Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Job AIBU - what the hell do i do?

58 replies

MoiMocheetMechant · 02/10/2017 00:34

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?

OP posts:
RB68 · 02/10/2017 09:18

Are you using linked in at all? I find middle level jobs on there all the time although I am slightly different field

kateandme · 02/10/2017 09:19

what ould be your ideal job.whats that picture in your mind?
would you have tutoring where people come to you?
what about in a college.school tutor.
what subjects do you master in.tutor in currently.
are there are any larger business who you could go peronsaly to that meets the sector you want.

Redredredrose · 02/10/2017 09:29

What about publishing? Try a few speciality publishing recruitment agencies like Atwood Tate. It's not great money, but a publishing assistant should start on £21k or above in London.

Redredredrose · 02/10/2017 09:31

And if you work in medical publishing, you sometimes feel like you're "helping people" because the stuff your publishing can help doctors save lives.

Nakedavenger74 · 02/10/2017 09:35

Financial services compliance, regulation, policy, internal audit, operational risk? No numbers involved. Writing skills highly useful as well as an inquisitive mind. Very much in demand job.

coddiwomple · 02/10/2017 09:41

I don't know any 9-5 jobs, at least in and around London. I know a lot of posters on here seem to finish really early, pick up kids from school, have early diners etc, but I have no idea what they do, I have yet to find an office job like that, 9 to 6 ON PAPER is the very minimum.

If you haven't go much experience, and are not currently employed, it's a bit ambitious to expect a "decent" salary. Companies tend to prefer workers currently employed for obvious reasons.

Your best bet is to register with a few recruitment agencies, and apply for temp work if they can't offer you perm. Keep applying, agencies receive 100s of CVs per week (at least), and unless you have a niche value, they work for the companies, not for the candidates.
They won't have the time or the will to look for a job for you. I mean, if you apply, they will tell you if you match their current roles of course!

Original poster
MoiMocheetMechant · 02/10/2017 10:09

Thanks for your replies, everyone. Really kind of you all.

Smiling I've looked at the main grad schemes, and also get daily emails from recruitment sites like Reed and Prospects.

fay I graduated with a 2.1 in German and French from Oxford. You're absolutely spot-on about a lack of focus - I think that's very true, and is also probably what's holding me back. There are lots of areas that I'm interested in - Civil Service, radio journalism, educational organisations, just to give a few ideas. I volunteer every week as a presenter on hospital radio, and have quite a bit of freelance journalism experience (I've written for a lot of papers and magazines before.) All through university, I was writing and editing student newspapers and doing internships left, right and centre, as I was aiming to work as a journalist and really wanted to work in journalism. Now though, I don't have enough money to support myself while doing journalism internships in London or to pay for a Journalism Masters to get into the industry.

Annie I think the 'helping people' that I'd be most interested in is helping people to solve problems. For example, a scenario like people coming to me with a problem that needs to be solved (any kind of problem) and then I can look into solving it. Something like CAB work sounds really good - I've actually just started volunteering with them as a Trainee Adviser, and think it will be really useful and interesting. The CAB training lasts 18 months, and I have to be available for 2 days a week, so now I'm focussing my job search on jobs that would allow me to work from home or part-time for 18 months. I just don't know if the CAB training will lead to anything. I really want to 'get on the job ladder' and to progress, but don't know how. (Sorry if that sounds pathetic Blush - just feeling lost and frustrated).

FlowerPot thats a very good point. I'm not completely sure, to be honest. I think the Civil Service might tick most of those boxes, but I've applied for several roles with them though (around ten, I think, over the last couple of years) and haven't got anywhere yet unfortunately. They have quite a uniform and convoluted application process and also don't offer feedback unless candidates get interviews (standard practice though, I'm sure), and I've never got past the stage of submitting the initial application form.

Pottering ideally I'd like for the job to be based in London, or another big city with lots of public transport options if possible, as I don't drive unfortunately (my eyesight isn't great as I had a damaged optic nerve after having a shunt put in when I was born, so I can't actually read car numberplates from the required distance unfortunately.)

OP posts:
Original poster
MoiMocheetMechant · 02/10/2017 10:12

coddiwomple and other posters, sorry about the 9-5 job thing - what I meant to say was actually that I'd like a job where my evenings are relatively free, if that makes sense. So I'd prefer not to go for a job like teaching or law (for example), where people are often expected to work during their evenings until around 9 or 10, for example, and to take work home with them to do in the evenings and on weekends. I'd prefer not to go for that kind of job, if possible. But in terms of working hours, anything from 8-5, 9-6 or even 8-6 is great.

OP posts:
splendidisolation · 02/10/2017 10:13

Translation agencies?

Original poster
MoiMocheetMechant · 02/10/2017 10:13

I am on LinkedIn, so will definitely look at the jobs on there. They've got a new feature on LinkedIn now, I think, where users can apply for jobs directly, so I'll have a look at that as well.

OP posts:
MsJuniper · 02/10/2017 10:17

DH works in social housing - there are lots of jobs within the field with different focuses and he feels like he is doing something useful, has lots of contact with people, regular hours but flexitime available. He started as a housing officer which was around £25k. He's never going to earn megabucks but that's not his main motivation.

He did initially get into it through temping as he wasn't sure what he wanted to do and after working in a few offices found this really suited him.

There is a lot of internal promotion and opportunities to develop. Part of his current job is to write newsletters for staff and residents which also fulfils his creative side.

authhapp · 02/10/2017 10:27

Explore Learning fits most of these but isn't 9-5, have a look on their careers site - it's the Assistant Director role xx

elelfrance · 02/10/2017 10:31

If your French is reasonably good, get thee to Paris - lots of opportunities for Native English speakers. I had a very similar degree to you, and got a job with an IT firm in Paris as a kind of office manager type role ... ended up doing a lot of their coms & marketing

YogiYoni · 02/10/2017 10:35

With that background, I imagine a PR agency would snap you up as a junior pr exec (and that you'd rapidly rise through the ranks). Many charities use PR agencies so you might find one that fits your 'helping people' criteria.

Original poster
MoiMocheetMechant · 02/10/2017 10:57

Thanks Yogi :) I've had a couple of interviews for PR agencies before, but because I've included my journalism experience on my CV, the interviewers have all asked questions like 'if X newspaper phoned you up tomorrow and offered you a job, what would convince you to work for us instead?' I've always answered by saying that I'd like 'to start afresh, in a new industry [PR]' or with similar answers along those lines.

In all honesty though, each time I've gone for an interview for a PR job, I've never been able to answer exactly why I want to work in the PR industry. I think that I'd really enjoy the work, but deep down I really don't feel that I have a 'passion' for it and I think it sounds a bit BS-y Blush (This is absolutely just my personal opinion).

OP posts:
jay55 · 02/10/2017 11:06

The issue with starting out is that the jobs at the start are not often the ones that spark joy and passion.
They pay the bills, get you started and provide answers for those convoluted civil service applications and give you answers to use in interviews.

YogiYoni · 02/10/2017 11:14

The BS factor depends on the agency Grin

If you choose the ones that represent organisations you believe in, there's no need to do any bullshitting at all.

Original poster
MoiMocheetMechant · 02/10/2017 12:57

Bumping if that's alright

OP posts:
Urubu · 02/10/2017 13:04

Could you imagine starting a tutoring agency? You would find clients, interview and vet tutors, and match them with clients, etc. You might still do the tutoring yourself to begin with and as the business grows you would do less and less.

blueshoes · 02/10/2017 13:09

Naked: "Financial services compliance, regulation, policy, internal audit, operational risk? No numbers involved. Writing skills highly useful as well as an inquisitive mind. Very much in demand job."

This.

Anything compliance-related is hot due to the increased regulation that the government is pumping out, particularly in financial services. You are not helping people directly, but ensuring that big business complies with their legal obligations, which has at its heart public policy objectives such as anti- money laundering, tax evasion, financial sanctions, consumer protection.

blueshoes · 02/10/2017 13:16

As a person who sometimes recruits junior staff, I think your requirement to not work beyond 6 pm and only have set hours is unduly limiting for someone as young and starting out as you. Fine if you are self-employed but working for an employer in an office in any graduate-level job that has progression will require you to put in the hours, particularly early in your career.

Fixed hours are more feasible when you have some seniority and experience behind you to pick and choose the job. It is particularly difficult in a customer-facing job where the deadlines are dictated externally. Right now, you should focus on getting the right experience in the right sector. But if all you want is a minimum wage job or dead end one with every little progression or responsibility, then set hours works, I guess.

Some employers are more prepared to give flexibility, than set hours. Just a thought.

Why do you need your evenings free?

Revenant · 02/10/2017 13:16

University administration jobs, specially in comms . Usually advertised on jobs.ac.uk

Revenant · 02/10/2017 13:17

And most people either work 9-5 or hours as agreed with manager

coddiwomple · 02/10/2017 13:51

I'd prefer not to go for that kind of job, if possible.

It's completely understandable. At your level, it's a luxury you might not have. Honestly it would put me off sending you to a client for an interview if you started discussing your "free time", at your level. It's bad enough when people do justify it (they have kids, they are working on another degree etc.), but if it's your personal preference it's better to be quiet about it.

I totally get your point, but it might be worth keeping an open-mind to get that first perm job, and go from there. Sometimes it's worth getting a year or 2 experience on your CV.

I have never recruited for universities, so there might very well be 9 to 5 jobs there, I'd love one myself sometimes Grin

Boakboak · 02/10/2017 14:04

Haven't you posted on here several times? Always with the same questions? Please take the advice given you (you've also been told that before) instead of constantly coming back for more.