Job hunting/ application support thread?

[FlappicusSmith]

Anyone else job hunting in this dire market and fancy a support thread? As misery here could do with some company...

I'll go first: I took voluntary severance last year (burnt out, dying sector), did a Masters in an apparently 'hot' area. Now I'm job hunting and it's dire. I'm realising I have no hope of getting a job in my Masters area (over-saturated, no experience). I can't afford to take too much of a pay cut (I was the main earner, two school-aged kids).

I'm now applying for anything and everything that is even tangentially relevant to my experience and that I'm even vaguely qualified for. This means re-writing my CV and covering letter for each application. It takes ages as the jobs are all quite different. Tomorrow I'm signing on for JSA for the first time in my life.

I spent almost my entire Sunday doing an application that had 28 essential criteria (and 1 additional desirable one)! 28 FFS. And it was an admin role (not even that senior) in my old sector (where I previously had a front-line type role).

I'm losing the will to live on a daily basis. I'm nearly 50 and this is not where I thought my previously quite high-flying career would be at this age.

Anyone want to join me?

Your situation sounds disheartening especially after completing the masters. I am 57 and my fixed term contract in the charity sector is coming to an end in a few months so I have been looking for a new job but the situation is dire with lots of charities making redundancies or not gaining new funding. I never used to have a problem getting shortlisted but the past few applications I haven't even got that far. I need to work ideally for another 2 or 3 years but thinking now that if I can't find anything I will just retire early and try to stretch meagre savings out until I can take my NHS pension at 60. I shall have to claim JSA in a few months too. On a positive note two of my adult kids have just new jobs with pay increases ( 24 year old earning way more than me now ! ) so I'm hoping I don't have to help them with house deposits in the future like I thought I might have to.

I feel your pain. I wish to moan about some of the big retailers minimum wage jobs.

I've had a career for years, degree educated in the public sector. I gave up work to look after family health conditions and now I'm ready to get back to just a part time job, doesn't matter about pay.

So I applied to a household name store (does clothes, home, food and beauty, and has just food stores, but this was an all under one roof store). 16 hours assisting, so you could be stacking shelves, working on the changing rooms, trained up on the till for example. Uploaded CV on site. Take these situational tests it said. So I did, I was quite surprised that it was short on time, and I'm a fast reader and worker, but I answered all the questions reasonably and I felt very sensibly.

Within 10 minutes I get an email - your application has been unsuccessful. You can't apply for another job for 6 months. I failed the tests, no feedback (although it said I'd get another email about that, nope). I was dumbfounded. This was after I'd had to input all my personal details, CV, NI number too.

Oh well thought, shocked, but the biggest well known chemist/beauty retailer in the country is recruiting for Christmas. Part time. Same thing, personal details, CV then situational test. Failed that too.

So they've got AI checking your answers and if it's doesn't 100% align to their ideal answers, that is it. Application shut down. No one looking at your CV.

What gets me is that I go to these stores and I think how some of the workers have got their jobs, how did they pass?! Especially when their busy ignoring the customer and chatting amongst themselves.

I had a little cry. I can't even get a part time minimum pay job for a few hours a week. Sorry edited as it's late!

Sorry to hear you're both in the same boat @3678194b and @Harriet9955. It really is horrible out there. And that sounds utterly rubbish @3678194b and like you I wonder how some people get these jobs that are impossible to get? I did read on another thread that stores will soon be hiring Xmas seasonal workers, so that might be worth keeping an eye out for. At least it might tide you over?

@Harriet9955 I wish I could retire early! This whole process has been devastating to my self-esteem and I'm questioning what value I have in the workplace. But alas, I need to work until the state pension age as my kids are still quite young and DH works freelance in an unstable industry. He's earning well at the moment, but who knows when that might end!

I have failed these situational judgement tests for Lidl/ Aldi etc too !
What also annoys me is that I think it's a case of who you know also. My ds's girlfriend completely bypassed all this because she knew the M&S food store manager who just seemed to give her an Xmas temp job. How is it fair that managers could just recruit someone they know like that without them having to go through all this online application rubbish? It all seems unfair. It just seems to be a lot about whether someone puts in a good word for you or you happen to know the right person !

Thank you @FlappicusSmith I will keep looking. Boots was a Christmas job but it looks like I can't even get past their online test.

Yes, @Harriet9955 and M&S it was. I thought it was illegal to recruit family/friends, bypassing recruitment and selection, how is that a fair and equal process! I'm well presented too and thought I'd represent M&S' image well! At first I thought I might be over qualified for a minimum wage job. Obviously not, they don't even look at your application unless you pass the SJT. That was actually quite lengthy having 4 different parts to it. It's put a different perspective how I view M&S.

At the moment I'm studying online whilst DC is at school, so that is something, but it is costing me money!

I'm not sure about whether it's illegal but she certainly seemed to bypass any kind of application process ! I was quite shocked.
It is really demoralizing. I just keep telling myself that even if I have to ' retire' earlier than I had planned I have been lucky generally in life that I've never had long periods of unemployment or been made redundant. I just feel low about it. I applied for a job at a place I used to work for a few years ago and was very good at the job and didn't even get shortlisted ( same job ! ). It makes you wonder where you are going wrong !

I'm so sorry @Harriet9955 . It won't be you personally, but it just seems so difficult out there. I do worry about DC as well and when the time comes, will the jobs market be any better.

Not directly related but when I was a teen going to college in the late '90's there were many mum returners, retraining on short courses, one and two year courses, many in their 30's or 40's and it was all free. Now if you wanted to retrain in anything, you're looking at thousands just for a non-HE course.

Even to get back into the public sector, which I don't particularly want to do (burn out) if you've had a work break some of them want professional references from, for example, a doctor or clergy who know you well to account for your absence.

People returning to work after a break should be given more support to get back. It appears to be an alien concept to some organisations.

Joining this thread. I was made redundant in May, had no idea how bad the job market was and never expected I would still be jobless 5 months later. Companies either take weeks and weeks to reject you, or do it in less than a day. Not sure which is worse!

@FlappicusSmith would you mind sharing what your Masters was in? DD is considering one but wondering whether that's a bad idea.

On a positive note two of my adult kids have just new jobs with pay increases ( 24 year old earning way more than me now).

What roles do your kids have @Harriet9955 ?

Joining the thread to ask about Job Seekers Allowance as I want to claim this. I haven't worked for a year. I assume there is an interview and you have to prove that you are looking for a job - what does this involve, if anyone can help?

My ds1 ( 26 )works as a manager in a chain of Gyms and my ds 24 years is in health and safety. I have never been a big earner but my 24 year old is has just got a new job and earning almost double what I do. I am pleased for him but at the same time can't help feeling I have gone wrong somewhere !

Well done to your sons @Harriet9955
I'm not looking forward to DD graduating into this economy!

I am looking for a better job, still stuck in one that is for people with a couple of years experience and I have lots more. I would say AI has been helpful with structuring applications. Probably better for jobs where you know they won't use an AI checker ( like third sector), although I do edit massively. It just helps when looking at an empty page of your CV and faced with lots of criteria. You can ask it to suggest a CV based on the criteria and using information from a couple of previous CVS. Obviously take personal data out beforehand.
Now I can at least get interviews but need help with passing those!

No me neither. i also have a third son graduating next year and he has found it extremely difficult to even get part time jobs whilst at Uni. Also a DD graduating in two years doing Nursing and apparently even Nursing graduates are struggling to get jobs at the moment so hoping the situation improves by the time she graduates. It's a real worry.

I'm a similar age group and went through the job hunting pains a couple of years ago after changing career. I know it's even harder now.

One of the best things I did to get my foot in the door was take off dates for education and cut down on the content to more recent roles. I provided a concise skills based cv along with an intro explaining why I've changed career and the skills and experience I bring. It certainly increased my response rate.
Fortunately my now employer really didn't care about my age but not all companies are like this!

I feel your pain, it's horrific trying to get hired now. I just finished a FTC and I've been trying since march to line something up but no dice. Luckily, we can live off DPs earnings so I'm not tearing my hair out but it's worrying for me long term re: pension if it carries on!

Part of my problem is that I've reached the absolute top in my sector and I just don't think I have it in me to be a ceo. I've tried taking a backwards step and applied for things worth half the money of my latest role, roles i can do easily, i dont want to lead a team or manage staff anymore, but people just say 'oh, this role wont keep you busy', i suppose because they think i'll be out for their jobs or something? Likewise, I'm dismissed out of hand for 'any' local jobs in warehouses etc. I think I'm going to have to completely invent a fake CV to get a job like that to tick over on 🤷‍♀️

It REALLY gets my goat when I spend full hours on application forms that get me to regurgitate whats on my CV already only to be completely ghosted. That happened with a part time role for a charity recently and it gave me The Rage!

I need this thread

I started off as a seasonal temp in a supermarket 3 years ago. I am not at all suited to it, but it's nightshifts that sort of fit around DC (all autistic, one has EOTIS one EHE)

I desperately want a part time WFH afmin job, but getting nowhere fast. My work history isn't the best, pre kids I job hopped a lot and I've had long periods at home, so I haven't even got as far as an interview. I've started doing courses to update my skills but it all feels a bit hopeless. I check WFH hub uk constantly as well as looking at the usual jobsites

The online situation tests can make you think the right answer expected is always helping a customer, but can actually be more about Health and Safety liability (spills)/potential financial loss (baskets empty/checkout opening) before dealing with a customer. And bothering the manager as little as possible(!)

Just complete the form online. I did so, had my first meeting at the Job Centre about a month later, but that's just to confirm details and get you to sign the agreement that you're basically looking for a job full-time (35 hrs a week, I think they said). I just said yes to everything! Then next week (two weeks after my initial 'sign on' meeting) I have a meeting with a 'job coach'. I think all they do is check you're looking for jobs and give advice if necessary. I don't think you have to prove it as such. The lady in my first meeting said that keeping a list of jobs I had applied for would be enough. They then do twice-weekly check-ins, alternating in-person and over the phone. They started paying the JSA immediately after my sign-on meeting (and back-dated it to one week after I submitted my application).

Hope that helps!

I’ve been looking since May. There is nothing out there as such. I’ve worked in the private and public sector.
Been to one interview..
I tailor every personal statement but no luck.
I don’t want to take any job and also think I probably wouldn’t get any temp / seasonal role.

Feeling really stuck.

Sending positivity to everyone searching!