I know many are in the same position but...

marybelle01

lushlifesaver wrote: »

I am looking at legal support/administration, administration and work within organisations supporting individuals with learning difficulties/autistic spectrum disorders as these are where most of my knowledge and experience lie.

Worked as a project worker supporting young women in a rehabilitation programme (various issues including substance use/abuse, self-injury, depression, eating disorders), project worker and administrative staff supporting victims of human trafficking, coordinated a childrens group for a year planning a curriculum and then additionally supporting children with challenging behaviours and their families.

Have looked at administrative positions as well more specialised work.

Have 3 versions of my CV that I pick from according to the specifics of the role and always tailor additional/supporting documents and covering letters to person specifications etc where possible. Have now started to leave my MSc off some applications and then briefly mention it in a separate section as have been asked why there is a break in employment etc.

I am looking in south/west Yorkshire, there are a lot of appropriate jobs advertised locally/in the areas I am wanting work but I don't seem to be chosen for them! I've even applied for shop and bar/restaurant work (worked in a cafe for about 18months in college/first year of uni) but even those jobs don't want me!

I also have experience volunteering with a wheelchair rugby team, a number of other disability sports and supporting individuals.

I am based in the same area as you and in social care so I think I may be able to throw some light on this. There have been huge cuts in these areas of work over the last two /three years and there are literally hundreds of people chasing these jobs. What looks to you to be a lot of jobs is actually a fraction of what there was. Most of what you are looking at is "frills" - and no offence meant by that. These are areas of work most of which are not statutory duties, and most of which have been heavily subsidised by local Councils who can no longer afford them and government grants which no longer exist. The contraction in such work has been massive.

A number of local councils, where they are recruiting in these fields, are focussing on the troubled family agenda, for which there is some additional funding currently, so it may be worth looking out for jobs in that field.

The other suggestion, if you can arrange the circumstances around your benefit claim, might be to try some of the local councils for unpaid internships. I know of a number who will consider such arrangements, and in our own council, pretty much anyone who has gone down this route has ended up with a job. We don't "officially" have such positions - they are the result of gutsy graduates who have taken the initiative and sold themselves to particular sections or managers. But it's got them more than a foot in the door...

lushlifesaver

phill99 wrote: »

Where have I said 'lie' or "take stuff off of your CV or add stuff to it'.

What I am trying to point out is that the OP is evidently highly qualified and seems to be applying for 'any job'. This will show through on an application or at interview. The employer (which I am both in my current role and previous roles) will say 'why is this guy who has 2 degrees and capable of a senior role applying for admin and support roles when it is clear he is qualified for much more than this'. To me it says that this man is desperate, but at the first opportunity he will be off because he is bored and not using his skills. On that basis, I would not employ him.

It is important that you apply for a job that you are competent at doing and not adopt a scatter gun approach to job applications in the hope that something will stick.

(Just to note I'm a lass)
I have been applying only for jobs where I feel I could succeed in the organisation/work place and which I feel would use the skills I have developed. None of the senior roles want me as they want an individual with more 'practical'/on the job experience. Even the admin jobs I've applied for have in at least one way or another utilised my skills and experience and I have tried to demonstrate this in my applications.

The other suggestion, if you can arrange the circumstances around your benefit claim, might be to try some of the local councils for unpaid internships. I know of a number who will consider such arrangements, and in our own council, pretty much anyone who has gone down this route has ended up with a job. We don't "officially" have such positions - they are the result of gutsy graduates who have taken the initiative and sold themselves to particular sections or managers. But it's got them more than a foot in the door...

I'm not currently receiving any benefits except receiving a small amount of carers allowance each week for supporting my other half. Thank you very much for this idea though, it is definitely something I will look in to doing (would you think that a letter would be the best way to get started in this process possibly?)

cashbackproblems

phill99 wrote: »

Where have I said 'lie' or "take stuff off of your CV or add stuff to it'.

What I am trying to point out is that the OP is evidently highly qualified and seems to be applying for 'any job'. This will show through on an application or at interview. The employer (which I am both in my current role and previous roles) will say 'why is this guy who has 2 degrees and capable of a senior role applying for admin and support roles when it is clear he is qualified for much more than this'. To me it says that this man is desperate, but at the first opportunity he will be off because he is bored and not using his skills. On that basis, I would not employ him.

It is important that you apply for a job that you are competent at doing and not adopt a scatter gun approach to job applications in the hope that something will stick.

Ditto i have also done this and in fact a lot of my CV is a lie APART from the company, dates of employment and qualifications, the content in terms of what i did in those roles is very much exaggerated/made up. I have also left out short term/student jobs etc so to not leave the cv too messy on first glance.

To the OP you have to keep applying, using different channels e.g networking and directly approaching companies and personally iv never got anywhere with agencies or companies like reed who have 100+ apps online per job. Tailoring CV is very important, alot of the time cover letters do not get read but CVs do.

westv

morganedge wrote: »

I then tested this theory again, and lied about a number of things (qualifications and age) and again, nobody ever found out.

How can you lie about your age?! I don't have my age on my CV but it's obvious how old I am referring to when my first job started - not that I would lie anyway.

westv

phill99 wrote: »

Where have I said 'lie' or "take stuff off of your CV or add stuff to it'.

What I am trying to point out is that the OP is evidently highly qualified and seems to be applying for 'any job'. This will show through on an application or at interview. The employer (which I am both in my current role and previous roles) will say 'why is this guy who has 2 degrees and capable of a senior role applying for admin and support roles when it is clear he is qualified for much more than this'. To me it says that this man is desperate, but at the first opportunity he will be off because he is bored and not using his skills. On that basis, I would not employ him.

It is important that you apply for a job that you are competent at doing and not adopt a scatter gun approach to job applications in the hope that something will stick.

So are you saying the OP should ignore all jobs except those that a specific to his qualifications/expereince?
No doubt if the OP had said that in his first post then someone would have come along to give totally the opposite opinion!

MissSarah1972

morganedge wrote: »

I had to comment on this, as I completely disagree.
A few years ago when I had been unemployed for quite a long time, I became so frustrated that I decided to lie my !!! off on my CV!
I got a job and was never 'found out' (much to my suprise)

I then tested this theory again, and lied about a number of things (qualifications and age) and again, nobody ever found out.

I imagine it depends on the level of job one is applying for, and how big the company is and how big the lies are, but in my experience, leaving things off a CV, which is was is being contemplated, would DEFINITELY not raise any alarms and I'd strongly encourage it and be willing to bet that they'd never rumble you.

Not to mention that it's really hard to prove a negative, anyway.
You just don't mention that you studies at a certain college and got a certain qualification. You lie about what you did in that 'gap'. Not as if they'd call every college to see if you were ever a student there!, lol.

You would be surprised what people check. I was recently asked for ALL my certificates from school from 1987 and was told if I could not bring them I could not have the interview.

MissSarah1972

phill99 wrote: »

Where have I said 'lie' or "take stuff off of your CV or add stuff to it'.

What I am trying to point out is that the OP is evidently highly qualified and seems to be applying for 'any job'. This will show through on an application or at interview. The employer (which I am both in my current role and previous roles) will say 'why is this guy who has 2 degrees and capable of a senior role applying for admin and support roles when it is clear he is qualified for much more than this'. To me it says that this man is desperate, but at the first opportunity he will be off because he is bored and not using his skills. On that basis, I would not employ him.

It is important that you apply for a job that you are competent at doing and not adopt a scatter gun approach to job applications in the hope that something will stick.

Sorry but where did I say you said to lie?

You said tailor make the applcation so if you had a degree or A levels and say 20 years experience in accounts and was applying for a job to work on the till in Tesco how would you tailtor make a CV for that without lying?

I have 3 CV's for accounts jobs and one general one for anything like shop work and still been turned down for jobs as over qaulified.

The thing is the employer makes the job out to be something it isn't and then tells you it's too junior for you.

A lot of people with no job are DESPERATE for ANY job!

RuthnJasper

I do feel for you Lushlife, as I've been in the same position as you a number of times. It's a very bitter experience to be told that you have been turned down for a job because you are "overqualified" - particularly as you (like me) are clearly an employee worth having.

One tip I've used is to Google the firm to which you are applying so that you can ask or comment on something pertinent during your interview - for example, if you are applying to be a legal secretary, you could say something like "I see that you recently won the case of X vs Y. That must have been complicated and I was glad to see that the plaintiff was awarded £abc thanks to the firm's efforts.....". That, at least, shows that you take a keen interest in the company's activities.

And I appreciate how tough regular "rejection" can be - but I've always been most successful in interviews where I've been able to relax, look like I'm enjoying the experience and even made a witty (appropriate) quip or two.

Interviewers - like prospective boyfriends - can see desperation a mile off.

Very best wishes to you Lushlife - I hope that you meet up with your perfect job very, very soon. xx

marybelle01

lushlifesaver wrote: »

I'm not currently receiving any benefits except receiving a small amount of carers allowance each week for supporting my other half. Thank you very much for this idea though, it is definitely something I will look in to doing (would you think that a letter would be the best way to get started in this process possibly?)

Well sort of makes things easier as I think that JSA rules around being available and seeking work are the usual barrier - some places are good at being flexible and others aren't, it seems to me. But no, a letter won't do it. When I said sell, that really was what I meant! Letters that aren't important, and whilst it may be important to you it isn't to them, tend to get to the bottom of the pile and fall into the trash bin!

Sit down and work out what you have to offer - and don't worry about leaving stuff off because graduates doing the most basic of admin roles are ten a penny in most councils now, so you aren't going to look at all oddly over-qualified to anyone. Think about what you can sell them, and what you would want out of the experience - it's ok to ask for things too! So what kind of experience would you like to gain, maybe some training (there's lots of free courses in councils - or at least free to you). Then if you can possibly find a way in, use any contacts you have to try to get you a face to face meeting with someone. If you can't do that, try through HR officers. Try as hard as you can to speak to someone face to face - you'll sell this better that way. Only go for a letter - and it will need to be a carefully composed one - if you absolutely can't get through the door. And if you must try that approach, then use the internet - identify key officers and write to them personally. No dear sir/madam letters - those come through the door in their thousands!

phill99

westv wrote: »

So are you saying the OP should ignore all jobs except those that a specific to his qualifications/expereince?
No doubt if the OP had said that in his first post then someone would have come along to give totally the opposite opinion!

What I am suggesting is that if a candidate applies for posts that are clearly below their capabilities, it may be seen by the employer as desperation. It can easily be misconstrued that if you are desperate for any job, you will not be serious about the role and looking for new opportunities the minute you sit down at your desk. I'm not suggesting it's correct, I'm just saying that is how it can be seen.