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5 Tips to go from Job-less to Employed

If you’re one of the 2.5 million people currently out of work in the UK then you’re probably all too aware of how frustrating it is to be job hunting during the tail end of a recession. There’s no denying that this is a challenging time to be looking for work and you may feel that you’ve already tried everything to change your circumstances for the better.

There are a number of obvious things you can do to improve your chances of getting a job, such as creating a winning CV, practicing your interview skills or registering with recruitment agencies plus online job sites. If you’ve tried all of those without success then it may be time to consider a new approach says Dave Snow, Academic Director at Home Learning College. Here are his top five tips:

1) Take the initiative

Don’t wait for jobs to be advertised! Estimates suggest that around 80% of vacancies are never publicised, and those that are can attract hundreds of applications, so you need to find ways of leapfrogging the competition. Create a list of companies that might have relevant positions and send your CV and a covering letter directly to the HR manager or other senior contact outlining your skills and experience.

This is only the first step, so don’t be disheartened if there’s no response or you get a message saying your details will be kept on file. Check if the company has a blog, Twitter profile, Facebook page or media centre on the website where you can keep an eye out for good news – such as financial results or new clients and partnerships – that may indicate the business could be recruiting. Use these announcements as opportunities to get back in touch and show that you are genuinely interested in the organisation.

2) Be different

Think about ways to stand out from the crowd when contacting companies. Use topical events to your advantage: for example, at Easter you could send your CV and covering letter along with a chocolate egg. They might not have any jobs at that time but it will certainly get their attention and put you front of mind when a vacancy does arise. The aim is to get a foot in the door and be invited for an interview, which is often the hardest part. At that stage you’ll have a chance to draw on the experience of all those practice interviews!

3) Network, network, network

It’s a word that can send shivers down the spine of even the most confident jobseeker, but there’s no doubting the value of networking if you’re hunting for that elusive role. This doesn’t mean that you have to attend every business event in town or launch yourself dementedly at prospective bosses!

What you should be doing though is making sure that all relevant contacts know that you’re available and where your particular strengths lie – these may include former colleagues or clients, fellow members of clubs and societies, your extended family, friends and former teachers and many others.

4) Polish your online profile

Depending on the kind of work you’re looking for, there’s a good chance that a potential employer will use the internet to assess whether you are a suitable candidate. For that reason, it’s worth doing your own search to see what comes up. It might feel a bit strange to Google yourself, but in this digital age it’s an oversight to ignore the impact your online reputation – or lack of – may have on your employment prospects.

The results of a personal Google search can sometimes be surprising and may include activity from the likes of Twitter that could be highly revealing about your personality and habits. Alternatively, you might not be visible enough, in which case you could be overlooked in favour of more active candidates.

“Try to be the first and best source of information about yourself,” says Antony Mayfield, author of ‘Me and My Web Shadow: how to manage your reputation online’. “Make sure you have complete profiles on Facebook and LinkedIn, establish a personal website or blog and make the most of previous work you’ve done.” This kind of activity will ensure you show up in Google rankings for all the right reasons.

This is also an opportunity to extend your web of contacts. “Being useful and active online in your professional networks will show what you are capable of to a potential employer, “adds Antony.

5) Prove your worth with a vocational qualification

Sometimes all the experience and contacts in the world aren’t quite enough to tip the balance in your favour. If your CV is a bit thin on the ground when it comes to qualifications then consider adding another string to your bow with a professional, vocational course.

In fact, in a recent survey by Jobsite’s training partner, Home Learning College, 35% of British adults said they needed a vocational qualification to get their current job.

Vocational study is ideal because it focuses on practical skills that are of genuine interest to employers. Doing any kind of study as an adult shows commitment to your personal development, which is always an attractive quality. Make sure the course you choose is professionally accredited and delivered by a recognised training provider so that it adds genuine value to your CV.

For more information on professional vocational courses visit Home Learning College.

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VinceVince28 June 2010Career advice
Newer Comments →
  • Terence Smart

    At the age of 62 1/2 it all seems pointless as Employers and the Government are NOT interested in assisting OLD people obtain employment having alteady sucked them dry by way of taxation and Employee contributions. In my case all contributions for the last 15 years were for nothing as I am not entitled to any benefit because I saved and put into a private pension.

  • Jim Miller

    Being unemployed since last August the most annoying issue I have with Agencies is their right to vet applications /cv’s , with over 25 yrs experience within a specific sector I do not need a college graduate deciding if my cv will go to the next stage….employers are missing out , time for the direct approach and taking out the middle men

  • Singh

    None of these things will work, the market is toooo down. Nice blog post though and good email marketing. Wicked way to get people to your site.

  • Scott

    The problem is too many people on this little Island and more on the way……. All the jobs in this country are being taken by non-brits and the PM says he will limit next years influx to 50,000 WOW… that many more Brits on the dole…. no wait he’s taking that away aswell so that many more Brits on the street…homeless. Many say they only take the jobs Brits wont do, I bet if you ask an Englishman would he rather cut the grass on sit on the dole/street i bet he gets the mower out!!! and the drainman, dustbin man, the carwasher man, and so on ,on ,on, on.. Its time the people in this country stand up for them self and take back what is rightfully theirs.

  • Dave Alliss

    At the age of 49 and having been unemployed since April 2009, I am finding it almost impossible to get back into employment in the manufacturing sector. I have applied for numerous vacancies through Jobsite via agencies, and all over the UK. It is my opinion that many agencies who advertise on Jobsite do not actually have any jobs on offer, but are just collecting names and addresses of potential candidates for when work does come in. These agencies also act as “gatekeepers” for their client companies, if they exist that is, and it is almost impossible to get a cv past them and on to the actual employer. There are too many agencies advertising on Jobsite these days, and not many companies with actual jobs on offer. Does’nt anybody have a HR department any more???
    And by the way, despite the so called laws, ageism is very much alive and well in the UK job market today, its just diguised as, you’re over qualified, or, your personality does’nt fit our profile!!!

  • Julianne Bell

    At the age of 16, i only have experience of a tattoo and flow shop (i know, what a combo, huh?), Things are very expencive and as i get payed less because im under 18, its not very helpful. Also alot at looking for 18+ people, its hard :( i just need a job till collage, ahh >.<

  • Shalini

    I am looking for a job in IT. I have done master degree in computer Science with many certifications like MCP, ISO 27001 etc.
    Having 4+years of exp in IT. Its very tough to get any job in IT. No location criteria no salary condition. I have applied everywhere but no luck yet. CV writer professional replies that your CV is not good. Monster has formatted my CV. They are asking to write the CV all over again and pay a big amount to them. These are endless!!!!
    No suggestion is helping in this situation…

  • Kev

    Remarks above about the recruitment agencies is spot on; yes they do endless sifting, screening and gatekeeping for their clients. Also they like to be busy, so the books look good at the end of the year; hence the vacancies in the window don’t often exist – they’re written to pull in jobseekers passing by. What is certainly a waste of time is applying for jobs by Jobsite – the agencies get the CVs – but I have not had a single employer invite me for interview after my CV had been relayed to them via Jobsite.

  • old timer

    Agree totally with the above comments about agencies. They are a waste of time and space and are largely unqualified to filter CVs on behalf of employers.
    They just get in the way of real jobhunters, continually re-posting the same vacancies every day so that they look “new”.
    If all these jobs on the web are genuine how come they remain there for months, wouldn’t they have been filled !
    Finally – why do agencies lie about job location or try to be so vague that you don’t have a clue where the job really is ?

  • Kev

    Tip No.1 is worth pursuing. I mailed out my CV with a Covering Letter to about 50 employers last week and so far I have had 10 responses. I’ve not been called for interview, but just gettting a response has lifted my spirits. I strongly recommend this approach. Draw up a list of companies where you really, really want to work, get correct name and job title for the person you need to write to and edit the letter according to the needs/requirement of the company and the role you’d like to take up. I think this is far more constructive than emailing your CV with a standard cover letter which you KNOW will be ignored – I think we can all agree that this approach is a waste of time.

  • The Debt Collector

    Yes, I am a debt collector. People will automatically say: “how can you b possible unmployred?

    And yet I have been for 12 months.

    The fact is that companies do not want people who can think or qualified: they want button pushers. “How many phone calls an hour do you make is the most frequent question”.

    One of the biggest issues with clients is experience in their field AND their computer system. There are 2500 off the shelf packages before you include bespoke ones.

    Then we have “multi-tasking”. One person doing two jobs. In accountacy a person controlling both Sales and Puchase ledgers is a license for fraud. Next we have the attitiude employers have to those who have been unemployed for a long periond.

    I have been told by one agency that because I have not worked for 12 months I am “unemployable”. Is that really the attitude that employers have.

    At the age of 45 I am invaribly older than my interviewer: because he/she may be my boss, there is a fear that I will try to take their job. Infact experience and qualfiacations are a liability. It has reached a stage where I seriously feel that there is no future left in the UK.

    I agree with Old Timer that some Agencies are useless at slotting the right people in to the right places; exacrbated by employers placing absurd requirements on the applicant. Also, like Old Timer I have found that on the electronic sties, the same post is advertised several times on the same DAY, let alon week.

    Of note too, is the number of applications for each post. In some cases of 50. Then we have the lack of interviewing skills of employers.

    These people do not seem to know anything about the job they are interviewing for. What used to be a single interview and a decision, is now two- in some cases three interviews for a basic accounts job. We do not seem to be able to make a decision in this Country and all the work gone abroad.

    Would the last person to leave the Country, please leave the Country. And as for the MPs saying that we should move around the UK to find jobs; they are just living on another planet. The cost of relocation is collosal.

    The cost of working away from home is even more expensive. with a basic guest house costing £60 per night, that is a gross income of £450 per week just for accommodation. That means to make a take home wage, the employee has to be earning £50 000 to live.

    So would the daft MP who came up with this “get on your bike” phrase, perhaps forego his expenses tab (I am paying for) and try and move around the Country to find work.

    MPs need to see reality- lets show them shall we? Take away their expense allowances may be a start.

  • Kev

    @ Shalini, I think in your situation it might be useful to have a modest CV – only put in the bare minimum of work experience and and qualifications. CVs that are TOO impressive can bar you from getting you calle for interview: there could be an assumption that you’ll always want a pay rise and a promotion and also the THREAT that you’ll be headhunted in six months time. Undersell yourself – that might help you!

  • Shalini

    Thanks Kev, I will keep in mind..however I am working on my CV…Let see if I get anything out of a Black hole. As you have suggested I have tried directly for some of the companies but did not worked yet.

  • Kevin

    Pleasure Shalini…remember the ‘cleaner’ a CV looks i.e. lack of clutter re. qualifications and eperience the more appealing it can be. Don’t assume that the person who receives your CV at the company is an IT expert, very often they’re not. If there is too much jargon and IT speak it there it can put them off. Good luck!

  • Knoxy

    To Julianne Bell at 9.37am

    I’d try learning to spell

  • Lesley

    Hitting the right balance with any CV or applicaton seems to be the key.But i agree with the comments about agencies, it seems to be all about how many they have on the books not hw many people they place into proper jobs. Looking at how they promote their jobs through the jobcentre makes me wonder if thay have any knowledge of what there looking for.

  • H

    I’ve just recently moved to a new area (because of my partner’s job) and don’t know anyone, so networking is almost impossible at the moment. Signed up with an agency and have heard nothing from them in over a month, despite being told at my informal interview that they should have no problem finding work for me.

    Also, I am just completing my MA in Town Planning, so have ben applying not just for advertised jobs, but for work experience/shadowing too. You would’ve thought that faced with such challenging economic times, companies would welcome a ‘free’ worker- even to do the menial tasks- yet I haven’t even received a response.

    It is all very disheartening and I can now appreciate how some people effectively give up their search for a job. What is most frustrating is not hearing anything back at all, and when you do get rejection emails/letters, there is no explanation as to why you were rejected. All in all, not very helpful for improving your application.

    I’d agree with the previous comments about toning down your CV depending on what level of job you’re applying for. Put yourself in the employer’s position… If you’re going for a job you could do in your sleep, they’re asking why do you want it? Will you jump ship as soon as something else comes along? etc.

  • Mark

    I am 55 years old and have been unemployed since October 2005. I have therefore been in a position to glean what is happening. In reality the situation of dealing with older unemployed in our country needs a drastic overhaul in the way they are treated.

    At our time in life we accrue more expences, than when we first started looking for work. The rate of unemployment benefit is at best disgusting. Only £130 per fortnight makes it extremely difficult to budget for your different bills and the basics of life. Some companies will allow you to pay online or by telephone, but the majority insist on you paying by direct debit.

    It is no good registering with Recruitment agencies, because after a month they tear up your CV. Local newspapers only carry vacancies for younger people. I have registered with three Online sites, but sometimes when you apply for jobs you recieve a rejection by returning email within a couple of hours.

    Jobcentreplus is next to useless and their staff are not really interested in your circumstances. They are just patronising and full of excuses. I would like the new coalition to cut down on these people by at least 50% in the whole country. Their over fifty plans are only for when you get into work, not to help get you into employment.

    Nobody, seems to want to know, or care what is happening. The unemployed are a regular target for disgruntled ministers. The majority of the unemployed do really want work.

  • Mark

    The government took the dole off me over 12 months ago due to me being careful with my money in the past. Now I am still out of work and looking for any kind of income.

    I have told people who are “experienced” at placing people in jobs about receiving letters of refusal from government bodies after an interview saying sorry you have not been successful but we can’t tell you why even if you ask us. Is this the right example they should set other companies and organisations?

    It could be my age I’m 42, they only seem to be interested in the under 25s and some companies are interested in the over 50s.

  • V

    I’ve been applying for an average of 1-2 jobs per day on these websites for several months.

    Result: I’ve been emailed by 3 agencies wanting to get me on their books, plus a CV-writing company wanting me to pay them money to re-do my CV.

    I’m also rather tired of seeing the same old jobs come up regularly. I can’t believe they can’t find the right person when so many qualified people are looking for work.

    And don’t get me started on the Jobcentre…

    Call me paranoid, but I think this whole online jobhunting system’s based on that Dr Who episode where people are stuck for years on an endless, automated motorway because their world’s infrastructure isn’t functioning any more…

    I hope someone proves me wrong.

  • Sean (what the h…)

    Well, at least the above advice is better that the drivel, about Recruitment Consultancies, on the ‘careerinsider’ website, but having read it, I think why do we have perform this juvenile pantomime to get a job? Isn’t the problem the employers? They are the ones NOT advertising jobs, using ill-qualified, so called ‘Recruitment Consultancies’, judging applicants as too old, or ‘over qualified’, etc. As for taking a vocational course, etc., fine, but you use up your own funds, and potentially, end up better qualified, but still unemployed; remember, it’s the employers, stupid!

  • Chris Cox

    I was made redundant, now two years ago. WHilst not completely given up it takes an enormous amount of determination to going. I read Terrence Smart’s comments, and immedialty identified with his views being in exactly the same position, just a bit older. The state shows no interest in any form of retraining, funding for retrating is only avaibakle up to the age of 45, if that is not ageism within the state what is. I could start up my own small business, but having now used all my savings, I cannot raise any capital, again the state has offered my £300 !! I have tried everything I know, even getting in touch with previous employers and employees, that’s tough!! What is the most frustrating is when talking to director level people I know they all recognise the benefits of an older employee, but this opion seems to sit and at board level and never ever gets passed down to HR and especially recutiment consultants. I know agesism exists, but cannot prove it.

  • Mark

    I agree with everything said above, i’ve been unemployed for a year now having been made redundant along with another (old) colleague and friend, since replaced with 16 year olds, they like young IT staff. The jobcentre-forget help from them. I’ve revamped my CV several times, have had one interview and one e-mail of rejection in that time. The MP’s live in cloud cuckoo land, all mp’s should have to live on what they think is livable, not these vast saleries they get, i certainly can’t manage to. I feel like i am sinking into a financial black hole not being able to pay my bills. I can’t even emigrate, i’m too old at 49. As for raising the retirement age, another twenty years of this country will probably kill me.

  • John

    It’s a bizarre job market. I’m an early 30′s accountant with a degree, professional qualification, masters degree and half way through a second masters degree and I still can’t even get an interview. Been looking for a job for 13 months.

  • Les

    The trouble is, it’s all fads, fancies, buzzwords and trends. Pretty soon an employer won’t know whether he has the best person for interview or an excellent manipulator of the english language. As every CV becomes commanding and every cover letter expertly written who do you interview, a simple plain CV might soon be seen as a refreshing change. But while these trends remain we will have to follow them, so get out your dictionary and stop calling customers customers or clients, they are all stakeholders now.
    Yes ageism does exist and it always has, but now we have legislation. Which means you cannot respond to or qualify yourself against ageist questions, because now they cannot ask any.
    It is difficult out there and sometimes it seems almost impossible, but you have to keep at it and I wish you all the very best of luck.

  • Simon

    I agree with Dave Allis above, agencies are simply trawlling for CV’s to put on their databases, no actual job exists, therefore another hour or so wasted adapting a CV with the right words and phrases to match the requirements. There is an abundance of these recruitment professionals now in this country, is this the result of soft option degrees to make whichever government is in power look good for their higher education figures.
    If we had a sound and strong manufacturing base in this country then we would be creating wealth and jobs not just shuffling money around and pretending to be wealthly. So the government should promote the hard option degrees such as science, engineering and maybe we could get back to a real recovery in this country and get back to applying for real jobs.

  • John Bradbury

    At least reading all these comments have made me feel a little better, I have only been out of work for 3 months and in that time have applied for 20 – 30 jobs and have only had 1 response leading to an interview.
    I was getting down on myself, questioning my CV, blaming my age (54) but realising I am not the only person in this situation helps a little, and I endorse the comments about recruitment agencies and a tip might be to play them at their own game, badger them, visit them, make yourself so much of a nuisance that they forward your applications to clients just to get you off you off their backs..

  • V

    I left my last job to do an MSc at the worst possible time, so have been out of work since August 2008.

    Trying to get into the charity sector is proving impossible even though I’ve been volunteering since September 2009.

    Getting a bit sick of working so hard for nothing…

    any charity advice anyone?!

  • Phil

    One of my complaints is employers failing to remove a job advert after the position has been filled. Assuming it’s actually genuine in the first place-and I would agree with some of the comments that many jobs advertised don’t actually exist-on numerous occasions I have seen a job description on jobsite,fish,the jobcentreplus website,etc,and contacted the employer,only to be told ‘sorry,it’s been filled’. Obviously if the job was advertised in a newspaper people might still apply,but once a (genuine) job has gone,take the internet ads down! That way employers will spend less time on calls from people chasing the job,and jobseekers will waste less time chasing jobs that aren’t there.

  • http://tgroom57.wordpress.com/ TG

    Am approaching 50 and can confirm ageism is rife. Companies have yet to wake up to the fact that recruitment agencies are merely there to make a buck, not to find them the ‘best candidate’. The reason recruiters only want to hear from ‘passive’ ie employed candidates, is that when they place that candidate they then approach their former employer who now has a vacancy… an endless stream of ready business shuffling candidates from one employer to another. Our employment situation as a country is playing out like the game of musical chairs.

    If they placed an unemployed person they would fill a hole, without having a fresh hole ready and waiting.

    Get yourselves on Linked iN and listen to the answers the recruitment sector give on cv format- it will be more useful to you and straight form the horsees mouth.

  • Sakz

    Completed a masters degree in Automotive engineering in Sept 2009, 10 months down the line and I am still looking for a job. TBH, I have got tired of dealing with consultants and most jobs in my sector are being advertised by them. Such a pain to get a point across to them, feels even worse knowing ur an excellent candidate for the job and still not getting through. My only 2 interviews in the past have been through a simple CV and cover letter DIRECTLY to the company. The more I get into consultants the more I go into a loop of refining my CV to no end. :(

  • eileeb

    I am so glad I got to read all the above comments..it has made me feel less ‘alone’! I am a shorthand secretary, registered with every agency in a ten mile radius and have had nothing since July 2009. Ten years ago I could walk into an agency and given the right skills and personality you had a job pretty much within a month. Now as Les has very cleverly pointed out its all about ‘corporate schpeel’ which 9 times out of ten is something the candidate has picked up from somewhere else or copied straight out of a manual! I am disheartened beyond belief and know I need a career change but at 40 with a young boy to support I should be adding to existing skills in my chosen career not starting again from scratch!

  • gary

    @ Shalini. Perhaps you could start with some basic jobs like web programming or database programming.. lots of small companies out there. You might need some dreamweaver practice or something similar. I guess Im saying targets something specific rather than IT generally. Hope this helps.

  • nett

    The job centre is only interested in ticking their boxes. I have been sent a letter about sending me for a computer course and never received any contact from the company that they said would be contacting me. I suspect these companies get money for having a name sent to them but they do nothing about it. I also volunteer and the job centre put me down at another of their contacts to do more! Give me a break, anyway this volunteering dept., didn’t contact me either. I get no money as I spent a few years studying so I don’t qualify – live off your husband they said. So much for female independence! and no, I can’t apply for the junior office jobs because they are for people under 25 by order of the government (I’m 52). I have been looking for work for 2 years and have had two interviews in that time.

  • Mandie

    This has been an eye opener for me! All my efforts with tailored applications and apparently for nothing. Thanks to all who have shared their experiences here which will save me a lot of time and disappointment. I will change tack on my job search now.
    My own experience from jobs applied for directly through an employer, is interviews or rejection letters/egmails. Recruitment agencies, nothing.
    Thanks again and good luck.

  • http://www.thornbaker.co.uk Joanne Crampton

    Recruitment Consultant – the response!

    As a “so called Recruitment Consultant”, I felt I had to reply to these comments, and stick up for the few of us in my industry that do a good job. There are obviously a lot of you out there who have had bad experiences using a recruitment agency, and I agree that there are cowboys out there that don’t have a clue what they are doing. However, there are some of us out there that really do know what they are doing, and as we speak to clients every day, building up an information network, we often know more about the industry and client’s that anyone else.

    My best advice is to use the recruitment agency industry to it’s best advantage. Find an agency that specialises in exactly the industry you are most experienced in (I for example, specilalise in Facilities Management). Find out which consultant recruits for your location (applying for jobs all over the UK will not help your cause. Clients in this day and age are unwilling to wait for someone to relocate and unwilling to take the risk that you might change your mind at the last minute, have trouble selling your house etc).
    Send a relevant CV – I know this sounds like a simple request, but you would be amazed at how many CV’s we receive that are just not relevant to the job advertised! Highlight the skills that you think are applicable, and explain in a cover note WHY you think you are suitable for the role.
    These tips are not a guarantee that you will always get the job, but it will help you open up a discussion with your consultant. And, contrary to the comments on here, we are not targeted with just “getting people on the books” – we dont get paid for doing that!! We get paid for arranging interviews, and making successful placements. A good candidate, with relevant skills and experience is the most important asset to a recruitment consultant, so why would we ignore you if your skills and experience are relevant to the role being advertised!

    As for ageism in the workplace, yes, it does still exist. However, some of the most successful placements I have made in the past two years have been for candidates over the age of 50 – the experience built up over a number of years in industry is invaluable to our clients, so again, why would we ignore this? If you are not being considered for a role, it is unlikely it is because of your age, you may just be applying for the wrong type of role.
    Most importantly, it is not a numbers game – applying for every job you see advertised will not endear you to agencies or employers. Before you click the “apply” button, think about it – do I really have the skills and experience required for this role?

    I hope this is some help to you; please feel free to email me with your comments!

    Joanne – Thorn Baker Recruitment

    • Vicky Taylor

      @ Joanne Crampton
      Thanks for your comments, its always good to hear from both sides and your response is really honest with some helpful tips and advice.

  • James Steveson

    I agree entirely with Jim Miller. I would go even further to condemn the whole thing as a fraudulent game. Most of these spotty little recruitment geeks come out of a worthless stable of human remains practioners accredited by an eqally worthless institution the CIPD. The only personnel being developed is the spotty little recruitment geeks! In addition to this, half the jobs don’t even exist. The adverts and JD are mere fabrication to justify the all singing and dancng website!!
    This is the NEW game, including this very site and it’s all about he cottage industry of LOOKING rather than finding work. The whole thing is a farce, a chirade, and the people involved are imposters. 30 years as an engineering professional, 600 CV’s out since my redundancy in January, 1 interview, and then to be judged by some spotty little geek? Pah!!

  • tony

    As with quit afew others around my age i will be57 tuesday,you have the practical skills and the experience within a variety of positions over the years,you go too interviews prove you have the skills ect for the position,sometimes you have too go back for a 2nd&3rd interview at exter costs too yourself as you don`t get any help from the jobcenter unless its 2hrs travel & over 25 away then its uptoo the brain deads if&when they pay you anything the last time it tock them 6weeks&then i only a3rd of it back,but they still expact you 2 go 2 the extra interviews ect & pay out of your dole money befor you get food,pay bills and make up the differince towords your rent ect,after all that the jobs been givein 2 some 1 younger with no skills or experience if don`t the jobcenter starts 2 cut your dole untill you can prove your doing your best 2 find a job,as quite afew people have said its about time the mps got off there big fat ? and most of the advisers at the jobcenter at arundel st were given train splants too realise that geting ajob let alone geting an interview is geting very hard 4 the over 55 year olds.

  • tinatincan

    I’m 32, fed up of having email saying sorry we have looked at you application in great detail but blah blah blah! I went to Uni did A HR degree got a 2.1 an yet employers wont even give me an interview so how do they know I’m unsuitable? I think it’s an age thing! this country tries to be to traditional…the typical graduate employers brain thinks like this – must be 21…can not compute….can not compute…malfunction…boom!

  • Tim

    I’ve just got a job after a year of looking on and off while filling my spare time with giving something back, looks good on your CV. but when appling for jobs I’ve been appling for a min of 10 a day. Its no good for example blaming it on age when you have been unemployed for 3 months and have only managed 20 to 30 job application. It’s always some one else fault isn’t it! did one application every 3 days what have you been doing with the rest of your time?

  • speedycar53

    It looks like this article is sponsored or written by Home Learning College. Their primary motive must surely be to sell us training courses. Caveat emptor!
    The reality is:
    Ageism is rife.
    Employing managers are likely to be younger than you and will feel vulnerable employing an older more experienced person – gettng more training even if you need it may only make matters worse for you.
    Younger people are frequently favoured because they are considered more ambitious, eager, greedy, keen to progress and most importantly cheaper to employ. In other words they are more ripe for exploitation.
    Nice to know I am not alone!

  • Del

    I,d say well done tim and good luck in your job. Having read all of the previous comments i must concede in part to all that has been said. Ive been out of work for 5 months retail manager/mortgage advisor,Slinger and will try my hand to any such job to keep the wolf from the door. I have studied and applied for an average of 10 jobs per day 95% without reply and i mean 95% (usual statement on applying goes something like this) “Due to high volumes of applications we will not be able to reply if un-successful) They cant be bothered even letting you know. Having interviewed well over 1000 people over my past careers at the age of 39 i have seen a terrible change. What ever happened to common respect a simple phone call to let you know youve been un-successful or even an e-mail in todays technology age. Job centre i have been given out of date job application details twice(closing dates had passed ) to apply for and when i pointed this out i was made to feel un-comfortable that i was still to apply. Needless to say the company in question confirmed the closing date was passed and i need not apply of which i did anyway, and spent a week developing evidence for the job centre.Enough said. Oh you may like this one got an interview for one company and the manager flatly told me cant employ you your more qualified than me! Another had no idea he was too young to understand the job i was applying for and his director would have to interview me His words. Having now reached the point where all the vacancies are now repeats or different decriptions i actually know some agency employees quite well as they call me up to let me know ive applied to that job several times before. No secret a lot of profiling goes on now to minimise salaries with maximum effort and company criretria stating the want a paticular market age group.
    It very un-nerving to learn all this through experience yet you have to keep looking and applying for various jobs doing your homework,rewriting your cv mine is catered to what ever job i apply for. Bottom line ladies and Gents disnae help moanin aboot it even tho it does make you feel better. Good luck.

  • Mr Job Seeker

    Read all the above comments some very useful advice here and there, alot of complainers, but you have to expect that from peeps that have been searching for long times, but i do agree that ageism is rife and that being more employable might be down do peeps dumbing them selves down, overall I think that tailoring each cv to each specific job is a necessity if u want to succeed in your job searching, but one final word anyway, good luck all you slackers, me included, :P

  • tony

    i’ve been out of work since ’97 due to injury at work. I’m now trying to get back to work, agencies want a 10 yr record of employment history, employers are more concerned about the injury i had then my capability of doing the job also the fact experience only (no certificates) what do I do, cant afford college as I have a family, managed to get on work based learning via jobcentre; no guarantee of work ( it’s just to keep numbers down). Now the Gov. want to cut back on everything. So who’s going to end up working? 16/17 yr olds, Graduates, middle aged unskilled/ skilled. Certainly not long term unemployed / disabled, who are fed up of being told “sorry unsucessful this time”, I was told the fast food chains take just about anybody, I had an e-mail ‘ STOP APPLYING’ after 6 applications with all 3 main ones.

  • Michael Hawkes

    Having worked up through poles & holes with BT & reached technical officer status this has proved my downfall.Now office redundant as part of the 35000 in last year.Mr Livingstone has a lot to answer for & is interesting where I cant get a reference where I have been promised!Dawyn you let me down.

  • tubehead

    I try, but I feel as though I am going round in circles. Currently I am due to attend a meeting at a training centre which I first attended in 1996.

  • JOb_centre.bOSS

    What a bunch of moaners……….

  • Stuart

    Well I think I have seen everything now, send an easter egg to a prospective employer! What next? A brown envelope full of cash! Never heard the saying that no-one likes a brown-noser! Hope you all decide to do the same as me and keep your self respect, I will not beg for a job, I will apply for jobs, I will tell the truth, I will not downgrade my 1st class degree so employers do not see me as a threat, if employers do not want my skills then so be it, if they are that small minded I would not want to wok for them anyway!

  • http://Jobsite K Egerton

    Employment agencies are notorius for getting you in to register for jobs that don’t exist. My local Job Centre reckon that, after adding up the number of complaints received, 90% of agency jobs don’t exist. All employment agencies should be closed and let the Job Centre handle vacancies – at least we would know we’re applying for genuine vacancies.

  • Simon

    Having completed a degree in engineering product design last year, the problem I keep getting is that I don’t have enough experience; despite taking a sandwhich year in my course, and leaving me in a nightmare chicken and egg scenario. I would like to do something like the KTP, but they all ask for a 2.1 or above, and I cant afford to do an unpaid placement owing to my problematic need to eat!

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