Finding a job
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Northwest
Posts: 274
Finding a job
I’m new in recovery but I’m not. I’ve been an alcoholic for ten+ years (age 28). Been sober a bit. Have never really had a job but applying for some, don’t know how to cover the gaps in my employment (can’t really say I’m an alcoholic as most people look down on that). I have a good education went to university (masters psychology, uk) and part through medical school but was laid off because of my drinking. Don’t want to go back to medicine. Would take any job but they want experience it would be good to move forward in my recovery, but I don’t have any experience apart from universities because I have been pissed half of my life. There’s no volunteering opportunities where I’m from apart from charity shops. I also have quite bad social anxiety so I am not exactly the biggest people person but can warm up after a while. I am on unemployment benefit which hardly pays everything I need a week living on my own and would like something just to get busy with and to give me a little to spend on computer games etc. Nothing extravagant. The boredom is the worst for me I hate being bored there’s only so much judge Judy I can watch.
ours de petit cerveau
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: London, UK
Posts: 1,628
you might be surprised how much volunteering there is around you, it's not always advertised very obviously. have a look here:
https://do-it.org/
if you don't have much/any work experience then you may have to start with something that provides on-the-job training - cleaning, shelf-stacking, etc. do that for a while to prove to future employers that you can turn up to a job on time & do a day's work reliably & then you'll probably find that more opportunities will open up for you. you may decide after working minimum-wage for a while that maybe you do want to make some use of your education after all
if you're signing on, surely the Job Center can help you find interviews, training, etc? don't you have to be applying for a certain number of jobs a week to keep receiving JSA (or whatever it's called).
https://do-it.org/
if you don't have much/any work experience then you may have to start with something that provides on-the-job training - cleaning, shelf-stacking, etc. do that for a while to prove to future employers that you can turn up to a job on time & do a day's work reliably & then you'll probably find that more opportunities will open up for you. you may decide after working minimum-wage for a while that maybe you do want to make some use of your education after all
if you're signing on, surely the Job Center can help you find interviews, training, etc? don't you have to be applying for a certain number of jobs a week to keep receiving JSA (or whatever it's called).
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Northwest
Posts: 274
I’ll look at that website. I’m on ESA not JSA so can lie in my bed all day if I want to because I don’t have to go to a job centre (because I’m medically unfit), I used to be on JSA. That was crap.
Member
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: California
Posts: 12,986
Hi James,
Andy's suggestion is a good one. You may also want to talk to a headhunter, they might be able to help you with your resume, and job search, and also have some ideas on how to address the gaps in employment.
Andy's suggestion is a good one. You may also want to talk to a headhunter, they might be able to help you with your resume, and job search, and also have some ideas on how to address the gaps in employment.
Member
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: UK
Posts: 71
James, your situation and age pretty much mirrors my son's. He too has a masters degree but has struggled with drink/drugs and anxiety since he was a teenager. Gaps in employment aren't that bad and on written applications you can be vague about them; it's only if/when you get an interview you might be quizzed a bit more. I'm not suggesting you lie but there are lots of ways of explaining gaps without being too specific ('health problems', travelling, etc.).
The other thing to remember is that the UK job market is quite good for employees at the moment and if you're not too fussy and/or happy to work via an agency there are a lot of jobs about. These agencies aren't too fussy about your history (some types of criminal convictions and/or inability to pass a DPS check excepted) and are more concerned with whether you'll stick it out long enough for them to get their fee. An example is parcel delivery - you'll walk into any number of multi drop parcel jobs is you have a driving licence. My son has done this a few times and now works in a plastics factory - boring shift work but relatively well paid.
Once you have a job and some employment history, moving onwards and upwards gets easier.
If you want any more detailed help feel free to PM me.
The other thing to remember is that the UK job market is quite good for employees at the moment and if you're not too fussy and/or happy to work via an agency there are a lot of jobs about. These agencies aren't too fussy about your history (some types of criminal convictions and/or inability to pass a DPS check excepted) and are more concerned with whether you'll stick it out long enough for them to get their fee. An example is parcel delivery - you'll walk into any number of multi drop parcel jobs is you have a driving licence. My son has done this a few times and now works in a plastics factory - boring shift work but relatively well paid.
Once you have a job and some employment history, moving onwards and upwards gets easier.
If you want any more detailed help feel free to PM me.
Member
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: UK
Posts: 6,901
Originally Posted by andyh 
you might be surprised how much volunteering there is around you, it's not always advertised very obviously. have a look here:
https://do-it.org/
if you don't have much/any work experience then you may have to start with something that provides on-the-job training - cleaning, shelf-stacking, etc. do that for a while to prove to future employers that you can turn up to a job on time & do a day's work reliably & then you'll probably find that more opportunities will open up for you. you may decide after working minimum-wage for a while that maybe you do want to make some use of your education after all
if you're signing on, surely the Job Center can help you find interviews, training, etc? don't you have to be applying for a certain number of jobs a week to keep receiving JSA (or whatever it's called).
https://do-it.org/
if you don't have much/any work experience then you may have to start with something that provides on-the-job training - cleaning, shelf-stacking, etc. do that for a while to prove to future employers that you can turn up to a job on time & do a day's work reliably & then you'll probably find that more opportunities will open up for you. you may decide after working minimum-wage for a while that maybe you do want to make some use of your education after all
if you're signing on, surely the Job Center can help you find interviews, training, etc? don't you have to be applying for a certain number of jobs a week to keep receiving JSA (or whatever it's called).
I'd have said the same as the OP re volunteering opportunities near me, but actually LOADS came up. Who'd have thought?!
The National Trust site also have some interesting volunteer opportunities sometimes.
BB
Member
Join Date: Dec 2014
Posts: 2,966
I met a couple guys at an AA meeting last year kinda in your same position(minus the degree) and they were 'working' officiating kids and adult recreational sporting games(soccer,softball/baseball,ect). I want to say it was like $50USD per game/match they were paid and sometimes they'd have 4 a day/night. Obviously that'd vary by location I'm sure. Just a thought..
Currently Active Users Viewing this Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
