The Advice Thread

[Cardsfan]

This might belittle the nature of this thread but I do need help, I am undecided at the minute about where I should go for lunch, I have in my immediate area a KFC, McDonalds, Burger King, Subway ,Chinese Buffet and numerous chippies.

Since I am a greedy hoor/new to this neck of the woods and can't decide, any help?

https://www.random.org/

Give each option a number and click the random number generator button.

You're welcome.

 

[Popeye]

You fat bastard, just go down sainsburys and get a salad

Or go Subway, and get a salad

Never had a salad from Subway, are they any good?

 

[blade1889]

Never had a salad from Subway, are they any good?

Never had one

Know a few people who have and like them

 

[Popeye]

Never had one

Know a few people who have and like them

Ack! Away with your salad talk then! I shoulda known the old saying, "You don't make friends with salad."

 

[Luke Imp]

KFC Boneless Banquet, with gravy and an extra side of beans. The end.

 

[Red]

Has anyone ever used any careers guidance services? I'm having difficulty finding ones that don't seem like scams, or are ridiculously overpriced. Does free online careers guidance exist?! What I want is to be able to send my CV somewhere, for them to have a look at my skills/experience and suggest some avenues that perhaps I haven't thought about exploring. Like I said, I've searched quite a lot on this so if you're just gonna Google "free/cheap online careers guidance" and reply here with some links then save yourself the effort as the chances are that I've already had a look. However, I would appreciate somebody who can give me anything solid to follow up/get in contact with.

Yeah, like Dave says try the National Careers Service. Does it have to be an online service? . I used to work as an employment advice & guidance officer for a small project in my town.Part of the job entailed helping people compile CVs and identify their transferable skills. Is their something like that where you live? There's an organisation called Prospects that help people with CVs, but I don't think they offer online support http://www.prospects.co.uk/
There might be an office where you live. I might be able to help and would be happy to take a look if you want.

 

[SALTIRE]

Yeah, like Dave says try the National Careers Service. Does it have to be an online service? . I used to work as an employment advice & guidance officer for a small project in my town.Part of the job entailed helping people compile CVs and identify their transferable skills. Is their something like that where you live? There's an organisation called Prospects that help people with CVs, but I don't think they offer online support http://www.prospects.co.uk/
There might be an office where you live. I might be able to help and would be happy to take a look if you want.

I got kicked out of school with no qualifications and suddenly wondered what the hell I was going to do! : D

I saw a career guidance counsellor who put me in touch with a manual labour company and that got me started in work for seven years. It wasn't much but it got me in work and amongst the land of the living! I then realised I could better myself and then left full time work to become a mature student and headed off to college for a couple of years, then eventually uni.

 

[Red]

Yeah, some people's lives take a different turn. I pretty much did what you did. How old were you when you graduated? I was 33.

 

[RavenBish]

Hi guys. Interview for a new job on Wednesday and it's a telephone case study one - it's the second to last stage before an assessment day.

These are the instructions.

The interviewer will go through a case study style interview with you which could be based on any broad business problem. They will be assessing: Numerical ability, conceptual skills, communication style.

I've been told to have pen/paper and a calculator and to print out a couple of small simple tables with numbers and no headings (guessing the headings will just be stuff like 'amount in £' 'quantity' 'order size' etc...)

I've done an undergraduate placement and also grad job applications so I've been through the rigamarole of assessments, interviews, assessments centres a number of times. But this is the first time I've ever had a case study telephone interview - anyone had one/know what to expect?

 

[Red]

Fuck off, you voted Tory!































. Nah, sorry I've never even heard of case study telephone interviews. All the best for it though, hope you get it.

 

[mistermagic]

Hi guys. Interview for a new job on Wednesday and it's a telephone case study one - it's the second to last stage before an assessment day.

These are the instructions.

The interviewer will go through a case study style interview with you which could be based on any broad business problem. They will be assessing: Numerical ability, conceptual skills, communication style.

I've been told to have pen/paper and a calculator and to print out a couple of small simple tables with numbers and no headings (guessing the headings will just be stuff like 'amount in £' 'quantity' 'order size' etc...)

I've done an undergraduate placement and also grad job applications so I've been through the rigamarole of assessments, interviews, assessments centres a number of times. But this is the first time I've ever had a case study telephone interview - anyone had one/know what to expect?

I have but it was specific to my field. It went very well and I didn't get it. Happy days.

 

[RavenBish]

Did it. It was mental maths but they asked the questions in the most ridiculous way imaginable.

At the start they asked me to work out a profit, so I did. They then asked me lots of other questions which I did fine and then the last one they gave me % increases and asked how many I'd need to sell to break-even...fair enough, easy mental maths and that I thought - so I did it and it was wrong, luckily they were patient with me but I couldn't work out where I'd gone wrong, the issue was so simple. They then said that the break-even was referring to the £23,000 profit (Which isn't y'know, 'breaking even'...it's making a big profit). Never mind, they admitted the question was a bit ambiguous. But mental maths is basically the one thing I'm really good at in an every day kind of office setting and I'm fairly sure I got 20/20 on the numerical assessment a few weeks ago because it was outrageously easy.

 

[SALTIRE]

Yeah, some people's lives take a different turn. I pretty much did what you did. How old were you when you graduated? I was 33.

I was 31 when I graduated mate.

 

[Red]

Did it. It was mental maths but they asked the questions in the most ridiculous way imaginable.

At the start they asked me to work out a profit, so I did. They then asked me lots of other questions which I did fine and then the last one they gave me % increases and asked how many I'd need to sell to break-even...fair enough, easy mental maths and that I thought - so I did it and it was wrong, luckily they were patient with me but I couldn't work out where I'd gone wrong, the issue was so simple. They then said that the break-even was referring to the £23,000 profit (Which isn't y'know, 'breaking even'...it's making a big profit). Never mind, they admitted the question was a bit ambiguous. But mental maths is basically the one thing I'm really good at in an every day kind of office setting and I'm fairly sure I got 20/20 on the numerical assessment a few weeks ago because it was outrageously easy.

Mental maths when being put on the spot can be bad. I'd have just said fuck your job and hung up.

 

[RavenBish]

Mental maths when being put on the spot can be bad. I'd have just said fuck your job and hung up.

Yeah, it's a bizarre thing to be asked to do. As I said, 99% sure I aced the numerical assessments, I've got a 2:1 in a Maths based business degree - they were asking me to work out break-even points and profits which is stuff I did at GCSE level but it's just weird someone asking you to do it over the phone and the way they worded the questions was horrific. It was just really odd - I can only assume that the exercise is less about being able to do the sums (which for an analyst role requiring a 2:1 Maths/Business degree, A in GCSE Maths and 300 UCAS points...EVERYONE applying should be able to do) and more about how you communicated and worked over the phone, which I thought I did well under pressure even when I got mixed up/thought 'what the fuck are you actually asking me?'.

Half of these graduate recruitment processes are mental. I did it all for undergraduate and the job I actually got was the simplest process which was basically apply -> online tests -> telephone interview -> face to face interview - and that was at a big FTSE 100 company. I really question how much more you can REALLY learn from half a day of group exercises where people are nervous and not acting remotely naturally than you would a good old-fashioned interview. Which all sucks when you're quite a confident interviewee like I like to think I am.

 

[mistermagic]

Half of these graduate recruitment processes are mental. I did it all for undergraduate and the job I actually got was the simplest process which was basically apply -> online tests -> telephone interview -> face to face interview - and that was at a big FTSE 100 company. I really question how much more you can REALLY learn from half a day of group exercises where people are nervous and not acting remotely naturally than you would a good old-fashioned interview. Which all sucks when you're quite a confident interviewee like I like to think I am.

Most of the day is spent drinking coffee, eating junk food like pringles, doing tests (oral and written) and listening intently to the company's powerpoint presentations on why you should join them.

Going back to my previous comment, it is true that I didn't get a job in Manchester but the guy actually recommended me to his colleague in Birmingham and I had a phone interview with him last Friday so hopefully I'll get that job. I'm not going to ask for advice on Birmingham coz, y'know, destiny.

When will they get back to you Bish?

 

[Veggie Legs]

Has anyone here done ACCA or another accounting qualification?

 

[RavenBish]

They got back to me, I'm through to the Assessment Day

2 interviews (because one just isn't enough) and group exercises. Seriously, I've got a degree, done online assessments, done a telephone case study - is there any need for the rest? It's like being on The Apprentice or something.

Hey Ho.

 

[mistermagic]

Found the exercises quite hard myself.

 

[Cheese & Biscuits]

Found the exercises quite hard myself.

And you didn't shower afterwards you minger!

 

[TractorBoys]

Looking for some TV advice please lads.

Looking for at least 40", not particularly up-to-date with the latest tech, just want something of decent quality.

Willing to part with upto £400 so recommendations based on that please. I did find this (ex display model) on Ebay - can anybody who understands TV specs give me some feedback please? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Digihome-...384?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item3aaa8b88b0

Edit: I canny find any reviews on that one so open to other suggestions folks. TYTY

TB

 

[PatchLatics]

Looking for some TV advice please lads.

Looking for at least 40", not particularly up-to-date with the latest tech, just want something of decent quality.

Willing to part with upto £400 so recommendations based on that please. I did find this (ex display model) on Ebay - can anybody who understands TV specs give me some feedback please? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Digihome-...384?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item3aaa8b88b0

Edit: I canny find any reviews on that one so open to other suggestions folks. TYTY

TB

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Produ...Product/partNumber/2267803.htm&referrer=COJUN

http://www.tesco.com/direct/blaupun...799.prd?skuId=372-5799&sc_cmp=tp4_aff_1018132 - USE CODE TDX-WRTX for £20.00 off code

Few there for you mate depending on what you want to spend. Use www.hotukdeals.co.uk for good deals pal.

 

[TractorBoys]

Nice one pal, will take a look now. Any particular reason for picking these two out?

TB

 

[nousername]

How do you tell someone that you can't attend their wedding?

I would love to go, but I can't justify a £1000 flight back to Glasgow for a long weekend...

 

[Techno Natch]

How do you tell someone that you can't attend their wedding?

I would love to go, but I can't justify a £1000 flight back to Glasgow for a long weekend...

That would be a good enough reason for me. Whose wedding is it?

 

[nousername]

That would be a good enough reason for me. Whose wedding is it?

A good friend from university. I worked with the bride as well.

 

[Luke Imp]

Yeah, I'd say that's quite a good reason.

 

[nousername]

^ Thanks chaps.

What concerns me a little is that I think they really expect me to attend. There's no "we really want you to be there, but we can totally understand if you can't make it" - which would allow everyone to save face. I've had one one conversation with them about it when I was back in February and it sounded like they would be a little gutted if I couldn't make it.

 

[nousername]

It's all come to a head as he bumped into my sister on a night out in Glasgow and she mentioned to me that he's really hoping I can attend!

 

[TractorBoys]

That's ridiculous, as others have said the reason of the flight cost is entirely justified - unless they're willing to cover it!

One of my bug bears is when people expect people to spend hundreds (or thousands!!) on travel to their fucking wedding. The invitation and wanting them to come is absolutely fine, but if they feel as though the person should feel compelled to come, and are irritated by the decline, they are moronic.