Anyone else really fed up at the moment?
- Thread starter M0T
- Start date
? I might have to give some of them pumps you read about a go.Well I do apologise if I'm not in a depression filled mess of unemployment, the man asked a question.
Likewise, at present I feel like I'm in a secure job - We haven't got a huge disposable income but we have enough to live comfortably at the moment.
I blame the weather for making everyone depressed.
Soldato
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I feel you.
I left uni last year, ready to join the RAF.
Failed the medical due to a single non-diagnosed Migraine a year ago. I now have to wait until December when I can reapply without it being an issue.
There are ZERO available jobs since I'm having to live with my parents in the worst town for jobs ever.
Am sitting on Jobseekers and barely getting enough to get by on that. And I feel terrible most of the time anyway.
But times get hard, I prefer to be optimistic. Since there's nothing to be optimistic about, I just smile in general and think "At least I'm not a chav"... gotta be hope somewhere right?
Hopefully by the time I graduate in 2 years time (full MEng) the market will bounce back and the above companies will start hiring again. Then again with Gordo the Clown in charge the country may well be completely bankrupt by then.
It's ridiculous how a bunch of Mexican's defaulting on their mortgages in USA can cause the whole global financial system to more or less fail due to banker greed - and how these same bankers still happily get a few million, no jail time and are still set for life.
Soldato
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Oddly enough starting my own business is something I've always wanted to do and has been given more and more consideration recently, to the point of acquiring domains and so forth. I already have the Companies house papers from a year or two ago when I was also looking at it.
The only thing that counts against it is if I ever stopped, or it didn't work, I'd still have no "real" employment experience - What I mean is that I don't know how much being self employed would count for in an interview situation?
Also, any time spent in another field means I become further and further out of touch with my intended career path which will only result in one thing.
Still, options are better than none and I can always train elsewhere along the way
The only thing that counts against it is if I ever stopped, or it didn't work, I'd still have no "real" employment experience - What I mean is that I don't know how much being self employed would count for in an interview situation?
Also, any time spent in another field means I become further and further out of touch with my intended career path which will only result in one thing.
Still, options are better than none and I can always train elsewhere along the way
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Associate
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Spie can give you a loan 
Topic: Fortunately Im in my first year of Uni, but I started a couple of months later than normal (Jan09 as opposed to Oct08) and between October and December it was a real bugger trying to find anything, altho I found something in the end, it does suck when you apply to lots of jobs and not one gets back to you.
Topic: Fortunately Im in my first year of Uni, but I started a couple of months later than normal (Jan09 as opposed to Oct08) and between October and December it was a real bugger trying to find anything, altho I found something in the end, it does suck when you apply to lots of jobs and not one gets back to you.
Spie can give you a loan
Topic: Fortunately Im in my first year of Uni, but I started a couple of months later than normal (Jan09 as opposed to Oct08) and between October and December it was a real bugger trying to find anything, altho I found something in the end, it does suck when you apply to lots of jobs and not one gets back to you.
Part time jobs in this case is bit different to permanent jobs.
This thread is damn depressing
Associate
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It was fulltime job I had actually... between Nov and Dec
albeit on temp till xmasAnd if I wasn;t going to Uni I would have got kept on apparently (pay wasnt too shabby for my age(19), £7.50ph), But I really wanted to go to Uni and the job itself was crap, although it involved wine.. and lots of it lol
(I dont work atm but then I work most hours of the day doing assignments and catching up from the previous semester that I missed)
Yep, it seems like it's taking all of my energy and motivation just to look for work now, let alone apply and for those which I do apply for -- they either never respond, reject, or tell me they're not taking anyone on this year.
I hate being on the dole, I hate being at home, and I hate the fact that day after day all I've got to look forward to is getting changed if I can be bothered. Christ, I feel like I've retired before I've even begun! I hate it. I feel like I've got all this ambition, desire, and needs yet I'm trapped in a proverbial catch-22; I can't do any of these things without a job, which in turn is affecting my employability!
The whole thing really is doing my head in now; all I want is to make a break and get on my own two feet, but everything seems to be conspiring against me with the most unfortunate timing. But still, all you can do is look forward and smile, eh?
I hate being on the dole, I hate being at home, and I hate the fact that day after day all I've got to look forward to is getting changed if I can be bothered. Christ, I feel like I've retired before I've even begun! I hate it. I feel like I've got all this ambition, desire, and needs yet I'm trapped in a proverbial catch-22; I can't do any of these things without a job, which in turn is affecting my employability!
The whole thing really is doing my head in now; all I want is to make a break and get on my own two feet, but everything seems to be conspiring against me with the most unfortunate timing. But still, all you can do is look forward and smile, eh?
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I'm screwed for life me it seems, I'm 19 and have never had a job, no one's gonna even touch me with a barge pole, out of the jobs I've applied for, like just part time to help me at college, like supermarkets none of em have accepted me, not surprising.
Associate
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Go to a recruitment agency (might seem daft for part time weekend jobs) but they are INVALUBLE compared to www.Jobcentre.gov.uk/utterly_useless
I'm in a slightly different hole. Too young for uni at the moment, but parents are paying for everything. They've now said that if I don't find a part time job (still at college), they'll stop paying and I won't be allowed to go on holiday. 
Somehow, I think I have no chance.
Somehow, I think I have no chance.
I joined an agency, although I told them that in about 3 months from when I started I'd not be able to do anything as I was moving to manchester, they found me one thing, I said I would not do it, was late at night, no busses, cant drive so only bicycle so I said no, never got out after that.
My dad says all those agency's stick you in crappy factory and it's like slave labor, crap wage for doing loads of stuff etc... and I don't know about factory work, I know I should be looking for anything but if the wage is mega crap and they got me doing heaps of stuff I dunno.
Followed that up with another interview. Was offered the job. Job got retracted the same day to budget cuts
i left my job to work for another company and they left me high and dry too. Although they still havent actually said there's no job, they just seem to be stringing me along
MW
A careers guidance advisers opinion...
Seeking work at the moment is definitely tough, as many companies are holding off recruiting and more people are becoming unemployed. When it gets to the point that unless you've got A to A experience, your application won't be considered, the only way is to reduce the competition. In other words, don't put your hopes in the traditional route of job hunting, i.e the job centre and newspapers. You gotta queue jump or have an angle, or you are going to get constant rejection, unless you get really lucky. A certain physicist is supposed to of said "insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results".
I always advise a targeted, speculative approach in addition to the usual channels. First, think about what work you want to do and research the skills/experience that the role requires. You then need to work out how you can meet those requirements, as opposed to thinking about what you've got to offer.
Take a CV for example. Most people think that a CV is a document about themselves. It isn't. I always say a CV is an advert to get you an interview. It's not going to get you the job. Put yourself in the mindset of the employer, and work out what they want. The purpose of your CV is then to show that employer/industry that you have what they want. Keep it relevant. You might be proud of something you've done through work or college, but if it's not relevant, don't emphasise it! It does mean that if you are looking for different types of jobs, they may be looking for slightly different skills or experiences, so you will need different CV's.
Anyway, I then would put a list together of all potential employees that are within an acceptable travelling area. Yell.com can be useful here, but also try to think outside the box. For example, I once had a client who was looking for a plumbing apprenticeship. He said he'd contacted all the plumbers in the area, and most were either one man bands or not taking on. When he started thinking about other companies who may have plumbers, he came up with some others to contact. As a result of this he struck gold, and got a plumbing apprenticeship at the local theme park.
Once you've figured out who the potential employers are, you then have to contact them. Oh, and if you haven't got many companies on your list, it may mean you're looking for a job that isn't really available in your area. You don't get much of a need for divers in the Midlands, once you've got past the leisure indusry instructors and the police, etc. Anyway, back to contacting your potential employers. Firstly, I wouldn't start by sending them a CV! You don't make much of an impact just sticking a CV in the post addressed to the 'recruitment manager'. You need to make sure it's addressed to the right person (their name and exact position). If you don't it looks like you've just sent out a general mailshot (which is probably true), and worse still, it may not make it to the person who needs to see it! Get on the phone, and do some research! (there are a whole bunch of tips and tricks to this, and I've already made this post too long!) Anyway, when you have the info, send a CV and covering letter (keep this short) addressed to the right person, then phone back 3-4 days later and ask to speak to that person. Again, there's 101 tricks to this, but the worst case scenerio is that they have either not paid any attention to it (in which case they may be on the back foot in the conversation and are more likely to engage with you) or they haven't got anything (so you assess whether they are worth contacting again as they may have something in the future or if they know anyone within the industry who may be looking).
This sounds like hard work, and it is. You need to be able to put a bit of a salesman hat on, but the good news is most people don't take this approach. Surely that means you might just bypass the currently increasing competition.
Hope this info helps someone, and good luck to all those currently looking for work!
Seeking work at the moment is definitely tough, as many companies are holding off recruiting and more people are becoming unemployed. When it gets to the point that unless you've got A to A experience, your application won't be considered, the only way is to reduce the competition. In other words, don't put your hopes in the traditional route of job hunting, i.e the job centre and newspapers. You gotta queue jump or have an angle, or you are going to get constant rejection, unless you get really lucky. A certain physicist is supposed to of said "insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results".
I always advise a targeted, speculative approach in addition to the usual channels. First, think about what work you want to do and research the skills/experience that the role requires. You then need to work out how you can meet those requirements, as opposed to thinking about what you've got to offer.
Take a CV for example. Most people think that a CV is a document about themselves. It isn't. I always say a CV is an advert to get you an interview. It's not going to get you the job. Put yourself in the mindset of the employer, and work out what they want. The purpose of your CV is then to show that employer/industry that you have what they want. Keep it relevant. You might be proud of something you've done through work or college, but if it's not relevant, don't emphasise it! It does mean that if you are looking for different types of jobs, they may be looking for slightly different skills or experiences, so you will need different CV's.
Anyway, I then would put a list together of all potential employees that are within an acceptable travelling area. Yell.com can be useful here, but also try to think outside the box. For example, I once had a client who was looking for a plumbing apprenticeship. He said he'd contacted all the plumbers in the area, and most were either one man bands or not taking on. When he started thinking about other companies who may have plumbers, he came up with some others to contact. As a result of this he struck gold, and got a plumbing apprenticeship at the local theme park.
Once you've figured out who the potential employers are, you then have to contact them. Oh, and if you haven't got many companies on your list, it may mean you're looking for a job that isn't really available in your area. You don't get much of a need for divers in the Midlands, once you've got past the leisure indusry instructors and the police, etc. Anyway, back to contacting your potential employers. Firstly, I wouldn't start by sending them a CV! You don't make much of an impact just sticking a CV in the post addressed to the 'recruitment manager'. You need to make sure it's addressed to the right person (their name and exact position). If you don't it looks like you've just sent out a general mailshot (which is probably true), and worse still, it may not make it to the person who needs to see it! Get on the phone, and do some research! (there are a whole bunch of tips and tricks to this, and I've already made this post too long!) Anyway, when you have the info, send a CV and covering letter (keep this short) addressed to the right person, then phone back 3-4 days later and ask to speak to that person. Again, there's 101 tricks to this, but the worst case scenerio is that they have either not paid any attention to it (in which case they may be on the back foot in the conversation and are more likely to engage with you) or they haven't got anything (so you assess whether they are worth contacting again as they may have something in the future or if they know anyone within the industry who may be looking).
This sounds like hard work, and it is. You need to be able to put a bit of a salesman hat on, but the good news is most people don't take this approach. Surely that means you might just bypass the currently increasing competition.
Hope this info helps someone, and good luck to all those currently looking for work!
Soldato
- Joined
- 2 Mar 2004
- Posts
- 11,919
- Location
- SE England
I thought I'd bump this because Jargy's post may be of use to people!
Most places I'd like to have gone don't accept speculative enquiries, or anything not recieved via the online entry system so your mileage may vary!
Good for nigh on everything else, I suspect, mind!
Most places I'd like to have gone don't accept speculative enquiries, or anything not recieved via the online entry system so your mileage may vary!
Good for nigh on everything else, I suspect, mind!
Well....the other week I was sat on the train and seen an advertisment for some kind of jobs website, basically (can't remember exactly what it said) it said -
Are you in the wrong job? Do you -
1- Clock Watch?
2- Browse the internet often?
3- Take lots of breaks?
4- Day dream?
5- Bored?
I answered YES to all 5!
So, after some thought, I'm looking at going back to my old job/career....The Army.
Got to wait until August though as I'm tied down in a learning agreement atm. Gives me plenty of time to get my fitness levels back up to the standard required. Have to start again from basic training as by August i will have been out for over 3 years. Should have stuck it out last time but thought I knew best and left but god how wrong was I lol....civvie street with a 9 - 5 job is like ground hog day
*yawn*
Can't wait to go chat to the recruiment office see what they say....might get back in without doing the training...but there is the 3 year cut off hence I'm preparing myself to go though basic again
I feel 10x better already and i haven't really actioned it yet. I have something to aim for rather than same **** different day scenerio lol
Are you in the wrong job? Do you -
1- Clock Watch?
2- Browse the internet often?
3- Take lots of breaks?
4- Day dream?
5- Bored?
I answered YES to all 5!
So, after some thought, I'm looking at going back to my old job/career....The Army.
Got to wait until August though as I'm tied down in a learning agreement atm. Gives me plenty of time to get my fitness levels back up to the standard required. Have to start again from basic training as by August i will have been out for over 3 years. Should have stuck it out last time but thought I knew best and left but god how wrong was I lol....civvie street with a 9 - 5 job is like ground hog day
*yawn* Can't wait to go chat to the recruiment office see what they say....might get back in without doing the training...but there is the 3 year cut off hence I'm preparing myself to go though basic again
I feel 10x better already
and i haven't really actioned it yet. I have something to aim for rather than same **** different day scenerio lol