[user104658]

Originally Posted by Ammi

..I agree that 6 months is not 'long term' at all ..but I also think that with many jobs and so it should be in my opinion, academic qualifications wouldn't give anyone any advantages over someone without them...and don't necessarily mean a lesser time unemployed...

Well no, but I'm also 6'2, well built, (was ) young fit and healthy, a fast learner and had a wealth of previous experience in various jobs...

BASICALLY I WAS THE PERFECT CANDIDATE, OK???

... well... anyway, my point was that even then it can be hard-ish, so I can't imagine what it's like for, say, an alcoholic midget with one GCSE.

[Ammi]

Originally Posted by Toy Soldier

Well no, but I'm also 6'2, well built, (was ) young fit and healthy, a fast learner and had a wealth of previous experience in various jobs...

BASICALLY I WAS THE PERFECT CANDIDATE, OK???

... well... anyway, my point was that even then it can be hard-ish, so I can't imagine what it's like for, say, an alcoholic midget with one GCSE.

...I think that lots of jobs are more on personality though and whether a person would 'fit' with a team/colleagues regardless of qualificatios etc and maybe other factors...and some could probably also be whether you know someone there..?...'by the law' that's not allowed we know but it does happen...anyway, I hope you didn't think that I was in someway being difficult or picky with you because I didn't mean to be ..I just think that in some jobs..(obviously not all..)..lesser academically qualified people would be on an equal par with everyone else...and therefore not necessarily unemployed for longer ...but yeah, I do see all of your points though and I'm always interested in reading your posts...

[user104658]

Originally Posted by Ammi

...I think that lots of jobs are more on personality though and whether a person would 'fit' with a team/colleagues regardless of qualificatios etc and maybe other factors...and some could probably also be whether you know someone there..?...'by the law' that's not allowed we know but it does happen...anyway, I hope you didn't think that I was in someway being difficult or picky with you because I didn't mean to be ..I just think that in some jobs..(obviously not all..)..lesser academically qualified people would be on an equal par with everyone else...and therefore not necessarily unemployed for longer ...but yeah, I do see all of your points though and I'm always interested in reading your posts...

To be fair, I think you're right and "It's not what you know, but who you know" applies in many apparent job vacancies which is another problem really... By law the jobs have to be advertised and interviewed for, but they already know who is getting it, it's all just a formality - but obviously a complete waste of time for any other applicants other than gaining a bit of interview experience for a few. It definitely happens on all levels, it happens in the company I work for (have personally seen it twice, a new position and a promotion) and it's a "big" company. With smaller businesses, I suspect MOST of the time entry level roles go to family / friends of family / friends' offspring. And I guess that's part of the problem. People forget that the dice are loaded in such a way that some individuals become all but "unemployable"... And forcing those people into full time graft on slave wages is unthinkable to me. But that's what's likely to happen, I fear.