Unemployed & desperate. Don't know what to do.

[Fagin99]

Hi all,

I was unfairly dismissed in December (it's currently going to tribunal) and I just can't believe that I am still unemployed. Before I was let go, I was in a fairly well paid, well respected management position in an industry I'd worked in for almost 10 years after my degree. Now, I'm struggling to even get to the interview stage for jobs. I'll write a really good covering letter (which is checked by my husband), tweak my CV wording to fit, but they don't even want to interview me. I just don't know what I'm doing wrong!

I was being a bit picky at first (wanting to find a job in a similar salary bracket and level) not just for my pride, but because I'm hoping to start a family in the next few years (time in running out) and I was under the impression that it's easier to boost your career before children and my husband doesn't earn enough to support me as well. If I go back to a graduate style job (assuming they'd even want to take me!), am I just starting from scratch all over again?!

I'm trying to widen my search as much as possible. I'm looking in different cities and related industries (not just the one I was in), but still, I can't seem to get anywhere. Everyone I talk to (interview or networking) I ask for honest feedback and they say that there is nothing 'wrong' my skill-set but that it either went to someone internal, or there were other people 'better suited'. A lot of the time, recruiters don't even get back to me at all.

Of course, I am trying to be as positive and non-desperate as possible on the outside as I want to remain desirable, but inside I am dying. It is so hard to not just give up. Don't get me started on the self-esteem and financial difficulties.

I'm sorry to rant, I am just so fed up and it's hard not to take it all personally and end up feeling sh*t about myself. Any advice much appreciated.

[KlutzyDraconequus]

Good luck.

I'm unemployed and seeking right now. 5-10 applications a day and barely get a reply. I'm applying for anything I can realistically do.

I tell you this because it highlights how hard it is to find work. For every job going you'll have endless applications.
You also have a disadvantage as employers want little to do with a dismissed person, unfairly or otherwise.

[PeckhamPauline]

My friend in a similar position to you applied for more than 100 jobs before he got one! He's now a bigwig at a very famous media company. I think the higher up the pole you are the harder it is. Hang in there!

If you wanted to you could always do an interview coaching session to tweak your CV and maybe polish up your interview skills (for when the time comes).

[IsAnyoneElseMissingCheese]

Hi,

I'm sorry that your going through tribunal, from my limited knowledge, I know theyre horrid.

Are there any top up courses available that you could do to help? You say you graduated ten years ago, have the qualifications changed at all? (Perhaps what's making other people 'more suitable'?)

Maybe in the interim you could do some bar work or something to get the cash flowing? Something like that which would typically be more evening based would give you daytime flexibility for interviews?

[Singlenotsingle]

The other thing is, not to mention that you're taking your ex employers to tribunal. It's the kiss of death.

[MaybeDoctor]

It is really hard but also becoming more and more common to have a career setback of this kind. I am in my early 40s and have had to reinvent myself twice already!

So if you were working for 10 years you are about 32?

If your relationship is good, my honest advice would be to have your children now, then re-enter the job market.

[B1rdonawire]

HR here. If there are specific companies you're keen on, may be worth calling their HR team and asking which specialist recruiters they use? Then get yourself signed up with those agencies and invest time in getting to know your agency contact person as well as you can. On quite a number of occasions, we've interviewed people that weren't amazing on paper but the recruiter convinced us they were a good "fit" for us as a company - and they've been right, so we went on to hire them. Also, we have an internal "refer a friend" scheme where current employees are rewarded if we hire someone they recommend - worth making sure all your friends/contacts know you're actively looking? Good luck, and hope all works out well for you.

[iheartmichellemallon]

B1 has some great advice Op & agree with previous poster re not telling potential employers about the tribunal. Hope it all works out for you.

As an aside, if you're currently going through ACAS conciliation & do reach a financial settlement, as part of the negotiations, you can also request that they don't give out information regarding your dismissal, ie that they only give a factual reference (eg you were employed between x date & y date, in the capacity of x job title). These are fairly standard references these days, so wouldn't look odd to future employers at all. Good luck.

[StaySafe]

Have you tried direct approaches to companies you would like to work for? When I had a career change a few years ago I did a bit of temping and was offered a few jobs through that. Once they knew they had someone highly qualified filling in a few months doing admin work it made sense to them to offer something else that was vacant as they knew me and there was no agency fee to pay on the new position.

[OliviaStabler]

I feel your pain as I am in a similar position. I was made redundant and I've been looking for work for months but haven't even been able to secure an interview.

A good cover letter can really help. I updated mine after attending a course on them and I started to at least get rejections and some agencies signing me up after that. I also polished my CV's look. LinkedIn is also a useful tool as I have been sought out from searches on there.

It is really hard not to get down. So many times you apply never to hear anything again. Any request for feedback when you do get rejected is simply ignored. The jobs I am going for don't need a degree to do them but many ask for a degree which I simply don't have. I have a great work history with some good companies on there but no, they want a degree so I am automatically eliminated from applying.

[LIZS]

Have you tried agencies? A short term or temp contract could lead onto something more permanent and add to your experience.

[ItsJanetDammit]

I second finding a good recruiter. They are crying out for good candidates and it's like going into an interview process with your own personal pompom waver.

During my last job search i got picked up by a guy who was bloody brilliant. He specialised in my area of work and knew every company in the area. I ended up with a job that wasnt even technically open to be hired, but because he knew me and knew I'd be an asset to that business, he got me through the door and employed.

It's also much harder to get a job when you're unemployed, so recruiters help bridge that and do your explaining for you.

[ShotsFired]

Make sure your LinkedIn game is also absolutely on point. Be on there commenting, liking, sharing and posting regularly in your industry/vertical/work specialism. Grow your network, ask for recommendations, connect with people (ensuring you always customise the invite message to say why!)

I have contacted and then sent a stranger's (to me) CV to a specific director colleague, based on a mutual connection sharing his post (which was a nicely written precis of their /skills, not one of those silly "I'm jobless, help me out" type ones).

I can't influence the recruitment process or magic up a job for him, but his CV at least landed on the right person's desk. And yes, I would get a bonus if he was hired, so its win:win

[Fagin99]

Hi everyone,

I just wanted to thank you all for your replies. You've given some really good advice. Unfortunately we're not in an economically adequate position to have children right now, so on with the job search. I think I'm going to start doing more on LinkedIn. I've mainly been doing the old fashioned 'responding to adverts' method so far, but I think that this is simple not enough these days. I have to 'get out there' a bit more, even though my confidence is telling me otherwise.The main thing is keeping up morale. It's easy to assume you're the only one left at home at 8 am, looking at an empty day ahead, whilst everyone goes off to work.

Thanks so much everyone, it's nice to know I'm not alone. xx

Ps. No, definitely keeping the tribunal private. But excellent suggestion to request a positive/factual reference in negotiations.

Sigh... Whoever said life was easy...