come and suggest insane new careers for a poor woman at a crossroads in life

[Cappuccino]

so I did not get another job today and I am wondering if I need to change direction

I have no idea what to do

what if I retrained for something; would it bankrupt me? I need to earn money

I have done all sorts of bits of freelance fundraising/ marketing/ arts work/ copywriting recently and I feel like a pinball in a machine; I can't seem to get a permanent post

[ahundredtimes]

Don't cry Cappy.

Let's think about it. What was this job for? Are you applying for the right jobs do you think?

What would you retrain as?

You'll see I am very helpfully asking lots of questions.

[Cappuccino]

oh hello thanks for replying

yes, the job was just the right one. Had the right skills. Same as the last one. Just someone else a bit better

but I am in a small field in a small place and I am running out of prospective employers because there are so few of them

I don't know what to do tbh. I have no clue what to retrain as. I'm just at that 'who on earth can employ me now?' stage

[zippitippitoes]

oh that is horrible when you are sure it is the right job and someone else gets it

i cant help at all

[Romy7]

ok.
why were they better than you?
what made them that way?
what can you do to make yourself better than them?

is it possible that you are degrading your chances by being a bit piecemeal, (and therefore coming across as less confident in your main skill) or could you put a positive spin on it by a 'broadening horizons' and 'widening skillset' vocab?

confidence? if you aren't feeling you are absolutely the right candidate, is that coming across at interview?

obviously this is all eggsucking stuff, but i'm notoriously bad at not seeing the bleeding obvious myself, so start using that approach with everyone else lol!

or.... are you losing interest in your existing career (however 'limited' or not the prospects are) and are actually wanting a change of direction in any case?

[Cappuccino]

I feel like Lola in Charlie and Lola

dd2 has a book about Lola's favourite book in a library being taken out by another girl and Lola is screaming "My book! My book Charlie! I don't think she knows she has got MY BOOK"

[Cappuccino]

Romy

why were they better than you? I don't know, the smug b*stards
what can you do to make yourself better than them?

is it possible that you are degrading your chances by being a bit piecemeal, (and therefore coming across as less confident in your main skill) or could you put a positive spin on it by a 'broadening horizons' and 'widening skillset' vocab? - I think I represent myself quite well. Today I wasn't on the top of my game I'll give you that. But I can do a good application form.

confidence? if you aren't feeling you are absolutely the right candidate, is that coming across at interview? THEY ASKED ALL THE WRONG QUESTIONS DAMMIT

or.... are you losing interest in your existing career (however 'limited' or not the prospects are) and are actually wanting a change of direction in any case? no. I'm just feeling a bit shit and thinking that the options are shrinking and I need to be realistic

[zippitippitoes]

i wish you could access the cv of the person who did get the job

and actually find out what they seemed to have

[Cappuccino]

zippi I knew you would understand

what is a bizarrely qualified girl to do?

[Grammaticus]

How much money do you need to earn? (Serious question) Are tax credits relevant to you at all? Are you out of work at the moment?

[zippitippitoes]

well i have an odd cv

i just keep changing it to fit the post

i am having my third interview this year lol

and they are all retail related so that seems to be where they want me to be

two are with the same charity but different areas so i guess they like my cv

i am sure to bugger up this interview tho

especially as i havent put anything down yet for the presentation

i am finding it hard to find jobs to apply for but i am extending my area a lot which is probably oimpractical for you

[QuintessenceOfFrankenShadow]

Sympathy. I am entering the same crossroads. Have applied for my first job in years and I just SO thought I was perfect for it, and I didnt even get to the interview stage. I too recognise the Lola in me.

And, I have spent enough time being on the other side, being the one recruiting, looking through cvs, done phone interviews, "hosted" interviews, and hired people to know what I should do, yet I dont.

You say they asked all the wrong questions. Could you try and take control of the interview and steer it in directions of something you KNOW about and feel confident to talk about?

[Romy7]

lol capp, personally i wallow in self pity for a few days and then find an even more perfect job to apply for, and turn up for the interview with 'full speed ahead' set - if you don't give them a chance to ask any questions but take an hour to explain in minute detail why you are the gal for the job, they generally don't have the strength or willpower left to argue.

or you surf the net for a day or two and fork out cash for a course that may or may not change your life and career prospects. i've done both reasonably successfully...

what are your bizarre qualifications then? or are they so bizarre they aren't suitable for an open forum?
or is this a personal discussion, in which case i'll butt out - just interested!

[eekamoose]

Become an entrepreneur (?sp). Invent something new. Some mundane household object maybe? Say, something like the vileda supermop, or the tetrapak carton.

Tis the only way to make serious ££££££ nowadays.

[Spidermama]

Cappucino I feel your pain, I really do.

Before having kids I did a one year post grad in Radio Journalism, got a job straight away. I then went on to climb rapidly before stepping out of the workplace to have children. I continued freelancing in a similar job at the same place throughout all my pregnancies and raising children.

Last month I applied for the same job again only this time, rather than being a newby straight out of college, I've actually been doing the job and more for some fifteen years.

They didn't even shortlist me for interview.

Fuckers.

I am also wondering whether to diversify and have no idea how. If you want to collaborate capp, you know where I am.

[Romy7]

ah, the 'fresh blood' deal. where you have to prove that as well as knowing the job inside out, you can do 'new, shiny, big ideas' too...
that's a bitch.

careers counselling? life coaching? i hear they all pay quite well...

[Romy7]

in fact, you could practise on here...

[zippitippitoes]

im not sure about talking so much during the interview they dont have time to complete their set questions

i think i did that on one of mine anbd it was noty a success

i am sure the interview i have on thurs is going to be me who is obviously ancient v new graduates

and i am not sure i will come out particularly well

[Cappuccino]

spider exactly the same happened to me earlier this summer

it makes you feel like an oik telling everyone that you didn't get the job you were doing up until the week before

[eviz]

Capp, I am you!

What happened to the copywriting? That is my latest diversion. I have told myself I can be REIICH if I apply myself and take the bold jump into freelance-dom

£50k a year is my ambition.. my dream..

[Spidermama]

So true Capp. Actually I'm still doing the job on a freelance basis. At first I was humiliated, especially as I know and get on really well with the woman who would have decided NOT to shortlist me for interview. She was the one who encouraged me to apply.

Anyway I still have to work with her. I'm passed humiliation now. It's quite liberating being beyond shame.

[Cappuccino]

I'd be happy to be humiliated if it earned me any money

I have been surfing jobs websites this morning and all I can find is dinner lady

[WeirdCod]

Message withdrawn

[Cappuccino]

I wish, I wish, I wish I wanted to be a teacher

I would get paid to train and the salary is good

however I just don't fancy it. Not at all.

[WeirdCod]

Message withdrawn

[onebatmotherofNormanBates]

I am sooo feeling your pain, Cappie. Seem also to have lost confidence in my capacity to go back to what I used to do (means 12-16 hour days..)