To say I feel physically ill due to unemployment

[user1481835600]

My best friend thinks it's an over exaggeration but since graduating from my Masters degree in Social Work and becoming unemployed, I believe it has made me physically and mentally ill.

I have always been a hard working person. I started work at 15 and was also a young carer for my two brothers who had physical and mental disabilities (sadly both have passed away now). I moved on to University and got a good BA degree but it didn't lead to a specific job so
I applied to become a social worker. It's been a hard few years. I was raped at a house party which resulted in pregnancy and I gave birth in the middle of my course. I had to take maternity leave and was diagnosed with postnatal depression. My Son looks exactly like the man that raped me and it took me a very long time to bond. I went back to my course as I was truly determined. I was very lucky and had two very good placements. One of which was a statutory placement in a very well regarded council. I qualified with a Masters with Merit and I left with an incredible reference from my Practice Educator who said I was one of the best Social Worker students he'd ever worked with and only let me go as he couldn't get the funding for me to stay. My Practice Educator report said I had not a single learning need.
It's been a year since I graduated and despite applying for hundreds of jobs I've only had one interview (which I went blank in).

I am so lonely without a job. I have no money and feel like my life is simply standing still. I'm not doing anything or going anywhere. There's no stimulation. Every night it's so hard to sleep as I know tomorrow will be one long lonely day of mundane job applications and looking after my Son. I have no family or friends in the area. My head hurts, I cry all the time, I feel exhausted, embarrassed, hopeless and completely useless.

I am so depressed. I have tried pretty much everything. I'm far too qualified to get a less well qualified job and even for something like a support worker they won't take me as I'm over qualified. I've joined many agencies and they won't even send my cv over for assessor jobs.

I have had amazing feedback from staff and managers at both of my placements and both tried to keep me but were refused funding so I know that I'm good at the job. I was even called into the office by my manager who told me my work was of an incredibly high standard.

If I had a voluntary position I'm sure I would be taken on afterwards or even an assessor job or less qualified position. It would be a foot in the door. But I just can't get anything.

This isn't unusual but for someone who has had the final placement I had it is unusual as it's considered one of the best in the country and people can usually get a similar role to a Social Worker even if it's less qualified.

I'm just losing all hope and I'm starting to feel suciidal. I'm going to be 30 soon. I'm a committed, reliable, hard working person but I can't get a job as that doesn't come across in a job application . I used to be very good at job interviews and even if I didn't get the advertised job I was given a different opportunity but my first professional job interview was so scary. Still, if I can get an interview I usually come across well. Now I've got my first out the way I will be better. But I can't even get an interview. I feel physically ill, and I'm becoming more hopeless as time goes on.

I have so much experience in my field. But no one even gives me a chance. I will keep going tomorrow, 3 more applications to write. I need to keep going but it's so hard to stay positive. Please tell me I'm not being unreasonable.

When I'm working I'm a positive, confident, energetic person. I don't even recognise who I am anymore. I don't know how I've ended up
Like this. I swear if I ever get a job I will never complain about Monday mornings, annoying work colleagues or working late ever again. I will know how lucky I am and be so grateful. I just want a job. I want to be able to afford to live. I want to use my mind doing something useful. I just want a paid job. :-(

AIBU to feel like this or am I just feeling sorry for myself?

I would say a really good tailored application for a job takes me at least a week to do (not going at it full time obvs!) so if you're doing 3 a day then maybe you're not making things specific enough?

I also always speak to the person hiring before hand to (hopefully!) make a good impression, so that when they see my application it is more likely to stand out.

Good luck!

I feel so lonely without a job

I can relate to this. OP YANBU. It sounds as though you are incredibly resilient and driven to come through what you have so congratulations on becoming qualified and gaining that worthwhile experience.

I'm sure you'd be an amazing social worker. If you can't get a job in that field now are there any similar roles you could do to get you started, earning money and socialising? I'm sure you've thought of all these but a friend of a friend does a social worker job rehabilitating prisoners and it sounds very rewarding and she said there was a shortage of people willing to work in prisons. Could that be an option?

Is there anyone or any organisation within your profession who can help you? Anywhere you could work for free?

Good luck.

I agree with f33food, Christmas is a bad time as people don't tend to change jobs before, I know too how depressing being unemployed is, especially when you are trying to set a good work ethic for your son, if its any help, i applied for over one thousand jobs, before I went self employed, try not to be too hard on yourself, keep applying and hold on in there, you will get there, good luck

Try looking both Liverpool way and Yorkshire. Keep checking community care every day. It's laborious I know I've been there!

You sound incredible. Well done. Just take on anything - any menial job - while you continue applying for other stuff that you hope to secure long term. It will keep your spirits, skills and funds healthy. Seriously banish the thought immediately that you should be doing better. You will fare better doing something, anything, rather than sitting at home feeling restless. But don't work in the semi hell purgatory of a call centre. Look for part time work that won't take over your life. Don't freak out that it's taking longer than expected. This is completely standard. Promise!

And yes have been there - had no idea until it happened how incredibly stressful and what a huge head f it is not having a job.

Of course it doesn't help, but. It goes far far deeper than being unemployed. You say you're not depressed. Almost like its a dirty word. You are depressed. Who wouldn't be after such a terrifying ordeal. . Youve been through one of the worse things that can happen to someone. Have you had counseling.
I will say this to you. If I was hiring I'd employ you. I can sense your warmth compassion determination commitment strength dedication and ambition through your posts, and That's not me just saying it for the sake of it. I genuinely mean. Well why would I lie. What would I have to gain from it.

Do you drive? Lots of care agencies are looking g for domiciliary carers ... nursing homes? There used to be a big care agency called Apex in Manchester, not sure if that is still going? Good luck OP ... your perfect job could pop up today

Have a PhD in a STEM subject and took 9 months to get a postdoc. I did 6 months as an admin assistance while jobseeking.
I d go for any job, even if it's toilet cleaning as it is easier to get a job when you already have one than when you are unemployed.

But seriously I know about the reality warping nature of unemployment and the punitive ways unemployed people are treated.

The advice I got when I was considering going back to work after many years as a SAHM (and which I think is probably applicable here as you're a recent graduate - albeit one with lots of work experience), was that firing off endless CVs is a waste of time and that networking is the single best thing to do.

You have contacts through your work placements, so have you rung them up and asked them to meet you and asked their advice about what you can do? If not, I would get on the phone today and ask whoever you know who already works in your area to meet you for coffee. Having someone in the business 'help' you find a job, put in a good word for you, think laterally about any opening they can that might benefit you would be time well spent. IME people love being asked for their advice. It's flattering and they will get a warm glow from helping you, if they can do so. It can't hurt. It really sounds like you need a helping hand.

I hope you find something soon. I was under the impression that this country is crying out for good social workers, that the ones we have are desperately overworked and that we, as a country, need to train more social workers to help share the load.

LinkedIn is a good start but one must be prepared to Grow real networking opportunities from virtual ones. Also don't be afraid to be proactive and talk to your supervisors/tutors. They could be good sources of contacts.

In the same boat here, probably closer to edwinbear's situation than OP's but I know how it well and truly sucks when you've done everything you're supposed to do - everything - and have NOTHING to show for it. Pile on the well-intended but often unhelpful advice from people who aren't in your position, however sympathetic they are, as well as the "buck up your ideas" commandments from friends/relatives who appear to have only fleeting contact with the reality we inhabit and it becomes overwhelmingly relentless, and relentlessly overwhelming. You feel a fool for the choices you made investing in your future, you know that people look at you as a failure, and you eventually start to doubt your own abilities.

It becomes a monkey on your back which you can't shake off, it's the prism through which you view everything and define yourself, and no matter what you do it looks and smells like you feel sorry for yourself. What's truly annoying is that feeling sorry for yourself is somehow frowned upon and seen in such a negative light by people; it gets lumped in with that loaded term "entitlement" which does no-one any favours and it seems to absolve people of any kind of sympathy for you.

In reality, I guess all you want is a fair crack at showing people what you're worth, measured by the same standards as everyone else. That's a bona fide entitlement - don't begrudge yourself that.

Yes, the country might be crying out for social workers as well as many other public service roles, but when the monopoly employer of them is functionally bankrupt (Local Govt.) or insolvent (NHS) it doesn't put food on OP's table or a roof over her head.

I'm in Manchester too, also fishing in the public sector because I think it's the best chance I've got given the stunning lack of interest the private sector has in my skills, and it's brutal. A lot of public sector employers here are very closed shops, and in my experience the roles open to outsiders are the widow-making jobs nobody wants.

I wish I could offer you some helpful advice. I am fortunate that I've already had lucky breaks in the past and have achieved more already at 41 than many people do in a lifetime: I go to bed each night grateful for what I have, and sleep soundly knowing that I'm a good person who has done everything I'm supposed to do. But sleeping soundly at night is of little comfort when the next day is the same cycle of emptiness and despair.

Don't be afraid to seek help for the D-word. If you have physical symptoms it IS depression and if you have no pride left for the stigma of mental ill-health, seeking treatment should be easier.

I don't feel a stigma about my depression. I just think my depression is related 100% to my unemployment and if I had a job I would be back to my happy positive self.

Thanks for the advice everyone. It helps to know others are in the same position as me.

I think I'm doing everything I can. I just need to stay positive and know I'm not alone. I just hope I will eventually get a job. It should not be this hard when you have a social work qualification.

www.greater.jobs/

Have a look on here. I know how frustrating it is to be unemployed and desperate to get back into work. My best friend is also going through a similar situation at the moment. Don't give up hope, speak to your Practise Educator and ask him to put a few good words in for you with anyone and everyone. Good luck

I've just read back through the thread and wanted to offer some advice. From reading your post I really think you'd benefit from taking on a part time casual role of some sort. On your CV you can rearrange your experience to focus on the position you're applying for. So, the first section 'relevant experience' and other experience below. I appreciate you don't want to ignore all you've achieved but you should tailor your CV directly to every job app - even menial work/ stuff you're overqualified for. Also remove or put to the end your education. CVS are about relevance. Please pm me and I would be more than happy to rejig what you've got (do it professionally).

I was unemployed for a while and I initially avoided stuff I was overqualified for, at least in part because I had some sort of 'superstition' that it would lower my chances of getting stuff I really want and am qualified for. I wish I had gone sooner for stuff that was available as when I eventually did I felt a million times better which I feel helped secure the role I eventually did. I didn't even include the new stuff in my CV.

It's all well and good to suggest applying for casual, menial work, or those for which one is overqualified but when the rejections for those mount up into the thousands (as it has for me) without a single interview there comes a point when the old adage about the definition of madness being repeating the same action in the hope of a different result seems strikingly true.

Yes, since in my experience jobseeking IS repeating the same thing over and over again to expect a different result! Hence that's why it drives one mad.

I am also in the jobseeking boat since I am staring at unemployment too.

I'm presuming council jobs are like the nhs and they score your application? Basically if you don't cover every bit of the person spec your application will never make it out of HR and in front of the shortlisting manager.

I don't want to teach you how to suck eggs, but maybe there's something basic you're missing on your applications. It seems odd given how under staffed social sevices is you're not even getting to the interview stage.

Are you still in touch with the managers from your placements? Do you think they would be agreeable to reviewing one of your applications and offering a bit of constructive criticism?

You're starting to feel suicidal? Have you spoken to your GP or anyone else about that. Even if your depression is a temporary thing related to your unemployment you need to be aware of those thoughts as they are real and valid for you right now. Please take care of yourself, I hope that something comes through soon jobwise but ultimately you need to look after you.

OP have you talked to your university career service? I'm assuming that a year post graduation you should still be eligible to use their service. It might help having someone look over your applications etc and see if there is anything that they think needs tweaked.

Also social work jobs seem to come in batches as teams get reorganised. You've been unlucky so far, but that doesn't mean it's going to be that way forever. There is a fairly high turnover rate in SW so you certainly will get a job at some point! Don't get too despondent…I've had to apply a few times to the same LA before getting an interview (and then a job). They don't always employ people that they know…I never got a job because I knew someone who worked there (and I've worked for 3 different local authorities). Keep on applying for the unqualified and qualified jobs…I knew a few newly qualified SW's who started off as care coordinators/social work assistants. Obviously they didn't stay on that grade for long. I'd be surprised if people really weren't taking you because you were over qualified..I worked in social care/for social services for many years, and we had lots of over qualified people in unqualified jobs- when I was a social work assistant there were quite a few registered nurses, home managers, and social workers doing an unqualified role either through necessity as they were just starting off in the LA or because they found working in their qualified role too stressful/they didn't enjoy it. Not to mention people with all sorts of qualifications that weren't relevant at all- most of us had at least one degree! I used to manage a home…and again, we had very overqualified support workers (art therapists, someone with a SW and a nursing qualification, ex teachers…). This is why I'm thinking that maybe your applications need a bit of a going over- there must be something that isn't quite fitting. I found that applications are a bit like writing an essay for points and need to be done with a copy of the criteria for reference to make sure you can demonstrate exactly how you fulfil those criteria. Are you doing this?

That is really tough.

I think you need to use your networks more. Email your placements with your cv and say that you are unemployed and would they pass on your cv to anyone they know is recruiting.

What about your classmates from masters? Aare they still in the area? Could they recommend you to someone?

And can you get someone from uni careers to look over your cv and application too?

Hi otherpeoplesteens, yes I appreciate that, which is why I offered to look over the ops CV for her. If you're sending hundreds of applications for unskilled work and not getting any response, it's worth looking at your approach strategy - sometimes a second pair of eyes can be really helpful.

I've sent a private message to you but I wasn't sure how to send a cv on here.