Disheartened with job hunting :(

Summer69

I lost my job in the travel industry in November and I am still searching for a new role. I know there are lots of people in the same situation but I am seriously becoming so disheartened. I don't see how my situation can possibly improve any time soon, especially with furlough coming to an end soon and no doubt more people being made redundant. 

I am applying for jobs doing what i did previously, but obviously within different industries, and getting interviews and great feedback - but no job offers. I get the same response all the time - they were extremely impressed but other candidates had more/more relevant experience. 

I've only ever worked in travel, which works slightly differently to most other industries. I am using my transferable skills as much as I can. 

I literally don't know what to do anymore. I have applied for jobs lower down the career ladder for me, but then I get told I am overqualifed. If I apply for something completely different I get told I do not have relevant experience there either (which is fair enough). 

Has anyone been in a similar situation during this time and been able to find employment eventually?

TELLIT01

All you can do is keep plugging away and continue to have a positive attitude at any interviews you do get.  You are right that it's not easy currently, but you can't change that.

I would think that having worked in the travel industry your interpersonal skills would be strong, potentially along with problem resolution, so emphasise those.

coffeehound

The travel industry is still in lockdown really; hopefully more jobs will come up when the industry restarts.

directdebiter

Best of Luck. 

Too many recruiters seem to look for and rely on sector experience rather than transferable skills 

[Deleted User]

Yes, you need to apply for a lot of jobs. Persist and persist. Are you going to interviews properly suited.  I just say that because there was a programme about 6 months ago on Corona job struggles that saw someone from travel turning up to an interview in a restaurant in a short dress and leather jacket, which I didn't know if that was meant to be a laugh! when you think travel would teach the knowledge to dress properly! sorry it tickled me.

As the older job applicant, 75 job applications in 4 week's got me just under 10 interviews.
I read early on that advice was job application everything remotely possible for work fit -  I've been richer even for the knocks.
I was offering myself for trials too, which whilst the job centre wouldn't/won't be very pleased about!! I got quite far in doing.
I tried not to take job hunting to seriously this time round (my frustration was rather directed elsewhere so it probably helped)

Coming from an Administration back ground in more recent times and failed at not having the right skills to work in a Factory Exporting, probably the best job has been Telesales Agent/Appointment maker (it was my choosing to apply for this type of role and at 20k for a relatively simple job and no colleagues, but a job I had a feeling I could rather do this time round especially after the factory who were very nobble at trying to help me, the Telesales Employer wasn't telling me I was over qualified, in fact the class of Employer totally changed too..).  

I was also offered a job working in a homeless shelter for young people as it was said the whole transferable skills from hospitality could be seen (albeit they wanted references and full work history so that was definitely the stopper there).

I removed the personal profile statement from my CV as I've worked so many industries now and the personal statement just sounded like guff and just got on with detailing the systems I had used in it's place.  Cover letters were a bit hit and miss. Someone this round of hunting said twice over I was to bubbly, but I felt like saying I had to do something to complete with the 21 year olds! 

moneysavinghero

Travel industry will reopen soon and then there will be a lot of jobs that need filling. 

bizdustry

Don't be disheartened. If you are turned down for a job, always ask the employer for feedback, so you know how to turn the negative into a positive moving forwards in the future. I hope this helps.