Will I ever be employable? (4 year gap/SAHM)

In_the_red

I did want to be an English Lit teacher for a while as I actually enjoy writing essays to answer questions about what I have read etc but that would mean an English degree and then the PCSE wouldn't it taking even longer time out of work. By that point my daughter will be way into junior school. How would I earn whilst in Uni? would i have to support her on just my loan or would i have to claim Job seekers? I'm totally not feeling the whole signing on thing (no offence to anyone that does) thats my aim to make sure I'm earning before I get kicked off the IS.

I would like to be a primary school teacher but when I looked at the degree's they were only available for people already in employment working with young people which is a bit of a catch 22.

Can anyone suggest another route via the open uni to make primary school teaching available to me?

edited to add, I misread your post as I was on the phone at the same time. What type of degree could do for Primary school? Would I be a general teacher or a more specific -English? As that would be the only thing I could do really, maths is my weakness. Religion, History & ICT I suppose would be okay but not preference.

In_the_red

Well I just thought I would update and say, I have changed my degree choice on the Open University and as of the 4th February I am now studying English Language & Literature. I will then go on to do a PGCE or Cert Ed and hopefully become an English Teacher. Today has been quite interesting but I actually think I have things in perspective and know what I want to do. I can finally see the bigger picture.

Kate78

Just had a look through this thread and wanted to say good luck!

:T

purplehearts066

Yes, you are still employable!
I've had a four year employment gap, during which I had children. I have also had several fairly severe mental health problems, which caused some problems with my last employer towards the end of my time there(when I was especially ill, I did some silly things and was basically unreliable and impulsive). I thought I would never get a job again.

I was on Incapacity Benefit until recently (have recently been assessed for and awarded ESA) and started applying for jobs again a few months ago. I applied mainly for jobs with charities in support work, project work etc. I was offered an interview for every job I applied for. I went for two interviews and was offered both, so I was in the very fortunate position of being able to choose between jobs.
I was a little worried about my reference, so I contacted my previous boss. He was very understanding - he knew I was not well towards the end of my employment there but said my work had been excellent before then. He said he was happy to give me a reference, which he did and it was a good one.

I'm starting work next week, and am so excited. It was amazing being able to call up and end my benefit claim. I will be a bit better off, but for me the main benefit is knowing I am working and making my own money. I also think when you have mental health problems, getting into a routine of work every day is really beneficial. You have to get up, get washed, get dressed, leave the house whether you want to or not - and personally, even though it's hard some days, I've always found my mental health is much improved by working. You also get to socialize, and it improves your self esteem and gives you a sense of purpose and achievement.

Some advice regarding jobs and application forms:
My advice would be to look for progressive employers (check their mission statements, statements regarding disability and mental health etc etc - charities and local councils are usually a good place to start).
I've found that the following method pretty much guarantees an interview with every one of these type of employers.

Most of them will have what is called a 'person specification' which lists a number of points - skills, experience, qualities, qualifications - that are considered either essential or desirable. This is HUGELY valuable as it basically tells you what the employer is looking for - they will usually mark both your application and your interview based on how well you can demonstrate you meet this criteria.
On the application form, there will usually be a space at the end and a question which is something like 'how do you think you meet the requirements of this role'
This is you opportunity to demonstrate how well you meet the person specification. Do a draft first, don't write straight on the form. Go through every single point on the person spec, and say how you meet each point, giving specific examples - these can be from your work or home or voluntary experience. For example, if one of the points is teamworking skills - it's not enough just to say 'I am a good teamworker'. You have to evidence it - give a specific example of a time you have worked as part of a team to achieve an outcome, and explain what role you personally played.
If you are allowed to use extra pages - then do! Spend time on your application form, and make sure it really stands out and is really good quality. I hear of people putting in hundreds of applications a day sometimes, but I don't see how they can be giving each application due attention by doing this. Yes, apply for several jobs, but make sure quality takes precedence over quantity.

Most of the time, the applicants chosen for the shortlist on the basis of how well they meet the person spec. If you can demonstrate you meet the essential requirements, you will very likely get an interview. It also sounds like you may meet the definition of disability under the Disability Discrimination Act.
Utilise this, and declare it if asked on your application. The employer may have a guaranteed interview scheme (where you are guaranteed an interview if you can show you meet the essential requirements of the job) for disabled applicants, and they are more likely to be understanding about employment gaps. Public and voluntary sector employers tend to be really good and understanding about this sort of thing now. i was asked about my own mental health issues at my interview, and my interviewers were really kind and understanding.

Good luck!

purplehearts066

Oh sorry OP - I only read your original post so the above post is a bit irrelevant now!! Best of luck in your chosen career

7heroes

Hi there IntheRed first of all don't lose hope or confidence!! I just thought I'd tell you about my experience. I'ma bit older (nearly 50) & my kids are now grown up. However, I too did an OU degree which eventually took me 6 years BUT it was very very rewarding & well worth the long slow plod.

About 2 years ago I went and helped out with some voluntary work at a local training company just helping with general admin for about 3 months, at the time I remember thinking why am I doing all this work and not getting paid for it? Anyway, while I was there the Training Manager gave me some advice & suggested that it might be a good idea to do some courses at the local college while I was receiving Jobseekers allowance etc. (The jobcentre wouldn't provide any funding BUT enquiries at the college proved fruitful and they were quite happy to fund my courses). I ended up doing a 10month health & safety management course followed by a 10 week City & Guilds Trainers course called PTLLS (Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector) which I finished last year.

Completely out of the blue I received a phone call 6 weeks ago from that same Training Manager whom I hadn't spoken to for about 18 months and who had just started up his own training company asking me if I would work for him as a trainer/facilitator working with adults with no formal qualifications. So I start on Monday!!!

My experience speaks for itself but my point is please don't give up - there are employers out there who understand the ups and downs of life - its trials and tribulations and they do take a great deal of notice of voluntary work and additional training/learning. This guy actually said to me that he was impressed with the drive and commitment that I had shown & that he preferred to employ older staff for their experience in dealing with people and their reliability. Keep at it - drive forward, take advantage of any training courses & funding that you can and don't look back !!!

In_the_red

Purplehearts-That is really valuable information thank you very much. The above is still relevant as I shall still be applying for jobs in the meantime. How would you know the level of which your mental health was to be able to actually use this as a disability. I was thinking hmm surely that would put people off my application, but thinking about it, I'm currently getting zero interviews so I suppose i could give it a go but of course I don't want to use the title if I'm not entitled to if you know what I mean.

purplehearts066

hey - under the terms of the DDA, it is:
'A physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on a person's ability to carry out day-to-day activities.'

Long term means one of the following:
has lasted at least 12 months
is likely to last at least 12 months
is likely to last for the rest of the life of the person affected

There's more detailed info about that here: http://www.pcs.org.uk/en/equality/disability_equality_toolkit/dda_definition_of_disability.cfm
and this has useful info about the DDA in relation to mental health
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/DisabledPeople/HealthAndSupport/MentalHealth/DG_10023351

It depends on the employers you go for. In my sector, public and voluntary sector, employers tend to be overwhelmingly positive about employing disabled people. They often publish stats about how many disabled people they employ, and many are actively seeking to increase the percentage of disabled people they employ, so declaring a disability would be a definite advantage to you.
It is actually illegal to discriminate against someone with a disability, so if you declare yourself disabled it would be much harder to discriminate against you. And now, many many companies and agencies positively encourage applications from disabled applicants. there's a logo you seen on many applications and job packs which looks like a tick with the slogan 'positive about disabled people'. Also you will find many charities, local councils etc have a guaranteed interview scheme for people with disabilities.

If you meet the above definition - you are absolutely entitled to use it. People with mental health difficulties already face a lot of stigma and discrimination and these sort of policies and laws are designed to help you overcome some of these barriers. Utilize them!

As for not getting interviews - personally I've found it much easier to get interviews when the job involves a person spec and application form, rather than submission of a CV. Always read the job pack really thoroughly - it often gives you essential and valuable info that will help you be shortlisted. Most people do not use the information they are given on the person spec, so if you make sure that you do, your application will automatically stand out. these sort of applications do require time and effort, but they are well worth it - as if you can demonstrate that you meet the person spec, showing examples and evidence that you do - you will almost certainly get an interview. The shortlisting panel will usually compile a shortlist by assessing each application, assigning it marks for how well it meets each point on the person spec. I know i keep banging on about person specs, but they are pure gold as they tell you exactly what qualities, experience and skills the employer is looking for.

Best of luck!

t0rt0ise

Just for information, the relevant act is now the Equality Act 2010.

purplehearts066

aren't they both relevant tortoise - as dda deals specifically with disability and the equality act with a range of things?
I've noticed in application forms, the DDA definition of disability tends to be used.