The Silent Phone Agony - Anybody Suffering It?

El_Rey

lufcgirl wrote: »

If I was to move, I'd probably want a team leader/assistant in a call centre. I like doing it but it'd have to be seriously worth my while to move there! Liverpool is a lovely place though, can't fault it at all from when I was there.

Or working in the Maritime Museum or with ships, I'm obsessed with the things!

There are plenty of call centres here so I'm sure you would soon find a job in that sector.

You would also stand a good chance of getting a job working with ships as the docks here are on the up. Cruise liners are becoming a regular sight in Liverpool.

Truegho

Here, here! I couldn't have put it better myself! The LAST thing dejected unemployed people need are arrogant snipes like the one I encountered.

Thank you, andygb, for your support. I wish you well in your job search.

andygb wrote: »

Do you think this could be taken as a very arrogant reply? The poster is obviously very worried about their situation (as I am about mine, along with millions of others), and all you can do is call them "Tedious", and tell them that they have a problem with their "CV/Experience or Skills".
I think that a little consideration and thought before posting might be in order next time.

Radish72

So Truegho

You've had all these suggestion on what you should do to stand out a bit from everyone else that is looking for jobs

So what have you done different today

mizzbiz

It's all well and good for people to patronise, but this is a very common situation at the moment, from the very qualified to the unqualified.

It doesn't seem to matter what you do 'different' at the moment, the phone still stays silent. Check out the agency thread for false jobs. Few companies are recruiting right now and certainly don't want to see speculative letters (which go straight in the bin). They also do not want someone suited and booted coming in looking for a job. If they have a vacancy, they will advertise it. And then give the position to someone who has done exactly the same job before. There are few chances for doing something you haven't done before as the competition is so fierce.

EG: I am a Systems Administrator. There are NO jobs for this where I live. So apply for anything and everything - insurance advisor, technical clerk, you name it. I've lowered my sight. I keep getting the same response (none at all) or I get a letter saying I don't have the experience they're looking for.

In the companies of people I know, redundancies are happening and the staff are not being replaced.

So I think some of the rude, patronising bug*ers on here (who are clearly comfortable in a job at the moment) should wind their necks in. And I expect to see you all here in a few months when unexpectedly, you also find that doing something different does not neccessarily negate the desperation, misery and shame and not being employable for the first time in your life.

lynzpower

andygb wrote: »

I believe that we are in the worst period in recent history. The simple fact is, that there are not enough jobs to go around, and with more companies going under every week, the "domino" effect is gathering pace.
I suffer from "Silent phone syndrome" as well, and this does not mean that my phone is not in use, it is just that none of the agencies or prospective employers are bothering to phone back. I cannot get in touch with my contacts at agencies most of the time, because they seem to be in "Meetings", which may be another way of saying "Don't call us, we will call you".
I have received only one reply form over 200 applications since last November, and that is only because I phoned some time after the closing date.

This might be true but some are still recruiting, we put two jobs on the other day. I woud say though the quality of some of the applications were quite poor, ranging from spelling mistakes to half finshed sentences.

Considering how desperate most of the applicants must be there was no ovbvious sign of quality control in most of the applications & we struggled to find enough people to interview.

Moneysavers, make sure every application you do is really really good. I cant imagine - and I know, as Ive been in your situation myself- that firing off loads of CVs every day- that they all can be perfect

Are you all tailioring th CVs for each job? Ie reflecting in your CV everything required in each seperate person spec? I know this can be v timeconsuming but in my experience very worth it.

Peekay32

Why not do something worthwhile with your time, something that you wouldn't get the time to do if you were employed? Go on walks, get fit, learn a new skill, save up a fiver and take it to a second-hand bookshop and learn about the world, etc..

mizzbiz

Peekay32 wrote: »

Why not do something worthwhile with your time, something that you wouldn't get the time to do if you were employed? Go on walks, get fit, learn a new skill, save up a fiver and take it to a second-hand bookshop and learn about the world, etc..

Having nothing to do is not the problem. Having no money at all is the problem. That and the gap of unemployment which makes you even less employable.

If I didn't need to, I would never work again. I certainly don't work to fill in my time or alleviate boredom. I only work (and I stress only) to make money.

lufcgirl

mizzbiz wrote: »

Having nothing to do is not the problem. Having no money at all is the problem. That and the gap of unemployment which makes you even less employable.

If I didn't need to, I would never work again. I certainly don't work to fill in my time or alleviate boredom. I only work (and I stress only) to make money.

The person before made some quite good comments. I work to make money as does most of the population. In times like this though...there is no work and so to save you going absolutely crazy you need to do something else. And you don't need money to do it. Local libraries are free, charities always need volunteers and reimburse travel costs and going for walks...keeping fit etc doesn't cost money.

I'm nearly into my third month of unemployment, despite let downs on job offers and no replies to applications, I finally feel as though I'm getting somewhere having had an interview with an agency yesterday and two interviews scheduled next week. I've concentrated on making myself seem attractive to employers...even though I've had no work for a while, I've put on my CV that I've taken the time to learn to speak fluent Irish and also play guitar. Makes it seem as though I've done something with my time too and gained a new skill.

Peekay32

lufcgirl wrote: »

The person before made some quite good comments. I work to make money as does most of the population. In times like this though...there is no work and so to save you going absolutely crazy you need to do something else. And you don't need money to do it. Local libraries are free, charities always need volunteers and reimburse travel costs and going for walks...keeping fit etc doesn't cost money.

I've put on my CV that I've taken the time to learn to speak fluent Irish and also play guitar. Makes it seem as though I've done something with my time too and gained a new skill.

Exactly :T

Horace

I dont wish to be accused of being patronising as I know only too well what it is like to be unemployed - I was unemployed from August 2007 to April 2009. During that time, I had several eye operations, I carried on actively looking for work and I took myself to the chamber of commerce to do some free courses on how to set up a business. I then begged, badgered and did everything that I could do to get onto a New Deal course for self employment - my test trading period finished in April and although I have no customers yet I decided that I would be better off the dole, I now get working tax credits which are a lot less than dole money but I am still managing. You don't see me complaining about the lack of customers, I know that I have set up my business at the right time but at the wrong time for weddings as they have been planned already but I know that next year I will be busy so now I am taking advantage of quiet moments to build up my supplier base and amend my website.

So please don't call me patronising. Times are hard that's a given but I stress again that the OP needs to be more proactive and be a little bit extraordinary. Volunteering is useful as it gives you some more recent work experience.