Humiliating process of applying for jobs...

...and having to dumb down your CV just so that they'll take you. I constantly apply for graduate jobs who won't take me and also apply for retail jobs just so I can get some money. Currently I have £2, in the whole world. I need to catch a train today but I can't afford it. I also got fined the other day for travelling with the wrong ticket, because I couldn't afford a full price ticket.

I've taken most of the meaningful experience off my CV, padded out my retail experience, removed the grade and the honours from my degree so I don't look overqualified...

I'm not saying I'm too good for retail work, I'm not and actually I enjoy it, but it's humiliating to be at this stage where I should really be in meaningful full time work, but instead I'm completely broke and having to apply for any job that will take me rather than something I'm particularly passionate about.

/rant

Reply 1

martinnmartin

18

from where to where? Ik train tickets are so expensive

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 2

DicksOut4Haram

I'm going to quit my job but stay on the payroll after telling my boss that if he doesn't hire me as an outside consultant, I will go public about the company's dark secrets.

I will use the money to fund an underground fight club

Reply 3

silverbolt

19

Yeah it sucks OP - i know what you mean. But needs must

Reply 4

abc:)

OP

22

Original post by martinnmartin

from where to where? Ik train tickets are so expensive

Posted from TSR Mobile

Redditch to Kings Norton. It's only a few stops but I tried to go earlier and my card got rejected.

Original post by DicksOut4Haram

I'm going to quit my job but stay on the payroll after telling my boss that if he doesn't hire me as an outside consultant, I will go public about the company's dark secrets.

I will use the money to fund an underground fight club

Love it

Original post by silverbolt

Yeah it sucks OP - i know what you mean. But needs must

Yup - thanks for your support everyone! I was half expecting people to tell me to man up and stop being privileged or something, but I guess my experience isn't unique and other students and grads on here can probably sympathise. :smile:

Reply 5

doodle_333

19

plenty of people in the same boat, don't let it feel personal - lots of people take time to find a role they enjoy and want to do

Original post by abc:)

...and having to dumb down your CV just so that they'll take you. I constantly apply for graduate jobs who won't take me and also apply for retail jobs just so I can get some money. Currently I have £2, in the whole world. I need to catch a train today but I can't afford it. I also got fined the other day for travelling with the wrong ticket, because I couldn't afford a full price ticket.

I've taken most of the meaningful experience off my CV, padded out my retail experience, removed the grade and the honours from my degree so I don't look overqualified...

I'm not saying I'm too good for retail work, I'm not and actually I enjoy it, but it's humiliating to be at this stage where I should really be in meaningful full time work, but instead I'm completely broke and having to apply for any job that will take me rather than something I'm particularly passionate about.

/rant

Why are you framing it as 'humiliating'? It's just tailoring your skills to the application. You can leave your education off your CV completely for a retail job if you want - they won't be assessing you on your academics, they won't be worrying about gaps - it'll make no difference.

When I apply for my 'hobby' roles, which are quite different to my career, I don't feel any humiliation leaving off my PhD or my very successful career achievements. I want the role, and I'll present the best of the most relevant information I have to try and get it. Nothing humiliating in that, it's just playing the game successfully.

Doing a role that isn't your first choice can be frustrating, but so long as you keep looking for opportunities, keep developing your skills, keep improving your applications, you'll get closer.

Reply 7

#ChaosKass

4

What work experience do have? I suggest you get yourself down to a charity shop immediately, you might have a chance of getting accepted as a volunteer in one of those.

Reply 8

abc:)

OP

22

Original post by threeportdrift

Why are you framing it as 'humiliating'? It's just tailoring your skills to the application. You can leave your education off your CV completely for a retail job if you want - they won't be assessing you on your academics, they won't be worrying about gaps - it'll make no difference.

When I apply for my 'hobby' roles, which are quite different to my career, I don't feel any humiliation leaving off my PhD or my very successful career achievements. I want the role, and I'll present the best of the most relevant information I have to try and get it. Nothing humiliating in that, it's just playing the game successfully.

Doing a role that isn't your first choice can be frustrating, but so long as you keep looking for opportunities, keep developing your skills, keep improving your applications, you'll get closer.

I think if I were applying to them as hobby roles, like I did when I was a student, I wouldn't find it humiliating at all. It's only because of the specific situation I'm in, where I want to be applying for 'proper' roles, and I've worked so hard to get qualifications for those roles, only to have to scrub them off my CV because I've been rejected for so many 'proper' jobs that I'm in desperation and applying for literally anything.

I think it all depends on the situation and the mentality - and my mentality is this way because, like I've said, I'm applying for these jobs out of desperation for some money, which is in itself quite humiliating. I'm sure if you've been on job seekers you will know this and if you haven't you can empathise, it is very demoralising. So having to scrub my CV of a lot of hard work I've done, on top of that situation, is quite humiliating.

But you're right, it is playing the game and tailoring your CV and to an extent I have to suck it up and get on with it, and I do hope I find something even a low paying and not too interesting job :smile:

Reply 9

jelly1000

21

Original post by abc:)

...and having to dumb down your CV just so that they'll take you. I constantly apply for graduate jobs who won't take me and also apply for retail jobs just so I can get some money. Currently I have £2, in the whole world. I need to catch a train today but I can't afford it. I also got fined the other day for travelling with the wrong ticket, because I couldn't afford a full price ticket.

I've taken most of the meaningful experience off my CV, padded out my retail experience, removed the grade and the honours from my degree so I don't look overqualified...

I'm not saying I'm too good for retail work, I'm not and actually I enjoy it, but it's humiliating to be at this stage where I should really be in meaningful full time work, but instead I'm completely broke and having to apply for any job that will take me rather than something I'm particularly passionate about.

/rant

I understand your frustration OP, it took me nearly a year to get the proper role I wanted. However during that time I always looked at ways to improve my applications, when I had an interview, I got interview feedback and eventually I was able to put together my strongest application.

Reply 10

sabana

20

Have you tried recruitment agencys there definitely worth a shot.

Humiliating process of applying for jobs...

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