Hey guys,

Like so many others out there, Covid times hit hard, some with their health but others another challenge, losing their jobs. I have been out of work now since Covid pretty much changed all our lives. Had i known i was going to be out of work this long i might have considered taking up a lengthier course. Nearly 12 months on i am feeling tired of being tired, looking, searching high & low for work through a computer. Im no computer whizz & don't have any huge qualifications but up til now was enough to secure a job. Could be worse i guess and i am trying to be strong, but just some days it gets overwhelming as Centrelink are helping financially to keep a roof over my head & my kids but i don't really feel the job people they send you onto, really want to help they just want to tick off their KPI's. Im pretty resilient normally, but this new norm right now is getting me down. Most jobs you apply for, don't reply or go for interview to no avail. I have to say my self esteem is really low the longer im shut away looking for work. Catch 22 is to do a course that you want to do, it costs you money, which i don't have. To be honest at 53 not sure what to really do but i refuse to take jobs just for the heck of it, which is what Centrelink would prefer one to do. I also won't take low wage & go backwards in life rather than where i was heading, to better myself, being a single mum & the main provider. What to do...

Unfortunately the whole... "Sending out your resume and getting absolutely no response from employers" thing has been the norm for about 10 years now.

Once upon a time you would get a typed letter saying the whole "Thank you for applying but unfortunately the position has already been filled, we wish you the best in your job search"... sometimes even a little feedback about why you didn't get the position to try and help you with your next application. In later years you at least got a non-personalised "Sorry you were not accepted" automated e-mail response.

But for the last 10 years or so you send your application and resume out into the electronic ether... never to be seen again. Like constantly throwing your hopes and dreams into a endlessly feeding black hole. Not exactly very inspiring or motivating after months and months of that.

Unfortunately it's been an employers market for quite some time now. Longer than I've ever heard of before. It used to switch back and forth reasonably regularly between an employers and an employees market. But for the last 10 years or so employers have become complacent and no longer care about getting or retaining good staff anymore... there are more workers wanting work than jobs available and they know it. Easily replaced workers for too many years in a row has resulted in all the former courtesy and respect they once had for their workforce and prospective applicants being evaporated and entirely forgotten.

You unfortunately caught the job providers at a bad time. Early last year their entire industry was undergoing a huge governmental shakeup and "what they can and can't do" was not defined... then Covid hit. Further disrupting what they can and can't do. So in their defense it wasn't really their fault... their hands were bound and they were waiting for the government to tell them what they had funding and permission to do. Which was something the government took their sweet time getting back to them about.

As of just recently (the last 2 weeks) this has finally been solidified so you finally might get the service you were expecting. They actually know what they can do and what funding they have now. Ask them next time about free courses on offer... they will have a decent list.

Everything from First Aid Refreshers, to Computer Courses, to Business Certificates, to Chef Courses. Some practical, come online or a mixture of both. All fully funded.

I've seen the new Gov plan and while not perfect it is much improved.