The Silent Phone Agony - Anybody Suffering It?

reheat

Radish72 wrote: »

... and what have you done today to change the situation

This is the key. After almost a year since being made redundant I've finally got a job, and it definitely would not have happened if I hadn't learned along the way. Reworked my CV many times, based on feedback from agents and homing in on web advice that made sense to me (much of it is very contradictory!). Learnt from feedback and soul-searching (so much soul searching!) where I went wrong in interviews and how to try better next time. And so on.

Vital to keep doing positive stuff to change the situation. One of the guttiest experiences of my life, and the only way to win through for me was to keep trying to improve my situation, rather than keep it ticking over same tomorrow as it was yesterday. Of course most of the time nothing does change, but you have to keep trying to make it change.

You have to get your interview rate up, which means getting your CV in good order and getting it sent to as many people as possible. I eventually went with the main sites - jobsite, monster, reed, jobserve, etc - and allowed recruiters to view my CV. You simply cannot get your CV to enough of the right people without doing this I found, you have to let the recruiters do the donkey work for you. Some recruiters are excellent, some are the pits, and most are pretty decent, I found. I also enabled the job sites' email alerts, as this is much more efficient than going onto the sites and searching yourself. And they get sent to you whether you're feeling in the right mood or not!

Silent telephone - boy do I and my family know what that's like. One of the worst bits of job hunting is being a minor pawn in so many other people's games. Only way is to fill the void with positive stuff you can do ... but it definitely is gutty as anything.

Radish72

Congratulations Reheat on the job :beer:

I worked for 5 months for free (still got JSA) to get work experience when I left uni, then the company I worked free for gave me a job

Truegho

What is WTC?

Would love to try self employment (job hunting now STINKS and is VERY frustrating!), but don't know what the terms are as regards Jobcentre help, what weekly money they pay to you for starting a business etc. Was contemplating tryingt to set up my own typing/office services business, but again, I don't know how much the Jobcentre would pay. I am 48 and claiming JSA.

wigglebeena wrote: »

Self-employment. You can carry on applying for regular jobs, apply for WTC instead of JSA, possibly get some start up money from the benefits office and it gives you something else to think about rather than the job search. Even if you don't bring in enough to make ends meet you're developing new transferable skills, maintaining self-respect by bringing something in and can fill in the financial cracks with WTC.

And those new skills may impress a potential employer. You're demonstrating a willingness to get off your a*se and try something new, at least.

reheat

Radish72 wrote: »

Congratulations Reheat on the job :beer:

I worked for 5 months for free (still got JSA) to get work experience when I left uni, then the company I worked free for gave me a job

Congrats to you too Radish, not just for getting your job, but for doing what it took to get it.

timmmers

bordercars wrote: »

plenty of work if you want it. i have needed a fulltime taxi driver since an accident in feb 08, we dont have a window cleaner round here either, and its not as small village, town with a pop of about 10000 and probaly half are retired elderly , sold up their london prop and living the life in rural suffolk.

Well you prove that retired elderly can't clean windows. Also that you don't require a job or are likely to know what it's like recently if you do.

What else were you trying to prove I wonder?

Making the OP feel worse than he obviously is feeling now? Why not inform him that even if he gets a job it's pension won't be as good as yours, and he'll not be able to retire until he's 80 most likely?

It's possible that this is the only place the OP has to communicate with people how he feels, since JSA isn't great for getting out and about socialising (it doesn't cover living expenses even)...so what harm is him venting doing anyone?

Lots of jobs out there ROFLMAO :rotfl:...you one of those pensioners who make "funny" cakes I wonder?

t

wigglebeena

Truegho wrote: »

What is WTC?

Would love to try self employment (job hunting now STINKS and is VERY frustrating!), but don't know what the terms are as regards Jobcentre help, what weekly money they pay to you for starting a business etc. Was contemplating tryingt to set up my own typing/office services business, but again, I don't know how much the Jobcentre would pay. I am 48 and claiming JSA.

WTC = Working Tax Credit. (Although I may have got the acronym wrong). Someone mentioned on another thread it's actually less than JSA so I doubt it'll be anything great! But something at least. The HMRC website should have info.

I believe if you get on something called New Deal (correct me peeps?) you can also get a bit of asistance, don't know if it's still going? From other posts also think it might be hard to talk your way onto.

AirCooledHeaven

Truegho wrote: »

What is WTC?

Would love to try self employment (job hunting now STINKS and is VERY frustrating!), but don't know what the terms are as regards Jobcentre help, what weekly money they pay to you for starting a business etc.

Then why not just get up from your PC and go down to the jobcentre and ask them? I'm getting the impression you find just talking about your problems preferable to actually doing something proactive to solve them.

I don't wish to sound unsympathetic but as Ernest Hemingway said "You make your own luck..." and "..what makes a good loser? Practice."