Yesterday, somebody asked me ‘Are you actually looking for a job?’.
Well, I’ll be honest with you. No, I’m not. I really enjoy having no money, nothing to do and being looked down upon by everyone who thinks Uni is only worthwhile if you study medicine. Why would I want to leave behind this fabulous lifestyle?
I don’t think a lot of people understand the severity of the situation at the moment. They hear about there being only very few jobs about, but when they look on job websites they see loads of jobs listed. All us unemployed people must just be scroungers loving some time off.
What they don’t realise is the amount of people applying for every job. In February 2013, a new Costa Coffee opened in Nottingham, creating 8 new jobs. 1701 people applied. Obviously not every vacancy receives 1700 applications, but it goes to show how many people need jobs and how few are going.
Another factor people don’t take into consideration is that some employers turn people away because they are overqualified for a position. A close friend of mine is a recruitment manager at a local bar, and she regularly rejects applicants for general bar positions because they have a degree.
So to the Nosey that had the cheek to ask me if I was even looking for a job, of course I am, I’m bored and pissed off and sick of being miserable. I am trying my best. But what can you do when there is so much going against you?
Drifting through Unemployment 
Thank you so much for saying this! I’m sick to death of people saying this to me too! The other one I really hate is “If you want a job enough then you’ll get one”. Seriously?! Like I just love having no money and choose to be unemployed. It’s not easy to get a job right now. I actually wrote a post about unemployment today too!
I know. I hate people like that. How will the employers even know I really want the job if they won’t even read my CV or ask me to an interview? Oh thanks for letting me know I’ll have a look. Good luck with your job search.
This is pretty much what is happening to me too! I’ve tried applying at Mc Donalds and got turned down as I’m too qualified!
It annoys me as I apply for job upon job and spend most my day trawling through the job sites in order to find any job that I am qualified for. Most employers these days don’t even acknowledge your application with a “sorry you did not get the job”.
How are you supposed to better yourself when applying for jobs when they leave you so deflated by not replying?!
The problem is that there’s only very few jobs available for people like us who have limited industry experience but are well qualified. Even most graduate jobs expect experience!
Job hunting is ridiculously demoralising, and how are you meant to go into a job interview with confidence when so many other similar jobs have rejected you?
howtobejobless does a fantastic blog (much more uplifting than mine) and the other week wrote a letter to O2 demanding that unsuccessful applicants be sent rejection letters. It’s brilliant… Here’s the link http://howtobejobless.wordpress.com/2013/04/09/dont-ignore-us-send-a-rejection-o2-responds/
Good luck in your job search!
Well said. The one I and many others hear is “You got a job yet?”. As if my unemployment is just me dragging my heels. I think as you pointed out, many people have a very shallow understanding of the job market and fail to appreciate that employers can pick and choose according to whatever whim they have. Employers are picky, irrational creatures – and just like you pointed out, if you can’t even get to the interview then how can you ‘sell’ yourself? What’s depressing is that after all that effort the best that’s going to be available is zero hours on a minimum wage that won’t even cover living expenses.
The thing is, even after the employer has gone through these rigorous 10 part interviews and personality testing, they still don’t know you any better and you’re still the new kid. It’s ridiculous. But employers nowadays want to be 110% sure they have the right person. But when there are so many people applying for a job, they have to be. And so it’s down to luck whether you get offered the job anyway. Good luck with your job search!