What else can I do?

mattcanary

BillJones wrote: »

This sentence is very telling. The responsibility for finding work is always on the claimant. Is is up to them. The government provides help, and benefits, but it is the claimant's responsibility to find work.

As we see on here, those who believe otherwise end up out of work for a very long time.

Very true, but the claimants may need guidance.
The jobcentre don;t offer anything of the sort

mattcanary

whodathunkit wrote: »

If the OP is applying for 20/25 jobs a week, I don't see why those need to be generic applications. It doesn't take an hour to tailor one of your generic CVs and letters to each individual vacancy, leaving the other half of the week for spec letters/calls etc.

If you're completing an application form, it often takes you a lot longer than an hour.
Granted, some will take less than an hour if you are just altering a couple of lines on your CV.

National_Careers_Service

Hi Martynb, sorry to hear you’re finding it tough to get into work. From the sounds of it though you’re being very active in your job search, so be sure to keep that up.

In your post you ask “what else can you do?” but like Adereterial said it's probably “not about doing something 'else', it's now about doing things differently.”

When applying for lots of jobs with little success it usually means that either you’re applying for jobs that don’t match up to your experience or skills, or that your CV isn’t doing you justice. Would you say that the jobs you’re applying for do match with your skills and experience?

You mentioned that you had your CV written for you but the feedback from the Shawtrust had been less than positive. As it’s not getting you any interviews there’s a good likelihood that your CV does need some work.

As Melysion mentioned it’s important to tailor your CV to each role that you apply for. Admittedly this will take some time and it may mean that you apply for fewer jobs, but to be honest that’s probably a good thing. With the market being as competitive as it is, shifting your efforts to quality over quantity could help to tip the balance in your favour.

As a starting point you could send your CV in to us for a review. It’s a free service and one of our advisers will email you back with some feedback. If you want to do that give us a call on 0800 100 900, then they can give you the details so you can send it in and have a chat to you about the type of roles you’re using it to apply for.

I’d also suggest taking a look at the CV guide on the website; it’s got some useful tips that will help you to re-write your CV. http://goo.gl/uoxay

In your post you didn’t mention the type of jobs that you’re applying for. I wondered whether you’re applying for something specific or are you applying for a wide range of roles? If you are applying for different types of roles, tailoring your CV to each role will be crucial as this will help the employer to see how you match the requirements of their particular role.

There’s also a nice article on the guardian website about how to deal with a diverse work history when tailoring your CV. http://jobs.theguardian.com/article/4170831/dealing-with-a-diverse-work-history-on-your-cv/

With regards to volunteering as Tomtontom mentioned http://www.do-it.org.uk/ has a wide range of opportunities. You could also talk to your local volunteer centre as they may be able to match you up with something. Pop your postcode into the search box at the following link to find your nearest volunteer centre. http://www.do-it.org.uk/articles/about-volunteering/find-a-volunteer-centre/

I hope some of that is useful and I really hope that you manage to turn your situation around. Please don’t hesitate to get back in touch to let us know how it’s all going and if you need to ask anything else.

Good luck

Leo

Martynb_

slightlyconfused1 wrote: »

You say you want to work in a gym/ fitness. Have you thought about volunteering for kids after school sports clubs? As long as you have a disclosure there is no barrier to this. This also increases your chances of getting you name known. I know a number of people who have had job offers through this as their skills shine through even though their interviews aren't great.

The sports/fitness area can be quite insular. Go on as many courses as you can to get your face and name known. Make sure your first aid certification is up to date.

Every parent you meet may be a potential employer.

There are so many things you can actively do to help yourself look more attractive to employers and they don't take that much time, just effort and initiative.

I tried but without experience and insurance they won't let me.

Martynb_

National_Careers_Service_representative wrote: »

Hi Martynb, sorry to hear you’re finding it tough to get into work. From the sounds of it though you’re being very active in your job search, so be sure to keep that up.

In your post you ask “what else can you do?” but like Adereterial said it's probably “not about doing something 'else', it's now about doing things differently.”

When applying for lots of jobs with little success it usually means that either you’re applying for jobs that don’t match up to your experience or skills, or that your CV isn’t doing you justice. Would you say that the jobs you’re applying for do match with your skills and experience?

You mentioned that you had your CV written for you but the feedback from the Shawtrust had been less than positive. As it’s not getting you any interviews there’s a good likelihood that your CV does need some work.

As Melysion mentioned it’s important to tailor your CV to each role that you apply for. Admittedly this will take some time and it may mean that you apply for fewer jobs, but to be honest that’s probably a good thing. With the market being as competitive as it is, shifting your efforts to quality over quantity could help to tip the balance in your favour.

As a starting point you could send your CV in to us for a review. It’s a free service and one of our advisers will email you back with some feedback. If you want to do that give us a call on 0800 100 900, then they can give you the details so you can send it in and have a chat to you about the type of roles you’re using it to apply for.

I’d also suggest taking a look at the CV guide on the website; it’s got some useful tips that will help you to re-write your CV. http://goo.gl/uoxay

In your post you didn’t mention the type of jobs that you’re applying for. I wondered whether you’re applying for something specific or are you applying for a wide range of roles? If you are applying for different types of roles, tailoring your CV to each role will be crucial as this will help the employer to see how you match the requirements of their particular role.

There’s also a nice article on the guardian website about how to deal with a diverse work history when tailoring your CV. http://jobs.theguardian.com/article/4170831/dealing-with-a-diverse-work-history-on-your-cv/

With regards to volunteering as Tomtontom mentioned http://www.do-it.org.uk/ has a wide range of opportunities. You could also talk to your local volunteer centre as they may be able to match you up with something. Pop your postcode into the search box at the following link to find your nearest volunteer centre. http://www.do-it.org.uk/articles/about-volunteering/find-a-volunteer-centre/

I hope some of that is useful and I really hope that you manage to turn your situation around. Please don’t hesitate to get back in touch to let us know how it’s all going and if you need to ask anything else.

Good luck

Leo

Thanks for the advice. According to Do-it there are no volunteer centres within 25 miles of where I live.

tomtontom

Martynb_ wrote: »

Thanks for the advice. According to Do-it there are no volunteer centres within 25 miles of where I live.

But there are lots of opportunities that you can apply for yourself.

ArtoDeeto

I would say that is good advice to an extent but what they should really ask is why aren't you getting any interviews and what is the problem...
My biggest worry would be why can't you get voluntary work? Do you live in John-O-Groats or Lands End. Most charity shops are desperate for helpers...

Martynb_ wrote: »

I cannot move to the city
Notice that no-one in the group talks about politics. No-one. And you dare not talk about politics in the JC either.
What could I be doing wrong?

I hate to say it but maybe you have answered your own question/solution here. If you are into politics great but either become an MP/councillor or stop bringing it into to your job searching - you can detach the two.

mgdavid

there's all manner of reasons that could conceivably cause the OP to not be making progress with the job search.
- appearance (dress / manner)
- social skills
- general air of negativity
- lack of confidence
etc.
One wold expect the JC to highlight any of these if they were applicable - but how about getting a second opinion from a trusted friend or family member, i.e. somebody who knows you personally?