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Don’t wait for it to happen: be proactive, self-motivated and disciplined

When you’re out of work for whatever reason it is very easy to get discouraged, particularly when you’ve received rejection letter after rejection letter. The world can seem against you. Commuting to and from the office on top of a hard, long and tiring day in front of a PC can be equally demotivating. Tiredness makes it easier to flop in front of the TV when you arrive back at home, and so it is easier and tempting to procrastinate – to leave applying for the next step in your career for another time.

The trouble is that no-one can begin to change your life unless you are proactively seeking new job opportunities with self-confidence, self-motivation and self-discipline. They are much less likely to occur if you wait for things to happen. “Almost every candidate could be twice as proactive as they currently are. Instead of waiting for openings to find you, you need to be looking for them”, explains Judy Perkins on Streetdirectory.com.

Action List for Success

1. Define what you want out of life and what you’d like to achieve within your career.

By understanding yourself you can find the job that most suits you; the one that will help you to develop your career and fulfil your personal ambitions. So think about what makes you the person you are and about the things that inspire you.

If you’re not sure about your career direction, give yourself a ‘career audit’.

2. Consider what you can do for a recruiter first.

An interview is a chance for you to sell yourself. Do what you can to get to this stage. Market yourself by applying for a target number of appropriate jobs per week, and use your CV and cover letters to demonstrate why an employer should hire you.

3. Don’t let any rejection letter put you off.

Always tell yourself that you are worth it, and don’t ever give in. Being self-disciplined always involves having the strength of mind to be persistent, maintaining a positive mental attitude, and having an ability to persist in the face of any obstacle.

4. Think about how you can improve your approach.

Adapt your CV, your cover letters or your interview techniques to improve your ability to get the interviews and that ideal job. If you are not offered the opportunity, don’t fret. Ask, if you can, why you didn’t succeed. The recruiter might be pleased to offer you valuable feedback. Listen to it with grace; don’t argue even if you disagree. This insight could enable you to succeed next time – that is if you act on it.

5. Find inspiration in your personal life.

Remember, you have much to contribute. It’s hard to motivate yourself if you are fed up with job hunting. Even if you are out of work, try to maintain some kind of normality by socialising with friends and family. Gain experiences that will make you a successful individual and team member

Look after your emotional and mental health – perhaps by participating in a hobby, joining a club or by playing sports. Recruiters like to hire well-rounded individuals, and those that engage in team sports are often of particular interest to them.

6. Value yourself.

Don’t forget that if you value yourself, others will do too. Use your initiative, take the lead, show them that you can communicate and work with others effectively.

7. Don’t wait for anything or anyone.

Time doesn’t wait, it marches on. Other people have their own challenges; some may be happy to assist you in your task of finding the next step in your career, but most of the time nothing will happen if you sit on your laurels and wait for things to change for the better. So learn to be dynamic, flexible and adaptable.

8. Check out Jobsite’s invaluable expert articles, job-seeking tools and resources.

They can help you to succeed, giving you the means to find that desirable and life-changing job. The future is yours for the taking.

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avatar Vince 8 March 2010 Career advice
  • James Phillips

    I have been out of work now for 9 months after redundancy, having been a media professional in London. This is an interesting article, with some good motivational ideas, however the reality of not having a job makes it very difficult to achieve some of the points above. There are many jobs I would love to do, but without the hands on experience, an employer in todays market wants someone with a 110% skills match, and are not prepared to give you any room for training on the job. If you do not have ‘substantial experience’ you are immediately rejected, no matter how much you understand yourself or know what your ambitions are. On £64 a week job seekers allowance, it is impossible to ‘socialise with friends’ regularly or take up new hobbies, I can barely afford to go to my local gym and run my car to get there! I am at a total loss to know how to find work, I am proactive, ambitious, experienced and career driven, but if the job vacancies do not exist and your work experience does not match exactly, recruitment agencies will not even bother to reply to your email enquiries on the whole, let alone put you forward for interview no matter how fantastic you know you are. I have looked at re-training (which takes months or years of study and usually thousands of pounds) with no government help, and theres no guarantee of a job at the end of it. If you have a skills gap, the cheapest courses are usually at least £600 a day, which is totally out of the question if you are an out of work individual on benefits. This all may sound negative, but its the stark reality of being in your 30′s, with 11 years experience and no hope of employment.

  • SUNDAY OLADOKUN

    INSPIRING…AND VERY TIMELY ENCOURAGEMENT FOR ME

  • alan copson

    I have at present been unemployed for three months, time I could have better spent training to use software that employers insist I should be familiar with now. The government will neither fund, nor encourage financially private industry to continually upskill the workforce. This at a time when the banking sector is not only supported by public funds but now expects obscene rewards

  • Gary Watts

    Gave me amuch needed lift..even though i know all this anyway..to be focused, persistant and self motivated..giving myself self affimations everyday

  • The Truth

    Oho, you think we receive rejection letters

    Think again

    We receive sod all

    The facts are

    1 Employers/agencies are idiots and only want people with experience, which leads to an ageing workforce and mass unemployment/homelessness
    2 If you do not have experience (and sometimes even if you do) they will ignore your application
    3 In the event that they do want to contact you, they will ignore the part of your CV that says you are currently employed and try to phone you at home during working hours/ask you to come for an interview the next working day
    4 Agencies (such as Lawson Clark, Office Angels and Hudson York Farrell) advertise jobs that do not exist. The proof for this is the fact that jobs are advertised/taken down/re-advertised for months on end despite supposedly being urgent/short-term

  • Werner

    I am a freelancer. Like for many others, the first 2 to 3 months of the year can be harrowing.

    What I don’t understand is why agencies and companies alike are so rigid in choosing someone who might not know EVERYTHING, or KNOW every software package on the market that they want? Some of the software packages are in such a niche market that getting to know these is next to impossible without being IN a similar field.

    Why on EARTH would you want to move from exactly the same job to another and NOT be learning anything new and grow at the new job?

  • Alba V.L.Pereira

    I have been unemployed for one month time
    I’ve received a lot rejection letter and make me
    Demotivating ,tiredness
    Employers/agencies only want people with a lot experience.

  • s1ckb^g

    employed people penning articles on how the unemployed should handle it are typically pointless. yet I always read them, I must be a glutton for the shallow and facile, either that or I have a morbid fascination with how worthless they are. Its like watching the Simpson’s post 1995: you know it will be dreadfully unfunny but you watch in sheer incredulity anyway.

  • JANE

    I was made redundant and now face the daunting process of looking for my first new job in over 20 years. At first I thought this would be exciting and a new opportunity but it is depressing and pretty scary. It is very difficult to get into a new job without having exactly the right experience even though your experience would easily transfer with just a short time of re-training.

  • http://soundcloud.com/sheerzed Sheer Zed

    85% of all new jobs are obtained through networking. The ‘un-advertised’ job market is huge and can only be penetrated through networking. If you are lucky enough to have specialized and reached a ‘niche’ market for yourself it can also be a doubled edged sword. My advise? Stayed disciplined, sharp and focussed. Regrettably I am now into my eight month of unemployment, which is massively hard for someone who was on £30k (the most I’d ever earned in my entire life). The UK is in deep crisis. However the Latin base for the word ‘Crisis’ has two meanings…crisis or opportunity.

  • Robert

    This is an interesting forum.

    I have come to the conclusion that the employment agencies mostly have no idea. As someone else mentioned on this forum they make decisions based entirely on your CV.

    I’ve attended recruitment offices and found myself being interviewed by young recruitment consultants who no doubt may be degree educated ( therefore they know everything ) but when explaining my career history it was obvious they had not the slightest idea what I was talking about or how my particular skills could transfer over into related fields. I don’t believe you can have the life or work experience to be a recruitment consultant when you are fresh out of Uni.

    I avoid agencies now whenever possible and try to deal directly with employer and while I haven’t landed a job yet the interviews I have had are because I managed to deal directly with the company rather than the agencies.

    I’ve had to lower my expectations and I have attended interviews for jobs I could have done blindfolded and I’m sure I would have landed one of those jobs had I not been unlucky enough to be just the wrong side of 50.
    Sadly there is nothing I can do about that.

    Also, Mr Alan Copsons earlier message is spot on!

    Good luck everyone.

  • Danuta

    I have been out of work for over a YEAR now and am so not impressed with MOST advice given by ANY agencies.They are clearly on another planet and really do not have indepth knowledge in every area they are trying to sell. I agree with THE TRUTH MENTIONED ABOVE.

    Rejections letters (if you get any!) either crumble your spirit or make you stronger but I always laugh when I get a rejection email after I have seen the job advertised more than 2-3 months in a row by different agencies…you are rejecting the wrong people stupid!!

    Companies now adays need to ask a few questions about who they really need in their establishment: youngsters they can manipulate or wiser older peolpe with staying power. Experience speaks volumes, as it should do but determination SHOUTS!

    I have 10 years in my field but apparently not good enough to be employed (?) **** working for other people and do things yourself. I have now taken that road as I can’t afford another £3000 course with a ‘glimmer’ of hope finding a job to be rejected at the door due to lack of experience!!

    Agencies/ Companies read between the lines of CV and get more flexible…you demand it from new employees to be so take a leaf out of your own book!

  • Jenny

    I agree with what everyones saying. I finished university in June 2009 and have been searching for a job since then. I’ve totally lowered my job expectations and I’m literally applying for anything and everything. It’s hard as I have no experience….but how do I get the experience when no one will take me on? Also I find that jobs in shops etc won’t take me on as I’m degree educated and they think I’ll leave as soon as something better comes up. Keep searching everyone and be positive. We’ll get there in the end x

  • Lucyfer

    Interesting comments from others, some of which I must echo.

    I am no longer surprised when an application doesn’t even generate a ‘no thank you’ response let alone an acknowledgement…

    Or when completing an on-line application for an agency, I receive a reply which says the email address I have just used (erm, I didn’t) does not exist, please re-send to XYZ, which you do and receive nothing…

    Or when you attend an interview where having a broad spectrum of skills and a modicum of ambition is somehow seen as a negative. I’ve worked for 3 companies in 20 years, leaving 2 by redundancy and 1 through relocation. While there I was lucky enough to progress through different roles and add exeperience. Someone please tell me why that’s a bad thing?

    I can cope with rejection: what is stunning me more and more is gross incompetence and poor manners.

    Lucyfer

  • roca

    I too am disillusioned with the various companies that term themselves recruitment agencies.
    I have noticed the same jobs seem to appear then disappear (presumably “position filled”) then appear the next day as a new job.
    Sending a CV in is a matter of pot luck….. one agency will put you forward for a job but sending the same CV in for the same job with another agency wont even get you an acknowledgement.
    Return calls by agencies are almost non existant.. if you call and the person you wish to speak to is unavailable you get told they will get back to you ASAP…… end result… more chance of a conversation with Lord Lucan.
    These agencies ought to realise that todays unemployed safety manager/adviser/consultant etc could be tomorrows income generator

  • mikejohnsonrules

    Hello. My wife and I bought our house about 6 months ago. It was a foreclosure and we were able to get a great deal on it. We also took advantage of the 8K tax credit so that definitely helped. We did an extensive remodeling job and now I want to refinance to cut the term to a 20 or 15 year loan. Does anyone know any good sites for mortgage information? Thanks!

    Mike

  • Roberto Toca

    After reading the comments I feel there is a “No one listens to me” syndrome floating around. I would suggest that we place ourselves in the shoes of the recruiters, they know very little, if anything, about engineering, medicine, software, etc., yet we expect them to value our potentials. They can only shuffle the information given to them by the company that’s hiring and try to match it with the huge amount of CV sent to them. In the shoes of the hiring company, the feeling probably is “Hire the most profit producing at the least cost”, so they ask for very high qualifications and wait.

    I believe that it is up to us to help the recruiters by customising each cover letter sent. Remember that if they place someone in a job, then they earn money.

    I am 63 and I’m not about to give up. I have my ups and downs but even when I’m down I don’t stop looking for a job, that is my job.

  • Peter Blackwell

    I have now been out of work since Jan 15th. Feeling a little down but not givivg up at all, Thanks I don’t feel that Iam the only one and things hopefully will get better for all.

  • Suzen

    I agree with everything it is soo hard here in London to find a job. Especially one that is well suited, plus even if you do have the experience at the end of the day its a popularity contest. It really not about any of this.

    Btw, I am in the same boat as all the rest here.

    Good luck to everyone!

  • I CAN

    You are ALL right. I first left uni 25 years ago and got a job in a sexist bullying all male environment and was bullied out of that job. Staff in recruitment companies told me my CV was hopeless because they couldn’t understand it – (I had voluntary work on it and translation as well as the day job). Most places never responded to applications. I went abroad to get work experience, qualified as a teacher and returned to UK to study for another degree……after which – I couldn’t get work…..or nothing beyond washing dishes…and i had to hide my education and work experience to get that! After my son was born, I got part time teaching – voluntarily – then part time office work – for the fine reward of £6,500 a year – most of which went on child care to enable me to get this fabulous experience. I realised that if anything happened to my partner, i would not be able to manage – so went back to uni to study law…surely now…with a v good degree and masters in law ….ah … but now i was too old…so am back to being in admin in a male dominated bullying environment and am about to be out of a job……thought i would go get myself an HGV licence and leave britain to sink without me

  • Peter Connell

    It is very difficult to remain motivated when you apply for at least one job a day for a year and you have had three interviews and half a dozen rejection letters. It is almost impossible to re-skill because of the cost and if you do, who wants your shiny new skill with no experience?
    You only have to look at the person specification for the DWP and then the people at your local jobcentre to realise there is a huge reality gap that you somehow have to cross!!

  • Matt

    I am currently working my notice, following redundancy as a senior Director, and find myself back on the job market after several years.
    Whilst I have a strong CV and good experience, I am also in a high salary bracket where competition is fierce. It is definately harder searching now, than a few years ago, but I can understand that, having been a hirer previously. Employers want the best return on their investment.

    Whilst I have never enjoyed dealing with agents the key really is to find two or three that you can develop a relationship with, and who will take the time to get to know you and understand what you offer. Staying positive is vital, but equally so, really selling what skills you offer – not just what your experience is.

    Applying to a variety of agencies will actually turn your job hunt into a simple numbers game, and you will in turn just be yet another candidate. Choose 2-4 that specialise in your discipline, and push that contact. Ultimately, they will be more inclinded to represent you, and feel that there is a stronger chance of placing you, and thus make commission. If they repeatedly ignore your calls, I would strike them off the list.

    For all those that feel their approach has not delivered results, i would also recommend reading “Pitch Yourself” by Bill and Michael Faust – merely 5pounds on Amazon. It offers a new dynamic in making your competencies desirable and a totally new way of looking for your next opportunity.

    Having previously been unemployed for 6mths, some 6 years ago, i totally understand how people feel. All I would say is to continue to believe in yourself, examine what you are selling to employers, and focus on areas that you know you can add value. Blind applications for roles that are a comprimise will tend to be viewed as that by employers and agents, unless pitched in a very positive way.

    I wish everyone success in their hunt for new employment.

  • Lorriane

    I agree with the comments I am a 56 yearold woman who was made redundant Nov 2009 I have over 15 yrs of admin accounts work .And I am either told I am over qualified and if offered the job will leave in 5 yrs time to get a better job.What a laugh !!!! all I am looking for is a job where my skills and knowledge will enable to do a good job and possibly help others realise ther dreams .I am not looking to move form one job to another and do-not want a stopgap I JUST WANT A JOB

  • Liam S

    The comments of the first poster really stood out for me but generally most of what people on here have been saying rings a bell.

    I left uni in 2007 and had some health problems but generally I was horrified by the types of jobs i got (call centres, admin). I developed quite a bad depression which I have only recently crawled out of

    I am currently working part time for my partner who runs a media production company and I have some ambitions about what I want to achieve such as journalism or a PhD in anthropology but reading this it makes me feel really apathetic!

    One of the things that has helped me out of my depression is Tony Buzan’s ‘Embracing Change’ book. I can take or leave some of it. I think the parts where he exhorts people to see redundancy as a ‘challenge’ are pandering to a neo-liberal agenda but I suppose it is to some degree true that in every challenge there is an opportunity although being cynical it seems like a ploy to make people accept worse and worse social conditions.

    My general answer to the job woe is to join up with like minded people. Get political about it. We don’t have to be the victims of the corporations.

  • kittten

    Just came across this interesting forum which reflects all the problems I experience.I am out of work for 18 months now due to the fact that I am to”experienced” meaning to old (I am on the wrong side of 50 too and female) or not experienced enough to work as a sales assistant or to work at a till or a call center!
    RE: agengies they require you to provide exam results when you left school before they were BORN!!! Its nice anyhow to find some people with the same negative experience and rand about it

  • David

    I am a barrister with a Masters in law, resigned frommy job 5 months ago on a point of integrity (long story). Ex-Boss gave me a good reference, plus I have relevant experience but receive a lot of rejectionlketters, have been shortlisted into the top 3 for 5 jobs now but not secured 1. Feedback is always positive and the last interview panel said they had no hesitationI’d soon be in a good job just noot with them he! I have been doing teaching supply work to try and make my bills but the reality is that this is not sufficient, but it just about beats being on the benefit system

    I feel for the foolk that need to take state benifits, as eventually they will become trapped in a cycle of handouts, ie accomodation tax creits etc. I have deliberately not signed on for this reason also the benefits are too smal to live on.

    I am a well qualified professional (and callled to the Bar) but there is no work available, at present. I blame the current government for running the country into the ground- I dont know if any other party can be trusted but please don’t vote labour- They got us into this mess.

  • Nigel

    It is a dreadful situation we are all in,however we must be kind to ourselves,or all will be lost. None of us asked for it to happen,now we all need to pull together.

    Think about starting your own business, if need be take any and all benifits to get “mind space” to work this period out of your system and out of your life..

    Find people in your field and see how you can begin to “trade” skills and knowledge to earn money from your old and new client base.

    Have faith in YOU, you can do it,its hard but it will get better, scream..cry..shout..and then get going on sorting this mess out.

    Two mates of mine met in the job centre,both highly skilled in Marketing and Finance, both lost jobs…..they got together….”rented” (blagged rent free for one year) a parcel of land near a Rail Station (which had been vacant for years) opened a Car Park!!

    Five years later they a enjoying a great life and creating jobs…they knew nothing about “car parks”..they just had to do somthing!!! to get out of the rut.

    Think outside the “box” it might just work for you….get on the phone and talk about how to Win….not how much you have lost!!

    Good luck to us all, one chance encounter is all we need…go find it.

  • gaza

    Guys- agencies prefer to place people who are already in a job. Why? Because once you’ve gone to your new job there is a gap to be filled at your old job and potential for a double bubble of commission for the agency. Not blaming them – just a fact of life.

  • Solo

    I have been out of job for about five mounths now and have been looking for newn job since but to no avail.You will call the employer and you will be told the job in question is gone but the advert will still be there.
    It is so sicking.

  • Bob Little

    Well then mr Jobsite.co.uk, What is your answer to all the above about your ” Get up and go” ” Be proactive” and all the other cliche trash you expect us to swallow. Interesting reading in all the above comments. So what will you come up with next. Mass exodus of Brits to Poland or some other rapidly emptying eastern europeon brother country maybe ??.
    We can sign on over there and claim benefits for our families over here, Sounds familiar!! Surely it works both ways. Well at least its proactive and get up and go.

    • Gary Robinson

      Thank you all very much for contributing to the discussion and sharing your difficult situations. I thought perhaps I could respond to a few of the comments mentioned…

      Bob – It’s a terrible situation with unemployment in the UK currently and it must be very difficult for you and all those others affected. It’s not easy finding work when there are fewer jobs available and we hear similar experiences from our visitors everyday. We try to help where we can by providing tools and advice through our website. Generally, these are well received by our audience, which has wide and diverse needs. I’m sorry if you don’t feel they are much help to you personally. Is there anything you would like us to write about instead? We’re always looking for new topics that can help others.

      In response to some of the other comments –

      Training – it is frustrating that the opportunities to re-train or develop new skills are limited, with the state of the economy I guess there isn’t really much money to invest in these schemes. We do have some training courses available in the Career Tools section of Jobsite, many of which are currently carrying discounts for March, if you are able to afford a little to train. The alternative, if you’re inclined to do it, is to teach yourself new skills. This won’t apply to all industries and skill sets obviously, but it is a possible route for some. I have personal experience of hiring two people in the past who taught themselves the necessary skills to change careers. Aside from their new skill set, I admired their drive and approach and felt it was a good characteristic to have in a team member.

      Lack of feedback       – this is frustration shared by job seekers and Jobsite alike. We wish every job applicant received feedback – we think it’s important. Many recruiters and agencies do too. Unfortunately not all provide feedback, which is why we set up RecruitRank to try and encourage them to do so. We also reward those that are best at Customer Service, as we think that should be recognised too. Take a look at RecruitRank for more information

      Interviews – if you’re finding that you’re making it to the interview stage but not getting the job, then you might find it worthwhile taking a look at BeMyInterviewer. From personal experience, we know interviews are difficult to prepare for, so we built BeMyInterviewer to help our visitors practise answering questions from top industry bosses. Helpfully, they even give tips on how to answer the questions.

      Whilst I know this doesn’t solve your personal situations, I hope it has at least given some of you some suggestions you can look into. We’d also love to hear from you if you have any suggestions on articles, tools or changes to the site that you’d like to suggest that would make your life easier. We can’t do much about the economy, training budgets or the number of jobs available, but we can at least improve the bit we do control, to make the searching part easier for you.

      I wish you good luck with your job hunt and I hope your situations improve soon.

      Kind regards

      Gary
      Jobsite.co.uk

  • singh

    I would like to mention that some companies need individuals with degree and experience and their salaries are so low its unbelievabe. Got made redundant in Jan but cant find a job that can pay my bills. Everything you say in interviews is fake yes fake enthusiasm.All I want is to do my job and get paid fairly.

  • Sandeep Das

    Dear James (the person posting the 1st comment),

    I cannot assure you but I might be able to help you. I work for Kantar Media, and we are in the media intelligence and media research business. If you are interested or already have experience in these areas, please send me your CV, and I will have it forwarded to HR or the relevant hiring manager. My email ID is sandeep.das@kantarmedia.com

    Best Regards
    Sandeep

  • David

    Sorry Gary read all of the above, save for yours (in detail at least). Have to say that having studied on a largely part-time basis for my qaulifications I became a Solicitor. I was made redundant as at 31st Dec. 09 and I find that I have to agree with virtually all that which is said above. Also why are employers using agents when they have to pay them a siginificant fee if they find a suitable candidate? Futher, in my view at least, the agencies are over zealous in their filtering of applications. My details have not been passed on for jobs of which I have experience and – in my view at least – I am more thatn capable of doing. Good Luck to all I think that we’ll need it.

  • Ali

    Whilst I agree 110 percent with everyone on this forum, I believe in the saying that it is not what you know, but who you know and where they are that will get you a job. With little jobs around and so many job seekers, it is time to get the most out of you contacts and begin proper networking.
    I lost my job on the 1st of April 2009 and I have been unemployed since. I have a degree in Construction Management from a reputable university with very good honorable degree and eight years of post-qualification experiences in Construction Projects management and Highways Maintenances experiences. I apply for positions in my industry on a daily basis. To my surprise, I do not even get acknowledgments from Agencies, let alone being shortlisted for an interview.

    Good luck with everyone

  • Andy

    Having lost my Site Manager role for a major contractor and hating being unemployed I am now thinking of taking almost any job to kill time and make ends meet. I am worried however that this will be seen as a step back and ‘devalue’ my stock after 4 years of fast progression. Does anybody have any advice as to whether I hold out for the bigger jobs in case it makes it harder to get back up the ladder later?

  • Neil

    Tough lessons for all of us, I was made redundant in December 2009. I hadn’t made the effort to keep up my network of contacts and I’m suffering for it now. I won’t let that happen again.
    For any of you in Wales, the brilliant WAG funded REACT programme will supply £2500 for training (I’ve recently completed ILM level 5 and MSP). This helps you learn, get qualifications and network, helping you to remain positive. The Job Centre will give you all the info you need.
    Whilst I’m a positive guy, I have to say I totally agree with the comments about agencies. I am in touch with ONE I trust, the rest are a complete waste of time. As for the employers, if you want someone EXACTLY the same as the guy who left, why did you let them go? How about trying someone with slightly different experiences? For example, I have implemented systems in the developing world, in the US and in all manner of industries yet I’m inexplicably struggling to get straightforward project management jobs because I haven’t worked in the finance sector all my life. Why would I? Like most interesting people I like a bit of variety. I think it has something to do with our tick-box culture. Agency staff often seem to be too young/inexperienced to provide a real service to their clients, consequently employers feel the need to over-specify for roles to remove the risk of unsuitable applicants. The solution? Fewer, better agencies who understand the roles and the people they’re trying to place in them.
    Good luck to you all and keep smiling – this can’t go on forever.

  • Tisha

    I can see everyone else see’s how bleak it is out there at the moment. It can’t hold out like that forever,so i am just biding my time,as it will surely pick up soon ( fingers crossed) from reading this,it has just reaffirmed to me that you need to bypass the agencies and head straight to the companies themselves and their head offices.I was working in payroll for a large construction company, i took voluntary redundancy as they moved location, i thought i would find another job within 3 months, oops silly me! everyone wants you to have experience with their exact software,which limits you extremely.Most payroll want Sage experience ( which i don’t have) yet i know the system i was using was much more complex and changing to Sage would be a matter of an afternoons training, i even got hold of Sage software to teach myself but it’s not that simple to teach yourself and i need tutorials, i hunted high and low for free ones but came back empty handed.In the old day’s i used to work in retail and just use to head off to all the shops i liked and ask for application forms.I always got the job i wanted BUT i was under the age of 40 then. Age is a huge problem,however if i was employing someone i would choose older candidates as i remember myself when i was younger and i am much more reliable now since i no longer go on boozy nights out with the girls etc :o)

    I am currently hunting the internet for any free courses that may be relevant, before i get really stale and lose all confidence and in the meantime i look at any rejections i get and say to myself “Schmuck, it’s your loss”
    makes me feel better for 5 seconds at least !

    ps where have all the London jobs gone ?
    ps Gissa job ha-ha

    xxxx Tisha the lazy bum ( for now )

  • Maria Parker

    I understand exactly how you all feel. I was made redundant 5 months ago and the positive attitude is beginning to slip away. I have never been a fan of agencies as they have no clue what ” transferable skills” are.

    Most blogs and advice on dealing with redundancy mention that you are able to pursue a new career – absolutely untrue. Every job ad comes with a 3 page long list of skills or certifications that you have never heard of which are essential for the role.

    Having a job was meant to be about contributing to company growth, learning and developing but seems now it is just a case of same old, same old.

  • Chris Lamb

    I’m an experienced software engineer with a list of qualifications and have been out of work for comming up to eight months due to redundancy. I find that employers are unwilling to even contemplate taking anyone on who doesn’t fit every skill they desire 110% and the only person who does is the person who has left.

    Recruiting firms are in my opinion simply a blight on humanity. For the most part they don’t have the experience of the jobs they are trying to fill. My previous job I got by writting to the company on the off chance that they may need someone there wasn’t even a job advertised and I got a phone call and got the job, I tried the same approach this time round and after 30+ letters being sent, three wrote back thanking me for my cv but at that time they had no vacancies. At least they wrote back. Recruiters that appear on this site don’t.

    What really is annoying and frightening is that we seem to be the forgotten. The governments ‘allegedly’ fall over themselves to help the 18 – 24′s but what about those 25 – retirement age who have been made redundant and those like myself who are able for now to live off their savings so don’t claim and therefore don’t appear in statistics.

    I feel that every job vacancy must be advertised in full by the company in order to level the playing field so that prospective employees can contact the company directly and they can make a choice as to who is suitable for the job after all they should know.

    I shall be writing to my MP to highlight this issue and try and make the government realise how serious it is in the real world. I urge everyone to do the same, you never know maybe if we all make a noise we will be heard or at least acknowledged. (I can dream)

    Good luck to everyone who’s lucking for a job, things will turn out good in the end

  • Teresa

    Over 20 years of secretarial experience, experienced in membership databases, Microsoft Office, typing speed of 60-80 wpm, audio-typing, administration, very IT literate, and knowledge of web design.

    The NHS only want people from NHS backgrounds, and the same goes for property, law, finance etc. I want to use my skills in all fields, so that I can broaden my knowledge and continually keep learning.

    Like James Phillips, I was made redundant in April 2009 after working for 4 years, and still not worked, even on a temporary basis. Before that I was with Royal Mail for over 13 years, made redundant unnecessarily (found out last year that someone else was doing my old job).

    Now doing an ECDL to improve job prospects and I find that most employers want graduates (who can be the most “stuck up” people I know, won’t give normal educated people the time of day, experienced it first hand). University teaches them to use their brains, but not when it comes to common sense. I was only talked to when the photocopier broke down and this person could not work out how to fix it.

    I do not get paid Jobseekers or any other allowance, because my husband works for Royal Mail and he gives me money for the week so that I can get my own shopping.

    The Government needs to sort out its employment policy and also to stop funding immigrants that are flooding this country. Kent is one of the worst areas, and these people are loud, rude, inconsiderate and do not care about anyone but themselves.

  • karen

    Tisha Im in exactly same boat as you ,took voluntary redundancy back in sept 2009, thought grass was greener and heres me yey Il get another reception/admin role (worked for a very well known large hospitality company.)
    And had worked for them for 5 and half yrs.

    Low and behold its been the worst 12 months i have ever had, ive done temping in great offices, HOWEVER you get thrown in at the deep end ,no training one job I needed sage experience looked a right plonker when I got there and couldnt even do the job,..my confidence has took a mighty blow, as my last role was very cushy hrs,no weekends,bank hols no xmas etc, so now im applying for 4-5 jobs aday, out of where my area, money crap, but il take anything aslong as its not weekends, im with my boyfriend at weekends..plus dont drive,ive asked the jobcentre to sse if they can get me some sage course or something simliar, i have good pc skills but no bloody sage experience only oracle..but most jobs I like the look of need sage experience,Im sure the jobcentre dont do courses for it / pc, only bloody carers / plumbing etc…its been a hard trying yr, and at nearly 40 in january, Im scared for the bleak outlook this goverment are gunna do…we are all doomed…

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