to accept that I will be on benefits for the rest of my life?

[NothingLeftToGive]

First off, I would happily do just about any job. I'd clean the streets if they'd have me.

I'm in almost perfect health (bit of mild arthritis but it doesn't affect my life at all).

However, I have been told that I am over qualified for just about everything going. The things I am qualified for are not recruiting at the moment and will not be for the forseeable future by which time my skills will be massively out of date. I cannot afford to retrain.

I'm seriously considering just giving up and becoming a part of the welfare burden for the rest of my natural life.

Totally unreasonable or realistic acceptance of my situation?

hookers dont pay tax

Charming, aren't you, Bucket. Why do you pay tax exactly? I'm assuming it's not because, like most of us, it's illegal to avoid it? Or do you have special powers that allow you to choose when to pay tax and whom to pay it to?

you mean he actually paid you bloody hell hes desperate

seriously who jumped up dragons arse??

Am I being arsey? I think I'm being pretty restrained actually. It is rubbish to pretend you choose what to pay taxes for.

If age is an issue, you can leave it out of the CV.

I don't suppose people give their birthdates on their CV but you can leave out the date you got your academic qualifications or just put in the most recent job experience you have, so potential employers don't have a chance to calculate backwards.

It is tough in this job market, so I understand the frustration.

Have reported BucketGusset again

i dont pay taxes so quite frankly i couldnt give a fuck!! please keep working so i can sit on my arse and play fb all day!! thanks in advance!!

I'm really confused now and I'm not even slightly tiddly. What the heck are you on about?

(I'm asking BG, btw)

BG is an invader or a troll

BG has been banned... good riddance.. dirty slag she is

Thanks BecauseImWorthIt. Sorry, I am slow tonight.

Off to bed I think.

not a troll a slag... please get it right!

blueshoes you made me laff with your brilliant idea for getting past ageism. Of COURSE I leave my age & DOB off CVs. However, I'd have to lie about my qualifications, as I have O-levels, and would need to omit 25+ years of work history. Which would make it not my CV at all, wouldn't it?

And it's not like they'd notice if this fake, young me got an interview & I turned up ...

IsGrace, if being overqualified or being perceived as over-the-hill to re-train is preventing a person from even getting an interview, I don't see the issue with what I suggested.

Of course it only gets you the interview. But that is progress nonetheless.

Employers get hundreds, literally hundreds, of applicants for certain jobs. Do you think their sorting criteria is particularly sophisticated that they are targeting the right people to interview. If you believe you are the right person for the job, then do what it takes to get yourself the interview to impress them.

I personally would not put 25 years of experience on my CV, unless I was gunning for a senior management role and even then. What I did as a fresh graduate is hardly relevant to my current role.

Last 5 years' experience is the most important, and you should use the precious real estate on your CV to get that experience across.

IsGrace, you can just describe O Levels as GCSE equivalent.

I have international O Levels and A Levels. I would just use GCSE and A Level in my CV. Employers check the actual certificates once I start employment. Hasn't got me into any trouble.

As for looking old, being groomed can cover a multitude of sins. You can only try.

skim read but anyone can set themselves up as a cleaner - i have degree from red brick university and i did. got cards printed and posted them through doors.
Hard work but not rocket science

I can totally empathise with how you're feeling.

I got into a bit of an argy bargy over on the Tax Credits thread - although I work (self employed), the past year has been dreadful (some months I've earned nothing) and the only regular money I can count on in what what I get in Tax Credits. I can see why those working hard and not getting anything off the State get riled about it, but the situation I am in is not an easy one to get out of as much as I want to.

I've got a degree, I've run my own business for 17 years which has gone totally pearshaped this past year. Some months I haven't earned anything! I'm studying (evenings,which I am paying for and can ill afford) to get a qualification to enable me to teach adults/further ed, in the hope of getting a few hours teaching work a week to supplement my self employed income which is right down in the doldrums at the moment. In the meantime I've been applying for part-time jobs - cleaning, cooking in nursing homes, that type of thing, and getting absolutely nowhere. Post kids, I've cleaned pub toilets, worked in a cafe for minimum wage, done all kinds of jobs. Before the kids I was a high flying career girl but that's another story.

It's incredibly difficult, and there's many times I've thought just jack it all in and go on benefits completely. But we've all got something to offer even though it might not seem like it at the moment. Just hang in there. Is retraining really out of your reach financially? If you're on benefits, you get a reduced rate on most college courses. It was a struggle for me to pay for mine but the college were very accommodating, and I've paid in instalments. Why not contact some local colleges and see what's available? Also when you're stuck at home you don't get to meet people, and very often just getting out there and interacting with others can lead to all kinds of opportunities. Also what about voluntary work? It won't affect your benefits, and can give you a real sense of purpose. It helps gain experience in areas you've maybe not worked in before, and sometimes can lead to a paid position.

Meanwhile, know that you're not the only one in this situation. There's plenty of us in the same boat. I totally relate about the confidence thing .. but doing this course was the best thing I could ever have done. Without sounding big headed, when you get in a class with others and realise you can hold your own it really does raise your self esteem.

Thanks for replies, blueshoes. I did try pretty much everything, actually, but stopped applying for jobs in 2005. The ageism law hadn't taken effect then, but I gather it's not made much difference yet. Well, hey, we're still waiting for the racism, sexism & disability ones to work, aren't we?!

When I looked at what kind of business to attempt instead of looking for jobs, my initial list was of careers in which my age would not matter. It's extremely galling but you have to be practical! The bright young things who do the hiring are scared of 'grown-ups' ... as I used to be, I'm ashamed to say.

Pretending a prejudice doesn't exist won't eradicate it. That's why I hide behind a computer [shrug]

Op try not to give up hope dp has a degree and unfortunately there are not enough jobs in his sector. We spent a year applying for both qualified jobs and normal jobs like stacking shelves. DP was told by the qualified jobs that they wanted 10years experience, the under qualified jobs said if they gave him a job he would only be there 6months before moving on to a better job.

We tried not saying about his cv but still couldn't get a job stacking shelves because then dp cv looked really bad when it said he had not done anything in 5 years. Took about 18 months to get a job we were sending 140 applications a month and willing to mave anywhere. Hope you get a job soon.

I have plenty of friends who have been made redundant from really good jobs and they are now forced to dumb down their CVs and wipe off achievements which under normal circumstances make their CVs look fab. Its really hard out there. I know people who have applied for 1000 jobs. Its all very well to say go and stack shelves in Tescos, but if you previously held a job which paid a lot more and your mortgage is high then how is that going to cover your mortgage? What are you going to do? Live in a tent in the Tesco carpark?