My mum can't find a job, need advice.
My mum has worked all her life in various jobs – some were even skilled that she had to study for and she was even a manager at one point. However, she has now been unemployed for a few years and it’s really starting to worry me. She was applying for jobs a lot when she worked out how to use the internet properly and finally got a job for a few months late last year/early this year, she did work very hard and even went in to work after having an asthma attack and being in hospital overnight, she was devastated when they turned around one week and just said there was no longer any hours for her, despite them praising her for working so hard.
It’s now been a few months since then and she’s still unemployed. She is applying for jobs currently but she is having no luck. I’m not really surprised though, I’ve seen her applications and they’re not exactly fantastic. I’m seventeen and I’ve only ever known applying for jobs during a recession so I know what is needed to even stand a chance. I’ve tried asking her why she doesn’t include a cover letter when she applies for jobs, why she only applies online and why she never goes and asks in places. I wrote a CV for her and I’ve even offered to write her a cover letter for every job she wants to apply to but she either shouts at me and tells me to stop moaning or tells me she doesn’t want to right now. I reckon the reason she doesn’t like applying for jobs is because she is honestly very smart and has had very skilled jobs in the past, and she told me she used to be able to just go into places and just get a job straight away, but now she’s getting rejected from much lower standard jobs and she’s not used to it. She’s got so much experience and so many skills and she really needs to put them on a cover letter so that employers can see this. Also, I think that that company has knocked her confidence a bit.
It’s just me and my mum who live in this house so obviously her being unemployed is a huge financial burden. My dad does give me money every week to help me out, and my mum gives me what she can towards college but it really doesn’t go far. I have to pay for my bus fare to college, my food at college, half the shopping, half the internet bill and some other things, I usually have nothing by the end of the week and sometimes can’t afford some things so just go without. I don’t really have many luxuries, I had to quit my fitness classes, sometimes cut down on the food I take to college and I don’t go out with my friends that much. My mum is in the same position but her boyfriend, who doesn’t live with us, sometimes takes her away places, buys her stuff and pays for the shopping but that’s only really once a month. I really want to start driving lessons and save up for university, so I started saving up money that I got from my birthday in my bank account without telling anyone, I’m proud of how much I’ve saved and if I keep adding to it I’ll soon be able to buy some driving lessons, but the thing is, the balance is starting to go down. I’ve had to break into it for emergencies when I didn’t have bus fare to college or there wasn’t any food in.
I really don’t know what to do. I’m planning on going to university next year but if I move out, she could end up being homeless and having no money whatsoever. She knows that this will happen so she doesn’t want to talk about university with me, which is quite hard for me. On one hand, I feel bad for my mum because of all that she has been through and how she really doesn’t know how to apply for jobs during this recession and how she needs to be applying every day but won’t accept it. On the other hand, I feel annoyed that I’m scrimping and scraping because she isn’t trying harder, how I’m at college and I’m still applying for more jobs than her and I’m doing everything I can to get myself out there and get a job to the point that it’s making me physically ill.
I really need some advice on how to get her to apply and get herself out there.
She gets annoyed when I talk about it, but I don’t know what else I could do. I’m currently applying for part time jobs and have been for quite a while but it’s obviously quite hard for people my age to find one, and when I finally get one, the wage isn’t going to help the household much at all. I'm obviously not expecting her to get a job so that she can pay for my driving lessons/university, I'm more than willing to save for them myself, it's just impossible when she always has to borrow money off me and I'm struggling to even get by at seventeen. Really need some advice.
It’s now been a few months since then and she’s still unemployed. She is applying for jobs currently but she is having no luck. I’m not really surprised though, I’ve seen her applications and they’re not exactly fantastic. I’m seventeen and I’ve only ever known applying for jobs during a recession so I know what is needed to even stand a chance. I’ve tried asking her why she doesn’t include a cover letter when she applies for jobs, why she only applies online and why she never goes and asks in places. I wrote a CV for her and I’ve even offered to write her a cover letter for every job she wants to apply to but she either shouts at me and tells me to stop moaning or tells me she doesn’t want to right now. I reckon the reason she doesn’t like applying for jobs is because she is honestly very smart and has had very skilled jobs in the past, and she told me she used to be able to just go into places and just get a job straight away, but now she’s getting rejected from much lower standard jobs and she’s not used to it. She’s got so much experience and so many skills and she really needs to put them on a cover letter so that employers can see this. Also, I think that that company has knocked her confidence a bit.
It’s just me and my mum who live in this house so obviously her being unemployed is a huge financial burden. My dad does give me money every week to help me out, and my mum gives me what she can towards college but it really doesn’t go far. I have to pay for my bus fare to college, my food at college, half the shopping, half the internet bill and some other things, I usually have nothing by the end of the week and sometimes can’t afford some things so just go without. I don’t really have many luxuries, I had to quit my fitness classes, sometimes cut down on the food I take to college and I don’t go out with my friends that much. My mum is in the same position but her boyfriend, who doesn’t live with us, sometimes takes her away places, buys her stuff and pays for the shopping but that’s only really once a month. I really want to start driving lessons and save up for university, so I started saving up money that I got from my birthday in my bank account without telling anyone, I’m proud of how much I’ve saved and if I keep adding to it I’ll soon be able to buy some driving lessons, but the thing is, the balance is starting to go down. I’ve had to break into it for emergencies when I didn’t have bus fare to college or there wasn’t any food in.
I really don’t know what to do. I’m planning on going to university next year but if I move out, she could end up being homeless and having no money whatsoever. She knows that this will happen so she doesn’t want to talk about university with me, which is quite hard for me. On one hand, I feel bad for my mum because of all that she has been through and how she really doesn’t know how to apply for jobs during this recession and how she needs to be applying every day but won’t accept it. On the other hand, I feel annoyed that I’m scrimping and scraping because she isn’t trying harder, how I’m at college and I’m still applying for more jobs than her and I’m doing everything I can to get myself out there and get a job to the point that it’s making me physically ill.
I really need some advice on how to get her to apply and get herself out there.
She gets annoyed when I talk about it, but I don’t know what else I could do. I’m currently applying for part time jobs and have been for quite a while but it’s obviously quite hard for people my age to find one, and when I finally get one, the wage isn’t going to help the household much at all. I'm obviously not expecting her to get a job so that she can pay for my driving lessons/university, I'm more than willing to save for them myself, it's just impossible when she always has to borrow money off me and I'm struggling to even get by at seventeen. Really need some advice.
After reading your post I realise how easy I have got it.
I am seventeen too and although my mum has a job, she hates it and is being badly treated at work but won't listen to my family about doing something about it. I think our situations are similar as we both want the best for our mums'.
I can't imagine what it must be like to be like to be short of money. I hope everything turns out OK.
I am seventeen too and although my mum has a job, she hates it and is being badly treated at work but won't listen to my family about doing something about it. I think our situations are similar as we both want the best for our mums'.
I can't imagine what it must be like to be like to be short of money. I hope everything turns out OK.
Is she not entitled to some form of benefits?
If she claimed job seekers allowance it would at least take the pressure off for the time being.
I know how you feel because my mum took a long period off from work to have children/be a house wife and struggled to get jobs when she wanted to work again. It can be very stressful and depressing seeing a family member struggle with money. My mum is now starting her own business (with the help of the new enterprise allowance) so there is light at the end of the tunnel
My mum found the local job center very helpful when she was applying for jobs. They have careers advisers who will look over CV's, teach interview technique, give advice on filling in application forms etc etc. They really will do everything possible to get people back in to work.
There is plenty of help available for people struggling to get back in to work. It is important your mum tries to use all the help that is available.
Hope things improve soon
If she claimed job seekers allowance it would at least take the pressure off for the time being.
I know how you feel because my mum took a long period off from work to have children/be a house wife and struggled to get jobs when she wanted to work again. It can be very stressful and depressing seeing a family member struggle with money. My mum is now starting her own business (with the help of the new enterprise allowance) so there is light at the end of the tunnel
My mum found the local job center very helpful when she was applying for jobs. They have careers advisers who will look over CV's, teach interview technique, give advice on filling in application forms etc etc. They really will do everything possible to get people back in to work.
There is plenty of help available for people struggling to get back in to work. It is important your mum tries to use all the help that is available.
Hope things improve soon
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