Arrrgghhh so angry, for those who say just get a job stacking shelves

Greenst

asparagusnextleft wrote: »

I used to work as an office manager but have experience in supermarkets and call centres as well. When I started looking for work, I applied for office manager and administrator jobs but started to find that employers are demanding a degree for these types of jobs (or even senior management experience in one case, which was ridiculous), which I do not have (just several years experience) and got nowhere. Applied for hundreds of jobs and got one interview. It's worth remembering that a lot of the jobs advertised online do not actually exist, so out of all the jobs I applied for, a lot of the time and effort was wasted as there was actually no job in the first place, they were just a figment of the recruitment consultant's imagination.

After getting nowhere with that, I also looked for supermarket jobs as I just wanted to be at work again. I found that supermarket jobs were few and far between, if you ask in store they direct you to their website where very few jobs were advertised. I also got nowhere with this. The few jobs that were advertised had hundreds of applicants and competition for these jobs is extremely tough as, as has already been mentioned, EVERYONE is applying for them.

Eventually I got a part time job in a small call centre which is actually a mix of calls and admin. It has taken months to get this job, they also had an awful lot of applicants but I was able to meet all their essential criteria and all but one of the desirables.

It's easy for people to say 'just get any job' but the reality is a lot harder as everyone is trying to 'just get any job' at the moment.

:TI am glad you get it!!! I am not going on about graduates or qualified nurses flipping burgers or even if you are an unemployed brain surgeon! I am talking about the condescending people out there who seem to think that we can all just walk into a 'supermarket' job. Things just aren't like that in the majority of places in the UK.

I was talking to a woman at work earlier in the week she told me about a friend who applied for a job at a new Wilkinsons, there were 40 vacancies and over 900 applicants!!! So many that they had to close down the applications process!

I am also talking about my friends daughter, she doesn't have a degree, she is 17, she can't just up sticks and re locate to the EU as someone else has put on here or anywhere else for that matter, she lives at home with her mum and is half way through her college course!!!!!

GothicStirling

Gillyx wrote: »

Well considering my dad has no formal qualifications or a decent standard of education, he was never out of work, but he must have had about 20 odd jobs, maybe even more. If he didn't like the conditions he left and could always find something else.

Unless of course he is lying to me, but I'm not sure what purpose that would serve.

I'm not saying it's worse today, far from it.

Well, my Dad left school at the age of 16 in 1956, so he had a very basic education. Didn't stop him working for the Civil Service and Securicor.

Which is a shame, because he was a talented artist and wanted to work as a theatre set designer, but it was a different world then.

I've never really struggled for work. Longest time I've claimed JSA for is three weeks.

GothicStirling

Tiddlywinks wrote: »

The fact is that, yes, there are jobs out there BUT there are very often more applicants than jobs. You could have 100 people equally able, qualified and possessing fabulous personalities etc and all be perfect for the job but still only one can get the post. That does not mean that the other 99 were not worthy of employment. It can come down to the luck of the draw.

Having worked in tourism management, I would actually say it's more of a case of getting competitive, than anything to do with luck.

Do voluntary work, get involved in local projects, check out training and educational opportunities . . .

t0rt0ise

I think there's a lot of luck involved. When it comes down to them choosing someone at interview, it's often just a matter of who they gel with the best. I recently had an interview and I just didn't seem to have any connection with the interviewers and even though I gave all the right answers, I knew I wouldn't get the job, and I didn't.

Wellery82

asparagusnextleft wrote: »

It's worth remembering that a lot of the jobs advertised online do not actually exist, so out of all the jobs I applied for, a lot of the time and effort was wasted as there was actually no job in the first place, they were just a figment of the recruitment consultant's imagination.

On what basis do you say this? I often hear it but just don't agree.

Recruiters advertise roles that were in place and have been filled but they haven't been told yet - they still think it is open

They advertise roles where their fees haven't been signed off and then the company won't use them

They advertise roles where the company decide to get a feel for who is on the market and give an indication of a specific role

I never experienced once though, from any consultant i ever worked with them making up jobs. It just wasn't a good use of time when you can advertise roles to get candidates for the jobs you actually need to fill, not fictitious ones

InsideInsurance

There is an element of luck in interviewing but interviewing is more a skill than a piece of luck as illustrated by those that get most the jobs they apply for -v- those that get almost none.

Ste_C

Greenst wrote: »

:mad::mad::mad:
I get so angry looking at posts on this site from people desperate to get a job where replies say "well just get a job stacking shelves". Or "get a part time job" or "a summer job in a supermarket until something else comes up"!

There are no jobs out there!

There are 1000s of vacancies out there. They might not be the job you want, they might not pay what you want and they might not be your dream, but there are loads of jobs out there.

People who say they want a job but can't find one are clearly not doing enough to find something.

J_i_m

starryshell wrote: »

And don't forget that professionals who apply for jobs such as stacking shelves, etc. are usually told they're overqualified and aren't even considered.

That's the rub of the matter... but it's even worse than that. I got told by Tesco that I was "over qualified" (admittedly some years ago now).

I basically simply had all my GCSE's (with only French outside of C grade) one very poor A level, and a uncompleted BTEC national certificate.

I only have one extra qualification to add to that lot now, an OCN in Business Management...

yet I'm over qualified to stack shelves but under-qualified to be a trainee manager, since most seem to look for uni graduates.

WelshPaul

When they say your over qualified they mean they know your only going to stick with the job as long as it takes for you to find a better one!

They don't want the hassle of giving you the job just to re advertise the position three or four months down the road because something more suited to your needs came along.

They are then left with advertising your old job, shifting through god knows how many application forms, interviewing candidates and then all the paper trail that goes with it. Doing that every few months for a toilet cleaning position is a pain! lol

OurKev

Jimavfc82 wrote: »

On what basis do you say this? I often hear it but just don't agree.

Recruiters advertise roles that were in place and have been filled but they haven't been told yet - they still think it is open

They advertise roles where their fees haven't been signed off and then the company won't use them

They advertise roles where the company decide to get a feel for who is on the market and give an indication of a specific role

I never experienced once though, from any consultant i ever worked with them making up jobs. It just wasn't a good use of time when you can advertise roles to get candidates for the jobs you actually need to fill, not fictitious ones

In the IT industry this is a well used "ruse".

Agencies aim to have a stable of staff ready to offer prospective employers, ideally to fill vacancies without having to even advertise.

One of the easiest ways to do this is to publish an advert for the kind of role they think they are short of.

I and colleagues have first hand experience of enquiring on adverts just placed, then being told that the job has been filled/withdrawn, but "while you are on can we have your CV".