trouble getting a new job

kingslayer

Hi mate. I have been (and still am kind of, but things are improving) in a muddle like yourself and it's difficult. I registered on do it.org and i'm getting into volunteering. I listed my interests and there was a vacancy for "international aid" volunteers. I was intrigued, but apparently I can go sit group meetings on Tuesdays and talk about world issues, including poverty. It interests me and also you can network as well as tackle serious world problems, so it's great all around.

Anyway, i'm kind of rambling, but you could try getting into volunteering in some office capacity? You never know where that could lead. I was also considering volunteering with marketing schemes etc, as marketing has been an interest of mine too. I think all this will stand me in good stead for future jobs, maybe. You can also apply to volunteer working online from home in various areas.

Here is an extract from the "international aid" volunteering vacancy i was looking at. It sounds exciting eh?

How will you benefit?

"You'll have a great opportunity to learn about decisions are taken in the UK Parliament and how we, as active citizens, can influence them. You'll also get a great understanding of major global poverty issues -like access to health and education- and how we can call for practical and lasting solutions to be applied to them. You'll also get opportunities to for training on public speaking, letter writing, meeting with decision makers, and more"

kingslayer

I_Can_Haz_Job? wrote: »

Have you thought about going for an English teaching course? If you have savings you can get onto an intensive 4-week one for around £1k. I did my CELTA last summer and went on to teach as a volunteer as well as picking up paid lessons at a night school. It's a tough course but most people pass it and it's a ticket into work abroad - if you fancy that. My plan was to swan off to China and teach then return to the UK when the job market had improved. Thing is, by teaching as a volunteer I hit the radar of the charity sector headhunters and got a full time job out of it. It's worth thinking about - you seem articulate enough and you don't really need to have any experience in teaching or even an academic background - age doesn't even matter.

Not trying to hijack your thread pin pin, i just wanted to ask this poster a quick question.

How did you get into teaching abroad, as i have heard that you need at least a degree to be able to teach English?

Euphoria1z

apply for job seekers allowance once the company has let you go. Then ask them to train you in computer/office basics. Then apply for call centre positions which are advertised as no experience necessary etc.

pinpin

Euphoria1z wrote: »

apply for job seekers allowance once the company has let you go. Then ask them to train you in computer/office basics. Then apply for call centre positions which are advertised as no experience necessary etc.

I was on jobseekers allowance about 7 years ago for the best part of a year.
It may have got better since(?), but it was a complete joke at the time.
I asked for training to learn some sort of skill to help me out. Something to put on my CV, but the ONLY 'course' they could offer me was a ''CV writing course''!
So I spent days with a guy who would just change the font of my CV, make it double-spaced etc, and that was it.

So if that's all the help people get, I really don't want to sign on if I can avoid it

melysion

InsideInsurance wrote: »

You are at a disadvantage applying for a job you dont have experience for but ultimately if its entry level then there really as much about your fit with the team as the skills you can bring with you

I had no experience whatsoever for the job I'm now doing (I made a career change after 15 years doing something very different). Theres no reason not to go for entry level office jobs if that is what you want.

Annisele

Can you touch type? If not, I'd strongly recommend learning; I think it's much easier to get an office job if you can type.

shireknight

I don't know if things are different nowdays but in the mid 90's after being fired from my job of six years I found a small training company and using my own money paid for a basic Counterbalance fork lift truck training course and despite never having worked in a warehouse in my life was taken on as a fork lift truck driver by the first company I applied to.

In the late noughties I again found myself unemployed, did a basic NVQ course in the Microsoft programmes (Word,Excel etc) and again despite never having worked in an office before very quickly found work in an office so yes my advice is to use your money to pay for a short training course in something and then use whatever certificate you get yourself to find a job.

I suppose because these companies saw that I was willing to invest money in myself that I was worth being taken seriously as an applicant.

Nothanks

My first recommendation would be to cut down on the 10 CVs a day, it's too many and makes me doubt the quality of the document. Send 1-2 really good targetted CVs a day with a strong cover letter having researched the company. Then get specific feedback from the hiring manager about how to improve it for next time as you really want to work there...etc.

Your Union will also have learning reps who can assist with access to (and in a lot of cases funding for) IT and other courses.

buglawton

Local library or college may be offering an IT course.

roobee13

Hi OP,

Just a few ideas - could you be a bit more pro-active and cut the agencies, i.e. go and visit some warehouses direct? Ask to speak to the shift manager nad hand them your CV in person? As the above poster says, you should always tailor your CV for the role you're applying for, so in this instance you could really big up your warehouse experience.

Likewise, you could go to some offices in person to hand in a CV. This CV should really focus on the excel work you did in the warehouse. Have you applied for any reception roles? In my office, most of the people who work on reception end up in back office, it;s almost like getting a foot in the door.

Also, do some councils still offer admin apprenticeships? Ok the pay wouldn't be great but it would look great on your CV to show you're serious about a career change, and give you valuable experience (and could lead to a job).

Sorry for the long post, just had loads of ideas at once! Good luck OP, keep looking and I'm sure something will come up.