To think I can’t get a job because…

[Joblesshopeless]

Companies think I only want maternity leave?!

I’m 30 and been self employed for 8 years. Before that I had some great roles and lots of experience as started working at 16.

I have just gone through my Indeed applications and I’ve applied for nearly 100 jobs now, but not one has progressed to the interview stage.

I can’t work out if it’s because I’ve been self employed for so long OR because they’re assuming I just want maternity leave and that’s why I don’t want to be freelance anymore. I don’t want to be freelance anymore because I am just sick of it and want a 9-5, although I obviously don’t say that. I’m also majorly skint and need a regular income to pay my bills or I won’t be able to pay my mortgage by October.

I’ve had my CV checked by a recruiter (all good), I send personal cover letters for each job, and I have been applying for absolutely everything from shop and customer service roles through to marketing which is what I’ve been doing freelance for all this time.

Everyone has said it’s so easy to get a job out there at the moment, but I don’t seem to be getting a single bite. I am beginning to wonder if it’s because I’m a married woman of a certain age with no kids yet (I know that recruiters check social media so it’s not hard to work that out about me).

AIBU to think it’s because they assume I just want maternity leave?!

Also any advice would be very much appreciated, I really need to get a job sorted by the end of summer for both my mental health and my finances

Depressingly true. I like to confuse the situation by earning my degree age 40 but that's not a solution for everyone!

I’d think about being more selective, using Glassdoor instead maybe, where you might find there are more application forms and fewer send your cv situations. Then they get fewer applicants.

OP there was another thread on here about an NW marketing person being unable to get good grads… PM her, might have other roles open? :D

Having said that you might be casting the net too wide.

I think there is another reason why you have not been successful. I have just appplied for 1 job and sucessfull been offered the role and i am the same age as you.

Applying for 100 jobs makes it sound like you are just applying for anything instead of what you have the skills / experience for.

Finally, some recruiters are just terrible and their 'sign off' of your cv doesn't mean it is actually a good cv.

Have a good think about what roles you and want and are suitable for you. Make your cv relevant to each individual role you are applying for and then have someone else chexk it

Glassdoor and Indeed are the same company, Glassdoor recruitment is powered by Indeed.

Applying for local government, civil service, 3rd sector or education admin roles will be less competitive also than role on Indeed.

It's more likely to be because you've been self-employed for so long. It suggests you're very used to doing things your own way and may not like being managed/taking orders from someone else.

I think you need to be more targeted but also have a convincing explanation as to why you want to move away from freelancing

I think you are being paranoid, as a hiring manager I've never checked social media I go off the CV in front of me. Definitely get a LinkedIn profile set up and put some work into it and you will find recruiters coming to you.

Also.the job search function on linked is very good, much better than indeed

I will add that my last 2 successful job applications were down to a recruiter picking up my CV from CV library and approaching me, rather than me applying cold. So might be worth setting your CV up on there too.

I would say it's almost certainly not because they think you want maternity leave. I find that to be quite a strange deduction.

It's much more likely to be that your only experience being employed has been while you've been very young. What's your reasoning for looking for employment in your cover letter?

Don't go for shop roles if you've been working in marketing.
Go down the admin/marketing agency routes.

Where are you based?

Use LinkedIn. Start networking and building a presence. Is your CV tailored to each role? Use keywords from the job description.

I would be very cautious about hiring someone who has spent the majority of their career freelance unless I had worked with them directly. In my sector (scientific consulting) freelance attracts a lot of people who either aren’t great at the job (but have qualifications) or ‘doesn’t play well with other’ types. There are also some great self-motivated people who wanted / needed the flexibility, but the ratio of bad to good in my sector of freelance is probably 4:1. The other issue with freelance is the lack of ongoing training and development, so skills tend to stagnate over longer periods without concerted investment from the individual. I say this as someone who is currently freelance but used to be in a senior role with regular hiring responsibilities.

I don’t write to be critical, but it is important to understand biases/concerns your cv will raise so you can counter them. Probably really important to have a clear narrative around your experience and reasons for seeking a permanent role. Agree with others that it needs to be really targeted to the position being advertised. Also agree that it might be easier to find a permanent role with organisations you have freelanced with, even if just a stepping stone to getting back into permanent employment. Can you put out feelers with current clients?