Advice on getting out of unemployment

lincroft1710

Presuming you left uni at age 22/23 may I ask what have you been doing in the past 10 or so years.

njkmr

As said previously get yourself down to the local recruitment agency and see what they have.
Dont be too fussy to start with ,but try a few different offers they give you and take it from there.
I know we have had people come in before now as order pickers etc and they end up working in the office and even management positions.
Get yourself out there. You may surprise yourself with how things progress.
Good luck.

gm0

Getting a job.  From a job.  Is easier than from the bench.  You may have lost you way a little. But the situation is far from hopeless.

You try to find the temporary work adjacent to desired field/sector. And if not. Locally. 
Retail.  Bar work.  Barista, Office cleaning. Warehouse.  Does not matter.

During Covid recent graduates in the "hiring is frozen" era had to take whatever they could or be inactive. Agencies were hiring extra "Covid cleaners" in droves where there were retail or logistics depot or healthcare locations - city, fringe urban and towns.  So some friends' kids who popped out of university did that - warehouse fulfillment or cleaning.  Eventually - when things thawed - they got an agency chance closer to their preferred sector. Having performed on fixed term contracts in that - they eventually got hired direct into what could be viewed as "graduate" permie roles.  About 1 year per step.  Retail/Cleaning. Temp contract in desired industry. Entry level Perm.  2nd job perm.  It's not quick or easy.  

In a temporary job.  You are demonstrating to prospective employers that you can a) get out of bed b) turn up on time c) take instructions. d) learn what is required e) want to work.  For the candidate not at work.  They don't know those things. And have to take a chance.  Or invest time in assessment.  Or just (and more easily) follow up a different candidate applying from existing employment.  Already working is a handy shortcut for them.  No need to investigate how and why you got to here.

Doing the cleaning job doesn't get you hired for the graduate office job.  For that you need to show interest, background, have done some research on hirer and opportunity (be able to articulate why you want it), perhaps some relevant supporting skills - office tools, technical, creative, design, volunteering or whatever may be relevant.

But the ugly quid pro quo is that being economically inactive (not doing the retail or cleaning job) can get you screened out unseen before getting near an interview if there is a large excess of other candidates.

You only need to "win" once

Make sure you have your crash and burn on an interview that isn't the "dream job".
We all did it.  It's not a personal failing. 
Just a lack of practice and preparation before a novel and stressful situation.

Good luck. 

But do go and make some luck of your own.

General_Grant

Are you applying using a CV or application forms?
If a CV -
Are you giving your year of graduation?  I wouldn't.
Are you giving your date of birth?  Similarly, I wouldn't.

Savvy_Sue

It is a long time since I had to deal with agencies, but I certainly found that turning up in person was essential. Think about it, you have XXX people on your books, who's going to come to mind when a vacancy comes up, those from XXX that you've actually met, or the ones who've never darkened your door? 

And if it doesn't work doing it once, do it again, and again, and again ... 

EnPointe

Tucosalamanca said:

I don't understand this, no agency work possible?

It took my eldest 15minutes to find a job after finishing A levels, they're now at Uni but go back to the agency whenever the opportunity arises. They made a phone call Thursday afternoon, by Monday morning they're order picking for a large online retailer and bringing home £400 per week. There's a bottomless pit of work in our area.

You're fit, willing, pc literate and can string a sentence together, there should be no problem finding employment.

Agencies want to find you work. As soon as you're earning, they're earning.
They're highly motivated to find you work. It really is that straightforward.

I suspect the OP considers   picking and packing , loading or  production line work below them 

 Oddly enough in a lot of businesses  you look at the   supervisors, first line manager and even Ops managers   their  time with the business began a number of  years ago  and  reads  somethign like  "Fred / Kate / Pawel  joined us  as a  summer / peak temp  and was taken on full time ... "

WrtynG

General_Grant said:

Are you applying using a CV or application forms?
If a CV -
Are you giving your year of graduation?  I wouldn't.
Are you giving your date of birth?  Similarly, I wouldn't.

Thanks for the advice. You're right, it likely isn't to my advantage to state them, so I have removed them from my CV.