Who can help me find employment?

Top_Banana_2

I have a different situation to most jobseekers, in that I have no experience at all (due to illness), and I'm 27. So I feel 10 years behind most people.

The Jobcentre are useless at helping me- they've done nothing in 6 months.

Are there any agencies/charities out there that can help someone in my position gain paid training or employment?

I'm desperate to start a career- and I'd do anything that has good prospects.

I've tried LearnDirect etc, but to no avail.

michellen34

Hi,

I'm sure someone will be along soon to advise you better than I can, but have you tried working links? i'm not sure if i'm allowed to post a link? but its, working links .co .uk they are really good, and help you a lot. Good luck

littlestar1981

I haven't read the site properly so it may not apply to your circumstances but have you tried the Shaw Trust? http://www.shaw-trust.org.uk/home

Also if your ill health is ongoing I think you can get help from Access To Work once you have located some form of employment

HTH

asperger

I've started doing a few free online courses to help improve my skills so i can find a new job. I found a site that offered 3 or 4 free courses and i just completed my first course in heath and saftey at work

Myjobcoach

Hello,

I understand from your post that you are looking for paid work but what would you like to do, aspire to be?

Is there a particular line of work you would like to get into?

I honestly believe that if someone really wants work, they will find it as long as they don't give up, don't rely on anyone other than themselves and is willing to look at the bigger picture! And that means for example taking up voluntary work to build up experience and to put yourself in a stronger position to apply for better jobs in the near future.

So once again what job would you like and what can you do?

Once that has been established, begin to look at respectable organisations that might offer suitable internships, this hopefully will provide you your first step on the career ladder.

I hope I have managed to point you in the right direction, feel free to send me a message if you have any more questions.

All the best!

Oldernotwiser

What problems have you encountered with Learndirect? You might well have more success with Nextstep, who offer face to face guidance interviews (free) for adults.

You'll probably be best to look at courses at your local college and voluntary work to get you started. Good luck.

Top_Banana_2

Thanks for all the replies.

The problems with LearnDirect have been pretty much based on what they tell me. I've considered training in areas such as engineering, electrician, car mechanic, etc, yet when I have discussed this with them they tell me that it is very tough to get into, and that employers prefer experience over qualifications.

Not the most encouraging thing they could say.

I'd be willing to do a college course, or a job that involves training, but I don't want to spend 2/3/4 years at college training with no money, only to find that no one will employ me due to my lack of experience.

Is there any way around this lack of experience?

zpacey

how about an aupair? if you haven't got kids of your own? I found this helped me alot as I worked for very good families, and some even let me do a second job which was night care assistant or cleaning. mind you, I did this when I was 18-24yrs...

Volcano

Under the presumption that your accurate spelling and grammar are a direct reflection of an inherently better-than-average intelligence, then you could follow this career path......

1. Get any job: flipping burgers, working in a bar, stacking shelves; none of these require experience, then
2. Do a level 1 Open University course (in the evenings and weekends, lasts nearly a year) OR a part-time university access course at your local college (may last 2 years), choose any subject you have an interest in and think you can stick, then
3. Apply for university full-time (where you get an ultra low interest loan to help you), complete your degree in 3 years, then
4. Get better than average job on good pay when you graduate. (If you don't get a job for a while or get a low paid job, you're under NO pressure to pay off the loan.)

A degree can open doors to many jobs despite you having little or no experience (after all, university graduates tend to have spent many years in education with no work experience).

The above process worked a treat for me (and I started at your age) and allowed me to walk into jobs that I had no experience of, purely on the basis that I had that piece of paper from university. I earn twice as much as I did before I had a degree, for doing half the amount of work.

(Also it's not half as difficult to get a degree as people would have you think!)

TEDDYRUKSPIN

I sometimes ask people this. Why do you think you have'nt found a job in the first place? If you ask the majority of people they will blame themselves for no education and blah blah. Majority of time is that you have been too picky and limited yourself in job type due to money etc and location.

Statistically if you look for jobs in one town, you have knocked back 90% jobs elsewhere. Even worse, if you say I want to work in finance and for example in Manchester, you have taking away 95% jobs elsewhere.

No one knows what you want to be. Only you do. I really can't believe you have just done nothing for 6 months.

Even just doing voluntary work will eventually get you something. Too many people sit at home as they all believe some jobs are too good for them.

You have plenty of choices at 27.

(1) Go back to education. Education has changed alot. Many of them don't require the stupid old fashion take 1 exam and if you don't pass you fail. So old fashioned. Many courses are now diploma's which vary from practical, to coursework to abit of exams. Much easy to study and you actually learn something which will stick in your brain for years to come. How many people still remember anything they actually studied? Probably 5%. LOL.

(2) Get a training job via involuntary work. Go to a charity store etc and work for free! That is free sales experience on your cv.

(3) And this is serious.... look outside the box! Apply outside your location.

Oldernotwiser

Top_Banana wrote: »

Thanks for all the replies.

The problems with LearnDirect have been pretty much based on what they tell me. I've considered training in areas such as engineering, electrician, car mechanic, etc, yet when I have discussed this with them they tell me that it is very tough to get into, and that employers prefer experience over qualifications.

Not the most encouraging thing they could say.

I've been a Careers Adviser working with adults, although with Nextstep rather than Learndirect. It's not really a CA's role to be encouraging but to tell it like it is. You'd be pretty cross if nobody told you the problems and then, after several years at college, you found you couldn't get work in your chosen field!