Does talent always get to the top in Scotland - No!
Alan D Bell
Glasgow and a MSc Business Information Technology Systems from Strathclyde.
This is my question: just exactly what does one have to do to get a job in
Scotland these days?
On the back page of the Sunday Herald there is usually an interview with
some (allegedly) noteworthy individual, the last question is always, 'Do you
think talent always gets to the top in Scotland?', the answer is invariably
'Yes'. Well, with my qualifications and substantial work experience I can
say for sure that the answer to that question is definitely No! At 33 years
of age I am, apparently, too old for any form of Consultancy work (the BITS
course is aimed at producing graduates for the IT Consultancy industry). In
addition I don't have the (relevant) work experience necessary for any of
the agencies, therefore catch 22. This is ridiculous. I'm aware that many of
you out there will regard this as being the rantings of an old cynic but
surely there must be more opportunities in Scotland and if so where are
they?
I'll be only too glad to be told that I've been looking in the wrong places
but somehow I doubt it. Next step - emigration. I hear employers appreciate
talent in Vancouver. (At least there I might get a job/career and the
Canadians mostly think they're Scottish anyway!)
Alan Bell
*****************************************************
Alan D Bell
252 Broadholm St
Parkhouse
GLASGOW
G22 6DN
email: al...@nitro.f9.co.uk
ni...@appleonline.co.uk
ni...@zoom.co.uk
Website: http://www.nitro.f9.co.uk/
Tel: 0141 574 6643
"I was going to change my shirt - but then I changed my mind"
*****************************************************
~wedding-services~ UK
> Scotland these days?
Create it. If you have talent and education possibly more importantly -
imagination and flair you can create anything.
I am a full time IT student and whiz kid.
(BUT we cannot all be this)
MY advice take up organic farming - its a growing market.
d@ve
--
~wedding-service~ UK
http://www.wedding-service.co.uk
Alan D Bell <al...@nitro.f9.co.uk> wrote in message
news:BnLL3.4131$Eu.88136@wards...
~wedding-services~ UK
> *****************************************************
Your sig - above needs changed
d.
--
~wedding-service~ UK
http://www.wedding-service.co.uk
~wedding-services~ UK <da...@wedding-services.demon.co.uk> wrote in message
news:939495705.1538.0...@news.demon.co.uk...
Craig Cockburn
<al...@nitro.f9.co.uk>
>I've got 5 good highers, an MA (Hons) Economic and Social History from
>Glasgow and a MSc Business Information Technology Systems from Strathclyde.
>This is my question: just exactly what does one have to do to get a job in
>Scotland these days?
>
http://www.firsttuesday.com
--
Craig Cockburn ("coburn"). cr...@siliconglen.com
View Scotland's first on-line guide at http://www.scot.demon.co.uk/
Larry Roberts
many chinese there now and it's not a large city to begin with.
Ontario is the place to be.
Alan D Bell wrote:
> I've got 5 good highers, an MA (Hons) Economic and Social History from
> Glasgow and a MSc Business Information Technology Systems from Strathclyde.
> This is my question: just exactly what does one have to do to get a job in
> Scotland these days?
>
--
Pax vobiscum
Alan D Bell
<rob...@sympatico.ca> wrote:
> Consider immigrating to Canada. But avoid Vancouver. Too
> many chinese there now and it's not a large city to begin with.
> Ontario is the place to be.
>
> --
> Pax vobiscum
>
>
Larry,
Hi There. Thanks for the advice. I've actually got some relatives in
Vancouver + a friend who stays in West Vancouver who would be willing to put
me up for some time. I'm really sad that it's come to this but the
job/career situation in Scotland is just hopeless. It seems to me that
unless you've got a 2:1 and a postgrad and you're less than 25 then you're
of no interest to any employer.
Contrary to the impression many will have got from my original posting I
love and care about my country. To have to seriously consider leaving makes
me despair. Thanks for the advice though.
--
Alan D Bell
post it on the group. So I'll do it for him:
"> I've got 5 good highers, an MA (Hons) Economic and Social History from
> Glasgow and a MSc Business Information Technology Systems from Strathclyde.
> This is my question: just exactly what does one have to do to get a job in
> Scotland these days?
Well you could have started by studying for a useful degree when you
first went to university. Didn't you realise that the world has been
awash with unemployed (unemployable?) graduates in the humanities and
waste of space subjects like social science and media studies for well
over a decade?
> of age I am, apparently, too old for any form of Consultancy work (the BITS
> course is aimed at producing graduates for the IT Consultancy
> industry).
Nope. The BITS course, like most of these postgraduate IT conversion
degrees, is intended to teach unemployed arts graduates keyboard
skills and the basics of computing. This does not transform them into
consultants or even computer programmers. It teaches them little more
than the basics of computing and how to use industry standard office
automation tools like a spreadsheet and word processor.
The IT industry has two kinds of consultants: those who have in-depth
knowledge and experience - ie talent that is in demand - and those who
don't. Many of the latter have good skills in bullshitting. Since you
can't get in-depth knowledge or experience in a 1 year conversion
course at an ivory tower, that probably leaves you with the second
group. Somehow I doubt the BITS course included bullshitting in its
curriculum, so consulting is probably beyond you at this stage.
You seem to think that your paper qualifications entitle you to
immediately become an IT consultant (or at least let you have your
pick of highly paid IT jobs). Well, it's not like that. You also seem
to have a chip on your shoulder about that, which maybe comes across
whenever you apply for a job or go for an interview. Maybe you have
unrealistic expectations?
Most employers don't care about paper qualifications. What matters is
what you can do and what you know. So demonstrate those skills. Things
like "I designed the web pages for ..." or "I managed a network of..."
or "I put such-and-such-a-company on the net, developed their security
policy and set up their firewall" will count for a lot more on your CV
than a dreary list of qualifications. In fact, listing those things
can be a big turn-off. It says to the employer "here's someone who's
been a student for so long, they don't have an clue about doing a
day's work in the real world" - arts/humanities degrees generally have
this stigma - or "here's someone who is trying to hide their lack of
experience behind a list of paper qualifications... and what is this
BITS thing anyway? It doesn't look to amount to much anyway".
Try reading your CV from the perspective of an employer and consider
how it comes across. The way your posting came across to me was
"here's another waste of space arts graduate that thinks a mickey
mouse conversion course makes him God's gift to the IT industry".
This may well be a false impression of you and I have exaggerated for
effect, but that's how your comments looked to me.
To get a job, you have to appear to be useful to an employer. So make
yourself useful. Consider doing unpaid IT work for a community group
or charity. These are usually screaming out for someone with any IT
skills. Use that to learn practical skills like system or network
administration which you can then use to sell yourself to an
employer. Whingeing in a newsgroup isn't going to get you very
far. The world doesn't owe you a living, far less a job as an IT
consultant."
Who does this guy think he is?
~wedding-services~ UK
Sounds like a good sound guy with lots of practical experience, IM(H)O
dave
Alan D Bell <al...@nitro.f9.co.uk> wrote in message
news:lXqM3.7195$Eu.107565@wards...
Bill Potter
>
> In article <38014071...@sympatico.ca> , Larry Roberts
> <rob...@sympatico.ca> wrote:
>
> > Consider immigrating to Canada. But avoid Vancouver. Too
> > many chinese there now and it's not a large city to begin with.
> > Ontario is the place to be.
>
> >
> > --
> > Pax vobiscum
> >
> >
>
> Larry,
> Hi There. Thanks for the advice. I've actually got some relatives in
> Vancouver + a friend who stays in West Vancouver who would be willing to put
> me up for some time. I'm really sad that it's come to this but the
> job/career situation in Scotland is just hopeless. It seems to me that
> unless you've got a 2:1 and a postgrad and you're less than 25 then you're
> of no interest to any employer.
>
> Contrary to the impression many will have got from my original posting I
> love and care about my country. To have to seriously consider leaving makes
> me despair. Thanks for the advice though.
> --
Of my generation of siblings and cousins, only my sister remains in
Scotland.
--
William Potter
bpo...@mediaone.net
Lily
Larry Roberts wrote in message <38014071...@sympatico.ca>...
>Consider immigrating to Canada. But avoid Vancouver. Too
>many chinese there now and it's not a large city to begin with.
>Ontario is the place to be.
Ontario, get a life!
Lily
>
>Alan D Bell wrote:
>
>> I've got 5 good highers, an MA (Hons) Economic and Social History from
>> Glasgow and a MSc Business Information Technology Systems from
Strathclyde.
>> This is my question: just exactly what does one have to do to get a job
in
>> Scotland these days?
>>
>> On the back page of the Sunday Herald there is usually an interview with
>> some (allegedly) noteworthy individual, the last question is always, 'Do
you
>> think talent always gets to the top in Scotland?', the answer is
invariably
>> 'Yes'. Well, with my qualifications and substantial work experience I can
>> say for sure that the answer to that question is definitely No! At 33
years
>> of age I am, apparently, too old for any form of Consultancy work (the
BITS
>> course is aimed at producing graduates for the IT Consultancy industry).
In
>> addition I don't have the (relevant) work experience necessary for any of
>> the agencies, therefore catch 22. This is ridiculous. I'm aware that many
of
>> you out there will regard this as being the rantings of an old cynic but
>> surely there must be more opportunities in Scotland and if so where are
>> they?
>>
>> I'll be only too glad to be told that I've been looking in the wrong
places
>> but somehow I doubt it. Next step - emigration. I hear employers
appreciate
>> talent in Vancouver. (At least there I might get a job/career and the
>> Canadians mostly think they're Scottish anyway!)
>>
>> Alan Bell
>> *****************************************************
>> Alan D Bell
>> 252 Broadholm St
>> Parkhouse
>> GLASGOW
>> G22 6DN
>> email: al...@nitro.f9.co.uk
>> ni...@appleonline.co.uk
>> ni...@zoom.co.uk
>> Website: http://www.nitro.f9.co.uk/
>> Tel: 0141 574 6643
>> "I was going to change my shirt - but then I changed my mind"
>> *****************************************************
>
>--
>Pax vobiscum
>
>
Lachie Macquarie
>Consider immigrating to Canada. But avoid Vancouver. Too
>many chinese there now and it's not a large city to begin with.
>Ontario is the place to be.
>
>Pax vobiscum
>
>
Yeah it is damn good advice avoid Vancouver you do not want to get mixed
up with the Chinese, Prince Philip does not like them, reckons good little Brits
could end up with squinty eyes, if you stay in Scotland you will end up a
drunk eating mutton pies and having a coronary by the time your fifty.
--
Lachie Macquarie, Bod an Deamhain I wish.
Jim Stewart
Hong Kong and Singapore.
And most other large cities.
Perhaps settle on a croft in the Yukon...
Jim Stewart
Lachie Macquarie wrote in message ...