No joy in finding work

A question about : No joy in finding work

Over Christmas and the New Year, I have applied for a few admin posts on the NHS Jobs website.

Sadly, I have been unsuccesful for all - even a bank admin work job!

My last admin job, was poorly skilled and very dead end. There was no progression and little help and support. I took two years out to care for my partner up until his sudden death in October 2014 and I feel this abscene is going against me.

I don't want to be on benefit forever, and now everything is depending on me being a candidate in the local government elections in May and hoping to win my local area (Labour man here ).

Am I going wrong with the applications, do I need to go back to college or should I just try any old job?

Really peeing me off as the alkie who lived below me, quit his chef job and got one.

Best answers:

• Have you had anyone check over your CV or applications?
  Generally with NHS applications, you need to match what you put with the job spec.
  I would maybe kind of not mention the politics thing on your application though, the NHS is a highly political organisation and is always in the middle of lies and BS during the run up to elections!
• Have you got excel, word etc skills? Maybe you need to update these? I agree, it's always good to have someone else go through your CV if you can.
• Good luck, not easy to find something. I know it's not ideal but might be worth considering temping, my last temping job turned permanent and they do seem to need people with admin skills.
• You know what, I don't think that would be a bad idea. Plenty of temping agencies in neighbouring Bristol (it's a bit rubbish here in WSM for jobs, and that's what we are aiming for).
• Such jobs with the NHS are very popular, so most likely not that you are doing anything wrong, just many candidates who probably have more experienced, especially within the NHS already. Don't give up though, there might always be the one and it is easy to apply and paste and copy most of the application via the site, it doesn' t have to take a lot of time to apply to anything you think you might be suited for.
• There are quite a few various agencies who supply temps to the NHS in bristol. Recently I've seen mainline, office Angels and reed advertising. Quite possibly for the same job but the jobs are there.
  I know that shortlisting can be very, very fussy. Firstly they look for NHS experience, then any relevant non-NHS experience. I know of one job that was advertised with the intention of only one person being shortlisted, and that was for the person already doing the job.
  Good luck, and don't give up as something will happen
• If you have the time, I would do some volunteer work. It helps you to get back into the swing of a workplace, gets you a reference etc.
  I can see that it wouldn't suit if you are desperate to get a full-time job quickly, but I do think you should consider it.
  Political work won't really stand up so well on your cv, but a lot of people who are politically involved do volunteer work in organisations that are sympathetic ( our food bank has a large % of Labour activists as volunteers)
  Good luck!
• Leave the political aspirations to those where 9-5 work is a mystery, class mobility isn't an issue and where accessing money easily is simply tapping into one's bank account for unlimited funds - thanks to old family money.
• Are you making the reason for the gap clear? Perhaps on the covering letter
• In the additional info have you put on what skills you have acquired and that your willing to undertake training to further the department and yourself.
  You may be stronger than me as you have experience but I've got an offer and I put what transferable skills I have and how training me can help the department and NHS. Sit down and think what you learned and what you did and see what you can pick out of that even if it was a dead end role.
  Are you applying for similar banding to what you left at or higher maybe that's an issue as well.
  Did you not go on any courses or training in previous job. Nothing wrong with a gap but you don't have to explain this .
  Good luck.
• Although your reasons for taking 2 years away from work are perfectly valid, it's also valid for employers to take that into account when deciding whether to consider you for a job. In many cases employes may think that if someone has taken a break previously they may decide to do so again; I assume that is much less likely for you, but is your explanation for the gap when filling in the application one that causes employers to realise it won't happen again?
• I've taken 3 years out so far and enjoying every minute of it. Obfuscation of this fact by creative CV writing or lies is only going to make your case for employment far worse. Why can't people just be honest; if you wanted time out its that and nothing else.
  If your interviewer takes umbrage to that then maybe THEY shouldn't be considered for your next appt.
• For the kind of jobs you are going for, you haven't really been looking for very long. NHS jobs are very much sought after, and will attract a deluge of candidates.
  If you want to work relatively soon, then I'd widen the employers beyond NHS roles. (your comment on your neighbour suggests you might not fit the empathetic and enabling requirements in NHS job roles)
  Marshmallow makes a good point -do make it clear that the reason for the gap is you were a full time carer. And yes, keep political ambitions out of job applications.
• I didn't mention Microsoft Word 2003 on the CV, as I felt that was not releveant, but because of the gap between October 2012 and now even, it was right to mention it.
  As for the comment about my ex-neighbour, I know people can beat addiction but I just have a dislike for this man. He thinks he owns me and I've had to block his mobile out of my phone to stop him ringing.
  The politics thing is just me trying to make a difference to where I live and I prefer to keep that out of the way. I could do with someone looking at what I've written and to be fair, this is a new CV as I lost my old when my old laptop corrupted.
  What other employers could I try and do you suggest? Our local newspaper only seems to have care and shop/service jobs.