Is it better to post CVs to dozens of local companies, or better to take my CV in person and do a few companies per week? I’m minded to go in person on a couple of weekday mornings each week until I eventually “see them all” , then again I read a topic by a guy who had success just by posting a nicely put together CV.
Would it be a good idea to leave the “Dear …XYZ…” blank on the cover letter, then handwrite the transport manager’s surname at the top “Dear …Mr Smith” before leaving the envelope with the receptionist?
How critical is it to list exactly what GCSEs I passed? I can only recall getting Bs in History & English, the rest were C or below.
Btw I am newly qualified C+E driver, warehouse experience but no driving experience, my hope is to land a rigid job to begin with (fingers crossed).
Always best to speak to someone face to face or you risk being forgotten and your CV left on the side to gather dust. I wouldn’t worry too much about what GCSEs you’ve got. In this industry, a potential employer will be more interested in your driving record and how you come across as a person.
You need to speak the organ grinders and not the monkeys. I found one company whose monkey told me they were looking for new drivers. It took a further two week campaign of visits and phone calls before I finally got to speak to the organ grinder. I’ve been working for him ever since.
Congrats on the new licence! Try following these steps which mirror, in part, the method I use to get work. So it’s tried and tested and will work for you:
Prepare a smart, but simple, CV
Produce a correctly laid out covering letter stating that you thank them for reading it and that you will contact them on Wednesday. A good time to phone is often 2.30 pm. The letter needs to arrive on Monday. There are reasons for this, trust me.
Phone the company and establish the name and job title of the decision maker
Address your covering letter to him/her personally.
Phone on Wednesday and ask when it would be convenient for you to visit. NOT, is it convenient. But WHEN.
Make sure you have researched the company. You must know it’s history and know about it’s current work.
Then turn up 3 minutes before the appointed time and sell yourself.
I receive letters regularly as an employer. Most are not correctly addressed or contain spelling mistakes. They are consigned to the bin. I have only had one letter/approach as above - - and that guy served 17 years with me before moving on to pastures new.
It’s a waste of time and money just producing CV’s and covering letters and hoping there will be a job offer as a result. It’s not likely. You have to push and get yourself out there.
I, for one, would create a job if approached in the correct manner by a suitable applicant. Few employers have to advertise for staff. It’s an outdated method and, in times of recession, the outline I’ve given above is much more likely to produce the result you want.
Peter Smythe:
I, for one, would create a job if approached in the correct manner by a suitable applicant. Few employers have to advertise for staff. It’s an outdated method and, in times of recession, the outline I’ve given above is much more likely to produce the result you want.
Soon to be Nottinghamshire’s Largest employer then
one job i went for i was not sure who to send cv and covering letter to so went into the reception and politly asked the receptionist, could i ask a strange question, yes if its clean she replied , i said if you were applying for a position here who would you address it to, she gave me the answer and i got the job.
, then again I read a topic by a guy who had success just by posting a nicely put together CV.
