jobs
Hi J, welcome to Ireland!!
Here's what I suggest:
Take a trip out to the airport and spend a couple of hours there. Observe people working in the jobs you would like to do. Try to get to talk to some of them. It's best to try and have a word when they're not too busy!! (I don't know what time of the day that might be....!) Say..."hi, I wonder if I you could help me. I'm hoping to get into the same line of work as yours, and I was wondering if you had any advice for me on the best way to go about it?" They will probably say something like "send in your CV", and that's when you should ask, "Who should I address it to?". Have a pen and paper ready and take down the name of the person in charge of hiring. Also, ask for the person's title and write that down too! And don't forget to ask to what address you should sent it. Then when you're sending in your CV and covering letter you can address it to the correct person and that will increase your chances of it being more effective.
If you get no reply after a week, it might be worth ringing the people you sent your CV to. Phone up, introduce yourself and say, "I wrote to you last week, and I was just calling to follow that up. I wonder if you've had a chance to look at my CV and if there are any employment opportunities in your company at the moment?". If they say "no", thank them and tell them you'd appreciate if they would keep you in mind should a future vacancy arise.
If you go out to the airport as I suggested, I suggest you dress smartly and think of the process as an opportunity to "sell yourself", to make a good impression on your future employer! Who knows, you might even get to talk to a manager or two in the airport so bring a few copies of your CV with you just in case!
When you get talking to people who are doing the kind of job you'd like to do, try to get as much information as possible from them. Ask about their jobs, what they like about it, the hours, the conditions etc and how they got into that line of work. (But don't ask about the pay...that might appear too intrusive!).
You said your boyfriend says.."it's not what you know, it's who you know"...so get out there and get to know people in the industry that you want to work in!!!
Good luck with your job hunt!
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