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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think its really difficult to get any job these days

160 replies

sprinkleyumnut · 24/08/2021 20:40

Worked at mcdonalds nearly 2 years. They won't have me back for a reason I don't know. I went to another job but that fell through. They said apply online, even had colleagues offer to put a word in for me, they did, still the same advice. I keep getting rejected online for even a crew member role which I applied for as well as customer care (I did both at different points at mcdonalds). Even the new mcdonalds opening next month keeps rejecting me. I'm putting in the right answers, saying I'm available anytime, I can start now. I can't help but think it is personal- I rarely took sick days, and worked my bum off there! Even kfc won't take me on-apparently I need more experience 🤔 it's hard to get a job these days! It's made me feel awful. There is no feedback. AIBU in thinking it's difficult getting even what's seen as an "easy" job these days?

OP posts:
PepperPepperMan · 24/08/2021 23:02

@sprinkleyumnut

The job fell through because they were an awful company. There was no training, and this was social care. I was an activity coordinator there for a few days. Before taking this job I was warned by someone who worked there about how there is a high turnover and many had left that were activity coordinators. It was shocking.
No repretable company should be hiring a social care co-ordinator without many years experience within the social care sector - sorry if I've missed your experience out.

People think social care is an easy sector purely on the pay grade which is deplorable given the work load and stress factor, often being 1:1 family support in end of life care.

A care coordinator needs to have an knowledgeable care back ground as a minimum expertise.

Original poster
sprinkleyumnut · 24/08/2021 23:04

@RoyalQueen

There must be an excel course you can do online? Or just try YouTube and learn it in your own time. Then you can try for admin jobs.

Do you drive? An hour to an Amazon centre isn't too bad. Not great certainly but a start.

Are you tied to where you live? Could you move and rent a room somewhere bigger? Bristol.

What about doing things like cleaning or ironing while you look? Is there a market for that?

Unfortunately I don't drive. I live at home and next year I'm getting married and moving in with my partner. Old fashioned but it's the way we are. There isn't a market for cleaning or ironing. There are cleaning jobs about, but silly hours like 2 hours of an evening.
OP posts:
Original poster
sprinkleyumnut · 24/08/2021 23:06

@ChaneySays

You could get a job as a truck driver. Companies are so desperate they're paying for training and Tesco are offering a £1k incentive and £800 a week salary to people who already have a license. Woodland Group are advertising at £45k-£60k a year depending on shift pattern, and agencies are paying £20 per hour.
I wish I was able to drive but I haven't even got a provisional.
OP posts:
Original poster
sprinkleyumnut · 24/08/2021 23:07

@Christmasfairy2020

Maybe cleaning at pretty little thing. My mum seems to get everyone a job there. Give your local factory a ring
I dont think there is a pretty little thing factory near me
OP posts:
Original poster
sprinkleyumnut · 24/08/2021 23:08

It was an activity coordinator just giving the residents activities to do. I would be shocked if they hired me as a social care coordinator, that's a tough job as you say.

OP posts:
Divebar2021 · 24/08/2021 23:10

Every coffee shop I’ve been to recently have had signs up advertising vacancies , and having a discussion with the owner of a restaurant in Dorset he is closing some evenings due to lack of staff. I know he’s in a seaside town but hospitality are crying out for people. ( no Europeans here working). Drivers are also in hot demand.

PalmarisLongus · 24/08/2021 23:11

I lost my job at the start of pandemic lockdown. Since then I've applied for many many jobs and rarely.get so much as a phone call.

My job coach says my CV is good, my cover letters are good. The employment agencies all say my stuff is good, but still no employer seems to want to know.

I don't know if it's because I am 40+ and a single parent that would be reliant on paid childcare so can only do 8.30 - 5.30 Monday to Friday, but something is sabotaging my chances.

So I agree OP. It is not easy these days at all. People are very very lucky that their CV just happened to catch someone's eye instead of being thrown in the bin.

unfortunateevents · 24/08/2021 23:13

You say you are nearly 29, apart from about 2 years at MaccyDs and a very short-lived role in care, what have you done since leaving school?

BadLad · 24/08/2021 23:18

Getting married next year.

Are you changing your surname or double-barrelling?

If you are, could you do that in advance, and then apply from your fiance's address? Then you might solve this problem:

I've tried with different emails but the system is so clever when I put my name and address in, it knows it is me as all the past applications come up.

SchrodingersImmigrant · 24/08/2021 23:33

I would honestly stop applying to macciea. That's it. Conaoder it closed door. The system told you enough

VividImagination · 24/08/2021 23:41

My son lost his job at the start of lockdown. He’s 26, has a degree but very little experience in that field. He’s worked two years in a restaurant and has experience with computers and data input. He can’t get a job. If he applies for jobs requiring a degree, they want experience. If he applies to retail etc, he’s “overqualified”. He can’t win!

I hope something comes up for you soon.

Ajl46 · 25/08/2021 00:26

Are there any jobs going at your local Council?

stayathomer · 25/08/2021 07:33

sprinkleyumnut
Thanks so much OP. By the way admin jobs are a tricky one (I see people above telling you to apply for them). I think you know your capabilities yourself, I got through office jobs with very little knowledge of excel etc but if computers properly panic you then don't as I've been in many situations where I had to really really figure stuff out and was ten times slower than others doing the same work and you don't want to spend your life being demorilised. If you think you can figure stuff out though, they do generally train you in well enough that for entry level jobs you dont need to know much. Also, how about starting training eg hairdressing or an apprenticeship? (Sorry if I missed why you can't)

stayathomer · 25/08/2021 07:34

Sorry when I say apprenticeship I mean eg learning a trade?

megletthesecond · 25/08/2021 07:37

"I wouldn't expect a healthy young person to take any sick days in only 2 years of employment tbh." And this is why we were overwhelmed in the pandemic and our NHS can't cope.

onelittlefrog · 25/08/2021 07:42

If you're unemployed have you been to the job centre yet? They will help you find something. You have experience so it shouldn't be that hard but you will have to be open to things other than just McDonald's or KFC - your problem is you are not looking widely enough.

onelittlefrog · 25/08/2021 07:44

Care work, unfortunately and this will probably sound bad, I'm far too squeamish with bodily fluids etc. I wish I could as there is always heaps hiring here too. The problem is it isn't for everyone and it isn't for me

People get past their squeamishness. No one likes it but you could do it.

Tippexy · 25/08/2021 07:48

So can you take your driving test?

Sign up for an Excel course?

…?

LynnInAVan · 25/08/2021 07:50

I’m a HR Manager in hospitality - we are in a recruitment crisis. Try pubs, hotels and restaurants

PalmarisLongus · 25/08/2021 07:56

@onelittlefrog

If you're unemployed have you been to the job centre yet? They will help you find something. You have experience so it shouldn't be that hard but you will have to be open to things other than just McDonald's or KFC - your problem is you are not looking widely enough.
Job centres used to help people find jobs, those days are passed pretty much.

Back in the day they had boards full of jobs you could apply for right there at the Job Centre. They don't have then anymore.
They used to have computers you could look through that listed tons of jobs you could pay for with your advisor, just take the number down and speak to the advisor about it. They don't do that anymore.

What they do now is ask to see evidence of job applications. Sanction you if they don't think you've done enough. If you're on Universal Credit, that sanction isn't just the personal element of your claim, they sanction all of the claim, including rent. The Job Centre only help through fear these days, pray you get a good Job Coach and not a racist one that hates Social Housing people... Like the one I first had and had to complain about.

MarmiteyCrumpets · 25/08/2021 08:05

Dog walking?

Online English tutoring?

There are stacks of free online coding courses - try Coursera, EDX, or Khan Academy.

Plumedenom · 25/08/2021 08:19

If I were you I'd have a walk around your local town and drop off your CV the old fashioned way. Talk to coffee shop owners and restaurant owners. Show you're interested and a real person. As they say, getting a job is a full time job. Applying again and again to McDonalds is not the answer. If there really is nothing nearby, I'd sign up with a local agency and take anything. You'll probably find after a couple more roles you'll find something you can do. Most roles involving excel are pretty basic columns of numbers, not creating pivot tables and macros. I would blah that as actually most people are really shit in excel.

SchrodingersImmigrant · 25/08/2021 08:59

@onelittlefrog

Care work, unfortunately and this will probably sound bad, I'm far too squeamish with bodily fluids etc. I wish I could as there is always heaps hiring here too. The problem is it isn't for everyone and it isn't for me

People get past their squeamishness. No one likes it but you could do it.

Some people don't and frankly they shouldn't keep trying. Care work is not for everyone, but I often see it pushed on here because they are always hiring.

If you aren't certain type of person, going to care work will end up badly for you AND the carees.

PickUpAPepper · 25/08/2021 09:12

It is bad op. For all they tell us there are so many jobs available, look at the wages: few jobs pay more than 20k, because they don’t have to. The news mostly focuses on London and on propaganda, not truth: there may be loads of jobs there but perhaps that is because no one can afford to live there. In the provinces cutbacks mean there are loads of people, even skilled people, chasing jobs with wages gradually falling and no real prospects. Retail gets loads of applicants because nowadays it is a good job, paying nearly the same wage as more skilled jobs but with less pressure and the ability to walk away at the end of a day. It means they are having to find reasons to not employ people, and any excuse will do.

Regarding social care, do people realise or are they choosing to ignore that social care jobs along with many others have been pushed into the voluntary sector? If there are people who can afford and are willing to work for free, how will we ever see decent wages and jobs in the future?

PickUpAPepper · 25/08/2021 09:19

Sorry meant to add: news sources are, or were, trying to push all blame for this onto ‘acts of god’, primarily COVID at the moment. It’s just not true. It has been happening for years: in my area the 2008 credit crunch is often blamed, but cuts were happening and staff were starting to worry for 5 years before that.