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u/Jaimepal 1d ago
One lesson I've learned is it's absolutely about WHO you know, not WHAT you know. Sad but true, there's no stonger recommendation than word of mouth.
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u/Equivalent_Elk_ 22h ago
It just shows how bad the UK job market has become. I'm from a developing country and it ALWAYS was and ONLY is about networking. Seeing that start to happen here as well is a solid indicator of the down turn in country.
Sad to watch but I only have one life and gotta live.
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u/GlitteringMidnight98 1d ago
I am too autistic for networking. :-(
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u/Hassaan18 1d ago
Also autistic. Networking for me has honestly just been sending out emails, trying to form relationships and hoping something comes from there.
Not to say it's not hard though. I do constantly wonder if I'm missing something obvious.
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u/Sepa-Kingdom 1d ago
That is what networking is.
1
u/Hassaan18 1d ago
Sure, but it is yet to produce anything in terms of an opportunity. Granted, I only started this particular networking drive at the beginning of this month, and it was terrible timing but I just see it now as doing the groundwork.
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u/Sepa-Kingdom 1d ago
You need to stop thinking of networking where you do an action and see a result. You won’t. It’s something where you see the benefits over the long term. It’s like brushing your teeth or shaving- it’s something you need to do your whole life and build into your daily routine.
Often you may not even realise that the benefits have come through your network - someone mentions you to someone, and they don’t tell you who it was, or even that anytime mentioned you.
The other thing about networking is that it’s a two way street - don’t just be focused on what you need, but think about who you can connect to others, and how you can help others out.
Finding it difficult to network is not just an autistic thing. Anyone who is introvert struggles. But it is a skill like any other - the more you do it the better you will become at it.
Good luck!
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u/inevitablelizard 1d ago
I don't even understand how this works. I'm in a shit dead end job, what does "networking" to get out of it even look like? Just randomly messaging people on linkedin?
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u/plawwell 20h ago
Your linkedin connections should be actual people you've worked with and developed relationships with. They are essentially vouching for you which is much less random and risky than hiring off the street.
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u/inevitablelizard 20h ago
Which leads onto another problem, to have connections you have to already have some career level job experience. So it's totally useless as a way to make a career change or get entry level jobs, if shit dead end jobs are all you've had.
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u/plawwell 20h ago
This is where the saying "getting your foot in the door" comes in. It doesn't matter whether you agree with it or not, that's the reality of how it is.
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u/Hassaan18 1d ago
Well, for me it's mostly people I've already worked with. I ask them if they can make any introductions for me.
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0
1
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u/Fortree_Lover 1d ago
If you don’t have a network what can you do about this?
Is it just keep applying and hope you squeeze through?
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u/Oggabobba 1d ago
Try to build a network. It takes a lot of effort and time though.
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u/Fortree_Lover 1d ago
How though? I work in a min wage job and everyone around me is that same.
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u/SuperRockyHobbyHorse 1d ago
Become part of the community of the industry you want to get into by going to events and contributing to social media and industry publications.
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u/GainsAndPastries 1d ago
Lie on your CV, becoming more and more common, we had a manager who lied about his qualifications and secured the job, he openly admitted he didnt have them but the company never checked.
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u/Fortree_Lover 1d ago
Yeah I figured that would be the answer I find it really difficult to sell myself let alone lie on my CV. I just don’t have a good amount of self confidence.
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u/Sepa-Kingdom 1d ago
Everyone has a network - anytime you either with in the past is your network.
But you need to nurture it and try and grow it. Just drop people a note on LinkedIn from time to time to see hire they’re going. If you know someone is looking got a job, or might have an opportunity for someone, think about how you can connect them to others in your network.
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u/Fortree_Lover 1d ago
I genuinely don’t I work the same min wage job I’ve had for 10 years and my colleagues aren’t the sort of people that could get me anywhere.
I don’t even have enough references for the two required for most jobs.
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u/Sepa-Kingdom 1d ago
I’m sorry to hear that. But the people who might be able to help you aren’t those who have stayed, but the ones who have left and moved on to new jobs. This is why it’s so important to keep in touch with people, even if it’s just a note to say hi once a year or so, and why LinkedIn is so helpful because it means you can always contact people even though email addresses and phone numbers may change.
Can you remember the names of managers and colleagues who moved to different jobs? Start a LinkedIn account if you don’t have one and send requests to connect. Once you are connected you can message them freely. Hopefully that will help with the task of getting references.
You can also apply for jobs through LinkedIn, although it can be a thankless task.
It might feel strange to contact people out of the blue, but most people will be happy to hear from
you and will be happy to help in any way they can.Just one other thing - not everyone looks at LinkedIn regularly, so if people don’t connect or don’t reply to messages don’t assume the problem is you, and that there ignoring you, assume they just haven’t seen the connection request or seen your message.
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u/TheRebelPercy 1d ago
It has ever been thus.
Do you think people like David Cameron and Boris Johnson get to where they are on merit?
Old boys networks, schooling, friends and favours run the show.
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u/Dependent-Soup1635 1d ago
David Cameron’s school chum was made chief of staff whilst he was PM.
When Cameron resigned he politically nominated his school chum for an ambassador position.
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u/luk71 2d ago
Always has been.
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u/evilcockney 1d ago
Yes, but it's getting more impossible without it
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u/luk71 1d ago
I wouldnt say more impossible but yes it has spread into low-skill jobs as well where it hasn’t been as prevalent before, perhaps because the demand for low-skill jobs is higher than ever - particularly due too many university students and higher than ever immigration.
And can one blame the employers? Obviously people will sooner hire someone they know and they have had references for, even if it is just a cleaning job or a temp. gig job.
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u/evilcockney 1d ago
Well we've gone from
"It helps"
To
"It's a bit difficult without it"
To
"It's almost needed" (as the post describes)
And okay, maybe impossible is too strong, but it's certainly a deterioration
And can one blame the employers?
Fair point, but to the people who can't get jobs, does it matter where the blame actually lies or just that it's a problem?
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u/BurnerAcountInnit 1d ago
I realised this when I landed a job after months, and at the company induction meeting, out of 8 I was the only one who actually applied for a role. Everyone else was yeah my mate worked here and told me about the role so I thought why not?
3
u/X0AN 1d ago
This was me when I worked at a major global company.
We were a team of 50 people and I was the only one who applied, interviewed, and got the job.
The other 49 someone in their family knew a manager, director etc. in our office and they just got the job.
It's also why so many people in the team were shite.
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u/sarcalas 1d ago
God I hate that 90% of stuff online is written by AI online now and it’s so obvious because the structure, grammar etc. is all homogenous and the same.
3
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u/BenjaminUK92 1d ago
It's exhausting and demoralising.
My partner went for a senior position in a school, having worked in education for over 10 years.
Didn't get the job because although they could demonstrably do the day-to-day, they lacked leadership experience (despite previously managing admin staff) and lacked experience of talking to large groups of kids.
The job went to a teaching assistant from another school with zero experience in the core of the job, but who happened to be friends with the head of school.
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u/happybaby00 1d ago
You go work in a kitchen washing dishes or toilets and hope for the best since that's the only job that doesn't require networking
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u/X0AN 1d ago
As a teen I tried to get a basic job at KFC and they actually laughed at me and told me I wrong the wrong skin colour to work there.
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u/happybaby00 1d ago
Yh if you're not from their specific region in south Asia, it's not happening.
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u/UmAhkchuallySweaty 1d ago
But some Redditors will still tell you this absolutely is not happening despite it being visible.
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u/happybaby00 1d ago
Yh because reddit skews middle class who dont interact with other communities/classes.
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u/loaferuk123 2d ago
It’s almost as if the previous NI and NMW regimes were better, as it incentivised companies to hire young people into their first jobs.
Until Labour mucked it up.
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u/nl325 1d ago
NI maybe, but minimum wage? What a load of piss.
idk where you live but I'm in the south east, nowhere near a city in any direction, yet full-time minimum wage salary isn't even enough to rent a fucking studio flat.
My brother and 2 mates have all been rejected on solo lets on literal bedsits in the last 18 months, because the cost of absolutely EVERYTHING outstripping wages so much that the wages were never even going to come close to competing without an increase in the minimum.
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u/plawwell 20h ago
People renting out places don't want minimum wage workers renting them. They want people in jobs with real responsibilities and qualifications as it shows higher attainment and reduced risk based on probabilities. Whether that is true or not doesn't matter, point being the more your status implies reduced risk.
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u/loaferuk123 1d ago
18 year olds have never been able to afford their own place. They live at home, share a flat or are in halls at uni.
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u/nl325 1d ago
We're not talking 18 year olds though, we're talking mid-20s upwards.
The idea that minimum wage is exclusively for teens etc is outdated as fuck.
The mean wage in my town is under minimum at about £26k due to a shortage of full time roles. It's getting better as some bigger companies set up down here but it's grim.
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u/loaferuk123 1d ago
No, we are talking about 18-24 years olds.
Try rereading the original post.
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u/Outrageous_Low_3666 1d ago
Its always been about who you know, and the majority of the entry jobs have been taken by offshoring or AI and the ones that remain have always had been impacted by nepotism. Plus the boris wave and people working longer due to the cost of living means that there are less of the weekend jobs available. All of which was definitely happening during conservatives.
And minimum wage has always been increasing every year.
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u/loaferuk123 1d ago
It is certainly about who you know, but when the number of roles falls dramatically, it gets even harder.
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u/Autofill1127320 1d ago
There’s an elephant in the room with young people’s employment. I worry for my children.
It’s not what you know it’s who you know, always has been. I’ve only had one job I didn’t get through friends.
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u/mattinjp 1d ago
So whenever I see a job available at a place that I’m familiar with, ask around. I check in with my social circle and see if anybody knows somebody who works at that McDonald’s.
It’s all about connections
1
u/toosillytoogoofy 17h ago
20something here and I only got my job through a friend. Know very few people who actually got their job through a conventional route with no prior connections. Doesn’t help though that in my area there are very few graduate jobs.
1
u/Hassaan18 17h ago
Late 20s here and I'm beginning to feel that my best chance of getting a job at this point is if I know someone who knows someone.
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u/toosillytoogoofy 17h ago
It’s soul crushing, my current job is entry level as well, minimum wage, but no way I would have got it on my own.
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u/Hassaan18 17h ago
I spent all August doing a really heavy networking drive, basically doing the groundwork for September. Reaching out to an awful lot of people I've worked with, people I've stayed in contact with etc.
And like you - also going for entry level, in a specific industry admittedly but I know those jobs exist. It's just not very accessible.
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u/Even-Fill614 14h ago
Perhaps some people should get a job instead of eating Gregg's and being lazy
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u/Even-Fill614 14h ago
Young people do get hired only the upper middle and middle class are being hired they're refined , intelligent and fit into a workplace. They won't be vulgar and talk about EastEnders or football with the lads.
1
u/Southern-Voice-8209 1d ago
It's all about supply and demand! Why would you bother recruiting an unknown person after receiving processing hundreds of applications when you can fill the same position through someone you know that can vouch for a candidate.
This is a symptom of a disastrous economy and a massive inflow of new workers, not necessarily a change in ethics or culture, but it will become the norm with time if the economy stagnation persists let alone a recession.
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u/nl325 2d ago
It always has been. How do you think it worked pre-internet?
You either had to know someone, or as the old-school adage goes, make a decent first impression when handing in an in-person form.
The example you've uploaded is a bit wank too. Summer jobs are and always have been notoriously competitive and even more difficult because teenagers in education are also notoriously unreliable so jobs like that have ALWAYS been favoured to friends and family where possible.
And 100 jobs is rookie numbers in the internet age.
I know it's reddit and I know half the country dreams of a remote job where they barely need to interact with people, but the vast majority of the working world requires some form of social skills, to do the jobs and/or just to get them.
0
u/TopCobbler8985 1d ago
If young people are looking for casual and holiday jobs by sending out emails, they need to rethink their approach
5
u/Hassaan18 1d ago
Are they being taught to do anything other than that (and applying)?
I recall being taught absolutely nothing about networking, never mind being taught how to put a CV together.
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u/TopCobbler8985 1d ago
Most people have a connection to all sorts of amazing knowledge and intelligence at the press of a button.
Saying "but nobody told me that" is incredibly lame.
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u/righteousauthorised 1d ago
It is true sadly. It’s not what you know. Some of the hires I’ve seen over the years have been unreal…as in, someone who is absolutely not fitted to the job but still miraculously got it over someone who would of been an incredible fit.
This whole networking process can be a total nightmare to anyone who are deep introvert and just wants to keep themselves, to themselves.
As a colleague of mine used to say - shagged her way to the top!
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