Unemployed - What Should I Do?

[MarkF]

Well this is quite a chilling and depressing look to the position I'll inevitably find myself in, 3 months from now....

I've not even applied to any jobs yet, might do an MA to postpone the situation!

You can't postpone this situtation I am afraid. The UK employment market will not recover, not to what I (49) enjoyed, it's gone overseas or been automated, we won't be able to buy our own produce again. There is an definite refusal of the government, media and academic sectors to aknowledge this, a denial of reality, graduates will face worse next year and the year after that and.......
Another thread maybe, but for the West, the way forward is for lower living standards and shared jobs, 3 day a week positions.

Adasta, everybody is giving out CV's, we are a tiny company but must get 50 a week. Do it another way, you can have 5000 A5 colour leaflets produced for £60-70, your pics, short CV and at present I'd wager that they'll make more of an impact than just "another" CV.

Good luck

 

[darkstar]

One positive, the renewable energy sector is booming, and thats where I'm hoping to end up. We shall see.

 

[Kirstie]

If you're interested in research jobs, the website researchresearch.com is a good place to look. They have all kinds of things on there. FWIW my brother in law is in almost exactly the same position as you. He graduated two years ago and still hasn't got permanent work in his chosen field, although he does have a job.

 

[Adasta]

Adasta, everybody is giving out CV's, we are a tiny company but must get 50 a week. Do it another way, you can have 5000 A5 colour leaflets produced for £60-70, your pics, short CV and at present I'd wager that they'll make more of an impact than just "another" CV.

That's an interesting idea. I've been toying with creating an American-style "Resume" which they tend to make on a single page. I thought that might have more impact.

 

[Fab Foodie]

That's an interesting idea. I've been toying with creating an American-style "Resume" which they tend to make on a single page. I thought that might have more impact.

Eye-catching or somehow memorable CV's I think are a good idea. Mine's long contained a photo and 2 'jokes/puns' that have always been mentioned when I've been called-back (One under Personal circumstances it says 'One wife, 3 children .... it gets remembered).

 

[buddha]

You can't postpone this situtation I am afraid. The UK employment market will not recover, not to what I (49) enjoyed, it's gone overseas or been automated, we won't be able to buy our own produce again. There is an definite refusal of the government, media and academic sectors to aknowledge this, a denial of reality, graduates will face worse next year and the year after that and.......

Couldn't agree more.

As a manufacturing/design type, here's a P&L style rant of what I think:

I hate seeing empty factory units, where once useful and profitable manufacturing businesses stood. As I see it govt/media/financial people don't fully understand manufacturing - probably because they don't personally have any experience of it (the CBI are a waste of space IMO). The govt seems to talk a lot about high-tech industries, which is fine. Though there seems to be a general consensus that 'cheap' goods can only be produced in China - which is misguided in my opinion - good design and planning go a long way to reduce costs.

IMO what we need is more 'widget' factories. In other words the ones that produce the parts we import and assemble and re-brand as our own. These provide low/easy-to-learn skill jobs which have obvious benefits to reduce unemployment, balance of trade etc. etc.

It takes a lot of investment to start-up an manufacturing business. Which is beyond the scope of most 'entrepreneurs' < can't stand that word BTW. Personally I don't think re-starting manufacturing industry should be left to these lone entrepreneurs.

The role of govt should be to co-ordinate and do the joined-up bit. I.e. create a structure where various companies can pool together to produce a more complex product or pool resources. This, as I see it, is what the Chinese govt has been doing successfully.

A simple and practical example of this is funding shared machine tooling centres. Although I personally think it would be much better (i.e. something might actually happen) if the govt/state started up various product-industries for the products that we actually use - this includes the fashionable 'green' industries.

Not much help to the OP. But just my thoughts. /rant over

 

[asterix]

Maybe MarkF has the right idea? Although unfortunately the UK seems to be quite a hard place to start your own business compared to say France and Germany and the culture seems to be heavily tilted towards employment rather than being your own boss.

After my redundancy in 2005 I found it hard to get work and I dread to think what it must be like now.

 

[Adasta]

One positive, the renewable energy sector is booming, and thats where I'm hoping to end up. We shall see.

I'd actually quite like to work in that sector. However, I'm not an engineer and would much prefer something that involved research or market analysis (e.g. monitoring success/failure of implementation of renewable energy sources).

What would you call that sort of job, though? And where could it be found?

 

[MarkF]

Buddha, we are off topic but you made some good sensible points in your post about "small" manufacturing. The situation for graduates and job seekers simply will not improve for most, sorry, but that's the truth.

Maybe MarkF has the right idea? Although unfortunately the UK seems to be quite a hard place to start your own business compared to say France and Germany and the culture seems to be heavily tilted towards employment rather than being your own boss.

After my redundancy in 2005 I found it hard to get work and I dread to think what it must be like now.

Asterix, agree and disagree, in fact, the UK is a very easy place to start up business, a Limited Company, bank account, paperwork and vat number takes matter of days and it is surprising red-tape and hassle free. I agree with your second point, I have read umpteen posts like Adasta's and sometimes I find it surprising that such highly educated people seem to discount or ignore doing something for themselves when confronted with such a challenge just to gain any sort of employment, never mind employment in their chosen field.

I left corporate life over a decade ago to set up a small business, as daft as it sounds, I saw changes afoot, changes I didn't like and I did it for security (people thought I was mad, but I wasn't) not money. Good job I didn't do it for the money too! However, although my salary is small, it's enough to fund the lifestyle I want. a big re-assessment is needed, like I said before, the employment situation will have to be addressed sensibly with shared jobs, shorter hours, unfortunately, lower salaries will be a result. I don't think more "education" is any solution.

Adasta, when you are pitching, the A5's will be there when you have gone, small and colourful, ask to have them pinned/blue tacked somewhere. CV's are big and unwieldy and will be soon be in the bin. Good luck.

 

[Adasta]

I find it surprising that such highly educated people seem to discount or ignore doing something for themselves when confronted with such a challenge just to gain any sort of employment, never mind their chosen field.

But what do I do? I don't have a field in which I've picked up lots of skills. I don't particularly want to be a teacher, so tutoring - while I would consider it - isn't going to be a long-term option. It's all well and good to tell me to start a business but I have absolutely no start-up capital, no industry, no contacts and no clientele.

 

[threebikesmcginty]

As a manufacturing/design type

Phew, I thought it was just me left!

 

[MarkF]

But what do I do? I don't have a field in which I've picked up lots of skills. I don't particularly want to be a teacher, so tutoring - while I would consider it - isn't going to be a long-term option. It's all well and good to tell me to start a business but I have absolutely no start-up capital, no industry, no contacts and no clientele.

I am not telling you to start a business, far from it, I am only asking you not to discount it as a possibility, considering the chances of you getting what you would like are very slim in the current employment situation, which I for one, expect to get worse. It doesn't have to be a linear path, education - higher education - career/public service and anyway, for a lot of people that opportunity has gone, for good, just like many skilled and semi-skilled positions have gone, for good.

 

[darkstar]

I'd actually quite like to work in that sector. However, I'm not an engineer and would much prefer something that involved research or market analysis (e.g. monitoring success/failure of implementation of renewable energy sources).

What would you call that sort of job, though? And where could it be found?

I'm no engineer either. My plan is to apply to the hundreds of small renewable energy companies throughout the UK, I study Geography so I've had a few talks from people within the industry. The entire sector is going to boom over the next few decades, so it's an ideal time to get in a position to take advantage of the growth. From what I gather a degree in a related subject is a positive, but by no means mandatory. The main thing, is a passion and interest in the renewable industry, and a good work ethic. There are loads of positions you can go for, ranging from marketing, sales, research etc. The scope for positions is higher within the larger companies (your energy, N power et al). The smaller companies seem to look for rounded candidates, who can cover a range of positions.

I hope to use this as a platform, with the end goal to set up my own company, installing renewable energy sources throughout the UK. Not only is it a worthwhile cause, there's lots of money to be made.

 

[montage]

One positive, the renewable energy sector is booming, and thats where I'm hoping to end up. We shall see.

Definately, everything is going to become sustainable this, sustainable that...definately a large job market going to be opening up for this in the relatively near future. I'm hoping to do a masters after my degree, and will do my best to tailor it towards renewable energy source or similar

 

[bauldbairn]

You can't postpone this situtation I am afraid. The UK employment market will not recover, not to what I (49) enjoyed, it's gone overseas or been automated, we won't be able to buy our own produce again. There is an definite refusal of the government, media and academic sectors to aknowledge this, a denial of reality, graduates will face worse next year and the year after that and.......

+1,

Couldn't agree more(and I'm only 42) - the machinery I once worked on has all gone abroad; steel/aluminium plants/mills , paper mills, automated manufacturing, oil refineries scaled down, electronic plants, CNC manufacturing facilities, Coal mining, ship building etc,etc,etc,etc all gone or going!!!!!!!

a)I hate seeing empty factory units, where once useful and profitable manufacturing businesses stood. As I see it govt/media/financial people don't fully understand manufacturing - probably because they don't personally have any experience of it (the CBI are a waste of space IMO). The govt seems to talk a lot about high-tech industries, which is fine. Though there seems to be a general consensus that 'cheap' goods can only be produced in China - which is misguided in my opinion - good design and planning go a long way to reduce cost.

b)It takes a lot of investment to start-up an manufacturing business.

+1, I agree with what you're saying but fear it could already be too late - Poland and Lithuania(etc,etc) are also crammed full of graduates, who are now over here working in shops/driving buses and HGV's etc.

a) The "cheap" goods won't be "cheap" forever once competition for skilled labour kicks in(already has in China) and the workers start demanding better holidays/paid sick leave and wages to buy the goods they're making(like Korea/Tiawan).

b) Unless you can find a country willing to donate the plant cheaply - like the UK!