I reached the top of the tree but some poor choices have left me in a career spiral
I feel my career is entering the “farce” stage. I took voluntary redundancy from a subject leader role in a further education college four years ago. I then ruined my CV by taking several fixed-term positions (the only jobs I could get interviews for in the rapidly contracting A-level sector) which I hoped would become permanent.
Now I’m stuck at the top end of the pay scale with 10 years’ experience, good results, consistently happy students and no job. I haven’t got an interview for the past 10 jobs I’ve applied for. How do I get out of this spiral?
Jeremy says
You know a great deal more about your particular sphere of experience and expertise than I do, so the only advice I can offer you is not what to do, but how to go about doing it. (I hope Guardian readers, some of whom will share your background, may be more directly helpful.)
You must first remind yourself that a career isn’t a moving walkway; something you join at an early age and that carries you smoothly through to retirement. At some stage most careers need active management. I refuse to believe there’s not a single organisation out there which wouldn’t benefit from someone with your qualifications and achievements. Even in your bleaker moments you must agree that seems extremely improbable.
So the fact you’ve not been invited for an interview by any of the past 10 jobs you’ve applied for shouldn’t be seen as conclusive evidence that your career is in the final stages of irreversible decline – it just strongly suggests you haven’t yet undertaken an objective marketing plan for yourself. If all you’re doing is responding to advertised situations vacant, you’re doing no more than maybe hundreds of others. You’ll be lost in the pile and then forgotten.
Forget your formal CV for a moment and write a pen portrait of yourself. What are your particular skills, your unusual talents, your surprising achievements? They don’t have to be huge to be of interest. What makes you different from others of your age and background? Then think open-mindedly about the employment landscape, and not just the top-of-mind institutions. Using your imagination, conjure up the kind of organisation that could find you – yes, specifically you – of real value to them. Then target them. In other words, take control of your life again.
Readers say
• Look overseas. Dubai, Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand, anywhere really. Also, if the international baccalaureate is the new thing (like it or not, it’s here to stay) then perhaps train up in that somehow. kirili
• As a recruiter I would say that you are either applying for jobs for which you are not qualified, which sounds unlikely, or your CV doesn’t match you clearly enough to the job spec. I use the word “clearly” quite deliberately, as this is a common problem. When recruiters receive lots of CVs their natural reaction is to look for those that match the spec – and you need to make that easy for them. You can bet that the people who get the interviews have done just that. Nick Legge
• You describe your four years of contracting as ruining your CV, and then go on to describe your situation as being in a spiral. I have to say that you manage to come across, even in these few lines, as being incredibly negative. You must ask yourself whether it is really your work history depriving you of interviews, or whether your applications are simply not strong enough.
Stop being so downbeat and start to think how to create an appealing upbeat message celebrating the diversity of the work you have done and positive impact you have had on students. Be proud of it and stop seeing it as an impediment. Creating an enthusiastic account of your career will be much more likely to result in an interview. starterforten
Should I quit a prestigious company for a ‘dream role’ that pays a lot less?
I dislike my job and have been offered what I consider to be a dream role – but it would mean my pay dropping by £8,000 a year. I work in the production department of a national newspaper. I find the job very repetitive and unchallenging, and spend the majority of each day with nothing to do. My team are all quite negative and downbeat as nobody really likes the manager.
However, all my work experience is in publishing – and being with a large company I get nice perks: a good amount of holiday, pension, free tickets to things etc, as well as a kind of status.
I feel that working exclusively in printed products is a bit silly. The sector is in decline and there are no jobs that I look at and think “what a great role, I’d love to be able to do that”. It doesn’t seem particularly easy to move into other departments, although there are some great contacts in the building I might be able to make in the future.
The job I’ve been offered is 40 minutes outside London. It’s a very small company so unlikely to offer many benefits, and the pay is £8,000 less. However it is a dream role, working for a travel company specialising in horse-riding holidays, and offering extensive travel opportunities. It seemed from the interview that I would be able to contribute to the blog, website, and production of the brochure, and do lots of other interesting, varied, work.
Would it be worth asking for more than the advertised salary to cover the cost of my commute and the skills I would bring as I have a lot of relevant experience? Or should I stay where I am and continue looking for other jobs? I should add that I’m in a position where I could just about manage on the lower salary as I have reasonably cheap rent, and don’t have children or a mortgage.
Jeremy says
Most people working for national newspapers, particularly now, will be astonished to hear of someone being so well paid for doing so little. It’s perhaps because you find the nature of your work so dull and unchallenging that you seem to be more than healthily interested in perks. Perks are fine – but they are seldom, if ever, a good enough reason for staying in a job that is otherwise unrewarding, and neither is the rather flimsy status that working for a national newspaper may confer.
You seem to have been offered the perfect escape and I think you should grab it. Only you can judge whether or not you should ask for more money, but negotiation is more-or-less expected when changing jobs, and I doubt you’ll jeopardise your chances by raising the subject the subject.
I wouldn’t base your request for more money on your commuting costs – most employers expect their employees to fund their own travel and don’t like making exceptions. They know they can usually find staff locally, anyway. Much better to emphasise those extra skills you’ll be bringing and suggest a modest increase – and then, when you’ve proved your worth, ask for a formal review.
Readers say
• Consider what you might be able to go on to do after the “dream job” – it looks like there are potential roles in travel, digital, content etc, so worth thinking not just about the £8,000 loss but what you could do next and at what kind of salary scale. Personally I would go for it while you are relatively carefree! fourbiscuitsplease
• Could you relocate? There’s a world outside London (though sometimes people don’t believe it) and it’s really quite nice. That way you get your “dream role” without having to pay expensive London rent etc. ID9978787
Do you need advice on a work issue? For Jeremy’s and readers’ help, send a brief email to dear.jeremy@theguardian.com. Please note that he is unable to answer questions of a legal nature or to reply personally.
