Can't get IT job in London

zxcvbnm1

Mods - not sure if this is a typicam PI issue but I couldn't find a better forum than this. And besides, this IS a personal issue.

I am trying to get an IT job in London while based in Dublin but am having zero joy. As in - I must have sent my cv out to nearly 100 job adverts and didn't get one response from an agent !

I can't figure it out. I am applying to all applicable jobs on the biggest website jobserve.com.

I have 10 years experience in IT and I also do know that my cv is very clearly laid out and easy to read.
normally when I apply in Dublin, agents are ringing me up straight away.

While I am based in Dublin looking for jobs in London, I do have in bold letters at the top of my cv that I am currently living in London and available do as not to deter potential employers.
But nothing seems to work.

Am I missing sometimg here? Are there any recruitment agents Reading this post that may have some advice?
The only thing I can think if is that the tel number in my cb is obviously nit English and therefore they may be suspicious that I in fact do not live in London at all.
But even so,I'm only in Dublin !

Cuddlesworth

Do you actually have the relevant qualifications relating to your job and a proven track record of up skilling or are you like most other Irish IT people where you know your stuff but never bothered picking up any certs.

zxcvbnm1

Cuddlesworth wrote: »

Do you actually have the relevant qualifications relating to your job and a proven track record of up skilling or are you like most other Irish IT people where you know your stuff but never bothered picking up any certs.

Yes - I have a degree in computer science and have various other upskilling qualifications also.

I don't think the issue is with my experience/ qualifications as I literally have my pick of jobs here in Dublin.
I am using the exact same cv for London.

Some of the jobs I applied for it was as if the spec was written for my cv specifically ! And still no replies !

I think it must lie with the fact that I am not English perhaps ? As I say, my cv says I am based in London but maybe my Irish twlephonenumber is a give away?

I guess I'm asking in case any agents are Reading, do agents gave a rule if thumb whereby they will only contact people with local phone numbers?

I am thinking of going up north to buy a ready to go mobile. Or is that OTT?

The Recliner

Moved from PI

shoegirl

zxcvbnm1 wrote: »

I don't think the issue is with my experience/ qualifications as I literally have my pick of jobs here in Dublin.

If you have your "pick of jobs" in Dublin then why consider moving to London?
Its very expensive to live in and currently tax rates are considerably higher than Dublin. Presuming you are still working and gaining experience in the meantime.

zxcvbnm1

shoegirl wrote: »

If you have your "pick of jobs" in Dublin then why consider moving to London?
Its very expensive to live in and currently tax rates are considerably higher than Dublin. Presuming you are still working and gaining experience in the meantime.

I want to move for the experience of London - also rates aremych higher in London for what I do.

And yes - I am continuing to work in Dublin in the meantime,although obviously my cb says I have finished in Dublin and sm currently based in London.

Anyway - any agents out there Reading this that have an idea ad to what the problem is ?
It is possible of course that there are way too many applicants for each job.
But if there are jobs in Dublin then surely London is at least as good ifnot better given all the investment banks in London.

Smoggy

are you working software ? what languages ?
or
hardware ? and what platforms ? technologies?

pow wow

Getting any job when you live somewhere else is a nightmare - why would they bother with the hassle of your moving when there's probably plenty of qualified candidates on their doorstep? It's something I've come up against every time I've moved, and bar one occasion I've only managed to get jobs once I've moved to my intended destination.

What address are you putting on the cv if you're having to point out you 'actually' live in London?

tman

zxcvbnm1 wrote: »

It is possible of course that there are way too many applicants for each job.

Bingo.

I've had sweet FA luck using the bigger websites (Reed for example is TERRIBLE for finding jobs, most of them have a hundred applicants!)

Try some other sites like theitjobboard.co.uk, computingcareers.co.uk and justlondonjobs.co.uk, or even find out the name of a company you'd like to apply to and go directly to them (Wavex for example are ALWAYS employing people if you're interested in a support based position)

Have you just been sending your CV, or including a covering letter with each application too? (can sometimes be a waste of time if you're applying to an agency imo, but if you're applying directly they're a must!)

zxcvbnm1

tman wrote: »

Bingo.

I've had sweet FA luck using the bigger websites (Reed for example is TERRIBLE for finding jobs, most of them have a hundred applicants!)

Try some other sites like theitjobboard.co.uk, computingcareers.co.uk and justlondonjobs.co.uk, or even find out the name of a company you'd like to apply to and go directly to them (Wavex for example are ALWAYS employing people if you're interested in a support based position)

Have you just been sending your CV, or including a covering letter with each application too? (can sometimes be a waste of time if you're applying to an agency imo, but if you're applying directly they're a must!)

tman - that's interesting. Do you already have an IT job in London ? If so, how long were you looking. Were you based in London while job hunting?

I'm surprised London is that difficult to secure a job in IT given that there is certainly a but in Dublin in my recent experience.
I would have assumed London would be at least as active as Dublin given that London has all the investment banks and it being a global financial centre.

I read recently that there are 160,000 Irish in London. How are they all getting jobs given that IT must be performing as one of the better sectors out there.

harney

Generally I used to give it about 24 hours max before calling the agency that I had sent my cv to - it is sometimes they only way they will talk to you. Once you have made contact with a "real" person they are more likely to come back to you with other jobs that might fit your cv.

I also put a VoIP number on my CV - it is an 056 number for the UK. I am using blueface and it was free when I joined with them several years ago, but I think you have to pay for the UK number now. It is quite handy as I never answered it during the day so it would go to voice mail and email me a wav file with the number of the caller and the vm. Since you have to pay for the 056 number now you might as well go for an 0207 / 0208 London number.


I am not sure what area you are working in, but you could try http://www.cwjobs.co.uk/

I would definitely write a paragraph or two in the cover letter as it shows at least some interest in the job, rather than someone who is clicking random links for any job. Create a cover letter and stick it in your drafts. You just have to slightly modify it for each job you are looking for.

zxcvbnm1

pow wow wrote: »

What address are you putting on the cv if you're having to point out you 'actually' live in London?

I don't have any London address on my cv.(in much the same way I don't have a Dublin address when I apply for jobs in Dublin)

However - at the very top of my cv I do have highlighted in red letters "Now living in London - Available immediately".
And I also include an Irish mobile (which is not unreasonable to have seeing as my cv shows that I have only just moved to London given that it states my previous job finished last month)

so I guess you could argue I should include a London address.
But really, you'd expect at least a few agents to take it at face value given it's hardly that implausible a story of some irish guy moving to London to get a job.

magooly

Have you registered with jobsite.co.uk and made your CV searchable?

I registered for London based IT dev jobs 2 weeks ago and the next morning while at work my phone was hopping from London recruiters. I had 2 initial Technical calls for two separate companies set up within 3 days so be prepared for that and know your chosen area. Recruiters will trip over themselves to get to you first, some will ask for exclusivity too.

PM me for details of the recruites I have dealt with in the last 2 weeks, who represent real jobs in NYSE, Bloomberg, Trafigura etc.

irishguy

zxcvbnm1 wrote: »

Mods - not sure if this is a typicam PI issue but I couldn't find a better forum than this. And besides, this IS a personal issue.

I am trying to get an IT job in London while based in Dublin but am having zero joy. As in - I must have sent my cv out to nearly 100 job adverts and didn't get one response from an agent !

I can't figure it out. I am applying to all applicable jobs on the biggest website jobserve.com.

I have 10 years experience in IT and I also do know that my cv is very clearly laid out and easy to read.
normally when I apply in Dublin, agents are ringing me up straight away.

While I am based in Dublin looking for jobs in London, I do have in bold letters at the top of my cv that I am currently living in London and available do as not to deter potential employers.
But nothing seems to work.

Am I missing sometimg here? Are there any recruitment agents Reading this post that may have some advice?
The only thing I can think if is that the tel number in my cb is obviously nit English and therefore they may be suspicious that I in fact do not live in London at all.
But even so,I'm only in Dublin !

I have registered on and off with jobserve/monster and I get plagued with people contacting me. Both in Dublin and London. Are you sure its searchable?
I know the London market is very active esp in Financials. I am a java developer, which seems to be one of the most active areas.

Jim2007

zxcvbnm1 wrote: »

While I am based in Dublin looking for jobs in London, I do have in bold letters at the top of my cv that I am currently living in London and available do as not to deter potential employers.
But nothing seems to work.

Am I missing sometimg here? Are there any recruitment agents Reading this post that may have some advice?
The only thing I can think if is that the tel number in my cb is obviously nit English and therefore they may be suspicious that I in fact do not live in London at all.

Well I can't speak for others, but as someone who is involved in recruiting IT people from time to time, I can tell you that if I got a CV like this I would add the person to my black list and bin the CV!

I expect some over statement in CVs, but to lie about something as fundamental as that.... well it is not professional and not the kind of person I would want on my team!

Jim.

zxcvbnm1

Jim2007 wrote: »

Well I can't speak for others, but as someone who is involved in recruiting IT people from time to time, I can tell you that if I got a CV like this I would add the person to my black list and bin the CV!

I expect some over statement in CVs, but to lie about something as fundamental as that.... well it is not professional and not the kind of person I would want on my team!

Jim.

Jim - you're missing the point.

Yes - i am not based in london and am saying I am.
You obviously know this is a lie as you are reading this thread.

However - agents reading the cv don't know it's a lie at the time of reading. So presumably they have no reason not to take it at face value - and they still aren't contacting me !

Jim2007

zxcvbnm1 wrote: »

You obviously know this is a lie as you are reading this thread.

However - agents reading the cv don't know it's a lie at the time of reading. So presumably they have no reason not to take it at face value - and they still aren't contacting me !

How stupid do you think these people are?

- The normal candidate puts his contact details including his address on a CV

- Your "now in London" message is going to raise a red flag, when there is no address

- At best an agent will note something odd about your phone number and some will probably know it's Irish (I expect they've had a few Irish applicants before)

An agent is not going to risk presenting a candidate to an employer in the current market if there is anything doubtful about them. When the times were good and everyone was screaming for people it was a different thing.

If someone has to go through around 500 CVs per day, do you really think they will spend time on something that looks off?

Jim.

zxcvbnm1

ok jim - basically your point being i should also include a londom address to add credibility to my story of actually being based there.

Ok - point taken.Not bad advice.

Might I add, you chose a slightly aggressive/confrontational way of making that point.

davecarey1978

Jim2007 wrote: »

How stupid do you think these people are?

- The normal candidate puts his contact details including his address on a CV

- Your "now in London" message is going to raise a red flag, when there is no address

- At best an agent will note something odd about your phone number and some will probably know it's Irish (I expect they've had a few Irish applicants before)

An agent is not going to risk presenting a candidate to an employer in the current market if there is anything doubtful about them. When the times were good and everyone was screaming for people it was a different thing.

If someone has to go through around 500 CVs per day, do you really think they will spend time on something that looks off?

Jim.

Was posted a while back but found it relevant to my recent experiences. Hope you've had some joy with finding work in London, having same problem myself.

The fact is, as a senior IT professional who has worked with agencies/consultancies in UK and Ireland - none of them have a clue or are even remotely interested in details of the IT industry. Even the ones who call themselves 'IT Recruitment Consultants'. Collectively they are utterly incompetent - as someone who tries to hire through them, and get them to find myself work - they regularly send on candidates CVs that embarrass themselves as well as their respective organisations. On the other side, when I have tried to find work through them myself my only experience has been that they are liars and fob-off merchants themselves (fabricating jobs just to get CVs for their databases etc).

Also a good friend of mine changed careers from IT development into IT Recruitment and changed back within six months (for a very respected and well known 'consultancy') - he said what he witnessed was dire unprofessionalism, a complete lack of attention to what was actually happening in industry (most of them didn't even know what ITIL, Prince 2, PMP etc. concepts were), and they had a total focus on sales and nothing else.

Unfortunately what you've experienced with these recruiters will be a combination of ignorance, incompetence, and probably laziness/racism due to your phone number giveaway - if it is the case that they even bothered to check it rather than a 'CV scanning system'. Sorry Jim - unfortunately yes they are utterly thick and should be removed from the whole process, they actually hinder businesses chances of getting the right staff, as well as screwing over candidates left right and centre.

You should google the website "songbytoad" as well as "job-hunting-people-are-such-".
The guy here basically says it exactly how it is.

none

One thing I can't get here is if there's such a burning desire to move to London, why not get a UK mobile number? Going up North and buying a Vodafone/O2/Orange/Three pay as you go shouldn't be difficult or expensive. Put it on your cv and voilà, you're a true Londoner for them
I actually don't think putting the full address on the cv is good, mobile and email should be sufficient.

Reactor

none wrote: »

I actually don't think putting the full address on the cv is good, mobile and email should be sufficient.

Anyone else agree with this?

zweton

Reactor wrote: »

Anyone else agree with this?

a partial address would hardly suffice though would it?
and no address may get them wondering...

kippy

Okay, not having an address on the CV and not having a UK mobile number/contact detail are straight away issues for me and the fact that you say "NOW" in London raise red flags for me all over the shop.

I think these are key reasons why you at least arent getting at least some responses and potentially easy enough to sort out.

Also, even though this will involve more leg work, have you contacted any companies directly?


I have never had to look for work abroad but would assume the same basic rules apply about CV's.

I would also think that there is a hell of a lot more competition for roles in London, even the ones we would call "niche" here in Ireland.


Best of luck either way,

pow wow

Reactor wrote: »

Anyone else agree with this?

Disagree. It's important, particularly in a city the size of London to either have the address on your cv or cover letter - a recruiter or employer needs to know that you're within a commutable distance from any jobs. As driving is not an option for most regular Londoners and the reliance on public transport is so great it is a factor they have to consider when selecting candidates.

The other point is that London recruiters are inundated with candidates from far further afield (asia etc.) trying to secure jobs in London before they come over and you risk being put in that category if you don't have an address (or at the very least a UK number!) to put on your CV.

micdug

As someone who recruits IT staff in a relatively buoyant area this is the deal:
For one job I will get 40 applicants (not that many - for some roles I have seen 300+ applicants).

I only have time to interview 3/4 candidates (thats nearly a full day gone.

Before it hits my desk I expect that they can work in the country, have relevant CV and are available (local address and number)

Then and only then will I read them and go through the following:

First Cut
Bad mispelled/grammer, stupid font (Comic Sans) etc - whatever reason and excuse I can to cut because ya'no there are plenty of people who did everything right!
20 CV's left

Second Cut
Put them all in Excel and score them.
8 CV's left

Third Cut
Best fit for the roll - experience that closely fits the roles requirements. This is where overqualified candidates are bumped off - either because they would be bored by the job or looking for too high a renumeration for example.

I've now got 4 interviews. The OP went down BEFORE the first cut. I'd expect an Agency to get rid of it so they don't waste my time.

"Might I add, you chose a slightly aggressive/confrontational way of making that point. "
There is a reason for this - it's unlikely that the point will get through to you unless it's spelt out sharply. I mean, it's stunningly obvious why you have the problem - you spelt it out clearly in your OP. That said you also have a personal issue with the arrogent attitude"However - agents reading the cv don't know it's a lie at the time of reading."
I mean - how stupid do you think people really are?? Lesson #1 for you is that other people aren't idiots including recruiters who have seen it all. Leaving out things like addresses, grades on 3rd level qualifications, spagetti CV's with millions of "skills" listed but no evidence how the skill was gotten are complete timewasters and will get you binned.

If you want a job in London M O V E T O L O N D O N

x in the city

saying that the OP LIVES in london is an epic fail as stated..

talk about ridiculous, all you have to do is on the top of your cv say

willing to relocate to london ASAP.


that at least gives the impression that you will move there and are not hiding behind a bush in ireland somewhere...

in this climate that nonsense would be not tolerated

dragon12

I've been going through the process of trying to get a job in IT in London for the last 6 weeks or so and haven't run into any issues even though my Irish address is on my CV. It may make a difference that I'm going exclusively through a recruiter, who seems very competent.

pow wow

dragon12 wrote: »

I've been going through the process of trying to get a job in IT in London for the last 6 weeks or so and haven't run into any issues even though my Irish address is on my CV. It may make a difference that I'm going exclusively through a recruiter, who seems very competent.

That's not really the same as having got a job with the Irish address though. I don't know that it prohibits people getting a job, but it does slow the process.

Joeyjoejo

Op, any of my friends who are currently looking for a job in London and still live in Dublin have got a UK mobile number....£5 for a new UK sim...if you have any friends already over there, ask can you use their address as your address in the meantime!

x43r0

I thought I'd chip in my experience for what its worth.

I'm coming to the end of a 1year masters (finishes in June) and I'm starting in the IT department of an investment bank in London in July. I used all Irish details (address, phone etc.) in my CV and applied directly to the company. The process took roughly 6 weeks between intial contact and offer.

I have never used a recruiter so can't really comment.

OP have you tried the direct route?