No one wants to employ me - how can I get a job?

casterlyrock

Read the thread created by the guy who had been in prison and was struggling to find work and was inspired to sign up and post my own predicament.

I was fired in March from my job working for a well known mobile phone company. I'm 26 and I'd worked for the company since I was 20 having worked my way up from a sales assistant role (I did a few other shop type sales jobs before then). I was an assistant manager in store and the company dismissed me for inaccurately recording my hours worked on three occasions over a 4 month period. I'm not going to defend myself, I was completely to blame and hold my hands up. It was stupidity and of course I regret what I did.

I live alone in a rented 1 bedroom flat which still has 12 months left on the tenancy. I had a few thousand in savings which I've been living off since my last pay in April, but considering I have rent to pay (£600 p/c/m) and food/bills etc, I probably only have about 2 months left before I run out of money. I have no friends to help me out and family live hundreds of miles away and aren't able to help.


I started looking for jobs as soon as I was sacked. Sending CVs/covering letters to any sales jobs (sales assistant level and store manager roles). I probably applied for about 30 jobs and received interview requests for 8 of them.

I couldn't leave my last job off my CV as I'd been with the company for 6 years and it was the only real "career" I had. I mean, how else could I explain 6 years of no work or study? I explained in the interviews that I had been sacked from my last job and explained why and explained what I had learnt from it and how I had learnt from my errors. Not one of them called me back to offer me the job.


I then starting applying for ANY job. Call centre, cleaning, driving jobs, warehouse jobs etc anything unskilled. I send some applications with my last job on the CV and some without it. I sent off around 30-40 applications to all kinds of jobs. I had interviews for 11 of them (a cleaning job, a few warehouse jobs and a sales assistant job in a shoe shop). All except one of the jobs I had interview requests for were for jobs where I had mentioned my previous job (as an assistant manager) and only one (a warehouse job) where I had removed it.

Again, the same problem cropped up. I got desperate and decided not to mention the sacking at all, but obviously when they contacted my previous employer the truth came out. No jobs.

I tried approaching ex-colleagues to see if they would write a personal reference about working with me, but none of them would as they were worried about how the company would react if they found out they were giving a reference for someone they had sacked (I could understand their point to be fair).

I'm so desperate. I signed on at the Jobcentre last month and nothing has changed. I've asked them for advice, or whether could assist in any other way but the advisor was very unhelpful and just said something along the lines of "keep applying, something will turn up".

I've been applying for 5 months, had 20+ interviews, send dozens of applications off for all kinds of jobs and still NOTHING.

I am running out of money and I will miss my rent payment soon if I don't get a job. I have really tried and willing to do ANY kind of work (obviously enough to cover my rent/food/bills so around £800-£900 a month).

Am I unemployable? How am I supposed to get employment if even cleaning companies/warehouse/entry level jobs won't even employ me? I'll take anything right now, but no one will take me.

Mockingjays

I don't have the expertise unfortunately to answer your question, but one things occurs to me and that's the possibility of you doing some voluntary work? I appreciate it won't solve the problem of needing a job, but could provide an opportunity for you to offer another referee and a chance to prove yourself as reliable etc.

With your savings running out there may be lots of tips on this site how to try to reduce your outgoings for now. Even downshifting at supermarkets can help a little (ie not using brand, trying supermarket's own). If you have any credit cards you could let your creditors know about your situation and negotiate a reduced payment for now etc. These don't the solve the problem of course but can help save a bit of money.

Good luck to you.

GothicStirling

Have you applied for Housing Benefit to help cover the costs of your rent? I second the suggestion of voluntary work. They will ask for references, but be honest and tell them why you were fired (personally I can't see it being a problem), and it will give you a current reference.


Don't give up. I was unemployed last year for six months and I was starting to think I was unemployable. All that had happened to me was that I had been working a temporary contract.

barbaraemmerson

have a look at Kitchen porters jobs - minimum wage plus tips - but a step though the door - often employers don't worry too much about references and it would give you a new employment history for your CV

[Deleted User]

What part of the country are you in?


Have you signed up to the reed 7 day availability thing? my last experience was potential of factory work temp for potentially 1 day up to 3 months - received an email asking me to call an agencies industrial desk (negative part below on being a Temp I'm afraid) some agencies might loan you the safety boots


Have you tried the automotive industry - working in sales? seen lots of job crop up round here for that so hoping it may extend country wide


Have you seen the concerned reference?? as I don't think this is asked for much (except obviously certain regulated industries) either that or I've worked for strange employers


Can I also urge caution on taking lots of temp jobs - this can also end up making you 'vulnerable' (the easier one to let go because of the past you've been a temp blah blah.. and that's the something of a downside of a reference not being taken unfortunately!) if you obtain permanent employment where you only have hours to prove yourself, so only do it if the CV really allows it


Bizarrely I echo don't give up

OneFredWonder

I second voluntary work-it helped me get a job.

Al1x

I also agree about voluntary work.

I've recently started volunteering with a company and they are offering me lots of training courses which is excellent.

Mistral001

Have you tried just walking into places where you think they might want extra workers and ask for a job. It might be an old-fashioned concept, I know, but it could work for you. You might have to take some crumby jobs, but it could get you back into the workplace.


You have to be aware that it is expensive for employers to employ new people if they advertise in newspapers etc. and very expensive if they go through a recruitment agent so hiring someone who comes to them does save them money.

pinkshoes

If you have 12 months left on the tenancy, it might be worth phoning the landlord and letting him know your predicament. he might release you from your tenancy if you let him know in advance that you have lost your job and have no means of paying, despite applying for X jobs and getting Y interviews. Have you got family you could go and stay with?

This would ease your financial burden, which would then ease one stress. You could then afford to volunteer.

Have you tried writing an accompanying (begging!) letter to job applications explaining why you were sacked and what you have learned from it and how you realise you were an idiot at least that way, if you get an interview, they already know!

torbrex

I have posted this on a few other threads and been ignored but I will try again.

OCS retail services offer zero hour contracts all over the country doing stockchecking, there are buses running to jobs from certain locations (I have a list) not the best job in the world but some of the guys get enough shifts to give them a decent wage

casterlyrock

blondebubbles wrote: »

Have you tried to claim JSA?

Yes, I think I mentioned in my first post I had started claiming a little while ago (£73 a week).

GothicStirling wrote: »

Have you applied for Housing Benefit to help cover the costs of your rent? I second the suggestion of voluntary work. They will ask for references, but be honest and tell them why you were fired (personally I can't see it being a problem), and it will give you a current reference.


Don't give up. I was unemployed last year for six months and I was starting to think I was unemployable. All that had happened to me was that I had been working a temporary contract.

No I haven't looked at housing benefit, I'll do that. I like the idea of volunteering even if it sounds depressing (not the doing something good for free thing, but that I've lost my job and ended up doing something for free just to get a reference)

torbrex wrote: »

I have posted this on a few other threads and been ignored but I will try again.

OCS Retail offer zero hour contracts all over the country doing stockchecking, there are buses running to jobs from certain locations (I have a list) not the best job in the world but some of the guys get enough shifts to give them a decent wage

Thanks I'll check them out.