Poor work history/mental health - what should I do?

missbiggles1

SpicyChickenBaguette wrote: »

I am not being rude, I just found it amusing that I expressly said it was just an example and someone still thought I was interested in accountancy (actually I would be interested, I'm just poor with numbers if it's anything more intensive than GCSE level).

Can you offer anything constructive?

Why use a patently inappropriate job area as an example?

My constructive advice is for you to get a job (any job) and hold it down for a couple of years whilst doing some kind of general course (BTEC National Business Studies, perhaps). This will show an employer that you can be a reliable worker, that you've had a reasonable period of wellness and that you are capable of applying yourself academically at a level higher than GCSEs.

Then you'll be in the situation of having something steady and recent on your CV (write a skills based one rather than a chronological one), an excellent reference and a qualification at a higher level than you currently hold and you can consider how to develop a future career from a firm(er) foundation.

ScorpiondeRooftrouser

BigAunty wrote: »

If he was motivated in this area (and I'm not sure it meets his interests in anyway) then he could
- practice online situational judgement tests
- download the latest Civil Service competency framework
- dig out the active verb buzzword bingo sheet to help with his competency examples
- draft 250 words as per the Competency Framework and STAR formula for the following, using examples from his employment and voluntary work

Managing a Quality Service
Making Effective Decisions
Delivering at Pace, and
Leading and Communicating

- get feedback on improving them
- redraft them, re-review them against the Framewor and STAR formula
- seek out opportunities in his personal and employment career to better bolster proof of his competencies.

If nothing else, he will get significant experience in formal job applications and be able to pull out specific achievements from his employment and personal life that will help with future interviews that he's perhaps not fully aware of now.

He will also get exposure to just how competitive call centre jobs at the lowest level of the Civil Service can be, a reality check. If he gets the position and wants promotion, he will get another reality check about how insanely hard it can be even in a meritocratic environment, and how very much little increase he will get in wages despite a significant increase in responsibility.

How long it can actually take to write a very small competency statement according to a very specific behaviours listed in a Framework that 100% adheres to a very narrow STAR structure.

And make him much more mindful of considering what he can offer employers rather than what he feels they should be providing for him.

There's no reason he shouldn't apply to entry level jobs in the Civil Service. If he applies for them at the same time as applying for less attractive entry level jobs elsewhere, that's fine.

I believe he needs it made clear to him though that he shouldn't decide on this one course of action, take it, sit back waiting, then give up and complain when nothing comes of it (as nothing will).

He needs to apply for whatever he can, and take whatever he can get, not set his sights on something that is at best extremely unlikely. Encouraging him to do so just encourages his belief in some magic answer.

Polarbeary

I would suggest looking at retail. It doesn't have to be a dead end. Somewhere like Starbucks do apprenticeships paid at a level above the NMW. Within a year you could be a shift supervisor. There are always retail jobs going, I don't see why after a couple of years of hard work and good appraisals you couldn't be in a senior assistant or supervisory role and then go into management.

Now I know you said you didn't want to work retail BUT you need to hold an entry level job for a couple of years for your CV. It certainly doesn't have to be dead-end. Can you find a retail store that interests you and is a nice environment? You could take on more tasks and perhaps then get an admin role within a large store.

Carry on volunteering and get a good reference from them.

There is also healthcare. You could gain some volunteering experience in the NHS then apply for some roles. Admin work, perhaps records management or ward reception work can then lead into more senior admin or co-ordination type roles. You could apply for health care assistant jobs and the NHS may pay for you to do NVQs or even a foundation degree. A lot of pathways in the NHS.

Check out vision2learn. It's free, government funded courses and you get a level 2 certificate for your CV. They will be run via a local college of further education and you do the courses from home. They have a business and admin one, IT ones, healthcare ones. Well worth a look.

ScorpiondeRooftrouser

Polarbeary wrote: »

I would suggest looking at retail. It doesn't have to be a dead end. Somewhere like Starbucks do apprenticeships paid at a level above the NMW. Within a year you could be a shift supervisor. There are always retail jobs going, I don't see why after a couple of years of hard work and good appraisals you couldn't be in a senior assistant or supervisory role and then go into management.

Carry on volunteering and get a good reference from them.

There is also healthcare. You could gain some volunteering experience in the NHS then apply for some roles. Admin work, perhaps records management or ward reception work can then lead into more senior admin or co-ordination type roles. You could apply for health care assistant jobs and the NHS may pay for you to do NVQs or even a foundation degree. A lot of pathways in the NHS.

Check out vision2learn. It's free, government funded courses and you get a level 2 certificate for your CV. They will be run via a local college of further education and you do the courses from home. They have a business and admin one, IT ones, healthcare ones. Well worth a look.

I am curious, did you read this thread at all?

Your advice is practical but is full of things he has already expressly ruled out as not being rewarding enough, interesting enough or quick enough to suit his requirements.

Polarbeary

ScorpiondeRooftrouser wrote: »

I am curious, did you read this thread at all?

Your advice is practical but is full of things he has already expressly ruled out as not being rewarding enough, interesting enough or quick enough to suit his requirements.

What do you suggest then? Without experience, qualifications and a good CV, the OP doesn't have many options open to them. That's my advice and he and anybody else can take it or leave it. The OP can choose to have a bright future or not. I would work retail if I had to or get an NHS job. There is nothing wrong with those jobs and with the right attitude the OP could go far!

ScorpiondeRooftrouser

Polarbeary wrote: »

What do you suggest then? Without experience, qualifications and a good CV, the OP doesn't have many options open to them. That's my advise he and anybody else can take it or leave it.

I'm not arguing with your advice as advice. Just pointing out that when these things have been suggested before in this thread, many times, the OP has complained that he doesn't want to do them. It just seemed odd to me that you would repeat them without reference to his previous, numerous, comments expressly ruling them out.

Scorpio33

ScorpiondeRooftrouser wrote: »

Do you have any idea how many film and tv graduates want to work in film studios?

He never joined the army.

What other jobs in a gym do you think would be suitable?

Fair enough, I was just putting ideas out there.


But if you don't apply to anything, you are guaranteed not to get anywhere. Even if the OP thinks they do not stand a chance, it is at least worth investigating.


To the OP:


What made you want to join the army? Was it the fitness aspect (which ties in with the personal trainer)? If so, apart from personal training, what about a nutritionist? Or working in a gym as a gym instructor?

missbiggles1

Polarbeary wrote: »

What do you suggest then? Without experience, qualifications and a good CV, the OP doesn't have many options open to them. That's my advice and he and anybody else can take it or leave it. The OP can choose to have a bright future or not. I would work retail if I had to or get an NHS job. There is nothing wrong with those jobs and with the right attitude the OP could go far!

Unfortunately (and regardless of what you and I would do) the OP has specifically ruled out work within the health/care sector. Also, as he says he already has good GCSEs (2 A*s) a level 2 qualification with vision2learn won't represent academic progress for him.

Otherwise, I agree with you.:)

27col

The op seems to have an unlimited supply of reasons for not accepting any suggestion. He has a list of far too many jobs that are boring or "below" his attention to be worthy of looking at.
There is no guaranteed path towards his aspiration. He seems to think that his formula of a quick course and then a management job,is out there. But it's just that no-one has told him where it is.If such paths were common, everyone would do it.
In fact, I can't think why this thread has gone on as long as it has.

Nicki

If you alike working out and have previously done some military training why not get some basic personal training qualifications and work in a gym part time. In the other part of your time you could train to be an osteopath http://www.collegeofosteopaths.ac.uk/osteopath_courses.html or possibly even a physiotherapist. So you combine your interests and current skills with part time working and training for a career at the end of things. Once qualified you could set up your own business, employ others, and generally be as ambitious as you care to be.