To ask how you get a bloody job 😐

[LaLaPoo]

I have been doing temporary work for the past 3yrs after having many years off being a SAHM, yes I was fortunate to be able to be at home!

Now I find myself in my mid 40s and unable to find a permanent job. I apply for so many, rarely get interviews and when I do, I hear nothing back. It’s really starting to get me down. My current job is only seasonal so come the winter I’ll be worrying about how I’m going to pay my bills etc again. I find the pay divide is making such a difference (why employ someone on a higher MW when you can take on a 16yr old and pay them a much lower rate!) seems employers are not bothered about experience anymore? I also wonder if my size puts potential employers off as I’m a size 20 🤷🏻‍♀️

Any advice on what to do would be a great help.

Is it possible for you to retrain? I would have thought that if you're doing NMW jobs then they are classed as 'unskilled' and I think your experience wouldn't match up to the rate of pay.

We need more info to help. What qualifications, skills and experience do you have, and what sort of jobs are you trying for?

What did you do before you had kids? Did you have a career? If so could you upskill and get back into that?

Most NMW jobs aren't very highly skilled (and I'm not saying they're not valuable at all, but they are the kind of jobs a 16 year old school leaver or person with few qualifications can do) so your experience wouldn't count for as much as it would in a profession.

Following as I'm kind of the same, (definitely in age and size 😂)just cannot find anything.
I've been unfortunate in redundancies and restructuring in the past and feel I'm having to apply for base level jobs when my experience and work ethic is so much more!
Went to a pub yesterday and saw a lot of the young staff looking bored, no decent interaction towards diners and on phones! You generally wouldn't get that from older staff but guess they are cheaper to employ 🤷.
One thing to do is look at places you'd like to work and stalk out their websites and Facebook pages for careers, if nothing an enquiring email might work too.
I've started to do that, I'm on the usual indeed/reed/linkedin sites anyway not sure how their algorithm works as they do show odd vacancies when not filtering.

Are you with an agency? There’s no benefit to them suggesting you for permanent jobs when you’re making them money as a temp. Other than maybe a small transfer fee if your current firm offered you a permanent role.
So please don’t rely in them to find you something. Not all are bad but just a suggestion.

Hi, thanks the replies. I’m currently working at a holiday park on the bars. Like I said it’s seasonal, March until early November.

I don’t have any qualifications as such but prior to children I was Airline Cabin Crew where I worked my way up to management and prior to that I was in retail management. Now I can’t even get a job in a supermarket.

I am applying through fb pages and indeed, but tbh I give up with indeed as never hear anything back from jobs I apply for through that.

Most work around is minimum wage work - and for that you are required to have qualifications, skills and be 'fully flexible'. It is preferable that you can be underpaid as a younger person or that you can be bullied into working extra hours for free.

You might need to have your own car/vehicle which will be commandeered at a low rate of expenses to carry out your job.

In short there is a glut of available workers - many of who have lots of experience and qualifications - but these don't matter as much as having no commitments and being willing to work any and all hours that you are wanted (and then the hours being cut when you're not needed)

There is not a glut of skilled workers though, there's a shortage.

Any chance you can get back to working with the airlines in some capacity? Training cabin crew etc? Or look for roles where the training you have had could be valued - health and safety, managing teams catering events maybe?

How many years did you work for pre kids & how many were you off for?

A friend of mine who worked in recruitment once said to me every year you have off, its like knocking a year off your experience you had, in terms of the work you can access on return

If you're working in a bar can you not do it year long elsewhere? Hospitality is still horribly short of people - larger chains will also have management options

Would you consider care work, I understand that there is a lack of care workers at the moment.

Lots of free skills bootcamps on the government website (assuming you are UK)

I was also airline cabin crew for ten years and in management and have had no issues with a career since leaving.
I do a bit of recruitment and would say your gap in employment is maybe your biggest issue.
NHS have been brilliant since leaving the airline, I've a career ( not nursing) and scope to progress. As ex crew you have a lot of skills and experience. Could you register on the staff bank at your local nhs trust - many job opportunities and see what job you like?

I was working in minimum wage jobs while our children were young . It suited us as a family as it meant we had no childcare issues as one of us were always home.

Once our children were both finishing high school I went to college and retrained. Best thing I've ever done. Near enough doubled my wages by doing this and still only work part time.

OP you need a 2 pronged approach here. Firstly you need qualifications, look to see what your local college offers. As a minimum you need maths + English Level 2/GCSE plus digital skills.
Then you need to start looking at what work you want to do and start gaining experience in it ie as well as working in a bar volunteer in a charity shop etc. Anything to get your CV filled.
A PP Is correct that it is length of the gap in your CV that is now the issue. I appreciate mums take time off for different reasons but unless it is unavoidable to do so I would never recommend staying at home full time. Your earning power diminishes each year you are out of work.

www.skillsforcareers.education.gov.uk/pages/training-choice/skills-bootcamp

At Sainsbury's the 16 year olds get the same as the adults £12 an hour so they don't favour younger people.

Sorry missed update about retail management. They are always looking for colleagues or trading managers.

I’d recommend going on the national careers service and doing the skills test as it sounds like you’ve got a lot of transferable skills that you can use and gives options for career opportunities that you wouldn’t have thought. There’s also cv help, you can find courses. https://nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/skills-assessment

Work on interview skills structure answers in the STAR format (Situation, Task, Action, Result) have a few good examples for questions such as show a time where you’ve shown leadership skills. Reed is a great resource for this. https://www.reed.co.uk/career-advice/

When you get an interview try and use example’s that link to the job description so you can demonstrate what you would bring to the role.

Just want to wish you luck the job market is really tough at the moment, I’ve only just got back in and it is tough mentally to keep putting yourself out there but it will happen.

Indeed isn't the best way to apply. Its good for searching but when we get applications its obvious who has applied via Indeed and who has taken the time to apply directly via our website with a tailored cv/applucation.

What did you retrain as?
I'm a SAHM longing it out as much as possible because I'm stumped what to next after quitting teaching.

Could you work from home? There are a few places where you conduct market and social research surveys on the phone from home. They send you the kit you need, as long as you have computer. One I know pays London living wage, wherever you are. They do flexible shifts too.
That might be a good thing, though it's not permanent, there's usually plenty of work for people who are good. It's only talking to people and asking questions for government bodies etc.

I wouldn't go through indeed search sainsbury's jobs there is a website just for recruitment put in your postcode and it comes up with every job in your area.

I got myself a private hire badge from the local council, and walked into my chosen private hire/taxi office and asked if they were taking on drivers.
I started the next day and have been doing it for 6 years.
I choose my own hours, never work weekends, evenings or school holidays, and am fine financially as a single person.
I'm 50 and female.