Help! Why can't I get a job?
I have been a SAHM for 13 years. Prior to having my son I was an Office Manager with 17 years experience. No formal experience, just work your way up the ranks kind of experience.
Anyway over the past 13 years I have been heavily involved with volunteering at my sons school's, you know doing reading, p&f, tuck shop, school banking, bookclub etc. etc, which I loved, although it seems none of this volunteering means anything when applying for jobs. In 2007 I started a hobby business from home which was great and was making enough money that I didn't need to work out of the home. In 2011 we moved interstate and my little business didn't do so well here. After a year of struggling I gave up and decided I would go back to working outside the home. That was in March 2012.
Fast forward to now, and I still haven't found a job. I have applied for hundreds of jobs and haven't had an interview in 2.5 years. I have applied for admin jobs, retail jobs, cleaning jobs etc and I am getting nowhere. This year alone I have applied for over 60 jobs and NOT one was even sent me a "thanks but no thanks" reply. I have walked the streets dropping off resumes which has resulted in nothing. Somedays I spend hours doing up applications with a small amount of hope that this time I will at least get an interview.......nope!
I have had my resume reviewed by a HR professional, and the only feedback she could give was that the job market is tough right now and with such a "big gap" and "lack of references" I am really going to find it tougher than others to find employment.
At the beginning of this year I told myself that if I couldn't get a job by Christmas then I would give up. It is emotionally and mentally draining. I now lack self confidence, thanks to years of rejection.
Like most single income families we are struggling. Hubby loves his job but the pay is crap (under $50K) and he hasn't had a decent pay rise in years. With our son starting high school this year and going to a private school, we are barely making ends meet. I am dreading Christmas. We don't have any debts (loans or credit cards) but the cost of day to day living (rent, food, power, school fees etc) is killing us. We only have one car (fully owned) but even running that can be a struggle. In December we will loose FTB B, which means less food in the cupboard. I NEED A JOB.
I have tried various Party Plan jobs over the years but I am not motivated enough to make them work for me. My hubby has feelers out and I ask anyone and everyone if they know of anything because most people say its "who you know, not what you know" that gets you a job these days.
I have looked at going back to study but the courses I am interested in are either way to expensive or require block training/workshop attendance in Brisbane which we just can't afford. The nearest TAFE is over an hour away but it doesn't offer any of the courses I am interested in. And no, Aged Care isn't for me.
I have run out of options.
At 47, I am starting to feel like I may never be employed again. I just want a job. Full-time, part time, casual I don't care. I just want to get back out into the world earning money. Any advice?
6 Replies
Sounds like you've spoken to everybody... but... you mentioned "who you know" - what about asking the other volunteers at school if their partners businesses need staff? Or the school itself. Sorry if you've already done this, it's just an idea. Good luck!
Speak to the school, you'd be surprised how many are looking for educational support workers.
Try applying at your local service stations, they are always looking for staff! I re entered the workforce at my local BP, 2 years later I'm working in clinical administration at a hospital.
Make sure your cover letters are specifically tailored to the job which you are applying for and talk up the relevant experience YOU have that makes you the perfect person for the job.
Firstly, never be too proud to take on a job that you might find beneath your skill level. I had to work some pretty shitty jobs whilst paying my way through university. There are always jobs in hospitality and customer service. These jobs do pay the bills, until something better comes up. Plus they will introduce you to more contacts. I met many people getting ahead in life whilst working these jobs and they became contacts when they finished their courses outside work and moved onto bigger and better things.
My own mother didn't have a job and was a stay at home mother until 36. She started off volunteering at the school and then did a one year course to become a teachers aid. The school snapped her up pretty quickly and then she started getting paid for virtually what she was doing as a volunteer before. There is a lot of funding in schools for teacher's aids for children with special needs.
Some companies don't advertise on the big websites like seek etc. NSW Health is a big employer that only advertise on their own recruitment website for example. I'm not sure what state you are from, but think outside the square and find big employers that may have their own employment websites.
Also never be too proud to walk into businesses with your resume and ask to speak to the manager. Introduce yourself and ask if there is any employment opportunities at the moment or if any are coming up in the future. If they are interested give them your resume and if you make a good impression they will sometimes not advertise and offer the next position to you. I have got many jobs this way.
I was in a similar position. I sent hundreds and hundreds of applications and cold casing businesses to no avail. I then made changes to my resume. I didn't lie about my experience, skills, knowledge, etc. But I changed the dates to a more recent time. I then asked family members and very close friends to pose as former supervisors, colleagues, etc for references.
Not the most honest thing to do but I was getting rejected from the likes of McDonald's (minimum 3 times)
I have tried that and got caught out when the business called my old employer on their landline number and asked for the person I had listed on my resume. Of course that person didn't work there and when they confirmed my employment was 5 years prior to what I had listed on my resume it was game over. Haven't been game enough to try it again and I am still looking for a job :(