I really want a job with Royal Mail but ...

[amco37]

they won't give me one!
I've applied for loads of jobs in the Edinburgh area with Royal Mail and I never even get invited for an interview. I just had yet another rejection today, and it's seriously getting me down
I'm starting to think they've blacklisted my name. Is that possible? Am I
My reasons for thinking this are:
1. I got a job with them in 2007. I phoned them on the day I was due to start and told them I had decided not to take the job because something else had come up. I also moved from the area in which I had this job offer.
2. In Xmas 2011 after being made redundant from my previous job, I got a Xmas job through Angard. However, it was a zero hour contract, and I had recently heard that there were loads of complaints about them. I decided a Xmas job under these circumstances wasn't what I wanted. They were only offering around 3 weeks work with no guarantee of a set number of hours!
3. For the past year I've been working as a self-employed freelance writer. I don't make a fortune, and that's why I want to go back into regular employment. I have always put on my application form that I would be 100% committed to Royal Mail and give up the freelance writing. Do you think they don't want people who are/have been self-employed?
4. I'm a woman. I'm seriously starting to think they don't want to employ women. I barely see any female posties anymore!
5. My age. I'm 37, but I look 25 and I'm quite healthy. I've climbed Ben Nevis twice!!

This is what they keep saying in their emails:

Further to your application for the above role and receipt of your online test notification, I regret to inform you that on this occasion you have been unsuccessful not shortlisted after the Frontline Talent Q assessment.

Does this mean I'm messing up the Frontline Talent Q assessment???

I honestly want a job with them

[TeeferTiger]

I doubt it's the woman thing if I'm honest given there were several in my large office and nearly half were women in another office I worked in. Women just don't really see it as a job they'd like to do if I'm honest. We also had quite a lot of taxi drivers and DJs etc who were classed as self employed working for RM, as long as it didn't impact on RM's contract they didn't mind.

And why do you really want a job with them?! Are there no other jobs in Edinburgh where you could physically torture yourself on a daily basis and put up with shite management decisions?

[bunkerland]

5. My age. I'm 37, but I look 25

If that's true then don't apply,by the time you're 45 you'll look 57!

[amco37]

I've only seen ONE female postie in the five years I've lived near Edinburgh.
I've never seen any women driving the vans around.
Never ever in my entire 37 years.
I don't think it's true to say that women don't really see it as a job they'd like to do. I'm a woman and I do see it as a job I'd like to do. I'm sure there are others. Why shouldn't being a postie appeal to women too? We have women athletes ya know!
I wouldn't see it as a job where I was physically torturing myself either. Believe me! I've been in far, far worse jobs. I've been in a job where I was paid min wage to sit outside in -10c. I've worked in factories doing the same thing day in day out. Boring as hell. You barely get to see sunlight in the winter!
I would love to be in a job where I can do a lot of walking and not be holed up in a pokey office all day.
As for the shite management decisions - there's not one single job I've been in where the management actually knew what they were doing!
I have friends who work in office jobs and all they do is moan about the managers!
I don't care about the shite managers or the hard work. I can handle it. I just want a job.
Do you think they've blacklisted my national insurance number?!?!

I think all the jobs are going to the men because it's a recession. Womens equality is going to really start suffering soon. This government want all the working class women to stay at home and bring up the kids and look after the old folk. That's why more and more women can't get a job or are being pushed into part-time low paid work!!

bunkerland - it is true! I was stopped the other day by a woman trying to get me to sign up to support a charity. She asked me if I was over 25 as you have to be before you can sign up. I said 'oh definitely'. She said 'are you sure? you look much younger'. I said 'oh thank you'. And she said ' you've got lovely skin'. I didn't bother to let her know I'm 37 and I was wearing NO MAKE UP!! Well, maybe a tiny bit of foundation, but that's all I swear.

[Lounge Lizard]

Applied for Edinburgh but do you live some distance from the workplace ?
Quite likely though might be "I phoned them on the day I was due to start and told them I had decided not to take the job"

[amco37]

All the jobs I applied for were only about 30 minutes drive in the car or up to an hour by bus.
I'm worried that they have my name somewhere and don't want to hire me 'cause I didn't accept two job offers. First one being 6 years ago and the last one being 2 Xmas's ago.
I remember not long after I declined the Xmas job I couldn't apply for any other jobs on their website because it wouldn't accept my national insurance number. I had to email them to get that sorted.
If they've blacklisted my name I don't want to waste my time applying or hoping I'll get a job
I wonder if there's anyway I can find out, so I stop wasting my time

[2pints]

Cant blame them really after letting them down like that.

[aposter]

At a guess RM won't even have seen your application, reading that reply you have been screened out by the agency that runs the online assesment.