Nanny McNo-Thank-you

It turns out that after all that, I don't think a nanny job is for me! I went to an interview today in a rich person's house in the middle of Camden. It was a beautiful area with lots of character and gorgeous houses mansions. I went in and met a nice lady who was holding her cute 2 year old son, with a housekeeper floating in the background. It was very strange, she asked me questions like, "did you go to boarding school?" "Are you married?" and the regular questions. I didn't do too bad with my answers, but I don't think I emanated enthusiasm, and it's because it just wasn't there. I realised in that moment that I do not want to work in this environment! I'd love to be a nanny for a working class, or even middle class mum of 3, but they just can't afford one so that isn't going to happen! I think I'll stick with the arts and crafts sessions and play work and leave the nanny jobs to the rich-tolerant people of the world. I gave it my all nonetheless but I won't be disappointed when she tells me she has opted for someone with more experience.

Killer Cover Letter

27th Feb - 4th March
I was working with my aunt and her three kids in Brighton this week and felt inspired by being with them and hearing about my acceptance onto a childcare course so I wrote a KILLER cover letter for nanny jobs. I posted an advert online, and applied to about 20 adverts. I recommend doing this, just write a long, passionate cover letter about how you would be perfect for a job. If you're writing an advert you should include bullet points that highlight important points and make you look better!

Here's a basic structure for a killer cover letter:
Dear "Insert name",
Firstly talk about yourself and your interests/qualifications. Mention what you would like to do, and why you are applying for this job.

Then talk about your most relevant experience. Be thorough! Give as many personal details as possible that make you unique and not just listing the duties of a job (examples etc.) and show off any knowledge and skills gained or used.

If you have done any voluntary work, mention this too. And here is where I throw in any relevant training that I have done, eg. did your last job train you up in the safe use of chemicals?

Then bring in some less relevant stuff but make it relevant, so you can mention any skills that you gained that would be useful in the role. Remember to keep giving examples.

Now mention your hobbies/interests and personal life, and how your experience of day to day living also equips you with the right skills for the job!

And then any irrelevant jobs you've done, but again list how any tasks or skills could be useful in the new role.

Close with a summary of yourself and any skills you haven't mentioned. For example, say that you are hard working and pro-active, or able to work unsupervised. Imagine you are answering the question, "Why should I hire you?"

And finish with a formal yet friendly ending, thanking them for their time and consideration. Remember not to suck up too much!

Yours sincerely
Me.

One Day Only

Applied for a job at cineworld because my friend sorted it out for me, I got offered an interview but I couldn't make the one date they proposed so that's that.

Application Forms

Jobs applied for today:

• Office cleaner, circle25
• Cleaner, jobisjob
• Nanny, 2 kids, gumtree
• Front of House Assistant, Wallace collection.

I just had to fill out an online application form. Does anyone else think they just take so long, and require so much effort. I feel like the life has been sucked out of me, I'm exhausted now! Why do they need such a tedious structure/amount of information!? I wish there was a one size fits all way of filling out my job history, I don't know about you guys but I've had a lot of jobs and just working out the dates and titles in chronological order is enough brain work for me! (I know, I could have just used my CV, but the thing is, they wanted no gaps so I may have had to tweak the information a little...) Shhh.

I hope that with application forms, they're more likely to read it though. Perhaps that 2 hours will be worthwhile!

"Youth unemployment: Fears over record figures"

Everyone's talking about unemployment among the youths this week, well they should try living it! With jobs no longer wanting to train people, and new rules on minimum wage and young people being paid properly it's no wonder no-one wants to employ us. It comes down to the simplest cycle: you have to get experience to get a job, you have to get a job to get experience... so what can we do? I have done years of voluntary work and employers don't really care about it, they want paid experience. They want you to step into a job and immediately know what you're doing so they don't have to bother with you. And with the amount of people coming to the UK to work, they can get that easily. So why would they make the effort of employing someone who has just left education?

Cameron says he wants to help young people, well then why make cuts to the most popular, effective scheme for young people- connexions... Hasn't anybody noticed that these increases in youth employment have shot up since 'the coalition' took power? Cameron, it is a matter of "great regret". The regret being: Why didn't we all just vote labour?

Article on BBC News
"Mr Cameron said that the unemployment figures, and particularly youth unemployment, were a matter of great regret."
Another article
"The dire jobs market is hurting young people more than older workers."
Independent -

"Steven Kirkpatrick, managing director of recruitment firm Adecco, said: 'There is still an imbalance between the number of new roles becoming available and the high proportion of people seeking employment.'"

The mirror

"The number of people claiming Jobseeker's Allowance increased by 2,400 in January to 1.46 million, with the number of female claimants rising for the seventh month in a row to reach almost 450,000, the highest figure since 1996."

Jobs applied for today:

• Nanny, gumtree
• Care worker, jobisjob
• Care worker, gumtree

CRB Checks have been scrapped!

Jobs applied for today:

• Employment Consultant, Directgov.
• Live out Nanny for 2 kids and 1 baby, gumtree.
• Nanny for 6 year old girl, gumtree

This is my first time applying for a nanny job, I figure it's like being paid to be a mum, and maybe it would stop my broodyness. I can do this. Surely. Who knows? I don't actually have an NVQ in childcare, nor am I registered with ofsted but we'll see if my experience teaching art, and helping to bring up my sisters is enough. I wrote a detailed application, and even went so far as to send them pictures and information about my family.

But most significantly, did you know... They've scrapped CRB checks! A bit weird, but it'll save me hassle and money when applying for jobs in childcare! (Go on, See for yourself) Was it a bit cheeky of me to slip that in to my application just so that they knew?

What do people think about CRB checks anyway; invasive or necessary? I personally have nothing to hide so am not bothered by them, and saw them as nothing more than a hassle, but did it make all the mummys and daddys out there feel more comfortable about hiring someone to look after their kids, and how will it affect them? 

Outcast

Today I haven't applied for any jobs. It's the day I decided to start this blog. I have felt really down, guilty, worthless and worn out. I was sat at the train station watching people go past, and I felt like I was distanced from the rest of society. I felt like a lazy, worthless, pathetic person who doesn't deserve to be alive. It was like everyone who looked at me could see how much of a failure I am because I can't get a job. I felt guilty for having a drink with my friends on Friday night and not being sat at home searching for jobs. But when I did get home, I couldn't concentrate properly, and just felt emotionally drained. I'm tired of feeling like a failure, I don't even get rejections any more. Being ignored by employers is the same as people being ignored by the government, helping people get into employment isn't just about getting them money or reducing the amount of money spent on benefits, it's about improving the quality of life, the wellbeing and the satisfsction of individuals and helping them to feel a part of society rather than an outcast, and a burden.