand it.

Oh absolutely. I used to work for an accountancy firm that had a recruitment company bolted on. I was often asked to call up if I had a few minutes to explain what the jobs meant in relatively plain English. And this was a reasonably competent company with recruitment people who actually didn't want to make asses of themselves by sending unsuitable peolple for interviews. Some of the other companies (including a large one with a name beginning with M) had a reputation in the industry as companies that really didn't know who to send to what.