Finding a job when you have been out of work for years..

Basically I have an anxiety disorder so in my younger years i had various jobs that never really lasted more than a few months, partly because of my anxiety affecting my ability to do the jobs properly (and im not talking about high skilled jobs either) getting sacked from these low skilled jobs obviously knocked my self esteem further so it got to the point that I couldn't cope anymore and was signed off as unfit for work due to anxiety. My last full time job was in 2002 and im only 36 so basically I have been out of work most of my adult life. I have done a few 'zero hours' agency shifts here and there but they never lasted much more than one shift and I don't believe the nature of them jobs does my confidence any good either as I really need easing in to work and training as it takes me a while to grasp things, again because im so on edge and anxious I find it difficult to focus.

So here I am , a 36 year old male with so little work experience but not have a family and im really feeling the pressure of not contributing enough, my partner works but she's not getting on well in her current job and really I would love to swap with her and her be the stay at home mum as I believe she would do a better job of that then I do and I think that I really need to get back to work.

But where do I start? my C.V is blank for mant years, I also want a job that would maybe have understanding of my 'disablity' and that due to anxiety is takes me a while to grasp things but once I get used to something I can do decent work.

I'm not sure whether everyone would class me as 'disabled' but as my mental health condition makes things difficult for me I would like to find some sort of job service maybe that helps employ disabled people. Does anyone know if any such company exists? on the jobcentre website many of the jobs say that they employ disabled people but I send my CV off and here nothing? and why would they employ someone that hasn't worked a full time job in nearly 2 decades!

Any help would be much appreciated as I really don't know where to start.

You poor thing! I empathise with you wholeheartedly, although I was only ever out of work for a couple of years at a go.

Quick question: would it be worth gaining work experience by volunteering in a field that interests you? What sort of work interests you, for that matter?

I agree about volunteering, it would give you much needed experience and something to put on your cv.
I will tell you something though.... I employ people. One girl came for an interview and said she had anxiety and depression. I took her on simply because of that. Empathy I suppose. But she's been brilliant, loves the job and does it well. Not all employers will blow you out of the water.

Wonderful attitude Darksky.

Absolutely second volunteering. May be difficult if you’re the stay at home parent, but perhaps you could do it on weekends?
Maybe you could find a local back to work scheme with free training?


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