There is a lot of competition out there for every job that
is advertised, add to this your mortgage company keep phoning up because you
have been paying a lower amount on the mortgage with a promise that you would
pay the full amount again and clear the accumulated arrears when you have a job
and the Jobcentre looking suspiciously at your job search record each time you go to sign on , to see if they can sanction you for not
applying for enough jobs and it is not surprising that you are desperate .
However, while you may well be at your wits end, do not let this come across in
your job applications and any interviews you may have, no matter how much
pressure you are under to get a job. It is evident to employers if you are
applying out of nothing but desperation and nothing is more off putting to
them
Whatever the Job centre and benefits office tell you, it is
ok to be unemployed, it can happen to anyone for all kinds of reasons. You do
not have to justify yourself by saying that you will do anything for any amount
of money, and it won’t do you any favours to do so and to seem so desperate.
However, I do not dispute that it is not easy to hide that desperation, when
you need a job very badly it is different to having one already and just
fancying a change. It is a known fact that it is easier to get a job when you
are in one, you seem more attractive and employable. Being obviously desperate
to get a job, any job, may well get your job search record signed at the job centre,
so that you do not get sanctioned for not applying for enough jobs, but it is a
big turn off to employers. Job hunting
should be treated rather like dating!! Be interested but not overly so and end
up looking desperate to get someone, know your value and keep a sense of worth.
What if you get as far as an interview and it comes to light
that there are duties in the job that you were not expecting and are not right
for you? Do not agree to it just for the sake of it, not unless you absolutely
have to try to get the job. Employers know desperation when they see it and the
I will do anything anytime attitude is just not realistic.
As for online jobs , there are many genuine ones out there ,
but this field of work , while very useful for older and disabled people, has a
lot of suspicion and stigma and some of it is well founded , as there are many
scams out there . Do not be so desperate that you throw money at some online
video offering to make you a millionaire in a week …it won’t happen. There are
many genuine online jobs boards that are free to use, do not pay upfront for anything.
There is some question now as to whether or
not having submitted your application for a job, should you phone the company
and ask if they have received your CV or resume. Certainly the job centres will
tell you when they see that you have applied for a job but not heard from them
…Phone them, ask to speak to the manager or person responsible for recruitment,
and you will feel that you had better do this or you may get sanctioned and not
get any job seekers allowance. However, employers get so many applicants for
each job that they advertise that it can risk irritating them and having you
come across as desperate, most times you can assume that they have seen your
application, as indeed they have all the rest that they have received for the
job.
You may
well need to take advantage of the resources online to help you write your CV
and a cover letter for the job , but do try to personalize each job application
and do not just copy and paste from a sample online. When you write your CV or
resume, have a generic version and then adapt this for each job that you apply
for, the same with covering letters. Employers can actually tell applicants who
are just firing off one application after another in a desperate hope of
getting a response. This is one of the disadvantages of online job boards,
where it is easy to fall into the trap of just clicking apply here and off goes
your stored CV and a cover letter that is not much more than Dear Sir, I am
interested in applying for the job. It will make the job centre happy that you
have applied for thirty jobs in a week, but you may well not hear a word from
any of them. Take time over your applications and personalise them
Whatever the job centre tell you, do NOT apply for
everything, identify your skills and make good quality applications for jobs
that realistically you can do. The term transferable skills is sadly a bit over
rated. Also, while not knocking the
value of voluntary work to get experience, sadly many employers do not rate it
and want evidence that you have done the job before, working for an employer… i.e.
that you have been an employee.
However, being desperate for a job is not all doom and
gloom, it can push you to positive action. Make use of the online job boards
such as Monster, Indeed, Total Jobs, Reed and many more, prepare or update your
basic generic CV and upload it, search the newspapers and apply for suitable
jobs. There is no need to buy newspapers, some even have a free online version
and you can always find the daily and local papers at the library or if you
join one, and I do recommend that you do, a job club. Job clubs are excellent,
not only does it get you out of the house, and you get to use their heating and
electricity, but being with other job hunters can be very helpful and
supportive. I have known job hunters at job clubs or schemes such as The Work Programme
find suitable jobs for each other to apply to. Use the job searching tools on
LinkedIn...if you do not have a LinkedIn profile then work on it.
Be positive and be proactive but don’t look so desperate!!!
