The "I WILL find a job!" Club

Positive thinking and all that! You WILL find work!

Who else is job hunting? I've been looking for work since September, when I got back from working on a camp in the States. I lost a deal with my boyfriend so I'm looking for work in London, which is where I'll be moving to. There are more jobs there, but there's also more people looking. It's tough!

Get your support, your cookies and the space to rant all right here!

*sets up table with cookies*

I am! I've been unemployed since the end of September. It's exhausting, isn't it? Thankfully, a friend of mine needed a volunteer editor for her small press, so I've been able to keep busy, even if she can't pay me.

I really hate the trend of giving applicants no notifications at all. I don't know if they got my materials, I don't know if they picked someone else, I don't know if they all died in a freak accident or something. Sometimes I feel like I'm just sending my CV into the void.

But! In the spirit of NaNoWriMo and Getting Things Done, I applied to two jobs today. I will get one! Maybe not one of those, but I will get a job! And you will, too!

I've also been unemployed since the end of September. I graduated in August, and so was no longer eligible for my student jobs. It's been a pretty frustrating experience. To see jobs that I know I'm eligible for, but not get so much as a phone interview.

There was one place that told me they were interested in interviewing me, but that they had a unexpected hiring freeze. Hoping that freeze ends soon. :/ They said they'll contact me once it does.

Some things that were useful to me was attending a resume & cover letter workshop. I went to a job fair but did not strike gold.

*puts out lemonade and milk to go with the cookies* Good luck all! We got this. :)

Yep. Same boat. Actually lost my job at the beginning of Sep, but had a holiday booked abroad at the end of Sep, so couldn't sign on with DSS till Oct. Since the first week, I haven't found any job to apply to, though!

I'm aiming high this time. I was unemployed 2 years ago, too, & that time, I jumped at the first job I was offered which advertised one salary & actually paid a different, lower, one - if it had been advertised at the lower rate, I probably wouldn't have gone for it because it caused all sorts of financial difficulties! So this time, I've worked out my minimum salary & I'm not applying to anything advertising below that rate. Because, let's face it, not many people live to work, do we? We all work to live!

After 20 years working in admin, I've also decided to look into alternative employments & currently pursuing the possibilities of retraining in teaching, which is quite exciting. :-D

So I hold out to you the posssibilities of retraining in a different field. And, also, for those people in the UK, a very good jobs website: www.reed.co.uk (hope I'm allowed to advertise! Sorry if not! :-( ) - DSS put me onto Reed & it does seem to have a lot of plus points. The DSS did also point out, however, that there's not much point in replying to any job that already has more than 10 replies on Reed because employers tend to only download the first 10 applications to make their short-list - don't know how true that is - that's just what I was told. And, on that basis, it's worth checking the site at least twice a day. :-)

Hepatica - Reed is one of my frequented sites :) I also recommend TotalJobs and Hays for big recruitment companies. Especially Hays for the days when writing a cover letter is like slogging through thick custard because they only require a CV to apply.

liadan - UGH! No responses is the worst! It's so damn rude, too. It doesn't take much for an automated "Thanks for your application" email. And that goes for those who decide you're not right but never tell you. Again! An automated "Sorry but not this time" email would be most appreciated.

*Settles down with a cookie*

I graduated with a degree in Zoology in June this year and for the past 6 months I've been lucky enough to be working for one of my lecturers, working out in the field trapping small mammals, but my contact runs out next week, sad times. I've been looking for another job for the past few months and I've got a lovely collection of rejections (or "Please F Off letters as a friend calls them). It's so frustrating! I really loved helping out with the research, but it seems to be so hard just to get an interview.

I think that doing NaNo has helped me out though, if I can write a 50K novel in a month, I'm sure that I can get myself a job sooner or later!

I've been unemployed since before *last* November. *Sigh.* Budget cuts. It's not like I can't keep myself busy without one, but still. Here's hoping I find one soon, and the same for everybody else.

I've had the same temp job since January. They're letting me go December 23rd. I hate looking for a job (this is the right club for that right? ;)

This is my second stint being unemployed this year. My first stretched from May- August; the company I worked for shut down and declared bankruptcy. In August I got a freelance gig with an online website and wrote a few pieces for them, and then they shut down due to lack of traffic on the site earlier this month.

I've been sending out resumes like mad, and haven't heard a thing. But I'm optimistic; I've got a few resumes out there for jobs that have closed in the last few days. In the meantime I'll keep working away on the manuscript I've written for NaNoWriMo... I'm finding having a project on the go helps keep me from worrying myself too much about why they didn't hire me or call me for an interview.

Hello!

Also been looking since around September time. But I WILL do it. Sure, there are those times when I just sort of ... lose all hope in it ever happening, but it HAS to happen sometime. I feel like I've run out of all other options; I don't have the money to go back into education, I've missed the University boat (and doubt I'd get in) plus I'd rather have my life sorted out before I do that, I can't think of any other avenue. I've had maybe one response out of all the jobs I've applied for (last I checked it was somewhere around 30), and it wasn't a Dear John letter, it was just acknowledging that they received my CV. It's frustrating. But I don't feel like there's anything else I can do expect keep trying for various jobs. I'm also terrified of getting caught in the trap of this YTS-esque scheme they seem to be thinking about. I'm not 100% sure on it, but if it's anything like the 'job' I was offered where I would be getting paid £2 an hour for 30 hours a week, and having to sign off, then no thanks. That doesn't even cover my weekly transport to where I'd need to be.

Anyways, mini-rant over, I WILL get a job. If not my Christmas, then I will have one in the New Year. I will. I have to. Work, or sit at home doing **** all with my life? I'll take the job thanks. Good luck to all of you fellow job hunters!

I'm not looking for traditional, full-time employment, but I AM looking for freelance writing gigs to tide me over. I landed something small today, and that'll really help. I'm looking to apply for a school, though. That's even scarier in some ways.

I've been looking for steady work for FOUR YEARS. I was laid off from my last job in November 2007. Last summer I had a two month gig that paid pretty well, but the money I saved from it runs out in a couple of weeks, right before Christmas, and everything seems to have dried up.

I'm a technical writer and editor, so I'm also looking for freelance gigs editing and writing. I haven't had much luck, but then never having had to do this before, I'm not even quite sure where to look.

Maybe this will be a good thread to exchange tips on how to get through the Recession and how to live on less.

Been unemployed my whole life (-youngin-) desperately want a job, applied seriously everywhere, don't know what I'm doing wrong. D:

I am going to apply for a part time job next year sometime. But I think it is more important for my dad to get a job.

I sort of have a job. It's at a theme park and I currently only get called in every three weeks. Might be calling the temp agency soon. :/
-X

Can I get people's opinions on chasing up a job application?

I applied for job I really want. It was a graduate scheme training job working for a charity which helps underprivilidged kids get into university. I want that job so much! I spent two days working on my application. I submitted it about four weeks ago but the deadline for applications was the Monday just gone (28th) so I've been chewing my nails and waiting (I've been applying for others jobs in the meantime, by the way.)

So, if I don't hear from them, at what point would it be suitable to send a polite email asking if I've been accepted for interview? I've never done it before. What would I say? Interviews are mid-December so I was thinking maybe next week I could send a quick email? What do you think?

I was looking for work for 2 1/2 years, due to a divorce. Unfortunately for my job prospects, I had been mostly an at-home mom for over 10 years. Thankfully, freelance writing and some work for local lawyers could be added to my resume, and that's why I have my current (6 months! yay!) job.

The thing that tipped the scales for me was going to a person who specialized in resumes. He looked at my resume and called it crap. :P Awesome. Then he redid it for me and I got 4 call backs (and 2 offers) in a week. I was amazed, and thrilled. I highly recommend doing this, and while I think the guy who did my resume is absolutely fabulous and would recommend him to anyone privately, I think that seeing any professional who can help you with your resume can really make a big difference.

Best wishes to all doing the job hunting - I hope the perfect (or just right for now) job will come to you soon!

I just have to take that nanowinner attitude to finding a job and it'll be cake.

Good luck to everybody looking for jobs.
I've been unemployed since I graduated last December. I had a job lined up teaching, but the day before classes were starting they told me "Sorry." I was disgusted and haven't found a job since. I'm starting grad school, so maybe I'll get a grad assistantship if nothing else.

I'm looking for work.

It is funny because I never was unemployed until I decided I couldn't do grunt hard labor anymore.

Anyway, I hadn't worked since 2007, then worked a temp job from May to mid-July. It ended.

Graduated with my second B.A. August 28th (I know, I know, 2 B.A.'s-- sheer idiocy-- I'm still trying to prove to myself that it's not).

Decided I wanted to stay in the area--- then realized that unless I suddenly find a desire to fry something, I'm probably screwed.

I held on though.

The "perfect-for-now" job for me (well, it could get better, but it would be good) came open over the holiday.

I submitted my application on Monday (it took a big chunk out of Nano, but really-- what is more important?)

Now I am just waiting to hear.

I'm really going to be crushed if I don't hear back within a little over a week, because I am sure I'll hear about who did get the job when I go in to volunteer for the woman that runs the department of the organization.

Oh, and I really need to get my transcripts sent and find something to interview in.