Trouble figuring out what jobs I am qualified for

Is anyone else having this problem?

I do currently have a job, it is not a job I love or even a job I like. It is REALLY starting to drive me nuts and I have only worked there for 3.5 months.

I have been looking for jobs since September of 2014 and I can't figure out what kind of jobs I am even qualified for over here. The job requirements and all the acronyms are just Greek to me. I'm really starting to get frustrated.

I just had my last online application thrown out because I didn't realise I had to be completely flexible in my available hours. i.e. 6:00am-6:00am for an Optical Consultant job with Boots. I mean, really? What opticians is open before 8:00am and after 6:00pm? And they only tell you that you won't successfully apply if your "hours don't match the required hours on the job description" under the FAQ which is on a completely different page. Why is it so difficult to apply for a job?

Edited for putting pm instead of am.

Sorry to hear you are struggling with jobs .

What acronyms are confusing you? Maybe we can try to help you figure out what they mean .

Also, what qualifications do you have and what kind of jobs are you looking to apply for?

I just had my last online application thrown out because I didn't realise I had to be completely flexible in my available hours. i.e. 6:00am-6:00pm for an Optical Consultant job with Boots. I mean, really? What opticians is open before 8:00am and after 6:00pm?

You'd be surprised.

I worked in a large Boots store on and off for 9 years. We had an opticians in the store and the opening hours were 9:30am to 9pm Mon-Fri, 8:30am to 8pm Sat and 10.30am to 4.:30pm on Sunday (in Nov and Dec leading up to Christmas, we were open 8:30am to 10pm Mon-Fri and 8:30am to 9pm on Sat). The two Specsavers stores I'm registered with are open 9 am to 7 pm and 9:30 am to 9 pm.

And they only tell you that you won't successfully apply if your "hours don't match the required hours on the job description" under the FAQ which is on a completely different page. Why is it so difficult to apply for a job?

Why not just put down that you are willing to work the hours they are asking for and then tackle the issue/ask if there's any flexibility if you are invited for interivew or offered the job?

I've unfortunately had to be very flexible with my working hours - it was a case of either working shifts or having no job at all, so in 15 years of employment, I have only spent a total of 9 months in a regular 9-5 job! I went from working early and late shifts at Boots (with some starting at 6am) to working in a 24/7 office, doing day and night shifts... right now, I'm working 15-hour night shifts which involve doing live radio broadcasts at 7am and briefing high-up military commanders at 9am... right at the end of the shift!

Thanks ksand, it's really starting to frustrate me. I've never had trouble back in the states figuring out what jobs I can actually apply for.

It's just the different certificates and such that they want you to have for various jobs. We don't really do that back in the states, ya know? I mean I know you can get certificates for Engineering or other technical jobs, but for customer service or public relations?

I have a degree in Mass Communications: Public Relations which covers things like:
PR writing: press releases, ad copy, web copy, news articles
Document design
Basic Adobe Suite skills - mostly working in Photoshop and InDesign
I spent a year creating a full color newsletter where I did everything, research, design, writing, and finding or creating images for a Car Museum.
I'm good with Social Media: Twitter, Facebook, tumblr, and blogs with a WYSIWYG editor
And I have years of customer service experience in restaurants, jewellery sales and hospitality.

I'm really wanting to start a career, I'm sick of just having a job. I want someplace I can move ahead in. I'd really like to use my degree, I got it because I actually enjoy doing PR tasks. I mean, I'm willing to do most jobs, but I don't want to earn less than 7 quid an hour. I was earning $14 back in the states, I'm pretty sure I was a bit underpaid for what I did...

edit: I figure I have to start at the bottom, but I don't think with the skills I do have that it needs to be the lowest entry level jobs. At least, I'd really hope not. *sigh*

Huh, colour me surprised. That's a lot more hours then I was expecting them to be open. It's still not the 6:00am-6:00am I had to mark that I was available to even have a "successful online application" so a human would look at it. (I'd mistyped that on my original post. I've fixed it now.) I am happy to be flexible and if I could change it to say I would be available I would!  Sadly, there is no way to change it and I can't even reapply. It just says I already applied for this position. I can't even get a new login with another email address to try again because the site keeps erroring out.

Wow, I don't think I could handle your hours. You are more of a rockstar then I am. I've done a few stay up all night things, but I definitely am more of an afternoon/evening person. I can be a fake morning person in a pinch, but I hate being awake before 7:00am.

Sorry to hear that you are having a tough time! International moves have many challenges indeed. 

Have you joined the Chartered Institute of Public Relations?
http://www.cipr.co.uk/content/member-benefits

Here are some sources and information about public relations jobs in the UK to help understand the UK system / sources for jobs / employment in PR:
https://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk/advice/planning/jobprofiles/Pages/publicrelationsofficer.aspx
http://www.prospects.ac.uk/public_relations_officer_vacancy_sources.htm

Can you volunteer you PR services to a charity to get some UK experience whilst you have your paying job?
https://do-it.org/news/welcome

Just a few thoughts. Sending you hugs. 

Sorry to hear that you are having a tough time! International moves have many challenges indeed. 

Have you joined the Chartered Institute of Public Relations?
http://www.cipr.co.uk/content/member-benefits

Here are some sources and information about public relations jobs in the UK to help understand the UK system / sources for jobs / employment in PR:
https://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk/advice/planning/jobprofiles/Pages/publicrelationsofficer.aspx
http://www.prospects.ac.uk/public_relations_officer_vacancy_sources.htm

Can you volunteer you PR services to a charity to get some UK experience whilst you have your paying job?
https://do-it.org/news/welcome

Just a few thoughts. Sending you hugs. 

Oh, do I feel bad about not responding to you much, much sooner! Thank you for your suggestions. I have actually looked into the CIPR association and have sent them a query, so I'll see where that goes! So, no, I had not joined the group! I didn't even realize it existed.

Thank you for the links to the requirements for the PR jobs, I'll definitely be taking a look into them. I'm really worried that at this moment in time, I may not even be qualified for entry level positions, which would really kind of suck. But I shall have to see. I never got a chance to do a real PR job in the states, I lived in a ridiculously small town where there really weren't many entry level PR jobs.

I could do some volunteer work, and it would probably be a good idea, tbh. My weekend is split up where I only get one day off at a time though, so I'm starting to feel a bit stressed out by that.

Thank you for your well thought out suggestions and I hope you're having an amazing day!

How is your job search going lyonaria?  I was looking at the boards for some inspiration and hints for my job search and ran across this topic.  I was doing a search on www.jobs.ac.uk and they have a link to specific PR, Marketing, Communications positions.  Good luck!

How is your job search going lyonaria?  I was looking at the boards for some inspiration and hints for my job search and ran across this topic.  I was doing a search on www.jobs.ac.uk and they have a link to specific PR, Marketing, Communications positions.  Good luck!

Well, I've been applying for all sorts of jobs and the only one I've had two interviews for is a Sales and Marketing assistant with a really amazing company! All I can say is, get your UK driving license as early as you can. I'm hoping my lack of a license right now isn't going to negatively impact me for this job. (sadly, it might) I'm in an area where there isn't a lot of PR positions available, and when they are they want someone with a lot experience. So YAY! not. haha. I'll have to check out your link.

Also, I JUST GOT A NEW JOB!

I'm so excited! Well, not excited to tell my current employer I'm putting in my notice, but you know.

I can't wait.

Also, I JUST GOT A NEW JOB!

I'm so excited! Well, not excited to tell my current employer I'm putting in my notice, but you know.

I can't wait.

CONGRATULATIONS!!!  So happy for you!  As for the license, did you drive in the U.S.?  I found that my instructor (and even the person testing me) kept saying, "This is just a technicality for you" but I found some aspects of British driving a bit more difficult because I was so used to driving in the U.S.  It is hard to break those habits.  Study, study, study and I'm sure you'll have your license in no time

Also, I JUST GOT A NEW JOB!

I'm so excited! Well, not excited to tell my current employer I'm putting in my notice, but you know.

I can't wait.

Congrats!!!

Congrats on the new job!  Hope you enjoy it.

I missed your original posts, and it's a bit irrelevant now that you've been hired, but I was going to suggest that there are always voluntary organisations looking for help with marketing, newsletter/leaflet design, social media, etc.  Even though you are working in your field now, if you find that there's a particular area of work that you want extra experience in, it's worth checking for voluntary positions.  It can be a good way to build a portfolio.

CONGRATULATIONS!!!  So happy for you!  As for the license, did you drive in the U.S.?  I found that my instructor (and even the person testing me) kept saying, "This is just a technicality for you" but I found some aspects of British driving a bit more difficult because I was so used to driving in the U.S.  It is hard to break those habits.  Study, study, study and I'm sure you'll have your license in no time

Thanks Heather! I'm pretty excited. The hubby got me flowers and a card. It's just lovely. *grins*

I've had my US license for almost 12 years now. I did a lot of driving back in the US, including some awesome road trips! I even learned to drive stick back in my teens on a 73 Volkswagen Beetle, haha. That was a fun car. Just not in winter... I'm hoping my break in driving will help me have an easier time learning the UK way to drive!

Congrats!!!

Thank you! I'm really looking forward to it!

Congrats on the new job!  Hope you enjoy it.

I missed your original posts, and it's a bit irrelevant now that you've been hired, but I was going to suggest that there are always voluntary organisations looking for help with marketing, newsletter/leaflet design, social media, etc.  Even though you are working in your field now, if you find that there's a particular area of work that you want extra experience in, it's worth checking for voluntary positions.  It can be a good way to build a portfolio.

Volunteering is a great way to build a portfolio, it was something I had started looking into. I'm still not driving yet, so my hubby gets to drive me around and he's had a bit of a rough time with his auto-immune disease the last few months so I haven't wanted to push him.