Anyone else finding job-hunting absolutely soul destroying?

[Hangingover]

Just that really. My role was niche and straddled two industries that are on paused due to Covid (think large scale live events) and laying people off in their 100s. My LinkedIn is redundancy after redundancy after redundancy. After much, much searching I've found a grand total of six job where my skills are actually transferable and would be genuinely really helpful to the role (e.g more so than the general "I've led a team" or "I'm good at sales") and have written them detailed covering letters explaining how my experience translates to their organisation. No interviews and none of them will give feedback. I look every day but everyone seems to want 3 years experience in the exact same role, or the job is so junior that I wouldn't be considered for it. Also none of them post the salary either which doesn't help!

Is anyone else in the same boat and feeling thoroughly seasick?

I had the most frustrating phone intro with a recruitment agency. They refused to tell me the employer until I reached the next round. Doubt I'll hear from them again.

I had hoped with the influx of applicants that employers might be more transparent with things like wage brackets - doesn't look like that's happening though

We have 5 positions open atm in my team alone. 8 in the store overall. My team is paid night shift allowance that brings it up to a very decent hourly wage. We cannot fill the positions. There have been numerous people who have applied, got the job, and then not turned up! Good company to work for, good perks, great team so not sure what the issue is!

To add, we want people straight away. Like, yesterday!

@WickedEmoji Are these retail jobs? I wonder if you could try one of those apps like Job Today for people looking for work quickly?

[quote tectonicplates]@WickedEmoji Are these retail jobs? I wonder if you could try one of those apps like Job Today for people looking for work quickly?[/quote]
The recruitment is all done by the head office. They are filling the roles - but then people aren't turning up. If people are desperate, even as a "gap filler" you would think they would at least turn up! I know people ARE looking and ARE wanting to work, as shown on this thread, and I appreciate that people want to go for roles that fit their skillset and experience, but if it is a choice of feed the kids by lowering your expectations until the job market picks up or the family going hungry holding out for the right job, then I would think that the choice was obvious. (Not saying people here are doing that, btw, and I do realise people shouldn't have to lower their CV to get a job and I also know how disheartening job hunting is - I left a job in the middle of lockdown as it was affecting my mental health, without another job to go to)

It’s truly shit isn’t it. I’m on mat leave and covid hit just as DH was about to start a new job - they rescinded the offer two days before he was going to start. I also think employers are truly taking the piss now as they know people are desperate. He’s doing a contract now for £12k pro rata per year when he was a senior director, and he doesn’t even have it officially yet but he’s been asked to do an audit of the company’s strategy with no concrete guarantee he will even be paid.

Are people looking in the public sector, ie local government, NHS? Some of their jobs may not pay as well as the private sector, but they are worth a shot. I was made redundant at 50, some years ago, from a management support role. I'd worked my way up over 20 years and had no formal qualifications. I needed a job, so I applied for clerical work with the local council. Foot in the door was my mantra, and it worked. For those with good qualifications and specialist skills there are higher entry jobs too.

Looking on the NHS website there are non clinical jobs at all levels, and local authorities are worth looking at, as is the Civil Service. Apologies if everyone is already going down those routes.

I'm so sorry for all your stress. DH is also job hunting. I'm involved in recruiting a new staff member where I work, and I know that there are people perfectly capable of the job who are not in the 6 that we will interview. It isn't you, as the cliche goes - it's not a personal reflection on you.

The pp who says that her DH in his 50s may never work again, that chills me, in relation to my DH.

It is soul destroying, at all ends of the spectrum.
My ds has been trying to find something more long term than what he is currently doing for over a year, but so much of 'recruitment' is unhelpful and unclear and often verging on untrue that so much time is wasted hunting through - and even applying for roles that are not what they advertise themselves as.

I’m in a department of the civil service and there is an external recruitment ban. Due to restructuring, it looks like a couple of hundred jobs will go. Mostly admin jobs at the lowest grades.

I feel your pain so much, I was made redundant nearly 3 years ago, despite being well qualified in my field , I just couldn't get a job. Everyday was the same, getting up early, going online, looking for work, redoing my c.v etc, it was the most soul destroying experience of my life. As of a lot of people, I've had a few awful life experiences, however this was the worst, I felt physically and mentally ill, with palpitations, headaches etc, it nearly broke me. However, I managed to get a job, on nearly half my previous salary, less pressure, no responsibilities, in the time I was there I learnt to live on very little, not sweat the small stuff and more importantly heal my mind. I felt like me again, this gave me the confidence to apply for the role I do (NHS), that I love, work so hard everyday, but am so grateful for. I am currently interviewing for non clinical roles and it is so upsetting to read all the applications from people who are so over qualified and have taken the time to do such great applications, and to only have one or two jobs to offer. My child has just graduated and cannot even get a Saturday job, I'm supporting her still This government has a bloody lot to answer for, to anyone out there I can do nothing but offer my deepest sympathies, and hope something comes soon, please God life gets better for everyone (flowers)

My Company is relocating our division and I'm due to be made redundant in February. I'm not getting that much in redundancy (under £3000) so I've started looking and applying and I'm either getting no response or I get put on a shortlist but not quite far enough to get an interview.

Doesn't help that DH works at the same place so we both struggling to find work and the worry it could bring come February

This will be the 2nd time I've been made redundant, 1st time was in September 2013 after 11 years, took me till the following May to get a permanent job, the one im in now, i had a zero hours temping role between the november and April

I'm in a civil service department and we are doing mass recruitment across the country in the next couple of months for entry level jobs. Definitely set up a jobs alert on civil service jobs as once your in internal cross departmental jobs are opened up to you.

I'm definitely not averse to taking an NHS job, I've worked in a hospital before and I loved it, but my lovely, lovely flat would be impossible to rent on the salary so if I can't get a job at at least 50% of my old salary I'm likely looking at giving up my flat and probably leaving London. I know it's a first world problem but that flat was my first home of my very own and I love it so much 😢

I'm getting my head around the idea that covid may actually end my career.

I'm late fifties so finding another job may take a while.

I'm getting my head around the idea that covid may actually end my career

Same Large scale Live events will never be he same and certainly won't be able to reaccomodate everyone who has been laid off for a long time.