AIBU I’ve made myself unemployable?

[Jobdramallama]

Hi all, I’m posting here for traffic and looking for some insight.

I’m currently unemployed and applying for everything and anything. Retail, office, whatever. But absolutely no one is even replying let alone actually turning me down. My employment history is sketchy. I trained to a level 2 working in education and EY but most jobs require level 3 which id need a job to be able to train for. So those jobs don’t want me.
Anything else can see I’ve worked in education so I think turn me down on the basis of it being so different to office/retail/hospitality.
My brief hospitality experience is currently pointless.
I have huge gaps in my history for bouts of MH issues where I just fucked about because I couldn’t get my head together.
I’m in my mid 20s.

I’m so poor, DP is putting (understandably) big pressure on me to get something soon as he’s currently furloughed and his safety net of savings is getting low supporting both of us and multiple pets. I’m so desperate yet no one will take me on.

I’m in the bottom 1%, this is almost a year of unemployment now (since lockdown 1.0). UC are saying if I don’t get something soon they’ll make me work voluntary hours (30 a week, for 290 a month). I feel so worthless and desperate and I don’t know what to do.

@TeamDigital is that only for people seeking employment or will it be open to others too?

What jobs have you had in the past? Surely you are still qualified/have the experience to do them.

I would stretch out your previous work history so it covers your employment gaps, up until your most recent two employers who they might ask for references so keep those truthful.

Are there any warehouses near you? Places like DPD, Amazon and HelloFresh pay really well and will take on anyone at the minute because business is booming and most people don't want 24 hour shifts.

@covetingthepreciousthings

Open to all, but if you are employed and looking to move into a digital role within your company then employers are being asked to contribute 30% of the training cost.

Do you have any admin skills? There's always seem to be jobs going as medical secretaries in the NHS. You may need some training and I imagine it's fairly stressful.

Look for nannying/mother's help type agencies

What about cleaning?

Have you tried walking around your local area with your CV (not easy with restrictions ATM depending where you are) but a family member got a job in a florist that way?

Good luck

Parents are crying out for nannying/mother’s help/home learning support op, and the pay is really good.

How about working with animals? Working in a dog shelter or dog walking temporarily?

After a 4 year gap with no work I volunteered for 15 hours a week for 9 months. At the end of that I had a great reference, had built my confidence, and was able to start an ideal job within 3 months of looking.

Not wanting to volunteer just because you are on benefits seems very short sighted. Either volunteer, or start a course of study. But if you want to change your situation you need to do something different.

@Tableforfiveplease medical secretary jobs aren’t easy to get . Even reception roles are hard ( that’s what I do ) I have a degree and so does the other medical receptionist employed at the same time as me

It's very tough out there right now with lots of companies using the pandemic as an excuse to advertise skilled positions at entry level salaries. Or being very selective for straightforward roles where previously they were less so.
But please don't 'stretch out your employment dates' or say you were travelling to cover gaps as suggested earlier. These can easily be disproved in referencing or vetting and could be considered deception. You can say you were unwell but those issues are resolved and you're fit to work now.
Very best of luck

I would apply for SEN TA roles as these are always recruiting and they are much more understanding of varied levels of experience and they would probably support you to increase your qualification level. Good luck Op.

Temping?

I have been out of work since first lockdown and applying for loads of jobs and it is tough out there at moment, I have done a little temping .
Applied to loads and I have 10 years in same job and lot of admin experience
Most don't reply but I do have an interview next week .
I applied to agencies and I also asked them what they thought of my cv too, had a few weeks temp work which was better than nothing .
Maybe register with some agencies of you haven't already

What about childminding? Your qualifications you already have will all help or have you thought about doing online qualifications to be a TA?

definitely start volunteering - what have you got to loose? Volunteering will give you a new set of skills (or enhance those you already have), allow you to meet new people, explore new career options and build relationships that might lead to a job. It’s also great for mental health to be out and doing something and talking to people. Keep applying for jobs alongside.

Applying for an apprenticeship is a great idea. Make sure you explain all the gaps - just putting ‘career break’ is enough, you don’t need to explain anything else.

The most important thing is to tailor your applications (cv, cover letter, application form personal statement, to show you meet the requirements of each job that you apply for.

One bit of advice I'd give you OP is actually not to apply for jobs via Indeed. I used to do a lot of recruiting and applications that came via Indeed (most places ask where you saw the vacancy) never bore any relation to the job description. So if you see a job you are interested in, go to the employer's website and seek out the vacancy from there. Then you can be sure that you are providing what they are asking for.

Dont completly knock the volunteering on its head. After 5 years out, I started volunteering (on much less hours than UC are suggesting) nearby. It gave me a reference, something to talk about at interview and a tenuous link to a "must gave" requirement in the job I'm now doing.
I dont know how practical the childcare level 3 is. Can you do that, or some other training, to help your application?
Good Luck.

Many nurseries will consider a L2 if they come across as a strong candidate who is willing to train. It’s worth applying anyway and putting in a positive cover note about wanting to do L3. We would probably consider any L3 candidates first, as they are immediately available for ratios but we have taken L2 before now if they seem promising. My observation is a lot of unsuitable people apply for EY because they think it’s easy or something they can do looking for something else so an application by someone who really wants the job will quickly be apparent.

Agree with many others. If you had been volunteering for the last few months in a childcare setting you would have gained valuable experience and could be working towards a level 3 qualification. Get in touch with all the local nurseries and pre schools. We would kill to have extra staff right now and if you’re good you’d likely end up being offered a job if you are willing to work towards level 3. You could also sign up for agency work in early years settings. You can do that without a qualification so level 2 would be fine.

The National Careers Service offer free employment advice and will help with your CV. Just google them. When the vulnerable person in your bubble has had their vaccine, I would also recommend doing some volunteering in the right sort of role to give you additional, up to date experience.

I don’t think there’s anything wrong with the volunteering side, if it helps you learn new skills or builds up your confidence. When I was claiming I ended up volunteering at the actual job centre, it helped me quite a lot tbh (going a few years back when I didn’t have varied job experience) and I got a lot of good feedback which helped my confidence after previously being in a job that was awful then being unemployed for while.

Most jobs allow you to apply on your phone, you can do it on the bus/lunch break, especially if you have a generic cover letter and CV (or a couple of different versions) you can quickly tailor and upload, so I’m not sure why it would be so bad that it’s ‘on top of job searching’.

I’m not saying it’s the best thing for everyone, but it’s not the worst either.

If you haven’t already I would register with as many agencies as possible too.

I think if you've applied for lots of jobs in care homes and haven't had a call back then you need a professional or knowledgeable person to do the applications for you. They were so desperate. How much is the idea of going out and getting infected by Covid putting you off applying for contact roles? I understand, but you'll need to own that and try harder to look for WFH positions.

Can you apply to do the census collection in March?

I don't really understand why volunteering while also job hunting has caused such horror, surely it's equivalent to what most of us do when we want a new job?

Also I think you should look at the volunteering as an opportunity to get some experience in the areas you would like to work, as you think that is the biggest issue with your application. Think if it as a short term stepping stone to get you were you need to be. Oh and fill in your CV gaps if there are many.

I would also suggest thinking about something to do with SEN both children and adults. However only if you are someone who genuinely wants to help and care for those with disabilities.
There is a real shortage of overnight respite places for those with disabilities to go to. You, your husband and home would need to be suitable and pass checks.