So poor and jobs are impossible.

[BellaJessica]

I am increasingly getting down about my life. Today i have finally realised how poor i am. I earn £5000 a year working 14 hours a week in a job that was supposed to increase in hours but 2 years later and 3 new people later they are actually trying to get rid of me instead. I am applying to other jobs and just not hearing back from them at all. I have a degree in the arts and even jobs i would be great at wont accept me due to no experience or less than 2 years experience in that field. I think this is just a rant really. I have no savings and a big loan (£1,000). I can pay the loan off in time but its depressing isnt it? I live with my dm now and she works short hours so we get by but neither of us have savings or free money to do much. Just need to spend hours job searching again until someone accepts me.

As well as the permanent/fixed term roles in universities, check to see if any round your way have their own temp pools.

We have one in the uni where I work (we don't use outside temp agencies). Ihave many colleagues who came into the uni that way - it's a great way to get lots of experience in different teams and departments. Even better, they don't usually need any HE experience.

Thanks for all this advice i will make my way through these links tomorrow after the drs. So far i have been filling out a few applications but one job i applied to looks like it may do volunteering. Its a couple of buses to get there but i am going to email them and ask.

Also, don't spend time on websites like Monster and just fire off a generic CV at any job that takes your fancy. Spend time tailoring your CV, cover letter, etc. Research the companies. Give the impression that you want that job and not just any job.

Living in Warrington you live close to the ?M62 with all those HUGE warehouses for Asda, Amazon, Dominoes, etc. Bents garden centre maybe?. My ex took me past there months ago and I was amazed at the size of them so they must require lots of staff to run. Warrington is greatly placed for commuting to Liverpool and Manchester. It's about 20 mins by train. Even if you restricted yourself to a half hour commute radius there must be hundreds of jobs available.

Also google the big business park in Warrington and pull of some company names. Research them and look at their vacancies.

There are so, so many jobs in the NW at the moment at various levels. It’s just going to take a push to get you over the line.

Thanks down i will def do that. With my background stable jobs never featured in my family. The most stable job my family mustered was one joining the military and being away all the time. So its hard to ask them for advice as they have no idea.

Aintnothing - and have you any idea what’s involved in self publishing, and how many people actually make any money from it? I wish people would think before they post crap advice. Ffs.

So op would actually have to first write a book, have it edited and proofread, then format it and upload it to amazon. She’d then have to market it via social media to get anyone to buy it. That would cost a fair bit,eh?

Over 200,000 books are published every year in the UK. Most authors do not recoup the money they spend on publishing their book.

Have you considered night shift in a local supermarket? Asda and Sainsburys pay night shift premium on top of your basic pay.

I have been blind to the reality of my job for ages pretending that it will get better and being positive. Tonight after something was said at work made me realise its not getting better and i need to get out now. I am grateful to the advise even if people think im wallowing in self pity (which i am i just wanted a moan.)

artsjobs

limited hours but a good fit with your experience - great organisation for spotting and developing people

Thanks Bella I know how easy it is to get into a negative state of mind, but you do have options here - don't expect things to suddenly revolutionise overnight, but you can start taking baby steps. Is there a museum close to you that has an art gallery you could volunteer in? Offer to do free 30 minute tours once a week for visitors, pointing out some details in the paintings that they'd otherwise miss? Most heritage sites round here would bite your arm off, because they just don't have the staff to cover events like that, so rely completely on volunteers instead.

Ive been looking at supermarkets in my area but neother of the two are hiring atm so i will expand my search to further ones.

As an educated woman, people won't want to take you on for jobs they believe are beneath you. Aim higher, not lower.

No, Bella! NO!

You have a degree. You don't have any ties. With all due respect to people working in supermarkets, you should NOT be doing this. You should be going for graduate jobs and not resting until you find one.

Seriously, can you imagine a man going for a supermarket job after getting a degree?

Ummm I am quite old and I do not own my own home. And godammit I'm an artist. A professional art teacher.
There are two ways to tread- the glittering mortgage and 24/7 job attachment
Or
The way of the artist.
I am wondering if I took the wrong path daily.

winddoesnotbreak thank you! Thats the organisation i emailed about voluntary work!

Also, you need an advocate, someone who believes in you and pushes you on.

When I met my husband he was 30, had just changed careers and was on 18k, I saw his potential and pushed him outside his comfort zone, he now does a similar job but is on 250k a year and nearly at the top of his game (I'm orchestrating the next breakthrough).

tara i thought i would be a starving artist living off stale bread and wine in a paris attic. Not a warrington box room but here i am.

Hollow, she has zero relevant job experience and a patchy CV. Not her fault, but how much higher can you reasonably expect her to aim right now? She can get a job, volunteer and start a blog or develop a portfolio but she will be looking at entry level stuff right now.

To be fair, she’s needs any job right now. Once she has a new job she can work towards her dream job. She can’t continue in shit job earning sod all money. And plenty of men apply for bar jobs, supermarket jobs and the like to tide them over while applying for for their dream job.

They have excellent, established volunteering programmes. Very good training, you could set up a group in Warrington (offer it to Culture Warrington and do it one of their venues, see where it leads).

You say you can't afford to move to London but it doesn't seem like you can afford to stay where you are. Have a look at Makers Academy, they have software apprenticeships paying 18k -25k from day 1. Earning potential is huge. Maybe be not your dream job, but better than night shift in a factory, I think.

Seriously, can you imagine a man going for a supermarket job after getting a degree?

I know a man who did 22yrs in the army, has a degree and took work in McDonald’s because that was all that was going, his kids needed feeding and bills weren’t going to pay themselves.

Also remember that thing about having the confidence of a mediocre man.

Btw- I work for a ftse100 company and we recruit lots of peopke from makers.