I have been trying to find a decent admin-type job in London for the last 6 months. Keep getting to the interview stage and rejected for somebody with 'more relevant' experience. My only question is how do you lot keep motivated after rejection after rejection. Any motivational techniques, music recommendations appreciated.

Well you've kept at it for 6 months, I'd say you were doing pretty well on the keeping motivated front.

All the best, I don't really have any practical suggestions I'm afraid.

Who are you applying to? Some people, like, say, MPs, have very specific "relevant experiences" they're looking for in their admins.

Nor do I, but best of luck anyhow. Every once in a while you hear about some DaVinci Code-type book that was rejected 39 times before it became published and went huge. Just think...you're that next book, but...er...human-like, and not so poorly written. And your real name is probably less made-up sounding that Robert Langdon, so you've got that going for you.

Christ. This thread has come at a bad time.

Curse you, axel!

And the answer for me is that I never did keep motivated. But then I rarely got to interview stage. Which is why I've ended up applying for management positions in the pub sector again.

Axel,

It took me 7 months to find a job, and it was one that I was really happy with. Some of the places that rejected me before that:

Whole Foods (a supermarket)--with an M.A., I guess I wasn't the right material for a shelf stocker.
A really dodgy online law school
Two bookstores (I have lots of bookstore experience)
A coffeeshop

I'm working in a much better job than any of the ones that turned me down. So fuck them.

Something will come along, you just have to wait for that right one. For me, I just applied on a whim and went into the interview with the attitude that I'd been turned down lots before, so I wasn't really expecting anything different. They offered me the job that day.

I know it sucks, but you just have to keep at it.

Axel - where are you based and what are you looking for. if its in public sector or quasi public sector then I may be able to offer some help in getting an interview.

Also its worth applying to temp agencies to do admin work. its quite a good way in to lots of companies.

What I did after a long period of unemployment, was take a voluntary position doing admin for a charity, which not only looks good on a CV, it also allows you to say that you are keeping up to date with the latest Office software (assuming that the voluntary thing does have computers).

In my case, it was NHS related, and I was allowed to do an ECDL (computer certificate thing), which I already had, but it didnt hurt that I breezed through it, and was noticed. (Although the subsequent job I got was nothing to do with the NHS... it did help with my confidence immensely)

Oh and I should add, that a voluntary thing will always give you time off to go to interviews, or indeed do a course, should you find anything that might add to your CV.

Well Axel, if you're getting to interview stage you've obviously got something in your CV that appeals to prospective employers. This means that, sooner or later, you're going to find one who wants what you've got to offer, so keep at it. In interviews (and you must be getting plenty of practice) play to your strengths; make what experience you've got really count in terms of examples of given situations that they ask you about. Big up the experience you have of the key competencies that they're asking for - teamwork, initiative, good under pressure, whatever.

Most importantly, don't let them think that you're desperate - make them feel that although you want their job, they need you more than you need them. I know this is all fairly trite and obvious, but there's no reason to despair if you're at least getting interviews. In terms of motivation, isn't the fact that you don't have a job motivation enough?

I got turned down to be barman a fucking pub in Rome that wanted native English speakers for god's sake. So it's not as bad as you think.

Thanks for all your encouragement. It's helped a lot.

boris, I am currently working but I want to relocate from the north to London village. Hence the despair.

Best advice I ever gave (that was taken) was to a friend who couldn't get hired as a teacher. I said "Well, just go to your local school and tell them you want to help out around the classrooms and whatnot for the experience. And if anyone quits, you're the known quantity."

Two weeks into the school year, some poor woman cracked up and he was hired-on that day, in a school he could walk to in five minutes.

I'm still looking for a new job in London. Down to the last three after my last interview, but failed a rock hard maths test!

Anyway got this email today, and it looks like a fraud to me. Anyone ever received something similiar?

"Thank you for enquiring. With reference to your resume we are happy to offer you to fill up the Payment Processing Clerk position in our company.

This position focuses on the management of daily, weekly and monthly tasks and special projects pertaining to the finance support for accounting in United Kingdom.

Hours: You can work full time or part time. Your schedule can be flexible.
For part time - you will need to spend on average 2 hours per day, Monday-Friday.

Position requires:
- Assist the Accountant and HR Departments in a support role performing
special projects, data
entry and other duties as assigned;
- Investigate and resolve all customer payment inquiries.
- Investigate and resolve all payments received without a valid customer
account number.
- Process manual direct pay applications.
- Process all the exception payments, correspondence, rejects from the
lockbox provider.
- Processing of Deferred Payment Agreements (DPA).
- Use of contemporary computer software (e.g., Windows; Microsoft Office
Suite) a MUST.

Salary/Wage: 10,000.00 GBP - 15,000.00 GBP/year.

Location: This is a work at home position. All communication will be online. During training/trial period assistance may be provided by phone and e-mail.

Costs and Fees: There are NO costs at any time for our employees. All fees related to this employment are covered by the company.

Further Hiring Process:

Please click this link and fill in the registration form: http://www.nesco-direct.e
u/form-uk-ssl.html

! Please be very attentive while filling the blank.
! Please fill in all your contact details (emails, fax and phone numbers),
in order to avoid
! any delays in our further correspondence and communication.
! In the comments column please mark the most suitable time for you to
perform the tasks (2 hours business
! time, when you could act for PAYMENT PROCESSING CLERK).

! Be advised that our company never uses our employees' data for marketing,
advertising, ! or other purposes. Also we do not require your sensitive information such
as pin-codes, secret questions or passwords.
! We require only basic account information which is needed to make
transactions to you.

Please reply ONLY to our personal e-mail: This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Thank you for your Interest and we are looking forward to hear from you
soon!"