Help with a job

[amexee]

Hello NSC bods.

I know in the past several people have received advice on finding work via this board. I am hoping someone on here maybe able to point me in the direction of some work.

I am in Haywards Heath, and willing to travel.

I have a Msc in Information Studies from Brighton University. I got that in 2000 and after that spent 6 years commuting to London as an IT consultant. I would like to find work in that field, but will take on virtual anything.

As a consultant I performed many roles, all the way from initial analysis through to testing and maintenance and including programming and database work. The work was extremely varied, so I could pick up one skill one week, then be off in another role the week after. Hence I would not define myself as an expert in any of the disciplines, more as a person able to find a solution as required.

I left that industry and made an ill advised move into retail as a franchisee, just in time for the economic crash. I am finding it impossible to find any role similar to what I have done in the past. All job sites seem to ask for particular expertise in a defined role, and want X many years of recent experience.

I am willing to work for virtually nothing as a way back in, and a means to get current work on my CV, so if anyone knows of some work or avenues I can explore to find some work, I will be extremely grateful.

 

[Aadam]

Something like this? Legal General - Job - Business Analyst - Process Change

 

[Tricky Dicky]

Hello NSC bods.

I know in the past several people have received advice on finding work via this board. I am hoping someone on here maybe able to point me in the direction of some work.

I am in Haywards Heath, and willing to travel.

I have a Msc in Information Studies from Brighton University. I got that in 2000 and after that spent 6 years commuting to London as an IT consultant. I would like to find work in that field, but will take on virtual anything.

As a consultant I performed many roles, all the way from initial analysis through to testing and maintenance and including programming and database work. The work was extremely varied, so I could pick up one skill one week, then be off in another role the week after. Hence I would not define myself as an expert in any of the disciplines, more as a person able to find a solution as required.

I left that industry and made an ill advised move into retail as a franchisee, just in time for the economic crash. I am finding it impossible to find any role similar to what I have done in the past. All job sites seem to ask for particular expertise in a defined role, and want X many years of recent experience.

I am willing to work for virtually nothing as a way back in, and a means to get current work on my CV, so if anyone knows of some work or avenues I can explore to find some work, I will be extremely grateful.

I have a list of City agents, but as you say, most positions will want several years of specific experience in particular skills, and most give techncal tests, at or before the interview stage.

 

[JCL]

Just sent you a PM

 

[JCL666]

hello there, I did exactly the same degree but graduated a year before.

You might want to think about working your way back in via something like a QA/Test analyst type role. Six years out as an analyst is not as bad you think.

If you pm me your cv I will have a look.

 

[JCL666]

Also once you've revamped your cv, you could trawl through Home - Wired Sussex offering to work at reduced rates in order to build up experience.

 

[Stumpy Tim]

We just hired someone with a similar story to you... he had run his own cafe for three years and was keen to get back into IT. Stick at it, you'll get something

 

[amexee]

Hello JCL666. I am not sure if you can attach files to PM's on this board. I can not see that facility. Have you an email address I can send it to?

 

[gullshark]

We just hired someone with a similar story to you... he had run his own cafe for three years and was keen to get back into IT. Stick at it, you'll get something

Is his first name Peter?

 

[seagull over sevenoaks]

Sent you a PM

 

[amexee]

Hello Aadam I have performed a similar role to that in the past. It would really depend on what methodologies they want to use, and how loose they would stretch the term experienced.

My last role as described on my CV was "In the last six months as part of my role of lead developer\project manager for a time recording and client profitability project I visited Frankfurt, Paris, Madrid and Amsterdam on fact - finding missions. My task was to find out what relevant systems they had and the business processes they followed. This analysis was done after the launch of the system in England. So I had to find ways of acquiring and importing the required data utilising various technologies and combining modified business processes, systems and data before adding each country to the central system."

Where as before that I split my time for 6 months, doing maintenance and small adaptions to a a couple of Visual Basic applications running in a London hospital and testing a multi-tiered vb, mdac financial system.

Very varied, hence I became a jack of all trades. If someone wants a particular skill I am willing to learn it.

 

[Stumpy Tim]

Is his first name Peter?

Nope

 

[amexee]

Also once you've revamped your cv, you could trawl through Home - Wired Sussex offering to work at reduced rates in order to build up experience.

I am looking through that site now, thanks for information. As for reduced rates, I am prepared to work minimum wage for 3 months, if that will kick start my career. At the end of that, I would at least have something current on my CV, and hopefully an enhanced offer from the employer.

 

[middletoenail]

I am looking through that site now, thanks for information. As for reduced rates, I am prepared to work minimum wage for 3 months, if that will kick start my career. At the end of that, I would at least have something current on my CV, and hopefully an enhanced offer from the employer.

I wish you all the best, a great and refreshing attitude to have to be willing to work for such a small some of money(given your skills) to get your foot in the door. Let us know how you get on!

 

[Rugrat]

I get gazillions of PM/BA/PMO roles through JobServe (my search criteria is pretty crap as they're not for me) I'm sure you would appeal in one of those areas and I suspect demand is pretty high at the moment.

The agencies that seem to be active are Aston Carter, Investigo, Sanderson, ea consulting and Hays ........... in saying that I've had zero success with agencies but then I'm not really a IT fella

Good luck, hope it all works out for you

 

[JCL666]

I am looking through that site now, thanks for information. As for reduced rates, I am prepared to work minimum wage for 3 months, if that will kick start my career. At the end of that, I would at least have something current on my CV, and hopefully an enhanced offer from the employer.

Basically you need to get your analyst skills up to date with things like SCRUM, BDD etc Like I said if you pm me your CV I can have a look.

I wouldn't lose heart, I just interviewed and subsequently offered a role to someone who dropped out of IT at a similar time to you and he was looking to get back into it.

 

[Tricky Dicky]

I am looking through that site now, thanks for information. As for reduced rates, I am prepared to work minimum wage for 3 months, if that will kick start my career. At the end of that, I would at least have something current on my CV, and hopefully an enhanced offer from the employer.

It all very laudable offering to work for cheap, but I certainly found when I was looking that it did not impress anybody, in fact it definitely put many firms off. Not quite sure why exactly, possibly appearing too desperate. I suspect, certainly looking for City jobs, that if they're looking for someone, that money isn't an issue, they just want a good skill fit.

 

[Ringmer bha]

It all very laudable offering to work for cheap, but I certainly found when I was looking that it did not impress anybody, in fact it definitely put many firms off. Not quite sure why exactly, possibly appearing too desperate. I suspect, certainly looking for City jobs, that if they're looking for someone, that money isn't an issue, they just want a good skill fit.

Actually I think you are doing the right thing. I have taken on 10 people this year. All as contractors - ranging from Program Manager to Project Coordinator. 2 of the ones I have taken on I did so after giving them a months unpaid work to prove themselves. They are now on the same IT daily contract rate as their peers.

I have sent you a PM. No promises, but you never know.

 

[Tricky Dicky]

Actually I think you are doing the right thing. I have taken on 10 people this year. All as contractors - ranging from Program Manager to Project Coordinator. 2 of the ones I have taken on I did so after giving them a months unpaid work to prove themselves. They are now on the same IT daily contract rate as their peers.

I have sent you a PM. No promises, but you never know.

Fair enough, it wasn't my experience, that's all. Maybe that's more specific to the City. I offered one firm to work for free for 3 months - they seemed reasonably interested before that, and I thought it might sway them showing enthusiasm. Once I'd said that, they were not at all interested.

 

[amexee]

It all very laudable offering to work for cheap, but I certainly found when I was looking that it did not impress anybody, in fact it definitely put many firms off. Not quite sure why exactly, possibly appearing too desperate. I suspect, certainly looking for City jobs, that if they're looking for someone, that money isn't an issue, they just want a good skill fit.

I can see what you are saying. I debated this with myself and was not sure whether to make this offer. This is not because of the money I could lose out on, but as you say it could sound desperate. The thing is, I seem to be falling between roles, given I have seem to have to much experience for the description of junior roles and not enough recent experience for other roles.

I suppose only time will tell