Am I panicking too much about getting a job?

Butterfliesarepretty

Hi,

I finished work at end of april on voluntary redundancy from my employer as did my friends. I have enough money to last me a year to pay my bills, but I have had two interviews, no job offers and I have been applying for jobs for administrators, clerical work etc that is full time with a new cv and covering letters, applied to council, nhs, and joined two agencies. I have 22 years experience of admin work and feel I am being overlooked. I want to work close to home, Bury and as it is now july and I am now wanting to get back to work. Am claiming job seekers allowance but I don't want to use all my redundancy money up.

I want to be employed by end of august earning £15,000 or upwards.

Has anyone else felt they panick when they don't get taken on by someone with so much experience?

A part time job will not pay the bills though.:rolleyes:

Horace

shawtj2 wrote: »

Hi,

I finished work at end of april on voluntary redundancy from my employer as did my friends. I have enough money to last me a year to pay my bills, but I have had two interviews, no job offers and I have been applying for jobs for administrators, clerical work etc that is full time with a new cv and covering letters, applied to council, nhs, and joined two agencies. I have 22 years experience of admin work and feel I am being overlooked. I want to work close to home, Bury and as it is now july and I am now wanting to get back to work. Am claiming job seekers allowance but I don't want to use all my redundancy money up.

I want to be employed by end of august earning £15,000 or upwards.

Has anyone else felt they panick when they don't get taken on by someone with so much experience?

A part time job will not pay the bills though.:rolleyes:

I don't panic, I just think that its their loss if I am not taken on. Why not register with some agencies for temporary work and then you could possibly work temp to perm. Also don't be afraid to ask for a minimum payment - say that you won't accept jobs under £15K (I find this concentrates their minds) also specify the minimum hourly rate that you expect.

HTH

Butterfliesarepretty

Temping work is just not for me, why should I temp when I have 22 years of experience, temps do not get treated the same - I should know I have seen temps kept on for five years temping and then not getting taken on or getting a permanent job offer because they are temping.

They are treated unfairly and have no union backing and I refuse to be treated like that.

I am a loyal and good hard worker, once i go home I forget about work. Weekend working is a no-no for me as I have a daughter. I just think companies these days are far too choosy and never ever contact referees.

floss2

shawtj2 wrote: »

Temping work is just not for me, why should I temp when I have 22 years of experience, temps do not get treated the same - I should know I have seen temps kept on for five years temping and then not getting taken on or getting a permanent job offer because they are temping.

They are treated unfairly and have no union backing and I refuse to be treated like that.......

If I had the same attitude, then I would not be in a permanent position with my local council. I also have lots of experience (over 25yrs) and my current job as Secretary to an Assistant Director started as a temporary maternity cover, was extended to cover another period of maternity leave back-to-back, and I have now been taken on as permanent staff.

Laws have changed - after a certain length of time contract & temporary staff now have employment rights. Also, if you join an agency, you are employed by them, thus giving you more security.

Why not look at Manchester - you've got the tram system right into the city centre, so travel is relatively easy for you. I have just seen 5 admin jobs on Manchester Council's website, along with a 3-month contract post with Bury Council (£16,500)....the beauty of getting into a Council is that you can then apply for internal vacancies

floss2

shawtj2 wrote: »

....why should I temp when I have 22 years of experience......

Perhaps because you haven't yet found a job? And because a couple of months of temp work every term would extend your redundancy & allow you to work virtually term-time to suit your daughter.

Horace

shawtj2 wrote: »

why should I temp when I have 22 years of experience,QUOTE]

22 years experience is nothing I have 27 years experience, I found temping to be a great experience where I was treated fairly, had good holiday pay, sick pay etc and the agency for whom I worked kept me in steady employment both in Birmingham and London - I worked for them for 3 years during the mid 90's until I found a permanent job.

After being made redundant last year and being unable to get a job - I am over qualified (I have been told this by several potential employers), so instead of sitting on my jack jones I have done something about it and am currently setting up my own business, I shall be utilising the skills I have acquired over the years but will be doing something that I want to do instead of working for someone else.

Without wanting to be offensive, do you think that it is your attitude that could be holding you back?

Butterfliesarepretty

And what attitude is that? I signed on as soon as I left the company, I went to next steps re-doing my cv. I got two interviews with the agency, I have applied for countless jobs through the paper, internet and registering myself with companies including the nhs. I have searched high and low. As for manchester I have worked there for 22 years and the opportunity for me to work closer to home (Bury) is what I have always wanted. It was costing me far too much money to travel to manchester every day and at the age of 41 I am tired of travelling. I live alone and support myself, mortgage etc, so I have to settle for no less than £15,000 as I was on £16,500 in manchester and that was eaten up by travelling.

I don't wish to work for an agency I wish to work for an EMPLOYER. As I have said I have registered with two agencies and have told them salary no less than £15,000 and no temping. As for 22 years being nothing - what an insult! :mad: I worked from 1986 for British Telecom just like my father did and the friends I made over those years have been like a big family to me, I have great experience in an office including many software applications and intensive use of pc's and customer service.

I am panicking because I don't want to use all my money - and I am trying really hard. My attitude is 'I want an admin job £15,000 and close to home'. :j I am not picky and every day I am on the internet applying.:T

floss2

shawtj2 wrote: »

.......I am panicking because I don't want to use all my money - and I am trying really hard. My attitude is 'I want an admin job £15,000 and close to home'. :j I am not picky and every day I am on the internet applying.:T

Maybe you are expecting a little too much...it took me 6 months to find a new job last year with over 24 years of admin & secretarial experience, and I was employed at the time. Times are changing - look at your local industries - what is there nowadays? 3 national building companies have shed over 3,000 jobs this year.......maybe you need to reassess what you want & what you need.

You say you have enough to last for a year, but you want to be working by August - perhaps you need to readjust this deadline. Can your redundancy be used to pay a lump sum off your mortgage? Or maybe you could work out how much time you could make it cover if you would be adding income by working part-time? Or have you thought about becoming a Virtual PA, working from home to suit your hours.....

You are in a lucky position of being able to choose what you do & how you move forward - you say you have a nest-egg to pay your bills for another 9 months before you need to get a job. Maybe without the pressure of "I have to find a job" something more satisfying or challenging or that really interests you will come along.

By the way - my brother was made redundant from a national employer just over 4 years ago. He had worked there as a project manager for 24 years since his graduation. He was unemployed for over 3 years until last November........and his redundancy was enough for 2 years bills, so you haven't got the panicking prize just yet

Horace

shawtj2 wrote: »

And what attitude is that? As for 22 years being nothing - what an insult! :mad: I worked from 1986 for British Telecom just like my father did and the friends I made over those years have been like a big family to me, I have great experience in an office including many software applications and intensive use of pc's and customer service.

I am panicking because I don't want to use all my money - and I am trying really hard. My attitude is 'I want an admin job £15,000 and close to home'. :j I am not picky and every day I am on the internet applying.:T

You have worked for one employer for 22 years which is the problem, people don't like loyal staff these days you might lot like it but its true. Employers have a blinkered view when it comes to employing someone who has stayed at the same firm for 22 years - their perception is that you have no transferable skills and that you are stuck in your ways and cannot change. I was thinking although you are protesting against it, that temping in the short term will give you some more up to date experience and also demonstrates that you are willing to learn new things and have new experiences.

I know from experience that this is the case I worked at a University for 12 years before being made redundant last year, rest assured that if I wasn't disabled (I became disabled whilst working for the university) then I would be temping now.

You say you are worried about your money lasting, why not put it in an account that you can't easily access it to spend it?

The attitude that I am getting from you is that you won't do something and that you think the world and his wife owe you because you worked for the same employer for 22 years, it demonstrates that you are inflexible and cannot cope with change. This is offputting and that if I were looking to employ you then it would put me off straight away.

Don't expect to get a job straightaway either, you are likely to be unemployed for 6 months or more. You might not have heard the old adage "that it's easier to get a job when you have a job" - its true, so swallow your pride and get yourself back on the ladder by temping in the short term It isnt going to do you any harm and you never know you might just get a permanent job out of it.

Oldernotwiser

shawtj2 wrote: »

I have searched high and low. As for manchester I have worked there for 22 years and the opportunity for me to work closer to home (Bury) is what I have always wanted.

You might have always wanted it but that doesn't mean that you're going to get it!

I think that you have little knowledge of how the job market has changed since the last time you were job hunting over 22 year ago. Staying so long in one job will not have improved your employment prospects and neither will limiting your options. In 9 months time you may be begging employers in Manchester to take you on, particularly if you've done nothing in this period of unemployment to enhance your CV.

Surely if getting your £15,000/working in Bury ideal had been easy you would have got it years ago? If you couldn't manage it when you were in employment then it's going to be very much harder now you're unemployed and older. I really think that you need to rethink your attitude to your current situation or you're going to find yourself in long term difficulties.

Lady_E

Excellent advice Horace.

OP I know exactly what you mean about working long term for one employer (I worked for 25 years in the Emergency services) and nowadays that is not seen as loyalty to an employer. I think I would be a little nervous about temping (typical Taurean-dont like change LOL) however if you decide you didnt like the company you could tell the agency and they would redeploy you. You say you have applied to the NHS , I believe that have something called "bank staff" where you turn up and work in a department to cover maternity ,annual leave etc might be worth registering an interest in that .
As an aside have you thought about retraining to learn another skill?

I wish you the best of luck for the future.