My Situation

NickMondo

Hi all,

Ever since I left school in 2005 I have been aimlessly drifting. Been in and out of college 6 times and never finished a year, and worked on and off in paddy power from 05-12. The last 4 years I was on the social welfare for a good part of it, went to england to pursue boxing briefly and done a LOT of gambling. Now I signed off in may of this year because it was going that well and I wasn't looking for work it seemed the honest thing to do. However, and perhaps invariably so, I lost it all. I've been looking fo work the last few months with no success and been waiting on jobseekers allowance since november. I am beyond broke and on the verge of being homeless. I think, aside from not having an legit qualifications.

I'm a reasonably smart and capable man. I can't believe nowhere will hire me. I'm going to have to sell my car soon to pay rent. I go to my mothers for dinner to save money. I've contacted my local TD to try hurry up this welfare proccess. I'm told the delay is because I traded shares during my time on Jobseekers allowance, but i've forwarded them all the documents and all it shows is I blew about 6 grand. I'm feeling as low as i've ever felt and really just embarrased at how much of a f*ck up I am. I've no ideas on how to get out of this hole unless someone hires me, and I mean I'm looking for jobs as basic as linen porter and not even getting a call back. I use to view Ireland as a nanny state, but the trouble i've had signing back on and explaining the reason I signed off and was making money from gambling. They are clearly very skeptical of it i'm guessing, but in the meantime i'm f*cked.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Going back to education right now isn't an option, I need money ASAP.

Mr. Incognito

Don't know what to say to you. Can you go back to PP for a job?

Neyite

Is gambling /trading on your CV? I'd consider taking it off if it is.

Could you get a friend or someone you know to take a look at your CV - sometimes it's a matter of the way you word stuff or lay it out.

I know some tradesmen that did a recent office fit out for my partner said that they had terrible difficulty recruiting labourers and apprentices so maybe that's an avenue you could try too?

I'm sorry you are experiencing tough times and hope it gets better for you soon.

NickMondo

They nearly rehired me, but a girl who's high up enough and doesn't like me got wind of it and intervened. I use to work all over dublin for them and when they reduced my hours to two evenings a week and a saturday at places that took a long time to get to I left.

NickMondo

Neyite wrote: »

Is gambling /trading on your CV? I'd consider taking it off if it is.

Could you get a friend or someone you know to take a look at your CV - sometimes it's a matter of the way you word stuff or lay it out.

I know some tradesmen that did a recent office fit out for my partner said that they had terrible difficulty recruiting labourers and apprentices so maybe that's an avenue you could try too?

I'm sorry you are experiencing tough times and hope it gets better for you soon.

Thanks, no it isn't. I had someone look over it and claim i've been doing maintenance work for the past 4yrs. But that hasn't helped.

punisher5112

Plenty work on sites and luas and Dublin bus have been hiring. Keep eye out on that.

Look up online sites.

Plenty shops looking for staff also.

Yes pay won't be best ever but it will get you out working.

_Brian

Hard to say much without being harsh.

Have you seemed help for your gambling problem. Getting money asap is a bad idea if the gambling problem is still there, good money after bad and all that stuff.

Your wondering why your not getting hired but lie on your cv about last 4 years, any decent person doing interviews regularly will see through that a mile off.

My advice is to get onto something like community employment and learn a skill, you could get on for 3 years and maybe build a skill, you'll also have someone to give a truthful reference presuming you can stick at it. This probably isn't the advice you want but you've worked yourself so far down it's going to take time and effort to get back.

DEFTLEFTHAND

I think I saw somewhere on the front page of boards that the Prison Service are recruiting? Would you consider doing something like that, or else maybe the guards who also seem to be taking in numbers again.

Mr. CooL ICE

Mod:

Hi NickMondo. I've moved your thread to Personal Issues as it is better suited here than in After Hours.

Please remember to read the charter before posting.

NickMondo

Thanks and apologies. To any of the above, i've applied for everything. The claim is i've been doing property maintenance for my father. The gambling is no longer an issue, the desperate need for money is to avoid being evicted from my home without selling the car. I honestly would be happy to work for min wage, and when I apply and the question is "salary expectations" that's what I put in to try get an extra edge.

Thanks for all the suggestions.

baby and crumble

If you're already going to your Mams for dinner would you not consider moving home to save money? There's zero point in paying rent and keeping a car if you've no money coming in.

Stop lying on your cv. Like others have said, a recruiter will quickly see through that.

What do you actually want to do for a living? Think about that and look for help to get there. Faffing around just trying to get any job possible won't get you terribly far.

NickMondo

It says i do property maintenance with my da, like it's not a big obvious red flag. My relationship will 100% finish if she knows I can't afford the rent and have to move back home. I need a job, any job. Can't get one. 5 month wait on the social welfare, it's a joke.

Lau2976

NickMondo wrote: »

It says i do property maintenance with my da, like it's not a big obvious red flag. My relationship will 100% finish if she knows I can't afford the rent and have to move back home. I need a job, any job. Can't get one. 5 month wait on the social welfare, it's a joke.

I don't want to sound harsh NickMondo and it certainly isn't my goal to upset you but you really need to take a look at you. You got yourself where you are. You don't want to sell your car but will be evicted if you don't. You don't want to move home. You are lying on your cv. You are presumably lying to your girlfriend pretending you can afford rent when you can't.

The social welfare are rightly wary of your claims given that you yourself admitted you blew through 6000 gambling. To put that into perspective, on €9 an hour, paying 0 tax on 40 hrs a week, that's just over 16 weeks of wages.

I'm not saying you don't deserve help, or that people who have gambling issues don't need help but you need to stop seeing others as the issues and recognize that you could be your biggest road block.

On the employment front, keep looking, keep on top of the social welfare, ask yourself what you really want from life and where you see yourself being happy. You need to focus on you and making sure you have somewhere to live and food before you start thinking about how people see you.

NickMondo

I haven't looked for smypathy, and I take full responsibilty for my actions. My problem is 5 months waiting on jobseekers allowance and in this country I can't get a job doing anything! Freezer work, shop attendant, anything. There is no help. The dole give me deadlines they never live up too, the community welfare officer said it would take a week after I saw her, it's been 4 weeks, she doesn't return my calls when someone takes my details, they never get back in touch. I'm walking in and out of town which takes an hour and a half for all these meetings to save money.

Lying on your cv isn't something nobody does and i'm a bad guy for doing. Should I put up 4yrs of nothing and see if that works out better? The girlfriend knows i'm struggling.

Lau2976

NickMondo wrote: »

I haven't looked for smypathy, and I take full responsibilty for my actions. My problem is 5 months waiting on jobseekers allowance and in this country I can't get a job doing anything! Freezer work, shop attendant, anything. There is no help. The dole give me deadlines they never live up too, the community welfare officer said it would take a week after I saw her, it's been 4 weeks, she doesn't return my calls when someone takes my details, they never get back in touch. I'm walking in and out of town which takes an hour and a half for all these meetings to save money.

Lying on your cv isn't something nobody does and i'm a bad guy for doing. Should I put up 4yrs of nothing and see if that works out better? The girlfriend knows i'm struggling.

I'm guessing this is in response to me since I was the last person to post? If so, I never said you were looking for sympathy, all I said was you need to recognize that your playing a large part in your own demise here. It's not the world being out to get you. It's, and I only know a very small amount of information that you chose to post here, that you won't adjust to the situation your in. You won't sell your car, even though you've said earlier that if you don't you'll be evicted. You won't consider moving home, even though your mother seems to be helping by allowing you to go to hers every night.

IMHO the sw are justified in their caution with signing you back on. You've provided them with documentation that indicates that you "blew through" 6000. Someone under 25 earning that maximum amount of sw is entitled to €4800 a year. You spent more then that on gambling. But ignoring my own opinion you had an alternative means of making money, because of that the process for signing on is much harder. Also if you have meetings with them it means they're working on your claim.

I hire people and honestly if I saw someone who said they were working on house maintenance that would be a red flag for me. Why mention that on a cv? They want work experience not how you spent your free time. If your asked in an interview mention that you were helping your dad, or whatever your saying to cover up that you were a gambler on the dole. Putting it on your cv seems like your covering something up instead of just taking a career break. If your girlfriend knows why are you afraid of her leaving you? You should speak to her if your feeling down. She may give you the emotional support you need.

ETA: Also just to reiterate, I didn't post to upset or offend you, they are simply my opinion on the information you have posted in this thread.

December2012

On the whole, people don't lie on their CV.

From what you have typed you don't seem trustworthy.

You're lying to employers, you're lying to your girlfriend. Are you being honest with your mother either?

You wasted loads of money and now you're giving out because the free handout you are going to get is taking too long and you're not getting jobs despite having no qualifications or experience.

These are problems you are responsible for.

You can't get a job because you're not a desirable candidate. You have to change that.

Why not do some maintenance on property, or get some skills like that?

Tokyo

NickMondo wrote: »

I'm a reasonably smart and capable man. I can't believe nowhere will hire me.

Being smart or capable isn't the issue here. The fact of the matter is that your employment history (and lack thereof) is chequered at best, and you can't really blame employers for passing on taking you on as an employee. Nor can you blame Social Welfare for questioning your claims - even in the best light, your background looks iffy. The long and the short of it is you need to stop blaming other people, and take steps to make yourself employable again.

You say that you were on social Welfare for the last four years, and are in the process of going back on it again. If I'm not mistaken, Social Welfare provide a service whereby they review your CV and help you tailor it to the current market - it would be well worth your while in following up on this. They also provide the means to take on practical courses, again worth an enquiry. Keep on top of Social Welfare, but as a step to self improvement, rather than just a crutch, which seems to have been yoru attiture towards it so far.

I wish you luck with this OP, truly.

JustAThought

Everybody lies on their CV - particularly with a 4 year gap.

If you have /had a gambling habbit help yourself & stay clear of front line bookies work. That environment will only tempt you.

I wonder how you are phrasing working on maintenance for your father? Perhaps that is the issue? Regardless you probably do have alot of gaps with the 6 courses you started. An employer will query why you started as a full time employee & then went to half or less time & then left. This might be ringing alarm bells with employers if you havn't considered it.

Long term at least you are trying to figure a future for yourself. What were the courses you started? Similar themes? Were you just putting off working or were you trying lots of different things that didn't work? That might hold a key to how you choose your path & plan a future going ahead.

You say you are ringing the CW person. Go IN. What are you doing that is so important you expect her/him to chase you? Show willingness ( & desperation) & go and sit in the office and wait your turn to talk to them. That might show better results. Go back every day if you have to. You may need the car for work.

The key might be in the reason you flunked out of all those courses . I'd be very curious to know what they were & where & why they ALL didn't work.

Don't give up. There is a crisis regarding jobs but if you are just looking for the minimum & are presentable & reliable & willing to start back by doing anything you will find something. Is there something you can do today - have you gone to the Intreo offices to look at the jobs in the window? Try that - today - take the job reference number down & bring your CV in & the person will help you. You get nothing by asking for nothing. Keep putting in CV's make a simple list of all the jobs you have asked in person for with CV or applied for each day. You need to be asking each day - put the shirt & smart tie on today & go out with the CV into town & put those CV's in. Don't give up. You can figure out a long term career path easier when you are not in a crisis over money & have thought clearly over why you won't / did not educationally commit. That might be the key. Don't give up. Don't get so busied up in tasks that you apply for nothing. Go into town & go door to door / street to street. Put in CV's where you see signs. You can plan ahead later when you are not in crisis. The most important thing is to keep putting CV's out there. There are a million CV templates online - you could google read a few of similar work to what yiu have done & it might help you compare & improve yours. The skills & attitude are important - following operational procedures around cash handling, financial reconciliation & responsibility, customer facing skills, flexibility, willingness to adapt, teamworking, etc. Even if you have little on it, highlight the transferable skills that will show you have capacity to fit in and learn & be part of a team & be willing & flexible.

Keep trying. Very best of luck. Keep your name & CV on those piles of applicants even if it makes you feel awful. Where are you based?

NickMondo

My ex girlfriend worked in recruitment and she did the cv.

I take full responsibilty for what i've lost. However i'm waiting over 5 months on jobseekers allowance. I'm trying to get every single job going, i've been completely open and given the dole every document they've asked for. The community welfare officer even never got back to me. People are throwing lying at me here a lot but the only reason i'm having issues with the welfare are that I signed off voluntarily when I didn't feel I needed it to survive. This seems to raise a flag for them, they had people at my house and they are making ridiculous demands to draw out this proccess. They ask my to email them something and then say it's in my spam folder, print it all out and bring it in, rather than them click "not spam". I'll know by friday means 4 weeks later i've no contact and everytime I ring i'm told i'll get a call back. Every meeting requires an hour and a half waiting in that horrible place. I'm on my way in with a doctors letter. I didn't ask him for it, it was his idea since this whole period is having physical impact as well as mental.

Thanks @justathough, i'm doing everything I can think of. Which is why i'm struggling so much. If i wasn't trying I wouldn't be complaining as I know there would be something I could do. Here i'm doing everything and nothing is working, day after day. It's soul destroying.

baby and crumble

NickMondo wrote: »

Thanks @justathough, i'm doing everything I can think of. Which is why i'm struggling so much. If i wasn't trying I wouldn't be complaining as I know there would be something I could do. Here i'm doing everything and nothing is working, day after day. It's soul destroying.

My issue is, though, that you're insisting on spending money you don't have (rent & car), and are focused entirely on getting a job, without any training or skills.

What have you been doing in those 5 months? Have you been taking free online courses, have you been looking at Intreo courses, apprenticeships? At this point, there's no sense in complaining about the time your application is taking, focusing on that is distracting you from everything else and giving you something else to blame.

Man, I know what it's like. I was unemployed for the guts of a year. I know how it feels but during that time I took 3 courses and overhauled my CV about 10 times. You have to have an idea of what you want to do, scrabbling around looking for any bit of paid work won't help you in the long run. And your girlfriend, who you're lying to (telling her you can afford rent etc) will find out sooner or later.

SteoL

OP:

You are entitled to apply for Supplementary Welfare Allowance while waiting for JSA to be approved. It will be means tested. Make an appointment with the representative for the DSP (formerly CWO).

Edit to add if the CWO won't approve payment escalate it. If refused lodge an appeal and apply for SWA again.

Neyite

With the SW offices, you need to be persistent. Keep going in to ask how the process is going. Keep a file with copies of what you provided and the date you provided them, names too if you can. Same with CWO. It's been a long time since I dealt with SW but they kept losing paperwork I supplied /changing my claim to another one which meant restarting the whole thing, then back again... Finally I just went in one morning, waited my turn and nice and politely explained to the SW worker that I was here to get it sorted once and for all and I was prepared to sit and wait all day to speak to a supervisor. After all, it's not like I was rushing off to a job!

They made me wait, not that I cared, and finally a supervisor or team lead came out to serve me and we finally got it sorted out. I got my money a week later. If I hadn't I'd have returned to do it again. It's frustrating and massively demoralising.

With regards to work, a lot of jobs advertised are notes in windows so could you pound the pavements with a bunch of printed CV's? Dress neatly, be cleaned up and talk to business owners face to face. I know a few managers who would (and has) hire someone like this if they had a vacancy because it shows a willingness and a pro-active personality. While your CV might be the reason you're not getting a face to face, when people meet you face to face it helps that they can put a face to a nameless CV.

There are lots of labouring jobs going nationwide on building sites and its pretty decent money. They often tend to be a bit more relaxed about a patchy CV or work history. Would you try that?

NickMondo

My CV looks alright, it's go one job where the gap is. 5 Months is an incredibily long time, this is the only source of my problems. I can get by on a pittance and just eat and not socialise, i'd be happy to do that till the lease is up. And i'm constantly trying to update my skills online with things like codeacademy.

As far as the Community Welfare officer, i've been in there over and over. I was there today and the guy who was filing in was the guy who'd came out to my house thinking I was already on jobseekers. He asked me to email him after going through every item on my bank statement about goodbody stockbrokers, said that was the only thing holding it up. Then I got them to post out my transaction and I mailed him it, he then said it went into his "spam" folder and he couldn't view it......a week later. I asked if he could just mark it as not spam and he said no, so i'm going the libary tomorrow to bring it in printed out form.

This whole experience is wreaking havoc on my health and immune system, i've had a 4 week cold sore and palpitations. People saying spending money on rent and a car, the car costs basically nothing to run and I walk everywhere. I'll be walking an hour and a half into the social and the same walk back......again. There is a lot of incompetence from them. They don't answer the phones and when you go in they find something they missed the first time. On my statement it said "VDP" and he said i'd have to explain that, i said "i'm sure it's a bank term, I could google it now" but he said no. I googled it when he left and it is a bank term. I don't know if anyone here has been completely broke, but I mean I can't buy a litre of milk without borrowing. I've an important wedding i'm going to have to miss because of this over 5 month hold up. And the ironic thing is, if i'd of stayed on the dole when I didn't need it, i'd be fine. But because I was honest and when I had a bit of money I signed off. It's like they just don't buy it, and I know they'll find a way not to backdate it the full extent.

Dec2012 can go f*ck himself. I'm lying to prospective employers and that's it. Didn't realise that made me a compulsive liar. I tried saying I made a living for gambling for years on it too, didn't work either.

Taltos

Mod Note
Nick, you know why we're closing this thread and to be blunt you are lucky you are not being carded as well. Repeat the above behaviour though on a future post and mod action will be taken. You might not like the advice of posters here, but they are taking the time out of their day to advise you.