Alot of people, at least here in Australia, that are unemployed like to complain about their situation but take few steps to fix it.
As someone with no formal qualifications and as a high school drop-out I find it strange that i have never been unable to find a job while all these people cant seem to find one. It is my theory that if you truly want to work you will find work. whether its what you want or not work is out there.
One of the biggest issues i think job seekers face is that they're unwilling to take or apply for jobs that they feel are below them. Someone with a 4 year degree isnt willing to be a basic laborer or work in a supermarket or even deliver pizza.
Why should they have to settle for a job they feel is below them? simple. Because they cant get the job they want, all the complaining in the world isnt going to get you that job. everyone feels entitled to the job they studied for or the job they want and while we have a welfare system people are going to have a safety net and a way to keep searching for the ideal career.
I've managed to be full time employed while homeless, iv never gone more than 2 months without a job and theres nothing special about me, im just willing to work where i can get it and im willing to take jobs i feel are below me. I delivered pizza for 6 months and yea it aint glamorous, but it pays the bills and it helped get me another job, a better one.
The first thing you need to do if you want to find work is be marketable. Find your skills and articulate them to potential employers in a way that makes you stand out. Resumes are meh to me, ive only used one a couple of times and it never gets me anywhere. of course you need one but when an employer receives 100 resumes and cover letters chances are theres nothing in yours that makes you stick out. Best thing you can do is write a compelling cover letter that captures the interest of your potential employer as that's the first thing hey're going to see.
Be smart about it, use engaging language and most of all make sure it shows what you can give them that someone else cant.
For example when i write a cover letter it starts something like
" Hi my names Chris im 26 and im currently looking for work in ( insert field here) I have a range of skills that i have picked up over the last decade of employment. I pride myself on being reliable, punctual and a hard worker. Im a fast learner with a wealth of knowledge i can bring to the table and i believe i can be an enormous asset to your company because...."
That isn't exactly how i would do it but that's a vague of example of how i introduce myself.
Second thing that i find to be incredibly important (and this ties in with people not wanting jobs below them) is being employed already. If you were an employer and you received 2 applications, same qualifications, same experience and same resumes, but one had been sitting around for 6 months looking for the ideal job and the other had been a supermarket shelf stacker, which would you pick? I'd pick the one who has been employed recently because even if the job is irrelevant to the position they're applying for, to me it shows that they want to work, that they aren't just going to give up if something doesn't suit them and that they are willing to do the hard yards.
Some people even like to complain that they cant get a job because they're "overqualified" but you dont have to list every qualification you have. if youre going for a lower classed job then what good is it to tell them you have a doctorate or a masters degree? or that for the last 20 years you were making 120,000 a year being a state manager for a large company working 15 hour days blah blah blah. If an employer see's you as too qualified or too smart for the job they see you as someone who is probably going to up and leave as soon as they find something better, or get bored of the work and leave regardless.
Like i can essentially build you a house from scratch but if i apply for a gardener job im not going to tell them that. im going to say "I've had 10 years experience in trades and labour, i enjoy working with my body and this position sounds perfect for me"
If you say " i have 10 years experience in trades and labour, i am a qualified plumber and gasfitter with a bachelors in construction management and have been a supervisor for teams of upwards of 10 people" they're going to think nah this job is below him and he will leave first chance he gets.
Don't oversell yourself.
As someone whos grown up in a low socio-economic household with a crappy education and very few opportunities handed to me i hate it when people who have had all the chances in the world blame anyone else for their problems.
I wont judge you because you cant find the job you want but i will judge you if you complain and do nothing about it.
Sure alot of jobs want experience and you cant get experience without a job but shit ive had jobs i wanted that needed experience so i went and volunteered my time with someone in the same field to learn and gain that experience. ive approached people for work experience where i make $20 a day just so i can get an in with their company.
Complaining about your problems will never fix them and the same goes for getting a job.
The world isnt all cotton wool and puppies and as much as we want it to be a utopia it isnt. If you cant find a solution to your problem, well no one else is going to do it for you and without being crude youre fucked.
There are countries alot worse off than Australia who have no welfare safety net but that net isnt designed for those who think the jobs available are below them. that net is there for people that have genuine reasons to not be able to find work, be it disability, illness or the fact there are literally no jobs in their area ( think rural areas, not just no jobs in your suburb of a main city) So im sorry if it seems harsh but if you're a fully able bodied Australian living in a major city who cant find work i put the blame squarely on you.
YOU are in charge of your future. YOU are the one who can solve your problems. YOU are the one who can make it happen.
I never think of the future - it comes soon enough.
- Albert Einstein
that it does.