This is really quite sad...

[Uncle Spielberg]

I am earning less than half what I was 5 years ago, and found it very difficult getting back in the jobs market. I have now decided to re-train as an accountant, but that has meant going back to a graduate salary (which is not £30k).

As a 'mature student' I have A'level grades which are a bit different to the 5A* grades everyone seems to get now, and it seems that all my years managerial experience seem to count for very litle. As the OP said, once you've been out of work for a few months it's virtually impossible to get back in.

My income for the last 4 years is around 1/3 of what I was earning pre 2008 and I am in real terms earning less than I did in 1989 now.

 

[BadFish]

Salary discussions do not happen with graduates. It is a package that is standardised across the business. It is totally different to hiring a sales rep from SAP or Oracle who has been selling ERp / BI or Performance Management software for 15-20 years. Then salary discussion and negotiation are pretty much the basis of the interview.

in this case graduates are told the package and that there is no room for negotiation - its a definitive offer and standard across our company.

These 5 numpties decided to try and ignore that clear direction and suggested that the base salary should be hiked. At that point we ended the conversation. Again - not sure why you are being quite so blunt and provocative here.

You could look at it another way: If the 5 best candidates for the job in your companies own opinion all asked for another 5 grand, then maybe you are offering 5 grand too little for the role. That is kind of how market forces are supposed to work is it not? You must pay what the market demands.

I would be interested to know the standard salary for a graduate doing that particular job.

 

[turienzo's lovechild]

bar work is the one that frustrates me.........why do bars insist on (sometimes several years worth of) experience?! as far as i can tell, aside from things like changing barrels it's no different to any other sales job......and it can't take long to train someone to change the barrels surely?

particularly frustrating when you consider most pubs pay minimum wage...

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

You could look at it another way: If the 5 best candidates for the job in your companies own opinion all asked for another 5 grand, then maybe you are offering 5 grand too little for the role. That is kind of how market forces are supposed to work is it not? You must pay what the market demands.

I would be interested to know the standard salary for a graduate doing that particular job.

Anyone in this market who turns down a starting salary of £ 25k is mental imo.

 

[¤DãŃn¥ §êãGüLL¤]

bar work is the one that frustrates me.........why do bars insist on (sometimes several years worth of) experience?! as far as i can tell, aside from things like changing barrels it's no different to any other sales job......and it can't take long to train someone to change the barrels surely?

particularly frustrating when you consider most pubs pay minimum wage...

It's a bit of a chicken and egg scenario really..... how are you supposed to get experience if no one will take you on because you have no experience? Very frustrating.

 

[sir albion]

Terrible time at the moment and I feel for those hunting work,my company is booming and my managers salary is tidy thankfully,my partner is a senior trader for a large hedge fund company in london and she gets job offers weekly.I really hope things pick up soon as its awefull to see people struggling to find work and to feed there family's.

 

[sir albion]

It's a bit of a chicken and egg scenario really..... how are you supposed to get experience if no one will take you on because you have no experience? Very frustrating.

What's it like for bullshitting these days
Mind you that won't help when you turn up and know f-all about the job.

 

[¤DãŃn¥ §êãGüLL¤]

What's it like for bullshitting these days
Mind you that won't help when you turn up and know f-all about the job.

When I first left school it got to the point of lying on my CV and putting a mate down as a fake reference. It can work but not ideal is it.

 

[turienzo's lovechild]

What's it like for bullshitting these days
Mind you that won't help when you turn up and know f-all about the job.

well it's very hard to get a journo job these days without 100 words a minute shorthand....i know someone who had 60, lied saying he had his 100 and didn't last a week once they'd sussed out that he was shit at shorthand

 

[Gwylan]

You could look at it another way: If the 5 best candidates for the job in your companies own opinion all asked for another 5 grand, then maybe you are offering 5 grand too little for the role. That is kind of how market forces are supposed to work is it not? You must pay what the market demands.

I would be interested to know the standard salary for a graduate doing that particular job.

See post #83. Exactly my take on it

 

[pauli cee]

Definitely mate... Are you struggling for work in your game then?

nah, the complete opposite really overworked, bit stressed, bit sick of it, but then i read threads like this, (and does go through my mind quite often), and i do appreciatte that i do have a job, and that things could be a lot worse , so i am grateful really.
tho as mentioned before, bosses are very aware of the situation, and can be quite keen to remind you that at least you have a job!

go for it tho mate, lots worse things you could do, and my company always has real trouble finding decent sparkys.

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

The point is though that employees hold all the 2's and the employers hold all the aces so you cannot demand a salary anywhere nowadays.

 

[Worthingite]

I'd been out of work for bloody ages, until last week when I started working for Southern Water in Worthing on the phones. They're still taking on, it's on a temp to perm basis - temp for 6 months at £7 an hour then it's 16ish k a year if you get made full time.

I'm really enjoying it, still in training, but they seem like a decent enough company to work for, and the agency (pertemps) seem keen to get people on board - I sent in my CV on last Monday, phone interview on the Tuesday, assessment day Thursday and started this Monday.

Oddly enough, since getting the job there, I've found out that other companies (Equiniti, EDF, Legal and General) are all taking on too, so there are jobs out there if people want them, it's just knowing where to look. Hopefully my post will help someone to know where to start.

 

[sir albion]

well it's very hard to get a journo job these days without 100 words a minute shorthand....i know someone who had 60, lied saying he had his 100 and didn't last a week once they'd sussed out that he was shit at shorthand

Doesn't surprise me to be frank,employers are spoilt for choice and know doubt checks are thorough now.

I bet many workers on here are actually working much harder than they used to,many company's are just to scared to employ more staff so get twice as much from there current staff,bit of a no win situation for many.Maybe moving away could be an option if you're single and need a new challenge.

 

[sir albion]

I'd been out of work for bloody ages, until last week when I started working for Southern Water in Worthing on the phones. They're still taking on, it's on a temp to perm basis - temp for 6 months at £7 an hour then it's 16ish k a year if you get made full time.

I'm really enjoying it, still in training, but they seem like a decent enough company to work for, and the agency (pertemps) seem keen to get people on board - I sent in my CV on last Monday, phone interview on the Tuesday, assessment day Thursday and started this Monday.

Oddly enough, since getting the job there, I've found out that other companies (Equiniti, EDF, Legal and General) are all taking on too, so there are jobs out there if people want them, it's just knowing where to look. Hopefully my post will help someone to know where to start.

Good on you as that sounds like a great career move.least you get some good news on here

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

I'd been out of work for bloody ages, until last week when I started working for Southern Water in Worthing on the phones. They're still taking on, it's on a temp to perm basis - temp for 6 months at £7 an hour then it's 16ish k a year if you get made full time.

I'm really enjoying it, still in training, but they seem like a decent enough company to work for, and the agency (pertemps) seem keen to get people on board - I sent in my CV on last Monday, phone interview on the Tuesday, assessment day Thursday and started this Monday.

Oddly enough, since getting the job there, I've found out that other companies (Equiniti, EDF, Legal and General) are all taking on too, so there are jobs out there if people want them, it's just knowing where to look. Hopefully my post will help someone to know where to start.

Good luck and thanks for the advice to people. DON'T stop believing in yourself is my best advice. Try not to take the rejection personally, although I know that is easier said than done. Good luck everyone.

 

[Worthingite]

Good luck and thanks for the advice to people. DON'T stop believing in yourself is my best advice. Try not to take the rejection personally, although I know that is easier said than done. Good luck everyone.

Totally agree. It's a shitty horrible world being unemployed (and in my case, for a time, unemployable due to illness), I can't describe how excited I was when I got the job, it felt like an achievement after being out of work for over a year. The wage isn't huge, but it's perfectly fine to me, and it's not about the money - it's about the dignity of being able to go out to work and support your family. That means more to me than anything.

 

[Worthingite]

Good on you as that sounds like a great career move.least you get some good news on here

Thank you Sir!!

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

Totally agree. It's a shitty horrible world being unemployed (and in my case, for a time, unemployable due to illness), I can't describe how excited I was when I got the job, it felt like an achievement after being out of work for over a year. The wage isn't huge, but it's perfectly fine to me, and it's not about the money - it's about the dignity of being able to go out to work and support your family. That means more to me than anything.

It's the start of a new and better life for you mate. A rung on the ladder. Well done ! Onwards and upwards.

 

[Muzzy]

nah, the complete opposite really overworked, bit stressed, bit sick of it, but then i read threads like this, (and does go through my mind quite often), and i do appreciatte that i do have a job, and that things could be a lot worse , so i am grateful really.
tho as mentioned before, bosses are very aware of the situation, and can be quite keen to remind you that at least you have a job!

go for it tho mate, lots worse things you could do, and my company always has real trouble finding decent sparkys.

You're right mate... A lot of people think that the grass is greener elsewhere (me included haha)... I have a mate that is a fantastic all round builder but with no qualifications (due to reading and writing problems) and would blow most tradesmen away with the quality of his work!! He wants me to go in with him but I want to be qualified to sign off my own work as a domestic installer as well as learning from him in how to do other general building work, (I am quite handy anyway).... I think that work will keep coming in for the better quality people but things will be tough for the foreseeable future for many..

As posted earlier we do have to be thankful for having employment but it's never too late to learn and expand your horizons when it comes to earning a living...

I'm glad you are doing well and keeping busy though mate.