Help me to help my housemate

marisa

My housemate has been unemployed now for around 6months, he graduated with a History degree from a good University a couple of years ago, and since then has only managed to find one job, through a temp agency, in a warehouse. Which lasted for around a year. He is more than adequate with computers, intelligent and if he puts his mind to something I'm sure can do really well!

He is not really familiar with the job finding process (what with agencies, temp jobs, contracts, perm jobs, interviews, job centres, job sites, terminology, covering letters I get how it can be a nightmare for some), whereas I have had quite a few jobs and know how to get myself one quite easily. However I cannot find a way to help him.

We have tried everything that works for me, signing up to job websites with alerts, services like monster, blanketing cvs/covering letters to every job we see he could do, filling in application forms for graduate schemes in the area.
I have helped him rewrite his cv a few times, but as he has only ever had one job, and doesn't have any qualifications relevant to employability there is not much can be done with it, he does not want to do voluntary or part-time work as it will effect the benefits that pay for rent and bills and all that.

Nothing seems to get a lead, other than commission only jobs that reek of scam to me.

Wondering if anyone here had any tips or advice, because I am running out of ideas, and him being unemployed is really getting him down and I hate to see one of my best mates that way. Not to mention I feel really guilty because within a month of starting to look for a job I managed to get a 4month contract at £9/hour in technical support, and still get calls offering me other things(:eek:) Just wish i could somehow give them to him but it is all due to my work history and computing degree I get offered them, and he doesn't have these..

I have suggested he learn a new skills, leant him my programming books, but tbh I don't think it is his thing at all, and unless he really learnt it and got involved in projects such as charity websites (as i did myself) it wouldn't stand out at all on a computing C.V


tl;dr my housemate has been unemployed 6months, he has a history degree, and one job ever in a warehouse for 12months he cannot find a job at all and doesnt know where to start, help

cmw1212

Has he been round agencies? I know they get a bad press and tbh I am not keen on them but they can be helpful in getting experience for the Cv. Ok the chances are a lot will say no nothing now,just email your cv over but some may agree to register him and obviously if he is on the books then he can be offered work.

GemJar_2

He can still get most benefits if he works under 16 hours a week, maybe he could do part time to build up his experience? Like a saturday job?

SueC_2

Voluntary work does not affect his benefits, so long as he continues to job seek and would surrender the voluntary work if he were successful in getting a job.

Things obviously differ around the country, but once you have been unemployed for six months round here the JobCentre actually find voluntary work for you, and, so far as possible they find placements that tie in with your skills and experience. It's a very very good way of building on your skills, gaining something to put on your CV, improving your self-confidence and letting prospective employers know that you do have a work ethic.

This website is a good starting point to look for appropriate local opportunities: www.do-it.org.uk

Savvy_Sue

I agree with SueC: voluntary work gives good, relevant skills (can be included in the 'employment' section if relevant to the job you're applying for), gets you out of the house, and helps with networking.

Oldernotwiser

What format CV is he using - in his situation a skills based one is far better than a chronological one. However, he really does need to be doing something productive with his time and voluntary work would be the best idea.

I know I'm being cynical but are you sure he's as keen to work as you think he is? Various things you've written could point to the fact that he's perfectly happy with the way things are at the moment.

Zazen999

And why isn't he asking on here rather than you?

I am afraid it sounds like he isn't as interested in working as much as he says he is...

mr.savage

Has he walked around the local area giving out his c.v , including shops/takeaway outlets etc?

We have tried everything that works for me, signing up to job websites with alerts, services like monster, blanketing cvs/covering letters to every job we see he could do,

This begs the following questions:
What sort of work did he expect to do when he got his degree? why did he do it?

marisa

Thanks everyone for the replies.

I have suggested agencies but he says he went and they had no work, and last time he had a bad exp with them. Short of holding his hand and taking him to them (i work full time anyway) I have pushed the issue all I can here

He does sometimes act like he is happy with the situation, agreed, but it seems more resided to it than happy if you get what I mean. Very much he wants a job, but thinks he won't get one no matter what, so what is the point in trying too much? This is not how I see it at all, but it is near impossible to change someons views I think, so just trying to help best I can within this.

It doesn't matter to me if he gets a job or not, housing benefit covers his half of the rent, dole covers the bills, house gets tidies (sometimes) while I'm at work, I just wanna help him!
Everyone says to me it is the age old problem of you can't help someone who doesn't want to help themselves, but I want to believe the best in him and his intentions I guess.

Thanks so much for all the info saying he can work up to 16hours a week and still get benefits/ voluntary probs won't effect, because this is not what he told me at all, as I have never been on benefits I couldn't say for sure myself either way.

The C.V type is just one page, that lists qualifications, then underneath the job he had once, then under that some information on skills gained while at Uni, personality etc.

He did the degree because he likes History, no further thought went into it as far as I can tell, and as far as jobs goes he thinks they will all be uninteresting so anything will do.

He is not posting on here, because it was my idea and I am a member of the forums and more of an internetty-person I guess. He wouldn't know what to say, and maybe would be embarrassed or something (he might be anyway if he reads this I guess!) He probably just thinks it is as pointless as everything else though!


As for the local area thing, they did want a waiter at a local takeaway, i told him about it and even took the number down but he never got around to it (phone-shy, very rarely calls for jobs likes to just email cv)
Most of the takeaways round here are family run businesses and as much as he says he will do anything, I think he does feel overqualified for some stuff, and a lot of places will also reject those with degrees for taking jobs from those who don't.

Oldernotwiser

marisa wrote: »

Thanks everyone for the replies.

I have suggested agencies but he says he went and they had no work, and last time he had a bad exp with them. Short of holding his hand and taking him to them (i work full time anyway) I have pushed the issue all I can here

He does sometimes act like he is happy with the situation, agreed, but it seems more resided to it than happy if you get what I mean. Very much he wants a job, but thinks he won't get one no matter what, so what is the point in trying too much? This is not how I see it at all, but it is near impossible to change someons views I think, so just trying to help best I can within this.

It doesn't matter to me if he gets a job or not, housing benefit covers his half of the rent, dole covers the bills, house gets tidies (sometimes) while I'm at work, I just wanna help him!
Everyone says to me it is the age old problem of you can't help someone who doesn't want to help themselves, but I want to believe the best in him and his intentions I guess.

Thanks so much for all the info saying he can work up to 16hours a week and still get benefits/ voluntary probs won't effect, because this is not what he told me at all, as I have never been on benefits I couldn't say for sure myself either way.

The C.V type is just one page, that lists qualifications, then underneath the job he had once, then under that some information on skills gained while at Uni, personality etc.

He did the degree because he likes History, no further thought went into it as far as I can tell, and as far as jobs goes he thinks they will all be uninteresting so anything will do.

He is not posting on here, because it was my idea and I am a member of the forums and more of an internetty-person I guess. He wouldn't know what to say, and maybe would be embarrassed or something (he might be anyway if he reads this I guess!) He probably just thinks it is as pointless as everything else though!


As for the local area thing, they did want a waiter at a local takeaway, i told him about it and even took the number down but he never got around to it (phone-shy, very rarely calls for jobs likes to just email cv)
Most of the takeaways round here are family run businesses and as much as he says he will do anything, I think he does feel overqualified for some stuff, and a lot of places will also reject those with degrees for taking jobs from those who don't.

If you're happy with the situation, I would just leave him to it. The more information you give, the more it sounds as if he has no interest whatsoever in working so I wouldn't waste your valuable free time.

Be thankful he's just a friend and not a partner!

SueC_2

To be honest it sounds like the one thing he needs to change in his approach to finding a job is his attitude. And only he can do that.

You can encourage, persuade, support, coax, beg, or threaten as much as you like, but unless he stops feeling like he won't get a job, or the only job he'll get will be one that's 'beneath' him, then frankly he's not going to get a job, and you're wasting your time trying to help him.

The job market is even harsher than normal at the moment, and if he's not going to even try, then he's not going to succeed. And the longer he leaves it, the harder it will be. He may be happy at the moment - living in shared accommodation where the rent and bills are covered by his benefits, the best you can do is hope that he'll still be happy living that way when he's 40.

Sorry, harsh but fair.