Tired of Interviewing for Jobs

Margo, I was thinking of you last week when I was at the swimming pool.  In the changing room, some chavvy guy started spraying Lynx all around himself AFTER he had put on all his clothes.  Not deoderant, just some kind of general perfume. Of course it immediately stunk up the whole place and made it impossible to breathe. I thought that I sure could use your epi-pen, not for myself it might help me to breathe if I stuck it in his eye. 

Margo, I was thinking of you last week when I was at the swimming pool.  In the changing room, some chavvy guy started spraying Lynx all around himself AFTER he had put on all his clothes.  Not deoderant, just some kind of general perfume. Of course it immediately stunk up the whole place and made it impossible to breathe. I thought that I sure could use your epi-pen, not for myself it might help me to breathe if I stuck it in his eye.

I think of Margo frequently now.  I'm realising how many people wear too much "stuff".  My boss must swim in it!

Honestly, I've been in the UK since last spring and have applied for countless positions, from professional work in my field to temporary part-time retail, and haven't had any luck. The only work I've gotten was a part-time retail job for the holidays, and it ended up being kind of sketchy, waiting until the end of the position to reveal that I'd have to invoice them as self-employed to get paid.

My Canadian spouse hasn't fared much better, with just one two-month temporary position. We've both had to register as self-employed in our fields and find work across the pond. He has some British freelance clients, while I don't - mine are all in the US.

We're considering moving to a different part of the UK to see if we have better luck finding jobs but are wary of running into the same issues in a different place.

Margo, I was thinking of you last week when I was at the swimming pool.  In the changing room, some chavvy guy started spraying Lynx all around himself AFTER he had put on all his clothes.  Not deoderant, just some kind of general perfume. Of course it immediately stunk up the whole place and made it impossible to breathe. I thought that I sure could use your epi-pen, not for myself it might help me to breathe if I stuck it in his eye.

Hahaha yeah I have had the same thought before! I am trying to find a local pool for PT and I'm terrified of the changing rooms.

I did manage to get a job within a month of being here but I think that my case is exceptional because of the fact that I didn't have any particular salary amount that I needed and I didn't have any particular set of skills (like Liam Neeson) or qualifications/certifications so I was a pretty clean slate which meant I could kind of take what was there and just move up without too much pressure. I was working in retail in the US so anything really was a step up for me.

It definitely helped me having a friend of my husband's recommend me for the role they were filling as I think it got me in the door a lot easier without the qualifications listed as requirements that I would have probably been rejected for not having without him. I would strongly advise to ask your spouse's friends about job openings if possible and see what they can do as it may definitely help! And if you can find a hire paying job than what you're on that offers you a role, I would say take it for the time being and just get yourself the "UK experience" so that you can turn around in a year's time and find a new role but with the ability to list a UK employer as that may also help.

I've been looking to work in marketing and also working in the fitness industry as a manager. Thanks for the advice! Trying to be patient

What kind of a job are you looking for?  If it's techmical, I recommend www.jobserve.com

I've been looking for a new contract for a few weeks now and I haven't had any interviews.  The thing is, you always think "this is taking forever, maybe it's not going to happen" until just when you get the call.

Also, be prepared for everything to take a long time even after they say they want to hire you.  For a bank, expect three weeks or more.

I have noticed this time around finding a new contract that people are very concerned with my immigration status.  Previously I would just say "I've got a visa and employing me is just like employing a UK person" and that was good enough.  Now they seem to be very nervous and ask a lot of questions.  They are not sure what to ask or even what to do with the answers, but feel they must gather information to give to Theresa May if she asks.  Of course, they are entering an agreement with my company, and my company manages the visas for it's employees.  These people are my potential clients, NOT potential bosses, so I really want to say NUNYA damn business. 

Good luck anyway, I don't have any practical advice for marketing or fitness.  I can tell you that it will eventually get better .

I have noticed this time around finding a new contract that people are very concerned with my immigration status.  Previously I would just say "I've got a visa and employing me is just like employing a UK person" and that was good enough.  Now they seem to be very nervous and ask a lot of questions.  They are not sure what to ask or even what to do with the answers, but feel they must gather information to give to Theresa May if she asks.  Of course, they are entering an agreement with my company, and my company manages the visas for it's employees.  These people are my potential clients, NOT potential bosses, so I really want to say NUNYA damn business. 

Good luck anyway, I don't have any practical advice for marketing or fitness.  I can tell you that it will eventually get better .

Can you not say, "I have permanent residence in the UK?"

I'm not even sure what I've got after my latest nastygram from the home office.  I usually do say ILR although that may not be technically correct.

I've also had a number of interviewers act wary of my immigration status, even though I note my legal right to work in the UK in my covering letter and fill out the specific visa and expiry dates on applications that request it. I get fewer callbacks than I did in the US and wonder if some companies assume they'd need to sponsor me.

I also had one interview where the guy told me point blank he wasn't sure about me because he thought I'd want to return to the US soon! (I don't have a British spouse or relatives- I imagine having UK family ties you could mention would help an applicant seem more stable.)

I've also had a number of interviewers act wary of my immigration status, even though I note my legal right to work in the UK in my covering letter and fill out the specific visa and expiry dates on applications that request it. I get fewer callbacks than I did in the US and wonder if some companies assume they'd need to sponsor me.

I also had one interview where the guy told me point blank he wasn't sure about me because he thought I'd want to return to the US soon! (I don't have a British spouse or relatives- I imagine having UK family ties you could mention would help an applicant seem more stable.)

Nah, they all think the grass is greener on the other side.  They would move to the USA in a heartbeat and think we'll do the same.  I always tell people I'm no more likely to move in the next five years than they are - in that none of us know exactly what the future holds but it's not in the cards.  It's worked for me.

Where can I interview for this job?



Be sure to watch till the end and see the dude ride away in a personal hovercraft.  I've made the wrong life choices.

I've made the wrong life choices.

haha there are certain jobs I see people doing that makes me feel the exact same way. Like those people that get paid LOADS to travel just to check out how good hotels are and stuff. Why not me?!

I've been looking to work in marketing and also working in the fitness industry as a manager. Thanks for the advice! Trying to be patient

You're probably stuck in that loop of not having any UK work experience, but you can't get UK work experience until someone actually hired you.

Have you looked into doing some volunteering?

It took me working 6 horrible months at a terrible company earning minimum wage to get a job at a company doing what I wanted. And I'm currently on a pretty good salary for my location.

marketing as well seems to be reallllyyy hard to get into over here specifically without all the appropriate UK work experience and relevant certifications unless you want to work for peanuts.

What I find doesn't help either is when they will mislead you with the job title. I went for a "marketing" interview and it turned out it was actually just sales. And not even in an office type sales...like handing out pamphlets type sales. NOPE.