CookieMonster:
In my opinion, your best bet would be to go straight for your hgv licences if you’ve got the money.
If you go for your forklift licence, firstly you will have to pay for it, secondly, you will be looking for permanent work so you could find yourself in the same position of struggling to find work.
If you get your hgv licence, you can get started with agencies and build a bit of work experience while still looking for permanent jobs.
Be honest with potential employers if asked about your time not working. Depression, especially if linked to grief and bereavement is a serious issue. Most employers will be understanding and compassionate and if they aren’t then they won’t be the sort of people you should be working for.
All the best with whatever you end up doing, really hope it all works out for you mate
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Thanks mate! So are agencies more likely to overlook the 10 year employment gap? I thought going straight for HGV would be worse because that’s an even bigger risk to employ someone who has a history of mental illness and putting them behind the wheel of a HGV? But this is why I’m asking you guys because there’s so many experienced people here who know the industry inside out.
So do you really think I have a chance if I just go straight for my HGV licence and be honest with my work gap? A lot of people talk about agencies like they’ll pretty much hire anyone, is this true? (as long as I actually have the licence of course)
Agencies will take on pretty much anybody, they want numbers on their books.
You could register with them now, start getting a bit of van work, even warehouse work to get some money coming in. Once the agency see you’re trustworthy and reliable, that’s what they will tell the companies they refer you to.
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I just signed up to an agency now, saw a job 10 minutes drive away asking for 10 warehouse operatives, ■■■■■■ pay but I really don’t care about the money at this point, I just want to be employed!
Thanks to everyone for your support and encourage, means a lot
Sounds like agency is the way forward for you, to get some kind of experience on the CV.
Agencies will absolutely overlook whatever reasons you have been out of work - It does make life trickier for them if certain clients require 5 years of referencing, for example at an airport. (You would also require a passport as an additional form of ID) If the Job Centre were aware of you being out of work, they might be able to write you a reference to show you were not in prison etc. - I’m not sure how it works these days with them.
One agency I signed up with, asked me if I had a criminal record as it would mean I couldn’t be put with some clients and so would be put with others instead - So if you have a clear sheet, you’re doing better than some ! If you’re happy working nights and weekends, you’ll instantly be more attractive to any agency too.
I mean no disrespect but if you are physically fit and healthy and able to lift and drag a pallet around, with the forklift licence idea, you might suit goods-in type work in warehouses etc. You would need to be competent using a computer but that can be picked up quick enough.
I know The Best Connection typically do driving as well as warehouse work from basic labouring to goods in running a forklift etc - They should do PAYE too.
Search, PerTemps, Extra Staff, Manpower agencies all used to provide warehouse labourer and forkift type work in addition to 3.5T, 7.5T, Class 2 and Class 1 work - I would expect them all to start looking for staff as Christmas is on the horizon. As far as I know, most clients know nothing about the person turning up, other than they are coming from a certain agency. They wont know your history etc, so you’re starting from a clean slate in effect.
What area are you in, as someone might know of a 3.5T driving job going
Edit: There is no shame in signing up for multiple agencies, especially if you know certain agencies have certain clients/companies you are particularly interested in
As others have said, the obvious answer is agencies but having been there/done that I certainly would not recommend that route for you.
I think you would be best with a larger employer who would be more likely to accept your previous history and give you any support you may need.
I work at Waitrose which as part of John Lewis have a policy of treating everyone equal and will give you their full support both in your application and employment.
Check out jlpjobs.com there’s currently 350 jobs on there so you might find something to suit you and they also operate a warehouse to wheels scheme which would save you the cost of your HGV licence.
I really hope everything works out for you so keep posting on here and let us know how you get on.
wing-nut:
As others have said, the obvious answer is agencies but having been there/done that I certainly would not recommend that route for you.
I think you would be best with a larger employer who would be more likely to accept your previous history and give you any support you may need.
I work at Waitrose which as part of John Lewis have a policy of treating everyone equal and will give you their full support both in your application and employment.
Check out jlpjobs.com there’s currently 350 jobs on there so you might find something to suit you and they also operate a warehouse to wheels scheme which would save you the cost of your HGV licence.
I really hope everything works out for you so keep posting on here and let us know how you get on.
I’ll check out that site thanks.
Hyh:
Sounds like agency is the way forward for you, to get some kind of experience on the CV.
Agencies will absolutely overlook whatever reasons you have been out of work - It does make life trickier for them if certain clients require 5 years of referencing, for example at an airport. (You would also require a passport as an additional form of ID) If the Job Centre were aware of you being out of work, they might be able to write you a reference to show you were not in prison etc. - I’m not sure how it works these days with them.
One agency I signed up with, asked me if I had a criminal record as it would mean I couldn’t be put with some clients and so would be put with others instead - So if you have a clear sheet, you’re doing better than some ! If you’re happy working nights and weekends, you’ll instantly be more attractive to any agency too.
I mean no disrespect but if you are physically fit and healthy and able to lift and drag a pallet around, with the forklift licence idea, you might suit goods-in type work in warehouses etc. You would need to be competent using a computer but that can be picked up quick enough.
I know The Best Connection typically do driving as well as warehouse work from basic labouring to goods in running a forklift etc - They should do PAYE too.
Search, PerTemps, Extra Staff, Manpower agencies all used to provide warehouse labourer and forkift type work in addition to 3.5T, 7.5T, Class 2 and Class 1 work - I would expect them all to start looking for staff as Christmas is on the horizon. As far as I know, most clients know nothing about the person turning up, other than they are coming from a certain agency. They wont know your history etc, so you’re starting from a clean slate in effect.
What area are you in, as someone might know of a 3.5T driving job going
Edit: There is no shame in signing up for multiple agencies, especially if you know certain agencies have certain clients/companies you are particularly interested in
I think that’s what I’m going to do, just sign up for agencies. It’s only for 1 year until I do my Class 2 licence hopefully
I’ve been through a lot worse, I’m sure I can handle agency work. That’s a real plus that the company I work for won’t know about my history.
Read Jordan B Peterson - 12 rules for life, sounds like you are ready for it now.
You can catch some of it on youtube, he is inspirational in so many ways, enough to change your life…
Tude:
Read Jordan B Peterson - 12 rules for life, sounds like you are ready for it now.
You can catch some of it on youtube, he is inspirational in so many ways, enough to change your life…
I’ve had gaps in my employment history. I might have fibbed a little bit. Nobody checked up. Now I don’t have to fib, as I have built up a good enough recent work history. Remember that your employment history gap won’t be with you forever, you will find a job even if you don’t get every job you apply for because of this gap… when you do, every day that you work pushes your employment gap further in to the past, and nobody will know or care about it at all after a while.
I reckon you could go straight in to driving from your current position. If you do struggle (and I doubt it), it would be time to start doing volunteer work or applying for menial jobs so that you can get something to put on that CV, anything to show you can get up in the morning and do something productive. That forklift licence sounds a good idea to me.
Don’t waste your time and money on a forklift ‘licence’ as there’s no such thing there’s only formal training that you receive a certificate at the end of and it’s the equivalent of a swimming certificate or cycling proficiency from school, worse probably as there’s some test element to those.
I reckon keep schtum about the mental health too. One of the biggest nightmares for any haulage co is a truck and load being stuck somewhere, due to some driver episode, and as soon as you say mental health they’ll instantly imagine you having a nervous breakdown, regardless whether it’s a realistic prospect or not, 300 miles from base and a 600 mile round trip in the car to drop off a relief driver to take over.
As has already been said agency is probably the best route in and that applies to anyone new to the industry really.
I’m just going to do agency work for 6 months, I really don’t mind and I’ll probably do warehouse packing, maybe delivering parcels to give me some driving experience which will get me more comfortable on the roads in general. Then I’ll pad out my CV to cover up the work gap as an employer is probably only going to check the last 2 references anyway. Then around April I’ll start my Class 2 licence, I know a lot of you are saying to do it now but I really don’t feel comfortable enough driving a Class 2 when I’m so new to driving in general.
Thanks again for all the advice guys, really appreciate it
Just got a call from a recruitment agency, I start work on Tuesday unloading delivery trucks in a warehouse. I know it’s nothing amazing but I’m going back to work!
It’s for 12 weeks and then if they keep me on it will be until March, that should be enough to get the ball rolling.
Are you going to be an employee of the agency, ie PAYE, so you get accrued holiday pay and they pay your Employers National Insurance etc?
With 12 weeks work, you surely should accrue a day or 2 of holiday, so you could look at it like it is extra pay
Are you going to be an employee of the agency, ie PAYE, so you get accrued holiday pay and they pay your Employers National Insurance etc?
With 12 weeks work, you surely should accrue a day or 2 of holiday, so you could look at it like it is extra pay
Thanks! I’m employed by the agency, I get half a day holiday for every week I work so 12 weeks would net me 6 days holiday. I didn’t think to ask about NI, not really sure how that all works.
TruckerWannabe123:
I didn’t think to ask about NI, not really sure how that all works.
You’ll be deducted 12% of your gross wage on anything you earn over £166. You probably won’t pay Income Tax, for the time being anyway, if you have had no income, or only JSA income in this tax year. You’ll also be stopped 5% for pension.
TruckerWannabe123:
Thanks! I’m employed by the agency, I get half a day holiday for every week I work so 12 weeks would net me 6 days holiday. I didn’t think to ask about NI, not really sure how that all works.
If you’re an employee of the company, they’ll handle NI and all that for you.
Don’t forget to get onto HMRC’s website once you have 3 or 4 payslips and claim your tax back for laundering your clothes for work - They’ll simply change your Tax Code, you wont see the £60 directly in your account. gov.uk/tax-relief-for-emplo … -and-tools
TruckerWannabe123:
I didn’t think to ask about NI, not really sure how that all works.
You’ll be deducted 12% of your gross wage on anything you earn over £166. You probably won’t pay Income Tax, for the time being anyway, if you have had no income, or only JSA income in this tax year. You’ll also be stopped 5% for pension.
Well I’ve claimed enough money from benefits in the last 10 years time to give some back
Hyh:
TruckerWannabe123:
Thanks! I’m employed by the agency, I get half a day holiday for every week I work so 12 weeks would net me 6 days holiday. I didn’t think to ask about NI, not really sure how that all works.
If you’re an employee of the company, they’ll handle NI and all that for you.
Don’t forget to get onto HMRC’s website once you have 3 or 4 payslips and claim your tax back for laundering your clothes for work - They’ll simply change your Tax Code, you wont see the £60 directly in your account. gov.uk/tax-relief-for-emplo … -and-tools
The more you know… appreciate the money saving tip.
I believe you won’t get deducted workplace pension until you’ve done 3 months service , unless you request that you want to opt in straight away .
That’s the case where I work anyway . Assume it’s the same for everyone .?
time to give some back 