Anybody else struggling to find work

[D21 dualcab Z24 4X4]

I left a full time job truck driving 7 weeks ago as I was sick of working 60+hrs every week. Started looking for customer service jobs, 37.5 hrs, M-F, no weekends, just enough money to live on, and have enough spare time to have a quality relationship with my family.

Well damm its proving tough. Have a mate who has just finished an IT degree and he is applying for the same jobs and neither of us are getting much success. Both have had our resume's professionally altered.

Maybe we need a support group for en-employed Nissan Drivers... LOL.

Any body else finding it difficult ?

 

[navdog_d40]

yeah mate we had 2 jobs this week and now we have nothing and its not looking good..
been a carpet layer u do 2-3 jobs a day depending on the size we also do carpet cleaning we have a couple jobs next week for that but that's not enough to cover everything.

i wanted to lift and wheels in the next week or so but im holding off due to no work and putting food on the table is more important.

its not looking good every time you turn on the news someone has lost there jobs
people are freaking out and now doing what i am doing and not spending on the things we would like and holding off till it turns around but that could be along way away..

looks like a rough time ahead .

 

[Geoff3DMN]

Any body else finding it difficult ?

We've seen a reduction in quotes for private industry jobs at work and government contract work is suffering from 'reviews' (code for on hold) and cutbacks across Victoria in our industry.

Banks are starting to get jittery about finance again and from what I've seen a lot of businesses are gearing up for more difficult times.

There are vacant jobs out there... but from what I've seen not as many as there were 12 months ago and I don't expect things to get better for at least 12 months (probably longer).

 

[johnbritto]

you LEFT a good truck driving job with 60 hours a week to try and do IT work for 38 hour week. i dont live in melbourn /Victoria but i imagine that truck drivers pay rates are about the same as NSW and there would be some companys that dont pay there drivers as well as others . BUT in my experiance even the lower end paying jobs give you enough to have a reasonable standard of living, and others pay better than a bankers sallery yes you have to do the hours up to 72 but thats spread over 6 days so only 12 a day, my guess is that you are probably under the age of 30 went right through school and then probably went and done a tech or uni course for a couple of years stayed at home with mum and dad till about 23 then decided to put all your years of learning about computers and throwing spit balls fron the back of the class into driving a truck and why not any dill can drive trucks no brains required , now you think its to much and you want to change carrers but all the other smarties have those jobs and your left sitting on your ass at centerlink so all that education and livind at home with mummy and daddy to back you up probably didnt teach you that if you have a job and responsabilitcs and you want to do a carrer change you should secure the new job before leaving the old one, and also if you are a half decent truck driver then there is always work for truck drivers if you are a realy good truck driver then you will be fighting of the offers and chosing the colour of the truck you drive.likewise if your a shit driver word gets around (trucken is trucken no matter where u live) .so instead of having a job you have now worked out a new way to not have to work and then to blame the job market for u not having a job and being on the dole. You LEFT your job as a truck driver! what a statment ! I under stand i have put some shit on you and i dont even know you and if im wrong im sorry but i dont think i am .You LEFT your job not to start a new job but to look for a job in a compleatly different field thats stupid atleast the trucking industry is better of cause i have the feeling you are one of these people who one day just woke up and said( i want to drive a big truck centerlink will buy me a licence so off i go then) ive said enough and will probably cop it from a few but i dont care on a last note you want to start a support group for unemployed navara owners .thats a fair call but im pritty sure that any nav owner who had lost there job through company downsizing and some of those other things that are out of our controle wouldnt have time to sit on here complaining about it they would be out there looking for a new job!!!

 

[KraftyPg]

We've seen a reduction in quotes for private industry jobs at work and government contract work is suffering from 'reviews' (code for on hold) and cutbacks across Victoria in our industry.

You're the Bus company man aren't you? Down here the local bus company is revealing in all the wonderful government money, they've hired a shitload of drivers and are now running 7 day rosters with half hourly services. Mind you this area was long over due for a review and this particular review started about 10 years ago.

Lack of competition and inability of most existing companies to match what's down here pretty much ensures that no matter what nufti runs the local bus business down here it will always succeed but they are loosing staff on a weekly basis and hiring staff nearly as quickly, they are even hiring staff with less than 3 months driving experience they are that desperate.

 

[04SilverSTR]

Yeah things are quiet all over!!

 

[Geoff3DMN]

You're the Bus company man aren't you? Down here the local bus company is revealing in all the wonderful government money

Part of what the state government have done is shift money from some transport areas and into other transport areas, in North Central Victoria region however 30 service contracts are now 'under review'.

 

[D21 dualcab Z24 4X4]

you LEFT a good truck driving job with 60 hours a week to try and do IT work for 38 hour week. i dont live in melbourn /Victoria but i imagine that truck drivers pay rates are about the same as NSW and there would be some companys that dont pay there drivers as well as others . BUT in my experiance even the lower end paying jobs give you enough to have a reasonable standard of living, and others pay better than a bankers sallery yes you have to do the hours up to 72 but thats spread over 6 days so only 12 a day, my guess is that you are probably under the age of 30 went right through school and then probably went and done a tech or uni course for a couple of years stayed at home with mum and dad till about 23 then decided to put all your years of learning about computers and throwing spit balls fron the back of the class into driving a truck and why not any dill can drive trucks no brains required , now you think its to much and you want to change carrers but all the other smarties have those jobs and your left sitting on your ass at centerlink so all that education and livind at home with mummy and daddy to back you up probably didnt teach you that if you have a job and responsabilitcs and you want to do a carrer change you should secure the new job before leaving the old one, and also if you are a half decent truck driver then there is always work for truck drivers if you are a realy good truck driver then you will be fighting of the offers and chosing the colour of the truck you drive.likewise if your a shit driver word gets around (trucken is trucken no matter where u live) .so instead of having a job you have now worked out a new way to not have to work and then to blame the job market for u not having a job and being on the dole. You LEFT your job as a truck driver! what a statment ! I under stand i have put some shit on you and i dont even know you and if im wrong im sorry but i dont think i am .You LEFT your job not to start a new job but to look for a job in a compleatly different field thats stupid atleast the trucking industry is better of cause i have the feeling you are one of these people who one day just woke up and said( i want to drive a big truck centerlink will buy me a licence so off i go then) ive said enough and will probably cop it from a few but i dont care on a last note you want to start a support group for unemployed navara owners .thats a fair call but im pritty sure that any nav owner who had lost there job through company downsizing and some of those other things that are out of our controle wouldnt have time to sit on here complaining about it they would be out there looking for a new job!!!

Actually John. I am not on the dole. last time I was it was 1990. I drove for the last 7 years after paying for the $1000 licence myself, and only the last 12 months was over 10.6 gvm. I went for an interview this morning. I have applied for 26 jobs this last 6 days alone.

I was not complaining, my intention was to start a discussion and see what other people were finding. Thats all. I am not a winging complaining dole bludger. Just a Aussie working man who decided to try and find a better balance between work and family...

If you dont like my choices in life. Go fuck yourself..........

 

[KraftyPg]

Part of what the state government have done is shift money from some transport areas and into other transport areas, in North Central Victoria region however 30 service contracts are now 'under review'.

We've got some under review here too and when they aren't under review some other contracts are under review but they are generally reviewed just to see if the government can save money. Most contacts already have names on them.

Still, different locations, different options but if any nufti with a bus license wanted a job 6 months ago they could have got one regardless of experience down here because they were that desperate to get arses in seats. The fact most locals wouldn't work for the company is beside the point, they had the jobs there, not as many now but drivers are still quitting faster than they are being employed.

 

[KraftyPg]

I drove for the last 7 years after paying for the $1000 licence myself, and only the last 12 months was over 10.6 gvm.

I remember doing similar. I get the shits up with working for myself every few years so I consolidate clients back to the bare minimum and get back in the truck.

Haven't driven a truck for a few years now so I am either improving to the point I can work with myself or I am getting lazy but getting my MR, then HC, then MC was always an easy way to get a job where someone else paid the bills when I wanted too. However I'm sure pulling the pin on any of the driving jobs would never have been too easy if I didn't have my business's to fall back on.

 

[D21 dualcab Z24 4X4]

My lovely wife runs her own business and I have been helping her out, and doing a little cash work for some mates. Just felt I was missing out on so much with the kids working so many hours. Also been doing a little study by correspondence to help me further in the future with my new career (if I ever get a start.. LOL).

Truck driving is an easy option as there is always demand, and as John said a good driver can almost name his price. But my family needs me more than the road does...

 

[KraftyPg]

Totally agree, my last truck job was 10pm to 10am 6 days a week plus o/t and there was no way I was going to have kids while working those hours, many do and many have happy lives but it wasn't for me.

 

[hosery]

Yep things have surely gone slow. My boss and me have been flat out for the last 3 years than all of a sudden there isnt much work. Had to have a week off and only odd jobs and love jobs now. Hopefully there is a change in government and things will pick up than

 

[NavTez]

Actually John. I am not on the dole. last time I was it was 1990. I drove for the last 7 years after paying for the $1000 licence myself, and only the last 12 months was over 10.6 gvm. I went for an interview this morning. I have applied for 26 jobs this last 6 days alone.

I was not complaining, my intention was to start a discussion and see what other people were finding. Thats all. I am not a winging complaining dole bludger. Just a Aussie working man who decided to try and find a better balance between work and family...

If you dont like my choices in life. Go fuck yourself..........

D21, that was a reasonably diplomatic response to a fairly outrageous (and insulting) personal attack. lol

Back on topic though. Just so you Victorians don't feel like it's isolated to down south, certain industries are quiet here in NSW too. Strange times.

 

[KraftyPg]

D21, that was a reasonably diplomatic response to a fairly outrageous (and insulting) personal attack. lol

If nothing else atleast he's come to grips with spelling and use of sentences and paragraphs....not bad for a dumb arse truckie on the dole!

 

[D21 dualcab Z24 4X4]

D21, that was a reasonably diplomatic response to a fairly outrageous (and insulting) personal attack. lol
.

My initial response was. You are a but I thought I should set the record straight just a little..

 

[NavTez]

lol not bad at all

 

[NavTez]

My initial response was. You are a but I thought I should set the record straight just a little..

I thought it was well said. I know a few who would bite at that.

 

[D21 dualcab Z24 4X4]

A bloke I just spoke to had his first interview for a job just before Easter, second interview a few days later and is still waiting for the third and final interview. He calls the agency weekly and has been assured its all systems go. The client is just getting their shit together before they give him the nod. Not bad for a big 4 bank.

It seems to me employers hold the cards at the moment and are playing them very slowly

 

[grasshopper]

All of the above is true in regards to the work being difficult to win.
The Darling Downs has seen a distinct drop in job ads in the area... and a return to Brisbane is not an option for us. So yes, we have already started tightening up the belts and will be lowering our standard of treats and luxury items in the shopping.
But we have been prepping for this for a bit too - stocking up on tinned soups (condensed, packet, and grain soup mix), rice (long grain and basmati), pasta sauces, honey, vegemite/marmite/pro-mite, chocolate (large bars 400g and up are cheapest), freezer stuffs (roasts, corned silver-sides etc), long life milk, cereals. I have been smashing away at Gov jobs since February this year to no avail. Have now widened the scope to private and local council - with about 5 weeks left on the current contract.
It is looking as gloomy as predicted by several on-line acquaintances over the last year in particular.