To think job hunting is not easy for niche jobs?

[sunshineNdaisies]

So I am currently employed in the public sector earning £35,000 pa (not in london).

My job is very niche, education related, but not teaching. So I work in colleges, universities, schools and that kind of environment. Its very very niche, we have a specific qualification and a specific industry body.

So eg teachers can really only work in schools - that's the kind of situation that I am in although I'm not a teacher and my qualification is not a teaching one. To say what my qualification is would immediately out me.

I love my job.

I don't love my company. I don't love my bullying manager and I have a grievance out against her which I fully expect to be dismissed because that's just what the company are like.

I have multiple disabilities, some visible but mainly invisible. all very much permanent and all disclosed to my employer since I started about 15 years ago. I have adjustments in place but attitudes are the problem.

I am off long term sick with anxiety due to this treatment.

I am searching for similar jobs and just getting nowhere.

Similar jobs are in the charity sector for about £20000 per annum max. I can't afford that salary drop.

These jobs are all temporary or fixed term. I can't take that risk either.

I don't want to re-train. I worked very hard for my qualifications.

Self employment is far too risky - I'd never make the same salary.

I've tried registering with recruitment agencies and they say they don't work in my industry (despite their websites saying they do) so clearly the disabilities put them off me.

I've been searching on TES, Indeed, goodmoves, S1jobs, scotcareers, myjobscotland, civil service jobsite, jobsite, JCP website, reed, university and college websites, jobs.ac.uk, linkedin jobs, other social media sites.

I just can't seem to find anything.

I'm entering month 3 of my sick leave. I get 6 months full pay then I think I'll be forced to return to work for the manager who reduces me to a shaking sobbing wreck.

I submitted my grievance 3 months ago. No invitation to hearing yet. No resolution although they are offering mediation which I do not want and pushing me to stick to the informal route (even though I have concrete evidence of discrimination).

I just came on here for some sympathy and to sound off really. Does anyone have any tips for job hunting?

I have had career counselling which helped but still no luck.

Well yeah that’s a bit captain obvious. The more niche a job is the fewer opportunities there are to move.

Have you got a good recruitment consultant/headhunter that specialises in your field or similar fields on board?

I also work in a niche area (my name is out of date now) and when I was in a redundancy process last year, a friend was looking out for me and I interviewed for 2 jobs, one of which had not even had the job description written. I was offered both jobs.

Although niche, are there similar providers to your own that you could approach?

OP unless you are Prime Minister your job really won't out you, seriously.

Have you tried neighbouring local authorities / health boards / private schools or colleges?

That's what I've found. I work in content moderation. I used to work remotely but most jobs are in London. Most recruiters don't understand what that is and don't relate it to SM even though it really is (but from a different angle). Oddly enough I found a job in my field 20mins from home. I however went from a £50k salary to an £18k one but moving to London is impossible, so I'll take that over zero hour contracts and shift patterns. Sorry I don't have much advice but you have all of my sympathy.

It may be niche, that neansvtvstvyounorobsnky can tell ircrradibabky guess everyone who has a need for this role. Could you build a list of everyone well every organisation, then work out who would recruit (day head of department or head teacher or whatever ) and email each to ask for opportunities

Or perhaps ask to meet with them to get their views of how things are and where they are going in the future. And keep your ears peeled for opportunities they may say it's going well but our XX of many years is leaving us in the summer etc.

It's slow work but the research may nit be physically arduous and could be fruitful

Ultimately what will matter for finding a new role is the balance between supply of and demand for these roles. How easy is it to recruit people into this role ? Are there queues if people applying or loads of vacancies?

Since you have a qualification, find out what careers follow up they provide. They may st least be able to tell you who uses people with those qualifications to get your research started

If there are just too few openings available, you may have to take another job so that you are well positioned to move sideways when s role becomes available

All the best

DP has a niche role in the private sector in that there are so few companies that do it. He’s job hunting ATM and really struggling

A few years ago, I was made redundant from a niche job. I just took a much lower paid job while I continued looking for a suitable post. It took almost 2 years from the time I started looking till the first day in the new post. In your shoes, I'd be saving up and looking at reducing your outgoings as that will give you more options and hopefully reduce stress levels.

trust me, the second I say what my job is, everyone will know who I am as I'm the only disabled person in the company with this job title..

I've already tried the sideways move option, and promotion and I keep being unsuccessful. I saw an email that it was because my disabilities would make it difficult for me to do that role. So yeah, discrimination.

Let's give a better example. I'm in Scotland. So lets imagine a police officer in Police Scotland wanting to be a police officer out of Police Scotland. Unless he/she moves to England (not an option for me) he/she is going to have few options other than 'related' work but not exactly the same.

I've already tried numerous recruitment agencies. They all say they can't help me. Not declaring my disabilities on a CV is not an option I want to take, as I would prefer to be open and work for a company that welcomes that.

It's just frustrating really.

Is there a professional association for your qualification.

I have a very niche job (there are only a few hundred people in the UK who have the main qualification in my industry and the combination of related qualifications that I have makes me unique in the entire world) and all the vacancies in my industry are advertised via our professional association.

yes there is. two actually. I check their sites regularly. It's all in England (I'm in Scotland). Rarely anything in Scotland.

They are actually a bit slow to advertise the vacancies and these vacancies tend to appear on company sites much sooner.

There's a few university jobs but in Edinburgh (I'm west coast but not Glasgow). With a young child, I can't do a nearly 2 hour commute each way to be in Edinburgh for 9am in the morning. And I can't relocate due to DH job either.

Job seeking totally sucks.

Anyone know of any job sites I haven't mentioned or any other means to find opportunities I may not have already tried?

ooops, typed my username wrong in that last post

I have no savings. We are not long out of debt (DH was redundant for several years and is only just back in work after finding something - he also has a very niche job!) so we are just getting back on our feet money wise really.

And there's the leave entitlement, pension, benefits etc to think about too.

It's so wrong that people are effectively forced to stay in horrible work environments because of things like this.

I have a fairly specialised role, although it is becoming more common now. Your situation sounds horrible but if you commit to a niche career and gaining qualification in it you must have had an inkling that the job market would be limited?

I never thought I would be treated the way I am now though. It may very well end up in a tribunal. I do have excellent union support but I dread the date I will have to return. I just don't see it getting any better.

I would research all the similar companies or competitor organisations in your field and contact them. Use your networks and meet people for coffee and some advice. Think about lateral moves that are in related fields but not exactly the same. Roles at disability charities that are not in the same field but related to your area of interest - they should not discriminate.

I'm very sorry you're in this position.

"It's so wrong that people are effectively forced to stay in horrible work environments because of things like this."

Well no one forced you to make such a niche career, and avidly want to stay in it, and refuse to consider a lower salary.

What exactly are you hoping to find here? Job seeking tips tend to be generic and you've had good ones.

Niche jobs only go to people who know other people, who know other people...
Found that out when I first started working. It's not what you know, but who you know that gets you on in life.

OP unless you are Prime Minister your job really won't out you, seriously. It won't out you to the general public, but if the OP suspects people in her life also read MN, then it might out her to them.

I wouldn't post a picture of my cat to MN because it is "outing" - not to MN in general but a friend reading MN would recognise him immediately.

OP, you are coming across as pretty unrealistic here.

You chose a niche career, presumably you realised there would be few opportunities.

You live somewhere seemingly without much industry.

You have effectively tied yourself to one employer and now that relationships there have soured you're stuck.

Your options would be to move, diversify or work remotely.

I work in a niche area of education, possibly even the same job as you. I was made redundant a few years ago and was able to transfer my skills into a different job which then led to a further job that is more money than I was originally on. Most of my ex colleagues have managed to do the same. There are lots of jobs within education.

Saying what your job is really won't out you but added to the fact that you've said your situation and location I could see why this would.

I would repost in a few days saying what your job and no other outing information and ask for advice on what eise you could go into. You may get some helpful responses.

MereDintofPandiculation OP name changed for this though, so she can't really be outed surely?

Totally sympathise. I'm not loving my job, I just keep an eye when something similar props up, I can't really actively job hunt if that makes sense. Have an interview in just over a week for something I'm qualified in, but a different aspect that I have experience in, I want it so badly!

See if agency central is still going. You can search for agencies by occupation.

I agree with diversifying.
Or you'll constantly be in this situation

Op if you are off sick you shouldn’t really be job hunting. You should be off recovering. If you have anxiety you are t in the right frame of mind and that could be more to blame than any other factor.

If you really can’t face going back then you need to consider what you are willing to compromise on. Pay? Location? Contract length? Or accept you need to retrain, failing that I think you should go back and face the issues at work, there must be a way of making things work.