Job AIBU - what the hell do i do?

[MoiMocheetMechant]

I'm probably being a bit U, but at the end of my tether.

AIBU to ask you all where and how I could find a job that's:

• London-based
• 9-5 (roughly)
• Graduate-level
• Good for someone who's not really good with numbers (ie. not an accountancy or finance job)
• Has opportunities for writing within the job
• Decent salary (above £21,000, for example)
• Involves helping people in some way.

I've been job-hunting for nine months now, and haven't found anything yet unfortunately. To get by, I've been doing a lot of freelance work (tutoring), and although I really enjoy it and it pays quite well, it's not a very stable source of income and it takes me quite a long time to travel to my clients.

I've been using a few different websites for job-hunting (Charity Job, Civil Service Jobs, W4MP, Indeed, my old university's Careers Service website for example, and also have Google Alerts set up for different companies so I'll find out if any jobs come up with them).

Have got a second-round interview tomorrow for a full-time job that has some tutoring involved in it but still involves working from home, which I'm a bit frustrated by, as I'd much prefer to work in an office environment and with colleagues.

Could anyone help please?

Assume you've looked at the main graduate training schemes? And the "standard" job searching / recruitment consultancy sites? (I found a few jobs through reed.co,uk)

In terms of a more specialist search, anything here that appeals? www.publicaffairsnetworking.com/public-affairs-graduates-jobs.php

Medical Writing.? Lots of opportunities there

You need some office experience to get on the ladder of something. I wanted a career in marketing in London and I started off with a temp job doing admin stuff at a small college and used the office experience to get something a bit better then that to get a job with some marketing then that to get one that was 50% marketing, and then that to get the 100% marketing position now (which involves a lot of writing). Now looking at management positions.

What sort of 'helping people'? (Big difference in Care Work, PA, CAB staff etc)

What job role do you believe has all those factors you list?

Medical writing really only works if you have a BSc though. I'm keenly interested in this area but doors close because I have a BA, which frustrates the hell out of me because I have a comprehensive grasp of medical terminology, ethics, compliance and specialist knowledge due to both charity work and my own health.

Sorry, don't mean to hijack but watching thread with interest.

Civil Service ticks all those boxes.

Project manager in the medical writing industry. I have a science degree but writing didn't appeal to me. It's a way in though! Very enjoyable job.

If you want a job in the charity sector charity job is good but you may be missing job ads from smaller or more frugal charities as there is a cost to advertise on there. Personally I use indeed as it searches on all job sites for you in one place. It can be pretty competitive to get a good job in the charity sector though, do you have much volunteer experience?

Financial Ombudsman Service? Fr8ends that work there say it's not numbers based, but you're resolving disputes and writing to businesses and consumers. Maybe not the kind of writing you have in mind, but better than data entry or similar.

What degree do you have and when? What experience do you have?

Start with temping? Easier to get a job once you're already working...

Civil service (policy, parliamentary, correspondence), press officer, marketing, events if you are good at talking to people and very organised, fundraising, communications,

Does it have to be based in London?

Have you tried professiknal bodies? Royal College of Nursing, Midwives, etc.

Hi Moi, all the best with your search. Social work?

Are you on LinkedIn? Have you had anyone else review your CV?

What about jobs as a Communications Assistant/Executive? You could look specifically in the charity sector, but it sounds like the sort of role you're after, plus has scope for progression.

I think you're possibly being a bit fussy about what you are looking for. The job market can be hard, and most jobs seem to want plenty of relevant experience these days.

I can understand your requirements such as not needing great numeracy and preference for working in an office environment, but wanting 9-5 AND decent salary AND "helping people" AND graduate level AND London based etc.

We would all love a job that fits exactly with our preferences, but these may be few and far between. i would suggest you revisit your list and think about what areas you would consider compromising on.

Real estate always seems to have openings

Temping. Absolutely. I have always temped between jobs, and as well as being nearly always employed, I've worked in dozens of jobs, interesting and less interesting, that gave me a good idea of what I wanted to do in life. You will hear about job openings on the ground as well. I found my dream job this way.

civil service press officer

You're going to find it very difficult to find a job within that very narrow set of preferences, especially if your work experience is minimal and your grades aren't top notch.

It's unlikely you'll find everything you want right away, but in my experience there are thousands of jobs out there you've never heard of or imagined, and things can lead you in new directions. I wanted to be a film writer after I graduated and worked in magazine production while being able to do some internal freelance on the side. As I worked for different kinds of publications that opened doors for other things and I ended up doing project management for large international events. I'd look at charities, project management / assistant roles, comms etc.