To ask if you could employ my sister?

[TheCharWoman]

My sister is 25, graduated 3 years ago with a 2.1 and has been working in a shop ever since. She has been messed around (repeatedly promised promotions, etc, but never happened. Invited to go for the co's grad recruitment scheme but got no further).

A month ago, I convinced her to leave because the job (and the manager in particular) was destroying her. I thought she needed The Fear.

She now had no job. Has applied for loads and getting nowhere.
Grad jobs say - well, why have you worked p/t in a shop for 3 years.
Non-grad jobs say - well, you'll probably leave.

Her confidence is now vv low, but she will do anything.
Anyone in Bournemouth/Southampton/London area have a vacancy (or work exp op) for a bright, pleasant hardworking 25 year old who just needs a break?

Or does anyone have any advice on what she should do now?

Hope your sister finds something soon.

DH has just been made redundant and is looking for an IT job. unfortunately he is over qualified and has too much experience for most of the jobs. He specialises in networks and companies would rather take on youngsters for £12,000 instead of someone who knows what he's doing.

Qualify as primary teacher if she wants to work in education?

In my school we have a school leavers who is working part time as lsa after volunteering for a few months. She is doing part time degree and plans to do GTP at the end, if it's still going. Because she doesn't want debts .
We also have several teachers who have been sponsored by school for GTP and me who self funded post grad PGCE.
With her retail experience she could potentially be an assessor/ trainer for retail nvqs ( might not still be called that).
Also, try waitrose/ john lewis management training scheme?

It's tough but not impossible! While she has no work, volunteer!!!

She could register with Brook st temping agency (they provide temps for university admin & NHS) to gain experience of different positions. All the temps that my work place uses come from there.

Next step is for her to find a permanent position whilst temping. If she looks at the university recruitment pages on directly on the websites, she will find a range of posts including research, admissions, admin & teaching.

I worked in retail after graduation & then moved into my current role through the above route.
The skills that she has acquired are transferable such as customer service, stock management, finance etc. The guardian online recruitment pages are good for cv & application tips.

Brook street temping agency is online & nationwide

Good tips for interviews - after each one, make a note of all the questions you were asked. If the company's prepared to give feedback, then take up the offer.

She could look at grad schemes. We have already closed ours, but it will open again in September I think.

If she's going to apply for a TA post, tips I would give are:

-Do go and look around (at least) the school prior to interview.
-Do visit the website, the Local Authority page on the school and any other info (e.g. prospectus) to get a feel for the type of school it is.

-Do read about any conditions mentioned in the job ad if you are going to apply for a 1:1 support/SEN TA post.

-Do not say 'I need the money' when asked why you are applying.

-When asked why you are applying, try to strike a balance between 'I see this as my future career' (i.e. I will be gone in a year so I can become a teacher) and 'It's a job, innit?' (i.e. anyone can do it and it's good hours).
-Try and think of 3 interesting questions to ask at the end of the interview.
-Think about issues such as safeguarding, personal stress responses, team working skills, etc.

I'm a line manager working for a FTSE100 company in the Dorset area. I am always looking for talented people with potential to come and join our team and build a career, however, our business isn't education, it's hospitality.
We have many graduates working for us who have an unrelated degree discipline, so it's entirely possible to make the leap.

If she is out of work and wants a job in education then my advice would be for her to try and volunteer in a local school to gain more experience. I am a teacher (in a special school) and we have a lot of volunteers, some come in just for a week or two to gain experience and some volunteer long-term. Good volunteers frequently get taken on as bank staff to cover staff sickness and then this often will lead to a full-time post as a Learning Support Assistant when a position becomes available.

I would also recommend she applies for any TA/LSA jobs available in her local area (check the council job vacancies on their websites for the areas she is able to work in (eg: London, Southampton, Hampshire, Bournemouth, Wiltshire), I know of many LSAs/TAs who have been employed with very few or even no relevant experience or qualifications.

Having worked as a TA and gained a stretch of experience in a school will really help her to get onto a PGCE course, or even to find a school willing to support her to complete a GTP.

Wishing her good luck in finding something :)

There is a very good free course on the open university free site,Open learn, called Key Skills & Making a Difference. I would recommend that she completes that in her own time, its very good & will introduce her to skills for her career change & give her the confidence that she needs.

There are lots of very good courses in the key skills section of the openlearn website. Its worth her picking up some new skills for her C.V.

Thanks all. Some v usual application/interview etc points here

Useful! Some very useful, not usual, sorry!