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emilythestrange
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PostRe: The dead job market.
by emilythestrange » Wed Mar 14, 2012 1:40 pm

To be honest, the period after graduating and being unable to secure any work for months was probably the most depressing period of my life. I was probably too hard on myself, but every failed or ignored job application no matter how insignificant was a big blow to my self confidence, it just made every following application that little bit harder to thoroughly apply myself.

If you are struggling, you may find this uplifting: http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/12/18/bad-career-advice-do-what-you-love/

Genuinely, reading that piece really helped me change my outlook and attitude with regards to finding work. I had a couple of retail jobs over Christmas, and in January I started a job I actually wanted to do. The struggle beforehand has really helped me appreciate it a lot more, especially when so many other peers from uni still haven't found work. Looking for work is massively depressing, and if you're finding it a struggle you have my sympathy. It's just the most awful time being rejected and hearing nothing week after week, month after month.

I joined every web site I could find for jobs, signed to up every recruitment agency I could, emailed everyone I could find to email and went to the job center to find any extra vacancies. I went door to door with my CV at every shop I could see. And yes gaminglegend, "there are jobs there if you want them" is a bit of a cunt-ish thing to say.

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Bunni
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PostRe: The dead job market.
by Bunni » Wed Mar 14, 2012 1:42 pm

I have to agree. Despite being well over qualified for care work, I sent 36 applications in one day to Bupa. I got one interview. Yes I got the job, but I can see how lucky I was and how others would struggle.

Edit: And that was just for work that is 'beneath me'.

Corazon de Leon

PostRe: The dead job market.
by Corazon de Leon » Wed Mar 14, 2012 2:18 pm

Going off on a slight tangent here but it is related to Jambot and Mommy's line of thinking.

Too many students seem to coast through uni on mummy and daddy's money and don't need to bother getting jobs to support themselves. When it comes time to apply for jobs at the end of their degree, they think they'll be able to walk into one and don't tend to know how to interview well at all(from my experience). When I started I was basically told that I'd not be going on nights out/holidays etc. if I didn't get a part-time job and start earning, so I went out and got one. It was gooseberry fool, and then I moved into another one, which has helped me gain valuable experience of the working world. I've progressed reasonably well in it, and I'd mark it as being equally important as my degree, for the real life skills it's given me that uni could not. Having said that, I'm looking to move into academia so I do need to continue education to get where I want to be.

That's not to say I haven't dipped liberally into the bank of mum and dad by the way, but that's because I'm financially retarded. :shifty:

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Dblock
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PostThe dead job market.
by Dblock » Wed Mar 14, 2012 2:47 pm

Hank Scorpio wrote:
gaminglegend wrote:I'm going to be a banana split and say there are jobs there if you want them, it's just you may have to suck it up and do something that you think is "beneath" you for a while.


There obviously isn't. I've been looking for the last 2 years non stop and found strawberry float all.


That is taking the piss. 2 years!?

You just clearly don't want a job. 2 years is mental .

''Saying it's because I was controlling you and making you sad when actually I just asked you to wear some trousers'' :lol: :lol:
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SEP
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PostRe: The dead job market.
by SEP » Wed Mar 14, 2012 2:49 pm

Dblock wrote:
Hank Scorpio wrote:
gaminglegend wrote:I'm going to be a banana split and say there are jobs there if you want them, it's just you may have to suck it up and do something that you think is "beneath" you for a while.


There obviously isn't. I've been looking for the last 2 years non stop and found strawberry float all.


That is taking the piss. 2 years!?

You just clearly don't want a job. 2 years is mental .


It took me 3 years. Now I help others into work. And believe me, I wanted a job. I spent two of those years as a volunteer.

What is taking the piss is your trolling.

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Hank Scorpio
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PostRe: The dead job market.
by Hank Scorpio » Wed Mar 14, 2012 2:49 pm

Dblock wrote:
Hank Scorpio wrote:
gaminglegend wrote:I'm going to be a banana split and say there are jobs there if you want them, it's just you may have to suck it up and do something that you think is "beneath" you for a while.


There obviously isn't. I've been looking for the last 2 years non stop and found strawberry float all.


That is taking the piss. 2 years!?

You just clearly don't want a job. 2 years is mental .


I have applied EVERYWHERE around my town. But no I clearly don't want a job.

20 times, 20 times, Man United...
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Cal
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PostRe: The dead job market.
by Cal » Wed Mar 14, 2012 2:50 pm

Here's some perspective from the other end of the scale - I'm 49 in July of this year and I've been employed almost all of my working life since the age of 16, when in 1980 I was taken on as a trainee Graphic Designer by a publishing house in Plymouth. Since then, I've worked in many design companies in the Southwest, in London and now in East Anglia. I was in my last full-time position for seven years when I decided, as a result of the company I was then with moving into Central London (from Redbridge, near Essex), to leave full-time employment. There was no way I could afford, as a single man, to live in Central London and I was not going to return to commuting - I did that for years and it grinds a man's soul to dust (as well as his bank balance).

I spent a few months in early 2010 mooching about, living on my savings and some fortuitous inheritance money, moved briefly back to Devon (glorious) and then started working as a freelancer (for the second time in my life - first was in the early 90's). I made several attempts in 2010 to find a full-time job again, unsure if being freelance was what I wanted, but despite several second interviews, several trial days with various studios - all of which I took easily in my stride with my level of experience - I found that I wasn't getting the jobs.

I know this wasn't because I lacked experience - my portfolio and my experience in print and design speaks for itself - so I can only conclude it's down to my age. I'm almost 50. Design is seen as a 'young, trendy' industry. I knew my work piqued the interest of many prospective employers easily enough; but my age would always stand against me, when I was compared with a svelte young girl or boy straight out of Art College (cheaper by the dozen, too). BTW, I don't think it was an issue of money. I always made it clear I was seeking a realistic wage, despite my age and experience.

Regardless, I decided that freelancing was now going to be my future. I didn't seek it, but I had to face facts. I'm dunroamin' the design studios of London and now work happily enough at home on a full-time basis - I'm lucky enough to have been 'retained' contractually as a freelancer on a monthly basis by a large London design and print company to supply design services. It works well - broadband and a bloody good PC (you lot built for me) have served me well in this regard.

For now, and hopefully for the foreseeable future, it seems to be working out okay. It was hard lesson - to learn that I'll probably never get another full-time job again (despite being demonstrably well qualified). I learned to change the way I thought about my working life, taking into account my age, what I wanted from life and how I should address the future given the working skills I have and the technology available. Working from home isn't for everyone, but at my time of life it seems to suit me rather well.

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Knoyleo
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PostRe: The dead job market.
by Knoyleo » Wed Mar 14, 2012 2:53 pm

gaminglegend wrote:I'm going to be a banana split and say there are jobs there if you want them, it's just you may have to suck it up and do something that you think is "beneath" you for a while.

After I graduated, but was struggling to find a proper graduate position, I looked for less specialised work locally, and I was turned down for several jobs for being overqualified, as they didn't want to employ someone who they knew would be looking for jobs elsewhere and probably leave, so even going for something "beneath" you, isn't as easy as you try to make it sound.

pjbetman wrote:That's the stupidest thing ive ever read on here i think.
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Outrunner
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PostRe: The dead job market.
by Outrunner » Wed Mar 14, 2012 3:07 pm

Somebody Else's Problem wrote:
Outrunner wrote:I'm lucky in that I have a job but I'm desperate to leave. I'm a bit stuck for options though. I'd like to go into some sort of information provision job as it'd make sense given my 10+years in libraries. Unfortunately the sort of thing I want to do (Connexions, Citizens Advice etc) or the places that are getting hit with cuts in funding.

My other option is getting completely retrained in animal care but in the current financial climate I can't afford to quit work or drop hours to do it.

Ideally I'd want something in places before job cuts really start hitting the authority I work for.


I can only use my local CAB as a reference point (as I work very closely with them), but it seems the only way to get a job with CAB is to do a significant amount of volunteering for them first. My local CAB is having trouble finding volunteers at the moment due to the fact that they would be expected to commit at least 18 months because of all the training involved.


Yeah, that's the other stumbling block for CAB. Much like my local RSPCA which is offering NVQs in animal care, you have to be able to do a certain ammount of volunteering.

Volunteering isn't the issue, I've done it before I'd happily do it again, it's just a money issue. I can't afford to drop any of my hours to retrain but if I want to move on I need to drop some hours and retrain.

My line manager asked me the other day if I'd considered doing a librarianship degree. I had to stop myself from laughing.

Please do not post this in the "No Context" thread
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Carlos
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PostRe: The dead job market.
by Carlos » Wed Mar 14, 2012 3:22 pm

We'd love to think society had evolved into a meritocracy and the old boy network had been disbanded but this could not be further from the truth, and now more than ever the phrase 'it's not what you know, but who you know' is most valid.

In other words finding a decent job is mostly about networking and getting yourself known to several companies so when a job does appear you have a foot in the door. Firms in all walks of life are more likely to employ someone they are aware of.

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Turboman
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PostRe: The dead job market.
by Turboman » Wed Mar 14, 2012 3:24 pm

If I wasn't in university, with relatively good job prospects I wouldn't think twice about working for the family in this climate. Nothing to be ashamed of, as long as you're willing to work and not use the opportunity to doss about.

Errkal wrote:It is amasing how people dont seem to be abel to do that.
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SandyCoin
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PostRe: The dead job market.
by SandyCoin » Wed Mar 14, 2012 3:37 pm

I've been looking for just under a year. My last job ended in April, but I went away for a couple of months near the end of the year, so I've been actually looking 9/10 months? Not found anything, not had an interview, just rejection letters and being ignored. In the time I've been out of work I have been working more on my illustrations though looking to send them out to companies, which I doubt I would have had time for had I been working 5 days a week, so it's not just been me sitting on my arse the whole time. I know some do but I can sort of understand when things just aren't going your way. I gave up for a couple of months sort of. Just got really down about never finding work, quite scary at times. Just glad I have a family who don't hate me so I can still be under a roof! This has helped me realise I want to finish my degree. But it's still a bugger not having a job. Even "easy" jobs like bar work I've not had anything back from applying. Shame really as I'm a pretty capable guy. I thought maybe if I lived a city with more places I'd have more luck, but sounds like it's the same most places sadly. Hopefully when I graduate jobs will have appeared again. Otherwise I think I will just run away and live under a boat on a beach somewhere eating rotting coconuts.

I checked out volunteering but not really seen much I want to do. Only thing around my "ends" seems to be caring for old folk, and I just am not that kind of person as I'm a banana split. Or being a mentor for kids...

I'd rather stick to working on portfolios and thinking of stuff for a dissertation (struggling with that!).

Also, I would 100% take a chance to work for family. Most of my friends who got jobs got theirs through relatives or friends. Doing it alone in this climate makes your chances even slimmer at finding work.

-----> My Illustration Blog | My Shop <------
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Wiggy G32
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PostRe: The dead job market.
by Wiggy G32 » Wed Mar 14, 2012 3:53 pm

Im not going to try and say being employed isnt good at the moment but i would say that the other side of it isnt much better. I work in retail and to be honest its a joke ive been cut back to basic hours and our manager has now decided hes not going to pay sick pay out and if anyone complains they get told they dont have to work there of course a few years ago a manager wouldn't say that to staff as the staff would leave but at this point in time that's impossible. So yea id say the other side of this tropic isnt to great either!

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~Earl Grey~
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PostRe: The dead job market.
by ~Earl Grey~ » Wed Mar 14, 2012 4:58 pm

I've been unemployed for over a year now, so that's pretty much me stuck in a positive feedback loop of gooseberry fool.

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Slartibartfast
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PostRe: The dead job market.
by Slartibartfast » Wed Mar 14, 2012 5:05 pm

When I graduated last year I took a job I didn't particularly want (although I did come to enjoy it) on the reasoning it's easier to find work when you're in work.

I did find a job I wanted 8 months later and that's going pretty well indeed. I have been lucky in some regards, but I was working before uni, during and I do interview very well. Also have now worked for three companies too :fp:

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John Galt
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PostRe: The dead job market.
by John Galt » Wed Mar 14, 2012 5:33 pm

Corazon de Leon wrote:Going off on a slight tangent here but it is related to Jambot and Mommy's line of thinking.

Too many students seem to coast through uni on mummy and daddy's money and don't need to bother getting jobs to support themselves. When it comes time to apply for jobs at the end of their degree, they think they'll be able to walk into one and don't tend to know how to interview well at all(from my experience). When I started I was basically told that I'd not be going on nights out/holidays etc. if I didn't get a part-time job and start earning, so I went out and got one. It was gooseberry fool, and then I moved into another one, which has helped me gain valuable experience of the working world. I've progressed reasonably well in it, and I'd mark it as being equally important as my degree, for the real life skills it's given me that uni could not. Having said that, I'm looking to move into academia so I do need to continue education to get where I want to be.

That's not to say I haven't dipped liberally into the bank of mum and dad by the way, but that's because I'm financially retarded. :shifty:


From what I've seen, the majority of students who fail to get jobs after graduating do so because they're insufficiently prepared or haven't tried hard enough. Most students will wait until half way through their final year before applying for jobs, by which point it's either too late or they're beaten to the position by someone with better experience. If you want a good job after uni you need to be proactive about it right from that start: there are tonnes of careers events, presentations, networking evenings and internship opportunities available but most people are too lazy or naively arrogant to pursue them.

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tnman
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PostRe: The dead job market.
by tnman » Wed Mar 14, 2012 5:43 pm

John Galt wrote:If you want a good job after uni you need to be proactive about it right from that start: there are tonnes of careers events, presentations, networking evenings and internship opportunities available but most people are too lazy or naively arrogant to pursue them.


Perhaps to people doing a management or business degree, yes. For people like me who have come out of the school of English Literature, there are (or were, at least, at my uni) strawberry float all opportunities in that regard. It would have been pointless going to one of the networking events at my uni's management school, as the businesses that showed up were all hot-shot London corporations looking to hoover up the latest business studies pie chart men and women.

I've been looking for work since graduating in July, and, barring a temping stint at M&S at Christmas, have found very little. I've had interviews, and have been progressed to final stages of grad schemes like many others, but have just failed at the final hurdle. I am prepared. I am not naive and arrogant, and I am sure as strawberry float not lazy.

jambot wrote:As an employer I can honestly say my requirement for liberal arts graduates/school leavers is massively over supplied, and my requirement for numerate graduates/school leavers massively under supplied. I have jobs I can't fill because the quality of candidates is so piss poor - both in education and attitude. Experience I can provide, but attitude adjustment just isn't worth the investment.


What jobs are you looking to fill? And do they honestly require a degree in Maths or a science, or just a general and solid understanding of numeracy?

Dr Kelso wrote:I only play Pac-Man and that car-jack game. There's nothing quite like scoring a caddy and mowing down street hos.
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Slartibartfast
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PostRe: The dead job market.
by Slartibartfast » Wed Mar 14, 2012 5:48 pm

You'd think a maths A level and a decent degree would do, unless you're looking to work in a mathematical field.

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~Earl Grey~
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PostRe: The dead job market.
by ~Earl Grey~ » Wed Mar 14, 2012 5:52 pm

Somebody Else's Problem wrote:
Dblock wrote:
Hank Scorpio wrote:
gaminglegend wrote:I'm going to be a banana split and say there are jobs there if you want them, it's just you may have to suck it up and do something that you think is "beneath" you for a while.


There obviously isn't. I've been looking for the last 2 years non stop and found strawberry float all.


That is taking the piss. 2 years!?

You just clearly don't want a job. 2 years is mental .


It took me 3 years. Now I help others into work. And believe me, I wanted a job. I spent two of those years as a volunteer.

What is taking the piss is your trolling.


As is your feeding therewhom. ;)

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Ecno
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PostRe: The dead job market.
by Ecno » Wed Mar 14, 2012 7:46 pm

tnman wrote:
John Galt wrote:If you want a good job after uni you need to be proactive about it right from that start: there are tonnes of careers events, presentations, networking evenings and internship opportunities available but most people are too lazy or naively arrogant to pursue them.


Perhaps to people doing a management or business degree, yes. For people like me who have come out of the school of English Literature, there are (or were, at least, at my uni) strawberry float all opportunities in that regard. It would have been pointless going to one of the networking events at my uni's management school, as the businesses that showed up were all hot-shot London corporations looking to hoover up the latest business studies pie chart men and women.

I've been looking for work since graduating in July, and, barring a temping stint at M&S at Christmas, have found very little. I've had interviews, and have been progressed to final stages of grad schemes like many others, but have just failed at the final hurdle. I am prepared. I am not naive and arrogant, and I am sure as strawberry float not lazy.

jambot wrote:As an employer I can honestly say my requirement for liberal arts graduates/school leavers is massively over supplied, and my requirement for numerate graduates/school leavers massively under supplied. I have jobs I can't fill because the quality of candidates is so piss poor - both in education and attitude. Experience I can provide, but attitude adjustment just isn't worth the investment.


What jobs are you looking to fill? And do they honestly require a degree in Maths or a science, or just a general and solid understanding of numeracy?



From my experience employers aren't looking for people with management degrees they're looking for smart interesting individuals with good academic track records, graduate in take at my work in the last few years (that I remember)

Law
Ancient History & Archeology
Maths
Economics & Business Management
French & Spanish
Russian & French
Biology

and more that I can't think of.

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