can't find a summer job!!

emeraldstar · 06-06-2006 06:07PM #1

I've handed out CVs in Waterford and Kilkenny and rang up a couple of places after that had looked promising..but nothing!! Nobody wants me!!! I have experience in retail, food, computers. I'm not looking for anything in particular and I'm not expecting anything more than minimum wage, so it's not that any high expectations are holding me back. What am I doing wrong? I just can't seem to find a job and I'm going out of my mind with boredom. I'm thinking I should have stayed in Dublin for the summer and got work there but I didn't want to do that and now I'm freaking out that I won't find any work and then what a waste of a summer.

Can anyone help me? Advice, anything?!

Stark · 06-06-2006 06:21PM

I feel sorry for everyone who has to look for a summer job this year. I tried myself 2 years ago to get a summer job and failed miserably. I couldn't even get to the point where someone would accept a CV, the jobs just weren't there

What are the broad areas that you're applying to? Some posters might have suggestions for another area that you hadn't thought of.

Look out for walk-in interviews in the paper. If you see one, make sure to be there very early. All the ones that I tried, they had to turn away about 100 or so people before they could even start interviewing.

Thank christ I have a permanent job these days, that's all I can say.

Lump · 06-06-2006 06:31PM

Are you willing to do anything? If you are, and I mean legal stuff, then there's plenty of jobs out there. The majority of time people can't get jobs is because they don't want to do particular jobs.

John

emeraldstar · 06-06-2006 07:00PM

Well yeah, it's kind of at the stage now where I'm desperate so of course I would do anything and take any offer that came to me!! It's not as if I was being picky before either...I don't know, I found a job pretty easily in Dublin in October during college, maybe I should have stayed there over the summer and not come home at all!!

base2 · 06-06-2006 07:14PM

200,000+ eastern european immigrants are the cause. I feel for anybody still doing the summer job thing. Thank God I've passed those days as there is nothing worse than not being able to work for the summer.

DOLEMAN · 06-06-2006 07:23PM

base2 wrote:

200,000+ eastern european immigrants are the cause.

It's true. At the moment all the non-skilled jobs are being taken by immigrants. What will happen when the skilled immigrants arrive and take everything else?

Seriously, this is something I'm beginning to worry about. I'd hate to be in the OP's shoes and be trying to get a shop/cafe/hotel job.

This is going to become a problem in a few years. Anti-immigrant politics etc. will start...

Iofur · 06-06-2006 07:41PM

I had the same trouble. I gave out at least 15-20 CV's, by hand not including ones I applied for online through websites. eventually I had to give up and I moved home. I lucklily managed to get my old job back so at least am working a few hours a week otherwise I know I would crack up!

Hope something comes ya way!

Oh and yeah it is Eastern Europeans and such taking unskilled labour - I am not saying that out of spite but the vast majority of unskilled/low-skill jobs are now being filled by a majority of immigrants in the words of South Park 'They tOOOk OOur jobbbs'

lost_for_words · 06-06-2006 10:52PM

Figured I'd reply to your post here rather than PI seein as ya moved it

The banks used to take on students for the summer, they must have stopped it in the last two years. I know a few people just finished college/off for summer looking for jobs too and it's tough going out there.

Tried any of the hotels or cafes in Waterford?
Aldi advertised there last week.
Ardkeen Stores were looking for staff recently too I think.
Have you tried in the munster express www.munster-express.ie or the news & star?

Sorry if you have tried these things already, it's probably useless information really.

lost_for_words · 06-06-2006 10:52PM

Figured I'd reply to your post here rather than PI seein as ya moved it

The banks used to take on students for the summer, they must have stopped it in the last two years.

Tried any of the hotels or cafes in Waterford?
Aldi advertised there last week.
Ardkeen Stores were looking for staff recently too I think.
Have you tried in the munster express www.munster-express.ie or the news & star?

Sorry if you have tried these things already, it's probably useless information really.

Maddzy · 07-06-2006 02:54PM

I'm in the same boat myself man

Moved to Dundalk last year while in college at DIT. Now summers here and I've handed out a bunch of CVs and applied online but nada. I got one call back, from Digiweb, said they'd get back to me after my CV was handed to the guy in charge, but they never got back to me again after that.

I hate moaning about immigrants cause it makes me feel in some small way racist. But it really is part of the cause.

klong · 07-06-2006 05:25PM

And the same here too, finding it difficult to get anything. Have handed out around a dozen CVs so far, applied online, went to a recruitment agancy today. Nothing at all, not even rejection letters

Have tried the banks, supermarkets...gahh!

TempestSabre · 07-06-2006 05:30PM

If I was you guys I would try other routes than just CV's etc. Ask your friends and relations aswell. Tends to be more successful than simply creating CV storms. If something isn't working try something else.

Keedowah · 07-06-2006 05:35PM

Have you tried the supermarkets? They are always looking for people to pack shelves etc. Night pack might pay more then minimum wage.

I'd hate to be in the same situation as you - but i dont think its all down to the immigrants - i always found it very hard to get summer work paying anything more then minimum wage.

emeraldstar · 07-06-2006 07:11PM

Keedowah wrote:

Have you tried the supermarkets? They are always looking for people to pack shelves etc. Night pack might pay more then minimum wage.

I'd hate to be in the same situation as you - but i dont think its all down to the immigrants - i always found it very hard to get summer work paying anything more then minimum wage.

well, got into the car with my mom today (she sees how desperate it's getting lol) and drove around to Lidls, Aldis and Dunnes. Handed out cvs and got application forms....here's hoping....

p~b · 07-06-2006 07:45PM

i'm like yourself, i could'nt get a job when i finished for the summer so i went and enrolled in a course for the summer instead. the pay is'nt great (175 a week) but it was better than sitting round all summer.

you should go down to fas and see if they have any courses starting soon with spaces that your interested in, even pm me and i'll give u the number for my course, its the ecdl

Lump · 07-06-2006 11:04PM

klong wrote:

And the same here too, finding it difficult to get anything. Have handed out around a dozen CVs so far, applied online, went to a recruitment agancy today. Nothing at all, not even rejection letters Have tried the banks, supermarkets...gahh!

Have you tried street cleaning, bin collecting, house cleaning, working in a butchers/slaughter house, unblocking drains, unblocking sewers?

John

Tha Gopher · 08-06-2006 11:13AM

Lump wrote:

Have you tried street cleaning, bin collecting, house cleaning, working in a butchers/slaughter house, unblocking drains, unblocking sewers?

Have you?

Most of those jobs are done by older unemployed lads who FAS forces into it afaik. Im afraid that the fact young Irish people cant get themselves menial work is the fault of Bertie and the boys, who bafflingly let us be one of only three EU states who didnt bother restricting immigration from the new member states, even though they were given the chance to do so. I was talking to a Polish bird in town Sunday night (well, by talking I mean drunkenly waffling trying to pull) and she herself said there were too many Poles in Ireland to the point that it was unfair job competition with the Irish.

If I said that Hobbes would demand I be banned from boards for my far right views:D

Try your local McDonalds etc. Its not as bad as you think*

*well, alright, it is. Sh1t wages, hard, rushed work, wanker customers and no respect from management, you get treated like sh1t and you arent even allowed more than a medium meal on your hour break (when I worked there, if I had my way every break it wouldve been a large Big Mac meal, fillet fish, double cheeseburger and a bit of the absoloutely heavenly grilled chicken. And Im only 10 stone

) . But craic wise and having a laugh you will never work in a better place

Stark · 08-06-2006 11:19AM

Well the influx of foreign labour was necessary for Ireland's economy I believe. The whole summer working model does work against students unfortunately as most employers need employees all year round, not just for 3 months during the summer. That's why menial foreign labour is preferable for them.

I guess what could be done is to restrict the visas of students who come to Ireland from non-EU countries to study. You see a lot of Chinese students working in Dublin over the summer for example. By restricting their visas, you could have more vacancies for Irish students. It's not something I'd like to do as it would restrict the Irish student experience to those who could afford it. But Irish students need to eat too.

chump · 08-06-2006 12:03PM

Lump wrote:

Have you tried street cleaning, bin collecting, house cleaning, working in a butchers/slaughter house, unblocking drains, unblocking sewers?

John

In all fairness John, a lot of those jobs are now career jobs. Who do you think will hire a student for the summer months to clean streets, when all those jobs are full to begin with, and when they can hire/train up people who'll do the job for years? Same for bin collecting.
House cleaning is a possibility, it would involve handing around flyers etc., but who do you think irish households would prefer to hire, Jimmy-20yrold-college or the people recommended by friends and neighbours who've been cleaning houses for years?
Also who do you think would hire a student for a few months to work in a slaughter house or butchers. The training needed for those jobs is great, sure it takes years to become a butcher "Having secured an apprenticeship with a company the apprentice will spend three/four years in training with his/her employer during which time instruction in all the skills required to become a qualified butcher will be given." References will be provided on request.
Also a slaughter house, the health and safety training would probably last at least 1 month.
The equipment and training needed for unblocking drains and sewers I'd imagine is quite a deterrent to a student with little means and perhaps no private transport.

You're trying to make a point that students think they're too good for a certain type of job, which may be the case, but the examples you've given are ridiculous and don't stand up to the briefest of scrutiny.

DOLEMAN · 08-06-2006 12:12PM

Lump wrote:

Have you tried street cleaning, bin collecting, house cleaning, working in a butchers/slaughter house, unblocking drains, unblocking sewers?

John

I get your point, but there's defo something wrong when the only jobs left for Irish students are the completely **** jobs which you mention... I mean, who in their right mind would want to work in a slaughter house or sewer...

Stark · 08-06-2006 01:06PM

Plenty of students are willingly working in mind-numbing assembly line jobs or cleaning toilets in pubs. Even those jobs are in limited supply though. For the pubs, you often have to be working part-time throughout the year. And the assembly lines jobs are snapped up very quickly.

I've spent 2 summers without a job and it wasn't for lack of trying or being too uptight. When you spend your days sitting at home penniless, you'll do anything.

chump · 08-06-2006 01:47PM

Stark wrote:

Plenty of students are willingly working in mind-numbing assembly line jobs or cleaning toilets in pubs. Even those jobs are in limited supply though. For the pubs, you often have to be working part-time throughout the year. And the assembly lines jobs are snapped up very quickly.

I've spent 2 summers without a job and it wasn't for lack of trying or being too uptight. When you spend your days sitting at home penniless, you'll do anything.

very true... I don't think people know exactly what it is like getting a job for just a few months.

TempestSabre · 08-06-2006 02:17PM

Its always been hard to find your first job, and summer jobs etc. Which is why students have been going abroad for decades to london, europe, usa, australia etc. Especially to places that have a lot of seasonal jobs in resorts etc.

Raskolnikov · 08-06-2006 06:41PM

The younger brother was in the same boat. It took 60 applications before he finally got a job, gutting and cleaning fish at a processing plant. He's on €290 for a 40 hour week, since he can't afford a car, he has to cycle into work, an hour each way. At the interview, when he suggested the wages were quite low, he was told to take it or leave it, there were plenty of foreigners to take the job.

It's insane, I don't see how anyone could live on that wage.

TempestSabre · 08-06-2006 11:20PM

Yet people will tell you its never been easier and jobs are everywhere.

09-06-2006 05:20AM

The pole are actually very educated, hard to get a job there but real ease to get a good education.
The thing is these lads education isn't recognised by most Irish bodies.
I left my last job because the influx of polish employes made it obvious that I was going nowhere, why pay me 20k a year more for having an irish degree than a pole with more qualifications who will probably do the job better because he is keen.

TempestSabre · 09-06-2006 08:39AM

In fairness if someone does the job better, its because they are better. That said I don't agree with people who are so keen they work for free or as good as free. Or people who are complete doormats.

chump · 09-06-2006 09:46AM

TempestSabre wrote:

Yet people will tell you its never been easier and jobs are everywhere.

If I wanted a permanent, or long term job, I could get one tomorrow. It's seasonal low-skilled jobs that are hard to get now. I have a permanent career job starting in September, and can't get anything in between, just like a lot of students who go back to college around then too. The time is the thing

daveirl · 09-06-2006 01:38PM

This post has been deleted.

Sam Vimes · 09-06-2006 02:07PM

i worked in the leisure plex for four fun filled hours before another place i'd interviewed in called me saying i got the job. i apologised to the manager and walked out. there are always jobs if you forget about your pride

emeraldstar · 09-06-2006 04:03PM

Commander Vimes wrote:

there are always jobs if you forget about your pride

The reason I havent found a job is not because I am too proud, and neither is it from lack of trying. It's simply due to lack of vacancies. God, im looking for summer work and by now it's the middle of June, I would take anything if I was offered it. I certainly would not look down my nose at a job in a leisure plex, or anywhere else for that matter. I didn't set out with the intention of only applying to 'better' places or less menial jobs with the idea that certain jobs weren't good enough for me. I hope that's not what you're insinuating.

can't find a summer job!!

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