There seem to be alot of people on here who support the idea of welfare for all, I personally believe everyone should pull their own weight.
If you are sound of mind and body there is absolutely no reason why anyone let alone the government should be giving you a hand out.

I do appreciate there are a few exceptions, If you have been made redundant or fired then there should be some sort of short term assistance and if you are in any way impared and GENUINELY unable to physically work then yes I also think you should be taken care of, I know if I was unable to work it would be good to have that safety net.

But all these people who are able bodied and receiving benefits seriously what are you doing???

I know for a fact in Australia (capital cities at least) there is plenty of work going, if you dont see something you want to do in the papers or online go out and use some initiative, approach companies who may not be actively recruiting. If there is genuinely no work in your chosen field then sorry but you need to find a new field.

If you live in an area that has no work then you need to move, whether that be suburb, city or state it doesnt matter. Humans have had to migrate for 1000s of years when conditions in their local environment were no longer suitable to sustain them and its not much different today.

As I mentioned I know for a fact there is work readily available in Oz so as an experiment I decided to see if
it really was as bad in the UK and US as some people on here would have me believe. I made 9 phone calls using my skype account, 4 to New York, 3 to London and 2 to Brighton.
In New York I was offered an interview with a retail outlet paying above min wage (I made sure to ask) In Brighton I got an interview with a swimming pool and in London at hotel.

I told all of them I had no experience but I was keen to work and willing to learn.

To be fair I spent a few years working in recruitment so I have a good idea of what to say to employers and rather than this just be a beat down thread I thought I would offer some practical advice for anyone on this site who is currently unemployed but genuine about getting a job and having the pride of being self sufficient and productive.

1st of all dont rely on job agencies or wanted ads from papers or online sites, figure out what you want to do, get a resume together and approach companies in your chosen field. If you dont have a resume or know how to put one together there are many websites that can help or your local job centre should be able to show you how.

2nd When calling a company if they ask you to send in your resume tell them you would rather drop it off in person, this shows enthusiasm and also gives you a chance to stick out from the crowd and will ensure they remember you.

3rd you have a better chance dealing with smaller companies, any company that has a dedicated HR department normally has alot of fluffing around between realising they need someone and actually filling the position. If you mange to speak to a manager or better yet owner and make a good impression they may create a position for you if they can see you will be of benefit to the company.

4th remain positive and seem optomistic when you meet with people. Its human nature to want to be around upbeat people always smile and be engaging and if its in your nature a small joke or 2 never hurts

5th and finally when any meetings conclude assume you have the job, shake their hand and tell them you look forward to hearing from them and are looking forward to working there.
Assumption is a very powerful psychological tool and if its the owner they will appreciate your enthusiasm.

If this thread helps even 1 person Ill be over the moon but my experience with long term unemployed types (family and close friends included) is that they are happy getting there pittance from the Gov and a common excuse Ive heard is "yeah Ive been offered work but its only a bit more than the dole"
sure it may start out that way but there is the chance of pay raises or promotions, Ive never heard of anyone being promoted on the dole.

Ive helped over 400 people find work and if your genuine I would be more than willing to help in anyway I can.

OK Im done, I doubt this thread will go anywhere but once again if even one person gets something from this Ill be over the moon

Cheers

Totally dependent on the area and what is going on in it.

Some places are still economically viable, others are falling apart at the seams.

Give you an example of how things can be...

In a town near where I live, a McDonalds put out notice that they would be hiring 25 people and were accepting applications.

The day of the applications, they had approximately 1500 people apply.

For a job at McDonalds. Lowest wages out there and crappy conditions, all things considered.

Yet, the job market there is so shabby that 1500 people were clamoring for a job there.


Now, is that kind of thing happening everywhere? No, but it IS happening in enough places that people really should be taking notice and realizing there's a problem with those numbers.

So, I am glad for your own situation and circumstances, but it's not that way everywhere, and you can consider yourself one of the lucky ones.

One thing as well, the idea of just picking up and moving is also NOT easily done in these times, especially when you have children involved. Been there personally. When single, or with no kids involved? Much easier prospect.

I get interviews all the time. So far I have gotten passed over for every single one.

I have followed up with some of them through the internet - many companies of the type that I seek work at will put their employees on their website - and the candidates who have gotten the jobs I interviewed for have been women in their 20s. Nobody wants a middle-aged white guy these days when they can have the young eye candy. Discrimination is alive and well. As long as it's BEFORE the hire date, there's nothing you can do.


I made $80k a year at one time. About a month ago I applied for a $7.50/hour janitor job at WalMart. I did not get a callback.

I shall move to Malaysia poste haste.

I will leave my every single tie to this one land I was born into and be a koolie jetting rich people around from night spot to night spot.

My dreams of becoming a buff beach bum, thwarted by this sudden realisation - I am not all that I am, I am not. I am.. not. am I?

I need more and I seek it at your one stop shop, all thing nice and you pay now!

I love those shops. They make me feel evolved.

Anyhoo, on the way to over there, with your over here, and their over their.. I'll go this way.

It is completely and totally dependent on what's out there. Living in Australia, you should count yourself very lucky because the Australian economy has been spared a good deal of what's going on in the world because of mineral trading and that sort of thing.

I'm from an area of the U.S. where most counties have official unemployment rates of upwards of fifteen percent. I hate to break it to you, but not everybody can just pick up and move, either. Moving takes a lot of money, more money than people like to admit, and than most people are going to have if they're out of work.

Humm

Something is wrong, I am still umemployed!

So, is it me or you baby??


I'm still here asking, you're the one off with the keys man..

get me a job NAO!!

Originally posted by mainidh
I shall move to Malaysia poste haste.

I will leave my every single tie to this one land I was born into and be a koolie jetting rich people around from night spot to night spot.

My dreams of becoming a buff beach bum, thwarted by this sudden realisation - I am not all that I am, I am not. I am.. not. am I?

I need more and I seek it at your one stop shop, all thing nice and you pay now!

I love those shops. They make me feel evolved.

Anyhoo, on the way to over there, with your over here, and their over their.. I'll go this way.

LOL It would be cool to meet a fellow ATSer, look forward to seeing you here

I moved to Malaysia with an Aussie job, The work I do has absolutely nothing to do with Malaysia but yes it is very easy for expats to get jobs here

Originally posted by AnIntellectualRedneck
It is completely and totally dependent on what's out there. Living in Australia, you should count yourself very lucky because the Australian economy has been spared a good deal of what's going on in the world because of mineral trading and that sort of thing.

I'm from an area of the U.S. where most counties have official unemployment rates of upwards of fifteen percent. I hate to break it to you, but not everybody can just pick up and move, either. Moving takes a lot of money, more money than people like to admit, and than most people are going to have if they're out of work.

I agree its not easy to find a job in all places but I dont think its hard either, as I mentioned there are things you can do to give yourself a better chance or to stand out from the crowd.

I have to strongly disagree with you that moving takes alot of money, depending on what commitments you have where you are such as a mortgage or children it can be hard but without these things its easy, it just takes a leap of faith.

I left my country with a plane ticket and $600 dollars in the bank which in local terms is about the equivalent of $1800 US, to be fair I did have a job at the time so I knew I had an income and it would only be a few weeks till my next paycheck, for me moving wasnt an economic necessity I moved because I wanted a better lifestyle without having to work 50+ hours a week.

Im not suggesting people take off blind, Im suggesting if theres no work in your area look at areas that do have work going, or stay where you are and stay unemployed. To me the choice is an easy one

Being offered an interview is still a massive leap away from actually getting a job.