How do you keep morale up when job-hunting?

[christinarossetti19]

I'm finding it quite demoralising.

Sending applications and not even receiving an autoreply acknowledgement.

Preparing for interviews and just not hearing afterwards.

Not being able to apply for jobs/get interview because I haven't got enough experience in X.

Not getting jobs because I'm over-qualified.

I'm studying a post graduate course, seeing my friends outside, exercising etc etc but have this weird feeling that I'm somehow living outside of life.

I find myself look at people with jobs, even if I speak to someone on the phone, and feeling wonder that they've got this seemingly elusive thing!

I've been self-employed for a long time, which I don't think it a particularly desirable attribute for employers, but I can't do anything about that.

How do others keep their pecker up?

Following this thread as I'm also job hunting and its a lot more difficult for me as I have multiple disabilities.

I was in a job for 17 years in the public sector, earning nearly £40,000pa

My disabilities got worse during this time, but I can still work full time, I just needed adjustments to do so - equipment, software, flexible working. I had the support of my union and my doctor.

But my colleagues, even though I got the physical adjustments, the attitudes were so negative. My manager was a cow. I ended up having a breakdown, going through the grievance, appeal and even tribunal process, and left with a large payout.

I was fortunate to get another job, and this was during lockdown so entirely from home, meaning I didn't need many adjustments and its been so fantastic that I would prefer to work entirely from home from now on.

My contract is only until November so I've been job searching and having little luck. Most employers ghost me when they find out my disabilities or want me to go for an adjustment that doesn't actually work for me but suits the employer in terms of convenience to them and no cost. They don't want to use or wait for the government's Access to Work scheme to repay them.

I might get an interview, but not the job.

WFH jobs are other fixed term contracts or very low paid.

Office jobs are better paid, but I am not able to drive and the so called disability confident employers are not disability confident at all and I'm reluctant to go through the stress of trying to get adjustments in the office again, but if all I can get is an office job, then I will do that.

I have lots of qualifications and experience, but people can't see past the disability.

It takes forever to complete an application. I gave up on one with a charity where the job looked great but I had to complete 10 mandatory questions on how I met each essential criteria. There weren't even any essential criteria on the job advert which was literally just a paragraph about the job and a link to the online application form.

As for linkedin jobs, all you can do is attach a CV so no way to tell them what your disabilities are, then they find out and they ghost me.

I did actually turn down a permanent, home based, higher salary job back in February, because it seemed too stressful and I didn't want too much stress after my breakdown last year. I am now regretting turning that job down and I wouldn't make that mistake again.

I have qualifications in 4 different fields so I'm trying to apply for as many things as I can but no luck.

I had an interview earlier this year for my dream job. A job that I've waited a long time for, which very rarely comes up. I went through 3 stages and got told the final stage had 5 candidates. I then got told they couldn't take me on as they didn't have enough money, but they liked me and if they got more funding they'd be back in touch. I then discovered that they took the other 4 candidates on but not me, even though I was more qualified and experienced than them all (I looked them up on Linkedin). Two of them had never even done that type of job before despite the advert asking for experience! The organisation also got more funding but never got back in touch like they said they would. It really hurt.

Sorry for the essay. I am just finding the whole thing difficult.

That's awful YeDancer. The blatant discrimination that they know they can get away with is horrendous.

It doesn't even help to think 'it's their loss' because most organisations seem to shuffle along in some shape or form, whoever they appoint.

Hope that your luck changes soon as well.

@YeDancer I don't know if you are being asked upfront about your disability but if so that's illegal, they are only supposed to ask post offer. Unless you need adjustments for the interview which unless absolutely unavailable I'd avoid asking for.

If you need to disclose before accepting any role you can do so at that stage, if the job magically then disappears you'd have strong grounds for a claim. Unless of course they had a legitimate reason for refusing reasonable adjustments but this would need to be robust, or again you'd have grounds.

I need to disclose my disabilities pre interview because some are bloody obvious and I need adjustments, even in Zoom calls.

I know my rights, thanks to my previous tribunal claim, which was settled out of court, and my TU involvement.

Its hard to prove why people ghost me though.

I would much rather declare my disability right from the start because whilst it might not get me an interview, at least I'd know as soon as possible if its an inclusive employer and not waste any more time, or jump from the frying pan into the fan, so to speak. I don't want another employer like the one I took legal action against.

The disability confident / two ticks schemes are nothing more than a shiny badge that few organisations actually stick to.

Just remember, you don't have to prove you have been discriminated against.

They have to prove they haven't discrimated against you.

Any employers you suspect have discriminated I'd be calling an ACAS conciliator just to shit em up....and no that wasn't a typo... but I'm vengeful like that and realise not everyone is.

I wondered about the 'disability confident' scheme YeDancer.

My suspicions were that, as you say, yes they will offer you an interview but if they've already decided not to appoint you it is a complete tick box exercise.

JorisBohnson2 I'm not sure that it's not about being vengeful enough, it's more having the physical and mental stamina to start/continue proceedings when you've been through that before, know the dice are weighted against you and you just want to get a job.

Well. I messed up the job interview that I had this morning.

I forgot to say something that is such a fundamental part of my work, which I realised immediately afterwards was the 'answer'.

I've emailed them and explained why I'd not mentioned it - it is something that I without even thinking about it - and explained how i go about this thing, but preparing myself for another rejection.

This one will definitely be my fault.

Another rejection email today. A generic 'lots of applicants' email and saying they don't do feedback.

@christinarossetti19

Well. I messed up the job interview that I had this morning.

I forgot to say something that is such a fundamental part of my work, which I realised immediately afterwards was the 'answer'.

I've emailed them and explained why I'd not mentioned it - it is something that I without even thinking about it - and explained how i go about this thing, but preparing myself for another rejection.

This one will definitely be my fault.

I'm sorry to hear that, it's tough when you're going through it over and over again, it's probably some form of mental exhaustion making you forget. Easily done. At least you were proactive and let them know after.

Have you had any news?

@YeDancer

Another rejection email today. A generic 'lots of applicants' email and saying they don't do feedback.

Was that after an interview? I think that's a poor reflection on the company to not give any interview feedback.

No, that was for an application. I actually got another rejection (before interview) yesterday. So that's two rejections yesterday.

@YeDancer

No, that was for an application. I actually got another rejection (before interview) yesterday. So that's two rejections yesterday.

Yeah that's tough. At least you're getting responses, I've mostly been ghosted. I've just spent 3/4 days on an application matching my CV and cover letter to job advert perfectly, making myself known to the company on linkedkn, I can't do any more, and I'm still expecting to not be contacted 😔

Just popping in to say hi - didn't want you to think i'd deserted you now I've got something.
I'm now actually on the other side of the fence recruiting for my own role as I was promoted..... I promise to be nice to all candidates although it's mainly in the hands of the resourcing team so not sure whether I can be of much influence!

Just wanted to wish people well and good luck with any upcoming interviews. I think the economy is picking up now too as the agencies are telling me a lot of previously out of work candidates in my field are now taken - typical - as when I was a candidate it was a really tough market.

@christinarossetti19

Well. I messed up the job interview that I had this morning.

I forgot to say something that is such a fundamental part of my work, which I realised immediately afterwards was the 'answer'.

I've emailed them and explained why I'd not mentioned it - it is something that I without even thinking about it - and explained how i go about this thing, but preparing myself for another rejection.

This one will definitely be my fault.

Hopefully that hasn't killed it for you @christinarossetti19 - you just never know. We've probably all had that experience of coming out of an interview and saying WHY didn't i say that! I usually try to have loads of notes around me that i can refer to and pinned on a board above my laptop but still manage to leave things out.

Just got a phone call about another job I applied for and they hung up when I said I was deaf and couldn't hear them very well, even though I had said this in my application.

This is what I mean about not really being able to hide my disabilities (I'm not just deaf).

I'm not a BSL user and can lip read, text, email and use adapted phones, but when they call me on a normal phone number, I can't hear very well and applications always ask for a 'normal' phone number and its not a box I can leave blank either. Its so unfair.

I would like to jump in and join you on your job hunting journeys.

I had several good career jobs in my 20's to early 30's. Left 15 years ago due to redundancy whilst pregnant and I stayed home to raise my kids.

I filled out many job applications between Sept 2019 and Feb 2020, no responses. I was very ill between March 2020 to recent times. Now I am stable and looking for work again.

I had my first interview for 15 years recently, I felt it had gone very well. However, after the interview ended and I was leaving the room. The main lady off the panel asked me how I could be so confident and gestured to my wheelchair! I didn’t understand the question, why wouldn’t a person in a chair be confident?!

Unsurprisingly I didn't get a second interview. For a job I could have done in my sleep, at half the salary I finished on at my last role before my career break! But I do believe the right job will not pass me by and clearly that job, isn’t it, lol

Like @YeDancer I am oral deaf (I looked that up), refers to deaf/hard of hearing people who were raised to speak and lipread. I am deaf in one ear, partially hearing with hearing aid in other. I lipread and use boosted telephones and hearing loops. In a quiet interview situation, assuming a well-lit room I do fine. If the panel don’t have beards or talk with hands over their mouths!

I am now in a wheelchair due to a rare neurological condition; I can walk a few steps but need a step free entry. I also need a disabled toilet, especially as I have a bowel condition.

Now I have previously job hunted successfully with the deafness and bowel condition issues, before starting my career break. Mainly by telling people when it came up and often it didn’t come up until I had been in post for several months.

This time I am really struggling with the wheelchair element. Not the chair herself, she gives me freedom beyond the few steps on crutches I can muster without her.

However I am realising that so many offices are not accessible or would have to move things around for me. Frankly why would they bother when they can take a different candidate without my problems.

What can I do, I can hardly hide my chair!

I suspect I will be on this thread long after everyone else has found work. But if I can’t find paid work, I will look at training programs or more volunteer roles in September after the kids return to school.

@YeDancer

Just got a phone call about another job I applied for and they hung up when I said I was deaf and couldn't hear them very well, even though I had said this in my application.

This is what I mean about not really being able to hide my disabilities (I'm not just deaf).

I'm not a BSL user and can lip read, text, email and use adapted phones, but when they call me on a normal phone number, I can't hear very well and applications always ask for a 'normal' phone number and its not a box I can leave blank either. Its so unfair.

I have a boosted phone on my landline. It has a loud ring plus a red flashy light. I press a button to boost the volume. My local hearing service lent me one, along a vibrating under pillow alarm clock.

Otherwise I tell people I prefer calls to my mobile and my DH got one which go high enough volume wise for me to hear it well. Well in a quiet room and less so in a noisy environment but it works for me.

Would getting a boosted phone or a different mobile phone be an option for you?

I have a cochlear implant. A boosted phone only works with hearing aids I think as I can't hear anything. I also can't hear anything through hearing loops. I think some are only for hearing aids and cochlear implants work differently. I use a roger pen device linked to my computer / phone though and that helps but you can't lip read over the phone.

Anyway, I applied for another job today. Salary is very high, more so than I have ever earned, so I am doubtful I'll get it. I also really hate lengthy online application forms that ask you to think of an example. I can do that, its just really time consuming, especially if you don't get an interview after all that typing out.

I guess we'll see

Ah, right I know nothing about cochlear implants, except that they work differently than hearing aids for sure.

I agree it is depressing to spend days completing detailed applications forms online or in paper form, only to never hear from them again.

@Worrysaboutalot

Ah, right I know nothing about cochlear implants, except that they work differently than hearing aids for sure.

I agree it is depressing to spend days completing detailed applications forms online or in paper form, only to never hear from them again.

Yeah the most depressing thing about job hunting is the getting no return on investment....all those wasted hours and hoop jumping.

Prayers you find something soon

Feeling a bit more motivated today as another role was advertised today that looks good so fingers crossed for that one.

Hope it's okay if I join the thread. Although I'm lucky enough to have a job at the moment it is with such a toxic company and a huge list of everything wrong that I have to hold my nerve and get through every day without handing in my notice.

I struggle to get interviews and then usually get the same feedback of there was someone else with more role experience. I don't know how I am meant to change that or improve on that when I could do the job in my sleep.
I come from a self employed/freelance background and I think that is going against me as I have decided to switch to working for a company.

There aren't many jobs being advertised that I'm interested in, at a decent salary and without a rediculous commute. It's hard to keep looking every day and getting the no emails or being ghosted

@Dancerinthemoonlight Sounds like you have a plan :)

@Worrysaboutalot the plan is the only thing keeping me going at the moment.

Had feedback from an interview this morning - they really liked me and my enthusiasm but think someone else might fit the role more than I do. They are meeting with the other candidate on Monday and the recruiter will let me know. There is a similar position opening up at the same place which they are going to get more info for me.
Another recruiter called me about a job this morning and had passed my CV over to the company but it's over an hour commute, I would want a flexible working arrangement for a few office days and WFH.
Will just see what happens and hope that the right job turns up very soon.