Anybody else struggling to find work

[D21 dualcab Z24 4X4]

I was told by somebody whom I thought was in the know on this shit, that if the USA found a solution to their debt repayment issue late last year (from memory a LARGE sum of principle debt was due to be repayed) then we would avoid the "double dip recession effect". It just seems to me from my own recent experiences, and what others are telling me that maybe we are in for a fairly rough time very shortly even though the US sorted their problem in some way or another.

I am no expert on any of this stuff, but I am just wondering should we, as a general community, start taking the sort of action the "wise Grasshopper" speaks of in the preceding post ??

 

[KraftyPg]

While the global financial markets are not something we can ignore totally I still think we have to ignore them to some degree. There are still plenty of industries going gang busters right now and recession or no recession that will always happen. Unfortunately it's no comfort to those looking for work because under all climates jobs are never easy to find for all people but in many ways we are in a lot better situations than the media make us out to be.

I'd never shoot anyone down for quitting a job they weren't committed to in order to follow something else because life is about taking risks and chasing something better and if none of us chased better things we'd all still be flipping burgers at Maccas in a job we got when we were 15.

I do agree that jobs are out there for people to take but unfortunately employers know that they will have the pickings of a large pile when they put a job offer out there and in way too many cases it's the interviewing staff who are the biggest issue.

I've been working with a business mentoring group of sorts for years and it's still astonishing to see how many idiot managers out there interview with their wallets and not their heads. Hiring staff based on the wrong ideas, hiring staff that are suited to the job but not the environment (or vice versa) or worse still massively under qualified to even be doing the interviews in the first place. Of course the answer to the last one seems to be to hire an employment company to weed through the applicants, but this in turn creates a problem because employment agency staff rarely have the experience in the jobs they are trying to place either, which might be alright for a secretaries job but absolutely pointless for a power station operators job.

So to my way of thinking the problems we face in this country are not really to do with any global financial problems and more to do with the people currently vetoing so many good workers in favour of the dumbed down follow me workforce so many employers think benefits them.

 

[D21 dualcab Z24 4X4]

the people currently vetoing so many good workers in favour of the dumbed down follow me workforce so many employers think benefits them.

So based on your argument, my decision to jump from the line of "sheep" and try to find a proactive workplace within which I fit, SHOULD give me some protection from the greater world economic glitches, and a more secure future for my family and I....

That in a nutshell is why I am where I am.

Next question is.. How do we avoid ending up working for one of the clowns you referred too.

 

[KraftyPg]

What should and shouldn't happen goes out the window when f/wits take charge and there are too many f/wits in positions they shouldn't be in. Every job in the country will have some flow on effect from global economic problems some up and some down but the way we run our companies and business in this country has a far bigger flow on effect than the global economic market. Global financial issues come and go, f/wits in charge wreck it today and for the future until someone with brains takes over and realises the change is needed.

Unfortunately not working for clowns is something that can be quite hard to do, one because you don't always know who is a clown and who isn't but more so because too often these days you have to take the jobs offered rather than choose one you like. But if you are in a position where you can wait for a better job there is no reason you can't research your prospective boss the same way they should research their prospective worker. Find out which companies have happy employees, find out which companies operate well, and concentrate on those. Of course it's not a definite solution and you may make a few errors in judgements but life is not easy and mistakes are made.

I'm sure from your time in the trucking game you've heard some horror stories of companies who treat their staff like crap and have poor working conditions or pay etc, this would happen in every industry so research the companies you apply to and find out as much as you can then you can decide whether it's a place you want to work for or just a job to keep you going until the right job comes along.

Some people will never be happy in their jobs and always blame their bosses or management for every possible thing, some are justified some are just whingers but while you may not get every bit of research right, no research at all is often cheating yourself.

There is no simple solution, there is no 100% certain answers and no solution works in every case but taking your own life by the balls wherever possible beats letting someone else lead you around by your balls.

 

[navdog_d40]

the way things are looking if things don't pick up in the next month im going to lose my job and be looking for some form of income .. hope people who have it start spending soon.

 

[johnbritto]

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..........

i did say that i was sorry if i was wrong in my assumsion and i do now appolagise to you personaly it is not my intention to offend anyone, having said that you gota admit thare is a lot of bludgers in the world that just want to blame others and the way the system works, i do realise that depending on a persons chosen profession and geographical location that it can be hard to find a job sometimes and as i said i dont live in mexico (victoria), anyway good luck with finding that ballence you are looking for personaly ill keep doing 12-14 hours a day 6 nights a week for a while longer it beets what i used to do when truck drivers used to drive all night then spend all day unloading and re loading just so they could drive all night again, i have been driving the big ones for 25 years started doing interstate when i was 18 and only the last year and a half got a local job i still miss the highway sometimes and im sure that ill go back to it the diesal got in my blood at a very young age and i cant get it out thats why when ever something about truckies comes up on here i get a bit excited .

 

[D21 dualcab Z24 4X4]

i get a bit excited .

Probably an understatement, but we are all entitled to our opinion. I accept your apology and will hold no grudges.. I have to say John, When I first read your response I laughed at how far wrong you got it, and I needed a smile so thanks.

Cheers

Mat

 

[johnbritto]

Probably an understatement, but we are all entitled to our opinion. I accept your apology and will hold no grudges.. I have to say John, When I first read your response I laughed at how far wrong you got it, and I needed a smile so thanks.

Cheers

Mat

your welcome and good luck

 

[terryc]

you LEFT a good truck driving job with 60 hours a week

Shrug, sounds a good move to me. It wasn't truck driving, but is was 60 hours per week for week after week after week and I only had 15 hours travel on top of that. It really screws your health and your family time.

The saddest thing I ever heard was an older guy say that I knew his son better than he did. The poor bastard had worked those sort of hours all his life to provide a home and stuff for his family, but he was never home to enjoy it and the next thing he knows, the kids have upped and left home.

Work-Rest of life balance is the most important thing for good health and life.


As to finding work it can seem much like BTDT over the decades and then the moment you get one job offer, two others turn up after you start a tide over.

Oh, stay away from IT agencies. Arse-holes advertise jobs they don't have and copy everyone else's jobs to prevent you know who really has the job. I crack up every time they claim "internet job adds have risen".

 

[terryc]

I have applied for 26 jobs this last 6 days alone.

Yep, definitely not on the dole. If you was, you'd have paced those job applications out to last as many weeks as you can. If you don't, all you are doing is making scum like Therese Regin(sp?) richer

Just a Aussie working man who decided to try and find a better balance between work and family...

Wise choice.

 

[KraftyPg]

The saddest thing I ever heard was an older guy say that I knew his son better than he did.

So true, back when I was working 10pm to 10am I used to spend more time in any single day/night talking to the Woolies night shift storeman than I did my missus. On slow days I'd spend more time sitting at the Mobil servo having coffee than I saw my missus.

Working 60+ hours a week might be the normal for some people but it should only ever be done by choice not forced and if people want out of such a working lifestyle then good luck to them.

 

[terryc]

Next question is.. How do we avoid ending up working for one of the clowns you referred too.

In my experience, you can not. All you can do is never buy anything on credit, (except house) and pay that house off as fast as possible. It is marvellous what you can get by on when you have to. It is also marvellous how much "entertainment" you can create yourself.

So, when you suddenly find out the major pit falls with your current job and decide that you were ..well lied to about stuff, you can always do a variation of "UP YOURS" and leave.

I just love the micro-managers who have no clue how to do the job but just bitch that you aren't doing your job right. Thus, when I say "Exactly what am I'm doing wrong" and I get waffle again, I've always had the luxury of saying "Well if that is the way you feel, I'll clean my desk and get out of here.

 

[D21 dualcab Z24 4X4]

I just love the micro-managers who have no clue how to do the job but just bitch that you aren't doing your job right.

LOL.. I think we have all met at least on of them..

 

[Old.Tony]

What should and shouldn't happen goes out the window when f/wits take charge and there are too many f/wits in positions they shouldn't be in.

It's the Peter Principle. "Everybody rises to their level of incompetence".

And in case that's not clear: people are promoted from a position that they know and understand to a superior position at which they are completely incompetent and they stay there.

I wish the OP - and everyone else looking for work - the best of luck.

 

[justdrinkbeer]

I'll just pop a counter to all this out there as I often do.

I am advertising for licensed electricians at the moment, we need two. I've had 30+ applicants and have yet to get one that I thought "yep, we have to get him in for an interview", reason is twofold, one- most of the applicants are from large companies doing it tough and getting rid of the shit first, two- those who have a job are doing their best to keep it, rather than risk the change.
And applicants I have had have mostly been complete clots, turn up late in board shorts & can't even spell their own name- I shit you not.

Yes its quiet out there, I have seen the number of interested parties at tender meetings for commercial construction double in the last 6 months, but there is work out there if you go looking, sadly its just that little bit more difficult to get right now.

I hope people don't read into this like i'm being all arrogant & unsupportive. I hope everyone here finds work, contracts, whatever

By the way Electricians required- Sydney Metro area Van/Uniform/Phone supplied and all that. PM me here

 

[Navchip]

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!!!

I am a truck driver as well (25m fuel tanker), and yes I can understand where D21 is coming from.
The above response was way over the top, and I even know how to use spell check !
I work an 11 day fortnight and average 65-72 hours a week, its getting harder each day with so much traffic and so many idiots on the road.
The only bit of advice I would give D21 is that next time get your new job first, before you throw your current one in.

 

[rabbit-chop]

Looking for an experienced bricklayer to give us a hand, s/e subs and peninsular,melbourne. Immediate start. Need to be a gun trowel with own tools and transport. Yep, its slowed right down, but iv been lucky enough to pick up a fair bit of work.

 

[D21 dualcab Z24 4X4]

Looks like there may be some light at the end of the tunnel. I have a verbal offer subject to a medical. Will know the outcome Monday Afternoon, and start Tuesday Morning if all is good.

Navchip... I have really enjoyed taking the rug rats to Kinder, doing a bit of shopping, cooking the dinner a few times. and generally being part of the family full time for a while. I have even completely re-arranged and cleaned my garage.

And I believe that because I was able to focuss so completely on looking for the right job, i think I have found it. 37.5 hrs week M-F and quite a good salary, in fact almost as much as working all those hours in the truck. Quite a bit of responsibility and room for growth and opportunity if I play my cards right too..

Anyway you lot.. Go play in the mud all weekend. I will be thinking of you all while Im sitting in a classroom all weekend.

Mat

 

[KraftyPg]

Don't get sick or you'll have to send someone else to the medical!

Congratulations.

 

[terryc]

and so many idiots on the road.

The young bloke across the road that has a short heavy tipper and a semi with long tipper has installed the Swann 8 camera recorder on his trucks. Said it has paid for itself over and over. Incident, cops abuse, cop turns up, shows them video(?) and car driver gets booked/pays all the bills.