Struggling to cope with everyday issues
I’ve graduated from uni for two years and been through a couple of job interviews in the last seven years and still haven’t found myself a job. I studied accounting and volunteered in administration and accounts assistant. However, it’s sad I’m not getting responses from employers I’ve applied. I also don’t have any friends as I have been struggling to find some whom are in the same position as me and I have felt lonely for a long time. Would anyone be able to help with ways in getting a job, online chats and motivational tips?
Comments
Sorry to hear about your job difficulties. Others have given some good advice so I thought I would touch base regarding your mentioning of loneliness?
I'm really sorry you are feeling alone right now. When the world gets back up and running meetup.com has worked really well for me in the past when I felt I needed to meet some supportive people. Meetup has a lot of 'warm' social spaces where you can meet with similar, like-minded people. You can choose a hobby interest, like board games, or films and meet with others who have similar interests. Everyone is there to be friendly and it could be something nice to look forward to for you. Does this sound appealing to you?
Another thing that might help is the website Samaritans. You can jump online and have a live chat with a volunteer anytime. You can check them out here: https://www.samaritans.org/how-we-can-help/contact-samaritan/chat-online/
Do any of these ideas sound useful for you? What do you think might work for you?
Hey Abderian,
Sure I would love to hear what you have to say 🙂
Ooh yes it does I actually need to plan out my hobbies as its drifted into so much of full time finding job mode hahah I guess I need to spend more time having fun and finding my interests which may make it easier to talk to people and feel happy.
I've logged onto the Samaritans website, however due to the pandemic its not running at the moment. Does it run in Melbourne?
Meetup is something I'll look up on probably find people of the same interests such as going for a group walk in the park.
I have just jumped on and your right - not running at the moment!
I thought I would pop through another link to Eheadspace. This website is a little more tailored to mental health services but it does have some great online options if you're looking for a chat!
https://headspace.org.au/eheadspace/
I'm glad Meetup appeals to you in the future! Group walks in the park and things like that are fantastic!
Hey @Liliann
I think planning out hobbies sounds like a great plan, its easy to get caught up in the job hunt and let other things fade a little bit. What do you think this might look like for you?
I really feel for you going through this - it honestly is so hard and we've had a few posts around these issues on the forum lately, you're not alone 
Because of this we've had some new content on our website come out, I'll just pop a few links here in case you or anyone else on this thread wants to have a look. This one is about how to feel better about not having a job, this one is about managing job rejection, and this one is about coping with job loss.
Also @WheresMySquishy I am checking out this subreddit right now and it is wild and hilarious and too relatable!
Hi Lillann, I really hear you and empathise with what you're going through, entry-level jobs can be so tricky to find and overwhelming generally - let alone in the middle of a pandemic! But I love what some of the other mod's have said about opening yourself up to different opportunities! I was actually stood down from 3 different jobs in the space of 6 months due to covid and really did struggle with feeling like I'd failed and wasn't good enough, but this turned out to be the kick up the bum I needed to go back to uni and study something totally different! That definitely doesn't mean its all sunshine and roses, some days are hard, but in sharing and exploring, I was able to start finding my feet. Feeling overwhelmed is so normal, and I think you're so brave for reaching out - you also never know what your sharing can do for someone else! I recently reached out to a friend who helped me workshop my CV to meet the selection criteria for each job a little better and I found this super helpful - is there anyone you could ask who is working in your field to lend you a hand? That being said, sometimes I think it's also okay to take a break from looking be gentle with yourself for a little while? Please know you're not alone and that it's normal to feel overwhelmed! ❤️
Hi @GioDes, I found reachout was an opportunity to meet many helpful people and I feel makes me feel better when I'm understood 🙂 Oh I'm sorry to hear about your job losses all at once 😞 I feel like its taken forever. I did have some friends whilst I was at uni but we seemed to drift apart when my friends found a full-time job. Thank you for your support ! :)))
Hi @Liliann ,
I hear you, it can be so tough to stay connected after uni, especially with COVID! I hope are you able to re-connect with old friends as restrictions ease, please know you are never alone! 🙂
Hey @Liliann
Sorry to hear about your job struggles, it is certainly frustrating. I have (and still am) in a similar position. I lost my internship due to COVID and graduated engineering mid year so job prospects have been extremely poor. I decided to take the opportunity to study psychology (bit of a change I know) but my point is that the current times and situation can be a great opportunity to pursue other interests or further study that may appeal to you (perhaps something relevant to your current experience unlike me 
). Additionally, have you looked at any resources to help you with the application processes? Resume and cover letter writing, responding to selection criteria, interview skills etc. You may find these beneficial, there are sometimes small things that employers pick up on or look for to help them sift through the applications - especially for entry and grad positions where there is a large volume. You could also try to apply for positions that are somewhat related to your field of study (if you haven't already) - I learnt to not put all my eggs in one basket like I did with my internship. Finally, don't lose hope, these things often have a way of sorting themselves out and falling into place. We tend to find ourselves in positions which we would have never expected 
Hi @Guitarman97,
Wow you seem to have to strength to continue studying uni after so many years. Good on you! I've thought for almost a year on studying aged care and made a choice to begin fresh next year. So its completely different but at least I feel more confident with knowing where to find my experience after my degree.
I've literally read and reread sample resume and cover letters my uni gaveso many times already but I'll look onto selection criteria and practice some interview skills as I like but quite nervous talking to new until I feel comfortable face to face.
I'll try find some, because of my low self esteem I ended up applying for customer service roles as I thought they were entry level and there's more chance given its not much experience besides knowing how to talk to people.
Thanks for cheering me up!! 🙂
Hey @Liliann
Sorry for the late reply. Good on you for taking this opportunity as well, best of luck with it all!
It sounds like you have a good grip on the resume and cover letter skills, I also struggle with the interview skills but I'm sure we will both get there
No worries, I hope you're feeling better about it all
Hey @Liliann
Sorry to hear about your job struggles, it is certainly frustrating. I have (and still am) in a similar position. I lost my internship due to COVID and graduated engineering mid year so job prospects have been extremely poor. I decided to take the opportunity to study psychology (bit of a change I know) but my point is that the current times and situation can be a great opportunity to pursue other interests or further study that may appeal to you (perhaps something relevant to your current experience unlike me ). Additionally, have you looked at any resources to help you with the application processes? Resume and cover letter writing, responding to selection criteria, interview skills etc. You may find these beneficial, there are sometimes small things that employers pick up on or look for to help them sift through the applications - especially for entry and grad positions where there is a large volume. You could also try to apply for positions that are similarly related to your field of study (if you haven't already) - I learnt to not put all my eggs in one basket like I did with my internship. Finally, don't lose hope, these things often have a way of sorting themselves out and falling in place. We tend to find ourselves in positions which we would have never expected
Hey @Liliann so sorry to hear about the job struggle 
it is so hard with the current covid climate to get employment, so don't let that get you down! I'm still currently in uni but I'm looking to change my part-time job to something more in my field, and the most difficult thing is that they all require experience that I don't have!
I found the forums here on reach out as a good way to make connections and friends! Everyone on here is so nice and friendly and there is soo many fun post to interact with! Maybe you could look at online exercise or other types of classes that are running through zoom or other applications like that. I've heard some people i know of doing those and they've found them to be a good motivation and a great way to make friends!
Have you thought about going back to uni or TAFE to maybe get a certificate in something related to accounting that could help boost your qualifications and resume?
Hi @sunnygirl606,
My approach to finding a job was to at least volunteering for customer service as all places would require that skill the most. May I ask where do you work part-time?
Yes I found the 'adulting' last week was a great way to meet new people with the same interest. I'll have a look at some it use up some of my time to be in a different space.
Yes, I have thought of going back to TAFE to study aged care and was going to wait till the pandemic was over so I could resume doing face to face but since I'm going to desperately need a job I've made a decision to study next year. Hopefully it's easier to get into cause I have experience with the elderly.
Hi @Liliann
I can't say what my workplace is but I do customer service work in hospitality 🙂 My job is good because it gave me the ability to go from team member to leader at a young age giving me good experience in responsibility as well as talking to people.
I hope you find your course interesting and that it opens up many opportunities for you
Hi @Liliann!
It can be so hard to find a graduate or entry-level job, as well as disappointing when you don't hear anything back from employers. 😞 I don't have much advice to offer because I'm in a similar boat. I have been getting a lot of interviews, but I haven't heard back from some of my recent applications. I usually get rejected on the basis of not having enough experience in that area. Some positions I've applied for have also had to be cancelled due to the pandemic and a lot of work in my field is temporary or dependent on funding. There can be hundreds or thousands of applicants for every position that is advertised and the requirements can make it almost impossible for a young person to be hired.
It's great that you already have some experience that you can put on your resume. 🙂 In your field, are you able to do any freelance work? I have been able to make some money this year by doing some of that in my field. Do you know anyone who has a business you could offer to work for, even if it's just temporary?
This subreddit can also provide a bit of humour and encouragement. 🙂
Hey @WheresMySquishy,
What are you currently studying as I haven't heard of a course dependant on funding? I feel that it's unfair because there's so much to manage in terms of studying, getting good marks, finding time for heaps of volunteering so you are job ready once you graduate. The pandemic going on makes it more challenging.
I'm unable to because I lack the required experience and wasn't exposed to the it whilst volunteering. I was limited to the tasks given to me. I used to work for someone but it was more of a data entry not so much employers need in accounting.
Your subreddit sounds really funny and keeps me up! 🙂
@Liliann I have a psychology degree, but I want to do a Master's degree to become a psychologist. I didn't know this before starting my degree, but psychology supervision in Master's levels courses depends on how many supervisors are available and supervisors are also limited in the number of people they are allowed to take on at the same time. I interviewed for a Master's course recently and was told that they are only taking twenty people next year due to the limited number of students they can supervise. Universities can offer reduced course fees which are supported by the government (called Commonwealth-supported places) but I was told a few years ago that there was going to be less of them available at my home university. This year, the government announced that they would be reducing fees for people starting Clinical Psychology Master's courses next year. I wish that more places would be made available as it is something that is in high demand. Additionally, a lot of jobs in the healthcare system are dependent on government funding, particularly ones at public hospitals.
That's so true what you said about having to manage so many different aspects of your life. It seems that employers/postgraduate positions demand more and more things each year. Even entry-level positions require experience nowadays. 😞 Someone at my home uni told me that they will hopefully try to take into account the challenges caused by the pandemic in getting relevant work experience for people who are trying to apply to Master's courses this year so that's hopeful at least. I have also been told a lot of times that I lack the required experience. It seems like a lot of employers want someone who has done the same job before.
Haha I love that subreddit! I don't post on it but it makes me laugh. I read a position description on there that was looking for a young person aged 18-24 with 10 years of experience.
