[jenren22]

Just finished my primary PGCE, and yep, no job for September. I'll admit I've been trying since March, with a few breaks due to placement. I've maybe applied for 20 jobs and had 5 interviews (1 of which I cancelled due to illness). I spent a lot of time on each application and despite 'good' performances at interview, I've still been rejected every time.

I'm an extremely self-critical and pessimistic person, and I find it extremely hard to be 'content' with my current situation. I found the PGCE incredibly hard, and I broke down during my last week on my course. Basically the school were being awkward and there were disputes over my teaching timetable between school and uni, and it just added to my stress. Not only that I had a very difficult class, I doubted my abilities, blah blah. I ended up with a grade I didn't feel I deserved, and although I passed, I've lost even more confidence to be honest. I was graded oustanding/good in my lessons with excellent feedback, yet I ended up with a satisfactory because I couldn't handle it emotionally.

I then went on holiday to Florida with my boyfriend and we had such an amazing time. We got back a week ago, and now I'm faced with a very bleak future and post-holiday blues. I'm signed up with agencies, and I've registered as a private tutor, but I still feel a failure. I can't seem to find any motivation anymore to do anything. I can't even bring myself to get out of bed on a morning to be honest. I'm seeing temporary jobs being advertised but I almost can't bring myself to apply at the thought of more interviews and more rejection.

I don't really know what's wrong with me. I don't seem to want to give myself a chance! I'm looking at jobs outside education and nothing interests me, and I also don't believe I have the skills to do anything else. I've only ever done retail and there isn't much about (plus I hate it). Anything else I need the experience. Environment jobs to do with my geography degree I don't feel I'm competent enough either.

I'm just looking for some advice really for an NQT feeling hopeless. I don't want to sink any lower but I can't seem to get myself any higher if I can't bring myself to even apply for anything. Anyone else feeling the same? I know I'm being pathetic and should stop moaning but I can't seem to kick it out of myself!

[affinity89]

I can completely understand where you are right now. I feel the same. *hugs*

I finished my PGCE this July too. After having a challenging but enjoyable year, I decided to apply for some teaching jobs but I'd left it a bit late. I applied for four, was shortlisted for two, interviewed for one and then rejected.

Now I am signing on. I am desperate to stop already lol. I am applying for jobs left, right and centre - and none of them teaching jobs, as they are not around right now. At the job centre, I was told I had to "aim for retail" and hand my CV in at local shops. Not something I want to do lol. At the moment, I feel like I just need a job. I can't face signing on for any length of time.

I just feel lost. And, I feel like all the effort and expense of my degree and PGCE is for nothing.


Have you thought about non-teaching jobs in schools? Although less than half the wage, I've started applying for things like TA jobs as that should at least keep my foot in the door and could help increase my experience with certain things.




I hope we both manage to find something. I don't want to feel like this much longer.

[jenren22]

It's good that you're finding the motivation to actually apply for jobs. The furthest I've got is the job search page. I'm under pressure from the job centre to apply for 3 jobs a week (by monday) and I have no idea what to apply for. I've been in retail but I hate driving sales and just badgering people so I'm trying to look for those jobs where you just go, press buttons or file away paper and go home. My retail job before my course would be ideal to go back to but they haven't got anything going .

I'm so glad I've found someone in a similar position, especially who has been on a very similar journey (and I have followed your posts on here, along with many others, not that I'm a stalker!). Are you on the supply list by any chance?

[affinity89]

(Original post by jenren22)
It's good that you're finding the motivation to actually apply for jobs. The furthest I've got is the job search page. I'm under pressure from the job centre to apply for 3 jobs a week (by monday) and I have no idea what to apply for. I've been in retail but I hate driving sales and just badgering people so I'm trying to look for those jobs where you just go, press buttons or file away paper and go home. My retail job before my course would be ideal to go back to but they haven't got anything going .

I'm so glad I've found someone in a similar position, especially who has been on a very similar journey (and I have followed your posts on here, along with many others, not that I'm a stalker!). Are you on the supply list by any chance?

I am in touch with a couple of supply agencies - I just need to have the meeting/interview thing with them. One tried to organise it for Monday, but that is my sign on day and I couldn't make it to both lol. How silly is that?! Signing on is stopping me sorting out my supply. I'm going to try and rearrange tomorrow.

I am finding it rather frustrating. They told me I had to hand 5 CVs in at "small independent shops" a week. Really, really do not want to do that. I've applied for 8 jobs now in 24 hours, so I don't see why I should also put CVs in at little shops. For one thing, CVs contain all your personal details and it seems a little dodgy in terms of data protection lol.

[19Arif91]

You guys are putting me off this course man I'm starting my route to becoming a primary school in September and I'm beginning to have doubts is it really that hard? I thought they were in need of teachers


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[stayce88]

Finished my PGCE last June, applied for countless jobs teaching and teaching assistants, never even got an interview.
Ended up signing on and applying for retail jobs which all said no I was overqualified.
Now have saved up and payed for a personal training course so I can teach PT and work for myself.
£27,000 well spent then...

[rock_climber86]

i dropped out of a pgce course after 1 day last september...i was so scared! Since then i worked in an office for 7 months and now back on dole! How crap is life huh? . Going back to uni to do a geophysics masters in october. i honestly cant wait! getting seriously pissed off with the 'real world'


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[nick17112]

Really no offence meant here but my god stop feeling sorry for yourselves. It sounds like a trip to the doctors is in order first before you do anything. You need to be pro active and stop being so negative. You get out what you put in.

[affinity89]

jenren22

Where abouts are you in the UK?
I just checked Guardian Jobs and there were quite a few temporary [one term, two term and part time] teaching jobs listed on there for my local area. There might be some you could apply for too.

[nikki_louise]

I'm not sure if this will help much but I had, in total, 12 job interviews until I got my NQT job this year. I applied for well over 25 jobs as well. I was constantly being told by my mentor at school that the perfect job would come up for me- i didnt believe her and thought i would never have a job however i eventually got one after a lot of stress!

I also wouldnt worry hugely about what you were graded. It isnt included on your certificate and school's (as far as i'm aware) don't ask for it, as long as you have passed that is the most important thing!

I know it is horrible to wait and the feeling is that there isnt a job out there but there is- something i finally believe after rollercoaster journey I had!

[evantej]

(Original post by jenren22)
Just finished my primary PGCE, and yep, no job for September. I'll admit I've been trying since March, with a few breaks due to placement. I've maybe applied for 20 jobs and had 5 interviews (1 of which I cancelled due to illness). I spent a lot of time on each application and despite 'good' performances at interview, I've still been rejected every time.

I'm an extremely self-critical and pessimistic person, and I find it extremely hard to be 'content' with my current situation. I found the PGCE incredibly hard, and I broke down during my last week on my course. Basically the school were being awkward and there were disputes over my teaching timetable between school and uni, and it just added to my stress. Not only that I had a very difficult class, I doubted my abilities, blah blah. I ended up with a grade I didn't feel I deserved, and although I passed, I've lost even more confidence to be honest. I was graded oustanding/good in my lessons with excellent feedback, yet I ended up with a satisfactory because I couldn't handle it emotionally.

I then went on holiday to Florida with my boyfriend and we had such an amazing time. We got back a week ago, and now I'm faced with a very bleak future and post-holiday blues. I'm signed up with agencies, and I've registered as a private tutor, but I still feel a failure. I can't seem to find any motivation anymore to do anything. I can't even bring myself to get out of bed on a morning to be honest. I'm seeing temporary jobs being advertised but I almost can't bring myself to apply at the thought of more interviews and more rejection.

I don't really know what's wrong with me. I don't seem to want to give myself a chance! I'm looking at jobs outside education and nothing interests me, and I also don't believe I have the skills to do anything else. I've only ever done retail and there isn't much about (plus I hate it). Anything else I need the experience. Environment jobs to do with my geography degree I don't feel I'm competent enough either.

I'm just looking for some advice really for an NQT feeling hopeless. I don't want to sink any lower but I can't seem to get myself any higher if I can't bring myself to even apply for anything. Anyone else feeling the same? I know I'm being pathetic and should stop moaning but I can't seem to kick it out of myself!

You suggest that you are self-critical but disagree with being graded satisfactory for being unable to handle things emotionally. With all due respect, judging from this thread, that assessment seems fairly accurate. Perhaps you are not as self-critical as you thought.

So far as job prospects are concerned, finding any employment within a school would obviously be the best idea. You will be in a strong position to gain more experience, and potentially use your QTS to cover classes at short notice (and put yourself in the headteacher's good books at the same time). But non-education employment might give you some breathing space for the time being. You will be able to dedicate yourself to applications and interviews for next year, and know that teaching is definitely what you want to do and go into with more energy than those who went straight from PGCE to NQT.

I think your pessimism should keep things in perspective for you. You need to realise that there are something like six million people unemployed and some part-time staff looking for full-time work at the moment. There are less than half a million jobs available. When you consider that you are only interested in a tiny fraction of those, competing against others who are more qualified, then you are likely to be unsuccessful most of the time. Dealing with the Jobcentre is depressing, but fulfilling their search requirements is fairly easy if you can motivate yourself. You just have to keep positive.

Make use of your time in whatever way you think best. I am resubmitting my masters dissertation so I spend lots of time reading. I have a young child so I spend more time with them than I did when I was working full-time (since I had to dedicate my time to studying on top of that). I begin a part-time teaching course in September. Being on JSA is not the end of the world. Check your local college to see if they offer any courses that might help your career development (e.g. sign language, foreign languages, AIG). Contact your local primary school and see if you can volunteer one day a week, even if the only benefit is getting you out of the house and talking to other teachers. There are lots of people stuck in crappy jobs who would love to switch career to teaching but cannot take time off work to find experience to make their application strong enough. Just because you are unemployed does not mean that you should be completely out of the loop!