Out of work for many years, need help

flossy_splodge

Jungle_Jane wrote: »

I too have never been in employment since leaving school and have no references to put on my CV. I also have an anxiety disorder and find it difficult to be out of the house on my own at a certain distance. I am getting help with my disorder and want to find a job for myself but have found the responses from all the jobs I have applied for in the past 5 years has affected my confidence and have gave up hope.

My partner now wants to move house and now says that we can't do it because I am out of a job. I would love to have a go at volunteering for a job and have found this thread most useful. However my partner has snubbed volunteering work as it isn't paid and a certain volunteering job I have had my eye on I would have to travel to.

Just thought I would let the original poster know that they are not alone.

Perhaps it's time your 'partner' gave you some encouragement instead of discouragement. Volunteering can genuinely lead to employment, I know that for a fact.
So ignore the negativity and go for it.
If you want to change your life this first step may be just what you need. Good Luck.:j

VaultFairy

I was a 22yo with a 2+ year unemployment history and once those months start to pile up on that CV it becomes harder to find the work.

I then decided to do some voluntory work at my local Red Cross shop to gain experience in Retail since I never had any. But after sometime I managed to get a job being a Scanning Technician (completly sucked at the job, with no help from the scratched to death lens on the scanners)

I was unfortunatly let go due to my contract ending /LAUGH! But after a couple of months of being unemployed I finally found my job of 1 year at my newly opened local Tesco store. From the 1000's of people that applied to that local store I was one of the 100 or so that got a job at the check outs.

I also suffer from Psoriasis which is such a GRR!! Worst of all I get it on my face, my self esteem was pathetically low that when I ever I talked to anyone I'd avoid eye contact but thankfully I managed to near enough get rid of all of it.

But my point is try voluntary work as it looks great on the CV, also explain to your husband that you need to start somewhere

Good luck and congratulations on your weight loss.

desperado2

Im going to perhaps seem harsh here, but good advice isn't always what we want to hear!

Firstly to the OP, Well Done! - you recognised your problems, you have confronted them, and you are doing something about it.. FANTASTIC dont let anyone do you down or take that ahcievement away from you.

Now the harsh (buit fair and friendly!) bit!
1) BE Realistic! - if you have 8 weeks or less to financial crisis, it is too late to expect a job for salvation - the interview process is fairly slow and cumbersome in most cases and it may well take 4 - 6 weeks to get anywhere at all, and another 4 - 6 weeks before a paycheck comes in. Take the advice posted earlier, sit down with hubby, and do everything you can to rein in your overheads and frivolous spending "now".

You have already acknowledged you are not the most "obvious" person for an employer to hire, so you will regrettably have to apply for a lot more jobs than some folk before you get that first offer. That may seem daunting, but you just have to plug away as you do with the weight loss.. a little every week eventually gets you to the destination.

Be polite but firm with your OH.. he is most certainly stressed at losing money - so very understandable.. but he can't add unrealistic pressure on you now.. so tell him you love him and appreciate his support, and that you will love and support him through thick and thin too - but remind him you are taking positive steps and need just a bit more emotional support to get that job..

2) Make a plan! Get a bit of paper, list your skills - however vague that may seem and see whether they match any of the types of work you are considering.. if not, seek out the training or opportunity to add those skills to your list formally or informally.. Many employers will still want "job related" skill.. and there is no point fretting about what you dont yet have.. but some employers will look favourably on your transferable skills - for example running a home - is not so different to running a busy office.. bills to pay, schedules to meet, getting kids to school hubby to work.. getting the washing machine repaired.. versus keeping the bosses diary up to date, making sure meetings are planned and organised, getting the photocopier repaired, paying the gas bill.. You need to change your mindset and be confident in your ability to use your skills.. and present those skills so an employer shares your vision.

3) Volunteering. Yep, everyone says it, some have tried it.. I ran a voluntary agency for years, and I could show you 5 people who have gone from long term unemployed to technical specialists in healthcare, fundraising, catering and management.

The trick is to seek the good opportunities - selling a few raffle tickets door to door for help the aged is OK, but it won't count for much other than a bit of cash handling, and a go at customer service/sales.. you may be a natural and get a great reputation, but chances are the big charities just want bums on seats so they can afford to recruit 20 volunteers to sell 100 tickets a week rather than train 2 or 3 to sell thousands..

On the other hand, working with a corporate or trust fundraiser will show you how to fill in applications, how to research them, what you need to show a trust to win their support, how you present information in terms they can understand and so on... Yes, you are free labour, and yes they "should" pay folk to do work if it needs doing.. but the bottom line is charities need to show they have the support of the community - especially the people they support.. and a few volunteers provides extra proof.

I do part time fundraising work for a disabled charity, usually a public collection for an hour or so - skills needed? a smile, and an hour of your time.. but it gets you known to the charity, and now I do office based stuff - either on site, or working from home. I have already referred to these voluntary roles to show I am a team worker, reliable, trustworthy resourceful and so on..

What can a charity teach you? - people skills (customer service, team skills, management skills) Technical skills (catering, food handling, database development, design) Office skills (filing, equipment operation) just for starters..

You wont get paid, but you will get confidence, self esteem, support, friendship, trips out, new skills, and "EXPENSES" Any decent charity will be more than happy to reimburse you your incurred expenses - be that bus fare or mileage, most pay a subsistence/meal allowance if you are there more than 4 hours or will provide lunch etc.. many also pay your childcare costs or provide creche facilities if you have small kids.. Do not for one minute feel bad about asking for or taking these, there is no shame associated with it, and the fundraising department will already include these in "volunteer" costs when they make applications for funding.

Depending on the role(s) you do, you can often access official training - for example the charity I managed paid for Food Handling and Hygiene training, First Aider training both of which come with certificates of proficiency which can help you with employment.

Another area you can look in to is Trusteeship.. These are the governors of charities, its Directors.. they meet between 1 and 12 times a year, and they work with the paid managers to define the policy and direction of the charity. Often they will want some people with skills like HR or Finance, but for the most part they just want committed folk with commonsense and an interest. Again your expenses will be covered so you wont be out of pocket.. you will be able to access relevant training to help you in your role, and you will have a great selling point on your CV - a responsible role as a leader. Don't for one minute think you are not good enough - it takes all sorts and you may well surprise yourself at your abilities.

You can find voluntary opportunities through your local Council for Voluntary Services, https://www.thirdsector.com, and your local council or library.

Oh, and lastly what to wear for an interview? - you possibly don't have many clothes at present given your weightloss, go for simple plain smart clothes - avoid anything too fancy and definitely avoid glitter, slogans, sparkles and spangles.. a nice simple jacket over a plain blouse or top with trousers or skirt, or a simple dress. Make sure it is all clean, and ironed!! Interviews are about you presenting yourself to an employer as a person who can fit in anywhere not a competition about who dresses up the best/worst.... make sure whatever you wear fits appropriately and that you dress according to your age/size.. remember just because someone makes crop tops and low waist jeans in size 26 doesnt mean that they look good, or are appropriate! (not suggesting you are a size 26.. just that some ladies and gents forget to look in a mirror before paying out good money for clothes!)

When you look in the mirror in your interview outfit you should see a person who is trustworthy and reliable and dressed appropriately to instil a sense of confidence. If thats what you see, it's what the interviewer sees.. and you usually get a job on the first 40 seconds of the interview..so make first impresssions count.

Dont forget to keep "stuff" to a minimum - a coat, umbrella and nice bag are fine, a couple of sainsbury carrier bags is not!

pineapple

Every little helps right?
I put an ad for cleaning in a post office and now have a couple of customers from the flats opposite. Flats are good because word spreads. Retirement flats are even better.
I am not that fit and it really does me in. But perhaps I'll get fitter!
Also register with as many agencies as possible. You never know. A 3 month contract turned into 3 years for me...
PS Online surveys are ok but at most I make £3 - 4 a month from mine.

System

Does call centre work appeal at all? Its sitting down at a computer with aheadset talking to customers basically. In my last job (at a call center) there was a lady working there who had problems with obesity (and associated problems) who seemed to get on with it ok. Plus call center work was always one of the jobs that were more plentiful. And you usually gte on the job training (I had 2 weeks classroom training-learning about bet types/how to use the computer system, then a week with someone sat with me taking live calls)