Can't find a job. What am I doing wrong?

[HereBeHubbubs]

I've been looking for a job daily since last September. That's a year now.
My youngest started Reception last September and I'm still in private rented on JobSeekers and Housing Benefit.

Every day, several times a day, I go through all the online job sites.

I'm registered with almost every temp agency in town. The ones I'm to register with said the same thing:' We'll take your CV and put you on our part-time list, should anything come up (is that secret temp agency code for 'your CV is toilet paper. We'll bin it' )

I'm in town most days so I always actively look for vacancy signs in shop windows of which there are usually some. Any with suitable hours I always send off my application to. I've never heard back from any of those walk-in applications..

I've considered self employment but I don't have the skills. I'm not a cupcake maker or a shabby chic-er.

I have A levels and only ever worked medium-long term temp agency contracts in admin and call centres, a long stint on a petrol forecourt, and lots of little jobs in between, all varied, from handpainting ceramic tiles to photo studio work.

However, that's my work history going back to age 18. I'm now 45. I haven't worked since 2007 when my first child was born as I chose to be a full time Mum at home. I have volunteered I charity shops but can't work during school holidays.

I'm also a lone parent with no input, contact or financial assistance from the children's father, so my childcare options limit my hours. I can't do evenings or weekends and although their school has an After School Club as of yet I don't know if I'd qualify for government childcare voucher help as not all employers off the scheme, so at full price of £7 per child until 6pm, it would make working those extra hours pointless, as what I earn, is paying for the childcare.

Home working. Where is it? I can't be a consultant, or Avon rep, or telesales because Idont have a landline broadband. What other kinds of home working are there??

Given my lack of skills, recent work history and really, not a very commendable work history at that -it's all a bit student gap year looking from age 18-38!- I've just reached a plateau of apathy now. I recently didn't even get short listed for a dinner lady vacancy at my child's school and it's just the last straw, that I'm not even considered worthy of short listing for that.

I suspect my CV, although 'professionally' compiled for me by the Careers Service, is what's holding me back, as it shows the huge employment gap and not great work credentials. Plus I have no References, having it worked for the last several years and knowing nobody else in a professional capacity that is familiar with me.
I'm beginning to wonder if I should brazenly embellish it,but what with, lies?

The Jobcentre lone parent advisor is no longer assigned to me now I'm off Income Support and on JobSeekers allowance, and the signing on staff, with all due respect, are just logging info when I go in, they don't offer me any advice and spend half an hour browsing through exactly the same vacancies on their website that I'd have already looked at that morning!

I've also attended an IT course to update my admin skills but the Jobcentre scheduled it to run into the school summer holidays so I couldn't complete it.As it was for lone parents, you'd have thought they could realise childcare would be an issue :/

I have just started to volunteer as a reading group helper at my child's junior school as a way of acquiring a recent Reference at least.

Does anybody have any advice as to where I'm going wrong, or what else I can do. It is actually starting to make me depressed. I just can't see a way out

Oh! Epic opening post, sorry about that!

Could you try to work out some structured childcare options so you could do say, 3 decent days a week or all mornings? Work out the costs and what minimum wage you would need to cover it. Working extra hours when DC are in before/afterschool club isn't pointless if the job doesn't exist without them.

From what I have seen of friends, even an entry-level job that just breaks even gets you back into the swing of work, references, recent experience and into the grapevine for something better. It also gives you a massive confidence boost. Employers are way more likely to fill a vacancy internally.

Why should an employer choose you? You are a mature, reliable, well presented, creative, intelligent person with initiative and good people and admin skills, confident with IT, a driving licence and with reliable childcare. If any of the above aren't true, can you fix them? .

Good luck

I think you probably need to look at F-T TBH. Working tax credits will cover 70% of your childcare costs, unless you get a great job, in which case you'll be able to cover them yourself

Once in, you may find you're able to negotiate P-T but IME advertised P-T jobs are few and far between.

I do my CV slightly different to other people and when I have told friends about it they have always got really good feedback.

I have had to wade through mountains of CVs in my time and sometimes it can be tough to identify the things you're looking for.

I would rewrite it listing your skills followed by a brief example. So instead of the main focus being your employment dates or experience, make your skills the focus. For example:

Excellent communication skills - worked in xxx call centre

The other thing is use your covering letter to add some colour. If you've not worked for a number of years use it to explain why.

Also, have you thought about a complete change? I had a serious job before I had DS. I got made redundant whilst on mat leave. I now teach baby swimming classes. Quite a change!

The first job you get ( and you will get one!) will be a stepping stone. It is an investment in your future. Don't worry if the last 2 hours of the job will all go on childcare, you need this first job to get you on the ladder. You have strengths, be clear what they are and be able to provide examples to illustrate this.

Volunteer and network as much as you can, far more helpful than job centre. Networking will uncover far more jobs than the job centre! It can be quite a journey to uncover your strengths, build your story and take a few knocks along the way. Fantastic news is that you've already started.....keep us updated

I think the voluntary work at the school could be a first step towards becoming a TA. Could they train you on a voluntary basis?

If your income isn't high then forget about the childcare vouchers anyway, you will get the childcare element of working tax credit which helps massively. You need to widen your search to full time or at least 9-5 jobs. School hours jobs are very hard to come by. You will certainly be better off working even if you have to pay for after school club.

And please don't fall for a pyramid/mlm scheme such as being peddled by Mary above!

I've reported her silliness as spam.

Hi Herebehubbubs

Any update? I am in a very similar position to you. I haven't been jobhunting for as long as you have but I fear I will be!

school jobs will start appearing from January then more come up between now and July. They tend to be filled for Sept so those jobs aren't around yet.
Once in a school other opportunities arise etc.
I have a new job and the childcare in the holidays will be pretty much what I'm earning but it's worth it for the time it's not holidays iyswim.

Offer to help out in the school office, I really wanted an office job working in a school but it seems these are often filled by those who have experience through volunteering x

Hi
My son in Reception . I had a job as Secretary, bakery manager, factory packer, sales assistant, . A levels, Foundation degree , chef certifikate level 3. Fluent 3 languages.
I have 3 children. 43 yr old, a bit sad as now . I working as a houskeeper 20 hr a week, last 6 years.

Are you following your applications through effectively? You need to be super positive and chatty and follow everything up, even if it seems like a no to begin with!

I'd agree that you need to go back to the agencies and say you're ready to go for full-time work. A full-time job for which you have to pay childcare for the extra hours is better than a part-time job which doesn't exist.

What kind of work would you actually like? Who would you like to work for? What do local friends say about their employers? I'd decide where you want to work, decide why they should employ you, and go and talk to them. Nothing to lose.