As someone who has newly-returned to the job-hunting scene, I have been following all the advice I can down to the letter. I have written, re-formatted and subsequently re-written my CV, I have been out volunteering to gain meaningful experience in my chosen field and have been making as many contacts as has been humanly possible thus far.
Imagine my disappointment, then, when most of the job listings that I see are almost exclusively available through paid membership sites. I'm not talking about a couple of quid here or there. In fact, I even gave into one which "only" cost £2.49 a month, but from what I can see so far, it hasn't been worth the investment. (That is a couple of mars bars and a can of diet coke that I will never get back.) I am talking about some £22 (+VAT!) a month, and that is for the most basic of packages.
At what point did it become acceptable to exploit the enthusiasm and desperation of people who are actively seeking employment? I know that businesses need to make money, that's what makes the world go round, but some of these sites do not even offer you a service. I could understand it more if it were, for example, a CV-checking service that provided you with some helpful pointers before you applied, but as far as I am aware, this one site in particular (names withheld to avoid any potential lawsuits) and others like it, are merely charging you for the opportunity to apply. So, you pay £22 (+VAT) a month just for a chance to be considered. Just like the lottery, you have to be in it to win it.
This elitism means that perhaps the most well-qualified, passionate or talented people are being overlooked for jobs simply because they do not have the means to pay such an amount of money. £25 a month (more or less) can be more, in some cases, than a monthly mobile phone bill. Surely, if you have to choose between one or the other, isn't it better to maintain a number for prospective interviewers to contact you on? The irony is, however, that they won't get your number in the first place, if you don't sign up to their database.
The type of job also seems to have little bearing on this fact. I, myself, am trying to break into the Broadcast Journalism industry, and to do so I am trying to gain an entry-level role and work my way up. I am seeking the position of runner, researcher or broadcast assistant to get my foot in the door and take it from there. Traditionally, these roles are not well remunerated, and it is a well-known fact within the industry that to actually make it you may have to offer your services for free. How then, are we expected to pay over £20 monthly, when we are unemployed, in between jobs or getting paid very little for very long days?
Out of principle, I refuse to pay such a fee to be able to apply, and I will also be revoking the standing order I have with the other cheaper site. People's opportunities should not be governed by who pays more, but rather by their drive, ambition and dedication to what they long to do. Call me old-fashioned, but I believe that by good old hard work, gumption and getting the necessary experience I will get to where I need to be. It may take me a bit longer, but at least I will have a couple of mars bars and a can of coke to keep me going!
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