Looooooooooong gap in employment... advice wanted

christopherrobin_2

Hi. Bit of a long-winded post with probably obvious responses, but, well...

I left university in the summer of 2006 - without graduating - and left my part-time job with the student union at the same time. It was a pretty low time and I was suffering with glandular fever to make things worse. Got over that and spent a few months travelling before knuckling down to look for a job early in 2007.

A few rejections/shaky interviews and then getting - and quickly leaving - a job which turned out to be nothing like it was 'sold' to me as by the recruitment agency (significantly different role, significantly lower pay, totally different hours) knocked my confidence and I guess I ended up stuck in something of a rut. Long story short - I'm still without a job three years on (nearly four years on from my last role).

I'm lucky enough to have had a supportive partner and family, and via a combination of having a decent amount of money saved and earning bits and pieces through things like matched betting and ebay trading, I've not suffered financially and haven't had to sign on at any point. Much of the time I've spent pursuing a 'dream' of writing for a living, and have been paid for various bits of freelance work.

Anyway, despite encouraging signs recently, things have reached a point where I need to be earning and can't wait around much longer in the hope said encouraging signs come to fruition, but obviously I've made a pretty hefty mess of things and left myself with a mountain to climb.

I've had a decent education (13 GCSEs, 3 A-Levels, all decent grades) up until university, where I really just picked the wrong course and stubbornly refused to admit that to myself until I'd wasted too much time on it. I've got a fair bit of pre/during-university experience in a customer service role (three years full-time) as well as a couple of years part-time bar work. I'd like to think I'm relatively intelligent and presentable and would have very good references from those previous employers.

Guess (apart from just wanting to get all that written down) I'm just looking for any advice on getting back into things (and have no qualms with being told just how much of a plum i've been at various points). I don't really want to sign on (and I doubt I'd be eligible for anything anyway?) but is getting in touch with jobcentreplus and explaining my circumstances the best bet? Any advice on dealing with the thorny subject of that long gap? I've had a couple of friends in managerial roles offer to provide references for that time but don't really want to go down that route, can't see it working out well. Any vaguely similar experiences (might be a forlorn hope)?

Cheers.

Annisele

Depending on how much freelance work you did - is it reasonable to say that you didn't have a long gap in employment at all, you were simply a self-employed writer for a period and now you've decided to make a change?

You don't actually say what you want to do. If that's "a job, any job" then in your position I'd try to get temping work through employment agencies. Then if you find you hate a particular job you only ever have to stay there a week or so; if you like it and they like you they'll probably hire you without bothering with CVs and employment gaps.

christopherrobin_2

It'd probably be stretching it to say I was self-employed.

Pretty much 'a job, any job', yeah, the 'better' the job the better but I'm not deluding myself as to what's going to be attainable in my situation. Had been thinking about temping work but assumed the agencies would pay as much attention to the CV/employment gap as any prospective employer. If that's not the case then that could be the way to go...

Thanks

Oldernotwiser

Depending on how far you went with your degree, why not top up with the OU so that you are a graduate?

Annisele

When I was temping, admittedly not in a recession, the agencies cared about only two things: could I type, and did I have my own transport. I got paid a bit more because I could audio type (I didn't even know I could do that until the agency gave me a test - if your typing is reasonable it's not hard).

I suspect they might have cared a bit about general appearance, but I doubt you'd have any trouble with that.

christopherrobin_2

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

Depending on how far you went with your degree, why not top up with the OU so that you are a graduate?

Not really an option financially now (perhaps something I should have considered a couple of years ago) and to be honest I was desperately struggling with it when doing it, despite a great tutor and friends to bounce ideas off. Was just a really bad choice of degree.

Annisele wrote: »

When I was temping, admittedly not in a recession, the agencies cared about only two things: could I type, and did I have my own transport. I got paid a bit more because I could audio type (I didn't even know I could do that until the agency gave me a test - if your typing is reasonable it's not hard).

I suspect they might have cared a bit about general appearance, but I doubt you'd have any trouble with that.

Definitely something to look into then. Can type well and while I don't drive, I live in practically in the centre of one of the biggest cities in the country and the public transport's pretty good so that shouldn't be an issue I'd hope.

Savvy_Sue

Agencies won't care about long gaps, which can arise for all sorts of reasons, but TBH there isn't a lot of work out there.

If you could spend a few months doing voluntary work, that could bring your long gap to an end, plus you might find paid work through that. Google volunteer plus your city to find links.

Gingerbiscuit_2

Just be honest and likes been said dress up a little the self employed bit. Whats really important is that you say something , I dont want to guess if you have been in prison, on the run or anything else!

You are lucky in that at least not signing on you dont have to prove to anyone what you are doing to look for work. So at least you dont hae that added stress and with supportive family it should be easier. I dont think finding a job should be as hard as you make out as is more to do with confidence in your abilities if money isnt an urgent issue could you get some unpaid work with your friends, or volunteer. Im sure once you are back in the rat race things woun't seem as bad. Good luck

christopherrobin_2

Thanks all. Have had a look around the various temp agencies online, as said there doesn't seem to be a great deal of work going. Will speak to them face to face anyway and see where the land lies. Voluntary work is something to look into definitely, although that might be a struggle financially for any real length of time.

Cheers for the advice.

paulwf

OP I mean this in a supportive way, I'm not trying to troll, but are there underlying issues that need to be dealt with here? There appear to be confidence issues as you dropped out of uni then wouldn't claim JSA and won't take help with references etc.

If not confidence issues then perhaps you really don't want to get a job? Going on JSA means you actively have to start looking for a job, are you really prepared for that?

I'm being genuine, I have a friend who has a job phobia and struggles finding and keeping work and I know it's not easy for him. Four years is a long time not to have had proper work given you are young and haven't had a career break because of kids etc. I know the last couple of years have been tough but before that it was possible to more or less walk into a job if you weren't fussy. In 2008 it only took me a week of looking to get a Christmas temp job that turned into a full time position for example.

Perhaps volunteer work as Sue suggests would be good to ease yourself back into the workplace and work through any job related issues you might have? Or perhaps get some professional careers advice or even counselling? Obviously it is hard to infer much from an internet forum so I might be wrong but make sure you're honest with yourself and your partner about why you haven't had a job for so long and what you really want to do.

christopherrobin_2

paulwf wrote: »

OP I mean this in a supportive way, I'm not trying to troll, but are there underlying issues that need to be dealt with here? There appear to be confidence issues as you dropped out of uni then wouldn't claim JSA and won't take help with references etc.

If not confidence issues then perhaps you really don't want to get a job? Going on JSA means you actively have to start looking for a job, are you really prepared for that?

I'm being genuine, I have a friend who has a job phobia and struggles finding and keeping work and I know it's not easy for him. Four years is a long time not to have had proper work given you are young and haven't had a career break because of kids etc. I know the last couple of years have been tough but before that it was possible to more or less walk into a job if you weren't fussy. In 2008 it only took me a week of looking to get a Christmas temp job that turned into a full time position for example.

Perhaps volunteer work as Sue suggests would be good to ease yourself back into the workplace and work through any job related issues you might have? Or perhaps get some professional careers advice or even counselling? Obviously it is hard to infer much from an internet forum so I might be wrong but make sure you're honest with yourself and your partner about why you haven't had a job for so long and what you really want to do.

Would definitely say there are some confidence issues - more than anything probably due to the length of time since last working. Not sure confidence issues played any part in me dropping out of uni (was more a case of picking the wrong course and being out of my depth) but they were definitely a result of it. Not going on JSA was probably a pride or guilt thing as much as anything, haven't really needed or wanted to take the money. And not taking references - that's more a case of not wanting to get people into trouble. Appreciate them offering and if I thought there was no chance of there being any problems with that I'd happily accept.

Also think that even though I realise that doing anything is better than nothing, there's probably a part of me that thinks I'm going to struggle to get anything and that anything I might get will be (to be quite snobbish I guess) 'dead-end', and I guess leaves me putting off doing anything in the vain hope something will fall into my lap.

Would like to think that I've had a wake-up call recently, realise something needs to be done and that particularly in this climate, it'll probably be a case of taking anything I can get. Easy to say though obviously. Don't think I've a job phobia, have quite enjoyed my previous jobs and thrown myself into them. The actual process of getting one, particularly now with that almighty gap on my CV, does fill me with dread somewhat though and I definitely need to lower my expectations.