Tuesday 21 June 2022

Finding a job is not easy.

With Becky leaving college soon, she is due to start a full time job in July and Stu getting a full time job I am feeling the need to step up and find myself a job too. It is really disheartening at the moment as either no one wants me or I find a job I could get and can't get there.

Job search

The last time I had a job was before Becky was born which is almost 20 years ago. I did consider getting a job when the girls started full time school but there was all the hospital appointments with their hearts, Ellie's ears and I was needed more at home for various reasons.

I have only ever done factory work, worked in McDonalds, cleaning and some shop work. Oh and when I was a teenager I worked at some horse riding stables. I have been applying for anything where no experience is needed or training will be given and so far no luck. I have even gone as far to having a meeting and having a proper CV written up and I was "just a mum" until she wrote down some of the experience that I have.

Managing the household budget to ensure bills were paid on a regular basis and on time
Preparation of daily meals to meet with nutritional needs
Organising a time schedule to ensure all tasks of the day are completed
Planning of frequent social, recreational and educational events.
Communicating and negotiating with schools and education associations to aid in development.

I know everyone exaggerates on their CV but the woman helping me did it in such a clever way. 

Living where we live seems to be going against me. I could start a factory job tomorrow but getting there and back, 20 minutes on public transport would be horrendous. Most of the shifts start at 6/7am and I would have to get the bus at 4am and sit around and wait to start work. Getting home from that shift would be fine but getting home from the late shift which finishes at 10/11pm I would have to get the 5am bus the next morning. lol I even went as far as looking at permanent night shift but I would be leaving the house at half 7 on the evening and then sit around for at least 2 hours to start work. 

Cleaning work is the same, early starts and late finishes. I have been applying for shop work but most of the jobs are 8 hours per week spread over three of four days which means I would be working to pay my bus fare. Ugh. All that is left after that is care work and after hearing some of the stories Becky has told me I really don't think I have the temperament for that.

As soon as a job locally has came up I have of course been applying for it but it seems those jobs are always given to people who've been living here in our small town their whole lives and know someone else who works for the company. which seems a bit sneaky but I guess that's how it goes in a small town sometimes. I will keep plodding on and applying for anything that I can find. There has to be a job out there for me somewhere.

Have you got any tips from going a full time mum to getting back in to employment?

6 comments :

  1. I feel your pain. Even for us "seasoned workers" getting a different job is very difficult. Could you go to college and study something? Or maybe some voluntary work which shows you are committed and willing as well as giving you some hands on experience? 6 months of voluntary work might be more long term lucrative than 8 months at home job hunting if you see where I am coming from.

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  2. Good luck finding something. Have you thought about approaching different angles? ie with writing a blog you have social media expertise, writing and marketing experience - so you might be able to find something along those lines?

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  3. I really don't have any advice and am facing the same problem myself; other than substitute teaching, I haven't worked in over 10 years (outside the home anyway). I know I'd make an awesome office manager since I am great at managing a million things at once but without job experience behind me I'd never get a shot. I'm hoping to begin volunteering at our library and maybe slip into a spot that way and I could go back to substitute teaching again but I just don't know that I have it in me after so many years homeschooling and being away from the public school system.

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    1. That's how I started out my library career, I did a little volunteering, reading to kids on a Saturday morning, then one of the staff went on Maternity leave and I was offered her job for 6 months, which turned into 2 years. Finally, I got a job as a librarian in the music library at my local university. Good luck x

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  4. I haven't worked for 20 years either, I had to give up work when my eldest daughter had a break down. I remember trying to get a job before Star was born 16 years ago and that was bad despite all my experience. I hope you find something soon. I remember once being in-between jobs, I got a job in a jewellery shop (Birmingham has an entire village of jewellery shops) and I loved it so much. The pay wasn't good enough for me at the time, but it was such a fun job. Care homes are real hard work, I started out in care. Fingers crossed for you Kim xx

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  5. Sorry to hear it is such a struggle to find a job. It seems very unfair that you can't get one because of the public transport issues. I know they keep saying on the news that there are loads of jobs around at the moment, but maybe that is why! If people can't get to them, they won't get filled.
    Good luck! I really hope something comes up for you.

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