Unemployed - What Should I Do?

[Adasta]

What more can I do?

Here's a potted history of recent events. I'd like (genuine) advice on what I could/should do next:

• August 2010 - I finish my MA (English Lit). My girlfriend finds a good job in London; I've just left uni so I have no problems following her. I've just finished working for Brighton Council as an Admin/PA to a Consultant.
• October 2010 - Now in London. I get some work as a film extra. The pay is good but the job is dreadful with unsociable hours: Wake up at 04.00; Home at 20.30; Bed at 22.00 for, at times, 6 days a week.
• December 2010 - Film work finishes. I've been temping with several agencies on reception or in admin for a few days here and there at various companies. The work isn't constant.
• January 2010 to date - A few temp jobs here and there. Some manual labour (lifting, moving, packing, etc.); others are admin roles. The longest booking has been for 1 week.

What I've applied for so far:

• Work in coffee shops. I worked in one for 2 years when I was a teenager. No response.
• As a Research Assistant in almost every field. It's something which interests me. No response.
• As an Administrator just about everywhere. No response.
• As a Fraud Analyst. I worked in this job for 2 years after leaving college (I worked during the holidays while at uni). I've applied for jobs with the same criteria as the one I used to do. No response.
• a position as a Market Researcher - Failed after the 2nd interview.

I'll be on my bike tomorrow (literally) handing in CVs at local pubs. I don't know what else to do. I've had interviews for positions but have always lost out in the 2nd round because of "lack of experience". If I get any feedback (which is rare) they just say that someone had more experience or had something of an edge - usually because that person has previously done that job for years!

I'd really like some advice. I do look on the Job Centre website but all it gives me is stuff like "Parking Attendant". I've tried to apply for these sort of jobs before and I just don't think they want to give them to people with Postgrad degrees - they must know that I won't be sticking around for long. I've got brilliant skills (I know it myself but I've also been told as much) and could work in any office in almost any industry. I have public sector experience and financial sector experience in a demanding job, etc. Still - nobody wants me.

Any help?

 

[mark barker]

What do you want to do i the long term? I can understand employers avoiding people that appear to be looking for jobs that they'd view as "beneath" them because advertising, interviewing and training costs money.

If you're doing nothing now, how about volunteering in a related field to get some experience and show a willingness to learn outside of the academic environment?

 

[chris-s]

Not an enviable position to be in, not really one to give much advice other than stick at it. Alternatively, change direction completely, take up VSO work or load up your bike and take the opportunity to cycle to china or somewhere, working as you go. Might seem like a huge decision but, speaking as someone older and wishing they had done it 20 years ago, it's far easier to do when you are younger and have less ties/responsibilities and makes for something more interesting to put on your cv that'll make it stand out when you return.

Good luck!

Chris

 

[ohnovino]

I was in a similar position a few years ago. I got some voluntary work doing very tedious admin with a children's charity. While there I was able to spot loads of things that could be improved and offered to fix them. Eventually I became indispensible and they had to hire me!

So I'd recommend giving up any free time you have to volunteering. Even if you don't get a job out of it directly, it'll look good on your CV and show that you're geniunely hard-working.

 

[marinyork]

I was in a similar position a few years ago. I got some voluntary work doing very tedious admin with a children's charity. While there I was able to spot loads of things that could be improved and offered to fix them. Eventually I became indispensible and they had to hire me!

So I'd recommend giving up any free time you have to volunteering. Even if you don't get a job out of it directly, it'll look good on your CV and show that you're geniunely hard-working.

'A few years ago' sadly tells the tale. The volunteering sector is so saturated with volunteers, it's often as hard getting a volunteer post as a paid one. It just doesn't work like it did in the past where people could make a viable career change out of it. It's something that has cropped up, been reinvented and evolved very rapidly.

I think Adasta's done very well and should be congratulated. I don't really have any advice.

 

[ttcycle]

The only piece of advice I can offer is -reading from the above; research is the one area in which you're interested. What specific area would this be? Is there any voluntary work or organisation that you can give a few hours to that might bolster your skills and experiences in that area specifically? I suspect this would be for academic career? If not is there anything that you could do that would interest you? This one is hard for anyone off the forum to answer - ie journalism, writing in another context are things that spring to mind. When you have an end goal the inbetween stuff can be easier to figure out.

Good luck!

 

[sheddy]

If you enjoy travelling consider teaching English as a foreign language ? (TEFL)

 

[marinyork]

I'd really like some advice. I do look on the Job Centre website but all it gives me is stuff like "Parking Attendant". I've tried to apply for these sort of jobs before and I just don't think they want to give them to people with Postgrad degrees - they must know that I won't be sticking around for long. I've got brilliant skills (I know it myself but I've also been told as much) and could work in any office in almost any industry. I have public sector experience and financial sector experience in a demanding job, etc. Still - nobody wants me.

Any help?

Take your degrees off the application or just put them in a much less prominent place. I've always found it much better to employ this tactic in jobs you really need and then your boss will discover for themselves how good you are and think of it in terms of themselves and that they are 'nurturing talent' or 'good judge of character'. It's much preferable to all the deep routed emotional baggage that'll go with a manager and workforce that's hostile.

 

[Adasta]

If you're doing nothing now, how about volunteering in a related field to get some experience and show a willingness to learn outside of the academic environment?

I have already done an unpaid internship (are they ever paid?) at a prominent political magazine as well as volunteering for a political party during the 2010 General Election. I've nothing against volunteering but I will be looking for full-time work: at what point does that begin? As marinyork has said, it's not easy to get a volunteer/intern position these days: I was interviewed for my last one and I know that I was against several candidates.

The only piece of advice I can offer is -reading from the above; research is the one area in which you're interested. What specific area would this be? Is there any voluntary work or organisation that you can give a few hours to that might bolster your skills and experiences in that area specifically? I suspect this would be for academic career? If not is there anything that you could do that would interest you?

A lot of people have mentioned travelling. I would almost certainly do that if I weren't in a long-term relationship. That's my only reason for not doing it. Matters of the heart, eh?

I think Adasta's done very well and should be congratulated.

Thanks, that's very kind. I often feel like I should be trying harder or that I'm not doing something that other people are doing. Without sounding arrogant, I am an excellent candidate for most positions. However, I think my ambivalence may be my undoing; although I am always prepared for an interview and, in fact, interview very well, I am not the "will-bleed-the-company-colours" sort nor am I someone with "a passion for great customer service". I'm pleasant and competent which puts me ahead of a fair percentage of the current workforce.

I think that employers sometimes want someone with no aspirations so that they can train that person to carry out a role as an automaton rather than an individual.

 

[Yellow Fang]

You have my sympathy Adasta. You seem to be trying very hard. I went through this in the late 80s and then again a couple of years ago. I have a couple of suggestions about improving your CV/experience. I am a member of a running club which holds several races and events a year. I suspect there are a lot of clubs (cycling, tennis, dancing, etc) out there which do similar things. These take a lot or organising, so if you volunteered to take responsibility for one, I'm sure it would look good. Might be a good way of networking too. There are of less formal voluntary organisations and NGOs. You don't have to apply for them; just turn up and get involved.

I knew someone who was working in environmental protection. She lost a job at an energy utility, then another at an IT company. Then she changed direction and launched herself as a porridge specialist on Facebook. I thought she was crazy, but she's been on the telly this week. I wonder what sort of brainstorming went into that idea.

One of my best friends used to be a salesman for a software/electronics company until he was made redundant. Then he started up a document archiving service, which was some sort of franchise, but unfortunately that fell through too. He had a family to support, so he relaunched himself as a pest controller. I'm not sure how he re-trained himself, but he seems to be good at it. I suppose it's a slight come down from being a salesman for a hi-tech company, but he talks about his new job much more than he did his old one.

One other tip, which I'm not sure about how realistic it may be, is to bone up on the Carbon Reduction Commitment (for businesses), or the Standard Assessment Procedure (for buildings). The CRC is a new wheeze by the government which all large businesses are going to have to comply with. These green jobs are taking a long time to arrive, but I get the impression they're on their way. Building refurbishment, improving energy efficiency is likely to be a big thing. If you are interested in environmental affairs and are interesting writing for a website then let me know. Unfortunately, it's unpaid but may look good on the CV.

I was going to suggest teaching English in Japan, but I see you have a good reason for not wanting to.

 

[swee'pea99]

Been there, done that - albeit a long time ago - and TBH only escaped that overqualified/no experience black hole thru' nepotism. Once out, you're out...but getting out, there's the rub.

A thought that occurs...a friend of mine in a not entirely dissimilar position - mum with kids, needing to get back to work after 15 years' break - found work as a proofreader. She could work at home, in her own hours, everything via email, so very lo-hassle. The money was piss poor for the level of skill and attention to detail that was required, but she stuck at it and they started throwing more and more stuff at her. Then, as she proved her quality and reliability, they started nudging her up the value chain: proof-reading started blurring into editing started overlapping with tidying up stuff that originated overseas - and all at progressively better rates. She's never going to get rich, but she's now making pretty reasonable money doing something she actually quite enjoys, in her own time. And all of it proving how she can do a demanding job reliably and well - which gives you that chink of light at the end of the tunnel....

Just a thought.

 

[MarkF]

I don't want to sound facetious but if you have "brilliant skills" then why can't you find a niche for yourself, by yourself? Maybe you'll have better luck (considering the current economic situation) diverting your thoughts towards doing something for yourself, instead of competing for a job or career with 1000's of others, perhaps, just as "skilled".

I really needed work and cash once, I was trying to get a business going and was running on empty. I approached a company with a view to selling for them..........................for nothing. However, I negotiated a contract whereby if I brought a new client to their business then I would get a % from every sale to that client, in perpetuity. Any large private or local business will go for similar, everybody wins. I have not done a minutes work for that company for years but every month a cheque arrives.....................

 

[bauldbairn]

I think Adasta's done very well and should be congratulated.

+1 - You're going about it the right way - be persistant.

Take your degrees off the application or just put them in a much less prominent place. I've always found it much better to employ this tactic in jobs you really need and then your boss will discover for themselves how good you are and think of it in terms of themselves and that they are 'nurturing talent' or 'good judge of character'. It's much preferable to all the deep routed emotional baggage that'll go with a manager and workforce that's hostile.

+1 - I've got four(basic) CV's - one for management jobs - one for sales jobs - one for technical trade jobs(electrical/mechanical) - one just for "a" job.

I re-tailor each one for each specific job.

Talk up whats relevant and tone down whats not for whatever line of work you're applying for - but don't lie!!!

Good luck!

 

[Coco]

What do you want to do i the long term?

+1

I'd be wary of hiring someone who had tried a bit of everything. Try to focus on what you want to do rather than just 'getting a job'.

 

[bauldbairn]

[QUOTE 1332381"]
Have you got a driving license?

If so then look at doing your HGV, cost you roughly £700 for your class II then the same if you wanted to do your class I. Ask the job centre for a training grant that you can pay back over time.

Believe once acquired you will never ever be out of work. [/quote]

Good idea - or Bus Driving apply to First and they'll pay your licence for you(£1500 + CPC) and you pay it back at £15 a week(and get it all back if you stay 2 years).