How does it feel...

starsinmycrown

for you, being out of work?

Just want to hear some other people's experiences. I'm finding it really isolating being out of work. i live in a village and ive been out of work about 3 months and i feel as though i have no reason to get up in the morning sometimes. i spend a lot of time looking for work but i often feel thwarted, you know agencies telling you they have something- then nothing materialises. i have seemed to get into a weekly cycle with our jobs paper- eagerly buying it hoping something will be there, then flicking through the 3 or so pages and getting my hopes up about some job or other, only to find most times that its somewhere i can't even get to or theres nothing for me. today i found a really good job, but it was travelling with the post, and i was so disappointed.

the irony is that i cant afford to buy a car even or get my test passed as i have no income!

i'm a graduate and i have an arts degree from a decent enough uni, but not much corportate experience and lots of experience working with kids, but in the 3 years that ive been away, its all become nvq standardised, which i don't have (ironically quitting my nvq course to do a degree) and i no longer have the experience. its been really tough finding suitable jobs and i feel in a right bind. travel is my biggest problem. hope springs eternal, as they say, and each week i keep thinking something will come along, but it hasnt materialised yet. i feel really weird being out of work and embarrassed about not working and i try to avoid the subject with people. i just want a nice little job to come along where i can get on and be happy! argh! is anybody else feeling really frustrated and directionless?

anniecave

what sort of work are you looking for?
Is there anything you could do a course in to help you get started? (college day, evening, even distance learning)
Could you do any voluntary work to get a foot in any doors? Eg you mentioned working with children, eg as a teaching assistant or nursery assistant or anthing like that?

PocoLocoCoco

....................

msflowerfairy

I have been out of work since January, and every morning i get up turn on the computer and make myself apply for three jobs a day. This gives me focus, and i think to myself if i am applying for three jobs a day i am bound to get something soon. I don't drive either and peoples reaction to this makes me laugh, honestly you would think i had two heads!
I have sat here and cried at times, but that is simply not going to find me a job, so i knuckle down and some days force myself to look online in the paper etc.
Try not to get down, i know it is so hard, but i have been using my extra time to catch up on things like the garden, in the house etc that i couldn't do when i was working.
Just remember EVERY NEGATIVE HAS A POSITIVE. (I meant to use caps before anyone yells at me)
Maybe you could use your spare time to get fit, get loads of books from the library and just have a blooming good read, pamper yourself, or even have a go at the the really horrible jobs that always get put off.
Don't forget to tweak your C.V, and have a go at improving your application form technique. All of these things matter in their own small way and could maybe get you a job.

mountainofdebt

Its only been a fortnight for me and I feel like a fish out of water!

I make myself get up, to make my son's sandwiches, otherwise I know I would probably stay in bed for alot longer than I should and make plans to get go out in the morning otherwise there would be the temptation to stay in my pjs for even longer.

I haven't met any friends yet and although I know they know the circumstances surrounding me losing my job, I am dreading the first time we meet. Work, however much we hate it seems to define who we are.

I too am making an effort to apply for at least 2 jobs a day but trying to stay up beat when there seems so much doom and gloom around is very hard.

crescend0

Same here!... Dunno what to say. I feel completely ripped off with my degree, makes me angry thinking about the university heads now calling for the fees to be increased again.

Oh well, back to totaljobs.com i go.

jopwo_87

I agree with most of the above posts. It is so disheartening to continually look and just get knocked back. Its even more frustrating when i see/hear different people moaning about their jobs, how boring they are, the boss doesnt like them etc, and moaning how they only get paid 20K a year.
It makes me sick cos i would kill for a job like that!! The jobs im applying for are low paid, low responsibility 12K positions yet if i was offered one of them eventually, id still be over the moon!!

HopeAndDriftWood

Ive been out of work since April, really. Ive had a few odd jobs, but nothing really significant.
I hate it. Im struggling so much right now

Horace

I know what its like - I have been out of work since 10 August 2007:eek: Well not for much longer as via New Deal I have set up my own business and I am definitely not going back on the dole.

I make myself get up at 7am each day (except yesterday when the girls in the flat upstairs decided to be inconsiderate and chuck stuff on the floor as they got ready to go to work at 3am:mad: - mind, I got up and worked til 6am and then went back to bed).

It can be very disheartening indeed and send my best wishes to those that find themselves jobless at the moment.

koolcat

I had a average paid job. Now I find myself amongst 100's applying for the same jobs as me and competing with guys with double my experience and taking my average salary and dropping their salary expectations by 20 -40%. I wake up, look through a couple of jobs, apply and make a few calls.

eamon

Luckily I'm still working but out of interest I've just checked out the two largest sites (fish4 & monster) and in my field of warehousing the nearest vacancy that I could apply for is 11 miles away. (I live in a city). This is worse than the 1980's at least then the agencies had something. My longest period out of work was 3 years in the 1980's, 6 months in the early 1990's, 2 & 3 months in 2001/2.
Its very easy to become disheartened and only those that have signed on can understand. Keep on plugging away and until agency work picks up the best advice is to try voluntary work, at worst it is something good to put on your CV that makes yours different from the hundreds/thousands of others.