First of all, if you have been headhunted or got a job from a personal or business contact with no interview etc I DONT WANT TO KNOW ABOUT IT! I hate you people!! 😉

My wife has been in retail for 20 years, she absolutely hates it with a passion and often comes home in tears. She has an art degree so working in retail is wasting her talent. She has always worked part time to try and use the extra time sell her art stuff but it’s an impossible market to get into and she’s had virtually no success there (lots of dead ends). She can’t do computer based art and design stuff unfortunately.

It breaks my heart to see her so unhappy as she is the hardest worker I know of, puts me in the shade. She works ridiculously hard at her current job even though she hates it as she can’t bear to not put in 110% as it’s a matter of pride to her. She would be a real asset to any company but it’s hard to put that across.

Problem is I can’t help her as I have no idea where jobs are advertised nowadays or how people do it? I’ve only had 3 jobs and I found the last 2 easily but all internet searches at job sites seem to bring up loads of jobs which aren’t what you search for or are miles away. Doesn’t help that she wants to do something different but we don’t know what yet.

Obv know how to find civil service jobs, local council etc.

We don’t do Facebook, anything on there? (Hope not!)

We are a bit lost to be honest.

Doesn’t help that she wants to do something different but we don’t know what yet.

Seems to me that this is the real problem here.

How can you search for something without knowing what it is?

Try this and search for all jobs within a geographical area for inspiration?

https://www.gov.uk/jobsearch

https://www.reed.co.uk

I’d start with one of those careers tests that measures what you’re interested in. That will at least bring some focus to the search.

Can you suggest one?

That’s a career change.
As you know I’ve done that.
You have to:
1. Know what you want to do and be single minded about getting it
2. Get out there. I took printed generic CVs, made a list and went round talking to people.
3. Be prepared to take the first job in your chosen area that comes up. It’s all experience. It’s a way in.
4. Be confident. But don’t be a dick.
5. Finally, be prepared to blag it a bit. I did. I got the job then taught myself how to do it.

As always, I recommend signing up for Universal Jobmatch -https://authenticate.gateway.gov.uk

It’s the official govt site that you have to sign up for when unemployed, but it harvests jobs from loads of agency sites. Good for searches if looking or a change of job type. And it doesn’t spam you like the other agency sites do.

How can you search for something without knowing what it is?

I found a caretaker job at a local private school on there, wouldn’t have found that job without that site. Didn’t get an interview for the job, but that’s beside the point!

To expand on my points a bit, I’m doing a job now that was never advertised anywhere. I got it via someone I met after taking the first job that came my way.
That’s what I mean about a ‘way in’ 🙂

Art Degree – what type?
Do you have the time and resources for her to retrain as a teacher?
One year PGCE or SCIT course, and then you’re out into the world as an NQT.

I worked in retail and IT for a number of years, and I then retrained at 34 and am now a head of dept, and looking at applying for Assistant Head jobs over the next couple of years.
It’s stimulating, always different, stressful but rewarding, and you do get nice long holidays!
TBH after working with the public and doing office jobs, kids are much simpler to deal with on a day-to-day basis. They are a lot less two faced than adults, and if they have a problem at least they tend to just tell you.

I think general work is a site called – Indeed. Not sure who hosts it or if it’s just job centre jobs on the internet or wot.
If she’s been in retail for 20yrs, she can’t hate it that much. If it’s just the current employer, then that’s fairly easily remedied (until she decides what she really does want to do), unless she is particularly well paid for the role or her shifts are particularly suitable?.

The obvious answer is for her to open up some sort of art supplies shop, thereby using both her art and retail experience?

Job in an art gallery maybe?

If she’s been in retail for 20yrs, she can’t hate it that much

I’ve been in IT longer than that.. and I hate it so much 😆

Is she competent with basic computer usage?

I mean that seriously. Can she open and save Word documents? Can she put together a quick PowerPoint? Can she edit basic data in Excell? Reply and send emails in Outlook?

If she has basic IT skills she’s very employable – but will be facing the 20-somethings who speak computers as a second language learnt from birth.

But there are a host of admin-esq IT jobs that will pay 20-30k with no experience required as long as you have basic IT skills. My Mrs has just got an entry level job paying at the very upper end of that scale at the British Transport Police. She has no prior experience in the exact job, or in the Police at all, but she knows how to use a computer with some haste – she absolutely smashed both interviews and got the max reward for her IT skills (which are just basic skills)

Google “Skills for the information age” – it’s a framework for measuring IT skills a lot of places use to measure reward.

If she can’t do the above, get her on an after-hours college IT skills course ASAP.

Then look at:

Local Gov websites, Local services (Police, fire) careers sections (they all need admin staff!), local libraries, local schools, any local business parks, etc.

Reed et al are fine but they’re the most “busy” areas for job seekers – means you’re up against a LOT of competition for entry level jobs. You’re better targeting careers sections direct as sometimes they don’t put them on job sites.

The best website we found is:
Jobsite.co.uk

I only used LinkedIn, it’s worth having a presence on there too.

Good luck!

This is advice to fine “admin” type entry level jobs. They can often progress into specialist areas or equally be a dead end job, but won’t require you to completely reskill or switch career.

But there are a host of admin-esq IT jobs that will pay 20-30k with no experience required as long as you have basic IT skills.

Where are these jobs!?

I’d love to get out of the print-trade – I’ve done nothing else since I was 14! (now 48).

Techincally very competent, but I have no qualifications to my name (messed about at school).

On another front – has anyone just uploaded their CVs to job sites to see what response you get?

Where are these jobs!?

Did you read the rest of the paragraph? 😆

Here’s an example:

https://btp.tal.net/vx/lang-en-GB/mobile-0/channel-1/appcentre-3/brand-4/xf-fbb4b92f9935/candidate/so/pm/6/pl/1/opp/3656-Data-Input-Operator/en-GB

Base is £20k – then you get a supplement based on your SFIA knowledge (which in my Mrs case was an additional £5k) – so thats £25k straight off the bat. Then that will be at the beginner end of that job scale, so I expect another 3-4k could be earned after 2-3 years service. If not a promotion higher.

We get a “London allowance” which put my Mrs at just over £28k and she’s jumping for joy. (Being a similar Bachelor of Arts degree holder who couldn’t break into her field)

These type of jobs are everywhere, you just got to think about where to find them. Every business uses computers and we’re not quite at fully automation yet. It’s not glamours, it’ll be boring, but it’ll be stable and you’ll get compensated with holiday (BTP give 25 days!!!) and other quality of life things as well as opportunities to progress in the organisation that don’t make it to the careers sites.

And all that job I linked is doing is putting numbers in spreadsheets. It’s a temp contract sure, but they’re willing to pay a good wage for someone to do that.

It breaks my heart to see her so unhappy as she is the hardest worker I know of, puts me in the shade. She works ridiculously hard at her current job even though she hates it as she can’t bear to not put in 110% as it’s a matter of pride to her. She would be a real asset to any company but it’s hard to put that across.

Are you two within commuting distance of London? Even with Brexit, they are always looking for Ops/Admin people – and the pay is pretty **** great. There are a few certificates she could take to get a foot in the door with even better jobs (the easiest and cheapest being the IMC and the hardest being the CFA) – with a customer/client facing history she may eventually be able to move into a more front of office role. I say that because your wife sounds like she has the same personality as mine, and my wifes personality has meant that she is well valued, treated well and given good bonuses and pay rises.

That or she could perhaps train as an accountant?

My wife started out doing Data Input for a Hedge fund (instead of the BTP as above), then moved to a Japanese bank doing Ops type adminey work, then a boutique wealth management fund as Ops for the client facing team – who are now training her with a view to eventually becoming a Fund Manager….or something…it’s mostly over my head.

Are you two within commuting distance of London

No. They’re in Huddersfield

Ahhh well. Accountancy then?

she can’t bear to not put in 110%

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagggggggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Plyphon is right though. If you’re not fussy there no reason for anyone to be out of work at the minute.
I’m about to put my money where my mouth is too, as we’re looking at relocating and won’t have a job to go to. I just know I can do it.

Some people are like that though, I think that my missus is at risk of going a bit Japanese and throwing herself out of an office window if she ever failed at something.

Where as I’m **** used to it! 😀

I’m about to put my money where my mouth is too, as we’re looking at relocating and won’t have a job to go to. I just know I can do it.

Too right, moved to London in about 6 grand of personal debt between us after university and no job on my part – we converted that to savings in around 6 months!

She can most basic IT stuff. Suffers from a severe lack of confidence (partly retail beating it out of her, i know as I had it done to me).

At the moment we can’t afford to do any extra qualifications or certificates I’m afraid.

That can be a sign of intelligence, my missus can be like that as well…..

again….she got amazing grades at university…is brilliantly hard working….and is generally better than me.

I get by, by acting a little bit cocky and pretending that I know what I am talking about. We balance each other out – some companies value careful people who aren’t quite sure of themselves though, as long as that person can cope with that aspect of their personality without it spiralling out of control.

At the moment we can’t afford to do any extra qualifications or certificates I’m afraid.

You can download old source material, you will get a foot in the door for a lot of the jobs – if you state that you are studying for the qualifications and can talk about what you are studying – even if you can’t afford to sit the exam yet. It’s worth a thought….

Put together a CV tailored around computer usage/number counting/etc – really push the “technical” side of retail (stock counting, handing till counts, etc) – businesses love technical bollocks talk and unfortunately you need to play the part.

If they can see that she’s a good worker in language they understand then I reckon you’ll be flying

^^^

What Plyphon said!

She really doesn’t want to do a sit down at a computer all day job. She can use computers ok but isn’t a huge fan of them. Something outside would be nice, physical activity not an issue.

Logistics?

Location – Anywhere Halifax/Hudds etc, towards Leeds and Leeds itself is good too.

Got a few tips on websites to look at, not heard of a couple of those, thanks.

According to their facebook page, Alpkit are looking for shop folk. Might be a way in to something else…

I suppose we really need a application form/interview type job as I know she wouldn’t be able to go round companies cold and sell herself (oi stop sniggering at the back!!!!). With the traditional route we can prep and practice beforehand.

According to their facebook page, Alpkit are looking for shop folk. Might be a way in to something else…

Only says Ambleside on their website. Bit of a long commute!!

Oddly enough I know she’d like to be a trades(wo)man – electrician or something but for a 41yo woman with no experience that’s probably less likely to happen than her becoming an astronaut!!

Only says Ambleside on their website. Bit of a long commute!!

Oh well!

I have no idea, anything north of Birmingham is a mystery to me…

The thought was nice. 🙂

LinkedIn is the obvious way of getting your face and skills out there. However, with no idea of area to target you are never going to able to pinpoint any particular path.

That’s the first issue.

If she just wants any old job that’s not the one she’s doing then has she tried local papers/websites and, god forbid, the job centre?

Blue sky thinking and art connection (see links), see what the National Trust are offering near you, found this albeit it is for INTERNAL candidates, I know BUT they often go outside thereafter and maybe worth contacting them, see here
https://careers.nationaltrust.org.uk/OA_HTML/a/#/vacancy-detail/53585
and here https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/fountains-abbey-and-studley-royal-water-garden
and Yes I work for NT, project job but surveying! nowhere near Fountains.
As others have said network and see what happens.

Is she bothered by rejection letters ???

(I’m guessing yes … but you can also work on that)

As well as other stuff being recommended (not instead of) … seek out some local places she would like to work. Obviously showing a bias towards needing arty/creative people.

Don’t even bother if they are advertising …. write a very brief CV (but offer to send a more complete one) and say how she would love to find out about working with XXX co…. Get a email address from their website…. if it looks promising spend a few pence on a phone call… even if you only get reception ask for an email address in the creative dept.

So long as you don’t mind about most not replaying and most that do saying “sorry” you actually stand a good chance per 100 sent of getting something not even advertised.

I’m at the opposite end (scientist/engineer) but I have actually got jobs by asking (just using the professional directory) but I’ve also had these emails and actually some have ended up being hired… I find after lunch much better… If I got one in my work inbox before 09:30 I’d probably delete it …. but often after lunch and especially Fridays I’ve not delete them and found something interesting and known about a future opening before it’s even been advertised.

She really doesn’t want to do a sit down at a computer all day job. She can use computers ok but isn’t a huge fan of them. Something outside would be nice, physical activity not an issue.

Yeh me and you both, I’d love to get paid my salary to dick about in the woods but unfortunately the world isn’t that kind!

Plus it’s the people who make the workplace. Find a job with some cool, smart people to be around and you’ll forget that you’re spending 8 hours playing Outlook Warrior 2017.

And plus, anything has to be better than this situation:

absolutely hates it with a passion and often comes home in tears.

At least in an office you probably won’t have to speak to members of the public.