Employers or HR staff...please help!

[Mabelcat]

A friend needs help!

When applying for jobs such as admin officer, clerical assistant etc will putting a sociology & politics degree hinder or help the chances of him getting the job?

Also, will his patchy career record - being in an out of temporary seasonal civil service contracts viewed negatively even he is obviously intelligent enough to do the job?

[thugulike]

If the class of degree is reasonable then it will help. I would always expect a candidate to state why they had not been in employment. It's OK to have gaps but they must be accounted for. If you've had a year of to travel then say so for example.

[angeldraws]

Personally i dont think the degree would hinder the chances of your friend getting the job. People change their career paths all the time so there are various reasons for wanting a job different to whatever has previously been studied for......

I have spent much time in the past temping (in admin) and in between i have volunteered at various places, so i also have a patchy history. I also walked out of a job in May but because i spoke with HR about the reasons, i was given one months full pay and i am now working for them again in a different department altogether.
I think, as long as the application form is satisfactory and questions are answered fully in interview with a full understanding of the requirements of the job, your friend stands as equal a chance as anyone. In admin its a good idea to mention organising skills, good time management and prioritising workload, as undoubtedly these will be the areas focussed on. Hope this helps...

[Mabelcat]

Thanks for your replies. Bob (my friend) says he's got a 3rd class degree. I've told him to keep on trying but I'm sure it's hard when he doesn't even seem to be getting any interviews.

[angeldraws]

When i apply for jobs i dont necessarily put my grades in.....it might be worth your friend altering his CV and just saying he's got the qualification......??

[Fish the Mod]

People buy People....education is fine if your friend has the personallity of a cat. Social skills maybe?