Struggle to get a job

Former Member

Hi,

Just wondered how people have found it since the financial crisis hit ?

Have you struggled to get a job or are most people doing ok ?

Just looking for people's experiences really.

Personally I've struggled.

Former Member

I can't find a job. All the jobs I want are 300 miles away. And the ones I want to apply for around my home, all want experience of some sort.......So now I'm getting involved in portrait photography.

Former Member

Durn tootin'

I had a job, was laid off, finished school and now have about 50k in student loans (tuition costs, only) so I could get a history degree and certificate to teach those aged 12ish-18ish.

After a year of unemployment - which included resumes to every single school district in a 60 mile radius (no exageration) and other non-education jobs, I have the most mundane job of data entry for a construction company... though, granted, I only make about 3k less a year than a teacher does... I don't know why universities keep churning out teacher wannabe's, there are no jobs and the pay is shit.

... and our governor just cut $200,000,000 from the education budget, so I will not be getting any use out of that degree any time soon... and by any time soon, I mean ever.

If it were not for my boyfriend, us living together, and him being understanding and not making me pay rent and buying me food, I'd be at home living with my parents, at 27... or off on some hippie commune trying to live enough under the grid so no bill collectors could ever find me. Alas, I love cereal too much, they would track my grocery store records.

Former Member

In my case I was unwell at university and so have needed a bit of time out afterwards to recover from the mental health problems I had.

I'm 27 and living at home with the parents. Grateful that I'm at home, but partly due to the economy and partly due to concentrating more on getting better I've not had too much paid work.

Have done a lot of voluntary, but I'd like to move on with my life, just not feeling very confident about doing so because of the way the economy is.

Does anyone have advice on a good way to move forward from the point of view of being unwell, having to recover and also the way the economy is ?

Former Member

I was incredibly lucky to gain a weekend job whilst I was studying full time at college. I got asked to leave my course last year and have been working 20 hours a week at my part time job. Have applied for about 50 jobs in the last year and apart from getting some temp work as a security guard at a festival. I have not been able to gain any other job.

In my opinion the economy is still in a bad state and is a long way off recovery.

Former Member

I'm a student but for ageess my family was badgering me to get a job like oh when I was a kid I had 70 interviews; "you're so lazy not having a job" etc. and this one day I was like okay I've had enough im applying for 100 part time jobs and I heard back from about 10 with interviews but choose Mcdonalds cus its closer. I went in and was told about the amazing discounts; awesome wage and the fact they can fit hours to suit you.
On the other hand I have a few friends who are interested in electrican/ building/ plumbing etc. jobs and they have all been hit really really hard. So it depends what you want I guess it depends on the field your going into it (mcdonalds - good for students but not a lot of people want to work there full time so there's quite a lot of jobs going as students obviously have other responsibilities) - beauty/ hair (always going to be big especially during recession as people want treatments and want to be made to feel beautiful as they can't afford holidays and want to forget about all the shit going on in their lives for a while) but really if you truely really look you'll probably get a job depending on whether you care what you wanna do or not

Former Member

I'm with Natashaaa here.

Yes it does depend on what you want to do. But you'll struggle if you don't know what to do.

Former Member

fishyfrags you have a right here you'll struggle if you don't know what you want.i don't have a job because i don't know what i want to work. i would love to work with animals but in my country we only have one place where you can work because the sanctuaries they don't pay you.other than than i don't know what to do i still don't have a job.

Former Member

That's a bit rubbish pink girl *hug*

Former Member

Maybe not strictly relevant, but it is definitely tough at the moment, ive been made redundant 3 times already and im 22. Graduated this june, and i'm still stuck at my uni part time job, working 12 hours a week (i want much more but they dont have the hours to give me.) Basically getting a job is difficult enough, expecting to live independently to an ok standard or even pay the bills seems to be even harder, never mind holding on to the things (for me at least)

sorry for the negativity, i might be a little bit bitter

Former Member

mark1984 wrote: »

Hi,

Just wondered how people have found it since the financial crisis hit ?

Not great, but better than many....

Have you struggled to get a job or are most people doing ok ?

I had to get an agency job in a call centre for a year, as I had just finished university and my Mum doesn't have the income to support another person. The pay was awful and in retrospect, I would have been better off on benefits (I lived in Kingston on around £12K... Some months I didn't make enough to cover basic expenses and rent). It was dreadful and I hated my job.

I had a degree, but as I applied for jobs and had interviews, I found myself over qualified for the basic experience that I needed to get a job in an office. It was this weird graduate limbo. I literally applied for hundreds of jobs, but I didn't really know a lot about applying for jobs either, so again in retrospect, I may have been better off signing on and getting advice on CVs and jobhunting.

I had nine interviews before I had the job I'm in. It sucked a bit, as I had to take a day off work for them and this knocked a dent in my wages... Again, everything was fiercely competitive! One feedback I got was that I was "too intelligent" and would get bored, but mostly, it was down to lack of experience.

I now work in an office job and have looked for ways out. My job pays a comfortable enough wage that, if I live frugally, I can usually put away some cash for travel. My best moment was paying off my big ass overdraft last year!

I can't say where I work or what I do and the job I do isn't for me in the long run and I have been shocked at the working conditions and how exhausting it is (this coming from somebody who has worked up to 60 hours a week in busy bars). It's really easy to get depressed doing my job, as it literally can be soul destroying, but at the same time, it has taught me a lot, I have met wonderful people and I am tough enough, I feel I can handle almost anything.

I'm off to do a part time Masters next year... I'm really hoping I can get a part time job, as I can't afford to fund a full time Masters. I feel quite confident I'll be able to do it, as I now know really well how to apply for jobs and if all else fails, I am articulate enough to get a call centre job and don't look too scary for bar work or retail. :razz:

Afterwards? I dunno... Maybe I will somehow pull the money out of my arse for a PHD... Or try to get a job in academia... Of course, I think that'll be a whole different world in terms of job hunting.

Former Member

I got a good degree from a good uni, and already had contacts within various accounting firms. I got a work experience placement at a well reputed one, and applied for several. Work experience went well, and I got through to the final, final interview stage for four seperate positions at four different accountants. They all liked me and said, I was very employable, but there was someone else who fitted the position better on that occasion.

I also had a couple of interviews for positions that I wasn't thrilled about, but I didn't get to the final rounds for those. I guess the lack of enthusiasm showed on my part. Maybe I should have made more effort.

Six months after I graduated I was still desperate and unemployed, so I started twigging pretty much any contacts I had for work experience / interviews / whatever. Finally, nepotism got me a job in January and I've been doing it ever since. Really fly at my job, I kinda run circles round some of the other staff and I wonder whether I could stick it out long term here. I like the job, but I'm not on a earth shattering salary (though I can save about £300 a month as long as I dont spend it on toys / clothes / whatever) and I wonder if in 10 years time there is a reasonable chance of me being significantly better off by staying with this company.

But, beggars cant be choosers. The majority of my friends from uni are underemployed, with the exception of one or two who got onto graduate schemes.

Former Member

FishyFrags wrote: »

That's a bit rubbish pink girl *hug*

Yes i know Fishyfrags.:/ i hate my country sometimes because we don't have many choices of jobs. so you have to work at the first job that crosses you.

Former Member

I have two part-time jobs and manage to make just about enough to survive and save a tiny amount. but its hard work, especially since the recession.

Former Member

Looks like I'm not getting involved in portrait photography. There's just too much work involved. So now I'm trying to sell coffee coasters with photos in them. Haven't had any luck so far, so I'm going to rethink about them.

I'm also going to try and sell prints of my photos......I just need to get out there and take some good composites.

Former Member

If it were easy, everybody would be doing it. If it is something you truely enjoy, it might take a lot of work. Don't give up on something you want to do just because things don't come together in an instant. I'm sure there isn't a single photographer out there who reached their goal in months, or even a couple years. As they say, Rome wasn't built in a day.

Former Member

my name wrote: »

If it were easy, everybody would be doing it. If it is something you truely enjoy, it might take a lot of work. Don't give up on something you want to do just because things don't come together in an instant. I'm sure there isn't a single photographer out there who reached their goal in months, or even a couple years. As they say, Rome wasn't built in a day.

I gave up because it doesn't suit me. And I'd rather have my own studio but I don't.

Since I take photos of landscapes, I might as well do something with them, and also my 'birds in flight' photos.

I'm planning on going on a course (not college because they are sh!t). I mean by a private tutor.... or even an online course by one of the top photographer's like Scott Kelby or Gavin Hoey.

I also have a handful, a very small handful, or customers who buy salmon flies off me. Two years ago I had an order for £200 worth of flies which made me quite happy.

This friday I'm thinking about tying some salmon flies and putting them on eBay or a fly fishing forum and sell them at the price which they are on my (dad's) website.