Are none locals at a disadvantage when applying for jobs?

Just looking at jobs and there are a few I can probably apply for, but not many of them are in the Manchester area so I would have to move away if I got the job.

These jobs are not graduate schemes as such so I am not sure how willing the would be to employ somebody who is not from the area.

Do employers here discrimate against none locals? Also is it worth traveling to the other side of the country just for an interview?

 

Yes it is worth travelling for an interview if only to get the practice of real job interviews.

I was living in gloucestershire when I had my interview at Zetex in Oldham. I got the job so I don't think there was any discrimination against non-locals.

 

I suppose it comes down to how much better you are, in your case if they clearly knew they wanted you they would have hired you if you were from planet zog as longs as you had the correct visa.

A lot of jobs seem to be in London though, its going to cost a furtune but I suppose you can get there cheap if you're flexable.

I've had plenty of practise in real interviews believe me, when I left school I was beginning to feel like Frank Spencer, but that was 6 years ago, I have much more confidence now.

Its a scary prospect moving to a strange place and starting a new job, but if I just look for jobs around Manchester it could take a good year before I actually get a job.

I reckon I would need to go for 10 interviews at least before I get a job from speaking to others.

 

Since I've graduated I've had three job interviews. I was offered all three jobs. Turned one down, was laid off the second and still in the third. I think it depends how well your CV is matched to the job description and how much you can impress the interviewers, rather than one in ten is bound to come up.

 

You were lucky though, plus you have an electrical engineering degree, that is one of them subjects where if you are a bit rusty you will find it hard to get a job, but if you know your stuff you will never have much problems getting a job as its highly skilled and very specific, not many people in the country have your skills.

I think there will be a lot more computing type graduates , computer related subjects have the highest unemployment of out of all the subjects (even Media studies does better).

I am fairly confident though and yes I will have many CVs according to what the job is I am applying to

There are loads of jobs out there anyway, I just need to find the job that I need to fill.

The careers woman I spoke to put a rea downer on things but then when do they ever know what they're talking about?

I also know that electical engineering as a fairly high amount of unemployment these days so you must be doing somthing right. I think you just have to be good at what you do. I am not sure if I am or not, I am better than average on my university course but that means nothing.

 

I was in the same boat when I graduated 4 years ago. I looked for jobs locally (Newcastle) but couldn't find anything. It was the old "chicken and egg" situation - I couldn't get a job without experience and I couldn't get experience without a job!

I applied for jobs that interested me, no matter where they were in the country. I ended up spending at least one day a week travelling up and down to London at one point. Don't worry about travelling for interviews - any decent company that invites you to interview will re-pay your expenses.

I ended up moving south before getting a job (I moved with my girlfriend at the time who has just secured a job) and within weeks I had a decent position (as a contractor) which gave me what I needed - experience. There are a lot of jobs along the M4 corridor ("Silicon Valley" of the UK) - places like Slough, Reading, Bracknell, Newbury, Uxbridge (ok, that one's not quite M4, but it's near enough!)

The majority of graduates don't get employed on graduate schemes. I even turned down a grad. scheme offer to stay where I am now - I persuaded them to offer me a permanent contract. We employed a graduate onto our scheme who most people think is a complete tosser - academically, he's very clever, but a muppet could do his job better than he can

Ironically, now I've got a few years experience under my belt, I'm thinking of moving back up north (Yorkshire or somewhere possibly) - I'm hoping it will be easier to find a job now.

 

Yeah there is a lot of ITs jobs in the pennines or some reason, probably has a lot to with cheaper office rent than Manchester. West Yorkshire seems to the silicon valley of the North.

There are loads of IT jobs in Manchester but not many of them a suitable (i.e the 50k senior software engineer positions) so when the few jobs do turn up its unlikely I will get them.

I suppose also I've reached a point where I need to do a bit of traveling, as much as I love Manchester it would be good to experience living in a different part of the country.

 

Many local authorities favour employees from within their own boundaries. It used to be openly admitted by Manchester.

Bob

 

Yep that is true, my dad used to work for Manchester city council for many years, I think the rule still applies, my dad was management grade and it the rule dosn't apply for management grade.

I know all the library assistants (my dad was a librarian) all had to live within Manchester, but if you were applying for a management or professional job you didn't have to live within the city council borders. Its daft really.

It will be interesting to see if that still applies, I know it did to at least the mid 90's.

One the other hand there is so many empty council houses in some parts of Manchester you think you would give people from sunny Cornwall jobs so they could stick them in the roughest part of Wythenshawe, now that should be interesting.