I have started volunteering, but still can't get damn job!

Hedylogos

LeeMc wrote: »

You said you're working at the library 2 days a week. What about branching out and volunteering somewhere entirely different for another 2 or 3 days a week.

I am thinking about doing that, but right now i want to ease myself back into work through a couple days of volunteering as it's been such a long time out of work.

Hedylogos

pathtofreedom wrote: »

https://www.vision2learn.com/ have courses that might help you. It might be worth checking with the local colleges if they can also help on courses for your gcse's. Good luck, keep going to the library, they might have other resources that can help you and it will get your confidence back working with the people there so interviews etc won't seem as daunting.

I am going to apply for my local adult community college GCSE pre-assessment course and then go onto the main GCSE course. I need to get some practice in first and get some help before i go on to the full GCSE course.

Hedylogos

I really want to get some qualifications or something, but i am struggling to figure out what to do. What would be my best option to make it easier to decide what i want to do? I have been unsure of what to do for so many years and i don't have anything in particular i want to pursue that would require qualifications. It is really frustrating as i feel i am just going through the motions and no direction. It feels like my only option is to create my own work somehow, but i don't know how to. I keep going in and out of a depressive state and feeling down when i think about a career & future. I mean i feel glad that i am doing the volunteering work, but i still feel like i am not moving forward that much. The biggest hurdle for me is what i want to do.

Flyonthewall

Hedylogos wrote: »

I really want to get some qualifications or something, but i am struggling to figure out what to do. What would be my best option to make it easier to decide what i want to do? I have been unsure of what to do for so many years and i don't have anything in particular i want to pursue that would require qualifications. It is really frustrating as i feel i am just going through the motions and no direction. It feels like my only option is to create my own work somehow, but i don't know how to. I keep going in and out of a depressive state and feeling down when i think about a career & future. I mean i feel glad that i am doing the volunteering work, but i still feel like i am not moving forward that much. The biggest hurdle for me is what i want to do.

To find out what you want to do you perhaps need to try different things. Even if you become self employed you still need to know what you want to do.

If you go to college see what they can offer you such as seeing a careers advisor and other courses.

What are your interests? What jobs are there relating to them?

BigAunty

Hedylogos wrote: »

The biggest hurdle for me is what i want to do.

Do you mean that you are struggling where to focus ( in terms of what area to prioritise - employment, self employment, education/training, volunteering) or that you don't know what type of job to apply for?

Also, your choices could be limited to your lack of skills, experience, qualifications and illness, patchy CV, and you've indicated that you don't want 'dead end' type of work despite this - have I remembered incorrectly (if so, forgive me) or has this changed?

From memory, I believe you have few basic qualifications and don't have much interest in studying, can you remind me if this is the case? If you cannot even demonstrate basic numeracy and literacy to prospective employers, this might be an area to focus on as a first step.

You've been given links before to online learning, college courses, etc - can you remind me what you've been advised and what you think of the advice, whether you accept it or not, what options you have looked into, ones that you are motivated to do, ones that you want to reject and why.

Hedylogos wrote: »

It feels like my only option is to create my own work somehow, but i don't know how to..

Put up a brief new post outlining why you are considering self-employment and hopefully you will receive some constructive advice. There are plenty of websites online that give ideas to set up new business and offer services at low cost. Have a browse and come back to the forum with the suggestions that interest you.

Hedylogos wrote: »

I keep going in and out of a depressive state and feeling down when i think about a career & future. .

You need to prioritise recovering your health, alongside gaining employment. The anxiety and depression you have outlined has a tendency to sabotage employability and job seeking progress. What help are you getting to address your health issues?

Hedylogos wrote: »

I mean i feel glad that i am doing the volunteering work, but i still feel like i am not moving forward that much..

I have defended you against accusations of laziness/indecision/apathy because of your mental health issues, feeling that perhaps the critics don't realise how much they affect your motivation, energy, decision making skills. That said, historic threads indicate that were advised to secure voluntary work 6 months ago. If you had been able to act on that advice (I accept that your head may not have been in the right place) your CV and perhaps your confidence and employability would be much higher. So don't get impatient. Have you considered full time voluntary work to build up your stamina and boost your CV, to extend your skills?

Also, bear in mind that although your voluntary work is very recent, you need to think and start defining the soft skills and competencies it has given you - try to jot down examples of team work, communication, customer service, solving problems and so forth, that could form the basis of answers you could use at interview. You aren't doing voluntary work just to tick a box but to be able to show an employer that you can perform for them. So be mindful of that and consider all the things you are achieving there and that you aren't perhaps consciously aware of your contributions.

Good luck with moving forward, certainly you are heading in the right direction. I think there are career books and websites that help people identify careers they may be suited to, hopefully other posters can give you more info on this.

But do have any kind of strong pull towards a particular type of job, something that really chimes with you?

BigAunty

topaztiger1983 wrote: »

Took me at least 4 months of volunteering before co got my job

Would you mind outlining to the OP the benefits that you got from your volunteering, both personally and professionally, and this might help them look forward and see the bigger picture?

I always regretted not taking on additional activities, such as classes and voluntary work, when I had long periods between jobs, as I look back and feel that I coasted along, wasting my time and stagnating when I could have been developing. It's very easy to get into a rut.

Now I am in employment, I would love to have that amount of free time to spend on my interests and wonder why I couldn't summon the energy and motivation when time was limitless and commitments were few.

Some days I leave the house at 9am and get back at 9pm and on those kinds of shifts, I struggle to complete basic household tasks like cooking, cleaning, shopping, responding to emails, dealing with post. On shifts where I start and finish early, in theory I have more free time but I'm also fatigued and don't accomplish much, taking myself off to bed at 9pm. My days off seem to be spent catching up on sleep, laundry, shopping, personal admin.

Hopefully the OPs voluntary work will give them a more structured routine, a buttress against loneliness, a boost to confidence, a social outlet, an increase in skills, etc.

Tiddlywinks

Hedylogos wrote: »

I really want to get some qualifications or something, but i am struggling to figure out what to do. What would be my best option to make it easier to decide what i want to do? I have been unsure of what to do for so many years and i don't have anything in particular i want to pursue that would require qualifications. It is really frustrating as i feel i am just going through the motions and no direction. It feels like my only option is to create my own work somehow, but i don't know how to. I keep going in and out of a depressive state and feeling down when i think about a career & future. I mean i feel glad that i am doing the volunteering work, but i still feel like i am not moving forward that much. The biggest hurdle for me is what i want to do.

No - the biggest hurdle for you is your state of mind.

You just keep procrastinating. Stop dithering and just do something. You have no qualifications - go back to college part time to do Maths and English... these will vastly improve your chances AND will show self motivation.

As I've suggested before, if you can't motivate yourself then ask for help - MIND, your GP, the Job Centre will have a disabilities advisor etc.

You have been given so much information over the last six months yet you are still saying you don't know what you want to do.

I've got news for you - people who have been out of work for years and have no experience or qualifications NEED to take what they can get... no more thought required!

Just get on with it - colleges are now taking spring term entries - do some studying to fill your time... what else are you busy doing? What have you got to lose?

topaztiger1983

I found that volunteering help me to believe I had a purpose in life, it also gave me an insight into the retail sector and speaking with customers so it helped me to find a full-time job

Hedylogos

Flyonthewall wrote: »

To find out what you want to do you perhaps need to try different things. Even if you become self employed you still need to know what you want to do.

If you go to college see what they can offer you such as seeing a careers advisor and other courses.

What are your interests? What jobs are there relating to them?

I just wrote out a big reply to this and i tapped the wrong button and now it's gone! :mad::mad::mad: gotta rewrite again. I will write again and post it, including my interests too.

missbiggles1

Hedylogos wrote: »

I really want to get some qualifications or something, but i am struggling to figure out what to do. What would be my best option to make it easier to decide what i want to do? I have been unsure of what to do for so many years and i don't have anything in particular i want to pursue that would require qualifications. It is really frustrating as i feel i am just going through the motions and no direction. It feels like my only option is to create my own work somehow, but i don't know how to. I keep going in and out of a depressive state and feeling down when i think about a career & future. I mean i feel glad that i am doing the volunteering work, but i still feel like i am not moving forward that much. The biggest hurdle for me is what i want to do.

Then use the services available to help you work it out.

https://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk/Pages/Home.aspx