Fed up with being unemployed

[scruffbuggy]

Help! Its taking a lot to stop me throwing my laptop across the room and smashing my head against the door. I WANT A JOB!!!

Following redundancy, I've been unemployed for over a year now and am finding it tough getting a job. Didn't bother me at first as I was only dabbling at getting a new job but this year I'm desperate to get a new job. I've worked my whole adult life and now seeing my savings dwindle is really worrying. I started applying for jobs at same level as my old one, then, took loads of stuff off of my CV to apply for more junior jobs but still no luck! Two CV companies have looked at my CV and have made some ammends, but still no joy.

I still send my DD to a childminder a few days a week so that I can job hunt. The last 3 weeks I start Monday morning with a reall buzz, but by the afternoon I'm sitting in a daze thinking there's no point ringing another agency or applying to that company as they'll send the same old bland email ('sorry skills don't quite match", "We've already filled that one" or nothing)

Last Tuesday spent the day in front of the computer in tears. I'm feeling a bit of a wimp but I don't think I can take any more "'no's", so didn't apply for anything last week.

My ex has taken DD this evening until tomorrow evening, so I'm supposed to be job hunting now but just have this feeling of dread when scrolling through the job sites.

I don't feel I can talk to frinds about it as they have their own issues (new baby, problems with OHs, moving house etc), so instead I'll dump on you (ha ha).

Any suggestions for getting out of this rut or the winning numbers to the euro lottery gratefully accepted.

Stuff agencies. Hit everywhere in person. A letter is easy to ignore a person in your reception will get your attention. Lots of jobs aren't being advertised - go direct to companies and they may phone you next time they need someone.

what field are you in?

I don't think she's a farmer stealth.

har dee har :o

think it's time my family all came home, i'm bored now.

I like that.

I worked in marketing communications, fed up with it to be honest but it paid my bills and all the extras...

what about being self employed? could you do that?

I got my job end of Jan after being unemployed for almost 2 years (I tried to retrain as a teacher but realised I wasn't going to be as good at it as I was hoping)

What I realised worked for me in the end was to go for exactly the same type of job but I widened my search as - looking at other websites as Iused to as not all agents advertice on all boards.

I am speaking from my experience and in the end got a job from when the company adverticed directly on
www.reed.co.uk.com/
not through the agent

My CV was strong but noone elsw was willing to give me a chance and I think agents weren't doing good job either as I often had very feeble answers from them.

Have you had your cv looked at by friends and family to give you sonme points?

Is your Persoanl Statement strong enough?

I can write more about what I learned about writing CV but let me know if you need those pointers.

I also was on the brink of nervous breakdown when nothing was happening.

Anopther friend got a job after many months of searching.

I hope something positive is going to happen to you too.

Thanks for all the ideas and it?s good to hear that it?s not impossible to get a job after over a year off makes me feel better.

I?m not sure I?m the type to run my own business as a lone parent with young child. I always image running own business would require working around the clock (first few years anyway) and I?m not sure what business I?d run. Don?t think I?m very entrepreneurial really.

I?m going to ask a couple of people to look at my CV.

I?m now thinking about only applying for jobs directly with companies and ignoring the agencies ? good idea or not?

Also thinking about doing a ?transferable skills? CV: I'd welcome more tips on CVs or anything else.

Today I put all thoughts of job hunting aside and went to a gallery insttead (haven't done that in 4 years!!!) I feel so much better for it.

:)

Treat looking for work as a full-time job, but then not 24/7 one

you have to plan for time off - like you did today
sit at your computer at 9 am sharp, then have coffe or a break every 60 min, with a proper one for lunch

and try not to be tempted by the daytime crap tv :)

I haven't doen the transferable skills one
I went back to my old profession, just for less money

good luck and be positive - lots of people have been in similar situation to yours since 2008 and gaps in CV are normal nowadays

make sure you write something sensible for the recent one

I found doing a skills based CV was very helpful for making me think about transferrable skills. It was interesting getting different people to look at my CV but they did vary in opinion and did contradict each other.

Direct applications are the norm in my field anyway, but I think it sounds like a good route to go for you.

Agree with the time off too, sounds good yesterday

I had my looke at people who in their job are involved with recruitment process,n ale interviewing themseves

Agree - rewriting it helped me to have good arguments and answers for interviews.

in some professions is good to have recommendations which you can gather via linkedin

Im thinking of glamor model, lap dancer or call girl..it's good easy money gets me out of the house. I don't care they are jobs aren't they???/