How to progress in life?

fedster

I have already posted on 2 threads, so some of you may know abit it about me, but just a quick summary i am a 23 old male, who is currently working in a Warehouse, where i was given a permnant contract a few weeks back, having worked there for 9 months as a temp.

In the last 2-3 years i have worked as a temp in loads of warehouses, and also before Uni where i got an HND in Business + Computing, i worked at McDonalds for a year, and also have done Ad-Hoc work as a Steward as well as doing voluntary work for Mind.

My probelm is i am seriously getting depressed, with not being able to find a better job, i am grateful that i have been given a permnant position but truth be told,the pay is not that much better, and to get things like a Mortgage on my wage is impossible, also i dont mean to sound arrogant but working in an enviroment where a large chunck of workers cant even speak English properly,really depresses me, i am better than this but how can i prove this when no one gives me the chance?

lincroft1710

But have you applied for any jobs where an HND is required? And if you have done and had interview(s), any feedback?

Russe11

Theres loads of people in the same boat, I ended up going self employed just to do something not demoralising and poorly paid.

I have worked for agencies in the past, being sent places where speaking Polish was a requirement!

I earn very little over the course of the year and have nothing to do a lot of the time, means I live off savings as and when required.

When I was searching for employment it was the case of you need to have lots of experience or know someone to get you through the door.

I didn't have the required experience for a 12k retail job last year, might try applying for a few jobs this year, I would really like to just find somthing with a steady income that I could live on, realistically i'm not sure its going to happen.

Good employers i've been told will take risks with inexperienced employees, not found them myself either.

fedster

I have but with no success, all of them seem to want experience and even people with Degrees are applying for these jobs, thus making it more difficult.

Russe11

I guess you need to look at entry level IT jobs, then do that for a couple of years.

I not sure theres all that many of these sort of jobs about though, to many graduates, so those that can't get on a graduate scheme fight over the entry level jobs?

lincroft1710

Knowing several graduates who were in lower grade positions than myself (non-graduate), I am beginning to wonder if there is any point in all these people wasting 3 years of their life running up huge debt in student loans, just to end up in menial jobs. 40 plus years ago we were fed the line that the more educational qualifications we got, the better the job would be. No doubt that same story is still being peddled today. But it doesn't happen like that any more.

fedster

I suppose my main question is should i stay in working as a warehouse operative for another year or 2 and see if i can progress, is the warehouse industry a good career choice, because all i can see is people who cant speak English, and people with no qualificatons working with me,

Does anyone on here work in the Warehouse industry, and have progressed?

Sammyantha

lincroft1710 wrote: »

I am beginning to wonder if there is any point in all these people wasting 3 years of their life running up huge debt in student loans, just to end up in menial jobs.

Nope. Pretty much all grads are in the same boat. They only realise the ugly truth once they graduate and can't get a job (myself included when i graduated 8 years ago).

Sammyantha

fedster wrote: »

I suppose my main question is should i stay in working as a warehouse operative for another year or 2 and see if i can progress, is the warehouse industry a good career choice, because all i can see is people who cant speak English, and people with no qualificatons working with me,

Does anyone on here work in the Warehouse industry, and has progressed?

I've worked in a few warehouses before, but only when i needed money from an extra job (due to availability of overtime in these places). Don't sell yourself short. Reach for the highest level positions with the best wages. You might not get them, but you may end up instead with a much better job than when applying only for entry level stuff.

No one gets the job of their dreams these days. There is no real progression ladder any more. Just go for the highest paying jobs within your field of interest and get through the door by selling yourself and your skills. You'll need to sit down and go through everything you've done in the past (job wise, and personally), and match up with skills you've developed from doing these things.

Good luck

Russe11

I reckon you need to target small organisations that are expanding, but do not yet have a dedicated IT department.

You will be able to then start at the bottom and develop the IT side for the business.

After say 2-3 years you will then have on your CV somthing like, Head of IT for such and such and over the past 3 year I have done such and such to improve the organistions IT, as the business has grown I implimented the following which has done this and that for the company. (sure you get the idea)

Another question... Did you do a work placement in the second year of your HND?

fedster

I was actually doing a full Degree Course but because of other issues, my second year was messed up, so i wasnt allowed to go onto year 3, so i ended up with a HND.

Thanks for your suggestion i will look into it

My main beef i suppose is, that i have spend so much time working in these Warehouses, and i have glowing refrenecs from them all, ( Boots,WHSmith,HMV, i think i have worked in most of the major stores Warehouses,currently at Tescos) but despite this there does not seem to be an avenue for progression.

I understand Warehousing is low skilled but even so, surely there must be some company out there that values hard work, and would pay a reasonable wage, or am i being unrealistic?