Welcome to my blog. My name is Amanda; I’m 34 and reside in Pembrokeshire. I have set up this blog to help and encourage everyone out there who (like me) is currently unemployed and finding it difficult to cope finding work.

It’s a dreadful feeling, of getting up every morning, knowing that you’ve got nothing exciting to look forward to other than how much junk mail is going to come through letter box. At least with the junk mail, you can breathe again knowing it is not the gas or electricity bill this time.

I used to work for one of the biggest employers in Pembrokeshire. However I had to resign and am now jobless, but actively seeking work.

When I first became unemployed, I knew the economy was poor, but actually believed that with my skills and experience I would soon be working again. Oh how naïve I was! I am not the only hard-working reasonably intelligent, person out there vying for a job, (there are nearly 2 million of us in the UK), so its an employer's market.

Although I am a motivated and positive person, it can soon wear you down when you receive rejection after rejection letter; that is if the company reply at all. Worse still is when you’ve received one of these letters after attending an interview.

I don’t know about you, but I go from anger to worthlessness to tearfulness in 30 seconds flat. Then I think about scrunching the letter into a ball and flinging out the garden. It's only when I remember that my jobseeker advisor needs to see proof of my looking for work that I calm down a bit, and clip the offending letter to a steadily increasing pile.

I try to remember that I wasn’t the only person refused the role but its difficult when you know you would have excelled at the post, and you really want to be working and you really need the money.

What makes it harder for me is that I was born with a congenital disorder and have hidden disabilities. To look at me, you’d never guess, but I am a Fallot’s Tretologist which means I have a heart condition, it doesn’t stop me working, but it does limited my type of employment.

I am also deaf in one ear, so find it difficult in noisy places. Several years ago I was refused a job by a leading supermarket, on the basis that I wouldn’t be able to hear the fire alarm! Hello! I said I was deaf in one ear not deaf altogether, and do they think that a deaf person has never been into their shop before? Do they refuse deaf people entrance at the door? I think not. Aggghhhhhh.

So with the current market, and these frustrations, I have decided to take my job seeking one step further, and am going to log my successes and failures on these pages. If I learn anything of interest, or come across some handy hints I shall share them with you. Likewise, if you want to share any views, hints, or tips with me, I look forward to reading your comments.

I know there is a job out there for me, I just have to keep looking for it.