Merseyside employers are enraging me!

denla

samwich1979 wrote: »

Thats very easy for you to say im sure...........do you have a job yourself?!

Trust me i live in the Merseyside area and my husband has been unemployed for nearly 2 years and he is destroyed by the fact he gets ignored for every job he applies for, so much so he feels like giving up. He is rock bottom with it all.

I get REALLY sick of hearing "oh it could be worse, you could be disabled, this, that and the other, BLAH BLAH BLAH".

You obviously talk through your backside and have no idea what years of job searching without success does to people!

Sorry but your comment has really got up my nose.:mad:

I do have a job and I have experienced the job search cycle. Have you starved for a whole week to save up for travelling expenses, only to get rejected, and later try again, and again, and again? I have. It's part of life. I'm not whining and neither should your husband, especially when he has you to support him.

samwich1979

denla wrote: »

I do have a job and I have experienced the job search cycle. Have you starved for a whole week to save up for travelling expenses, only to get rejected, and later try again, and again, and again? I have. It's part of life. I'm not whining and neither should your husband, especially when he has you to support him.

Although i do work and support my husband and toddler we struggle, my wage certainly isnt enough for 3! I have not bought food for the last 2 weeks so i could pay for my travel to work and worked 10 hour days on just a packet of Smartprice noodles, so YES i know exactly how hard things are money wise even IN employment.

It is not easy on either of us but we get on with it and dont whine but reading statements about how things could be worse doesnt help.

kingfisherblue

I have recently shortlisted and interviewed for an admin post on Merseyside, and most applications didn't answer the job spec criteria. As a result, they didn't get as far as interview. The ones that did had detailed how they fit the criteria, and the successful applicant gave examples from previous employment during interview, to demonstrate how he could do the job.

I know it isn't much help for previous appllcations, but for future ones, make sure that you answer the job spec. Include more details - instead of saying you can use a computer, specify the programmes that you can use confidently and then include other programmes that you have experience of. Give examples - 'I am confident in using Word and have created reports, written formal letters and typed up Minutes from meetings I have then attached the Minutes to emails to send to all members of the committee'.

Make sure that there are no spelling mistakes, Tippex or crossing out, and that your grammar and punctuation are correct. Don't write everything in capital letters (very hard to read), and keep your handwriting neat and readable.

If you can, attend courses that give you further accreditation. Even those that don't offer accreditation show that you are keeping your skills up to date, and show commitment to attendance. Voluntary work is usually looked on favourably and can give you an additional and up to date reference.

Good luck x

SueC_2

MissSarah1972 wrote: »

I know I have applied for at least 2500 in a year. It's laughable.

That's a heck of a lot of applications.

Assuming you are job hunting 7 days per week, and took no days off whatsoever during the year, it's virtually 7 applications per day.

Assuming you are job hunting for 12 hours of the day, that's one application every hour and three quarters.

If you were only applying for jobs for 8 hours per day, 5 days per week, that would be an application every 50 minutes (which includes the time to actually find the job advert etc).

I'd say that it's possibly that you could improve your chances of success by targeting your search a bit closer, and spending more time tailoring your applications, rather than using the scatter gun approach which doesn't seem to be yielding much success.

teabelly

Don't mention 25 years experience. Employers don't want people over 25 if they can avoid it. Only mention 5 years worth, maybe a max of 8.

Targetting applications to jobs that you only precisely fit without being under or over qualified is generally better for results than going after anything you can vaguely do.

Truegho

So in order words, they are ageist?

I thought there was a law against this. Obviously, if there is, many employers are flouting it!

teabelly

Truegho wrote: »

So in order words, they are ageist?

I thought there was a law against this. Obviously, if there is, many employers are flouting it!

Take off earlier work experience, all older dates and see what a difference it makes...

There are laws against a lot of things. Many employers ignore them.

Daedalus

Truegho wrote: »

So in order words, they are ageist?

I thought there was a law against this. Obviously, if there is, many employers are flouting it!

Sure, prove it.

Buellguy

teabelly wrote: »

Don't mention 25 years experience. Employers don't want people over 25 if they can avoid it. Only mention 5 years worth, maybe a max of 8.

Targetting applications to jobs that you only precisely fit without being under or over qualified is generally better for results than going after anything you can vaguely do.

Unfortunately I can't, I was with my last employer (the Army) for 22 years

MissSarah1972

SueC wrote: »

That's a heck of a lot of applications.

Assuming you are job hunting 7 days per week, and took no days off whatsoever during the year, it's virtually 7 applications per day.

Assuming you are job hunting for 12 hours of the day, that's one application every hour and three quarters.

If you were only applying for jobs for 8 hours per day, 5 days per week, that would be an application every 50 minutes (which includes the time to actually find the job advert etc).

I'd say that it's possibly that you could improve your chances of success by targeting your search a bit closer, and spending more time tailoring your applications, rather than using the scatter gun approach which doesn't seem to be yielding much success.

Most applications as I am sure you are all aware are just CV's on sites like Reed, Hays, Monster etc with one of a variety of cover letters I have attched to them which are tailored to the role and what was stated in the advert.

Yes I job search all day every day and apply for anything like I am told to do by the Job Centre. Temp, contract, full time perm, part time - all sorts. Shop work too like Boots, Primark, Sainsbury with no luck