really down, cannot get a job

bird-brain_2

i am in my late twenties and the nature of my work has always meant i have been self employed, apart from a temp stint at a software company.
i am now looking for a 'real' job and cannot get ANYTHING. i am extremely IT and web literate as this is the area i have been working in. feel i have hit rock bottom today having been rejected for a christmas job at HMV - a job an 18 year old could do! if anyone could offer some help i would be really grateful!

Bella198421

You just got to keep trying, my brother has been unemployed for 2 years and he's now got a job in a shop which is part-time to support him through college. I felt the same when I was applying for cleaning/shop jobs, it was like what the hell are they looking for and not getting anywhere, but I've got a job which starts next week as a Room Attendant.

HappyMJ

jobserve.co.uk send your c.v as soon as the job is posted. they tend to fill the jobs within hours so if your c.v is first in the recruiter/agency inbox you'll have a good chance. i'm looking for a better one at the moment and agencies tell me they are getting about 100 applications for every job posted so be persisent and quick.

lindsaygalaxy

I work in recruitment now for a company, and when I sift peoples CVs im always looking for different things. If you PM i can tell you who I work for and if we have any vacancies in your area. I cant guarentee its your thing or you would even want it, but I can give you some hints.

Potsdamerplatz

My advice would be to apply for any job such as cleaning, waitress work or stacking shelves in a supermarket.

Migrants are coming from Eastern Europe and getting these kind of jobs without references simply because they are low paid and at the lower end of the career scale.

Start at the bottom. Once you are in a job you can then apply for better positions using your CV and qualifications, plus you will have a reference from your employer.

It's a fact that people applying for jobs are 4 times more likely to get a better job if they are in one already.

Look at it as a flight of stairs. You have to take one step at a time to reach your destination at the top.

One of the directors at Tesco started work at the company right at the bottom as a trolley-box working for minimum wage. Once he got a foot in the door he applied for internal positions and eventually became Store Manager then Regional Manager and finally became a Company Director.

Good luck!!!

Lazy_Runner

I work in the NHS as a computer programmer. My current job was advertised in the jobcentre and I took it from there. If you are prepared to move, then the jobcentre computers hold jobs from throughout the country. Its a good place to start to look. I believe you can access the jobs online at:
http://www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk/Internet/setLocale.do?country=GB&language=en&page=/initialise.do

If you would like to work in the NHS, you could try:
http://www.jobs.nhs.uk/
Be warned, in my estimation IT jobs in the NHS pay 10 - 30% less than equivalent jobs for local councils. And obviously local councils pay less than the private sector. But there are other benefits like flexible hours etc. One of the people I replaced, the job was her first after doing a IT conversion course.
If you are going for IT jobs in the NHS, suggest you occasionally peruse:
http://www.e-health-insider.com/
to get a flavour of the issues in NHS IT at the moment. There are also jobs on this site, but they are generally for people who have some NHS experience.

HTH

Lazy_Runner

Oh and have you tried Royal Mail for Christmas jobs?

Also have you had anyone look at your CV/applications?
I have had to sift applications and some of them were appalling. One person in particular had a fantastic skill set, but the quality of the handwritten application meant they were rejected. It was full of errors, crossings out and poor handwriting.

For IT jobs, if there is an electronic applications procedure, I would use it. This means the application is neat & tidy, it is possible you can cut and paste text (where appropriate like say work history but not why you want the job) and you don't suffer the vagaries of the postal system. (Also I would use it because my handwriting is pretty bad and I can type faster than I can write).

scheming_gypsy

i feel your pain bird brain. i've not been working since the end of august and applying for loads of jobs i can do in my sleep but the application to call to interview ratio is terrible.

bird-brain_2

thanks everyone. i have put in ten applications via jobserve today, and one with the royal mail. i will also look into the NHS jobs. brilliant, thanks.

i should mention, incidentally, that i currently receive tax credits and housing benefit etc and this adds up to an income of around £6000 a year. so i would need to find something which would bring in more than this plus the very small amount i get from my self employment venture (which is not going so well at the moment, hence my need for a different job). i am constantly slipping into debt simpy because £6k isn't enough to cover what i need to pay out in a year.

scheming_gypsy

what makes it worse as well is that EDS have just laid their contractors off so they're all job hunting.

you're not in the Northwest are you? don't want you nicking my potential jobs, lol.

f1re_cr4cker

another thought bird-brain have u tried http://www.reed.co.uk or http://www.monster.co.uk ?