90 Applicants For One 12hpw Job, Is This What I Am Up Against Now?

@Janey1966 (24170)
Carlisle, England
March 4, 2010 2:00pm CST
Well, to say I am "gobsmacked" is an understatement my friends. Today, I received a "rejection letter" for a 12hpw job I went for at a place called Caritas. I thought well and hard about what I wanted to type onto my online form, then beamed it off to them thinking I had done a very good job. I had, as it turned out. However, I was up against 89 other applicants, many of whom were as strong or indeed stronger than I was in terms of ability and experience. I was not shortlisted, as you can probably gather! The lady I spoke to on the telephone told me she was amazed at receiving 90 applicants for a 12hpw job. She admitted to me that she was "overwhelmed" at the response and that it was an extremely difficult task sifting through them all. Something I would not like to do, I have to admit. She is due to ring me back tomorrow with more feedback and I do trust her to give me good advice for future applications. So, is this what I am up against now? I do know that a few temporary contracts at a large employer here have not been renewed, so that would explain some of the 90 (but not all) so I can only assume that candidates have also applied from elsewhere. If that's the case then I am up against even more competition than 2 years ago. I feel like emigrating..but where to? Is it like this everywhere now? I would love to hear from anyone in the same predicament as myself. I feel so alone in this world of unemployment but surely I'm not the only 43 year old unemployed clerical worker out there?
2 people like this
10 responses
@dawnald (85137)
• Shingle Springs, California
4 Mar 10
Trust me, it's not any better here. I hope this lousy economy turns around soon...
@dawnald (85137)
• Shingle Springs, California
4 Mar 10
Sounds fair to me!!!
@Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
5 Mar 10
A lot of them are receiving a £1,000 a year rise too, something many people are extremely unhappy about. My husband has to work all the hours God sends just to make ends meet. Without overtime his yearly salary is too embarrassing to print on here. Grown men like him should not have to work for a salary that is far too low to keep a house running sufficiently. I'm sure our MPs don't have that problem! They live on a different planet to the rest of us!
1 person likes this
@Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
4 Mar 10
So do I. When there were problems in the past at least (eventually) the jobs market did improve but I've not seen a huge shift for months now. How would the politicians like it if their jobs were outsourced...now, THERE'S AN IDEA!! Haha!
1 person likes this
• Philippines
4 Mar 10
Good morning Janey, I don't think that a 12/hr-job is what you deserve, I'd say, there's something better out there for you. Although it shocks me to hear about their rejection, I truly believe it's their loss, not yours. They just don't realize that, what with 89 others to sift through. Saying no would be the speedier thing to do especially if the person doing this is also underpaid. At 43, you have bright years ahead of you. So, keep trying, don't give up. You're almost there. Have a hopeful day, my friend.
@Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
4 Mar 10
Hello my friend, how are you? Yes, you are right it is their loss but it would've been nice to (at least) have had an interview. I didn't even get to that stage this time. I also thought that the criteria for a 12 hour per week job may not be as stringent as a full-time post. I was mistaken. I am so glad I can log into MyLot and "chat" to lovely people like you, it makes me feel so much better.
@Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
5 Mar 10
• Philippines
5 Mar 10
Hi Janey, I am okay, thanks. Me, too, logging into MyLot makes me feel a whole lot better and lighter, knowing that there are friends, especially you, who understand, give valuable opinions and empathize.
@rajaiv0810 (1012)
• Philippines
5 Mar 10
I'm so sorry to know your situation Janey. In the US I bet it is even more difficult than in Europe. A friend of mine told me that her neighbor who is 80 yrs old a retired doctor is currently working right now as a bagger in a supermarket just to survive as he lost his retirement money in this current financial crisis. Everybody's struggling like you do I guess Janey so you really have to hang on there. How do you feel about teaching English online? If you're interested you may send me a message and I may be able to help you in a way. Good luck!
@Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
5 Mar 10
Thank you, I will PM you now (sorry for the delay) and you are right, there are so many people who are worse off than I am. It's obvious I am living below the poverty line because the only money I receive is from family hand-outs, I get nothing whatsoever from the government.
@benny128 (3615)
4 Mar 10
yeah this is what it is like everywhere, if there's less jobs then there is more unemployed looking at jobs. especially for part time jobs and also for non skilled work as more specialised roles will be less people qualified hope you get a job sorted asap
@Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
4 Mar 10
Thanks for your support Benny, it's much appreciated. I am so glad MyLot came along because it gives me an outlet to vent my feelings. Makes me feel better in a way. The thing is, I have worked in the Public Sector for most of my life and lo and behold, they have announced cutbacks nationwide...whoever may be in power after the next Election. Not good!
@benny128 (3615)
5 Mar 10
yeah well I think in this life you have to be adaptable as nothing is forever. Maybe its a chance to reflect and possible re-train I don't know your circumstances but in the mean time fingers crossed.
@Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
5 Mar 10
Thanks.
@udayrao2 (781)
• India
5 Mar 10
Hi Janey Sure I sympathise with you; but in our country the situation would have been worse- maybe more than hundreds of applications; and I think that in any country this number has risen by leaps & bounds; so think of emigrating-its the same or even worse elsewhere!!!
@udayrao2 (781)
• India
5 Mar 10
typing mistake in the above- it should have been-"do not think of emigrating........" Sorry for that Regards
@Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
5 Mar 10
You don't need to apologise my friend, your English is just fine. Well it seems that Canada and Australia are the places to be at the moment. Let's hope all that filters down to everywhere else, which would be great!
• Canada
5 Mar 10
Hi Janey! Im so sorry. Dont take it as personal. Im sure if they knew you as a person and what type of worker you are, they'd hire you right away. Maybe you can include reference letters from past employers with your CV? But dont despair, maybe it wasnt such a nice job to begin with and you'd thank God you didnt get it!! Im in Canada, and in the province of Quebec, they say you need to speak both English and French but I know for a fact that you can get by with English only in certain towns. There are plenty of jobs here, so much so that they hire people from other countries. My husband will retire in April and he already has 2 jobs lined up. Im hoping he'll take the whole summer off though. My brother owns a Hydraulic company, they just expanded and he couldnt find a shipper for a while. The pay is good, the work is not that hard but its as if people dont want to work. Ive noticed lately that more and more stores or companies here are hiring older people to work. My 21 yrs old nephew found work only because his dad hired him lol....he looks like a kid, so we think thats why he couldnt find work. A lot of companies will hire via references. So if you can, try to network, tell everybody you know OR dont know that you're looking for work...even the girl at the store might know someone. I sure hope you find something soon or maybe you could try to start your own?
@Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
6 Mar 10
Thanks so much for your support, it is greatly appreciated. As for starting up my own business, I cannot do that as I would need loans from the bank and they ain't lending at the moment..not to anybody, and I'm skint anyway so there's no way I can start anything up, unfortunately. If my Mum gets a "rejection letter" for that Woodlands School vacancy I went for, in Blackpool as opposed to here in Carlisle, then that's it as far as anything clerical goes, in my opinion. Companies are hiring younger staff so they don't have to pay them as much, I'm convinced. There is only one option left open to me here in Carlisle. Well, in January 2005 there was a devastating flood here that wiped out the original Police Station (all cheer lol) and they had to move into an older building called the Citadel. Some of the staff are still there. However, not far from where I live is a new Police Station that is "state of the art" with a roof garden no less (where the cops skive) and it's supposed to be environmentally friendly and an extremely modern place to work, something I crave for as Carlisle isn't noted for being modern in its outlook. Anyway, years ago I used to work as a temp in Blackpool's Police Station and loved every minute I spent there. The staff were brilliant and I was integrated within the team right from the start. My Christmas cards were so upmarket from them it was untrue..even one from the Chief Constable!! So, what I will do next is type a letter to Carlisle's Chief Constable and see if they will be recruiting any admin staff anytime soon..as the place hasn't been open long and there's gotta be a recruitment drive at some stage. What do you think? Does it sound like a good idea to you?
4 Mar 10
Hun, I have a folder crammed full of *thanks but no thanks* letters. I get so angry sometimes, I feel discriminated against because of my age when I know there are a few more good working years still in me. You are not alone, but it's an uphill struggle these days. I wish you all the luck in the world, go on, prove them all wrong :-D
@Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
4 Mar 10
Awww, I do sympathise really I do and thanks so much for your support. The thing is, it looks like it's going to get worse before it gets better due to cutbacks in the Public Sector (where I have tended to work in the past) so I really don't know what to do next. Re-training is a joke as I have all the qualifications anyway so I don't want to be sat with people who can't string two sentences together. That may sound horrible but I think you know what I mean. There are no free courses anymore. In the 1990s I was able to acquire an NVQ2 in Administration as I had been unemployed for over 6 months and, at the time, I was able to get a £10 a week training allowance on top of my JSA. Nowadays, I can't even claim for JSA because my husband works full-time. Fancy being penalised for being married without kids. You'd think I'd be applauded for not adding to the over-population of the UK but no! Count to 10 Jane, count to 10...
@RawBill1 (8531)
• Gold Coast, Australia
4 Mar 10
Wow, that must be tough for you. The economy is kicking along just fine over here. It is probably one of the strongest in the world right now. Interest rates are rising and there seem to be plenty of jobs, but having said that, I do have a friend who is 52 who has been having a really hard time finding regular work. It is just an age thing for him. I think as there are always younger people going for these positions and I think that is what companies want. I have luckily never had any trouble finding work and if I wanted a job I could go out and get one today. But that is only due to the good fortune that I had in choosing a trade that there is always work and the fact that there is a shortage of good quality tradesmen in the trade these days, more than anything. What happened to the one that you applied for the other week that you spent hours on preparing the perfect application? No luck there either? Hope you can find something soon.
@Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
4 Mar 10
You are talking about the Woodlands post aren't you my friend? The closing date for that was the 26th February and if I don't get (at least) an interview for it I will be most upset. The interview date is supposed to be the 15th of this month so it's not looking good. A guy I know wanted to emigrate to Australia. He had 10 grand in the bank in order to do it. Apparently, it's all done on a points system. He got 205 points and he needed (I think) about 215 to get in. If he'd been married with kids he'd have got 250 points. He said there was a job waiting for him as well. As far as his age is concerned, he's only 40. Is it true that Perth is the place to go for anything in the admin field? You are so lucky having work and being able to find work. It used to be like that here lol. Thanks for your support, it's greatly appreciated.
@pandaeyes (2065)
5 Mar 10
My son put his name down with a temping firm and never heard a thing in two years. Not one contact. Once I put my own name with a photography staff firm and about 6 years later they sent me an interview to go to. I had to tell them that A.I had found a job without their help and B.I no longer worked as I was bringing up my children. LOL It is maddening though to find that the only type of jobs out there are for people skilled in a certain software package ,machine etc. Or they are looking for top executives with x number of years experience. I think the situation is the same all over the UK. 2 of My neighbours grandchildren were made redundant this year both still training and wondering whether to continue to follow that same path. My niece has to find another job by September when she is being let go and she is a property lawyer.
@Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
5 Mar 10
It's so frustrating. Miles worse than the 80s in my opinion because every age group is affected. My nephew is 20 and his schooling wasn't the greatest so any training that comes his way he HAS to go on it, basically. Anyway, he trained to be a tiler, anything in relation to the building trade. You need 3 years non-stop to be qualified. What happened? After 6 months or so the money ran out to run the course, so he wasn't able to carry on with it. I find that quite unbelievable, especially for someone so young. I really thought they were given top priority, it seems not. He has worked in a laundry but that is seasonal although he will go back to do that as it is money he wouldn't normally have, bless his heart. You are quite right when you mention special skills and computer packages. It's a load of rubbish when they say "training will be provided." Training will NOT be provided because they always take on someone who doesn't need any training! I have an ECDL and I wonder why I bothered acquiring it!
@hofferp (4734)
• United States
4 Mar 10
Jobs are short everywhere, even here in the US. And outsourcing, sending jobs oversees to cheaper labor, continues. I'm afraid it's going to be a tight market for quite some time. Good luck in your job search.
@Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
4 Mar 10
Thanks for your support, it is much appreciated. I worry so much about what the future may hold for countries like ours. I suppose we took it for granted for years that we would all be in work and everything would be hunky-dory. However, I do blame big, national companies for outsourcing abroad in the first place. Abandoning their own is a disgrace in my opinion but it is likely to continue, unfortunately.