27yrs unemployed, how do I get a job?

[Smallmouse1]

I need to find someone who can give me a hand-hold to make the transition to regular employment. How do I find such a person?

What sort of job are you interested in, what skills and experience do you have. When you say transition, are you working at all.

I am not working at all currently. Skills, I am very creative, good with my hands, caring. I should also add I'm mid 50s.

Agency work to gain experience?

I'm a practical person. I have no qualifications beyond poor A levels a million years ago.

What would you like to do? What have you done before? What hours do you want what’s your non negotiables?

I think I'd start with the voluntary sector. Get some experience and something on your CV.
Then look at whatever work is going, pubs, restaurants, care sector.

I need to work full time to maximise income. I managed my own buy-to-lets for 20yrs but I've been out of that for 8yrs now and I don't think I have the confidence to return to it. I no longer have the BTLs

Would you be interested in care, health or social work. When you say creative and good with your hands, are you artistic so maybe something like activities worker in a carehome, or a childrens helper. Do you drive. You could look at voluntary work in your area, give that a go until you find something you think you would enjoy. There are loads of things you would be good at.

@Smallmouse1 you could reach out to a social enterprise or Charity, they often look to give opportunities to people like yourself and it is a fun environment to work in.

Is there a reason why you were unemployed for 27 years? if it was because you were looking after children for example then I think you should write that in your cover letter. I would love to employ someone who wanted to get back to work after looking after kids.

I would focus on your personality traits. I hired someone last year who wrote a cover letter saying that they have moved to my city from Poland and they don't know many people and don't speak fluent English but that they love to work for a company like mine and are keen to learn. Then then described what it would be like working with them, and how reliable and caring they were, all the things I should be considering about customer experience but maybe haven't and that they would love to help e.g. with packaging. I hired her and she was fantastic but has since moved back to Poland.

How about writing a profile and sending it around estate agents, letting agencies?

You don’t need to volunteer first- why do so many people on here say that?? Getting voluntary work can be as hard as getting a job! I would look at the public sector, so councils etc. Or the charity sector. What kind of good with your hands are you? Are you crafty or good at DIY or what?

You should really look into apprenticeships. I know it seems like they're for school leavers but this view is wrong, many are career changers and upskillers. They'll train you, pay you and mentor you! Also may pay you a very decent starting salary. You can do it!!!

Estate agent?

Apprenticeships could be good, although my friend was in a similar situation (had always worked but wanted a career change) and at 44 couldn’t get a interview for an apprenticeship anywhere as lots of companies think of them as for youngsters(even though there is no age limit). I think it would depend on the sector though so worth a try.

@TammyOne volunteering can be a good way of getting a reference. Someone who's out of work for nearly 3 decades vs a school leaver lots of places would be more likely to take the school leaver.

Op you haven't really been out of work 27 years if you were managing a profile of BTLs. I'd write your CV saying that and whatever you have been doing the last 8 years (caring for children/ parents or whatever)

@newtb

Why Estate Agents?

@Smallmouse1

I agree with an earlier poster, you could try the local care homes/Sen schools/etc to ask about any possibilities of them needing a crafts director. A friend of a friend has a job like that & she loves it!

What have you been doing since you sold off your BTL properties?

you could try supermarkets, they're all short staffed, but the recruitment process is a bit slow!!

if I wanted to speed it up, I'd go in, in person to speak to a manager (usually only a duty manager, but it won't hurt to get your face known). If you have the patience of a bloody saint, you could try the Morrisons petrol stations (on supermarket sites). I've never known a business so badly run & the local ones at least are always looking for warm bodies to give it a go.

This sounds positive so far, thank you. What I haven't said, that is very emotional for me, is that I was extremely severely hurt as a child and the perpetrator has recently received a 50+yrs prison sentence, so my worldly (lifelong) confidence has been very low but I'm evolving out of that now. I'm being very brave posting this on here because it's outing.

In reply to @TammyOne I am good at decorating (although slow), I can sew very well. I'm moderately good at making things.

Well the first thing that strikes me is that you haven't been unemployed for 27 years - you were a self-employed property manager till 7 years ago!

But hospitality and care work are desperate for staff and might be an easy way back to the workplace for a year or so.

So I've done nothing for the last 7 ish years apart from court & a fuckton of therapy

In my city the job centres have a special team that work with people who have been out of work for a while or who have some reason that means they have been unable to keep a job. They help the person find work but also do sessions around self esteem and confidence building etc they will help with cvs and advice. So you might be best to start at your local job centre

My action plan would be

1. Commit to a volunteer role that interests you for 3-6 months (ultimately it can end or flex around work when you get a job offer), or residential volunteering to gain confidence and recent CV fodder and also because volunteering is so worth it, you will gain more than them if you choose wisely and commit.
2. Take up a free appointment at the National Careers Service
3. Browse jobs at gov. uk, Indeed and set up alerts for the searches that interest you. Check vacancies daily and look at person specification to see what training you might need or how you might evidence you have those skills. Allocate time each day to look, cast your net wide and then you will learn where you are going to find your job. Do not underestimate your abilities.
4. Do applications, just to practise, with low stakes, even if you don't send it in.
5. Make a CV. Practice answers to typical interview questions (talk to yourself out loud while walking around the house).

You sound very capable and skilled, loads of places need you right now - just figure out what you want to do. It takes effort to get to your goal. Good luck

Sure, anyone can apply for the job but realistically if op has a 30 year gap, someone else will get the job. It gives references, gives you something to talk about, recent relevant skills and anecdotes

Real estate sounds a good idea for op, volunteering is still a good idea for someone out of work for so long.

It's one thing being qualified for the job but there needs to be something about you to actually get an interview, nevermind the job itself. There's competition. It's not just yes, they'd do alright, let's give them the position. It's definitely a good starting point to volunteer

Well done for starting to get out there!!
Look on Coursera for free courses, lots to pique your interest.

Your local authority might have return to work schemes? I agree with volunteering too.

I would look at updating IT skills too, again your local authority might be able to help.

From your update id imagine as long as your basic computer skills are OK you’d walk into a job as a property manager tomorrow.

How about a carer In a care home to start with. There is always a shortage and they give you training