3,000 job applications in little over a year and still no job?

[Londonista1975]

In the Standard today:

www.standard.co.uk/news/work/special-report-a-generation-of-young-londoners-with-no-job-no-prospects-and-no-hope-8156404.html

I looked at the front page today in shock and had to read the article twice to check I hadn't misunderstood. I know she's lacking confidence, has no degree, and hardly any experience, but still...I find it incredible she still hasn't got a job yet.

Am I wrong to suspect there's more to it? Or am I a heartless c!nt who has no idea about the real world?

heyannie I've just read my post back and it sounds like I was saying 'tsk, wasn't she paying attention at the job centre'. Whereas I meant it as a genuine question. How are young people supposed to know this stuff? Grim.

NatashaBee I think it was about a year ago when I heard on the radio about plans to cut a load of Connexions services and basically cutting off the only lifeline that teens had in the bleak world of job hunting. The teens they interviewed all had really positive things to say about it so maybe I just happened upon a mardy cow when I went.

Wilson no probs, my reply was a bit more brisk than I thought! I was just relaying my experince of the Job Centre, which is overwhelmingly negative.

Whoops, didn't finish... I suppose the more enterprising youngsters find stuff like CV writing out for themselves, but it's still hard to make yourself stand out when essentially you are just another face in the crowd. There are lots of people with a few school qualifications and a willingness to work, inevitably some will just be unlucky in their job search. The Job Centre is no help at all, the services that did exist (Aim Higher, Connexions) are being wiped out and the schools can't exactly do much with the little resources they have.

Found a link re cuts to Connexions www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/15359844 It's a pity:(

I work in information, advice and guidance as part of my role at work and I agree that she can't possibly be tailoring her applications properly. She needs to get out there volunteering too to get references and experience, as well as stopping the gap in her CV from getting any bigger.

heyannie: "Connexions were shit when I went to them in my teens for advice about jobs and getting on the career ladder"
I must admit that connexions were one of the few companies who actually helped me as a teen, then when I left college with no A Levels, again when I left uni at 19 (and they were the people who prompted me to get into seasonal jobs as jobs in my hometown were non-existant) and then again when I was 21 and they weren't supposed to be helping me! I think my area did well with that service, though it was one of the very few services in my hometown that was actually any good! Obviously I understand that they are't amazing everywhere though!

I'm sad to hear that it'll be going.

I think another problem with a lot of young people is the attitude towards work, I know a lot of my peers from school still think that they're too good to work in many industries and that's stopping them from getting work, lots of caring jobs are available but they're not interested, and farm work/fruit picking, factories, etc. Also, they don't want to leave home, there is plenty of work available if you look to work elsewhere but they are reluctant to leave families and friends to get a job. Then qualifications are an issue, and experience, especially as on JS you can't volunteer to gain experience whilst signing on.

ilovesooty: On JS they frown upon volunteering, I was told that I would have benefits deducted to the amount of hours I worked if I volunteered! I wouldn't have been able to afford job interviews if they'd done that. It's a never ending circle.

There is competition for the voluntary jobs too.

I don't imagine that her CV needs much tailoring. After all she doesn't have any experience and the jobs she is applying for are all similar.

It really is tough for our young people.

"all the qualifications and experience in the world will be irrelevant if people don't know how to present their applications."

I agree with you, but think it's a shame that these days a shiny presentation may count for more than a scruffy but thoughtful person.

I didn't read the article...but my experience is that after graduating in 2009 with a 2:1 in joint psychology and sociology, there had been ONE job as an assistant psychologist come up in my area, (I subscribe to "the psychologist" where these types of jobs are advertised) and there were about 300 graduated with me, and that was just one of the Universities in Scotland.... They were also looking for volunteers but as a single parent I cannot afford to volunteer as get no help with child care costs for volunteering.

Ok maybe this girl does not have the right qualifications or skills, but my point is that even if you do, sometimes it won't matter.

There is absolutely no barrier to volunteering provided you remain available for work. Your CV isn't just dependent on job experience: it's how you present your personal qualities that counts too. Yes: there is competition for some volunteering roles but there are plenty available in big cities if you approach the search properly. Some offer training too.

I agree with you, but think it's a shame that these days a shiny presentation may count for more than a scruffy but thoughtful person

Yes, to some extent. But it's not only about the presentation as such, it's about making an effort to tell potential employers how your experience and qualifications are relevant. It's the very thoughtlessness of some applications that annoy me - people who send the same application for every job and expect me as a recruiter to read between the lines and second guess whether or not they have the skills I'm looking for.

It's akin to going into an exam and answering the wrong question. It may be a good answer, but if it's not what they asked for, you won't get any marks for it.

I worked in a Recruitment company around the time things started to get bad (much worse now) and we mostly dealt with the kind of jobs for which traditionally you wouldn't need qualifications or experience. But with the huge amount of unemployed it was definitely an employers market, they could demand impressive qualifications and a shitload of experience for minimum wage. They'd fill vacant positions almost instantly.

I spent all my time there telling people there were just no jobs, or that the jobs we had wouldn't even look at their CV.

3,000 applications in a year does seem excessive, but it's definitely not easy to get a job.

Ten does seem a lot! When I was unemployed though I was applying for about 30 a fortnight. That was tailoring my Cv and covering letter each time. In total I got three interviews including for the one I got! It was soul destroying.

3000 seems an incredible amount, but I think it's perfectly possible. I've applied for around 200 jobs in the last year and have had two interviews. I'd imagine it'd be about the same if I'd applied for another 200, or 400. I'm well qualified, have years of experience and generally tailor my application to each role. I don't make stupid spelling mistakes and I have a perfectly sensible email address. Presumably there are just more suitable applicants than me for every position. And of course the longer you are unemployed the less likely you are to get a job.

Retail don't want to know unless you have experience so she is off to a total non starter there bless her. But she didn't come across as suitable for retail to me tbh anyway... I got the sense she was a bit quiet. Its prob that quietness which people interpret as lack of confidence (she herself outlined that re. the Harrods job), plus not a great CV. I have a friend very like her personality wise and her age and his CV was dire. Don't they teach them this stuff these days? I scrapped his CV, rewrote it and coached him re eye contact and confidence stuff at interviews. I also found the job centre incredibly unaware re: layout of a modern CV, layout of a modern cover letter, the job market, going salary rates. training and just about everything to be frank, so we binned them & got him a job thru website hunts.

I graduated university last year, got all the advice, was applying to 5-6 jobs a day, all with tailored CV's, covering letters, forms where appropriate. I have experience, good qualification, a degree, did extra curriculum stuff etc. I also volunteered to gain experience, something I think should be put forward as an option to people with little experience.

It still took me a good 6 months to find a job and then it was temping. I have now got onto a graduate scheme starting in a few months proud but it was bloody hard work to do, was told there were 30-40 of us for every place. I can believe 3000 jobs, finding a job becomes a full time job. It consumed my life for those 6 months and made me incredibly down and was terribly confidence bashing. Also, to those saying about expecting to hear back, I wasn't asking for a personalized hand written letter, a send to all generic "unfortunately you have not been successful" would have sufficed, instead of waiting nervously to hear.