Another job interview...

...this time for John Lewis!

It was a group interview where you do group activities such as team building, presentations within the group etc. and I think it went quite well

 

Cool.....when will they let you know?

 

Me, I'm going for a job interview on Monday for the position of "Logistics Guru".

Tried vainly for 2-3 days to get the employment agency to send me a job description.
Don't want to waste their time, or mine.

They have failed miserably, so far. Have not replied to my email, or phone calls.

Appointment is to test me out on Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel and data entry. Sounds like they are after a data entry operator and are simply using a fancy title.

Will find out in 2 days. Bazza

 

Thanks, Halo. I think it will turn out to be a "con trick". But will soon know. Bazza

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Don't worry Bazza, you can always be a lazy, unemployable bum like me.

Unemployment benefits, free health care, housing, discounted medications, discounted public transport, utility rebates and free legal representation.

God bless Australia.

 

Thanks Insomniac. I am on benefits but would rather be employed. The money is a lot better. My speciality is Logistics / Supply. and all aspects of Inventory control. Trouble is only the bigger industries see the benefit of it. I have saved companies using SAP, millions of dollars in deferring / cancellation of Purchasing actions when it can be proved that the action or quantities are not required. 4 days after I arrived at my last position I found over $1,000,000 worth of Inventory pricing errors in a new SAP installation because of bad Unit of Issue decisions by an Accountant and allowed by so-called SAP experts. SAP is poor in providing an interface between the decision to order and the actual ordering action, in at least 3 versions of SAP that I have been involved in. With the help of a programmer I instituted a report that gives the Inventory Controllers much more control over what is ordered, saving companies millions in unneccessary Inventory. Bazza

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Today's the day. It's 5.30 am, 6 ½ hours to go before the interview. Will let you know the outcome. Bazza

 

Wish you all the best Bazza

 

Thanks mcadam. Any news on your front yet? Bazza

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Nope not yet, besides I got a maths exam to get through tomorrow!

They said it would take up to 14 days.

 

WOW That's an incredibly long math exam

 

Went to the interview / test. As I suspected, the role was mainly as a data entry operator, with probably some analysis thrown in. As I am a two fingered typist (with big hands), even after 20+ years of owning PC's, I said I was not interested and walked out.

The lady I had hoped to meet at the interview / test rang me later and asked me what went on. I explained my Logistics / Supply experience and lack of typing ability and we parted, more or less, on friendly terms. Back to unemployes status, oh well. Bazza

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Sorry to hear this Bazza, don't give up though!!!
The perfect job is lurking around the corner...........even if you have to come to the UK and move in with me

 

I think we might have another MajorGeeks couple.

 

I hope you both are able to find yourselves suitable employment, MCA and Bazza. It's not enough to just "pay the bills" with a job, i.m.o. - it has to be what you're happy with, if you're going to spend 35hrs, or more a week at it.

I could take up a wage position and be earning good money, for not that much physical work, at lest, but I prefer the challenge of running my own companies.

Even though finding jobs that are worthwhile are a lot harder than they used to be, it's worth 'shopping around' a bit. Guess you'll both see what happens in the next few weeks, heh.

 

Have to agree Phantom I would rather be doing volunteer work in the feild I love (Ecology) than working in a four bricked wall Factory becoming morbidly depressed (slightly more well off, but depressed). I have just got over a shocking virus, 16 weeks knackered, (similar to Glandular) and are itching to get back into the work force. We can get by Insomniac but only just and after a while it does chip away at the old self esteem. Tell you what doing some volunteer work (something you love) always does wonders for the personal psychology and potential employers LOVE IT. My 2c.

 

Long gone are those days!

 

Good luck on the jobs guy's.

Bazza, any connections from the job you had at the mines? Sometimes a little networking can be helpful.

Steve

 

Yeah, i think i can understand your frustration, TimW..

I'm 22 and studying a 3 year BA degree in Photography. Altho i love photography dearly, it seems that getting a decently paid job (to be able to support a family) is going to be a real struggly, especially as i'm looking at £20k - £25k of debt upon leaving Uni (i'm in the UK).

The other thing is, I really hate my course. I'm at a 'top' photography school, but I feel that it just isn't right for me, its really constrictive and closed-minded, and y'know, what can I really get out of it? You're either a good photographer (you've got the eye) or you aren't.

Anyway, today, I got offered a Job with a friend who runs a very successful, but small, wine importing company, back home. He's offered me a wonderful job, with great prospects, in an industry i've always worked in.. Could be a dream.. But what do i do?!

Argh! Dammed tricky life-choices!

But don't give up, thats definately good advice.

 

Radiofool - what uni are you at?

 

@Steve, nothing so far.

 

No no no you'll get used to it!
Besides we have the heating on all the time

 

Mcadam- I'm at LCC, in London.

 

As noble and fulfilling as volunteer work is, it doesn't put food in your mouth or pay your bills.

 

Fair enough it's just (for others) we have to do "Work for the Dole" in Australia after a defined time unemployed and they can be pretty flexible if you chase down something you like. For example I went to the local Uni and was helping post-grad students with their feild work, running around the bush studying bats or off to isolated sub-tropical rainforest fragments. It was actually FUN and I meet my obligation (probably were I got the bloody virus though ).

Potential employers love it because you can say although I have been btwn jobs I have been doing xxxxx with my time to improve my prospects. In their mind it shows you are a motivated individual and goes a long way in their eyes plus it really does wonders for the old self-esteem.

TimW have to agree with the networking they say in Australia more than 80% of jobs are obtained via networking.

Bazza the way I got my last job (before becoming bloody crook) was to grab the yellow pages, created and excel sheet and list all the temp/employment agencies. In total I listed 36 by the time I had rang the 6th one I had 2 interviews and 1 week later a job from one of these in the feild I wanted. Don't know what it's like up your way but this might help. Good luck.

Excellent thread everyone We can all list tips to GET THAT JOB YOU WANT, not some crappy menial mind numbing and despairing crud.

 

Hey Bold Eagle you have a great idea for a possible new Main Thread Title for MG, with the talent on this site, it would be a great resource for both the users as well as potential employers. How about it MA???? If I was still running my business I know that there are many on this site that I would have liked to approach, with regards to filling positions. For myself right now I am retired, and totally bored with the “Retired” life, it sounds lame I know, but I miss the hustle of working on a project. Dang, hitting that white ball around a golf course, has lost it’s appeal, besides ALL the rest out there are “OLD” geezers (I am still 19 at heart, body sometimes says different, but hey it don’t know anything, right)

To Big Bazaa and the rest that are getting frustrated finding “THE” job, just remember that song “Don’t worry be happy” too true my internet friends. Years from now when you have “THE” job, you will be wondering to yourself why you wasted the time worrying, I know I did.

 

Thanks for the tip, Bold Eagle. Will do. Need to do it for my oldest son, as well, a victim of Howard's sack without reason new legislation. Bazza

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Bazza, I wish I could get you in where I'm at. They switched to SAP 4 months ago, MUCH unprepared for it. It's killing us.

Good luck to you all with the job searches. "Networking", just using the contacts you know, is frequently more productive than the headhunters.

 

Yep SAP is like that. What version of SAP? What modules are you using? What business are you using SAP on, mining, manufacturing?
My main experience is in the Supply side, getting Inventory under control.

In my experience, SAP is mainly for manufacturing. It is weak on Supply management and Inventory Control, IMHO.

Bazza

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I've been at my present job for almost 25 years now . . . when I met my present wife a few years ago she stated "You must really love your job!" My reply was "Actually, I hate job interviews!"

 

I have to disagree a bit here - ANY job that pays the bills is a good job. You can keep looking for a job you like at the same time. It took me 10 years to find a profession I liked, and 12 more to find an employer I really like. Meanwhile, I took the best jobs available, and some of them were really unpleasant - but paid the bills.

 

Luckily, I don't have to worry about paying the bills.

The government gives me all the money I need every two weeks.


Thank you taxpayers of Australia, I appreciate it.

 

People like you that make me sick over here.

 

People that generalise or post without knowing the exact circumstances make me sick (a lot of my post was in jest, but anyway).

Did you pay for your schooling? Probably not, or it was subsidised.

Did you or other students pay for their public transport? No, or it was heavily government subsidised.

Have you or your family ever benefited from government payments or subsidies? Yes.

How much tax have you paid? At 17, probably none or very little, so it's not your money.


I've paid more in tax than what you probably ever will, so don't judge or generalise.

 

Yes we chose to pay for my school,

Yes I pay for transport, be it using the bus or going by car (petrol),

And every family in the UK receives child benefit of £50 per child under 18 per month.

Also, I will be paying tax from September when I turn 18.

 

Well, "I will be paying tax" isn't paying tax.

I'm curious. Why get upset at someone receiving government benefits, yet it seems to be OK to get £50 per child?

Unless you're a saint, and you and your family refuse to accept any government payments, then why get upset at an individual on benefits?

 

I have been paying taxes since I was 14 and had my first job now I don't exactly condone Insomniac's comments but I am currently unemployed and recieving Govt benefits and think you have been a bit harsh. In Australia our Govt has just introduced new IR laws which has signifcantly eroded the rights of every worker and provides more protection for the corporations so people like myself and Insomniac will become more common in the near future. I think Insomniac has been making light of bad situation "looking on the bright side of life" and you have misunderstood him/her. Your a bit young to be making such loud judgement calls I'm afraid, imo and "should not judge a person until you walk a mile in their shoes".

 

Yeh I was over-harsh, sorry (bad grammar).

I got an impression that he was proud about it, in the UK people paying tax are giving it to immigrants which i presume is different.

 

We're primarily a parts distribution/sales company, with a hose manufacturing shop, a brake and starter/generator overhaul shop, and we manufacture freon 134 conversion kits for aircraft that had Freon 12 installations. To the best of my knowledge, we did NOT by the module(s) for manufacturing; our shops have been floundering. Inventory control and purchasing has been floundering. And the "sales" portion of the program is very stupidly organized; it takes forever to find/do anything in the program. Nothing we need is logically findable in their menu system, and doing simple things takes multiple steps in different parts of the program, which is slowing us down to the point where we are losing incoming calls because we can't work fast enough, and we're losing customers because of that, lack of stock, and orders not processing properly or in a timely manner. Part of our problem is poor implementation (we went live with it MUCH too soon), part is being too cheap to buy all the modules we need, and part is that SAP is NOT useful in a sales environment. It's killing us.

 

GT, rather than continue our discussion on SAP (not of interest to 99.5% of MG 'ers), I will PM you later today, or tomorrow, on some ideas. Bazza

PS: One final thing. SAP is usually too big for most businesses and, yes, most implementations of SAP occur too early, with not enough training. It is usually a beancounter decision, not a user decision. Baz

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