16vmarc

I was laid off at the beginning of december (nice huh!) Then i spent a week in hospital in january. As id signed on at christmas i was transfered to benefit due to my being admitted. Ive applied to 5 places since ive got out and ive either being turned down or just didnt get a reply. I now need to go to the Job Centre and start signing on again as my sick note has run out.

On job application forms ive been putting that i was laid off from my last job, could this be the reason as to why no one is entertaining employing me?! Although i was assured i would receive a glowing reference from them.

I was a Fabricator/Welder but after 8 years id had enough and im now looking for office work. Most places want experience. But how can i get experience if no one will employ me?!!

Im seriously thinking of going back to college in september, but its only febuary now!

eClaire

Expect to earn around 10k a year as a junior as you have no experience . Does that bother you?

Petem95

Just keep applying, you'll get something sooner or later. Experience does count for a lot, but if you can demonstrate a good attitude - that you are willing to work hard and learn - then this counts for a lot.

Also apply for jobs even if you think you dont have the right credentials. Ive recently changed jobs, and the one I got seemed a bit 'out of my league' - but I thought sod-it and applied anyway, and got it, so it can be done.

16vmarc

Nope. I just want a job! Even as a junior i can gain experience to move on and do other jobs. One agency wouldnt deal with me until i had 1 years office experience, dunno how they expect me to get that! My mate started on 7k and is now on 16-17k. They wont employ me though!

16vmarc

The job centre asked if i had experience with customers, i said none other than dealing with customers and invoices etc in passed employment as a welder. They said you have customer service experience then and to add it to my cv! I have experience with pcs too but no formal qualifications which is what most people want.

Petem95

f*ck that!! As eClaire mentioned, you might have to start on a low salary, but not THAT low!!

If you can use a computer you should be able to get some basic admit job on 10-15k surely.

16vmarc

One place i applied at (CPP) made me do role play over the phone where i had to sell a holiday. They told me i did really well and if they phoned back id get an interview. They never did..

That was for 10k admin job!

eClaire

Surely one of the advisors at the job centre can help you?

16vmarc

I went there last week because i havnt received any benefit money. I was expecting to be dealt with by an advisor. It was actually a security guard that dealt with my request

Maybe once i sign back on they'll be more help.

imlach

- Are there any areas you are particularly interested in?
- Have you got a CV?
- Sell yourself....don't mention the redundancy too upfront unless asked.
- What do you see as your strengths? Use them to your advantage when applying (either written or orally)
- Are you IT literate? If so, to what extent?

Sit down, and take a few hours to think what you REALLY want to move into, then focus on these areas for a few days, targetting applications, and making speculative phone calls if possible.

Something should come up.
-

kammy

Look at temp desks in offices, its a handy way of gainning some experiance and networking.

I have done a degree and currently doing a masters, and I fear being in the same boat- your not alone, join the growing list.

all the best

16vmarc

No real specific area, mainly just a clean working envirionment. I dont want to carry on with manual work. Ive just had enough.

I have a 2 page CV yeah, giving details of my qualifications (unfortunatley all engineering) and brief details of my previous job descriptions etc.

Having worked alongside fellow employees and ocassionally customers that have come to the work place id say i had pretty good people skills and can work alongside anyone.

Fairly computer litterate, Outlook, Win 95,98 and XP and MS Office.

I could say i left to pursue other areas, but it all depends what my last employer says if theyre contacted.

comic cuts

Hi, sorry to hear you are struggling to find a job. I was made redundant a few years ago and got a job estimating in structural steel! A complete change from my previous job in civils. So with your experience, presumably reading drawings, you could do that easily. Are there any fabricators nearby? It's not badly paid either!

CC

imlach

Maybe I wasn't clear....there's absolutely nothing wrong in being made redundant, just don't offer that information up front unless asked. However, do offer it WHEN asked. Instead of mentioning that negative bit of info in application letters, talk about something more positive etc etc.

ie :

"My background is in engineering services, but I have decided that I would now like to build on my existing skillset, moving towards a career path which is focussed more on the administrative aspects of engineering tenders."

blah de blah...replace with words relevant to your career/skillset etc..

Drunken Bungle Whore

Really sorry to hear your situation - I know how tough that can be. To get experience you could try voluntary work - OK, so it doesn't pay, but you can get experience for free.

Also - I spent years in recruitment and have since spent time working with the long term unemployed (and prisoners!) on how to write a CV and apply for work. If you want to email me your CV (email as on profile) then I'll be happy to take a look at it for you and see if it can be 'beefed up' at all.

I'd avoid the agencies - unless it's for temp work. They charge employers a fat fee for placing perm staff and for that the employer expects a 'perfect' candidate. You're best bet is to either apply to jobs in the paper/ on the net that are response directly to company, or send your CV out 'on spec' to a bunch of local employers.

Where in the country are you? If you've got glowing references and live near Basingstoke then I could have a word. (No promises mind - I'm not in HR)

Good luck!

SiPie

Good solid advice from Imlach

mart360

Marc,

why do you want to walk away from your profession?

is it genuinley bad, or have you just had some bad employers?

I did the back to basic,s bit when i got made redundant many moons ago...

if you can live with the little income and hard work of going back to college, then do it.

Get yourself registered with some professional agencys, not just the cannon fodder fillers that put anyone into any role, knowing that in 2 weeks time it will be open again.

You have skills that someone wants, look to move further afield, or diversify you areas of application/ operation.

Mart

Spoon

Your on your pc a fair bit, you're also a film head.

Research dvd wholesalers and get eBaying the most wanted films.

If not dvd's, look for something else. 10K a month isn't difficult and all from the comfort of your own home.

imlach

Really? £10k/month? If so easy, why aren't we all doing it?

EddScott

Depends on location as to what sort of monies you'd start off at.

£10K for basic office staff is very good for round these parts (Pembrokeshire, West Wales) . I moved from mechanical repairs (Pressure Washers) to office based work a good few years ago now and took a fairly big pay reduction but my future prospests now are much better.

If we were going to employ a junior with no experience then theres no way we'd pay 10K to start off. We are only paying 12K to someone who has been in the industry for 5+ years.

Think yourself lucky you don't want to be a haidresser - my GF has decided shes fed up of caring for the old and as the local hospital (only one for 30+ mile radius!) is on the verge of collapse she has decided to retrain as a hairdresser. Theres some special exemption awarded to hair salons which means in some circumstances they don't have to pay minimum wage. My GF will be getting a poxy £50 a week until qualified!

My scoob is probably going to have to go into storage for 12 months+ due to loss of family income. Mind you, I'd rather work with peoples hair than old peoples bottoms - nothing worse than your GF coming home and explaining what its like to put antiseptic cream on someones prolapse

Brendan Hughes

I got my first real career break when I offered to work for someone for free for a few months, as I was in the no experience / no job / no experience circle. OK if you're young and living with parents, not so easy if you have a mortgage to pay. I've also a suspicion that it's against the rules of collecting dole money

Also, if you do go to college and you're asked to do a project, make sure you go to certain companies and ask their help with your research - it gets your face known. Doing that got me my second major career break.

Good luck.

Spoon

Maybe because you haven't looked into it?

imlach

Quite possibly
Enlighten me....

Petem95

Yeah if you can shift about 10,000 DVD's a month

I used to import stuff and sell on ebay, but theres so many people at it now that its hard to make a decent profit anymore, and now its simply not worth my time (ie for the amount of time it takes buying stuff, listing and posting the hourly rate wouldnt work out very good).

As it happens a work mates flat mate sells DVD's on ebay and makes 800-1000 a month, but he sells A LOT (hundreds per month) and gets them for about a quid each (dont know where from however)

Spoon

Nothing special really. Due to a long story that I might tell one day. I emailed a few people who were in the field I had chosen this particular day, to fill a bit of time.

Basically I asked if I could sell their stuff. Yes was the answer, so I did.

No outlay, no packing or despatch, just an email to a supplier on a sale.

It brought me out of retirement it was such a buzz.

Spoon

That's why I said 'or something else' to make work easier.

I know people who are making far more than your work mates flat mate selling dvds however.

swtmerce

hi
Whilst you are on benefit I would suggest going to college now for cheap courses. My wife is taking advantage of this at the moment and is paying around £6 per course. I would recommend getting either the European Computer Driving Licence or doing IT modules (e.g. in the different Microsoft packages etc). The ECDL is a well recognised general IT qualification that will help with getting that junior admin job, as will doing the modules. However the ECDL is a rather long course. By doing the modular course you can spread the load and do the courses as required.

Brendan Hughes

Small, pink, hated in the UK, has the mouse buttons on the wrong side?

16vmarc

Thanks guys.

Ive just got back from the Job Centre. I told them that i think my sick note has run out and that i need to return to job seeking. I also told them that ive received no money.

So now i have to ring a number to see why i havnt been paid, and then i have to ring another number to get back on to job seekers. Last time this took 45min of me saying no to countless irrelevent questions.

Helpfull as ever...

Julz1983

I done the ECDL course and yes it's long and has about 7 modules IIRC, an exam with each module, but it is worth it, I'm glad I did it and would love to follow on with the course which was after ECDL.