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Job searching

By (user no longer on site) OP over a year ago

Am I being a pessimist here?

I’m young, I have a degree, I have a vast amount of skills, I’m intelligent, I have several qualifications and yet…I can’t find a single job

I apply to about 20 a week and only 4 or so ever get back to me with rejections.

I’ve had a few interviews here and there that have never amounted to anything.

I feel so hopeless…I hate my current job and it’s really not sustainable but I can’t get out. It was only meant to be a temporary Christmas job and now it’s been a long time. I just can’t take it!

Am I being a pessimist or is there genuinely no jobs?

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By (user no longer on site) over a year ago

It’s a tricky market with the old ‘we want experience’ shite. Can you do something in your field in a voluntary capacity? Even a few months will give you experience to put on your cv and show you’re dedicated to what you want to do

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By (user no longer on site) over a year ago

There are jobs. I do think that certain work experience is hard to get but all so many people want.

Get creative with your transferable skills? Don’t apply to ‘send us your CV’ jobs. Do you interview well? I’m fortunate that I interview really well.

It takes me months to find the right job but like you explain at the very beginning of your post- you’re hireable and there’s jobs out there. You got this homie!

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By *offiaCoolWoman over a year ago

Kidsgrove

It may be that you are not selling yourself well enough. I think there are places you can get support with interview techniques and build your CV ?

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By *lynJMan over a year ago

Morden

What type of job are you looking for? What was your degree from uni?

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By (user no longer on site) over a year ago

"Am I being a pessimist here?

I’m young, I have a degree, I have a vast amount of skills, I’m intelligent, I have several qualifications and yet…I can’t find a single job

I apply to about 20 a week and only 4 or so ever get back to me with rejections.

I’ve had a few interviews here and there that have never amounted to anything.

Am I being a pessimist or is there genuinely no jobs?"

Weirdly we can't find the right people to fill the roles we have

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By (user no longer on site) OP over a year ago

"There are jobs. I do think that certain work experience is hard to get but all so many people want.

Get creative with your transferable skills? Don’t apply to ‘send us your CV’ jobs. Do you interview well? I’m fortunate that I interview really well.

It takes me months to find the right job but like you explain at the very beginning of your post- you’re hireable and there’s jobs out there. You got this homie!

It just feels like I’m getting nowhere and I’m just so frustrated with it all…I just want a proper full time job I don’t even care what it is at this point I’m just so so tired of looking

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By (user no longer on site) over a year ago

"Am I being a pessimist here?

I’m young, I have a degree, I have a vast amount of skills, I’m intelligent, I have several qualifications and yet…I can’t find a single job

I apply to about 20 a week and only 4 or so ever get back to me with rejections.

I’ve had a few interviews here and there that have never amounted to anything.

Am I being a pessimist or is there genuinely no jobs?"

Keep going - it sometimes just takes a bit of interview practice - then one day you get the one you weren’t expecting to get!

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By *os19Man over a year ago

Edmonton

"Am I being a pessimist here?

I’m young, I have a degree, I have a vast amount of skills, I’m intelligent, I have several qualifications and yet…I can’t find a single job

I apply to about 20 a week and only 4 or so ever get back to me with rejections.

I’ve had a few interviews here and there that have never amounted to anything.

Am I being a pessimist or is there genuinely no jobs?"
. It maybe worth google National Careers Service who can perhaps look at your CV and if necessary help you with a new CV.If you are claiming Universal Credit your work coach should be able to book you a interview in the jobcentre as a lot of the National Careers Services staff are based there.Best of luck with your search

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By (user no longer on site) over a year ago

It took me until 25 to find my current job. I’d tried loads of things and applied to near enough everything within a 20 mile radius. Just keep at it and you’ll eventually find something.

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By *antam AvershiresMan over a year ago

Falme

"Am I being a pessimist here?

I’m young, I have a degree, I have a vast amount of skills, I’m intelligent, I have several qualifications and yet…I can’t find a single job

I apply to about 20 a week and only 4 or so ever get back to me with rejections.

I’ve had a few interviews here and there that have never amounted to anything.

Am I being a pessimist or is there genuinely no jobs?"

When my ex was applying for a jib she treated it like a full time job in itself.

20 applications a week isn't close to enough, especially in the current easy apply market, you need to be looking at about 100+ a day.

Use LinkedIn properly to network and as others have said you need to get creative in how you approach their HR.

Humble brag 1, I had to lovely fling with the woman who basically ran Googles marketing division for the Pixel phones, lived in a small apartment on South London. Showed me that even in such an important role for a multinational company (if not THE MN company) that its normal people doing it and in her own words "if they want you gone tomorrow they've decided it yesterday and you can do nothing about it today". No position is safe and you have to be ready.

As for being creative I have a background in trade but my talent is in logistics so I took a base labour job with a company I wanted to work for and worked my way up showing I knew what I was doing.

Hard work pays off but the first word is important, you have to work hard and not just expect things to be handed to you if you look good on paper.

Sorry fiend but you need to put way more effort into your job searching

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By (user no longer on site) over a year ago

I've been in a similar situation and it's demoralising. By wanting "anything" it's possible you may have watered down your skills on your CV. It's definitely worth getting a CV review. I think a company called Next Steps used to do them for free as part of a Gov't service. I know the last time I looked for a job CVs had changed to be achievement based.

It also may be worth thinking about a your transferable skills and doing some mind mapping to refocus your CV.

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By *oomarangMan over a year ago

Chester

Have you tried indeed I posted my CV on indeed and got a job offers straight away I got a job within a week. Also try LinkedIn and sell yourself on there I get job offers on there as well

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By *egasus NobMan over a year ago

Wandsworth

Depending on your uni qualification potential earning, I would recommend you work on skills to be your own boss in this economy.

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By (user no longer on site) over a year ago

Plenty of books on this that will offer greater insight into what steps you should take and how.

Ultimately, we need specifics and this probably isn't the place for it.

Broad strokes, CPD, what are you doing? Demonstrate your interest in your industry and investment in improvement.

Network, conferences, road shows, events, get there and meet people in your industry and sector, develop yourself and tools.

Read, research, journals and professional articles, once again, demomstrate knowledge and passion.

It's tough, so you need to really target yourself to maximise strengths and mitigate weaknesses, as well as ensuring any application is laser focused on the role and organisation. Research them, their performance, targets and goals too.

A generalist approach will get a general response. None.

But, like I said, ultimately, to get any real progress, we need specifics and this ain't the place.

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By (user no longer on site) over a year ago

Really hard to comment as, we don't know your sector. But yes, is say everything has got tighter jobs wise in the past few, years. I'd look to volunteer stuff/enhance your CV things unless it's proper niche

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By *oggoneMan over a year ago

Derry

"Am I being a pessimist here?

I’m young, I have a degree, I have a vast amount of skills, I’m intelligent, I have several qualifications and yet…I can’t find a single job

I apply to about 20 a week and only 4 or so ever get back to me with rejections.

I’ve had a few interviews here and there that have never amounted to anything.

Am I being a pessimist or is there genuinely no jobs?"

So you're not getting to interview stage frequently?

I know it can be tiresome but go over the job description in the application and show how you meet the criteria set out.

Interviews are like other things, practice practice and practice. If you get to interview, they want to see you. If you fail at the interview stage then someone else impressed them more than you. If you fail at interview, you can always contact their HR after and ask for feedback.

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By *rHotNottsMan over a year ago

Dubai & Nottingham

You’re applying for the wrong ones where all the competition is , aim much higher take a few risks.

Over here there’s far more supply right now, I post on linked in and have hundreds each day but can filter out 99%. So make sure you’re punching and you’ll get offers because trust me it’s just as hard for recruiters, there is so much crap out there

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By *ed MartinMan over a year ago

Shefford

"Am I being a pessimist here?

I’m young, I have a degree, I have a vast amount of skills, I’m intelligent, I have several qualifications and yet…I can’t find a single job

I apply to about 20 a week and only 4 or so ever get back to me with rejections.

This is in no way a criticism, but just my first thought on reading your post; if you are applying to that many jobs every week, I’m wondering how picky you are being about what you are applying for. Are you putting yourself at risk of jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire, by taking the first thing that comes along that isn’t your current employment? Are you going to find yourself back in the same desperate situation in 6 or 12 months time when you realise that New Job is just as shit as Old Job?

Perhaps a better technique would be to sit down and write your own job description of what would make the perfect job for you, then only apply to thing you find that match your hopes. Invest your time in making fewer but really carefully tailored applications?

I’ve had a few interviews here and there that have never amounted to anything.

Am I being a pessimist or is there genuinely no jobs?"

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By *iddle ManMan over a year ago

Walsall

It can be disheartening but you have to keep applying, as mentioned use all of the online jobsites, apply to lots and I mean lots of openings.

As mentioned, have a professional look at your CV, most will give you a free check of it for keywords and layout etc, definitely worth it if your struggling.

Interviews are a mixed bag, unfortunately it seems some people are just better at it than others, the more you do the easier they become, practice with some friends or family.

Without knowing what sector you are looking to get into or what your degree was in its very hard to comment the best way into that field is, as there is a huge gulf in the jobs market between different sectors. There are some areas that just can't fill enough roles with lack of applicant and skills. Others that are inundated and could fill each role 100 times over.

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By *agerMorganMan over a year ago

Canvey Island

it’s a VERY tough market out there right now, but here’s what I did;

Firstly, limit yourself to 6 quality applications a day, then go do something else with your day. This will avoid you burning out and becoming frustrated. By quality applications, I mean for roles close to what you’re looking for.

Secondly, what does your CV say about you? If it just says “I have a degree and hard working” it doesn’t sell anything about you, what do YOU bring to a potential employer?

Thirdly, networking. I have two distinct networks. One for my field of work, the other for recruitment agents. Both are on LinkedIn, if you don’t have one, set up one and get your details on there as well, recruiters and employers do like to have a nose on there from time to time, plus you can apply for jobs through it that are close to the field of work you want.

Fourthly, don’t apply for random jobs, recruiters and employers will know that you’re just “casting the net and see what comes in”, they’re less likely to respond to that and put the CV’s straight to the bottom of the pile.

Finally, don’t give up. It can take a while to land a dream job, it took me 6 months to land my first role in IT, a further 8 months to land my first role in Cyber Security. Consistency is key here, 6 quality applications each day will get you there.

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By (user no longer on site) over a year ago

maybe you need to look further a field - would you move?

I was told once as interview feedback I didn't come across like I wanted the job... whilst I found at the time the criticism a bit hurtful a few years later I changed career paths, took a demotion and started again nearly in a different role. I love my job now.

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By (user no longer on site) over a year ago

"Am I being a pessimist here?

I’m young, I have a degree, I have a vast amount of skills, I’m intelligent, I have several qualifications and yet…I can’t find a single job

I apply to about 20 a week and only 4 or so ever get back to me with rejections.

I’ve had a few interviews here and there that have never amounted to anything.

Am I being a pessimist or is there genuinely no jobs?"

A lot of employers are looking for more than skills and a degree, they're looking for experience. I've gone for job positions that I'm more than qualified for, have had rejections because it's a basic pay job and I'm 'over qualified'. I've also gone for positions that I'm qualified for but lack the experience they need. I've stuffed job interviews through nerves too. Some companies fill internally but are legally bound (I think) to advertise outside. The job you've gone for has already been filled before you even interview. That's happened to me but the company offered me a lesser position, took me 6 years in that role before I got to the position I'd interviewed for.

You say you hate your job but don't be in too much of a hurry to leave for any old job. I've had 7 jobs in the last 2 years as I haven't settled in them. Loving my current job. I've started at the bottom with a view to working my way up in the next couple of years. Good luck!

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By *rHotNottsMan over a year ago

Dubai & Nottingham

"Am I being a pessimist here?

I’m young, I have a degree, I have a vast amount of skills, I’m intelligent, I have several qualifications and yet…I can’t find a single job

I apply to about 20 a week and only 4 or so ever get back to me with rejections.

I’ve had a few interviews here and there that have never amounted to anything.

Am I being a pessimist or is there genuinely no jobs?

Tbh Im never that fussed about the role, choose the right companies , leaders , and managers,, they will make sure you get into the right roles. I’ve followed one of my managers around 3 companies now and whenever I leave I always try & take my best people

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By *erry bull1Man over a year ago

doncaster

I used indeed , joined the site uploaded my cv , and was getting job offers within two hours , I still receive job offers today even though I’m in employment

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By *2000ManMan over a year ago

Worthing

Have you tried an agency? My last office job was obtained through one.Do you adjust your cv for the job being applied for? In other words ensure past experience has 'buzz' words related to the job. Good luck!

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