Am I wrong in thinking that jobs are slightly harder to get?

I migrated from England 20 years ago & now a citizen. Employment for the first ten year was quite easy to get. Back then I would go out door to door job hunting with my resume & a positive attitude, speak to the receptionist of supervisor & surprisingly the success rate was almost always good. Face to face communication positive attitude & the willingness to be flexible were contributing factors in landing those jobs.

Nowadays due to the high level of job seeker applications all competing for the one position, employers now require seekers to apply on-line with your résumé attached & if successful they’ll contact you.

I've been unemployed now for nearly a year. Quit my previous job as a used car consultant due to stress levels associated with that position, I wasn't cut out for that type of role. During this time I took a short course at TAFE to become a healthcare worker & passed with flying colours. Since writing this post I have received a job interview next week.

Has anyone been through a similar circumstance minus the migration bit?

You're probably over 35 now FENZINK, so too old & past it.

It sounds to me that you've done the right thing
by re-training in another field at TAFE.
That shows a great deal of initiative - and you
should be successful in your chosen new profession.
Caring people like yourself are desperately needed
in that industry.

Are jobs harder to get?

I think a lot depends on the type of job - and of
course your attitude. You seem to have things
pretty much under control. If something doesn't work -
you've been able to adapt rather nicely.
Well done!

Posted by Hasbeen,You're probably over 35 now FENZINK, so too old & past it.

You've obviously missed the point & the paragraph that states 'Since writing this post I have received a job interview next week'.

Posted by Foxy,Are jobs harder to get?

Thanks Foxy, their are heaps of jobs in this industry the only drawback is government jobs tend to take a bit longer to process.

Dear Fenzink,

Yes, it is harder today to get a job - so "thank" your government for:

1) Introducing competition from millions who are playing cat-and-mouse with Centrelink, who must issue endless job-applications but never had any intention to work. Employers can't tell the difference between these time-wasters and yourself who indeed want to work.

2) Introducing regulations that require ever higher formal training to get even the simplest of jobs. It's nearly impossible now to become a cleaner without a P.H.D. in chemistry to ensure you understand exactly how cleaning-agents work and can comply with the related "health and safety" issues.

3) I.R. and similar laws that makes employing others forbiddingly expensive and complex for small businesses.

The remedy could be a universal and unconditional payment which is sufficient for one's bare necessities (but not for comforts and luxuries), so in effect everyone receives the dole whether they work, look for work or don't work.

Centrelink would then be abolished because there will be no need to investigate whether people intend to work or not - which would become their private affair.

I.R. laws would also be abolished, because the universal payment will be sufficient to prevent Dickens-like situations.

What remains is to repeal requirements for formal-education, so it is up to employers to decide whether you can actually do the job or not.

My post was in sympathy Fenzink, not criticism.

I don't think you are wrong at all, FENZINK.

>>Am I wrong in thinking that jobs are slightly harder to get?<<

As a certified old fart, I can recall how simple it used to be for me.

Apply. Get interview. Start job.

This has changed considerably, all along the line, for school-leavers, new graduates, mid-life career-changers and those terminally unemployable over-fifties. Even trying to work out what to study at Uni to ensure an easy passage into a career in the professions is tough these days.

The nature of employment has changed substantially. The very idea of joining a company, staying with it through successive promotions until the handshake-and-engraved-clock is archaic to the point of extinction, although at one time it was not at all an unusual aspiration.

On the other side of the ledger, there seem to be many more small businesses than there used to be. The downside is that they all seem to be looking for skill-sets that have yet to arrive in the educational curriculum. And by the time a suitably qualified cohort of educators turns up, armed with the ability to impart those skill-sets, they may well have ceased to be relevant.

But the macro view is that you cannot go wrong by retraining into healthcare. All the signals point to continued growth in this field, fuelled by the combination of an ageing population and government policies that are increasingly influenced by that selfsame demographic.

It does depend what you are looking for.

Whenever I advertised for an administrative assistant I would have a hundred applications in a couple of days.

When I advertised for a stores person, or an assembly worker, I would rarely get half a dozen applications in a week. There is work around, but perhaps not what most want.

A couple of turf farmers & a Lucerne grower near me have given up entirely on trying to find full time employees, & can get only casual labor, who demand cash in hand payment, & we know what t6hat means.

A couple of friends who had small 2/3 man engineering business had to close their businesses when the work became too heavy/too hard on their backs, as they each approached their 60s. Both had full time jobs in a couple of weeks.

impossible now to become a cleaner without a P.H.D. in chemistry to ensure you understand exactly how cleaning-agents work and can comply with the related "health and safety" issues.

What remains is to repeal requirements for formal-education, so it is up to employers to decide whether you can actually do the job or not.
Posted by Yuyutsu,

Hi Yuyutsu
I agree with you somewhat, in an ideal world the employer decides which applicant is suitable or not & this subsequently speeds up the job application process. Having said that in that case, the risk of workplace injuries near miss accidents lawsuits or worse will potentially double.
Being a former employer myself, to run a business no matter how small carries a certain level of daily risk. Work safety inductions are essential for your safety, I just wish they could improve on the set time given to complete the training.

Hi Hasbeen

I've read your post & I apologize for the misunderstanding. This is my first time on any forum site. My main form of communication is texting & emailing so I still have a bit of catch-up to do.

Thanks Mate!

Hi Pericles

Thanks for the post. You are absolutely right regarding growth in the health sector. A fine example of this is the completion of the $2 billion Fiona Stanley Hospital in Murdoch West Australia.

Thanks Mate!

Fenzink, if you've been unemployed in Australia for 1 year, and you're not physically or mentally disabled, then you are bludging on society.

Here's how to get a quick and easy job. Firstly, go to any big supermarket and say "any nightfill jobs available?". If the answer is "no", go to the next big supermarket and ask the same question. I will guarantee you that within 10 supermarket visits you'll have a job. There ya go Fenzink, you'll easily have a job within 2 days.

But you won't do that will you, because it's not your type of job. It's beneath you. It doesn't pay enough. You like to pick and choose.

Fenzink, stop bludging and accept ANY job you can find. This isn't communist China, the state should not have to support you.

I think it comes down to the simple fact that --for most situations-- there are too many people chasing too few jobs. Like with most other selection processes in life, when faced with an overabundance of candidates employers get very picky. And, I believe the qualifications/experience sought for most positions are well in excess of what is required to perform the work.

PS FENZINK : If it's not too intrusive I would be interested hear your feedback on the performance of the interviewing panel

Hi RIGHT IS RIGHT...

You're a bit censorious and denunciatory of poor old FENZINK aren't you ? Calling him a 'bludger' is a bit over the top I reckon. You know nothing about him, and you may well be right, however, until you know indisputably, you should keep those sort of inflammatory remarks to yourself I would think ?

You're spot on with your suggestion of looking for a job in a large Supermarket, 'night fillers' position. Still night work doesn't always suit everyone ? Depends how badly one needs work I guess ?

G'day there FENZINK...

Sounds like you've got the right attitude and drive my friend, as our inimitable FOXY mentioned. And any work in the 'caring industry' would always be in demand I believe ? GOOD LUCK anyway, though somehow I don't think you'll need it.

SPQR has identified the main issue. Most of the other problems, such as credentialism, are just symptoms. According to this article by Tim Colebatch, the Economics Editor of the Melbourne Age, we have been acquiring 5 new people for every new full-time job, mostly due to government immigration policy.

"People born overseas have taken almost three-quarters of the net growth in full-time jobs in Australia in the past two years, even though they make up just 31 per cent of the adult population. Analysis of the Bureau of Statistics jobs data reveals that, comparing the six months to April with the same months two years earlier, Australia gained just 131,000 more full-time jobs - one new full-time job for every five new people.

"But in net terms, people born overseas gained 97,000 more full-time jobs, while Australian-born people gained only 34,000. The economy created only one new full-time job for every 10 more Australian-born people aged 15 and over. The figures raise doubts about employers' claims that they must hire workers from overseas because Australians are not available to do the jobs.”

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/national/skilled-newcomers-flood-fulltime-jobs-market-20130614-2o9vm.html#ixzz2YLJos5JE

There isn't a perfect one-to-one correspondence of course, because migrants create jobs as well as taking them, but the labour market is clearly being oversupplied. Our rulers want it that way because people who are desperately frightened of unemployment will not object to low wages and bad working conditions. Their only problem is preventing unemployment from getting high enough to provoke mass rioting.

You think it's hard now wait until you hit 50 only job I could get was Security Night watchman working really bad hour's at less then $20 per hour base. And if Mr Abbott ever get's his I.R laws in pay won't even be enough to live on welcome To the new Australia

Fenzink, if you've been unemployed in Australia for 1 year, and you're not physically or mentally disabled, then you are bludging on society. Posted by Right Is Right

I suppose this is a good time to briefly clear up a few pointers with you regarding my infamous bludging ways. At this point you may wish to take a seat & a couple of deep breaths.

i. I have not currently nor previously received any unemployment benefit whatsoever.

ii. I've spent the last six months & $3000 retraining.

iii. Prior to that I've been living off the commissions I've earned as a used car sales consultant plus my after hours office cleaning job at the time; I may as well mention that I also sold my best car to stay afloat .

I've always been self-reliant & resourceful but I’m down to my last bit of cash so I’m hoping that this job interview is successful or I may reluctantly have to visit the unemployment office.

PS FENZINK : If it's not too intrusive I would be interested hear your feedback on the performance of the interviewing panel. Posted by SPQR

Hi SPQR
Sure SPQR no-worries mate!

Hi o sung wu

Thanks for your post mate.

FENZINK, welcome. Not much to contibute to the main discussion at this point other than hearsay. Given you are new to the forum a hint that may help work out which posters have a passion for exteme views. The little person symbol on the bottom left of a post takes you to a listing of recent posts by the poster. A quick skim there gives you an idea of the character of a poster. We hae a few fundy christians on the site who's views are so extreme and posting styles so rude I keep thinking they are trolls trying to make christians look bad but I don't think thats the case. They appear to be serious.

Expect a level of outright rudeness and abusive behaviour from some just because its their nature, from others because of the topic. There are those who you can argue strongly with on one thread who will back you on another topic. Sometimes some light threads andnits rally interesting to see the interactions on those between regular sparing partners on other threads.

R0bert

FENZIK,

I believe that it is true – Jobs nowadays are much harder to get.

The causal factors are varying yet a few stick out. These are:

1) almost 100% of the nation’s low skill and manufacture jobs have been deleted from our economy [someone gave them to Asia] meaning at least amongst certain classes and work sectors their traditional work which they and forefathers could always rely on [much like the wealthier classes have become used to being able to generation after generation become lawyers, doctors or academics etc. – imagine if suddenly these groups had to retrain and become social workers or scientists?];

2) on top of the job depletion the legal and insurance [duty of care] aspects of an economy have taken over to such extent that one needs a certificate [gotten via money and/or weeks of training] to even serve beer or lift boxes in a storehouse, whereas decades ago a person could go from job to job without needing to first do a course and get a certificate nor even use a resume. In fact only university and trades jobs were in need of formal training and certificates. Today I would be lucky if I could even just mow lawns for money without first getting some document costing hundreds or more and likely also paying to register as a business so tax can be siphoned.

... continued .. .

3) the nation’s economy and industry make-up today has almost exclusively impacted on the manual worker classes, since most of the jobs the wealthier traditionally do over forever and still now, have remained here and intact BUT the blue collar jobs sectors have all but died never to return. This specific factor I think means that there will be a huge and shocking disparity in minds on how to answer the question you raise . . . as the non-manual labour classes did not get affected by the job changes in any meaningful sense which may lead such persons to be ignorant or even disbelieving that any such job shortage exists in our nation; and on other end in minds of lower workers they know jobs are scarce, changed and made much harder to get than in parents or grandparent’s time. Thus since the group with little say and power and influence is voicing the concerns on their lonesome with no support or even recognition from above class of workers, I am not surprised to find many on this very forum with no clue or belief as to the issue your thread has raised.

Proof of this disparity in awareness is evident in recent attack on the most helpless and most affected by the massive economic changes globally over half century, the welfare recipients who are apparently happy with a lousy 500 dollars per fortnight, wanting for nought and feeling fine.

Yuyutsu – I am very disappointed to find even you making remarks like this here and elsewhere. Surely you would not have the government and all citizens take welfare away from thousands and thousands of the poorest including a quite large proportion of our Indigenous people who through generational abuses and oppression both within and and outside their own group has resulted in the squalar, mental illness, drug addiction, prison and low life expectancy as much the same has also affected many white poor and also some newer ethnic groups?

G,day R0bert & thank you for the heads up.

In view of your post I've been thinking would it be a good idea for the moderator to launch some sort of forum called 'HOW'S YOUR DAY TODAY'. It would be a permanent forum for everyone to blow off a bit of steam! It would be the place to voice one's strong views rather than latch on to a complete strangers post spouting inaccurate facts.

Thanks Again.

Hi Matthew S

Thanks for your insight & knowledge. I'ts a scary thought the way thing are going but having said that our economy & job prospects is still doing a lot better than Europe, Greece in particular; Hope things work out for them in the coming years.

Dear Mattthew,

<<Yuyutsu – I am very disappointed to find even you making remarks like this here and elsewhere. Surely you would not have the government and all citizens take welfare away from...>>

What have I wrote that you are referring to?

All I said is that EVERYONE should get the dole's equivalent (unconditionally) - nothing about taking it away from anyone.

Matthew,

Many people are caught between the jaws of a nutcracker. One jaw is the offshoring described by you, facilitated by free trade, and the other is the flooding of the labour market due to government immigration policy. Unlike the nutcracker example, however, we can't just take away one jaw.

If we stop the offshoring and free trade, but do nothing about mass migration, then the factories will come back, but those jobs will largely be taken by 457 visa holders, who will put up with low wages and bad and/or dangerous working conditions because they want sponsorship for permanent residence. 457 visa holders will also be attractive to employers because they have already been trained at someone else's expense. On the other hand, if we only force the politicians to rein in temporary immigration and cut permanent immigration back to zero net (~70,000 a year), then jobseekers will be better off because of the opening up of the jobs that can't be offshored, but there probably still won't be enough jobs for all of them.

The American people shut down the first era of globalisation after World War One, but it took violence. See

http://aeon.co/magazine/living-together/peter-turchin-wealth-poverty/

Unlike the US, however, Australia has a preferential voting system, so it might be possible to put pressure on our elites by putting their candidates from the major political parties last and second last on the ballot paper, although there is always the possibility that they will simply change the rules, as has been proposed to eliminate the minor party senators.

Divergence and others –

Talk about the almighty global market and political forces which make us and all else impotent in their wake . . . . . is mere rubbish for the honest and mere subterfuge for the global business rich who wish things to be as such.

Quite simply and plainly, I would ask our armed forces and the same of all “decent” nations to take charge of things and simply disallow all money people and groups from engaging in any activity that can serve to undermine our society, our wealth and our workers [like did already occur when Asia got ALL our low jobs as a sinister “gift” from white and podgy necked fools] and most of all the human dignity and moral fortitude of our cultures which spawned from Enlightenment Europe.

That is, our armed forces which is designed to protect the interests of our peoples, should be ONCE and FIRST of ALL time put to serve the WHOLE people rather than just the elite, and point the guns to the heads of the leaders who wish to give their businesses to slave markets in third world . . . . . and make them cop slight reduced profits in order to keep jobs in this market for their own poor and worker class . . . . not to mention to keep some semblance of moral uprightness.

Yuyutsu,

I quote you : “millions who are playing cat-and-mouse with Centrelink, who must issue endless job-applications but never had any intention to work”.

WHY?

Simple matt there is no jobs

Dear Matthew,

I think you have misunderstood:

That millions are playing cat-and-mouse with Centrelink, is a fact. Whole generations are thus trained to lie and cheat.

As a solution, however, I never suggested to withdraw their benefits, but instead to give them this payment - as well as to everyone else, unconditionally.