Anything to make myself more employable?

lisajane

At the moment im stuck in a dead end job that i hate. The longer im there the more i hate it. I know im going to have to find new work but i dont know what i would like to do.

I would like to work with animals and i have sent of my cv, called into places, offered to do voluntary work in veterinary clinics and kennels. And i am getting nowhere (yet). I would like to do voluntary work with the GSPCA but they are a 40 mile drive away from me.

With non-animal work places, I have sent of my cv to different places advertising work with no experience necessary, full training provided but im not getting anything.

Even watching Dr.Phil 1 day almost 2 years ago there was an episode that was saying that skinny people are more successful, so i lost 5 stone. That is how much i hate my job.

So i am asking, is there anything i can do to make myself more employable? I do know a small bit about computers so i have been thinking about doing the ECDL. But is there anything else? Or should i be happy i even have a job now?

snorlax

if you were in school id suggest going to see a career guidance councellor or filling out those interest / appitiude forms

I copied and pasted this off the skoool.ie website :

nightcourses.com
Nightcourses.com is Ireland's premier portal for information about Adult Education, Further Learning and Evening Classes. The website incorporates The National Education Database, listing every course in Ireland.

Daycourses.com
Daycourses.com is Ireland's leading resource for third-level, higher education, courses and careers. The website is aimed at second-level students, guidance counsellors, teachers and parents and incorporates The National Education Database.
Learning.ie
Learning.ie is the one-stop shop for information about study, education, courses, careers and learning on the island of Ireland.

AARRRGH

I understand how depressing a dead end job can be. Around seven years ago I was unemployed (IT sector was in dire straits after the dot com boom) so I did a few dead end jobs to keep myself off the dole. It was painful.

You need to do whatever you can to get out of your job without getting stuck on the dole. This basically means keep looking at the jobsites on a daily basis to see if anything catches your eye.

Don't quit your job until you have another job. The jobs market is not good at the moment, so force yourself to stay where you are while you frantically look for something new.

Regarding the animal stuff... I think you need to stop sending them your CV and start going to them in person. Try to have a chat with the staff before you talk to the manager so you can suss out the place and get some information which might help you answer the manager's questions as best as possible.

I would imagine animal shelters, etc. get a lot of CVs from people who love animals, so I think the showing up in person idea might help you stand out from the crowd.

Don't bother doing an ECDL course, they're for people who know nothing about computers. The fact that you're online and posting on boards means you're probably above ECDL level.

Have a look at the open university website for part-time courses you could do at home. FAS also do e-learning courses which you do online.

Stay in your job until you find something though. Try to make it bearable, even if that means doing a great job so you feel proud of your work, or being extra nice to your colleagues so you make friends there. Basically, do whatever it takes to improve the place.

Good luck.