WhoFan63

Exactly, in this day and age we're too used to not hearing a thing and wondering why? Was it because I was under qualified, over qualified, too old, too young...lol. We just never know the why, unless we take the time to write back and ask and even then we don't know if the reason they give us is the real one.

windsong

Yes, I agree with you.

KittyB52

How do people manage the notice period? I have to give my current employer 3 months notice if I want to leave, which could work out quite well. However, most of the jobs I can see online don't mention a start date, but I'd imagine jobs posted now would be starting May/June.

Also, does anyone have any recommendations for agencies? I don't really want to go down that route, but it might help with the flexibility aspect when we don't know exactly when we'll be moving back or when I can start (at the moment, at least).

There's a whole chicken-egg thing going on still, we really can't figure out what to do first - look for jobs or look for houses.

WhoFan63

I personally would look for houses first...because then you can look for a job near to where you're going to be living, instead of the other way around. That way you can find somewhere you are going to love living instead of getting a great job, but then possibly not being able to find somewhere decent to live and end up settling for something and making yourself miserable.

Everything seems so much easier to do once you are there, because at least when you apply for jobs you know that if they call and ask for an interview you can go.

Three months notice is a lot ! Is that because of the type of work you do or is it written in some employee handbook or something? At most I've had companies ask for between 2 weeks to a month notice.

Of course this is all just my opinion..lol, I'm sure others will offer sage words of wisdom I've found somewhere to live and once I get back I will start the job search. It just seems logical..at least to me..lol.

KittyB52

It's company policy, although it is flexible (depending on your job and how nice your manager is).

I think we need to speak to our financial guy in the UK and figure out what the situation is re: getting a mortgage. I've no clue how to figure out how much we could borrow when we can't base it on salaries we don't have yet. We've been using online calculators and my (pessimistic) salary estimates, but it would be good to have a more accurate calculation from someone who knows what they're doing.

Thanks for the advice, we will start looking for houses in a month or two. Although we found a really nice one today. Must. Stop. Looking.

ElizabethK

I have just finished applying for a position with Lloyds bank online. Reading the requirements it seemed it was the perfect fit. . . my USA job in the UK was the way I saw it.

I got through the whole process filling out all the skills I could bring to the position, previous experiences and descriptions of what I have done in previous jobs where I have helped someone or provided excellent service.

Anyway, according to the email I got from them minutes later, their words were "we like what we've seen so far" so I thought Yay, it's looking good and because the closing date wasn't until the middle of June I thought it would likely be they won't want me to start until some time in July giving me plenty of time to return to UK and begin the new job straight away (in my head I'd already got the job and was picturing myself wearing the Lloyds uniform )

Puffed up with all this positivity I then got an email to remind me to take the 'online self assessment test'

OH DEAR GOD!!! , has anyone here ever taken one of these god awful things? I read the instructions and thought, well it can't be that bad can it? You get a practice test to run through so once I'd done that half a dozen times I felt quite happy to go for the real thing.

All I can say is that the practice ones were not enough to prepare me for the onslaught/barrage of images containing strings of up to 9 letters and numbers that had to be matched correctly. I'll try to give an example of what flashed before my eyes (incidentally all of it is timed and you cannot go back to a previous question)

Example :_

Match this set of letters JKXCGLKZX to any of the following 6 combinations

JXKGCLZKX
JLXKCCZXK
XKLJKCGCK
CGLXKXGC
JKXCGLKZX
JKKCGLXZK

Now, imagine a set of approx 20 problems such as the above, coming at you, giving you only 10 seconds to decide and click on the correct one before it throws the next equally difficult set at you and tell me honestly that you too wouldn't have felt as though you'd just been assaulted through your laptop!

So, once I'd finished and smoked a cig to calm my nerves I went back into the Lloyds job dashboard to view my application only to see that I had apparently not met their requirements and am no longer being considered for the position

Worse still, Lloyds policy is that now I cannot apply for any other positions with them for the next 6 months . . . they did however wish me well in obtaining employment elsewhere

I now need to have a lie down in a darkened room

"The computer said no"

Arse

fulwood

It makes you wonder how that test is a measure of anyone's intellectual capacity or abilities..

WhoFan63

I think it's to test your ability to be able to quickly spot innaccuracies especially when it comes to money. Any discrepancies would stand out. But I could be wrong lol

windsong

Testing intelligence quotient, ability to think on your feet, alertness, etc. Reminds me of the intelligence tests we had to take in primary school! Always stressful experiences - unless you love exams, of course!

I do wish the warm-up they gave you had been up to par to prepare you for what was to come, though. It's not really fair that it wasn't because you need to be prepared mentally to take these tests.

ElizabethK

Yes, I know that it's for testing alertness and thinking on your feet, but there's no way you can get all of them correct in the time frame (not sure if their requirements are 100% pass)

Also the personality test where you're asked to tick the box that best fits your description. What do you do if none of them fit you at all?
For example :-

"Agree or Disagree"

I get easily upset & distracted
OR
I rely heavily on management when making decisions
OR
Neither

In that instance I would tick the 'neither' box but does a 'neither' answer go against you I wonder?

windsong

Some of those multiple choice personality questions can be nuts. I agree with you. There's no right or wrong way to answer some of them and it is so frustrating!

vikingsail

I would suggest you had a lucky escape and move to another employer. If that is the way they assess you have to question if you reaallly want to work their?

I'm sure there are plenty of financial institutions who will consider your real skills.

ElizabethK

Thanks for the vote of confidence

What gets me is this, when you go into a bank or building society and see the quality of bank clerks serving you, it makes me wonder how the hell did they manage to get the position!
Some of them are so unfriendly, unhelpful and downright stupid

windsong

And some of them are downright rude, too.

I remember I received a check a few years ago and took it to the bank on which it was drawn to cash it rather than my own bank. They asked me a list of questions such as - where do you bank, do you have a driver's license, why didn't you take the check to your own bank, etc. I gave them the driver's license and to the rest of the questions, I replied, "None of your business". These days, I only answer "necessary" questions - anywhere! I have noticed an increase in the number of unnecessary questions for the task at hand being asked by many businesses and, with me, they meet a stone wall.

Can't wait to get out of Dodge!

WhoFan63

It's the same with any customer service job....when you struggle to find a job because you're either over qualified or even under qualified and then you talk to these people, you wonder how they got the job. Some can barely speak English and you have to explain yourself multiple times, or else they're so damn miserable you just want to slap them. I once told a girl in the supermarket "Smile love, it doesn't cost anything". She just looked at me and said 'Pardon?" I said "You've got a job, you're earning money and you're in a customer service job so bloody well cheer up and stop looking like the world is going to end, because the look on your face is about to make my milk turn'