The course itself finally got down to specifics today. About half the day on canvassing (a fancy way of saying walk into businesses unannounced and ask for a job and follow up with a phone call). The trainer said it makes you look keen. I think doing it once you're over 25 makes you look desperate and naïve.
The other half of the day went to cover letters and résumés. Content was largely what you'd have guessed: sell yourself in them; keep them short enough to be readable; CV no more than 3 pages. Use all the keywords. In short, precisely what I was taught 20+ years ago in high school.
I noticed that multiple themes keep being hammered: First, we're constantly being reminded of there being "brokers" who after this course will try to connect us with employers. I suspect that like every other recruiter this means 'drop the candidate into any job regardless of suitability and pocket the commission as fast as possible). Second, the aforesaid brokers' contacts principally seem to be at Aldi and Woolworths as a checkout operator or nightfill worker.
The trainer mentioned that his contact in the legal sector had advised him regarding me that Shepparton is a very small legal market (I knew this already). Would I be interested in legal work for the Defence Forces? I said yes, but I'd already been rejected by the army on medical grounds. He looked crestfallen and I assume the job would have entailed me enlisting in the military rather than going into the Department of Defence. He then cajoled me again with the idea of a complete career change to assembling aluminium windows. I don't remember what I said, although as I was still in the course on Day 3 I'm sure it didn't reflect what I was thinking.
One more day to go.
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