Quote Originally Posted by lordna View Post
I don't know what line of work you are in but why not try approaching all the firms in your area DIRECTLY by sending a CV and covering letter. You could probably find all the addresses and people hiring on google and make a note of the phone numbers as well. After a week , phone them to ask if they got your letter and if it was of interest. If not, ask if they can suggest anyone who is hiring. Your more likely to get work through a direct approach as firms don't like paying agencies. You could also try offering, in your covering letter, to work for a probationary period at a reduced rate, so you can prove how brilliant you are.

Now i have given you all that advice, i am going to follow it myself as although i am employed, i need to be earning what i was 12 years ago! I have also had absolutely no luck with agencies etc despite applying for hundreds of jobs.

The other thing to try is to target your CV to the place your applying so you mention all the things they are looking for. Good luck! hope it helps. Some say that you should approach searching for work as a full time job. Also try contacting old colleagues to see if they know who is hiring. Word and mouth is a better way to find work.
Thanks for the helpful advice Lordna. That's what I'll do next, but it's a little tricky as not knowing companies that might have positions that I could do. My job was called a Technical Designer, but on other companies, I guess they would call it a CAD Technician. I drew up the designs for an upmarket interior furniture company-mostly kitchens, bedrooms and bathrooms. I know a lot of interior furniture companies have sales people that also design the room layouts as well as draw them up. Although if I have knowledge of the product I could easily talk about and sell it, these companies want experienced salespeople first more than Designer-CAD Technicians.