Is there something wrong with me or am I just unlucky ? Advice needed please

newmember987

Hi, I know I'm not the only person in this situation but I can't secure a job, my situation is probably a little more different to others though

I achieved 560 points in the leaving cert which is good, I also achieved a high 1.1 honours result in my degree, previous work experience in the area of work that I'm trying to get into. My applications are decent

In interviews I've been given great feedback that I was very positive polite, very happy with my application and interview together, that my application and interview together have been best they have seen in years etc, but still no luck of securing a job

Also all of my mates have secured jobs and trainee roles even though my applications are 2 to 3 times more impressive than theirs, and they've been given me some stick, which is fair enough but it doesn't help me

I've applied for roughly 100 jobs, got 7 interviews and 0 offers

Im so disgusted with myself, its getting me down a little bit, I feel I've let myself down and other people close to me down as well

Any advice on what I could do please ? I'd love a job.

Saipanne

Persist. It took me a year to find a job, recently. Try to focus on the negatives as well as positives from your interviews. You only mentioned positives above, but there is surely something you could work on. No one is perfect.

Have you googled for help standard interview questions? With competency based questions?

Phantasos

What sector are you looking for work in?

As the poster above says, sometimes you just need to persist and get that little bit of luck.

newmember987

Saipanne wrote: »

Persist. It took me a year to find a job, recently. Try to focus on the negatives as well as positives from your interviews. You only mentioned positives above, but there is surely something you could work on. No one is perfect.

Have you googled for help standard interview questions? With competency based questions?

It shouldn't take me a year though, I really should have one in my pocket already

I've asked before was there anything negative with my application or interview, anything I could work on or improve anywhere on anything at all etc, and each time I received feedback the answer was no, that I was perfect in their opinion and that I don't need to work on anything, which makes it even more confusing for me

Yeah I've done all that research and practice

doolox

This is an extremely challenging time to be looking for a job and you must realise that your applications etc may be off putting to bosses who all too humanly do not want to be hiring someone who is probably better qualified and educated than they are and will need very special handling and training and mentoring to fit in to an organisation and not cause insecurities in the senior staff etc.

Every ones job is in question at all times and no one wants to hire a potential rival or better which a 1.1 and 560 pts clearly indicates.

Ireland is a very small and tribal work marketplace where often who you know is as important as what you know. you may have to go abroad for awhile and build up experience and knowledge denied to you at home and then come back with unassailable and undeniable levels of skill knowledge and contacts and a reputation in your chosen field that no one can knock holes in.

Saipanne

newmember987 wrote: »

It shouldn't take me a year though, I really should have one in my pocket already

I've asked before was there anything negative with my application or interview, anything I could work on or improve anywhere on anything at all etc, and each time I received feedback the answer was no, that I was perfect in their opinion and that I don't need to work on anything, which makes it even more confusing for me

Yeah I've done all that research and practice

I'm sorry, but the only advice I have is persist. Wish I could say something better, but its really just that. At least in my experience...

jcon1913

Believe it or not, sometimes your CV can look ''almost too good'', and potential employers who interview you can think ''well here's a person who may move on when things improve, why take this person on when we could take on candidate B who has a 2.2, and who will have less options when the economy picks up''.

If you can point out that you intend to stay at least 3 years / whatever is standard in your industry, then that might change the attitude in the employers eyes.

newmember987

Phantasos wrote: »

What sector are you looking for work in?

As the poster above says, sometimes you just need to persist and get that little bit of luck.

Accounting, more specifically auditing

Persist for how long though ? 1 year ? 2 3 years ?
Im at this 9 months already

newmember987

jcon1913 wrote: »

Believe it or not, sometimes your CV can look ''almost too good'', and potential employers who interview you can think ''well here's a person who may move on when things improve, why take this person on when we could take on candidate B who has a 2.2, and who will have less options when the economy picks up''.

If you can point out that you intend to stay at least 3 years / whatever is standard in your industry, then that might change the attitude in the employers eyes.

The contract is for 3.5 years, the kind of contract that I'm looking for, just goes under a trainee contract though

Sunny Dayz

Have you enrolled with any of the professional accounting bodies for exams? They usually have a section on their websites for job vacancies.

newmember987

Sunny Dayz wrote: »

Have you enrolled with any of the professional accounting bodies for exams? They usually have a section on their websites for job vacancies.

Yeah CAI, I keep an eye on their job vacancies on their site

I also keep up to date with jobs.ie gradireland.ie irishjobs.ie etc

JD Dublin

newmember987 wrote: »

The contract is for 3.5 years, the kind of contract that I'm looking for, just goes under a trainee contract though

If you have experience in this area then why are you looking for a training contract? Most graduates applying for auditing contracts have no experience in auditing.

Any way if you are a newly minted graduate and you have worked in auditing before there are a few things to bear in mind.

When your potential employer interviews you, they do the standard psych tests, and if you are shaping up well, they then phone your previous employer. The crucial questions are:

1. Would you hire this person again?
2. Can this person work on their own initiative?
3. How did they get on with their work colleagues?

There may be a few others but I have been phoned over the last 10 years for 5 different forner employees of the organisation I work for, and those 3 questions always come up.

Are there issues when your potential employers phone your last employers?

jimmii

Keep your chin up someone will see your potential at some point. Depending on the roles you are applying for its possible that they think you are a little over qualified and that when you find a position that is more suiting to your experience that you'll jump ship and they will have to start all over again.

newmember987

doolox wrote: »

This is an extremely challenging time to be looking for a job and you must realise that your applications etc may be off putting to bosses who all too humanly do not want to be hiring someone who is probably better qualified and educated than they are and will need very special handling and training and mentoring to fit in to an organisation and not cause insecurities in the senior staff etc.

Every ones job is in question at all times and no one wants to hire a potential rival or better which a 1.1 and 560 pts clearly indicates.

Ireland is a very small and tribal work marketplace where often who you know is as important as what you know. you may have to go abroad for awhile and build up experience and knowledge denied to you at home and then come back with unassailable and undeniable levels of skill knowledge and contacts and a reputation in your chosen field that no one can knock holes in.

Its less challenging than say 5 years ago though ?

Under the contract I'm looking for I'd be doing the exact same work in the firm with someone that say achieved 200 points and a 2.2 or a pass degree even

Emigration just isn't an option for me, thanks for good suggestion though

jcon1913

newmember987 wrote: »

The contract is for 3.5 years, the kind of contract that I'm looking for, just goes under a trainee contract though

Nobody in a Big 4 training firm would be intimidateed by a 1st class honours degree:)

Did you apply when the ''milk rounds'' were taking place in college when the big auditing firms traditionally recruit?

newmember987

jcon1913 wrote: »

Nobody in a Big 4 training firm would be intimidateed by a 1st class honours degree:)

Did you apply when the ''milk rounds'' were taking place in college when the big auditing firms traditionally recruit?

Yeah I did, no luck with an interview with any of them

Maybe they are intimidated :P

Phantasos

A few different things you could try:

[1] Recruitment agencies - yes they can be s**t sometimes, but they're worth a try

[2] Networking - with your family, with your neighbours, with your uncle's friend's neighbour's boss, whoever it takes. Ask everyone and let everyone know you're looking for work in this area. Set up a LinkedIn account too.

[3] Cold calling - I assume you've sent speculative applications to lots of different companies? Trawl the listings for smaller practices that may fly under the radar - let them know you're looking and that you're keen to get working.

[4] Spread your radar - I know smaller towns and cities outside of your own might not be ideal, but it'd be worth it to get your qualifications under your belt. Expand your search criteria on the jobs websites, don't be afraid to travel further to get what you want.

[5] The dreaded Jobbridge - it's an option, however awful.

JD Dublin

newmember987 wrote: »

Yeah I did, no luck with an interview with any of them

Maybe they are intimidated :P

What was your degree in?

newmember987

JD Dublin wrote: »

If you have experience in this area then why are you looking for a training contract? Most graduates applying for auditing contracts have no experience in auditing.

Any way if you are a newly minted graduate and you have worked in auditing before there are a few things to bear in mind.

When your potential employer interviews you, they do the standard psych tests, and if you are shaping up well, they then phone your previous employer. The crucial questions are:

1. Would you hire this person again?
2. Can this person work on their own initiative?
3. How did they get on with their work colleagues?

There may be a few others but I have been phoned over the last 10 years for 5 different forner employees of the organisation I work for, and those 3 questions always come up.

Are there issues when your potential employers phone your last employers?

Because I loved and really enjoyed the work I done during my work experience, that was 5 years ago, it wasn't under a trainee contract it was unpaid work experience

No no issues at all with previous employers and references

newmember987

JD Dublin wrote: »

What was your degree in?

Accounting & Finance level 8

jcon1913

newmember987 wrote: »

Because I loved and really enjoyed the work I done during my work experience, that was 5 years ago, it wasn't under a trainee contract it was unpaid work experience

No no issues at all with previous employers and references

Sorry none of this is stacking up:

A You have experience in auditing but it was 5 years ago.
B You have a first class honours degree.
C You went to the milk round interviews but were not sucessful.
D You have been looking for a job for 9 months now.
E I assume you have avoided paid employment in other jobs throughout all of this? I mean surely you could have got another job while waiting for a job in auditing?
F Lastly you enjoy auditing - I mean how bad is that??

To quote Bobby Kerr of Dragon's Den fame ''I'm out''

newmember987

Phantasos wrote: »

A few different things you could try:

[1] Recruitment agencies - yes they can be s**t sometimes, but they're worth a try

[2] Networking - with your family, with your neighbours, with your uncle's friend's neighbour's boss, whoever it takes. Ask everyone and let everyone know you're looking for work in this area. Set up a LinkedIn account too.

[3] Cold calling - I assume you've sent speculative applications to lots of different companies? Trawl the listings for smaller practices that may fly under the radar - let them know you're looking and that you're keen to get working.

[4] Spread your radar - I know smaller towns and cities outside of your own might not be ideal, but it'd be worth it to get your qualifications under your belt. Expand your search criteria on the jobs websites, don't be afraid to travel further to get what you want.

[5] The dreaded Jobbridge - it's an option, however awful.

Thanks, 4 & 5 I could try, though I'd really really prefer if it was in county dublin though, louth meath kildare and wicklow would be very difficult for me to travel to. At least for now anyway

Just how bad is jobbridge though ??

Panda_Turtle

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=90763007&postcount=3555

newmember987 wrote: »

Thanks, 4 & 5 I could try, though I'd really really prefer if it was in county dublin though, louth meath kildare and wicklow would be very difficult for me to travel to. At least for now anyway

Just how bad is jobbridge though ??

.. One example

newmember987

jcon1913 wrote: »

Sorry none of this is stacking up:

A You have experience in auditing but it was 5 years ago.
B You have a first class honours degree.
C You went to the milk round interviews but were not sucessful.
D You have been looking for a job for 9 months now.
E I assume you have avoided paid employment in other jobs throughout all of this? I mean surely you could have got another job while waiting for a job in auditing?

To quote Bobby Kerr of Dragon's Den fame ''I'm out''

C. I applied to all the firms in the milkround but I didn't get an interview for any of them. Not just the big 4

E. I did have a small part time job through college (not an accounting job) but I left before christmas to concentrate on my exams, and having an audit trainee contract secured before CAI starts

a b & d are correct though

newmember987

Panda_Turtle wrote: »

.. One example

Yeah that is pretty bad, but in all fairness it couldn't be like that in general across the board

I've a decent idea of the training I'd be doing throughout the contract, so I'd have a fair idea if I wasn't being trained in properly unlike those unfortunate interns.

I could still give jobbridge a go though ?

Panda_Turtle

newmember987 wrote: »

I could still give jobbridge a go though ?

Well if you've exhausted all other options, have been on the dole for ages, and can't emigrate then yeah it could be a good option for you.

Joey99

From what you're saying, you are applying for a trainee accountant position. Is that correct? You say you have work experience but don't mention a professional qualification beyond your university degree so I'm really just guessing.

The first thing I would say is hats off for making 100 applications. Job hunting is a bit of a numbers game at the best of times, nowadays even more so.

I'm intrigued by the 100 applications though. Were all of these genuinely looking to recruit someone? Most companies say they're recruiting on their websites even when they're not just in case the Messiah comes calling to ask can he work for free. I wonder how tailored and focused on specific employers you can be when you're making 100 applications.

Do all of your family and friends know (a) that you're looking for a job, (b) precisely what you are after, and (c) precisely what makes you a great potential asset for an employer?

I know it might sound demeaning but is there any voluntary work you could be doing (or could afford to do) while you are looking for something? The kind of initiative that leads people to do that is the kind of initiative that gets them a job and who knows what interesting people you'll meet along the way.

Lastly (and it's just a general comment, nothing about you personally), of the people I've known who got 1:1 degrees in my field most were a little bit 'different' and some were totally over-intense. Several were not well suited to be employed in a regular job. Some of them have gone on to great success being self-employed or in other fields. Could that be an issue for you? If you are too intense or a bit of an acquired taste, I'm not saying you should necessarily change (although you might want to). Unfortunately, if it is the case that you're giving that impression you won't ever get that feedback in any interview. Maybe ask a close friend or family member?

There's a hint of pride/hubris in your comment that "Under the contract I'm looking for I'd be doing the exact same work in the firm with someone that say achieved 200 points and a 2.2 or a pass degree even".

All the best, good luck with it and keep your chin up. Remember - like sales, it's a numbers game.

GoWhest

I was in the exact same situation as you. I did a good leaving cert and got a 1.1 in both first and second year of the B.Comm and was on track for a 1.1 overall in third year when I started applying for jobs. I must have sent out 100 CVs and did about 8 interviews and got nothing. Feedback was always positive but no jobs were forthcoming. I decided to do a Masters in Accountancy. I got a job in a small practice afterwards, the wages were about 30%-40% lower than what most of my friends were on , but in hindsight its the best thing that ever happened to me. I learnt so much from accounts preparation, audit, tax, payroll and everything that goes with it. When I finished my training contract I had several interviews and got offered a couple of jobs, I accepted one in one of the big four. And believe it or not I prefered the small practice. There's very little variety in the bigger firms. I actually think that the training in the smaller firms is much better too. I find that the big four accountants, although good at audit, tax etc. aren't great with the basic stuff like basic accounts prep and posting journals, and they know very little outside their specialist area. I.e Audit know little about tax, tax know little about payroll etc. There are hundreds of the small practices around the country and very few advertise. Your best bet is just to send a CV in on spec and hope for the best. Good Luck!

Gone West

doolox wrote: »

This is an extremely challenging time to be looking for a job and you must realise that your applications etc may be off putting to bosses who all too humanly do not want to be hiring someone who is probably better qualified and educated than they are and will need very special handling and training and mentoring to fit in to an organisation and not cause insecurities in the senior staff etc.

Every ones job is in question at all times and no one wants to hire a potential rival or better which a 1.1 and 560 pts clearly indicates.

Ireland is a very small and tribal work marketplace where often who you know is as important as what you know. you may have to go abroad for awhile and build up experience and knowledge denied to you at home and then come back with unassailable and undeniable levels of skill knowledge and contacts and a reputation in your chosen field that no one can knock holes in.

Do you honestly believe this?
I have never worked anywhere, where leaving cert points or college degree points have ever even been mentioned to me.
And I've worked consulting across a range of industries, sat on interview panels and so on.
You are making excuses to yourself if you think that a first class degree or leaving cert points even impresses never mind "intimidates" a hiring manager.
I made several great calls over the last few years on hiring college dropouts who had worked on interesting projects themselves over people who had graduated.

They are looking for people who are formidable in their fields or else they are looking for worker bees. Likely you fall in between the two. Either present yourself as a worker bee, or BECOME something formidable, and then you can court the employers.

InReality

Have you every done some interview training ? Or had somebody review your CV , like a recruitment agency.
That would be my starting point.

I'm very surprised that you havn't had an offer with those academic results.

I'd agree that the hiring managers are not likely to be intimidated by them though.

newmember987

Hi everyone, I was all up for giving jobbridge a try but to be honest after conducting some research and going through the jobbridge site I really believe I can achieve a little bit higher than jobbridge

I dont mean to come across as snobby or ungrateful if jobbridge actually did work out for me, I'm sure jobbridge has really helped a good amount of job seekers and especially employers, but I just rate myself a bit higher than that, thanks for the jobbridge suggestion though

newmember987

Panda_Turtle wrote: »

Well if you've exhausted all other options, have been on the dole for ages, and can't emigrate then yeah it could be a good option for you.

No its not really a good option for me, I dont claim social welfare either

I'll probably just continue to apply for more jobs normally and hopefully something will come my way soon

Tefral

An old boss of mine who is very successful once said to me "I'd never hire someone with a 1:1 in their degree. To me it shouts more brains than balls" true story and I've heard it a few times since over the years. Could be just the industry I am in.

Employers these days want people to be able to roll up their sleeves and get stuck in. OP I'm picking up an air of entitlement off your posts, if I can see that over a message board, maybe that's coming across in an interview. Getting on with people is very important in the work place and employers hire people who will slot into teams. Seems you might be giving off the signal that you might have an issue with working with people less "intelligent" than you

newmember987

Joey99 wrote: »

From what you're saying, you are applying for a trainee accountant position. Is that correct? You say you have work experience but don't mention a professional qualification beyond your university degree so I'm really just guessing.

The first thing I would say is hats off for making 100 applications. Job hunting is a bit of a numbers game at the best of times, nowadays even more so.

I'm intrigued by the 100 applications though. Were all of these genuinely looking to recruit someone? Most companies say they're recruiting on their websites even when they're not just in case the Messiah comes calling to ask can he work for free. I wonder how tailored and focused on specific employers you can be when you're making 100 applications.

Do all of your family and friends know (a) that you're looking for a job, (b) precisely what you are after, and (c) precisely what makes you a great potential asset for an employer?

I know it might sound demeaning but is there any voluntary work you could be doing (or could afford to do) while you are looking for something? The kind of initiative that leads people to do that is the kind of initiative that gets them a job and who knows what interesting people you'll meet along the way.

Lastly (and it's just a general comment, nothing about you personally), of the people I've known who got 1:1 degrees in my field most were a little bit 'different' and some were totally over-intense. Several were not well suited to be employed in a regular job. Some of them have gone on to great success being self-employed or in other fields. Could that be an issue for you? If you are too intense or a bit of an acquired taste, I'm not saying you should necessarily change (although you might want to). Unfortunately, if it is the case that you're giving that impression you won't ever get that feedback in any interview. Maybe ask a close friend or family member?

There's a hint of pride/hubris in your comment that "Under the contract I'm looking for I'd be doing the exact same work in the firm with someone that say achieved 200 points and a 2.2 or a pass degree even".

All the best, good luck with it and keep your chin up. Remember - like sales, it's a numbers game.

Yeah thats correct I've a degree and looking to start on my way for a professional qualification in October.

Yeah when I applied to these jobs they were specifically looking for trainee accountants. It wasn't just a general application on the firms careers page.

Yeah my family and friends know exactly what I'm looking for occupation wise

If voluntary work in accountancy came my way I'd think about it, jobbridge just isn't for me though

I know exactly the type of people who are "too intense" that youre describing, I'm not one of them, Ive no problems with those kind of people they're usually very nice people but I'm not "too intense"

newmember987

cronin_j wrote: »

An old boss of mine who is very successful once said to me "I'd never hire someone with a 1:1 in their degree. To me it shouts more brains than balls" true story and I've heard it a few times since over the years. Could be just the industry I am in.

Employers these days want people to be able to roll up their sleeves and get stuck in. OP I'm picking up an air of entitlement off your posts, if I can see that over a message board, maybe that's coming across in an interview. Getting on with people is very important in the work place and employers hire people who will slot into teams. Seems you might be giving off the signal that you might have an issue with working with people less "intelligent" than you

What industry are you in ?

Can you describe what you mean by an air of entitlement from my posts ?

I've no issue at all with working with people no matter what their intelligence is like ?? or very very rarely like for example in a team project and one person in the team isn't pulling their weight and not putting the work in, then I'd have an issue with working with those type of people

newmember987

GoWhest wrote: »

I was in the exact same situation as you. I did a good leaving cert and got a 1.1 in both first and second year of the B.Comm and was on track for a 1.1 overall in third year when I started applying for jobs. I must have sent out 100 CVs and did about 8 interviews and got nothing. Feedback was always positive but no jobs were forthcoming. I decided to do a Masters in Accountancy. I got a job in a small practice afterwards, the wages were about 30%-40% lower than what most of my friends were on , but in hindsight its the best thing that ever happened to me. I learnt so much from accounts preparation, audit, tax, payroll and everything that goes with it. When I finished my training contract I had several interviews and got offered a couple of jobs, I accepted one in one of the big four. And believe it or not I prefered the small practice. There's very little variety in the bigger firms. I actually think that the training in the smaller firms is much better too. I find that the big four accountants, although good at audit, tax etc. aren't great with the basic stuff like basic accounts prep and posting journals, and they know very little outside their specialist area. I.e Audit know little about tax, tax know little about payroll etc. There are hundreds of the small practices around the country and very few advertise. Your best bet is just to send a CV in on spec and hope for the best. Good Luck!

That sounds great, but unfortunately a masters just isn't an option for me

You got accepted into 1 of the big 4 after you were fully qualified ? Isn't getting into the big 4 two to 3 times more difficult than trying to get in under a trainee contract ?

newmember987

InReality wrote: »

Have you every done some interview training ? Or had somebody review your CV , like a recruitment agency.
That would be my starting point.

I'm very surprised that you havn't had an offer with those academic results.

I'd agree that the hiring managers are not likely to be intimidated by them though.

I went for interview training around October last year in and outside of college, when I started interview training I was making a few basic mistakes, but I did improve and correct them, so I did find it helpful, same with my CV

And when I asked if I had anything negative about myself or was there something I could improve on, I got told that I was fine and that I didnt work need to work on anything, any feedback I received was always positive, no one had anything negative to say about me or anywhere that I could improve and work on

If youre surprised I haven't had an offer I dont think you could even imagine at how much Im surprised

NZ_2014

cronin_j wrote: »

An old boss of mine who is very successful once said to me "I'd never hire someone with a 1:1 in their degree. To me it shouts more brains than balls" true story and I've heard it a few times since over the years. Could be just the industry I am in.

What industry? Sounds bizarre.

Everybody should screw up their last few exams then if they are in danger of getting a 1.1

Saipanne

newmember987 wrote: »

What industry are you in ?

Can you describe what you mean by an air of entitlement from my posts ?

I've no issue at all with working with people no matter what their intelligence is like ?? or very very rarely like for example in a team project and one person in the team isn't pulling their weight and not putting the work in, then I'd have an issue with working with those type of people

A touch of humility goes a long way in interviews. Nothing worse than working with a guy who thinks he knows everything. I don't know you, only you know whether you come across like that, but an eagerness to learn and accepting your ignorance are good qualities, as opposed to a guy sitting there talking like he invented accounting.

Hope that doesn't seem like a dig, it certainly isn't.

InReality

I don't know the industry but 7 interviews from 100 with those results just seems odd.
I'd go all out on the CV , get a few recruiters and maybe a few people in the industry to look at it. There must be something in it putting people off , maybe a hobby or the results are hard to spot or something like that.

boobar

newmember987 wrote: »

It shouldn't take me a year though, I really should have one in my pocket already

I've asked before was there anything negative with my application or interview, anything I could work on or improve anywhere on anything at all etc, and each time I received feedback the answer was no, that I was perfect in their opinion and that I don't need to work on anything, which makes it even more confusing for me

Yeah I've done all that research and practice

Sorry to hear that you're having trouble finding work.

I find it unusual that they'd say your interview was "perfect" and that you "don't need to work on anything".

When they said this to you, did you ask them well why didn't I get the job then.

There's something amiss here, did they say anything else e.g. you're overqualified.

ABajaninCork

You could try doing some mock interviews, OP. Someone in FAS/Solas whatever they're called now, might be able to help. I'm looking for the same thing myself.

Are you on LinkedIn? Perhaps you could join one of the groups and ask a contact to critique you?

Stheno

I'd seriously wonder if you come across as being a little arrogant etc in interviews.

Have you ever asked why someone else got the job if your feedback is so good?

I've had plenty of interviews where I was second or third as candidate, and to told specifically why, e.g. lack of technical quals, lack of tech experience, too specialised, (I work in IT)

For me, if you are getting such excellent feedback, there is a personality issue here that means you are not being hired and companies simply do not want to expose themselves to choosing on personality.

Btw, are you male or female?

_Kaiser_

Have to echo some of what's been said above OP I'm afraid.
From reading some of your posts you do come across with an air of entitlement / arrogance which may be coming across at interviews and costing you the job.

Exanples:

even though my applications are 2 to 3 times more impressive than theirs

It shouldn't take me a year though, I really should have one in my pocket already

Persist for how long though ? 1 year ? 2 3 years ?
Im at this 9 months already

Now maybe it's just because this is a forum, but that sort of "attitude" would really put me off as an employer if it comes across in person too.
There are tens of thousands of people in your field looking for work - many of whom will be better qualified and with a lot more experience than you. That's not me having a go, that's just the fact of the matter.

As noted above, a touch of humility and realism about the circumstances you're applying under might help your chances.

Tarzana

It must be something in the way you interview because I am really surprised you didn't secure a training contract in the milkrounds with your academic record. Accountancy firms always look for academic high-achievers.

A 1.1 is a great achievement, no doubt, but working life is very different and the people with 1.1s aren't necessarily the people that will be most likely to excel. Every graduate has a lot to learn no matter what their results. Maybe you're coming across like you know it all or something? Interviews are the kind of place where things like that will be picked up on as it's not just your academic and work achievements being assessed.

danthefan

Read this thread and didn't want to post anything offensive but since it's been mentioned... there seems to be an attitude problem tbh. You're not entitled to a job, and if you're somehow conveying that in the interview an employer won't be interested.

Bepolite

OP I always ask this when I see '100 CVs in X time'. Are you making sure you are tailoring each application? The cover letter should be written from scrath (almost) for every employer.

I've also seen a few people with firsts coming across as very acedemic but not a good fit. Frankly put - yes there maybe something wrong with you - but it should be easily fixed. Get yourself into a good career guidance professional. I don't normally recommend them but this is exactly the sort of thing they can help with.

Martin567

Bepolite wrote: »

OP I always ask this when I see '100 CVs in X time'. Are you making sure you are tailoring each application? The cover letter should be written from scrath (almost) for every employer.

I often see this advice being given and, while it sometimes makes sense, I fail to see how it does on this occasion.

The OP is looking for a trainee accountant's position and has applied to 100 firms. It is effectively the same position, doing very similar work, in 100 different firms. Once you've got one good cover letter, I really can't see how this letter wouldn't be suitable for every firm.

Maybe you might change something for larger as against smaller firms but that's about it. What do you think is so unique about each firm that the application would need to be tailored 100 times and how is it even possible to do this anyway?

Clearlier

Martin567 wrote: »

I often see this advice being given and, while it sometimes makes sense, I fail to see how it does on this occasion.

The OP is looking for a trainee accountant's position and has applied to 100 firms. It is effectively the same position, doing very similar work, in 100 different firms. Once you've got one good cover letter, I really can't see how this letter wouldn't be suitable for every firm.

Maybe you might change something for larger as against smaller firms but that's about it. What do you think is so unique about each firm that the application would need to be tailored 100 times and how is it even possible to do this anyway?

You look at the language that they use in the ad and you give it back to them. Don't make somebody work to find out if you could do the job.

Many adverts get an overwhelming response and even if someone is diligent enough to go through all of them they will be reading your application critically trying to find a reason to discard it. Failing to state that you can do the job as advertised is a pretty good reason to discard.

Martin567

Clearlier wrote: »

You look at the language that they use in the ad and you give it back to them. Don't make somebody work to find out if you could do the job.

Many adverts get an overwhelming response and even if someone is diligent enough to go through all of them they will be reading your application critically trying to find a reason to discard it. Failing to state that you can do the job as advertised is a pretty good reason to discard.

I'm an accountant and most ads for this profession are very generic. I find it funny that applicants are supposed to tailor their applications to such a degree when employers and especially recruitment agencies tailor their job descriptions so little.

The OP is looking for a trainee position. Therefore they will not be expected to have any great level of experience in the area as that is what they will be trained in. Have a look at 100 ads for trainee accountants from firms all over the country. They are all virtually identical. It is not possible to write 100 different cover letters tailored for each of the applications.

Stheno

Martin567 wrote: »

I'm an accountant and most ads for this profession are very generic. I find it funny that applicants are supposed to tailor their applications to such a degree when employers and especially recruitment agencies tailor their job descriptions so little.

The OP is looking for a trainee position. Therefore they will not be expected to have any great level of experience in the area as that is what they will be trained in. Have a look at 100 ads for trainee accountants from firms all over the country. They are all virtually identical. It is not possible to write 100 different cover letters tailored for each of the applications.

I actually agree with this, I work in a very specialised area, and anyone looking at my c.v. can instantly see if I am qualified.



However, I think it's irrelevant in the OPs case, I suspect there is a personality issue in play here.