Can’t get a full time job!

[TheMoodyOne]

I want to return to work full time. I’ve applied for 11 posts over the past year and attended 5 interviews but not been offered a job! Im applying for jobs in public sector/nhs mainly the local authority and I’ve not really received any constructive feedback from anyone.

I’ve just received another rejection for a job I interviewed for yesterday for being ‘overqualified’. I’m absolutely gutted as this job would have been perfect, it’s basically what I did before I had children but at entry level which is exactly what I want! I don’t want the level of responsibility I had before but I want a busy and interesting job. I feel I interviewed really well but the interviewer was mostly concerned about my reasons for applying when I’m used to dealing with far more complex matters and when she called with the rejection she said she thinks I have too much experience and would be worried that I would think I was capable of more.

I’m currently in an even lower level role at the moment, I hate working part time and feeling responsible for everything at home whilst my husband takes on minimum household and children tasks due to the full time/part time split and I’m finding my current job is boring and unfulfilling.

I’m sorry @TheMoodyOne~ the job market is mad at the moment. What I would say is it’s a numbers game and you need to up the amount of applications. Most entry level stuff is getting hundreds of applications, and many people I’ve taken on lately have applied for over 100 roles - not the same in all industries/areas of course but realistically 5 interviews out of 11 applications is really good. Can you use the time you’d be working to put in more applications? Maybe broadening your search in roles if necessary too.

Job market is very competitive at the moment. We have on average 99 people apply for each role. You need to widen your search and apply for a lot more jobs, I think 11 in a year is incredibly low.

I live in rural mid Wales so there aren’t that many opportunities, especially as don’t want to apply for any old job and I don’t want to go back to the private sector. My options are limited. I’m just so disappointed that I missed out on this latest one as it really was perfect for me!

For those of you doing the recruiting, in which cases do you get fewer applications? What would you do right if you were in the position of an applicant? I am sharing the experience of others - I have not even had interviews for jobs where I have spent ages to demonstrate every single essential and desirable criterion. It looks, based on LinkedIn, as though I might in some cases have more qualifications and experience than two or three levels up from the positions I am applying for (which might the problem - or they might have shortlisted people with even more experience than that). It's also grim that employers are asking applicants to fill in horrendous, lengthy applications, but don't even have the kindness to say, even in a blanket 'no reply' email, that an application has been rejected, or to answer a polite follow-up email to clarify this. It is very hard indeed not to feel worthless.