How Does Looking For Work Affect You?

auntymomo · 15 January 2011 at 5:13PM

Hello everyone. This is my first thread starter, be gentle with me

I thought I would ask about how any of you might be feeling while you're looking for work.

I don't currently work, as I am the old 'stereotype' single with kids.
I have been looking for work though, since my mum is retiring, she's offered to have my youngest, and so my eldest is at school it helps me massively. Anyway, I've been looking for part time work, and I've put out my CV to so many places, mostly retail and recruitment agencies, and out of around 40 applications, I've heard back from 2 who said a polite no thanks, had an interview, but haven't heard back from them. It seems to be making me feel more determined. I do feel a bit gutted, but I just know that I will get myself back into work and off relying on the benefit system. I just want to earn my own money and pay my own way!

saterkey · 15 January 2011 at 5:38PM

In a job which will finish this summer, so know i have to look and i am but scared of having to go through the interviews stage again.

Look at your local colleges for jobs as they dont always advertise, although all are tightening their belts as we speak. Not many jobs going at present.

Have started to look at job centre and other sites on a daily basis to see if my dream job is out there before i have to take a "must have to live" job if that makes sense. Got a while to go yet, but the slight stress in the pit of stomach is there on a daily basis.

good luck with your job hunting.

ironpetal · 15 January 2011 at 5:58PM

My old job centre had me doing 18 actions a fortnight. That is I had to send out x3 CVs make x3 contacts and go to the job points x3 a week. After 5 months of this, plus benefits stopped a couple of times for petty reasons I cracked up and ended up in my GPs surgery suffering from acute anxiety and chronic stress and unable to look for work.

Everytime I signed on I saw a personal advisor. I saw 5 personal advisors under a month,one by telephone 3 by signings and one for a would I be better off in work session between 9.12.10 to 7.1.11. I never had a normal signing. My card would disappear and PAs would be conferring in corners with my card. I would find myself sitting waiting for nearly three quarters of an hour only to be 'sprung' with yet another PA.

Ive changed my job centre. I only have one PA throughout my signings. I only have to do 12 actions a fortnight. :TAnd I have had more help off this young lady than in my 5 months of signing on at the other gestapo. Even she remarked that the other job centre's criteria of x3x3x3 was very harsh and reduced it. So those criterias can be reduced. After all its the same government department.

So far no luck but Im just going through the motions.

scooby088 · 15 January 2011 at 5:58PM

I think it depends on how long you have been looking to be fair, i was looking for over 12 months before i found something and if i hadn't have found work i think i would've gone into a depression with all the reject letters and emails i got. I really do think you need to be strong willed and if you can handle rejection then and be more determined to get a job.

Good luck in your hunt. just keep chipping away i'm sure you'll find something

auntymomo · 15 January 2011 at 6:12PM

Thank you all. Its hard for everyone, I was interested in hearing everyone elses experiences, how it made you feel.

I know too well about certain job centres which shall remain nameless. When my eldest was 6 months old, I was hauled in and told to look for work. Then I got a part time job, and was hauled back in to be told my hours weren't enough. Seems these days you can't do right for doing wrong with the Jerb Centre. And that makes me cross. There are decent people out there, genuinely looking for work, and those who just can't be bothered.

I've got myself into college part time to do an adult numeracy course - which is free. I've also booked a TEFL course, so trying to get myself something under my belt.

Best of luck to all. x

wantsajob · 15 January 2011 at 6:37PM

Cute_Mouse wrote: »

I also feel embarrassed when people say, ‘have you got a job yet?’

Well I suppose it is easy for people who already have a job and their feet under the table to ask a question like that. Wonder if they would continue asking if they were made redundant and had been looking for work for 12 months, perhaps it would change their "it's easy to get a job" outlook.

ironpetal · 15 January 2011 at 8:25PM

Hey auntymomo I did a TEFL. I did mine in Istanbul and I taught in Istanbul for a couple of years...daft question but are you planning on teaching abroad with it?

There is no shame in not having a job. Im not ashamed I haven't got one. Not having a job these days seems to be the norm with more and more people being chucked out of their jobs and the Gov is trying to abolish the 2 year laws of not being able to sack someone to 1 year..so there are more and more people going to get booted out of their jobs in the coming 4 years of their term of office....joining us phlebs in the dole queue. Just keep plodding on and something will come up Im sure of it. To raise your self esteem perhaps do some vol work. Having said that you cant even get into voluntary work now because thats just as hard to apply for. A good website called DO IT! try on that.

Yes one of my PAs in the old JC kept saying telling me shes been on that side of the counter herself and knows what its like....although I have to say she was one of the nicer ones in that place and she also advised me on the quiet to get the hell out of that job centre asap.

auntymomo · 15 January 2011 at 9:14PM

I did some voluntary work, though I had to give it up because it was costing me a fortune in fuel to leave my son with my mum who lives about 8 miles away. I was gutted because I was volunteering at a primary school as a teaching assistant and I absolutely loved it. It's a shame my mum hasn't got a car. If I were working at the school it would have been a different story.

I always like to have a plan B for any eventuality, and I've always wanted to gain a TEFL. I thought it would be good to help those who come here with no English language knowledge. I'm also booked on a German course to back that up as well. I would love to move abroad but because I have a 6yo son and a son of 9 months, their education is of importance. It would be quite difficult.

The lone parent advisor at my local JC once said people were choosing not to work and "breeding like rabbits". I coudlnt' believe my ears.

DCFC79 · 15 January 2011 at 9:21PM

Re retail work 3 of the big 4 all eg sinsburys, asda and tesco advertise they're jobs online on theyre respeective recruitment sites so sending cvs to sainsburys wont get you anywhere as the actual store dont know what jobs are available(its what i was when i was last working there and we had people asking us what jobs were going if we had any)

auntymomo · 15 January 2011 at 9:41PM

I think a lot of places have applications online now. I know Next is one of them. They don't advertise instore where I am, just says the website.

loveandlight · 15 January 2011 at 9:50PM

Anyone seriously looking for work has my utmost respect as when I was looking I found the whole experience soul destroying. The constant rejections plunged me into a heavy depression and I then had to deal with that as well as look for work.