Good morning ladies and gentlemen. Hope you are all well?
I did much more in July than I thought I would. Here is what I did during July, so have a look:
LinkedIn
Once again, I managed to document on what I did on LinkedIn, even though LinkedIn is still very slow. I posted 94 times, commented 73 times on both others’ posts as well as my own, and liked 135 posts and comments. The most viewed post of mine on LinkedIn were:
Due to LinkedIn still being pretty slow, I am only able to go back so far for the number of views on my posts. Please accept my apologies for the inconvenience caused.
I attended one job fair this month called The Crawley Jobs Fair. I found it quite interesting, even though there was nothing suitable for me.
Blogging
In July, I had written and published 73 blog posts, where there were 122 views from 78 visitors with 20 likes and 1 comment.
Once again, the views were very evenly spread out last month and are still quite low. I would LOVE to see the stats go up more than they have been. So, let’s see how high we can get the views, and by all means, ask me any relevant questions to to any of the blog posts.
The top three countries where my blog posts were viewed from were United Kingdom (85 views), United States (21 views), Singapore (4 views), India (3 views),France (2 views), Romania (2 views), Hong Kong SAR China (2 views), South Africa (1 view), Ireland (1 view) and Indonesia (1 view).
On Saturday 13 July 2019, I had beaten the record of most likes on one day. It went from 5 to 6.
Interviews
After not receiving the telephone job interview last month, I decided that I would visit the manager of the shop. I had an interview face-to-face with her. They declined on Monday 22 July 2019.
I also signed up to two Recruitment Agencies, The Best Connection and Talented People Solution.
Conclusion
I have been as active as I possibly can, but I feel that I’m still not getting anywhere. I have found that most applications I make don’t respond, even after I have followed up with them.
However, I will not be giving up with out a fight. I will continue working as hard as I can to find suitable employment. I will be planning several more Company Hunts in form of calls and visits.
I would like to thank everybody who has helped me during July, and I am hoping that I can help you all in one way or another.
Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help.
Notes
If you would like to know what I have completed in previous months, please click here.
I am looking to interview professionals in various departments from different sectors, so please reach out to me by LinkedIn, Twitter or e-mail (visitjamiebennett@gmail.com).
E-mails: Went through 59 e-mails from job boards, between Saturday 20 July 2019 and Monday 22 July 2019.
CV Library
CW Jobs
Find a job
Indeed
Jobsite
Monster
Myfuturerole
Reed
Total Jobs
WorkCircle
Job Boards: Looked on Total Jobs for suitable jobs.
Warehouse, Crawley
Job Interview: Tile Giant declined via e-mail. Found out later on that I missed out by the skin of my teeth. The lady who got the job had slightly more experience than I did.
LinkedIn: 3 posts, 1 like
Tuesday 23 July 2019
E-mails: Went through 53 e-mails from job boards for Tuesday 23 July 2019.
CV Library
CW Jobs
Find a job
Indeed
Love Local Jobs
Monster
Reed
Total Jobs
WorkCircle
LinkedIn: 3 posts
Wednesday 24 July 2019
E-mails: Went through 23 e-mails from job boards for Wednesday 24 July 2019.
I saw an amazing connection I know at Crawley Library in the early afternoon of Saturday 20 July 2019, Steve, and I met Richard. We discussed the TELL US YOUR STORY they have planned, for a heritage arts trail project for the district.
My Story
Here’s my story, as a conclusion of the Company Hunts I have recently completed, as part of my job search.
I have been an active job seeker since the end of February, after being made redundant.
I completed two Company Hunts via e-mails from a list of companies (with e-mail addresses included) I researched for the last time I was actively seeking new employment opportunities.
Since then, I have completed a Company Hunt via telephone on Wednesday 17 July 2019 to enquire about vacancies, how to apply and who to contact when applying for vacancies.
Conclusion
Even though I dislike doing Company Hunts via e-mail and telephone, they were both other ways of staying active as a job seeker.
Personally, I prefer communicating with others face-to-face, as I can see them and they can see me, and also see how each other reacts.
Tomorrow, I will be going through my e-mails and LinkedIn messages and notifications.
I will then look on the company websites of those companies who I spoke to today, via the Company Hunt, to find if any of them have suitable vacancies.
Following this, I will check out Indeed for suitable employment, before I do the same for Total Jobs.
Then, I will have my mind set on planning blogs and scheduling them for the remainder of this week and for the week after next. This is going to be exciting.
I completed a Company Hunt today because I had already decided a few days ago that it was time to complete another company Hunt.
How did you complete this Company Hunt?
This time around, I decided to complete this Company Hunt via e-mail. A different way that I didn’t think of doing, as I prefer face-to-face interaction.
What companies did you e-mail?
I sent e-mails to eight different companies, including:
Benchmarx Joinery
Bluelizard Signs
Capitol Tiles
Creative Technology
Gatwick Group ~ Kia
Interparcel
Mercedes-Benz
The Best Connection
Have you received any responses before you published this blog post?
Yes I have. I have received two responses before publishing this blog post.
One of the e-mail addresses was not found
One person was out of the office until Monday 08 July 2019.
Conclusion
Even though I did not send as many as I would like for today, I have scheduled e-mails to be sent at 10:00 on Monday, which include:
On average, Hermes had approximately 15 to 20,000 parcels and packages to sort every night. On one particular night shift, we had approximately 27,000 parcels and packages to sort.
I needed to deal with the 27,000 parcels and packages, as part of the team, by completing all of the tasks that were required of me as quickly, but as safely as possible.
I got to work about an hour early, like I normally did (9pm for a 10pm start) and I started at 9:30pm after being asked to. I found out what the main task I would undertake ad where I was in the warehouse I would be. I was placing parcels and packages into large metallic pigeon holes from the second conveyor belt, which I did on my own. I got on with this as quickly as possible, but kept a keen eye on the quality of my work. When the sort was successfully complete, I got asked to sweep up, which I duly did.
I completed every task that was required of me individually, and as part of a team and I clocked out at 6am.
After I attended Crawley WordPress & Digital Marketing Knowledge Clinic yesterday between 15:00 and 16:30, I decided to head to Purple Networking. I got to Xenia Lounge for 17:10.
Why did you attend Purple Networking?
I attended Purple Networking to see what I could do to help others and to see both regular faces and new faces too.
Who did you meet and talk with at Purple Networking?
There were several things that were discussed, which are listed here:
Eye sight (long- and short-sighted, operations)
How my blogging was getting along
My LinkedIn Screwing up big time
Briefly spoke about Q&A sessions for Purple Networking
How do you think Purple Networking went?
I felt that it went well, considering that it was a bit quieter this time around. I think it was the Women’s football match between England and USA. It always is amazing to meet current and new attendees alike.
Conclusion
Once again, I really enjoyed Purple Networking last night, even though it was slightly quieter than it usually is.
With thanks
First and foremost, I would like to thank Sylvester for organising Purple Networking last night.
I would also like to thank every attendee (both new and existing) who attended Purple Networking. It’s always great to see both new and old attendees alike.
One final thanks to those amazing connections (old and new) who agreed to be mentioned in this blog post about Purple Networking. Everybody agreed to be in this latest Purple Networking blog post, which is a first.
Where and when is the next Purple Networking?
Purple Networking will happen at Xenia on Tuesday 06 August 2019 between 18:00 and 20:00.
What do I need to do to attend Purple Networking?
You can order your tickets by clicking here, but ordering them is optional. So you just need to bring your smashing smile and your brilliant business cards.
What next?
Order my tickets for next month (completed: 03/07/19)
Follow up with the attendees
Notes
If you know of any vacancies, please reach out to me!
I have and always appreciate the help, even though I hate asking for help most of the time.
If it looks like I have a mistake or an alteration that needs to be done, please don’t hesitate to let me know by sending me an e-mail on visitjamiebennett@gmail.com – thanks.
Please accept my apologies for the delay in publishing this week’s LinkedIn Weekly. I have been experiencing major problems with LinkedIn being extremely slow and not getting much help to resolve it.
Today (Thursday 27 June 2019), I decided to give several companies in Manor Royal a call to find out if any of them had any vacancies I could apply for, how to apply and who to contact.
This Company Hunt was to follow on from my last Company Hunt on Monday 17 June 2019.
Why did you complete a Company Hunt on yesterday (Thursday 27 June 2019)?
I was unable to complete the whole Company Hunt on Monday 17 June 2019, so I wanted to continue with as much as I could from the research I completed (company names, locations and telephone numbers).
Who did you talk to?
I contacted 9 companies via telephone.
2 companies required a CV, and they were:
Brymec Gatwick
Jefferies Farm – Car Supermarket (Unbeatable Car)
The one company who wanted me to search and apply online was:
Robins & Day Vauxhall
The other companies include:
Buck & Hickman Crawley
Copthorne Motor Company
Cromwell tools (Crawley)
Howdens – Crawley
Raven Roofing Supplies
Tates Citroen Crawley
What was the outcome?
Tates Citroen Crawley went into answer phone, which I refuse to talk to (give me a person to talk to any day). I will be calling them back at another time.
Cromwell tools (Crawley)’s telephone number was unrecognised. I will be doing some more research on Cromwell tools (Crawley).
Copthorne Motor Company requires a technician, but qualifications are required for this position.
I was surprised on how many of these companies were courteous and polite. Whenever I have had to make calls for a Company Hunt, I have had the odd employee be rude towards me. But I am happy that nobody did today.
Conclusion
Now, I will send CV’s to those companies who require me to send them my CV. I will also keep an eye on both Indeed and respective company websites for suitable positions.
I will also send my CV to those who require my CV from the last Company Hunt I completed on Monday 17 June 2019.
With thanks
I would like to thank everybody who answered the telephone to answer a few questions about vacancies. I do appreciate your co-operation.
This article caught my attention because an aspiring actor, Jake Hopes, is struggling to get into employment, even after completing 400 job applications. All of which were rejections.
How does it feel to be an active job seeker?
I know how it feels to be an active job seeker. It’s frustrating, demoralising, as well as mentally draining.
When you apply for a job, but get declined, it is painful. Not many companies give constructive feedback on how to improve your chances for the next time you apply for a job for them.
As it says in this article, “it is soul destroying when he does not receive a response.” This is very true and I will come to this in one of my upcoming answers.
Who else does this affect?
Not only is Mr. Hopes having to put his aspirations on hold and career on the line, it’s affecting others, like a dominoes effect.
Mr. Hopes family – Somehow, Mr. Hopes would have to pay his way in his household, like rent, council tax and other necessities. This means that his family would have to support him in whatever way they can.
Companies – Companies would lost out on the skills, experience and knowledge that Mr. Hopes obtains.
The Government – They would not receive taxes from Mr. Hopes, until he has found employment and would have to pay out just over £300 per month in unemployment benefits (Universal Credit).
What are your thoughts on this?
My thoughts on this are as follows …
Companies should respond to all applicants in a timely manner with an outcome, positively or constructively. Communication and timekeeping are essential for companies. If I get declined, I need and want to know how I can improve on, so I can do better next time. Even if I am accepted to the next stage of the recruitment process, I need to know how I can do a really good job and thoroughly, so I can advance further in the recruitment process.
I find it frustrating that most of the jobs are advertised online because I am one of those people who prefer to be outgoing, on foot to seek employment opportunities. I strongly prefer human interaction than sitting at a computer day in, day out, making my eyes go funny and frying my brain..
What can job seekers do to seek employment?
There are various ways to find suitable employment and tasks to do before and after every application. They include:
Knowing yourself (education, training, employment history, skills and experience)
As you have noticed, I have linked some of my blog posts to some of the things above. The blog posts will explain in more detail on what needs doing and how to plan for them.
I use a website called Workray to follow up on ALL of my applications online and offline a few days after each and every application I make. One click, then three days afterwards, it sends out a follow up e-mail to the company I applied to. If I don’t hear anything back for two working days after the follow up e-mail has been sent, I follow up by giving the recruiter at the company a call to find out where my application is at. I talk with them with courtesy and respect (the way I would want to be treated), explaining that I am very interested in the position, what skills and experience I possess and when I can visit the company for a job interview. Simple things like that can go a very long way.
Key Employees at Asda
Chris Darby, Senior Director – Retail Operations – South Birmingham & M5
Simon Gregg, Vice President – Online Grocery Home Shopping
On Monday 17 June 2019, I decided to give several companies in Manor Royal a call to find out if any of them had any vacancies I could apply for, how to apply and who to contact.
Why did you do a Company Hunt over the telephone on a Tuesday?
I haven’t completed a Company Hunt recently and thought it best to do another one to gather information based on job search.
I decided to call them because it’s another route I could go down to find suitable employment.
Who did you talk to?
On Monday, I typed up the company information I gathered for 27 companies in Manor Royal, then yesterday (Tuesday) I called 15 of those companies.
The companies who require a CV are:
Gatwick Kia
Hendy Ford
HSS Hire
Treetop Design & Print Ltd
The companies who want me to search and apply online are:
Harwoods Jaguar Land Rover Crawley (Harwoods website)
Johnstone’s Decorating Centre
Lok’nStore Storage Crawley (Indeed)
Motorline Nissan Crawley (Motorline website)
Motorline Toyota Gatwick (Motorline website)
Topps Tiles Gatwick (website and Indeed)
Williams Trade Supplies Ltd
The other companies include:
Rentokil Initial
TLC Electrical Distributers (call HR)
TNT Crawley Depot
WH Commercials
What was the outcome?
Four of the companies required a CV and seven companies required applications online.
The other companies either weren’t sure of any vacancies, had no vacancies or had no option to discuss employment opportunities.
What will happen now?
Now, I will send CV’s to those companies who require me to send them my CV. I will also keep an eye on both Indeed and respective company websites for suitable positions.
Conclusion
Even though I hate talking over the telephone, I thought it best that I tried something different for a change.
Alex Ramsden of Web Motivation has set up several events called WordPress & Digital Marketing Knowledge Clinic in various areas.
Why did you attend Crawley WordPress & Digital Marketing Knowledge Clinic yesterday?
I attended Crawley WordPress & Digital Marketing Knowledge Clinic to find out a bit more about WordPress and blogging … to see what else I could learn on top of what I already know.
How many people attended?
There were three of us in total who attended. Alex obviously attended, myself and one other gentleman.
What was discussed at Crawley WordPress & Digital Marketing Knowledge Clinic?
Some of the things I learnt from Crawley WordPress & Digital Marketing Knowledge Clinic, which I would definitely look into were:
Gathering customer details by offering incentive for customer details
Backups of your website with a plugin
Advertising for others on my blog (called banners)
Use local locations as keywords
There was much more that was discussed. Keep reading to find out where and when Alex‘s events are happening!
Was there anything that you decided you needed to look up?
Absolutely!
Here’s a list of things I will be looking up:
Sedo
Who.is
Google kryword planner
Metatags
Google Analytics
Where and when will the next events be?
Check out Eventbrite to see where and when the upcoming WordPress & Digital Marketing Knowledge Clinic events are!
With me enjoying helping others and my redundancy at the end of February, I wanted to help others in whatever way I could and attending Purple Networking as part of me being an active job seeker, and part of my job search, to find out if any of my current connections (and any new connections I met) knew of any suitable vacancies.
It was unfortunate that Stuart couldn’t make it this time around due to other networking commitments, but I appreciate that we can’t always make it.
What was discussed?
There were several things that were discussed, which are listed here:
Working for Utility Warehouse (self employed and a £50 start up fee).
Working for a pub in Horley
Views on Brexit (briefly and respectfully)
Blogging and my blog
About redundancy from Streetwise Couriers
Where and when is the next Purple Networking?
Purple Networking will happen at Xenia on Tuesday 07 May 2019 between 18:00 and 20:00.
What do I need to do to attend Purple Networking?
You can order your tickets by clicking here, but ordering them is optional. So you just need to bring your smashing smile and your brilliant business cards.
Conclusion
This Purple Networking was my all time favourite (EVER). The support, new and old faces, the suggestions (and the quiet rants about Brexit … you know who you are 😉)
With thanks
First and foremost, I would like to thank Victoria for organising Purple Networking on Tuesday and for letting me deal with the name badges (again … I really enjoy this job) – thanks!
I would also like to thank every attendee who attended Purple Networking. It’s always great to see both new and old attendees alike.
And thank you to those who were sympathetic about my redundancy and suggested jobs. I know I will find something.
One final thanks to those amazing connections (old and new) who agreed to be mentioned in this blog post about Purple Networking.
What next?
Order my tickets for next month (completed: 03/04/19)
Follow up with the attendees
Notes
If you know of any vacancies, please reach out to me!
I have and always appreciate the help, eventhough I hate asking for help most of the time.
If it looks like I have a mistake or an alteration that needs to be done, please don’t hesitate to let me know by sending me an e-mail on visitjamiebennett@gmail.com – thanks.
As a volunteer in the office, I was dealing with office duties and clients.
I needed to deal with clients politely, professionally and respectfully.
When clients arrived at the office, I have them a warm welcome, asked if they had an appointment and with whom, and answered any questions and queries they had. I also answered the telephone when clients called, at which point, I took notes, answered any questions and queries they had. When the clients were in the office, I assisted them in both their job search and when they were stuck with the computers.
Clients got through t their employment consultants quickly, able to find suitable employment and learnt more about how to use computers.
Several donations arrived over a short period of time. However, there was not alot of space in the sorting area.
I needed to get the stock out as quickly as possible onto shelves and clothes rails.
I accepted all of the donations, dealt with the Gift Aid and thanked the customers for the donations. I opened each bag of donations when I had dealt with the bag before and sorted them into separate piles, ready to sort further. I then checked what stock were on the shelves and clothes rails, followed by the sorting of the new donations, including putting clothes onto hangers, steaming clothes, carefully price the clothes and bric-a-brac and carefully placing them onto shelves and clothes rails.
All of the donations that were received on that day successfully went out onto the shelves and clothes rails. Further donations from the overstock went out onto the shelve and clothes rails too.
Hermes urgently required employees to work on a Sunday Morning because they were marginally busier and short staffed.
I needed to decide there and then to work on that Sunday morning shift.
I thought on if I had anything planned on that Sunday morning and did have a few minor thing I needed to deal with, which I could reschedule. I agreed to complete Sunday morning as overtime and asked if they would have any Sunday mornings in the future that they would like me to do or I could do off my own back.
I successfully completed that Sunday morning shift and went in every Sunday morning after that, where I worked as part of a team, sorting parcels from the conveyor belts and into correct cages for the correct vans.
Lots of postcards were donated on my last day as a volunteer at Revive at approximately 15:00, but I knew that with so many postcards, I did not have enough time to organise them all.
I needed to continue to organise the postcards on the Saturday, the day after my last day.
I spoke to the Manager on the Friday, explaining the situation and she understood that it was my last day, but she agreed that I could go in on the Saturday.
On the Saturday, I went into Revive when they open their shop and organised the postcards. By lunch time, I had completed organising the postcards and I decided to continue volunteering until the shop closed at 17:00.
Jamie's Job Search 
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