Liverpool FC Forum

[Kharhaz]

When I first came out of work I thought ok, no probs, couple of weeks break, then get another job. How wrong I was. Ive been out of work 2 years now, and getting a job is near impossible. Ive been turned down for jobs because I need a haircut, and I wasnt clean shaven ( I had some stubble growing from my shave that I had the night before)
Since being out of work I have applied for every job going in my field and I am now the proud owner of a stack of "Thanks but no thanks" letters.
The jobcentre decided to send me to carter and carter, they would help me with my cover letters, cvs, whatevers needed to find work. They read my cover letter for one job I was going for and checked out my cv, "brilliant" was the reply I got, so no help needed there. Once a week I had to turn up for a jobsearch session for an hour and half, no probs, I get free internet, free phones, newspapers everything. Still no joy, "thanks but no thanks" them kind of letters. After 9 weeks of constant rejection they decide that I am due to go on placement, placement being me working for a company for an extra £15 a week and this company decide what im going to do for the next 3 months. I mentioned work trials instead to them, worktrials being where I work for a few weeks for nothing then the company decide whether they want to employ me, rejected instantly. Nope, they wanted me to go on placement, I thought they wanted me to find work but there main aim was to get me on placement and ive found out why. While on placement, carter and carter get a set amount of cash for me while im on placement, if I went on a work trial they would have to pay my travel and my meals and would get no cash out of sending me on this option. Another reason was that as long as im on placement, im am now classed as employed, and therefore not only do the figures look good for the government, but carter and carter get money for me being on placement, my advantage? I get an extra £15 a week in which I have to pay for travel as well as my own lunches or whatever while im there.
Im 30 now and have been working since I was 16 the way things are run when you come out of work are ridiculous, they are not trying to help people like me who are looking for work, they are looking to make as much money out of us to keep companys like carter and carter in business and to make government figures look good.

[red37]

Sorry to hear of your troubles Kharkaz. Its not easy at all once you drop out the rat race for any length of time and expect to find things havn't moved on. Im lucky, my job is being held open for me when ive had surgery. But its been 18 months since i last did any work...so i can understand where your exasperation is coming from regards thinking time is slipping away, leaving you feeling isolated and unappreciated.

I think you're right in the reading of the situation btw. It stinks.

I hope everything will work out for the best mate. All you can do is keep on going...not much in the way of meaningful advice, but still. Who else is going to carry on fighting your corner?  You and you alone thats who.

Best of luck lad - its a rocky road life...you need all the encouragement you can get.

[Kharhaz]

I appreciate it red but what makes it better in a way is its not just me, While ive been at carter and carter there are young people who have it tougher, they are there for a year compare to my 3 months. Its a nasty situation in which people are not really being helped.

[woof woof !]

Since being out of work I have applied for every job going in my field and I am now the proud owner of a stack of "Thanks but no thanks" letters.

Kharkaz , what is your field of work ? . Not being funny mate (as I've also experienced similar situations during my working life) but sometimes if you can't find something in your field it's time to look at other fields.
After returning from SE Asia and finding myself in your situation I went self employed, bought a light van and did small parcel deliveries for a local courier company . After a couple of years at that I had enough money to put myself on a residential stock market trading course and then start trading the stock markets from home via my pc . It had it's ups and downs (   ) but enough ups to allow me after seven years to officially retire .

Think outside the box mate and good luck , remember life is a wheel , sometimes you're pressed against the road , at other times you're kissing the sky .

[66-1112520797]

Kharhaz sorry to hear about your troubles, what line of work are you looking for though mate ?

Like Woof said if its been that long, maybe its time to look elsewhere.

I had a similar problem myself when I moved to Australia. I am now based on the Gold Coast and I have six years experiance (from England) in Gas Central heating and a basic bit of Plumbing. People told me if your a 'tradey' you'll get a job no problem.

So from the end of January this year, I started to look on the net for Plumbing jobs, as Central heating in Queensland is rarer than rocking horse s.hit. I sent off loads of Cv's to various companies and although most replied, which was something it was "Thanks but no thanks, we're looking for Aussie experiance" Most of them kept telling me this. My short break went from January too March while all the time getting koncked back. My only problem was not getting a job, but my application to become a permanent resident also wouldnt of looked good if I were jobless.

Eventually I had to get work through an agency for Plumbing, the same sort of agencys like Adecco and Kellys back home. So I did get a couple of months worth of work through them. I couldnt believe the difference in Plumbing over here as it is to Mother England. Simple things like Oxy/Acetaline (SP) and silver solder, to the British Mapp gas and soft solder when brazing or soldering copper.

Anyway once time was up with the agency as the contract finnished and the bloke I worked for couldnt afford to pay my wages as the agency were making what I earnt in an hour as well as paying me.
I went back to the drawing board looking for a more permanent job, where I had a bit more job security and a regular income.

I was looking for another couple of months getting rather anxious, where I actually though about looking for another area of work.... I even applied for and acting role in some silly comedy series, to no avail. Until eventually one of my Cv's were returned with ... 'Can you come in for an interview tomorrow!' With f.ucking bells on I thought. They knew my experiance, and Apparantly they liked my honesty in the interview and they gave me the job, I've taken it with both hands and a foot. I work with a good bunch of lads know and am happy knowing I'm a permanent employee.

If though time had gone on, I couldnt or probably wouldnt of waited for two years, maybe it is time to look around mate. But chin up bud, I'm sure you'll time will come. Happy hunting.

[Igor Zidane]

Yeh alot of us have been in your situation mate.

I worked for the Naffi since leaving school and then left through unforeseen circumstances (basically i knocked my boss out ,cos he didn't like scouser's). Anyway i was unemployed for about year scratching around doing various courses. Then i got a stroke of luck and our kid got me into the factory he was working in . I worked there for ten years and was made redundant.

Then i got a new job in another factory as a production supervisor ,after two years i was made redundant again. After doing some agency work two jobs came up at once , one in another factory and the other on the railway in the booking office , i thought fook it i'm going for the railway job , it was completely different to what i'd done before ,but in the end it was well worth it, it's the best job i've ever had and it's well payed aswell.

As the others have said mate , sometimes you've got to think outside the box and take a chance, you may find that it's worth it in the end.

Good luck to you mate.

[Rafa D]

I agree Igor, this is by far the best job I have ever had and I'd be gutted if I lost it (and the money).


Sorry to hear about your situation mate.

[Sabre]

Sorry to hear about the situation, no doubt you're trying hard to find a job.

Kharkaz , what is your field of work ? . Not being funny mate (as I've also experienced similar situations during my working life) but sometimes if you can't find something in your field it's time to look at other fields.

However, this advice of Woof is a good one. I'm computer scientist and never had problems to find a job so far, but if I had, I'd pick fruit or work in a pub if necessary, in those jobs --which I've done when younger-- there's no lack of job never.

Yes, I wouldn't like to work in a pub when I've studied a lot and it's not my field, but I don't expect a job covers my personal expectations, I just expect to earn money with it so that I can spend it in the people I love. It's handy to master a couple of other basic fields just in case.

Good luck, anf if we can do something for help, let us know.

[Kharhaz]

Some good advice on here, thanks people. My main field is admin/IT got 6 years experience as well as qualifications in that field however, as my advisor pointed out to me, its going to be difficult to find work doing admin as it is more female based and its very rare that men get jobs doing admin. My second area would be a bar management position, I was a cellar person for 5 years however I need full time work and the only jobs going are for bar persons at 16 - 18 hours a week. Although it looks like the only option at this minute I need to make sure that, if I do go for this option that I aint going to make it worse for us financially.
Anyway, thanks again for your advice.