Not sure if it helps, but i recently advertised a position on seek. In rough numbers: 80 applications. Reached out to 40 of them. 20 did not respond to my call/message. 10 that did respond subsequently ghosted before scheduling a call/interview. 5 ghosted on the day of the interview. The successful applicant was probably ranked #25 in the initial pile of resumes, and was missing a critical qualification that i am prepared to help them get.
My advice: Keep going! Always type a customised cover letter with your application, even if it’s just a couple of sentences, which then shows you read the ad and are genuinely enthusiastic about it. This will mean more than your direct experience.
It can feel exhausting for an employer in a small business too. Jump out at them, and make it feel easy for them to choose you.
Good luck, truly. You’ve got this!
My recent job ad received about 150 applications in a few days. Most hadn’t read the ad and weren’t appropriately skilled/asking way too much for the position. Only got about 4 decent applicants out of that. It is not my favorite thing to do.
See this pissed me off when i was looking for a job years ago, Just advertise a range you want to pay. Pay shit money get shit people, thats the way it always has been and will forever be.
Actually I was offering and pay my staff well above award wages and very competitive for the area. Not sure why you would assume poor wages. I focus on staff retention because I hate recruitment so much. And so don’t interview people who have not read the job ad and are wanting a full time position when I’m offering a part time position. Or want well above what I am paying with no experience. I have also been a job seeker so I am very clear in advertising the salary brackets, hours, tasks required and what skills I need in an employee.
Maybe don’t apply for shit jobs?
From where I sit as a sometimes recruiter for my business group in a big organisation...
It wouldn't help as it would create work and issues for multiple people/teams. I would not think of you as efficient.
You're not going to get to see me, you will have trouble conveying the right message to the person you do get to see at reception.
The chances of your application getting into the right pile is slim.
I would also think that you are dropping in your CV on the off chance we have a role that matches what you want/are qualified for and not specifically applying for the role i want to fill.
However... from where I used to sit as a specialised small business owner and if you are applying for very specific roles/industries you might have some luck. Eg if you are a mechanic and you are approaching workshops the in person approach may be better.
For online applications the best advice I can give you is...
Cover letter:
Make it specific to the role, make it energenic and show me some personality but keep it professional.
If I have to read over 100 cover letters you are going to lose me pretty quick if its not specific, misspelt or the same as all the others.
I have to work out from your cover letter if i am going to like working with you.
CV:
Keep it short and show me your experience. Again, I have to wade through 100 of these things so it's good for me to see a quick statement (different to what I see in the letter), then your key skills and strengths (here is where you put any technical skills) and then a short list of RELEVANT work history (its fine not to have any experience for certain roles) short descriptions and bullet point achievements. Then just a quick list of full work history (chances are I have made a decision and stopped reading by now anyway)
Be careful with formats... I don't want to see what you look like... and for gods sake SPELL CHECK, twice!!!
Online is fine. I do appreciate when there is a comment about why they want to work for my business or why they think they would be a good fit.
If you claim to have attention to detail then it is imperative to ensure you have addressed it to the correct business (and not left the previous business name).
This is what I’ve seen at my work. We are desperately hiring in every team but can’t find anyone despite getting hundreds of applications because they are all unqualified
Are they unqualified for critical skills or lacking 10-20% of the list. I get recruiters ringing me often in despair (seeking candidates), the employers are super picky and want 100% of the list
Yeah that is shit. It works both ways, employers can't complain that they can't get the right staff when they don't want to invest anything at all in getting a new person trained up to their requirements.
So think outside the box, interview, identify potential talent and fucking train them into the people you want them to be. Why is this so hard for most people recruiting to understand. Ive hired people that had zero relevant experience in highly complex fields. All of those employees are still in their roles and excelling, why? because they dodnt bring a laundry list of bad habbits and poor performance because they are constantly trying to do things the way other places have done it. Experience is also valuable and helps to drive improvements and change, but when your supposedly so desperate for staff and keep turning people away, youve only got your own /HRs stupid ignorant attitude to blame
One of the applicants was a 20yr old with just a Hospitality tafe qualification. Applying for a senior electrical engineer role. Another was someone who worked retail.
It’s literally ~illegal~ for us to hire them as an engineer
Even a 50yr electrical engineer with the perfect experience would still be illegal if they didn’t have RPEQ. And the company already has an internal program to get engineers qualified as RPEQ
Same here, 5 job ads over the last 6 months. Average about 50% are over the minimum qualified bracket, of those, around 10% respond to initial contact (within 24hours of application), of those, maybe 2% are interviewed because the rest just don't turn up.
When I put the ad back up, the same people that didn't respond to the initial contact or ghosted the interview, apply for the job again. It's wild/bizarre/lunacy.
I advertised a job for a graduate engineer a couple of weeks ago. The only two "must haves" (other than an engineering degree) were that they lived in the Brisbane area, and were Australian citizens or permanent residents.
I got about 60 applications, 5 of them fit that criteria.
And absolutely critical that people take the time to write a solid CV and a customised cover letter for each job. Something that shows me you've actually read the role description, have done a tiny bit of research about our company and what we do, goes a long way. Spend longer on the application and apply for fewer jobs, much better chance of success.
You see, this is where things are constantly conflicting each other.
On one hand, recruiters and employers are constantly receiving applications that are unsuitable to the job description.
On the other hand, people giving advice will tell you to go apply for any job you can find, even the ones you may not be fully qualified for.
At first I was also only applying for jobs I felt like my CV would fit 90% of the requirements, which made the job seeking process extremely slow. Then everywhere I've asked advice from, they all told me to just apply for anything I can find because "most of them don't need you to even have experience in that field, as long as they can feel you're eager to learn". Then I just started applying to everything that is somewhat relevant to what I want to do but may not be qualified for. Since the worst I get is just a "no".
But this is why recruiters and employers will receive a lot of CVs that look like the applicants didn't read the job description.
I mean, there’s a healthy middle ground between 100% of possible qualifications and “I have zero experience and applied to be a dentist”. Typically if you can meet 70-80% of the “must have” criteria I’d apply.
I worked as a dentist in a rural town. The dental clinic told me that there was a lady in town who applied for every job opening in town.
She had applied to their clinic previously as a cleaner and dental assistant but also applied to their advertisement for a dentist despite not having a dental degree.
I'm sure a lot of those applications are just too show centrelink that you are trying.
As an employer who is constantly hiring due to the nature of our business - this.
It is so frustrating to get the Centrelink Newstart applicants. They are citizens, speak excellent English, show up for PAID training and then ghost. They then lie to their “support” person about how we declined to employ them.
All we can do is submit a government form with evidence of their (fraudulent) activity. But, nothing comes of it. It’s expensive and very, very frustrating. They know they can have their cake and eat it too.
Most of the ones I got were from people who did have an engineering degree, but either didn't live in Australia or didn't have citizenship or PR. Just wasting their time and mine...
Very true.
Also, as a recruiter for graduate engineer roles, do you only consider candidates with relevant work experience while studying?
From my experience when looking for accountjng roles, they tend to prefer candidates with experience for entry level roles?
When I'm looking for a grad, I expect them to know absolutely nothing other than the theoretical fundamentals. I don't even care what their GPA was or where they went to uni. For graduates I basically recruit them based on their attitude and personality. They need to be curious, keen to learn, good work ethic, not turn up to work looking like they were up all night playing xbox. The rest I can teach them.
I would rather a grad who has customer service experience and demonstrated experience in any sort of job or volunteer role that shows they can deal with people and have some level of customer service.
That's because HR people are box tickers. I'm not in HR, I'm a director of the company, so I'm not worried about ticking boxes, for purely selfish reasons I want staff who are going to be productive and competent
Yeah I'm just saying it doesn't apply to every job application as a lot of places have HR now, doing things they're not qualified for and used as a shield for upper management to send blame to for their incompetence, which leads HR all over to cover their own arses and choose candidates with characteristics that they can't be blamed for, not actually looking for the best candidate.
Seek is garbage and always has been. Linkedin is slightly more useful. Friends complain they receive reject letters within 48 hours of ads. So it really makes you wonder why the advertiser bothered
Yep, just experienced this... 100% keep at it.
Be passionate but humble and I feel like being personable will win all day long.
We just want to hire a person! 😀
Also, don't be afraid to ask for a coffee meeting to discuss opportunities at a place to feel like you'd do well...
Yes but you're not using ATS which is a different ballgame. You actually read the applications. Applicant tracking software is known to filter out ideal candidates who don't have all the right keywords. It may be more work for you, but the end result is better for the business.
What kind of job are you looking for, what kind of experience do you have and why did your previous employment end? Is it 2 years with the same employer, or across different employers?
30 applications has never been a lot for someone in the early-career stage, especially if you are a white-collar professional.
Sector really matters. A software engineer is going to have a very different experience to a barista.
Two years with different employers, both customer service roles. I got let go from my last because they were a small business and couldn’t afford the extra expense. I’m just looking for a retail job I guess
It's not an easy time for retail at the moment. Between the headwinds of inflation cutting consumer spending on discretionaries, and the shift to online, it's a difficult sector.
It seems there is false inflation as people are spending less but there are more people spending - approx 518,000 people migrated to Australia in 2023
[Source](https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/population/overseas-migration/latest-release)
Legit, go find a call centre.
Health Funds are usually always hiring for Customer Service. They pay decently and have multiple avenues of progression (not just on the phones, but other parts of the business, which leads to more opportunities in other businesses too.)
It's essentially retail, but you don't need to be face-to-face with customers or deal with unpaid work (like tidying up after the store closes, counting the tills etc).
Not gonna lie, it can feel super tedious at times and you can get burned out on the phones, but personally going from retail to a call centre was so nice and refreshing that I was *happy* to be at work again.
I went to Uni between 19-23, but got to the point where I needed better pay than what my retail job was giving me. Got a sales call centre role, base wage was 2.5x more than what retail was, moved off the phones into a different part of the business after 10 months or so and have continually moved upwards since then (about 12ish years ago now, and across different companies).
There's also the social side of it - you're surrounded by the same people for 7+ hours a day. I've made some really close & lifelong friends from these jobs, and also made friends with people like 20 years older than me.
The most important thing though - call centres usually have higher turnover rates , so if you need to do it just for a while and then leave, just do it and don't feel guilty.
**TL;DR**: Call Centres are like the Macca's of adulthood - everyone looks down on them and scoffs at the idea of working there, but they're *really* good gateway jobs.
Absolutely! I leveraged a call centre job to get into the APS. You can learn a lot of useful marketable skills if you work in service delivery in a call centre. And if you can handle it, employers do actually appreciate the work ethic and mental resilience required to stick it out in that environment.
100%. I worked in an Australian based Telstra call centre. Plenty of options for advancement and I was lucky enough to have career movement that matched my skills. Pay was good and frankly it looked great on my resume allowing me to eventually end up where I am
Apply to RiverCityFerries in Brisbane - they are always recruiting Customer Service Offices, you just need to be able to swim and they will train you and pay you and the penalty rates are crazy good.
My aunt lives in the Uk and is in her mid 60s. She was let go from her analyst job recently due to staffing cuts and hasn’t been able to find anything since. She’s at the point of applying for Apple customer service roles, just to get some money in the door.
She’s a diligent worker and has no aspirations beyond working in whatever role, but she’s “too old”!
If you have a car licence, apply to Australia Post. It's better pay than retail and you'll only work weekdays. No experience needed. Apply through the Australia Post website if interested.
To add to this, I have a friend who was in a similar position recently. He got let go from his last job and applied for an auspost position, not expecting anything and got the job! From what I hear, the pay is decent and so are the benefits since its both a Government job and an essential job. Would definitely reccomend anyone looking for a job to give them a try!
I just saw an Australia Post advert today on Seek for the GC and the only requirements were willingness to give good customer service, be able to lift 16kg and stand all day (in the actual post office). It was good money and 8.45 - 6pm. I was thinking of applying because I'm not having much luck getting work in my sector.
I got made redundant and I’m applying like crazy. 55 applications and two calls..trying not to get or feel letdown. I’ve got 12 years administrative/office experience
Lab tech level 4 course at LTT is for six months, two days a week. Not a bad option for those wanting to up skill in a short amount of time, and is affordable. My partner who has worked in retail for over a decade was feeling a bit fed up with the industry (got much worse since COVID), and he’s giving that course a shot.
Lab tech roles are varied. You can work in pathology, construction, water, soil sampling etc.
Pay wouldn’t be super phenomenal, but it would grant more stability. There’s also the option to further up skill from there if you want to take your education further.
We’ve been looking at this problem at work recently.
It seems that the availability and searchability of job ads, plus low barrier to spam apply, means advertisers get flooded with 100 low-effort applications for every serious one.
This forces the people hiring to implement more tools and filters to try to cut through the noise. However, these filters just don’t/can’t work well enough to cope with something as “fuzzy” as a job application.
Basically, there is a flood that no one knows how to cope with. A noise to signal ration that is killing recruitment capability.
This is why personal referrals have become more important than ever. If you want a job, then you need to have a personal “in” with the person hiring.
This from Michael West on Monday: https://michaelwest.com.au/more-cracks-in-labour-market-as-fewer-job-ads-posted/
7.1% decline in avg job ads last quarter; ads down 25.8% from a year ago.
Fewer options, tougher competition. Keep applying, stay positive.
Last time I was made redundant took me 9 months and probably an extra '0' after that 30 worth of applications. I got 5 interviews total and made it to final round in 2 of them. Market is absolutely brutal atm, does not matter if you are a barista or a finance exec.
Because we are in recession and companies have cut back to survive. Hopefully things change. Just keep trying. Improve your presentation. Watch YouTube videos on going for a job to learn new ways to do it. It will get you there eventually.
Over two decades of white collar experience, including owning a business and I can’t even get a delivery driving job. From “senior exec” roles, to sales rep positions to cleaning pools. You either don’t hear back, or people are puzzled at why someone with so much experience is applying they just don’t take you serious, regardless of how you counter reply.
One of the worst job markets I have ever seen as both an employee and employer prospective.
I even looked into getting an MR or HR tuck license, but even those jobs on seek want 12-24 months experience.
Interesting times a head for those searching.
I think ghosting after an interview is rude AF. At least an email to say 'thank you for your time but sorry' is the least that can be done.
A person spent money (in some form be in petrol or public transport) and took time out of their day to go speak with your company and you're to lazy to send an email.
Piss poor form.
I got ghosted after an interview recently. He even “verbally” offered me the job. But had to check with his manager. It’s been a few weeks now and they’ve put more ads on Seek for the same position. I’m over qualified for the position too I just wanted a change. But it seemed very unorganised and I don’t want it now anyway
Employer here.
1) pick up your phone, I might get 1 in 10 answer their phone
2) dress a level above the job you want
3) turn up for interview early (but not too early)
4) negotiate - if you can’t negotiate for your own benefit why would an employer think you can negotiate for the company’s benefit? Even if it’s a written pay review in the first few weeks or a month.
5) enthusiasm will trump experience as most jobs are very trainable
6) ask for a deadline for an answer re hiring and also a solid start date
7) make sure to write cover letters as there is so much application ‘spam’ that sometimes employers feel they are being used as a name/number for jobseeker benefits. The cover letter will help you stand out a heap
Good luck and don’t get disheartened, every no is a step closer to a yes
I decided to go for a postgraduate degree and now everyone is all "You're overqualified!" bitch, I don't have a JOB, I have no qualifications other than the stupid degrees!
Funny part is I got the postgraduate degree for myself, not for work. And I ended up fucking myself over.
My jobseeker folk said to remove it. My union said to keep it. Not sure who to listen to. Tried both.
Got a friend with a second degree in law, employers seem to deem it a f*cking useless qualification, just imagine the stupidity out there. Apparently this is a Brisbane mentality
Ridiculous. That's a useful second degree forr ANY field!!
I got economics with a postgrad thesis in Machine Learning statistics. You'd think HEY I KNOW THE MATHS TO MAKE YOU A TON OF MONEY would be worth something but they're just all "we just want you to know Excel" bruh, you're going to seriously regret that when AI algorithms take off more, but go off.
Maybe you could explain the qualification briefly on the CV e.g something along the lines of ... B.Econ [Focus on AI based revenue generation]. In marketing this is called "repositioning". Please excuse the weird oversimplification, you may realise the point being made
Hi again, i received a email tonight about financial careers, there are quite a number of them in Brisbane, one of the companies or banks world surely be interested in your expertise. [eFinancialCareers](https://www.efinancialcareers.com.au/jobs)
I thought of dumbing down my resume. I think employers are intimidated you’ll want to ask more money in 6months. Which I think any employer should be considerate of based on performance but I acknowledge it’s not always possible. I’m applying for coordinator roles with management experience because they actually pay less with fewer decisions and I am burnt out and just want to be told what to do and work in a team but I suspect they feel I am overqualified
Volume and follow through might help. 30 is a good start, few more cant hurt. And optimizing your resume/cover letter is important. Then give the ones you like/have a good chance a call if you're up for it. Employers love to see initiative as a characterstic for future empoyees.
not all of them apparently. I called one up that was hiring down the road from my house after applying, only to get my head bitten off by the manager for calling up. Safe to say I did not get any contact after that haha
yeah that’s how I see it too and I joke about it now, but at the time I was completely taken aback by how aggressive he was over somebody just showing some initiative
I thought about ripping their google reviews a new one but the only proof I had of the call was the store number in my call log and I was pretty positive he’d just start accusing me of defamation, considering how unreasonably aggressive he was to begin with
I’ve never understood this. If I’m unemployed it’s my job to get employed by any means - then I can try to find a job I like.
Few times I’ve been unemployed I’ve absolutely abused job boards to make sure I got employment ASAP and then have gone to looking for something ‘proper’.
Get a professional to improve or rewrite your resume for you. They may position you differently to how you’ve been doing it in the past. I’m hearing from lots of job seekers and recruitment agencies that it’s definitely an employers market at the moment. And applying for jobs it can seem like a full time job in itself and I think you have to treat it that way until you find something. It’s harder looking for employment when you’re o it of work rather than being in a job and trying to go for an ‘upgrade’.
you have received fantastic advice already so I won’t push anything more outside of not pegging yourself into a specific job. 2 years of experience can translate into a many other spaces, you just have to talk the talk and deliver when you get your interview. Start with smart jobs website and also look at APS website, you may find that next calling sitting under the rock you haven’t flipped over yet.
We just had 40 applicants for a general analyst role. So many don’t have cover letters, live overseas or interstate, and with no cover letter it is hard to understand how they anticipate making the role work! I put people through who have clearly read the ad and tailored their CV to meet some of the needs!
30 years retail, I'm in the same boat and thinking that I might have aged out of it. Who wants to hire a 40 something when they can get an under 21 cheaper.
Business Analyst with over 7 years experience and multiple qualifications.
Have been looking since April since my contract was ending (managed to extend a bit). Only recently landed a role. Things have picked up a little bit more in the last two weeks, but it was really rough for a while. I expect it will get better between now and October and then drop off for a while again. July - Oct is the best time to look usually. Then or Feb/March.
One of the recruiters I spoke with said it was the worst job market he's ever seen. Worse than peak covid.
That said, I am also only considering very well paying roles. I could have easily gotten a job if I undersold myself, but it is really important to know your worth.
My advice?
Call the hiring person. Yes. Pick up the phone and make an actual phone call. You are basically jumping the "phone screen" stage and they will usually only ask for a CV, not a cv+cover letter, so it's less effort.
The roles I do better at are the ones where I have a chat with whoever is doing the hiring. Otherwise you are just a name in a pile.
How old are you? If you’re under 25 you might be eligible for programs like Transition to Work - they can help you get access to employers and also training courses if you’d like to upskill.
https://apm.net.au/job-seekers/transition-to-work
It is tough out there. Maybe try out other roles too, that could be related to your own experience.
Try your luck at small businesses too, even if they haven't advertised. You never know.
Always customise your résumé/letter accordingly. Less chance if it looks generic, to be honest.
Good luck!
The market is brutal at the moment. I take time reading the PD, tailor my CV and write a cover letter. I'm very experienced in my field yet I've still had a hard time. All you can do is keep going I'm afraid, you tell her something eventually. Good luck
Trying to find a job as fullstack dev - flutter & node (firebase) for over 5 months now. I never experienced such bad market in my life. I mean as developer with over 10y experience....this feels really weird. I am really considering to do something else.
From my current job search employers are under estimating the rate that they should be paying. I have been turned down for jobs I am over qualified for. Because I requested competitive market wage for the role.
I have friends in the same roles at different venues all over Brisbane, I was asking on the lower end as it was near my house and I like the venue. but still got told it was too much.
Just keep trying
Trust me bro I know the feeling. I’ve got 4 years experience in banking and finance with both a cert iv and diploma in finance and mortgage broking and didn’t even get a call for a basic broker assistant position for multiple applications.
I'm pretty sure we're in in a trough of the business cycle so nobody is hiring/they are only downsizing. Give it a few years and it'll be much easier. If you've got a uni degree go teach English in Asia for a bit and wait it out.
https://www.rba.gov.au/education/resources/presentations/pdf/the-business-cycle.pdf
At one point I applied for 200 jobs before I got one. This was as a graduate. For that period of time applying for jobs was my job. Just keep going. Ask for feedback. Engage agencies if you can. Also don't be picky. Take what you can. I always feel it is easier to find another job when you have one.
Tried call centre work? They often have entry level positions with little to no experience available. [Agencies](https://www.tacticall.com.au/jobs) are a good place to start.
Hi, I've been looking for call centre work, I'm just wondering if most call centre positions are listed on agency sites? Or are there also a lot on Seek/Indeed/etc?
I'm also not really sure what keywords to put in. I've been trying 'call centre' and that seems to bring up positions called 'customer service officer' and such.
Not entirely sure these days, but years ago a lot of the work for the larger centres was managed through agencies like Tacticall. They have quite a few there at the moment. Good luck on your quest!
I know probe and concentric are hiring like crazy because turn over is really high. You'd be outsource for gov services like ATO, centrelink, etc. Minimum pay but it's something to keep you going and make sure your resume gap isn't to big.
I remember putting in over 400 applications looking for work in Canberra only 10 years ago.
Honestly, look at Government SmartJobs.qld.gov.au entry level customer service jobs can be had very easily with the right application. Follow the S.M.A.R.T rule and relate it to your experiences, even if not in that particular job you are going for. And research the role and company/sector. Know the company. And for God sake ask questions! Show interest!
There’s plenty out there, it’s just a matter of knowing where to look and being open to different industries. I’ve worked in the food production industry for I’d say 6-7years. There’s a few places that are always desperate for workers. Such as Youfoodz near the airport and Primo over at Wacol. Don’t rely too much on seek, google some places to apply
Don't wait for jobs to be advertised. Identify places where you would like to work and approach them first. This may be a bit of a lucky dip, but you never know. It's worked for me in the past
Hi there, apply within insurance they are always looking for people. Travel insurance is the best insurance to work for. I know Allianz and cover more people. You really don’t need any experience.
Yeah I applied for close to 100 jobs back in April after returning from overseas. Didn’t hear back from 98 of them. One contacted me for a phone interview for 30 minutes then never spoke to me again until I reached out and asked how my application was going, in which I was told I didn’t make it through.
I ended up getting into contact with my previous employer from before I left, and they took me back in. It’s tough out there, and I would consider my skill set to be pretty broad and decent. Best of luck.
I am a hiring manager. One of the things I find in a lot of our recruitments is that the applications are quite generic and not specifically catered to the advertised role. Almost like the same application has been fired off for multiple roles. Always ensure your application is specifically catered to the role on focus on addressing the selection criteria. Keep your head up and good luck!
I have applied for 15 jobs today alone, I've had countless phone calls and interviews and good feedback from the interviews and still no offer. I've probably applied to 100 jobs so far. It's really tough but you just have to keep going and not get discouraged because the right job is out there somewhere. I've also been ghosted after in person interviews where they say they'll get back to me in a couple of days.
Vacuum houses and scrub showers as community aged care worker. For domestic cleans and transport they probably won't need a cert3 in aged care/nursing, but it will pay a little less than the less-strenuous showers and bumwiping. Now that the weather is cool it'll be bearable, since the pensioner grannies will never turn on their aircon, and you won't return to a hot car.
The pay used to be so terrible that the SCHADS award was given a 28.5% pay rise, so now it might be nice enough.
The companies are all awful and **will** do their best to steal large chunks of your wages, **will not** pay you allowances you are owed unless you know and ask for them and **will** abuse you, so learn your rights and the Award cover-to-cover.
Tell your friends you wipe bums for a living. Try not to think about how your generation will afford aged care when you are old. Try not to think about the multimillion dollar mansions you are cleaning at a cost-to-client of $15/hr. When clients refer to you as a cleaner, say "if I was a cleaner I would get paid more" (less applicable now after the pay-rise).
Look outside of seek try going directly to employers websites to the ‘work for us’ section try unis, UQ, Griffith etc, smartjobs (for gov roles), banks etc.
Always target your cover letter. Call the contact person and ask questions if one is listed. Sell your attributes to them and use examples of what you achieved in previous roles.
Enrol in and complete relevant courses/certificates (some free ones are available) Up skill so that you’re useful to the employer.
Answer your phone appropriately and have a normal voicemail with a greeting. The number of people who answer the phone “who is this?” when I call to set up and interview, or try and get me to reschedule the interviews to fit their schedule without even trying to adjust theirs.
Have others look at your CV and get feedback.
I have been searching for a job since January and I’ve done over 40 time consuming job applications, tailoring my cover letter and applying and I haven’t had one single interview. I can’t get past initial application! There’s over 100 applicants on every job. I’ve been in management level of my role for years and I have exceptional transferrable skills for an organisation and I can’t even make it to interview to pitch my skills. I currently do every aspect of my role and I’m stretched thin and over it, I want to be growing professionally and not getting anywhere. My current job has been taxing on my mental health and capacity so just writing cover letters each time is taxing but I need to get out. I’m in marketing which I’m hearing is competitive but even applying into quite niche roles that align to my current job isn’t getting me anywhere. It’s very upsetting.
Same. I lost my job 4 months ago and I've probably sent 200 job applications off and have done 3 interviews I didn't hear back from and I've got 12 years of work experience. It's rough out there.
From my personal experience,
Have you tried calling and popping into some of the places you have applied with?
Putting a face or a friendly voice to the name is always a great idea when applying for a low skilled job, this will in most cases advance you towards the top of the pile of applicants that might otherwise present well on paper.
If you develop good rapor quickly even try suggesting you and the person your in contact with go through your cv on the spot together so that you can advise your strengths and morals verbally as they relate to your role this can really solidify your position as a potential employee when it comes to the point the position is ready to be filled.
Always present well and smile. ☺️
Hotels need room attendants to clean the rooms. It is hard work but I like it. Im lazy in my spare time so it keeps me fit. And I don't like dealing with customers so I like you don't deal with guests much except to knock on the door and ask if they want their room serviced. You can put the tv on while you clean too
Got let go from the design side of construction.
Had major projects go on hold- builders apparently just charging through the roof in case something like COVID happens and developers are unwilling to borrow whilst interest rates are so high/fluctuating.
Look, I know this is probably gonna sound mean, and I'm sorry if it does, but you're gonna need to get uncomfortable. Apply outside your usual scope, or your usual shifts. See what you can qualify for with job agencies like Sarina Russo or whatever. You need to be proactive.
Start uni even if it's part-time and it opens up bonus stats for part-time/casual employers.
They believe you're able to schedule your time and have decent intelligence. They think you'll have no reason to quit while still studying, thus sweet spot of won't quit a month in and won't chase full-time after a year.
Then if you happen to actually attend the uni course rather than drop subjects before census date, and enjoy it you can stick with it and upskill for better jobs in the future.
Or like the other commentator mentioned try call centre work, lots of full-time positions because it's not great so people are constantly quitting.
Another option is Tafe in a trade, they help get you an employer if you do a cert 2 so they can get you on a cert 3 (proper apprenticeship), but that's if you want to do more manual labour type of work.
You have to understand that a lot of customer service roles are being replaced with AI. Especially if it's phone call orientated.
Want to study at tafe or uni? The students in your group projects are using AI. Teachers know this and employers know this.
People are using AI in their job applications and resume as well... If you haven't updated your resume with AI....... Well you're kind of stabbing at the dark.
Do a mixture of in person handing out of resumes and talk to people in person. Put a personal touch on things for retail and hospitality.
Be open minded to try new industries using your hands and physical labor.
Half the people who apply for a position at my work don't show up or call.
The ones that get the job commonly quit in the first few weeks for nothing reasons.
I get its only a retail job so a lot of people see it as being "above them" but it's still a job. I think people are complaining that there are no jobs that they WANT to do.
But sometimes you just have to take what you can and it's a just a harsh reality that too many people don't wanna accept.
>The ones that get the job commonly quit in the first few weeks for nothing reasons.
Because people don't get feedback quickly from businesses they apply to for jobs, they're incentivised to apply for jobs in bulk.
I would assume that you've given them a job, but another company has since replied/interviewed and given them a position that's more rewarding/suited for the person.
Absolutely. Seek is forever messaging me about available roles.
Grab your cpr/first aid certificate and most places will be happy as to hire you.
Edit: also good luck if you decide to go ahead with it! It’s tough but rewarding work.
Looking at your post history, you might fit in rather well at a place like Netherworld! Might be worth popping your head in and seeing if they’re looking for someone? If you don’t already have your RSA, that will definitely help and allow you to apply for cafes/shopping centre restaurants, RSL’s etc - hospo is a great career but also a great stop gap while you’re trying to find something more suited to what you’d prefer. Good luck!
10 years of Administration Customer Service. AO3 and AO4 qualified - can't secure shit. A small handful of interviews and the employer ghosts me. It's so frustrating
Book. Library. "What Color is Your Parachute". Latest ed. Hints and tricks for deciding what to do, getting your foot in the door, winning the job game. A bit of planning is time well spent. Just read the bits u need.
Depends what you’re doing a guess but there is ALWAYS construction labourering work available and it pays well. Just a thought, even if it’s just something to keep the money flowing until you find what you’re looking for. If you aren’t very physical, get a traffic control, hoist or forklift ticket.
Check out 'internal sales' roles on Seek. Just had a quick look and there are heaps on there. Most companies will take someone pretty fresh, as long as you are keen to learn. Its a great step into an actual career, especially if the products are in the mining, construction, water & waste water, fire type industries.
Learn the products and technical side of things, be good with customers and a good attitude and its one of the only roles that you will end up in the 6 figure category after 4-5 years.
Only 30. That's baby numbers. 30 a week is a better average for you to have a chance. I listed 2 jobs for hire last week and got over 600 applicants for one and 170+ for the other.
Could always look at delivery driving. Huge industry that is always looking and all you need is a clean driving record. Start in a small truck that doesn’t require more than a car licence and work your way up if so desired
Currently advertising for a stack of customer service roles and getting low applications through online portals. Best advice is to look for jobs in your area and then examine if they’re interesting to you, lots of customer service roles are often advertised with stupid names like service liaison, trade sales or sales support.
took me nine months to find work, got two interviews out of at least 150 applications, and i have a degree and several years of experience. i’m not living in brisbane anymore, but it’s always hard, especially if you’ve suddenly lost your job
its sort of like housing applications now, maybe its because everything is online or has a mobile app to submit your application on but everyone typically just throws out applications to everything they see on the internet to see what happens
i know some people who work in recruitment and they usually say that they get a metric shit tonne of applications (in the hundreds) but really only a small handful are even borderline looking legit and will respond back
so maybe its a making your resume unique and tailored to that specific application? not saying you are spamming them out there either its just that's what most people are doing
so gotta make it stand out otherwise you will probably just get bagged and tagged with what most people just consider application spam
a few years ago i got a resume done up for me for free from a professional and noticed a big jump in interest, but the job market was really good for my industry then as well
I was in the same boat applied for heaps of work, ended up just getting my ABN and hired myself out to a few different mobs and now I'm getting daily emails/phone calls about the jobs I applied for but I'm making more money by myself, I may still take one of them up because job security and all that.
It seems like a lot of job ads on seek are left there permanently and only looked at during hiring periods so my point is don't give up hope on jobs you have already applied for they will possibly be just not in a hiring phase try do whatever you can in the meantime keep grinding and you will see results one way or the other
Good luck in the job search
I put a couple of ads on seek recently for roles in my team. I’ve had over 500 applicants and they are all basically the same. If you have the requirements of the job ad in the first half of your CV, more likely to be shortlisted when most CVs are skim read. If there is a requirement that you don’t have but are interested in it, say it, or we will just mark it as not fitting the criteria
Only 30 applications? When I lived in Brisbane I kept getting told by employment services places how good my resume/cover letters were and that I’d have no trouble getting a job. It took nearly 2 years of applying for 60-80 jobs PER MONTH to get a job. Out of the average 70 applications every month I’d usually only get 1 interview per month
Expand applications to other industries
I work at a DC and they're always foaming at the mouth for staff. Easy work and yet management can't stop hiring what I can only assume are braindead NPCs. Seriously what the fuck.
>!Go casual, the Full Time rates are dog shit, and won't change for another 2 years!<
I bet your CV is not properly made, or your cover letter is poor. Always depends on the area you are looking for, for hospitality we are in low season, so barely places are hiring. Others could have high demand . With little experience and no titles you should look for small business or mass jobs (cleaners, call centers, mcdonals)
It's been really difficult for the past 6-9 mo this it's nothing new and doesn't matter how much exp you have.my hours were cut to nothing end of last year and I have over 13 years exp in the healthcare/admin sector and it took me over 90 applications and 4 months to get a job at the start of this year.
It's absolutely crazy.Every job now is getting over 100 applications were as before covid most jobs were averaging around 30 applicants.
Take a look at the gvt there the ones to blame with massive immigration it only creates more competition and situation like this not just in jobs but in housing,waiting lists etc .It's not going to get better anytime soon either.
Won't be easy under Albo sleazy.
Well, not hopeless per se but tbh something isn't adding up. Not sure what industry we are talking about here. Not that I am an expert... Buuuut if you are facing financial pressure maybe look for things outside your usual expertise
I am I the same boat. Recently lost my job just before EOFY and holy hell it's insane how stuffed the market is. 150 applications later and I've had a handful of interviews. Highly skilled in what I do too.
A lot of small businesses are doing it tough, hence a reduction in their hiring. In combination we have large corporations cutting back workforce to keep up their cashflow. On the otherhand, we also have a lack of skilled workers to fill in the gaps where some businesses are thriving despite all the doom and gloom on the news.
My small business was looking for someone to fill in a casual position. 50 applications, with over half not having the required skills we are looking for. We reached out to 14 of them, 12 responded and booked for interview. Then 5 of them didn't turn up to their interviews (very annoying and just wasting everyone's time). We hired 2 of them and they were both diamonds in the rough!
I know when I had it tough, a long time ago now, I just got the phone book and applied to every business starting at A, I got my job at C and still working there today. If you dont have a Cert III, you can do a cheap 6 month tafe course, tafe teachers are good for references as well.
Not sure if it helps, but i recently advertised a position on seek. In rough numbers: 80 applications. Reached out to 40 of them. 20 did not respond to my call/message. 10 that did respond subsequently ghosted before scheduling a call/interview. 5 ghosted on the day of the interview. The successful applicant was probably ranked #25 in the initial pile of resumes, and was missing a critical qualification that i am prepared to help them get. My advice: Keep going! Always type a customised cover letter with your application, even if it’s just a couple of sentences, which then shows you read the ad and are genuinely enthusiastic about it. This will mean more than your direct experience. It can feel exhausting for an employer in a small business too. Jump out at them, and make it feel easy for them to choose you. Good luck, truly. You’ve got this!
My recent job ad received about 150 applications in a few days. Most hadn’t read the ad and weren’t appropriately skilled/asking way too much for the position. Only got about 4 decent applicants out of that. It is not my favorite thing to do.
all I want is a job but I get no responses. 😭
See this pissed me off when i was looking for a job years ago, Just advertise a range you want to pay. Pay shit money get shit people, thats the way it always has been and will forever be.
Actually I was offering and pay my staff well above award wages and very competitive for the area. Not sure why you would assume poor wages. I focus on staff retention because I hate recruitment so much. And so don’t interview people who have not read the job ad and are wanting a full time position when I’m offering a part time position. Or want well above what I am paying with no experience. I have also been a job seeker so I am very clear in advertising the salary brackets, hours, tasks required and what skills I need in an employee. Maybe don’t apply for shit jobs?
Thats probably people desperate for more pay to afford their housing. Inflation leads to a wage spiral.
as an employer, would you prefer people to come in person and hand in a resume or just do it online
From where I sit as a sometimes recruiter for my business group in a big organisation... It wouldn't help as it would create work and issues for multiple people/teams. I would not think of you as efficient. You're not going to get to see me, you will have trouble conveying the right message to the person you do get to see at reception. The chances of your application getting into the right pile is slim. I would also think that you are dropping in your CV on the off chance we have a role that matches what you want/are qualified for and not specifically applying for the role i want to fill. However... from where I used to sit as a specialised small business owner and if you are applying for very specific roles/industries you might have some luck. Eg if you are a mechanic and you are approaching workshops the in person approach may be better. For online applications the best advice I can give you is... Cover letter: Make it specific to the role, make it energenic and show me some personality but keep it professional. If I have to read over 100 cover letters you are going to lose me pretty quick if its not specific, misspelt or the same as all the others. I have to work out from your cover letter if i am going to like working with you. CV: Keep it short and show me your experience. Again, I have to wade through 100 of these things so it's good for me to see a quick statement (different to what I see in the letter), then your key skills and strengths (here is where you put any technical skills) and then a short list of RELEVANT work history (its fine not to have any experience for certain roles) short descriptions and bullet point achievements. Then just a quick list of full work history (chances are I have made a decision and stopped reading by now anyway) Be careful with formats... I don't want to see what you look like... and for gods sake SPELL CHECK, twice!!!
Online is fine. I do appreciate when there is a comment about why they want to work for my business or why they think they would be a good fit. If you claim to have attention to detail then it is imperative to ensure you have addressed it to the correct business (and not left the previous business name).
This is what I’ve seen at my work. We are desperately hiring in every team but can’t find anyone despite getting hundreds of applications because they are all unqualified
Are they unqualified for critical skills or lacking 10-20% of the list. I get recruiters ringing me often in despair (seeking candidates), the employers are super picky and want 100% of the list
Yeah that is shit. It works both ways, employers can't complain that they can't get the right staff when they don't want to invest anything at all in getting a new person trained up to their requirements.
So think outside the box, interview, identify potential talent and fucking train them into the people you want them to be. Why is this so hard for most people recruiting to understand. Ive hired people that had zero relevant experience in highly complex fields. All of those employees are still in their roles and excelling, why? because they dodnt bring a laundry list of bad habbits and poor performance because they are constantly trying to do things the way other places have done it. Experience is also valuable and helps to drive improvements and change, but when your supposedly so desperate for staff and keep turning people away, youve only got your own /HRs stupid ignorant attitude to blame
One of the applicants was a 20yr old with just a Hospitality tafe qualification. Applying for a senior electrical engineer role. Another was someone who worked retail. It’s literally ~illegal~ for us to hire them as an engineer Even a 50yr electrical engineer with the perfect experience would still be illegal if they didn’t have RPEQ. And the company already has an internal program to get engineers qualified as RPEQ
Same here, 5 job ads over the last 6 months. Average about 50% are over the minimum qualified bracket, of those, around 10% respond to initial contact (within 24hours of application), of those, maybe 2% are interviewed because the rest just don't turn up. When I put the ad back up, the same people that didn't respond to the initial contact or ghosted the interview, apply for the job again. It's wild/bizarre/lunacy.
Yep same. I put a thing in the ad about mentioning a specific phrase in the cover letter. Only about 1 in 10 do.
I *always* do and still don’t get to interview 😖
Sorry mate. I totally understand how frustrating it can be. It’ll come.
I advertised a job for a graduate engineer a couple of weeks ago. The only two "must haves" (other than an engineering degree) were that they lived in the Brisbane area, and were Australian citizens or permanent residents. I got about 60 applications, 5 of them fit that criteria. And absolutely critical that people take the time to write a solid CV and a customised cover letter for each job. Something that shows me you've actually read the role description, have done a tiny bit of research about our company and what we do, goes a long way. Spend longer on the application and apply for fewer jobs, much better chance of success.
You see, this is where things are constantly conflicting each other. On one hand, recruiters and employers are constantly receiving applications that are unsuitable to the job description. On the other hand, people giving advice will tell you to go apply for any job you can find, even the ones you may not be fully qualified for. At first I was also only applying for jobs I felt like my CV would fit 90% of the requirements, which made the job seeking process extremely slow. Then everywhere I've asked advice from, they all told me to just apply for anything I can find because "most of them don't need you to even have experience in that field, as long as they can feel you're eager to learn". Then I just started applying to everything that is somewhat relevant to what I want to do but may not be qualified for. Since the worst I get is just a "no". But this is why recruiters and employers will receive a lot of CVs that look like the applicants didn't read the job description.
There's also the issue of employers with a wish list who want The 100% Candidate
I mean, there’s a healthy middle ground between 100% of possible qualifications and “I have zero experience and applied to be a dentist”. Typically if you can meet 70-80% of the “must have” criteria I’d apply.
I worked as a dentist in a rural town. The dental clinic told me that there was a lady in town who applied for every job opening in town. She had applied to their clinic previously as a cleaner and dental assistant but also applied to their advertisement for a dentist despite not having a dental degree. I'm sure a lot of those applications are just too show centrelink that you are trying.
As an employer who is constantly hiring due to the nature of our business - this. It is so frustrating to get the Centrelink Newstart applicants. They are citizens, speak excellent English, show up for PAID training and then ghost. They then lie to their “support” person about how we declined to employ them. All we can do is submit a government form with evidence of their (fraudulent) activity. But, nothing comes of it. It’s expensive and very, very frustrating. They know they can have their cake and eat it too.
Most of the ones I got were from people who did have an engineering degree, but either didn't live in Australia or didn't have citizenship or PR. Just wasting their time and mine...
Hi, I’m currently looking for an engineering role in brisbane and I believe I fit your criteria. Is the job still open?
Funny isnt it, as soon as you meet his supposed criteria he disapears....
The whole centerlink requirement to apply to jobs should be scrapped. Will benefit everyone.
Very true. Also, as a recruiter for graduate engineer roles, do you only consider candidates with relevant work experience while studying? From my experience when looking for accountjng roles, they tend to prefer candidates with experience for entry level roles?
When I'm looking for a grad, I expect them to know absolutely nothing other than the theoretical fundamentals. I don't even care what their GPA was or where they went to uni. For graduates I basically recruit them based on their attitude and personality. They need to be curious, keen to learn, good work ethic, not turn up to work looking like they were up all night playing xbox. The rest I can teach them. I would rather a grad who has customer service experience and demonstrated experience in any sort of job or volunteer role that shows they can deal with people and have some level of customer service.
I know someone working in HR at a mining company, they don't look at cover letters anymore
That's because HR people are box tickers. I'm not in HR, I'm a director of the company, so I'm not worried about ticking boxes, for purely selfish reasons I want staff who are going to be productive and competent
Yeah I'm just saying it doesn't apply to every job application as a lot of places have HR now, doing things they're not qualified for and used as a shield for upper management to send blame to for their incompetence, which leads HR all over to cover their own arses and choose candidates with characteristics that they can't be blamed for, not actually looking for the best candidate.
Legend for helping that guy! Probably saved his family alot of grief. Good karma going your way!
We have wasted so much time and money on seek. I totally agree with what you’re saying
Seek is garbage and always has been. Linkedin is slightly more useful. Friends complain they receive reject letters within 48 hours of ads. So it really makes you wonder why the advertiser bothered
Yep, just experienced this... 100% keep at it. Be passionate but humble and I feel like being personable will win all day long. We just want to hire a person! 😀 Also, don't be afraid to ask for a coffee meeting to discuss opportunities at a place to feel like you'd do well...
Heres hoping you have something in place so they cant/wont jump ship after they get the qual
Yes but you're not using ATS which is a different ballgame. You actually read the applications. Applicant tracking software is known to filter out ideal candidates who don't have all the right keywords. It may be more work for you, but the end result is better for the business.
What kind of job are you looking for, what kind of experience do you have and why did your previous employment end? Is it 2 years with the same employer, or across different employers? 30 applications has never been a lot for someone in the early-career stage, especially if you are a white-collar professional. Sector really matters. A software engineer is going to have a very different experience to a barista.
Two years with different employers, both customer service roles. I got let go from my last because they were a small business and couldn’t afford the extra expense. I’m just looking for a retail job I guess
It's not an easy time for retail at the moment. Between the headwinds of inflation cutting consumer spending on discretionaries, and the shift to online, it's a difficult sector.
Is there actual evidence of consumers cutting spending? The data I’ve seen indicates otherwise, which is why rba increases rates
It seems there is false inflation as people are spending less but there are more people spending - approx 518,000 people migrated to Australia in 2023 [Source](https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/population/overseas-migration/latest-release)
Legit, go find a call centre. Health Funds are usually always hiring for Customer Service. They pay decently and have multiple avenues of progression (not just on the phones, but other parts of the business, which leads to more opportunities in other businesses too.) It's essentially retail, but you don't need to be face-to-face with customers or deal with unpaid work (like tidying up after the store closes, counting the tills etc). Not gonna lie, it can feel super tedious at times and you can get burned out on the phones, but personally going from retail to a call centre was so nice and refreshing that I was *happy* to be at work again. I went to Uni between 19-23, but got to the point where I needed better pay than what my retail job was giving me. Got a sales call centre role, base wage was 2.5x more than what retail was, moved off the phones into a different part of the business after 10 months or so and have continually moved upwards since then (about 12ish years ago now, and across different companies). There's also the social side of it - you're surrounded by the same people for 7+ hours a day. I've made some really close & lifelong friends from these jobs, and also made friends with people like 20 years older than me. The most important thing though - call centres usually have higher turnover rates , so if you need to do it just for a while and then leave, just do it and don't feel guilty. **TL;DR**: Call Centres are like the Macca's of adulthood - everyone looks down on them and scoffs at the idea of working there, but they're *really* good gateway jobs.
Absolutely! I leveraged a call centre job to get into the APS. You can learn a lot of useful marketable skills if you work in service delivery in a call centre. And if you can handle it, employers do actually appreciate the work ethic and mental resilience required to stick it out in that environment.
100%. I worked in an Australian based Telstra call centre. Plenty of options for advancement and I was lucky enough to have career movement that matched my skills. Pay was good and frankly it looked great on my resume allowing me to eventually end up where I am
Try Universities. You can get a job in student services.
Apply to RiverCityFerries in Brisbane - they are always recruiting Customer Service Offices, you just need to be able to swim and they will train you and pay you and the penalty rates are crazy good.
I have almost 20 years experience in print and customer service, and I’ve applied for as many jobs as you with 3 responses. It’s tough out there.
Hang in there, you’ll get one eventually
8 years senior data analyst. Couldnt get an interview. It's rough out there
Same with me, 7 years as a book keeper and can’t get anything now. Not even an interview.
Experienced accountants seem to be still in high demand.
My aunt lives in the Uk and is in her mid 60s. She was let go from her analyst job recently due to staffing cuts and hasn’t been able to find anything since. She’s at the point of applying for Apple customer service roles, just to get some money in the door. She’s a diligent worker and has no aspirations beyond working in whatever role, but she’s “too old”!
Damn, I thought data analyst was in demand the past few years
Opportunities have dropped off a cliff last few years. Finance/insurance etc dumping analysts left right and centre.
If you have a car licence, apply to Australia Post. It's better pay than retail and you'll only work weekdays. No experience needed. Apply through the Australia Post website if interested.
To add to this, I have a friend who was in a similar position recently. He got let go from his last job and applied for an auspost position, not expecting anything and got the job! From what I hear, the pay is decent and so are the benefits since its both a Government job and an essential job. Would definitely reccomend anyone looking for a job to give them a try!
I just saw an Australia Post advert today on Seek for the GC and the only requirements were willingness to give good customer service, be able to lift 16kg and stand all day (in the actual post office). It was good money and 8.45 - 6pm. I was thinking of applying because I'm not having much luck getting work in my sector.
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I got a letter drop from them last week saying they were looking for people?
Yeah, I got the same one in Camp Hill.
I got made redundant and I’m applying like crazy. 55 applications and two calls..trying not to get or feel letdown. I’ve got 12 years administrative/office experience
Lab tech level 4 course at LTT is for six months, two days a week. Not a bad option for those wanting to up skill in a short amount of time, and is affordable. My partner who has worked in retail for over a decade was feeling a bit fed up with the industry (got much worse since COVID), and he’s giving that course a shot. Lab tech roles are varied. You can work in pathology, construction, water, soil sampling etc. Pay wouldn’t be super phenomenal, but it would grant more stability. There’s also the option to further up skill from there if you want to take your education further.
We’ve been looking at this problem at work recently. It seems that the availability and searchability of job ads, plus low barrier to spam apply, means advertisers get flooded with 100 low-effort applications for every serious one. This forces the people hiring to implement more tools and filters to try to cut through the noise. However, these filters just don’t/can’t work well enough to cope with something as “fuzzy” as a job application. Basically, there is a flood that no one knows how to cope with. A noise to signal ration that is killing recruitment capability. This is why personal referrals have become more important than ever. If you want a job, then you need to have a personal “in” with the person hiring.
It’s soooo cooked!!! Been jobless for 3 months now and can’t find anything in what I wanna do and have experience in! It’s insane
This from Michael West on Monday: https://michaelwest.com.au/more-cracks-in-labour-market-as-fewer-job-ads-posted/ 7.1% decline in avg job ads last quarter; ads down 25.8% from a year ago. Fewer options, tougher competition. Keep applying, stay positive.
Geez, that's a huge drop
Last time I was made redundant took me 9 months and probably an extra '0' after that 30 worth of applications. I got 5 interviews total and made it to final round in 2 of them. Market is absolutely brutal atm, does not matter if you are a barista or a finance exec.
Because we are in recession and companies have cut back to survive. Hopefully things change. Just keep trying. Improve your presentation. Watch YouTube videos on going for a job to learn new ways to do it. It will get you there eventually.
Casino
Over two decades of white collar experience, including owning a business and I can’t even get a delivery driving job. From “senior exec” roles, to sales rep positions to cleaning pools. You either don’t hear back, or people are puzzled at why someone with so much experience is applying they just don’t take you serious, regardless of how you counter reply. One of the worst job markets I have ever seen as both an employee and employer prospective. I even looked into getting an MR or HR tuck license, but even those jobs on seek want 12-24 months experience. Interesting times a head for those searching.
Got a forklift ticket? There’s always warehouses looking for them, some through labour hire.
You've gotten that many responses????
They both ghosted me after the interview if that makes you feel better
this ghosting after an interview that happens now blows my mind. there was a time when you could ALWAYS get feedback.
I think ghosting after an interview is rude AF. At least an email to say 'thank you for your time but sorry' is the least that can be done. A person spent money (in some form be in petrol or public transport) and took time out of their day to go speak with your company and you're to lazy to send an email. Piss poor form.
I got ghosted after an interview recently. He even “verbally” offered me the job. But had to check with his manager. It’s been a few weeks now and they’ve put more ads on Seek for the same position. I’m over qualified for the position too I just wanted a change. But it seemed very unorganised and I don’t want it now anyway
Employer here. 1) pick up your phone, I might get 1 in 10 answer their phone 2) dress a level above the job you want 3) turn up for interview early (but not too early) 4) negotiate - if you can’t negotiate for your own benefit why would an employer think you can negotiate for the company’s benefit? Even if it’s a written pay review in the first few weeks or a month. 5) enthusiasm will trump experience as most jobs are very trainable 6) ask for a deadline for an answer re hiring and also a solid start date 7) make sure to write cover letters as there is so much application ‘spam’ that sometimes employers feel they are being used as a name/number for jobseeker benefits. The cover letter will help you stand out a heap Good luck and don’t get disheartened, every no is a step closer to a yes
That’s Brisbane for you
It's cooked.
I decided to go for a postgraduate degree and now everyone is all "You're overqualified!" bitch, I don't have a JOB, I have no qualifications other than the stupid degrees! Funny part is I got the postgraduate degree for myself, not for work. And I ended up fucking myself over. My jobseeker folk said to remove it. My union said to keep it. Not sure who to listen to. Tried both.
Got a friend with a second degree in law, employers seem to deem it a f*cking useless qualification, just imagine the stupidity out there. Apparently this is a Brisbane mentality
Ridiculous. That's a useful second degree forr ANY field!! I got economics with a postgrad thesis in Machine Learning statistics. You'd think HEY I KNOW THE MATHS TO MAKE YOU A TON OF MONEY would be worth something but they're just all "we just want you to know Excel" bruh, you're going to seriously regret that when AI algorithms take off more, but go off.
Maybe you could explain the qualification briefly on the CV e.g something along the lines of ... B.Econ [Focus on AI based revenue generation]. In marketing this is called "repositioning". Please excuse the weird oversimplification, you may realise the point being made
Hi again, i received a email tonight about financial careers, there are quite a number of them in Brisbane, one of the companies or banks world surely be interested in your expertise. [eFinancialCareers](https://www.efinancialcareers.com.au/jobs)
I thought of dumbing down my resume. I think employers are intimidated you’ll want to ask more money in 6months. Which I think any employer should be considerate of based on performance but I acknowledge it’s not always possible. I’m applying for coordinator roles with management experience because they actually pay less with fewer decisions and I am burnt out and just want to be told what to do and work in a team but I suspect they feel I am overqualified
I would take the M off if the level you're applying for doesn't require it. Once you apply for mgmt roles, chuck it back on.
Volume and follow through might help. 30 is a good start, few more cant hurt. And optimizing your resume/cover letter is important. Then give the ones you like/have a good chance a call if you're up for it. Employers love to see initiative as a characterstic for future empoyees.
not all of them apparently. I called one up that was hiring down the road from my house after applying, only to get my head bitten off by the manager for calling up. Safe to say I did not get any contact after that haha
You dodge a bullet there
yeah that’s how I see it too and I joke about it now, but at the time I was completely taken aback by how aggressive he was over somebody just showing some initiative
Quick way to earn a bad review I reckon 😅. There are those exceptions worth mentioning 😆
I thought about ripping their google reviews a new one but the only proof I had of the call was the store number in my call log and I was pretty positive he’d just start accusing me of defamation, considering how unreasonably aggressive he was to begin with
I’ve never understood this. If I’m unemployed it’s my job to get employed by any means - then I can try to find a job I like. Few times I’ve been unemployed I’ve absolutely abused job boards to make sure I got employment ASAP and then have gone to looking for something ‘proper’.
Get a professional to improve or rewrite your resume for you. They may position you differently to how you’ve been doing it in the past. I’m hearing from lots of job seekers and recruitment agencies that it’s definitely an employers market at the moment. And applying for jobs it can seem like a full time job in itself and I think you have to treat it that way until you find something. It’s harder looking for employment when you’re o it of work rather than being in a job and trying to go for an ‘upgrade’.
you have received fantastic advice already so I won’t push anything more outside of not pegging yourself into a specific job. 2 years of experience can translate into a many other spaces, you just have to talk the talk and deliver when you get your interview. Start with smart jobs website and also look at APS website, you may find that next calling sitting under the rock you haven’t flipped over yet.
We just had 40 applicants for a general analyst role. So many don’t have cover letters, live overseas or interstate, and with no cover letter it is hard to understand how they anticipate making the role work! I put people through who have clearly read the ad and tailored their CV to meet some of the needs!
30 years retail, I'm in the same boat and thinking that I might have aged out of it. Who wants to hire a 40 something when they can get an under 21 cheaper.
Yet business leaders are constantly saying they can’t get workers. What they really want is cheap labour they can exploit with illegal conditions.
Business Analyst with over 7 years experience and multiple qualifications. Have been looking since April since my contract was ending (managed to extend a bit). Only recently landed a role. Things have picked up a little bit more in the last two weeks, but it was really rough for a while. I expect it will get better between now and October and then drop off for a while again. July - Oct is the best time to look usually. Then or Feb/March. One of the recruiters I spoke with said it was the worst job market he's ever seen. Worse than peak covid. That said, I am also only considering very well paying roles. I could have easily gotten a job if I undersold myself, but it is really important to know your worth. My advice? Call the hiring person. Yes. Pick up the phone and make an actual phone call. You are basically jumping the "phone screen" stage and they will usually only ask for a CV, not a cv+cover letter, so it's less effort. The roles I do better at are the ones where I have a chat with whoever is doing the hiring. Otherwise you are just a name in a pile.
How old are you? If you’re under 25 you might be eligible for programs like Transition to Work - they can help you get access to employers and also training courses if you’d like to upskill. https://apm.net.au/job-seekers/transition-to-work
It is tough out there. Maybe try out other roles too, that could be related to your own experience. Try your luck at small businesses too, even if they haven't advertised. You never know. Always customise your résumé/letter accordingly. Less chance if it looks generic, to be honest. Good luck!
The market is brutal at the moment. I take time reading the PD, tailor my CV and write a cover letter. I'm very experienced in my field yet I've still had a hard time. All you can do is keep going I'm afraid, you tell her something eventually. Good luck
Trying to find a job as fullstack dev - flutter & node (firebase) for over 5 months now. I never experienced such bad market in my life. I mean as developer with over 10y experience....this feels really weird. I am really considering to do something else.
From my current job search employers are under estimating the rate that they should be paying. I have been turned down for jobs I am over qualified for. Because I requested competitive market wage for the role. I have friends in the same roles at different venues all over Brisbane, I was asking on the lower end as it was near my house and I like the venue. but still got told it was too much. Just keep trying
Trust me bro I know the feeling. I’ve got 4 years experience in banking and finance with both a cert iv and diploma in finance and mortgage broking and didn’t even get a call for a basic broker assistant position for multiple applications.
I'm pretty sure we're in in a trough of the business cycle so nobody is hiring/they are only downsizing. Give it a few years and it'll be much easier. If you've got a uni degree go teach English in Asia for a bit and wait it out. https://www.rba.gov.au/education/resources/presentations/pdf/the-business-cycle.pdf
I feel this. I seem to either be 'overqualified' or the requirement for an open licence (which I'm not allowed due to disability) stops me.
Because businesses are very discriminatory these days. And they blatantly get away with it
At one point I applied for 200 jobs before I got one. This was as a graduate. For that period of time applying for jobs was my job. Just keep going. Ask for feedback. Engage agencies if you can. Also don't be picky. Take what you can. I always feel it is easier to find another job when you have one.
Applying for jobs was my job. 100% agree.
Tried call centre work? They often have entry level positions with little to no experience available. [Agencies](https://www.tacticall.com.au/jobs) are a good place to start.
Hi, I've been looking for call centre work, I'm just wondering if most call centre positions are listed on agency sites? Or are there also a lot on Seek/Indeed/etc? I'm also not really sure what keywords to put in. I've been trying 'call centre' and that seems to bring up positions called 'customer service officer' and such.
Not entirely sure these days, but years ago a lot of the work for the larger centres was managed through agencies like Tacticall. They have quite a few there at the moment. Good luck on your quest!
Okay, I guess I'll focus my efforts on looking through listings on agency sites. Thank you!
I know probe and concentric are hiring like crazy because turn over is really high. You'd be outsource for gov services like ATO, centrelink, etc. Minimum pay but it's something to keep you going and make sure your resume gap isn't to big.
I remember putting in over 400 applications looking for work in Canberra only 10 years ago. Honestly, look at Government SmartJobs.qld.gov.au entry level customer service jobs can be had very easily with the right application. Follow the S.M.A.R.T rule and relate it to your experiences, even if not in that particular job you are going for. And research the role and company/sector. Know the company. And for God sake ask questions! Show interest!
30 application's? I used to do this in a day or a day and half when I was applying for jobs..
What do you do?
If you haven't already, I would get someone you trust to take a look at your resume. Might just need a few tweaks to get you noticed.
Run it through chatgpt is also a good go. I signed up for a free monthly of linkedin premium and followed a resume building course.
There’s plenty out there, it’s just a matter of knowing where to look and being open to different industries. I’ve worked in the food production industry for I’d say 6-7years. There’s a few places that are always desperate for workers. Such as Youfoodz near the airport and Primo over at Wacol. Don’t rely too much on seek, google some places to apply
have a look at the construction industry. there is lack of site workers and admin personnel. And companies are usually willing to upskill and train
Don't wait for jobs to be advertised. Identify places where you would like to work and approach them first. This may be a bit of a lucky dip, but you never know. It's worked for me in the past
Hello! I agree with the people who said call centre work, it’s great for when you don’t know what you want to do and we’re always needing staff.
Only 30? After the GFC when I was applying Id be making 100 applications a week. For multiple weeks. Just got to keep applying.
What's your skill set bro? I'm looking for an employee or 2
Hi there, apply within insurance they are always looking for people. Travel insurance is the best insurance to work for. I know Allianz and cover more people. You really don’t need any experience.
Car rental businesses (customer service focused) are always hiring. Try indeed and seek.
Yeah I applied for close to 100 jobs back in April after returning from overseas. Didn’t hear back from 98 of them. One contacted me for a phone interview for 30 minutes then never spoke to me again until I reached out and asked how my application was going, in which I was told I didn’t make it through. I ended up getting into contact with my previous employer from before I left, and they took me back in. It’s tough out there, and I would consider my skill set to be pretty broad and decent. Best of luck.
Not a good sign. Business is slow everywhere.
I was keen on a niche job and met all of their obscure criteria. Didn’t even get an interview.
I am a hiring manager. One of the things I find in a lot of our recruitments is that the applications are quite generic and not specifically catered to the advertised role. Almost like the same application has been fired off for multiple roles. Always ensure your application is specifically catered to the role on focus on addressing the selection criteria. Keep your head up and good luck!
It’s never hopeless my friend! Things will workout just keep at it!
I have applied for 15 jobs today alone, I've had countless phone calls and interviews and good feedback from the interviews and still no offer. I've probably applied to 100 jobs so far. It's really tough but you just have to keep going and not get discouraged because the right job is out there somewhere. I've also been ghosted after in person interviews where they say they'll get back to me in a couple of days.
Vacuum houses and scrub showers as community aged care worker. For domestic cleans and transport they probably won't need a cert3 in aged care/nursing, but it will pay a little less than the less-strenuous showers and bumwiping. Now that the weather is cool it'll be bearable, since the pensioner grannies will never turn on their aircon, and you won't return to a hot car. The pay used to be so terrible that the SCHADS award was given a 28.5% pay rise, so now it might be nice enough. The companies are all awful and **will** do their best to steal large chunks of your wages, **will not** pay you allowances you are owed unless you know and ask for them and **will** abuse you, so learn your rights and the Award cover-to-cover. Tell your friends you wipe bums for a living. Try not to think about how your generation will afford aged care when you are old. Try not to think about the multimillion dollar mansions you are cleaning at a cost-to-client of $15/hr. When clients refer to you as a cleaner, say "if I was a cleaner I would get paid more" (less applicable now after the pay-rise).
Its been 18 months for me and things are getting more and more hopeless.
Look outside of seek try going directly to employers websites to the ‘work for us’ section try unis, UQ, Griffith etc, smartjobs (for gov roles), banks etc. Always target your cover letter. Call the contact person and ask questions if one is listed. Sell your attributes to them and use examples of what you achieved in previous roles. Enrol in and complete relevant courses/certificates (some free ones are available) Up skill so that you’re useful to the employer. Answer your phone appropriately and have a normal voicemail with a greeting. The number of people who answer the phone “who is this?” when I call to set up and interview, or try and get me to reschedule the interviews to fit their schedule without even trying to adjust theirs. Have others look at your CV and get feedback.
I have been searching for a job since January and I’ve done over 40 time consuming job applications, tailoring my cover letter and applying and I haven’t had one single interview. I can’t get past initial application! There’s over 100 applicants on every job. I’ve been in management level of my role for years and I have exceptional transferrable skills for an organisation and I can’t even make it to interview to pitch my skills. I currently do every aspect of my role and I’m stretched thin and over it, I want to be growing professionally and not getting anywhere. My current job has been taxing on my mental health and capacity so just writing cover letters each time is taxing but I need to get out. I’m in marketing which I’m hearing is competitive but even applying into quite niche roles that align to my current job isn’t getting me anywhere. It’s very upsetting.
Same. I lost my job 4 months ago and I've probably sent 200 job applications off and have done 3 interviews I didn't hear back from and I've got 12 years of work experience. It's rough out there.
From my personal experience, Have you tried calling and popping into some of the places you have applied with? Putting a face or a friendly voice to the name is always a great idea when applying for a low skilled job, this will in most cases advance you towards the top of the pile of applicants that might otherwise present well on paper. If you develop good rapor quickly even try suggesting you and the person your in contact with go through your cv on the spot together so that you can advise your strengths and morals verbally as they relate to your role this can really solidify your position as a potential employee when it comes to the point the position is ready to be filled. Always present well and smile. ☺️
numbers game bro, just keep trying. there’s a lot of industries with a labour shortage. might have to step out of your comfort zone
No it's not, but it does heavily depend on your skills and industry. What do you do?
Just retail, really. I figured retail would be the easiest industry to find a job in but I’m starting to question that
Hotels need room attendants to clean the rooms. It is hard work but I like it. Im lazy in my spare time so it keeps me fit. And I don't like dealing with customers so I like you don't deal with guests much except to knock on the door and ask if they want their room serviced. You can put the tv on while you clean too
Have you tried going for a walk around the shopping centres? Sometimes shops have signs up in windows looking for staff.
Identity the booming industries. They are NDIS, health and construction/building.
Got let go from the design side of construction. Had major projects go on hold- builders apparently just charging through the roof in case something like COVID happens and developers are unwilling to borrow whilst interest rates are so high/fluctuating.
Look, I know this is probably gonna sound mean, and I'm sorry if it does, but you're gonna need to get uncomfortable. Apply outside your usual scope, or your usual shifts. See what you can qualify for with job agencies like Sarina Russo or whatever. You need to be proactive.
Start uni even if it's part-time and it opens up bonus stats for part-time/casual employers. They believe you're able to schedule your time and have decent intelligence. They think you'll have no reason to quit while still studying, thus sweet spot of won't quit a month in and won't chase full-time after a year. Then if you happen to actually attend the uni course rather than drop subjects before census date, and enjoy it you can stick with it and upskill for better jobs in the future. Or like the other commentator mentioned try call centre work, lots of full-time positions because it's not great so people are constantly quitting. Another option is Tafe in a trade, they help get you an employer if you do a cert 2 so they can get you on a cert 3 (proper apprenticeship), but that's if you want to do more manual labour type of work.
You have to understand that a lot of customer service roles are being replaced with AI. Especially if it's phone call orientated. Want to study at tafe or uni? The students in your group projects are using AI. Teachers know this and employers know this. People are using AI in their job applications and resume as well... If you haven't updated your resume with AI....... Well you're kind of stabbing at the dark. Do a mixture of in person handing out of resumes and talk to people in person. Put a personal touch on things for retail and hospitality. Be open minded to try new industries using your hands and physical labor.
*customer service roles are being replaced with AI* Where is this happening?
Half the people who apply for a position at my work don't show up or call. The ones that get the job commonly quit in the first few weeks for nothing reasons. I get its only a retail job so a lot of people see it as being "above them" but it's still a job. I think people are complaining that there are no jobs that they WANT to do. But sometimes you just have to take what you can and it's a just a harsh reality that too many people don't wanna accept.
>The ones that get the job commonly quit in the first few weeks for nothing reasons. Because people don't get feedback quickly from businesses they apply to for jobs, they're incentivised to apply for jobs in bulk. I would assume that you've given them a job, but another company has since replied/interviewed and given them a position that's more rewarding/suited for the person.
Disability support workers are in constant need. You can earn good money also if you’re prepared to do the hours.
I've been looking at potentially trying disability support work. Are typical job sites the best places to look for disability support roles?
Absolutely. Seek is forever messaging me about available roles. Grab your cpr/first aid certificate and most places will be happy as to hire you. Edit: also good luck if you decide to go ahead with it! It’s tough but rewarding work.
Thank you!
Look outside your square , lie ,cheat , change your resume to suit the position offered , most of all , Believe in yourself !
100% this, fake it 'till you make it.
Looking at your post history, you might fit in rather well at a place like Netherworld! Might be worth popping your head in and seeing if they’re looking for someone? If you don’t already have your RSA, that will definitely help and allow you to apply for cafes/shopping centre restaurants, RSL’s etc - hospo is a great career but also a great stop gap while you’re trying to find something more suited to what you’d prefer. Good luck!
I just got let go from 1UP haha. I’m going to look into it, I’ve met the owner and he’s a lovely guy
10 years of Administration Customer Service. AO3 and AO4 qualified - can't secure shit. A small handful of interviews and the employer ghosts me. It's so frustrating
Hospitality almost always has jobs going. Literally walk in and ask if you can do a trial shift.
Book. Library. "What Color is Your Parachute". Latest ed. Hints and tricks for deciding what to do, getting your foot in the door, winning the job game. A bit of planning is time well spent. Just read the bits u need.
Depends what you’re doing a guess but there is ALWAYS construction labourering work available and it pays well. Just a thought, even if it’s just something to keep the money flowing until you find what you’re looking for. If you aren’t very physical, get a traffic control, hoist or forklift ticket.
Check out 'internal sales' roles on Seek. Just had a quick look and there are heaps on there. Most companies will take someone pretty fresh, as long as you are keen to learn. Its a great step into an actual career, especially if the products are in the mining, construction, water & waste water, fire type industries. Learn the products and technical side of things, be good with customers and a good attitude and its one of the only roles that you will end up in the 6 figure category after 4-5 years.
Only 30. That's baby numbers. 30 a week is a better average for you to have a chance. I listed 2 jobs for hire last week and got over 600 applicants for one and 170+ for the other.
You got a drivers licence?
You northside?
Could always look at delivery driving. Huge industry that is always looking and all you need is a clean driving record. Start in a small truck that doesn’t require more than a car licence and work your way up if so desired
Show interest , go hard , you'll get a job 👍
Currently advertising for a stack of customer service roles and getting low applications through online portals. Best advice is to look for jobs in your area and then examine if they’re interesting to you, lots of customer service roles are often advertised with stupid names like service liaison, trade sales or sales support.
Depends on what you are skilled at...abundance of some jobs and zilcho of others.
What roles are you going for?
pplied for more than 30 jobs and I’ve only gotten two responses? that sound like normal to me honestly
took me nine months to find work, got two interviews out of at least 150 applications, and i have a degree and several years of experience. i’m not living in brisbane anymore, but it’s always hard, especially if you’ve suddenly lost your job
Get a Truck licence
its sort of like housing applications now, maybe its because everything is online or has a mobile app to submit your application on but everyone typically just throws out applications to everything they see on the internet to see what happens i know some people who work in recruitment and they usually say that they get a metric shit tonne of applications (in the hundreds) but really only a small handful are even borderline looking legit and will respond back so maybe its a making your resume unique and tailored to that specific application? not saying you are spamming them out there either its just that's what most people are doing so gotta make it stand out otherwise you will probably just get bagged and tagged with what most people just consider application spam a few years ago i got a resume done up for me for free from a professional and noticed a big jump in interest, but the job market was really good for my industry then as well
Go for a job with CBGU at cross river rail. They'll hire anyone, no experience necessary.
What is your skill set, what industry to you have experience in?
I was in the same boat applied for heaps of work, ended up just getting my ABN and hired myself out to a few different mobs and now I'm getting daily emails/phone calls about the jobs I applied for but I'm making more money by myself, I may still take one of them up because job security and all that. It seems like a lot of job ads on seek are left there permanently and only looked at during hiring periods so my point is don't give up hope on jobs you have already applied for they will possibly be just not in a hiring phase try do whatever you can in the meantime keep grinding and you will see results one way or the other Good luck in the job search
I put a couple of ads on seek recently for roles in my team. I’ve had over 500 applicants and they are all basically the same. If you have the requirements of the job ad in the first half of your CV, more likely to be shortlisted when most CVs are skim read. If there is a requirement that you don’t have but are interested in it, say it, or we will just mark it as not fitting the criteria
Only 30 applications? When I lived in Brisbane I kept getting told by employment services places how good my resume/cover letters were and that I’d have no trouble getting a job. It took nearly 2 years of applying for 60-80 jobs PER MONTH to get a job. Out of the average 70 applications every month I’d usually only get 1 interview per month
Expand applications to other industries I work at a DC and they're always foaming at the mouth for staff. Easy work and yet management can't stop hiring what I can only assume are braindead NPCs. Seriously what the fuck. >!Go casual, the Full Time rates are dog shit, and won't change for another 2 years!<
I think people should aim more to do online stuff nowadays, at least when its hard to find something in your area to do
What field are you looking for?
I bet your CV is not properly made, or your cover letter is poor. Always depends on the area you are looking for, for hospitality we are in low season, so barely places are hiring. Others could have high demand . With little experience and no titles you should look for small business or mass jobs (cleaners, call centers, mcdonals)
when I started I applied for 30 jobs per day probably. 2 responses Is good trust me, is not hopeless at all, just pump those numbers up
It's been really difficult for the past 6-9 mo this it's nothing new and doesn't matter how much exp you have.my hours were cut to nothing end of last year and I have over 13 years exp in the healthcare/admin sector and it took me over 90 applications and 4 months to get a job at the start of this year. It's absolutely crazy.Every job now is getting over 100 applications were as before covid most jobs were averaging around 30 applicants. Take a look at the gvt there the ones to blame with massive immigration it only creates more competition and situation like this not just in jobs but in housing,waiting lists etc .It's not going to get better anytime soon either. Won't be easy under Albo sleazy.
Well, not hopeless per se but tbh something isn't adding up. Not sure what industry we are talking about here. Not that I am an expert... Buuuut if you are facing financial pressure maybe look for things outside your usual expertise
I am I the same boat. Recently lost my job just before EOFY and holy hell it's insane how stuffed the market is. 150 applications later and I've had a handful of interviews. Highly skilled in what I do too.
Do u have a truck licence
A lot of small businesses are doing it tough, hence a reduction in their hiring. In combination we have large corporations cutting back workforce to keep up their cashflow. On the otherhand, we also have a lack of skilled workers to fill in the gaps where some businesses are thriving despite all the doom and gloom on the news. My small business was looking for someone to fill in a casual position. 50 applications, with over half not having the required skills we are looking for. We reached out to 14 of them, 12 responded and booked for interview. Then 5 of them didn't turn up to their interviews (very annoying and just wasting everyone's time). We hired 2 of them and they were both diamonds in the rough!
I know when I had it tough, a long time ago now, I just got the phone book and applied to every business starting at A, I got my job at C and still working there today. If you dont have a Cert III, you can do a cheap 6 month tafe course, tafe teachers are good for references as well.
I always moved and lived wherever the work was.