Desperately Seeking Employment!

[aimee-lou]

Hi all,

I just needed to get this out as I'm getting really really frustrated by my job hunt.

I've been looking for 2 months, I'm registered with every single agency in town, I've sent application after application for nothing. I've had 2 interviews, both of which have come to nothing. The final straw was this morning when the job that had all but been promised to me after an interview and multiple emails, has been put out to public application and that will almost certainly mean that I wont get it as I'm younger than most people in my field and therefore I 'lack the necessary experiece'.

I'm writing this to try to give myself some perspective - I've got about 12 applications open on my desktop right now that I'm working my way through (3 down, 9 to go! lol) and I'm hoping to get something from at least 1. I am applying for everything and anything from bog standard office assistant roles that are paid little more than peanuts, to jobs in my field that I just wanted to get my CV under the noses of the people in charge. I've send CVs to all and sundry, and I think any more and I'll be done for harrassment! lol

Is there anyone else in a similar boat? I'm thinking I may need to start a journal or something to keep me sane (the rest of my situation is equally desperate and I seem to be getting nowhere! 2 months of this is really wearing me down!!).

Looking for anyone else to join me in my quest for employment so we can give each other support and leads that we may have seen.

Calling all job-hunting BnB'ers!!

 

[maaybe2010]

I've been looking for four months and not had a single interview yet!!
Not a proper one anyway. . . I've had two phone interviews and another on friday

It's so craaap!!

 

[aimee-lou]

In the past 3 days I've sent out 20 applications, 16 CV's and I've got another 6 applications and 4 emails to send out tomorrow!!

So far I've had 5 no's, 1 phone call sending me an application form and....... that's it!!

Bring on Monday...I'm expecting a plethora of job interview invitations to fall onto the doorstep! (Positive thinking will get you everywhere or nowhere! )

Good Luck to all Bnb'ers - Especially you maaybe2010 - How did your phone interview go?

 

[maaybe2010]

Thanks hun, it got cancelled
But resheluled for Tuesday so although it's a pain in the ass I get to make extra sure I'm prepared

x x x x

 

[HCB]

I think you just need to keep plugging away. Make sure each application (including CVs and cover letters) are specific for the job you're applying for. Also, make sure all your friends and family know what you are looking for so they can see if there is anything available where they work. Some places, like my husbands work, don't necessarily advertise positions but just fill them with friends and family of those who already work there.

I've been out of work for about 6/7 weeks now and in that time I have only found 4 suitable positions to even apply for. One has already been filled and I'm still waiting to hear from the others (just applied last week). Even the job centre said it's hard at the moment and agreed that there are hardly any jobs out there.

 

[aimee-lou]

Thanks for the advice HCB - tbh I'm just looking for anything I can get - I would take anything right now! I've had 2 phone calls about interviews but I've google'd the companies and they're coming up as scams which only offer commission only work (no good when you're the only bread-winner!). I found another 6 or so on Monday - I had today off as I was at the dentist having 2 fillings and the painkillers made me woozy lol). Back to the grind-stone tomorrow though. I'm hoping something will come up soon. Good luck with your job hunt - it's seriously tough going out there at the moment. I went to a presentation at the job centre last firday - oh joy! - and they said that now the students are going back it's picking up, so fingers crossed for us all!

 

[maaybe2010]

I had the interview today, didn't go great but there were bits I thought was really good. . . doubt I get it though

I prepared loads and he didn;t ask me any of them questions, just stupid ones I hadn't prepared for

 

[aimee-lou]

Maaybe2010 - I hope it was successful. Most of the time when you think you've done badly you've actually done ok. Finger's crossed

Another 7 applications this morning over the internet sites. Seriously, I can't be that unemployable surely!

rather annoyingly I have another 2 weeks to find a job then hubby starts his degree and we're then royally screwed if i'm not at least temporarily employed by then!

 

[aimee-lou]

I have an interview!!!

It's a 32hours a week, temp job at Sainsbury's, but the hours are pretty good (1-9, Wed-Sat) as we wouldn't need that much childcare around that and it means that I get to see Earl every morning!

The interview is on Wednesday - I do have 1 small issue in that my source of childcare (MIL) is away on holiday next week so the earliest I would be able to start potentially is the 2nd October as Hubby starts uni next Monday. Eeeek I really hope this goes through ok! Wed at 11 - wish me luck!

 

[aimee-lou]

Oh and my running total is 63 applications and 37 emails sent on-spec.

I get to go to my sign-onmeeting on Monday with this and an interview! For once I wont feel like a complete failure in life.....just a partial on!

 

[Frankie]

Whats your field?

 

[maaybe2010]

My total isn't far behind yours!

I failed the HSBC one but I'm not suprised, it's not like I thought I'd done dead well and still not got it

Sent out another 7 CV and applications the last few days and some of them I would LOVE to get

Do you find you don't hear back from the majority of them?
I only hear back from about 5% if that, I think it's rude really!
A template or automated email recognition would be nice!

x x x x x x x

 

[HCB]

Good luck Aimee-lou. I hope it all works out for you. I had a presentation the other week at the job centre too, a 'back to work' session they called it. They said that if you were serious about finding a job then looking is a full-time job in itself and I think you and maaybe2010 prove that!

I have found that a lot of job adverts say that they can't answer everyone so if you don't hear from them in x amount of time then you haven't been successful. The problem is that they are all getting so many applications at the moment that they just don't have the resources to reply to every one they receive. It does seem rude but it is kind of understandable.

I'm now concerned that I've got so many days coming up over the next month or so that I would have to either take half or whole days off for various reasons or need a couple of hours for hospital appointments that it will be hard to get temp work so gives me even fewer options.

 

[aimee-lou]

Frankie - My field is Heritage/Tourism. My last job was as a Funding Officer in an independent Museum. Before that I've worked for a tourist board, a coach company, a stately home and a market research agency in the tourism department. I have skills in IT, Customer service, MR Methodologies, administration, telephone/call-centre and general dogs-body-ment!

Maaybe2010 - Sorry to hear about the job. I'm steering clear of finance roles as my credit rating is naff and I would rather it wasn't dented even more by credit checks by potential employers. Hope you get something else.

HCB - Yep that's the session I've been to. They said the same thing to us, and then said that we recommend that you go self-employed before your benefits run out (hmmm sounds like a stats fix to me!). I've apparently got a careers session to look forward to once I've been claiming 12 weeks - hoping I wont get that far. Good luck to you too hun....I've had the same lately - dentists, dr's, MIL holidays, it's all making me seem like I'm really inflexible!

 

[maaybe2010]

Frankie - My field is Heritage/Tourism. My last job was as a Funding Officer in an independent Museum. Before that I've worked for a tourist board, a coach company, a stately home and a market research agency in the tourism department. I have skills in IT, Customer service, MR Methodologies, administration, telephone/call-centre and general dogs-body-ment!

Maaybe2010 - Sorry to hear about the job. I'm steering clear of finance roles as my credit rating is naff and I would rather it wasn't dented even more by credit checks by potential employers. Hope you get something else.

HCB - Yep that's the session I've been to. They said the same thing to us, and then said that we recommend that you go self-employed before your benefits run out (hmmm sounds like a stats fix to me!). I've apparently got a careers session to look forward to once I've been claiming 12 weeks - hoping I wont get that far. Good luck to you too hun....I've had the same lately - dentists, dr's, MIL holidays, it's all making me seem like I'm really inflexible!

Thanks hun

You can claim?
I was told I wasn't allowed to because my partner works full time!!
Or is it because you have a child to provide for . . ?

I'm thinking I may go back to uni next year!

 

[aimee-lou]

Maaybe2010 - My hubby starts Uni next week so isn't working (getting his student loans next week hopefully) so at the moment I'm claiming for both of us - £102 per week. As of next week it's £64 per week as he's on student income so it'll only be me that gets money lol.

If I could go back to uni I would....but no way cold we have both of us studying!

 

[maaybe2010]

Ohh right

Them student loans are a god send!! I sure miss mine now
Although if he has been working a good wage before it won't seem very good in comparison!

 

[aimee-lou]

Maaybe - It's better than nothing but heleft his £10/hour bus driving job to go to Uni so he's feeling the pinch at the moment.

Just got off the phone - may have another interview but they need to do a credit check.....not likely to get that one now am I! :wacko Darn it!

 

[aimee-lou]

Oooh guess what....I have another interview. 11 on Thursday.

Just have to find my passport and then I'm good to go!

 

[maaybe2010]

Have you got a job yet sweetie?

I had a job yesterday for Next and one today for Boots, I came out of Boots and got a phone call from Next I got the job!!
So I cancelled my bar interview (thank god!!) didn't want to work in a bar anyway!

If you haven't got a job get I'll send you my lucky
If you have congratualtions!!

x x x x x