What is going on with the job market, it's crazy!

[Ketchupandcustard]

Not sure why i'm starting this thread, maybe so I can see that others are in the same boat and to stop me losing my mind?!

I applied for a job at my sons school in the office, I applied with 5 days to spare before the closing date. I waited and waited and heard nothing. I chased it up, still heard nothing. Then found out from the school newsletter that the job had been appointed, so I emailed and asked for feedback on my application. I got a reply today telling me that there was nothing necessarily wrong with my application, it's just that they had already appointed the role before they received my application?! No indication in the job advert that they were doing rolling interviews or potentially closing the advert early or anything. So basically, my lengthy application that I spent hours on was completely pointless before I had even sent it, I didn't even stand a chance. Is this even legal?! Why is it okay to waste people's time like this?!

My second grievance is the fact that so many jobs have a ridiculously lengthy list of essential criteria, for jobs with such low pay. I found a job a few weeks ago that wanted you to be a qualified, experienced dog trainer with extensive experience with working dogs, as well as extensive training and experience working with adults and children with additional needs, among other things, all of this for just under £14p/h. Who has that much experience and is looking for a job for less than £14p/h?!

I applied for a job working for minimum wage in a veterinary practice reception, and was told that I lacked experience, despite me having run my own animal related business for over 10 years, and prior to that having worked in a veterinary hospital and a children's hospital. How can I lack experience for a minimum wage job when I have that much experience?

My husband is also looking for a job at the moment, the amount of jobs he applies for which require so much of his time, yet they can't even send a courtesy e-mail to say thanks but no thanks. It's so rude!

Don't even get me started on the jobs that don't advertise the salary, can we stop pretending that people don't work for money, because we do. Put the salary, it's just a waste of everyone's time if you don't. I saw a job yesterday that said the salary was up to £3000 more than your current salary?! What on earth is that about?! Surely they know what their salary range is? How can it be based on your current salary? How is that fair?!

I've had a job since I was 12 years old, i'm nearly 40 and I have never felt less employable than I do now, I literally feel like I am worth nothing to anyone. I have a degree, an extensive employment background as well as having run my own business for 10 years, why is it so hard to find a job? I know it is an employers market right now, but my goodness it's soul destroying. I just want a job, why is it so bloody hard?

Britain globalised work in order to pay as little as possible. You are competing with billions of people from low pay countries. It's called diversity and it's a strength.

Not sure I understand what you mean?

Don't hijack this thread just to try to have a dig at immigrants...

The OP is not competing with 'billions of people from low pay countries' when she is applying for a job with a local school.

It's fairly common for schools to interview before the closing date, the advert should specify that they reserve the right to do this. It's worth contacting schools before you apply to double check, even ask for a tour of the school.

The rest of your issues sound like normal age old job hunting issues, although I sympathise as currently searching for one and have seen stuff like that many times over the years, it's frustrating and annoying. Normal not to receive a response at application stage. The lists of experience and requirements get ridiculous and well experienced and qualified people like you are rejected in favour of less experienced people who will accept lower pay offers.. I think there are lots of crappy employers out there.

Lots of sympathy but no real answers I'm afraid - fingers crossed you find a decent employee who appreciate your skills and want to pay you for them!

I was interviewed & offered a job whilst the advert was still live on NHS Jobs with roughly a week to run. I did wonder why they didn’t take the advert down but they didn’t.

In my case, I was looking to take a few steps back from my fairly senior NHS admin position so had the kind of experience & qualifications they wouldn’t normally find applying for a minimum wage job. I’m still not convinced it was fair to keep the application running though!

I wish the public sector didn’t have to externally advertise jobs that they clearly have a (likely internal) candidate lined up for (as I suspect was the case with your job in the school). It’s such a waste of everyone’s time.

Was it an internal applicant that got the job by any chance? Schools are notorious for appointing someone they already know despite opening up the job to external applicants. It's really not right IMHO. They should do an internal ad first and then if it's no good, advertise to the general public.

This! Such a bloody waste of time I wish
they would change the rules in fact the next time I hear it’s happened I’m going to start lobbying for change

I’ve been dealing with this for the last year. I’ve stopped looking for a job now.

Employers don’t seem to want to train anyone to do anything. But want experience in xyz for barely over minimum wage. There’s loads of things I’d be happy to learn and I’m a quick learner. It’s a shame.

It’s because they’re made to. Even when I worked in private sector it was the same. Wastes so much time.

It’s really hard out there and your age shouldn’t be an issue At 40 you have plenty of years to work. It’s many factors rolled up into a ball of painful reality for many of us.

my husband hates his job and ten years ago would have quit and been in a new job in a few months. Now he is trapped as terrified to leave in case it’s months or years of job hunting.

Glad to hear it's not just me, it's just so frustrating. I am lucky in that I have my own business that does well, so i'm okay but i'm just desperate to fold it and do something else, I feel so trapped by it at the moment!

I'm not sure if the school job went to an internal person, but it wouldn't surprise me. I did email them before I applied and they said nothing about appointing early. The job advert said nothing about it either! I had no idea that was a thing, it feels so sneaky?! How do they know that someone even better wont come along?! I mean, it probably wasn't me, but there could have been someone!

I hate when places advertise externally when they have someone in mind already. I remember in a previous job having to sit through dozens of interviews with external candidates, knowing full well that the person who was going to get the job was already sat downstairs in my office. I felt so awful for the people who came to the interview, some who had travelled pretty far to get there, such a waste of their time and money. (Just to add to this, none of it was in my control, if I had any influence at all i'd never have allowed it to happen!)

It really does feel like employers just want people to be able to slot right in with absolutely no need for any training or anything, yet they still want to pay nothing?! If you want extensive experience and expertise, surely you pay for it?!

I would feed back to them that they need to put the correct deadline for applications as otherwise they are wasting people's time. Even if it's a common thing to do it doesn't make it OK.

I did do that and I even copied in the head because I was really annoyed earlier and I wanted him to know, but no one bothered to reply to me or apologise or anything! Maybe I should invoice them for my time spent on the application 🤣

It is bad, and most people don't realise. Literally hundreds of people applying for some mw jobs.

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It's recession. It is shit. I'm sorry you and your husband are both in this position, that is extra hard.

I'm guessing the vets wanted someone with reception experience? It also sounds to me that you being over qualified MIGHT be part of your problem.

If you wanted you could add a quick summary of qualifications, experience, what hours you want to work and roughly where you live - people might have some ideas you haven't thought of

We fortunately are both in work so we're okay, but we're both feeling pretty miserable at the moment because we both hate our jobs and see no way out!

Sometimes I feel like i'm overqualified and sometimes I read job adverts and feel like i'm the most unqualified person in the world because the criteria is so extensive! I think the vet job did specifically want vet reception experience, but I just felt like Children's hospital reception coupled with vet hospital (albeit nursing care) along with 10 years of running a business where I handle everything on my own (well with my business partner!), was quite a lot to offer in exchange for minimum wage, so I was a bit surprised to hear they didn't think I had enough experience. If you're paying minimum wage, in my mind you don't really deserve experience!

To be honest, my work experience is a bit mental which probably doesn't help 🤣 Children's book publishing, veterinary nursing, hospital reception, retail, waitressing, bar tending, dog grooming, cleaning, among others! I have an English literature degree, but it's nearly 20 years old so probably worthless! I've had my own business for 10 years though, so i've had a bit of consistency there at least!

Given the nonsense you just wrote at least OP knows they’re not competing with you.

The charity I work for recently advertised two roles (one not much above minimum wage, one a little higher) and there were over 120 applicants for both roles. Its absolutely crazy. The last time I saw that many people apply for jobs was during the first lockdown.

Gosh that's soul destroying! Out of that many people, I imagine a good number would be able to do the jobs pretty well, how on earth do you whittle down applicants?!

I don't know why you are being called racist when this is true and has been a hot topic recently https://www.centreforsocialjustice.org.uk/newsroom/27-young-non-eu-migrants-hired-for-every-young-brit-since-2020-analysis-reveals politics aside, these are just facts no matter if you think that's good or bad.

I applied for a job recently and actually got a reply telling me thank you for applying but they've withdrawn the job. I was so pleased to actually get a reply!

I feel sorry for all the young adults that apply for thousands of jobs with no reply. Demoralising. The job market is buggered at the moment for many reasons - minimum wage increases, immigration, ai, not wanting to train people, degrees making entry roles inflated etc. etc.

Most jobs these days get hundreds of applicants.

Ah I see - I do reckon the vets may well have thought you were over qualified then (or just had someone already in mind obvs)

What is your business in? Is that your current gig and why do you want to leave it?

I currently own a dog grooming salon, which has been great, and I wouldn't mind reducing my hours and doing it along side something else if necessary for now, but I cannot carry on doing the amount I do, it is so physical and my body is breaking! Also, I need to transition to something else even if I keep doing it for a while longer, because it is really a young person's job and while I can still do some dogs now, in a few years I wont be able to do any, and I don't want to be 55 and then need to find something else as I think it'll be even harder to break into something new!

Misleading advertising is no new thing. Nor is favouring an internal employee.

I applied for a full time academic job. The interview went well then near the end the interviewer blind-sided me by asking if I would accept a job share. I said no because I had applied for a full time post based on my financial needs. A half time post would not be sufficient and i did not have a partner's income to fall back on.

I then made quite a sharp criticism of the misleading job advert and asked why they had not made the position clear at the onset. It was explained that it was initially intended as a full time post. However they had an existing employee on maternity leave who wanted to return half time, so making the post a job share made sense. I said well if you have an internal applicant that's unfair to the outsider. Your existing employee will get their pick of the best hours and tasks leaving the newcomer with the dross. I could see that the interviewer was quite rattled at my frankness.

They did in fact offer me the job share but I refused it. I wrote a very sharp letter to the university authorities about the misleading nature of the process which had wasted my time and that of other applicants.