[Closed] Long term unemployment - coping strategies?

Get a job? Sorry. (-:

TBH, I've been there and it can become a vicious circle so I can empathise. Job websites, send letters to local businesses, and so forth, but I guess you know this.

Two interviews in 8 months though, either you're not really trying or your CV needs some polish. I'd be happy to review it (as I'm sure others would as well) if you like.

Same jobs as previous position or have you looked at a career change?

When I was last out of work, I transferred from jobseekers allowance to national enterprise allowance (setting up your own company).

Although I didn't make much money, the important thing was it kept me fairly busy, alleviating any depression, and got me out more in the business community, which eventually led to more regular employment.

Good luck with it all.

Being self-employed for the last 8 years, sometimes, I've had to do anything to make some money.
I know it's crap, but pubs/hotels/food places are always after good staff.
It shows you have a desire to work when you finally get an intervoiew for the role you are after - "yes, I've not been sat at home moping, I've wanted to work so took a bar staff job to keep me busy"
That looks far better than "Ive been searching for a job for months now, but there's nothing out there".
There is, there is always a job, but it will be a lower level than you ultimately want.

@Cougar - I'd appreciate that mate. I've developed my current CV with help from my university careers centre and it looks as follows;

-----

[i]<mod edit> - removed[/i]

@alanl - totally agree mate. That's one of the reasons why I've been doing some volunteering just to keep the CV active.

I've applied for allsorts of casual work locally, bar work, postman, local youth hostel, but nothing. I think they see the CV and presume that I'll walk as soon as a proper job comes along.

I've never had such a long period of being out of work. I've done all sorts of things in the past (bar work, worked in a quarry, worked on building sites) so I'm definitely not a work shy type.

I want finding any work when I got mate redundant so went out and got my hgv license. Did some van driving in the meantime to get some money coming in then hit the road in the trucks.

The hours were long and the money not brilliant but it was work and I enjoyed it most of the time.

I then broke my hand and made a few phone calls to the recruitment agents I know and have ended up with pretty much my dream job in insurance (sad I know) and hopefully won't have to go back to driving but it was worth doing just to keep in work and in money.

I was struggling after ~8 weeks when my old company went into liquidation and it took ~5 months to be working my first day at the new job (knew I had job ~5 weeks earlier).

To begin with, I spent far too long sitting around the house almost 24/7, it went from a semi-holiday to losing my mind. What really helped me turn things around was regular cycling, it gave me a reason to get out of the house, get some exercise and get those endorphins pumping. After as shower on returning home, I could then approach job searching in a much better frame of mind.

Volunteering for the odd half-day or so per week can be another positive, it helped me in the past, helping at charities and putting my own situation into perspective because of seeing others in what I saw as a much more challenging situation than my own. Tends to be a positive thing to raise in interviews too.

I guess the main thing is to try and structure your day and leave your home, preferably not in your pyjamas! 😆

You've most likely done this already but just in case, have you seen jobs.ac.uk? Good research administrators can be in demand but also unis are pretty incestuous, so qualification in one field can open doors in others- student support, recruitment, that sort of thing. (also, ime learning institutions hilariously overvalue finance related skills, because it's witchcraft to so many of the managers)

(I accidentally career-changed into student recruitment just because a job was available, can't say I managed the switch very well but it's starting to come together and I love the work. Well, sometimes!)

I've been there too, trying to get back to work after being self employed in a different industry. I'd apply for all sorts but it's soul destroying to get nothing back, not even an acknowledgement. I was already suffering with depression before I quit self employment so being properly unemployed and feeling it was inescapable really didn't help.

Riding helped, but getting a social routine was important too. Could be anything from a job club to finding other people to ride with mid week. I eventually landed a voluntary role for a charity which led on to getting a full time job with another charity, and that's worked out well.

Also remember that what you do from 9 to 5 is only a tiny part of you as a person.

@ Northwind - Yeah I check that website weekly as all my "dream" jobs get posted there.

I apply for everything and anything going at the local universities (Leeds, Leeds Beckett, Leeds Trinity, Bradford, Huddersfield). Ideally I'm looking for an academic administration role as it keeps me in the loop so to speak so if any academic research or teaching positions come up I can still show commitment to the sector but I'm actively applying to every administration role I come across.

I presumed too that financial experience was a winner but it hasn't given me any success yet.

I guess its a numbers game.

I know it's not any help, but I thought that is you had been fixed term for 4 years in a row then they had to make you permenant. Or this may just be a policy at my place.

Some things pop out on the CV.

What are you applying for, and how much do you tailor the CV towards the role? Expand out on the experience relevant for the role you are applying for, cut down on the areas that are less relevant. Anything older than a couple of roles ago should be very, very brief - just a line or two.

I like bullet points with key achievements. Others might not though.

Daily duties included analyzing data, writing and presenting reports at international conferences, administering databases, teaching and mentoring students, and dealing with staff and student queries.

So your daily duties included presenting at international conferences? Really? Daily? Yet this sticks out as being really interesting and relevant but it's buried in "daily duties".

Highlight the cool stuff that'll make someone reading 20 CVs go "oo, that's interesting". What conferences? What did you present? What were some of the topics?

Edit it down until it's the bare minimum with a couple of key things for each role. For example "Expanded existing communications knowledge in a demanding client focused role" is pretty meaningless - avoid "enhanced", "expanded", "improved" unless you have a hard measure you can point at.

"Furthered existing interpersonal communication skills by demonstrating the ability to work in a challenging cultural environment with different language, norms and expectations" is similar - it's fluffy. I'd only need to see you'd done a gap year teaching in Korea to be interested to ask about it.

I guess I lean towards hard facts on a CV that I can ask about in an interview, rather than fluffier statements. A CV is like a film trailer - grab me in 3 minutes and I'll want to spend 90 finding out more.

You've done some neat stuff but it gets lost.

Do you look for roles outside of your local (West Yorkshire I guess) area?

If looking for casual-ish work, how about Agency work in warehouse, always available depending on location. Crap pay, but sees you through whilst keeping you sane (well sort of!) Shift hours gives you plenty of time to hunt for ideal job. Suited me despite being vastly over-qualified, and made some good friends and had a laugh with no pressure as its normally understood.

@beej - some fantastic pointers there, much appreciated!

@b r - I'm looking at roles in West Yorkshire, North Yorkshire and Lancashire at present (preferably within an hour's commute from home) but had a discussion with the GF recently about the possibility that I might need to work away.

@shuhockey - in academia they don't have to keep you on after the funding for the research project you've been working on finishes.

Not sure what kind of work you're looking for, but I noticed your last job was in Leeds.

I've got 3 customer service vacancies open at the moment in Leeds if that would be of any interest to you?

I've been there, was out of work for a year after getting my PhD and it starts to get to you. As has been said, regular exercise and structuring your days helps. In all honesty though, you're probably at the point where you have to cast the net wider and look outside your chosen area. Even if you have to move you can keep an eye open for roles where you want to live, and it always seems that the recruitment consultants only ring when you don't need them to!

@andybanks - That definitely sounds interesting, are the roles advertised online or should I contact you via your email?

Apply for lots of jobs. Job adverts are often not great - the company usually know they have a problem they need a person to solve, but often not even what job title that person should have. As a result, very appealing jobs can have very unappealing adverts.

Buy Perfect CV and Perfect Interview, both by Max Eggert. Short books that tell you how to sort your CV and interview skills out.

I'd go for a skills summary at the top of the CV, pulling all your key skills together at the top of the sheet, particularly when you're going for a private sector job. Keep the CV down to 2 pages, and lose any old info (ie, roles over 10 years ago that aren't relevant, A level results unless very relevant etc.).

I'd rewrite your Barclays experience something like the below - I'd expect this job would walk you into a lot of decent account manager type roles if written up right:

[b]Trust and Company Administrator - Barclays Private Bank and Trust IOM[/b]

Managed a demanding portfolio of 150 trusts and company structures within the wealth management department of one of the world's largest banks. Increased turnover / number of clients / KPI performance by xx% [i](every manager loves to see good numbers, and you can pretty much guarantee one interview question will revolve around this)[/i]

* Managed extremely demanding high net worth clients across Europe, Africa, Asia and the Middle East. [i](every HNW / company director type I've ever encountered that made their own money has been very very sharp and demanding, and the recruiting manager will know this too)[/i]
* Created bespoke solutions to suit client requirements.
* Displayed exceptional interpersonal skills, acting as direct point of contact for clients.
* Travelled globally for face to face client meetings.
* Rapidly acquired detailed knowledge of specialist subjects, with no prior background knowledge, including: Porfolio and Investment Management, Trust and Company administration, Property Acquisition.

Where abouts do you live @devash? Ive just spent 4 months out of work after being made redundant. I took some time off to ride my bike and get fit. Ive now lost 30 pounds in weight and have never been fitter.

You need routine and structure like you would have when you're working. Id always get up at 8am then job search for a couple of hours, then go riding in the peaks/sheffield. Come back and get cleaned up then do some more job searching. If you dont get out it can become harsh, especially with the weather being so bad.

Have you been to the careers service and had your cv checked?. You can also do a skills health check on their site, which shows your strengths and weaknesses, plus your transferable skills and potential career paths.

OP, I've removed your CV from the post. Two reasons,

1) C&Ping it here doesn't give any indication of presentation and moreover,

2) There's a lot of personal stuff on there which you probably don't want lying around on a public forum where any munchkin (or potential employer) can find it.

Do you want to email it to me instead?

@devash - Just drop me a line - email is in profile.

I'll pass your details on to the guy recruiting for me on Monday

OP - good luck. I was 6 months unemployed last summer and it's no fun - especially when you get no feedback from applications or interviews to build on, and you know you've got lots to offer...

I would say two things:

1) be flexible - I moved from London and out of financial services because I simply couldn't even get an interview (I have a friend who's finding it the same in FS in London - there's just no vacancies there). It turned out to be one of the best career and financial moves I ever made even though I did it more out of fear of staying unemployed than anything else.
My last job was a 5-month contract which I turned into 4 years on sequential contracts at the same company so don't exclude contracting from your considerations either, you can turn them into something more

2. Most important - take a look at your subject header in your post. You know the phrase, 'don't look at the tree or you'll hit it' - well your focus at the moment is looking at the tree, or 'long term unemployment'.

You don't really want a 'coping strategy for long-term unemployment' you want 'an effective job-hunting strategy'. They're two very different things, one is goal and solution oriented, and positive in nature, the other isn't.... and once you have the job you no longer need the coping strategy 🙂

I passed my assessment as a career coach recently and I need some practice hours to build up my experience so if I can help you with creating a job hunt strategy, send me an email (address in profile). I'm happy to do a couple of 90 minute sessions free of charge on Skype (I would normally charge but if you're unemployed that seems a bit steep)

[quote=brooess said]
I passed my assessment as a career coach recently and I need some practice hours to build up my experience so if I can help you with creating a job hunt strategy, send me an email (address in profile). I'm happy to do a couple of 90 minute sessions free of charge on Skype (I would normally charge but if you're unemployed that seems a bit steep)

Top man! OP bite his arm off.

Change everything you have done to find work.

Different approach.

Like a computer game level that you can't complete one way, try a different tactic/method.

I spent the whole of '98 looking for work.

Tried a different approach and found plenty of work.

I'm a bit worried myself for September but it's a new challenge!

I spent the whole of 09 looking for work and certainly started suffering from depression any longer and I think I would have given up looking.
I didn't even bike at the time so never even had that.
I eventually found a job I enjoy and I've been in ever since, so don't give up.

Blazing Saddles (Hebden Bridge) are recruiting for sales staff

Some brilliant advice already in this short thread. If you want another CV review OP, I am happy to oblige. I was in the same situation for 3 months at the end of 2014 and it was a bit tough.

Brooess is a good egg - he was extremely helpful to me in a couple of lengthy emails and I have to say I am very grateful.

I work in recruitment for my sins so if you want some advise from a professional feel free to mail me your CV, give me your email address and I'll reply as I don't like to put my professional address on here.

Similar situation here - (I could have written that original post!)
It's weird how the time goes - at first I'm thinking I'll easily get back into a similar job to my old one - 2 or 3 interviews, [i]almost[/i] getting the job a couple of times, so keep the same job hunting strategy. Then it goes quiet and I think ok, this'll be a good time to change careers - trouble is with that is you've got to have an idea what you want to do. And I don't!
I spent some time working on a farm and loved that, but the farmer can't employ me full time and everyone wants experience and/or qualifications.
Most of the time I'm ok, but sometimes I feel like I'm spinning in circles trying to find a direction. Age doesn't help (over 50).

Some fantastic advice from you all, much appreciated. I'll certainly be dropping a couple of you an email tomorrow re help with the CV, job hunt etc. Feeling a bit more optimistic about things this evening so we'll see what comes along this month.

STW at it's best.

I too would be happy to help, you seem to be well set now but if you want another pair of eyes let me know. I would add two things;

1) No such thing as "your" CV - have a good/great base cv and tweak according to job
2) I agree with @brooes job hunting vs coping strategy but I would say you need to mix in hunting with downtime/fun in an "organised" way - what I mean is otherwise life just becomes a blur. IMO we are creatures of habit so you need a routine.

Good luck.

What was your line of work?

No such thing as "your" CV - have a good/great base cv and tweak according to job

Would also echo that. If you're not doing it already, try to tailor your CV to fit the job spec every time you apply. Had one recently at work where they quite clearly hadn't bothered to change it (though the covering letter was good). If the pool of candidates had been larger they'd probably been rejected at 1st pass, but ended up seeing them and they're actually a good fit.

 

What was your line of work?

Media research / administration / teaching in the higher education / university sector.

I previously worked in corporate finance though. I actually really enjoyed that line of work but I left to go into postgraduate education with the career aim of working in higher education.

I've been unemployed for 8 months too. I've found that routine helps me keep happy. I have a dog, so going for regular walks helps keep my fitness. My dog is great at raising my mood after a bad day.

Get your CV checked over and get some advice on writing cover letters. Also, send speculative emails, advertise your skills/ availability on hobby forums (like stw) and keep interacting with people. Lastly, just be as enthusiastic as possible.

I've had quite a lot of interviews recently, but I'm struggling to get out of the top 3. I'm either too qualified, too specialised or too inexperienced. It's frustrating, but I'm trying to keep ploughing on. In three years time, I will look back on this past 8months and appreciate that I have a job.

oh, and if you play an instrument, now is a great time to learn some new songs. Your neighbours will be out, so you can turn it up to 11 😀

@ Lunge - my email address is in my profile. I don't think there's a private message function on STW so can't contact you directly.

Are you on Linked In? A good Linked In profile can attract recruitment agencies.

Yup, started using Linkedin last November. Its good because you can actually see when recruiters / HR people have looked at your CV.

I used to run errands for the neighbours, friends just to fill the day. Collecting a large amount of veg/eggs from the local farms with a trailer used to keep the demons at bay. Job search 3 days a week and 2 days for errands and fitness.

if you can cope with working in Bolton email the Maxgear/ Velochampion people. I know they are recruiting. One role more finance (AAT level) the other sales/ marketing.

It's a very good time for a speculative CV to them

I've now been out of work for nearly 8 months to the day now and the depression has started to set in.

Not sure if anyone else has said this (I've not read every response) but if you are concerned that you're properly depressed then go and see your GP / doctor about it. If someone on this forum said that they were getting chest pains when they were out riding, or had found a funny lump somewhere on their body, I'd imagine most people would advise the same thing, but for some reason people feel like mental health issues are different. You might not feel like it'll do any good, but if nothing else then at least it's someone to keep an eye on your mood, to stick up for you, and just to provide a sympathetic ear to a fellow human who sounds like they're struggling.

Also, I'd second what everyone said about getting out and doing regular exercise - running is pretty cheap, certainly cheaper than mountain biking - and trying to have some sort of regular social life. Other than that, good luck.

devash,

my sympathies, my next door neighbour a sashing guy similar age to me & a wel qualified accountant was made redundantm took some time out riding plenty but went into teaching assistant position & seems to like it but as many others have said structure & keep positive.

My wife is well into her first year doing a conversion degree in Law & loving it, more for the personal challenge rather than monetary gain.
She was thinking Oh I'll be too old but she's regularly being told she has life skills & transferrable skills from her other degree by some of the law firms, also doing lots of voluntary work within her course subject.

Me... finishing my last rotation 5 weeks offshore Oil & gas South America & I genuinely can't wait to pack it in & call it a day & build my new bike.

I'm in a similar situation OP.

I've been out of work since Sep last year having lost my job in the Oil and Gas Industry in Aberdeen (along with thousands of others). I was made redundant from the Army in 2013 (after almost 16 years) and at the time a move to O and G in Aberdeen looked like a good move and a place to put down routes after 10 years of married life during which we moved every 2 years on postings.

Fast forward three years and with a plummeting oil price most / all companies are trying to cut costs and are slashing their workforces, so I'm out on my a**e again

We've just put our house on the market in order to try and move out of the area, possibly South to Dundee as thats where the inlaws are so we can benefit from family support as we have 2 kids (7 and 4) to think about too. Mrs B is looking to go back to primary teaching after a break of 8 years or so to raise our kids.

I have no idea what I want to do though, absolutely none whatsoever.

I know that working in the O and G industry was not my cup of tea. It took me to a very bad place mentally and towards the end of that chapter I was getting pretty bad chest pains. Got checked out at the doctor (as a result of a thread on here some time ago from someone who had a lucky escape when they too went to the docs as they didn't feel quite right) but everything checked out OK.

As others have said routine is the key. I've been doing the weekly shop and taking the kids to their swimming lessons on a Monday and getting up early most mornings to trawl the job websites for jobs which might appeal. I've had one interview so far. I've also been doing a fair bit of running and also riding with a local group although both have taken a back seat while we have been working to get the house ready for sale.

On the plus side of spent a lot of quality time with Mrs B and the kids over the past 6 months and shared experiences which I would have missed completely were I still en route to an early grave working in Aberdeen.

Some great advice on this thread though - I'm going to look at my job search strategy and see what I can do differently.

beamers,

Good call getting out of Aberdeen I hated the place & the image it portrayed of money money flash cars and people with over inflated ego's driven by high day rates, the oil companies push you wanting longer hours & it's dog eat dog, th house prices drop all the young flash types cry wolf, I really hope you find something more to your liking & Mrs B gets into a new job too.

3 more weeks & I'm out of it, no more flying to the other side of the world, being away from family, missing out on important things that really matter, not forgetting dry dusty trails !!

An Oil & Gas veteran here too. The good thing is that after ten years it's nice to be out of it. The down side is that I have no idea what to do now.

Beamers, i live in Dundee. Some pretty good riding around here. Drop me a line if you want a ride.

@yorkycsl - Thankfully we don't live in Aberdeen, we are out in the sticks beyond Inverurie (just outside of Insch if you know it). Hopefully our house will appeal to someone who is wanting to move to the country rather than being close to Aberdeen. We have quite a bit of land with the house, certainly enough for someone who is looking for a place for horses, or even a bit of low level farming, so fingers crossed we might be able to sell. There certainly anywhere like our place on the market at the moment.

We went into Aberdeen for the Christmas market event and the atmosphere made my skin crawl.

@ BruceWee - what was your background in O and G? Mine was Training and Competence and I guess the common thread running through my Army career was also training. I don't have any associated quals so I am stumped as to what to do next.

@ mactheknife - I'll drop you a line to pick your brains about Dundee (riding / jobs / areas to live in and avoid) if thats OK?

Chin up.

To the OP, does your local uni have a temp agency, the only reason I ask is that ours does and it keeps my wife busy for decent periods at a time with work. It may also be a good way into a new job/department.

Alternatively, please re-train as a software tester, there is a massive shortage of good people.

Alternatively, please re-train as a software tester, there is a massive shortage of good people.

I didn't even know that was a real thing, what kind of salary can it attract? I did used to beta test audio software but for my friends company so not 'formal', but I guess I know what the programmer needs to know from the testers

@ BruceWee - what was your background in O and G? Mine was Training and Competence and I guess the common thread running through my Army career was also training. I don't have any associated quals so I am stumped as to what to do next.

I was on the drilling side of things doing MWD mostly although I worked for a couple of start up companies developing new technologies as well.

I'm actually in not bad shape financially because I assumed from the start there was going to be a big downturn and planned my lifestyle accordingly. That's why I'm thinking about trying to get a job in a bike shop while I'm waiting for inspiration to strike.

if you want some advise from a professional

I'd suggest taking CV advice from a professional who can spell. (-:

To the OP, does your local uni have a temp agency, the only reason I ask is that ours does and it keeps my wife busy for decent periods at a time with work. It may also be a good way into a new job/department.

Alternatively, please re-train as a software tester, there is a massive shortage of good people.

I think it has but the jobs it gets tend to be seasonal work for students, not staff. I'm 33 this year so probably a bit old for what they offer.

the Bolton job opportunities are still out there for anyone interested

any construction supervisors fancy a job near Inverness for a month or two need to register with Rullion ASAP as a job is going there for a few weeks with potential to move to another job in East Lothian, Blue Chip company

no I'm not on commission, yes there are real jobs

Does anyone have any advice for creating a CV to move from quite a narrow field to a more general approach.

Have tailored experience to be applicable to other fields and removed any jargon but it does seem to be a bit lacking in bite.

Hobster - you need to focus on skills. look through your cv and past jobs and think about personal skills, eg organised, good with people, motivated, creative, self starter, numerate, sales ? etc

Many thanks.

Think I'm on the right lines but sometimes additional perspective helps.

Hobster - it's referred to as a "functional CV". You should be able to find something by searching that phrase.
I'm supposed to be writing one now. Which is why I'm on STW. 😥

I helped a completely unqualified mate rewrite his CV based on the skills he'd picked up over 15 years without having a job for more than 3 years. (Not cos there was anything wrong with him, he just moved around lots). He got desperate after 2+ years unemployed. Leaving school at 16 isn't the best of starts.

Amazing what skills you actually pick up just doing stuff.

He got a job assembling prototype/development multi axis industrial handling robots.

That was 2 years ago.

He's now moved through the assembling bit to develop, test, calibrate and teach. And got promoted to workshop lead technician just after Christmas.

Still got no paper qualifications for the job he's doing.

Thanks Dez. Thats a great help.

I've attended various workshops and presentations on job hunting, CVs etc recently, as redundancy is looming. The advice I've been given is to tailor your CV to each job you apply for. If you make your CV or LinkedIn profile too general, potential recruiters or employers may not be clear on what you're looking for. Obviously, promote your transferable skills and back them up with evidence but still tweak your CV for each job you apply for.

Are you on Linked In? A good Linked In profile can attract recruitment agencies.

You're not kidding, I'm getting spammed to death by the shitehawks.

That and people wanting to sell me things. Had one the other day who persistently sent me "we're a cloud provider" emails. I eventually replied saying "so are we, would you like me to hook you up with Sales?" and haven't heard from him since.