[Nottingham] Jobs at Heart Internet

[Jason Irwin]

On 23/11/11 12:15, Eben Till wrote:
> I feel ashamed by my poor grades,
> is there anything I can do to show an employer I'm just abysmal at exams
> and I'm not a complete dunce?

All depends on the grades and how recent they are.  I don't think any
employer is going to care overly much about my degree let alone my
secondary education grades and if they do, I don't think I want to work
there!

The best way to get any job is to have a good CV (check your grammar,
spelling, customise it to the role, have a trusted friend[s] read it and
give critical feedback).  Leave yourself room to talk and do not lie -
you will get found out.  Make sure you do the buzz-word bingo so the HR
drones pick up your CV in the keyword search (essential with agencies
and bigger companies).

Emphasise what you have done/created.  Worked on any F/OSS projects?
Helped out in IRC?  Done work for a mate's dad?  Anything really, so
long as it is relevant and gives you a chance to push your skills
forward.  Sometimes its not even a matter of what you did, but showing
that you were prepared to get up and go do it.  Got a hobby?  What
skills did that teach you?

Also consider professional qualifications.  These are becoming less exam
based (thank goodness; really, who wants to memorise all the method
signatures of the String object?) and more task based, some are just a
project you need to submit.  I'm not sure if funding is an issue for
you, but getting one might at least give your confidence a boost.

And finally - network.  The more people who know you and what you can
do, the more people who might think to speak to you about a role they
know about.

-- 
Jason Irwin