In my current & recent experience the difficulty isn’t necessarily finding work, it’s the “temporary” nature of many positions in the current circumstances.

I’ve been fortunate in one regard by getting a succession of well paid, temporary employment in supply chain & logistics work. By default or design i’ve been made redundant from no-contract situations three times in 8 months, with little or no renumeration. The first and only instance of notice was voluntary redundancy of a career-job a year ago.

As said before, positivity is key. Believe in your ability, understand your skills & learn how to sell your contribution to the business, profit & customer satisfaction. It’s no surprise how many people are “hard working, dedicated and reliable”.

For me, it’s Spring so manual labour beckons. And the cycle repeats until luck prevails.

Also, take what you can from the opportunities.

One opinion is that at least we’re creating “a diverse portfolio” with “adaptable skill-sets” and initiative by fluctuating between employment and unemployment.

I got made redundant last year, took some time out (and did two days a week voluntary), but applied for a few jobs for the practice, had a few interviews, then went on a nice long holiday to NZ. Back on the job hunt for real now.

I am lucky in that I got a good redundancy package, but would add to the above advice from personal and friends experience:

1. Get your CV done professionally – it’s a huge part of opening doors for you. Swallow your pride. The lady at the Job Centre (well the training firm they contracted the work to) spent most of the day on mine, as all the other people on the course had about 3 teeth between them and were just there because they had to be. And it seems to be hitting the target better than it ever did, although I did have to be talked into letting her use the word “systemic”.

2. I don’t agree with the scatter gun approach for applying for jobs. It will be demoralising. In my last position I was often involved in sifting applications, and why people thought that a PhD made them a viable candidate for a Library Assistant position I will never know. You want to recruit the right person for the job, and preferably somebody who will stay. So, and this is of course my personal view, other views may differ – target your CVs and applications. I am working through a list of organisations that may need my services. And I am not applying for Library Assistant jobs as that is a waste of both my time and the recruiters.

3. Having said that, I had 3 interviews last year, and I didn’t want any of the jobs really was just in it for the practice. Employers do it to us all the time so I have no guilt. Interview skills are very hard to learn and practice, but do what you can in terms of prepping some answers to likely questions.

4. Exploit your friends, former colleagues, people you get talking to in the pub. Ask everybody you know, again swallow your pride, if they have any temp/contract/grunt work you can do while you look for a job. I have scored a part-time temp job in a pub and 3 other wee short term jobs that, in two months. A friend of mine in NZ just got offered a job through a friend of a friend. And at the last interview they wanted to know what I had been doing since I got made redundant.

So that’s my 20p worth. Good luck !! And ride your bike…

unemployed for 24 weeks – i dug a few jumps and a berm so big it pops up on google earth. Apply for jobs 7-9 eat/make food – walk the dog for ages or go jumps with with him – home at 5 make & eat tea 8-10 apply for jobs

Sold bikes
Snapped my nerve
Became a very different person
Contemplated suicide
Almost committed suicide – twice
Dreamed, almost every night, of marching into the job office and slaughtering the nasty feckers who work there
Applied for every job that had ‘computer’, ‘IT’ or ‘web’ in the title.
Took very short contracts all over the country
Shopped at Netto
Rode my bike… a lot.

All in all, it was quite a cheerful time.

Have you tried burying your head in the sand? It doesn’t help, but it doesn’t make it worse and you don’t feel as bad.

Mrs BigJohn told me about 18 months ago “why don’t you just do something you’re good at, and you like doing, and if you get paid at the end of the week it’s a bonus”

So I stopped jobhunting and pissing about at IT consulting, started doing repairs and odd jobs for people and now I’ve got a proper business designing and fitting bedrooms, home offices, kitchens & bathrooms. Not earning much but it feels real and I think it’s going to work.

I really should get over valuing my customers’ happiness above profit…or should I?

Based in Stafford by the way, should you be needing a wardrobe.

Oh – and those people who say “I applied for thousands of jobs and didn’t even get a reply” – what do you expect? If you reply to EVERYTHING, it means that a) you are just sending out a standard CV and standard covering letter, which means you don’t deserve a reply, and b) all the recruiters will be royally fed up with getting your mis-matched CV. Don’t apply for 100 jobs a day – set your target at 2 or 3 but spend about 2 hours doing a bit of research and tailoring your application to prove that you and the job are a perfect match.

currently very heavily employed as a house husband and father.. but in my youth I spent a fair while without a job..

Only took best part of 3 months but a FT job has been secured

The minute you get out of an interview, regardless of how well it went, write everything you can remember down – good, bad and ugly! Even if this means driving around the corner, pulling over and scribbling furiously for 10 mins. it makes a massive difference to interview technique and how you come across in future interviews. Before you go for the next interview, read your notes from previous – remember the good, avoid the bad bits.

Also, spend time to come up with some good questions – I’m rubbish at it, but I’ve interviewed a lot of people and one thing that always stands out is people who’ve done their research on the company and the role and ask some interesting and well thought out questions.

Best of luck drinkmoreport. As in all things, prepare for the worst and hope for the best. These are very dispiriting times especially when job hunting. There are good tips already re CVs etc, so won’t repeat. But I would make on suggestion. Make 1 maybe even 2 days a week, as down time. Ignore everything but yourself – job hunting, CVs, emails, STW (!), jobs around the house. Get on your bike and give yourself a break. Let others now that this is part of your regime (saves hassle up front!

Oh, and ignore your name! Probably not the best idea, if only to avoid painful big toes!!