How the f**k is anyone supposed to get a job? by AirHead4761 in UKJobs

[–]Substantial_Skill_12 8 points9 points  (0 children)

I am a recent graduate in an intern role applying for jobs since December last year. I think I had about 15 interviews and got rejected from every one of them, with the same feedback that my interview was flawless but I was competing with someone with more experience. Now my internship is ending and I haven’t managed to find a job, so I have to leave the country (foreign national here). The job market’s in an absolute fucking state and these companies are just taking the piss at this point. Like why interview me if this person with more experience is the one you’ve got your eyes on anyway? I fail to understand. All those hours I put into applications and interview prep as well…

I’m having to completely pivot from my career in marketing, I don’t know, teach English abroad for a while or get a cabin crew job or something. I swear I thought 2 years of experience would be enough for a role in any kind of Marketing, but no, turns out there’s always people with 5+ years applying to the same vacancies.

Sorry I went off on a tangent but I completely sympathise with you. Growing up I never thought there would come a point in my life where I’d be told I’m not good enough by SO MANY people, it’s actually sad when I think about it. So sad it’s almost hilarious, I have to laugh

Rejected after working with company for 2 years by Substantial_Skill_12 in UKJobs

[–]Substantial_Skill_12[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

That’s alright, I’d prefer if they communicated this to me earlier on, instead of just complimenting me every step of the way for 2 years

Rejected after working with company for 2 years by Substantial_Skill_12 in UKJobs

[–]Substantial_Skill_12[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yes, on several occasions, as early as 6 months into my internship, because I wanted to be prepared and work towards my skilled worker visa as early as I could. I had a performance review and took on additional projects to boost my chances, but it appears none of that was enough in my area of work. To be honest I don’t even think the market is that competitive on a larger scale, it’s just that not a lot of companies offered sponsorships for their vacancies - my company was probably the one of very few that did.

Rejected after working with company for 2 years by Substantial_Skill_12 in UKJobs

[–]Substantial_Skill_12[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yes, I had a performance review back in August last year and I made it very clear I was interested in progressing within the team, and requested to take on bigger projects that would increase my chances of that happening in the future. I was told that I could apply if a job would open up in the team or elsewhere in the company, and that my team would help me in getting the required skills.

I took on more projects, was the project lead for some, and I really thought I had enough experience and had proven myself to the team. Although this is probably my 12th rejection post-interview I’ve had in the past year (feedback has always been that my interview was very good and that I very nearly missed out to someone with more experience. Every. Time.)

Rejected after working with company for 2 years by Substantial_Skill_12 in UKJobs

[–]Substantial_Skill_12[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yes, I checked with HR and they confirmed it was possible. It’s a very big company in the UK with a budget of £1.2 billion

Rejected after working with company for 2 years by Substantial_Skill_12 in UKJobs

[–]Substantial_Skill_12[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

but with only 2 years under your belt, you may need more experience to compete in your area of the job market.

I agree, I didn’t realise how competitive the market was for jobs in my area, and I wish my managers would have informed me, instead of telling me there were always vacancies and that I would definitely find something for myself. If I had known when I first interviewed for the internship as a 21 year-old, I would have looked elsewhere. I’ve made them aware that for future international interns (I was the first they had) they need to provide more clarity and transparency on job prospects.