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

claire16c

Person_one wrote: »

There will always be some people who are great at writing applications, can impress at interview and will generally have no trouble walking into a job. Some of these people, based on their personal experiences will extrapolate that the situation is the same for everybody, this is not the case.

Some people don't have the language or communication skills to write a good application letter or the confidence to do well at interview, some people have never received any guidance or any constructive feedback on their job hunting techniques and can't figure out what they're doing wrong when they'd probably be just as capable of the shelf stacking/waitressing/factory floor job as anyone else.

I've helped friends and acquaintances with CVs and applications and been amazed at how educated, bright people write them. This isn't a skill and knowledge set we are all born with, at some point you need a person in the know to clue you in on the accepted techniques.

Sadly, its not the case that if you just keep applying you will eventually get something. If you're at the bottom of one pile, you're likely to be at the bottom of nearly everybody's. Without wishing to sound big-headed here, when I was applying for jobs last year I interviewed for four and was offered two, with no experience or qualifications in the field, I just knew how to sell myself and probably beat plenty of better qualified people. When I applied to uni this year, I was offered places at all my choices while plenty of people received five rejections. Employers (and unis) don't just hand out jobs (or places) fairly so that everybody gets one, the same people will keep succeeding while the same people keep failing until somebody helps them learn the inside tricks to tick the right boxes.

I agree, My tutor at uni ripped my cv to shreds but since I amended it, every job I used it to apply for asked me to interview, and every interview I have been offered the job. This I really think is because I know how to sell myself. Im sure there were other people who could have done the job.

I've also seen some really bad cvs when Ive had to hire people at work. And its not that the person doesnt necessarily have good work experience, qualifications etc, they just don't highlight it enough. Employers only look at a cv for a few seconds if there are hundreds to go though.

There is no point applying for hundreds of jobs and keep making the same mistakes. Sometimes the time would be spent better, finding someone who can help with a cv and interview practise.

My friend works for a supermarket and interviewed 3 people last week for a shelf stacking job. None of them passed the interview and some of the answers they gave were awful. So shes had to put the advert out again.

Greenst

My friends daughter has now given up the job search for the summer, the supermarkets have sent her away saying she has to apply on line, there are no jobs on line in this area (Hertfordshire) she applied for a job cleaning in a local gym, that had been filled the day after the job was advertised, another local small supermarket has asked her to try again in September as they may have vacancies then.

She is lucky that she is at college so lives at home and doesn't have to pay bills, but just to reiterate my initial post, it's not easy to 'just get a job in a supermarket' these days

scooby088

What gets me is you still have to interview for these jobs too, and then you will more than likely be one of 300 applying for the job too. So it is highly competitive for all job sectors at the moment.

GothicStirling

Put it this way, the McDonald's I'm working in has just hired 20 full-timers. That's one store, the other three in this area all did the same too.

SueC_2

Greenst wrote: »

My friends daughter has now given up the job search for the summer, the supermarkets have sent her away saying she has to apply on line, there are no jobs on line in this area (Hertfordshire) she applied for a job cleaning in a local gym, that had been filled the day after the job was advertised, another local small supermarket has asked her to try again in September as they may have vacancies then.

She is lucky that she is at college so lives at home and doesn't have to pay bills, but just to reiterate my initial post, it's not easy to 'just get a job in a supermarket' these days

Giving up is never the right way to succeed at something.

It may be tough, no, it IS tough, but really the only hope anyone has of getting a job is through perseverance. By giving up, the only thing she is achieving is making it very marginally easier for everyone else who is job hunting.

horse76

My OH got a job in a supermarket as a shelf-stacker 6 years ago, as he left a job he could no longer stand. We needed the money, although it was only part-time, it paid well and was enough for us to get by until he found another job. Sadly this isn't the case these days, one major supermarket who opened a new store in our county 2 years ago, I read in a newspaper that it had 7000 applicants for the 400 new jobs it was creating!

Greenst

Yes I know but she's not my daughter she is 17 and has a mind of her own, I have done all I can to help her, I know you will say if she gives up at 17 what will she be like trying to find a job when it really matters this time next year when her college course finishes.

She genuinely has tried all over the place to get part time work but there really isn't anything out there, there is a local McDonalds and 3 large supermarkets etc she has dropped her CV off where they will accept it, I have told her to go back to these places in person every so often and remind them that she is still looking and to keep her 'face' current.

I can only do what I can, but it's taken me the best part of a year to find a job round here and I am a adult with many years experience, qualifications and a very can do attitude.

After applying for numerous jobs in my field and either getting only to 1st interview on 2 jobs and thanks but no thanks replies on the others I have now found a part time job on min wage that hardly scratches the surface of paying my bills. It's not in my area of expertise, and not what I want to be doing with my life but I know beggars can't be choosers and it's better than nothing, so I know how hard it is out there.

SueC_2

Greenst wrote: »

Yes I know but she's not my daughter she is 17 and has a mind of her own, I have done all I can to help her, I know you will say if she gives up at 17 what will she be like trying to find a job when it really matters this time next year when her college course finishes.

No-one's saying this is your responsibility. She may well have a mind of her own, but if she's not very careful it's a mind that will soon be spending its time sat on the sofa watching daytime tv day in and day out believing that the world owes it a living without it having to do anything to generate it.

Greenst wrote: »

She genuinely has tried all over the place to get part time work but there really isn't anything out there,

Wrong, there IS work out there. There may not be many vacancies, and applicants way well outnumber them, but the country has not been entirely boarded up and closed down.

Greenst wrote: »

there is a local McDonalds and 3 large supermarkets etc she has dropped her CV off where they will accept it, I have told her to go back to these places in person every so often and remind them that she is still looking and to keep her 'face' current.

Good advice. Hertfordshire is a big place, and I don't know whereabouts she is based, but it's not exactly a remote area of the country and there are many many many trading estates, industrial estates, processing plants, shopping centres, hotels, restaurants etc etc etc across the entire county. If her area is big enough to have 3 large supermarkets, it can't be far from other industry hubs - why is she limiting herself to McD's and the supermarkets?

Greenst wrote: »

I can only do what I can, but it's taken me the best part of a year to find a job round here and I am a adult with many years experience, qualifications and a very can do attitude.

After applying for numerous jobs in my field and either getting only to 1st interview on 2 jobs and thanks but no thanks replies on the others I have now found a part time job on min wage that hardly scratches the surface of paying my bills. It's not in my area of expertise, and not what I want to be doing with my life but I know beggars can't be choosers and it's better than nothing, so I know how hard it is out there.

No-one's denying it's hard, but as you clearly realise, that isn't a valid reason for not trying. And not trying is never going to result in success!

donnajunkie

GothicStirling wrote: »

Put it this way, the McDonald's I'm working in has just hired 20 full-timers. That's one store, the other three in this area all did the same too.

what happened to the old staff?

edinburgher

what happened to the old staff?

They served them on a bun

Either that, or Stirling has freakish mega-McDonalds with hundreds of staff.