Support Each Other In Looking For Work?

Sharon87

Been a while since I posted on here. I've been going between those 2 jobs I was doing before, which is good, it's just a shame I don't have a long term job. Got a few days lined up next week, but beyond that I have no idea! But I'm developing new skills, skills for completely the wrong path I want to go down! Oh well, it gives me options if I don't get to where I want to go.

Hope the job hunt is going well for everyone else. I've saved loads now for learning to drive which will improve my job chances in the area I want to go into, not sure whether to do a semi intensive course or not though, want to learn as soon a possible! (had some lessons before)

EndlessStruggle

Think I'm going to treat myself to a well deserved night out, I have started saving today and am going to put all the money I make from online surveys etc in there, I redeemed my first £3 today, exciting, happy weekend jobseeking all, I'll poke my head in if not too hungover tomorrow

morizot

Been looking for a forum regarding being made unemployed and this one is really good, full of good tips, based on job seeking experiences and also addresses the important emotional issues. I now know that I am not alone in my despair
I will probably be made redundant soon. Although employed and well paid I have had no work for a while. This will be my first proper experience of the job market after doing the same job for many years. I think I will be looking at this thread many times as a support. Good luck to everyone on their quest, have learnt a lot today

Stew68

morizot wrote: »

Been looking for a forum regarding being made unemployed and this one is really good, full of good tips, based on job seeking experiences and also addresses the important emotional issues. I now know that I am not alone in my despair
I will probably be made redundant soon. Although employed and well paid I have had no work for a while. This will be my first proper experience of the job market after doing the same job for many years. I think I will be looking at this thread many times as a support. Good luck to everyone on their quest, have learnt a lot today

Welcome to MSE and this thread, it is a shame that this thread exists and that there are so many people here posting but everybody who uses it finds it such a great support. Being able to share experiences with people who know exactly how you're feeling is fantastic. Feel free to post as much as you like with any questions or experiences.

Even though I am working now (although long term temp) I formed such a bond with the posters here that I check in daily to see how everybody is getting on and I so hope that there is some good luck coming everybodies way over the next couple of weeks.

Saturnalia

Hi Morizot, sorry to hear you might be made redundant. I've got my fingers crossed it doesn't happen.

Now, I'd love to hear how people manage to keep their motivation up while jobsearching. I've only been doing it a month but blimey I'm bored! I keep a routine in my day. I set the alarm for 8 (but am usually awake before that) get showered early, then get dressed and have breakfast out of the way in my room while my flatmate gets ready, (we're both grouchy first thing but when I am in work, I'm out of the house before she's up so it's easy to not annoy each other!) at 9 I phone the agencies I'm registered with, flattie leaves the house around 9:30 for work and I watch Jezza and mess about online, then at 10:30 the telly is switched off and my online job search starts. I keep going until about 3, grab some lunch then back on it until she gets back around 7:30. By the time we've had dinner, watched a bit of crap telly and had a natter, it's getting on for midnight.

Problem is that some days there just aren't that many jobs to apply for. On days that there are plenty advertised, I can apply for 100 in a day on a great day! But on days where only about ten are advertised, I'm struggling to find ways to fill the day and feel guilty that I'm not doing enough to find work (but I am looking for those job ads).

I do a charity shop job (voluntary) for a few hours in the weekend and have been offered a couple of short shifts in the week, which I am considering taking up, but I'd feel guilty I weren't doing more to find paid work. I checked this out with the Jobcentre and found I can do as much charity work as I want as long as a) I'm prepared to give it up if paid work comes my way and b) I'm still satisfying the terms of my Jobseeker's Agreement (which is so little I could complete that bare minimum in about half-an-hour per fortnight!)

I hate the isolation of being out of work. I have very little money so can't afford to do anything interesting with my days as everything costs (even if the activity is free there are transport costs) and I've recently started going out for an hour of laps round the park in the evening as I'm getting lardy & lazy from being inactive. All my friends are in work so there's no-one to meet or call and it's such a lonely existence!

Bah, the house is a mess right now and I don't even have the motivation to get off my bum and scrub it up!

morizot

I can see myself dipping into this forum often, in fact I have been glued to the laptop all day today.
Got a rejection today after an interview for a job that I was qualified for. Will ask for feedback but next time will invest in new formal attire and play down my current salary (as I am not looking to match it, just want a local job that matches my skills)
One of the reasons I am will probably be made redundant was because the only job available involved a 2.5 hour commute each way 5 days a week with no offers of working from home. My other half already has a 90 minute commute and works long hours and we have one child at home.

EndlessStruggle

My online job hunting only takes about an hour a few hours a day at most. I am very limited on where I can apply because of rubbish public transport, the support makes all the difference especially when like me you don't have any close friends in the same situation. I do 20 hours of voluntary work and doesn't give me less time for the job search. I generally do 9.30-2.00 everyday, keeps a good work routine. Rest of the time I am filling the time with Surveys, Freebies and Competitions, it is rather addictive. I made my first £3 from Surveys, all I make is going to go into my savings so is really making me feel optimistic about the future.

Drea

morizot wrote: »

Been looking for a forum regarding being made unemployed and this one is really good, full of good tips, based on job seeking experiences and also addresses the important emotional issues. I now know that I am not alone in my despair
I will probably be made redundant soon. Although employed and well paid I have had no work for a while. This will be my first proper experience of the job market after doing the same job for many years. I think I will be looking at this thread many times as a support. Good luck to everyone on their quest, have learnt a lot today

Thanks for writing that, it's good to know that we can all help each other whether for advice or just somewhere to have a moan

I have an interview tomorrow, and I just can't find the motivation to do any prep, I will do it, but I'm definitely lagging a bit.

DCFC79

EndlessStruggle wrote: »

My online job hunting only takes about an hour a few hours a day at most. I am very limited on where I can apply because of rubbish public transport, the support makes all the difference especially when like me you don't have any close friends in the same situation. I do 20 hours of voluntary work and doesn't give me less time for the job search. I generally do 9.30-2.00 everyday, keeps a good work routine. Rest of the time I am filling the time with Surveys, Freebies and Competitions, it is rather addictive. I made my first £3 from Surveys, all I make is going to go into my savings so is really making me feel optimistic about the future.

you mind if i ask which sites you do surveys for,

thanks,

EndlessStruggle

I sign up for all of them I come across that seem not too bad but I got my £3 from mysurvey, got £5 on Vivatic (can't cash out til £10), Valued Opinions (£0.50 lol) Toluna and YouGov. I bought a 99p sim card as well so I have a mobile for competitions, it fills my spare time and I'm very curious to see how much I can make from it as I spend hours sat at my computer anyways. Anything I make/win is going to go into my savings :T It takes a good while to do the surveys and is pretty low payout but if you have time to burn you got nothing to lose