I can’t get a job

Jobhunt

To the previous poster ( tried to quote you but to no avail ). Yes put it on cv and look for temp work. Wish I had sooner!!!

Thank you all for the replies. I actually have an interview Monday . It’s not for a terribly well paid job , but I like the look of it. So fingers crossed.

[Deleted User]

Jobhunt wrote: »

I left my last job.I have tried everything to get a job. I’ve had 5 interviews, no joy . Some of that was bad luck, some just not able to answer the questions well . I’ve been to see national careers, another employment service and I’ve signed up to agencies.I can’t even get temp work.I used to be quite good at interviews.

I have a degree and strong admin experience. What can I do now ? Should I apply for jobs such as retail etc, I’m wondering if they will go for me. I am so depressed and I’m wondering if it’s because I now have a gap on my cv.

If you are struggling with general questions such as "tell me about a time when you worked on a project that went wrong" then this book is really good....

Why You?: 101 Interview Questions You'll Never Fear Again by James Reed (the chap from REED recruitment). It covers many of the basic questions and suggested answers which you can then rework to fit your experience.

The paperback should be less than £7.00.

Jonathan_Kelvin

Five applications isn’t enough for you to start getting too concerned over, or even to be certain that you are doing the wrong thing.

It sounds as though you know what’s needed, so just keep it up, and keep learning all that you can from each interview.

I’m not sure why you left your last job without having the next one agreed, but as you probably now realise, it does make it harder to both find the job you want and to get paid the amount that you expect. If you do have an option next time, try as hard as you can to not have a gap.

VeganLois

I feel your pain Jobhunt. I walked out of my last job and am still out of work after some months. There comes a point in life where your sanity is more important than gaps on your CV.

Do not always assume that you have interviewed badly. I have maintained for years that there are some truly appalling interviewers out there. Just because they are interviewing you, does not make them competent.

As for trying retail.....give it a go. I was a PA and ended up working for a local garden centre. They didn’t care that I didn’t have a reference from my last employer. I was honest with them. There are those that will respect your frankness. That really wasn’t a role for me but we are all different. Be confident in your abilities and believe in yourself. The right job will find you eventually. My local Chamber of Commerce runs free courses on starting up your own business. Many of us were in the same position or disillusioned with the British workplace. You could take a part time role and build something up on the side.

yksi

lloydl26 wrote: »

Whilst I've been out I've set up my own business, I don't get a lot from it, will take 2 - 3 years to develop a good salary I imagine. I haven't put this on my CV, I was worried that employers would fear I'd be looking to jump ship as soon as it picks up. Do you have any thoughts on this?

Yes, put it on the CV as current part-time employment. It covers your gap and explains what you've been doing lately (ie it shows you are not sitting around). Put it as having begun right after your previous position or even before that. During interview you can just note that it's a side-job or hobby in your spare time. This will reassure them that you're committed to working for them.

[Deleted User]

I left my job last year due to personal and family circumstances. I've been unemployed for more than 1 year.

I have 7 years of relevant work experiences under my belt. I also have a degree. I begun to look for a job last year Sept. I tried to apply at least 5 jobs per day but so far only received 3 telephone interviews and 5 f2f interviews.

All of my interviews actually went quite well. The feedbacks I got all saying that the interviewers really like me and have no doubt in my abilities, but I hardly ever reached the next stage of the hiring process due to the fact that there are always people who are more experienced / have no gap in CV/ internal candidates etc.

I have lowered my salary expectation and just want a job with the NMW, as long as I can go back to the industry and continue building my career. But now I am struggling to get a interview for a job I am very qualified for.

I am really confused right now. I'm also thinking whether I should start applying for jobs in e.g retail/Cleaning etc....

Emythe1

To my mind, to be refused on five interviews is not a reason to give up. Keep trying, pay attention to the required skills, improve yourself, and everything will be OK!)

P.S. the person who has found the job in the 11th interview.

Jobhunt

Update

Thanks all for replies / replies. I now have a temp job.

I’ve had many many false starts.My advice to anyone unemployed particularly if they left a job like myself is
find a good agency and email them or call them. I just did a couple of days work and it’s boosted my confidence.

I signed up in person to 3 and put my cv on god knows how many.The final one has the jobs best suited to me ( government type roles).

Jobhunt

P.s I meant advice / replies