Mistreated at job centre - filing a complaint.

Uncertain · 7 January 2011 at 12:43PM

busy_mom wrote: »

JCP staff want to keep their jobs so following orders from above whether they like it or not.

Ah, the Nuremberg defence!

Didn't work very well if I remember correctly...........

plebeian · 7 January 2011 at 1:04PM

I can perhaps understand why the JC woman was being such a lady dog to you (although it doesn't make it acceptable): as others have said, she probably has to deal with dozens of layabouts who put more effort into staying on the dole than look for a job, and a tough attitude is what she feels she has to take with these people. However, this is utterly pointless if she doesn't recognise the people like yourself who are genuinely looking for a job. Some people will be helped with a kick up the bum; a great deal more would be helped by someone actually helping them, holding their hand to some extent, telling them that there are things they can do rather than scolding them for not doing them. The carrot is a better motivator than the stick - any decent psychologist/psychiatrist/psychotherapist/counsellor will tell you that.

Don't be afraid of jobs that you feel are just out of your reach. I've just been asked to come to an assessment centre for a job which I didn't really think I'd get, because of lack of relevant experience, but they were happy that I had transferable skills from some work experience I did years ago. As you've been doing performing arts, I'm guessing you're pretty outgoing and a good communicator - which would be ideal for a job in sales.

Last thing - let yourself feel good every time you apply for a job, get an interview, whatever. Don't beat yourself up thinking 'I haven't done enough'. I know that, with depression, sometimes even getting out of bed is a victory; be pleased when you've done something productive.

Pleb
xx

PS I haven't used it myself, but for help refining your CV, preparing for an interview etc, try The Co-Operative's website: http://www.co-operative.jobs/careerscentre/default.aspx

plebeian · 7 January 2011 at 1:08PM

Uncertain wrote: »

Ah, the Nuremberg defence!

Didn't work very well if I remember correctly...........

I hereby invoke Godwin's law.

Evilm · 7 January 2011 at 1:49PM

Firstly next time you go in try to get an appointment with their Charities organisation "do it" who can suggest voluntary work for you.

Secondly be aware that when they do print out roles for you when you are at the job centre you MUST apply for them. If there are any issues (such as transport) DO NOT let them print it for you as not applying or refusing an interview/offer will definitely count against you.

Thirdly sometimes the people at the job centre can be really nasty and sometimes they can be really nice. Deep breaths are required all round before reacting to them. I would however try to put down more websites, agency phone calls etc on the list to keep them happy.

Good luck, stay strong.

FatVonD · 7 January 2011 at 1:53PM

OP, I can understand how angry you must feel at being pre-judged in that way, I can still vividly recall to this day the injustice I felt aged 18 when a bus conductor assumed that, just because I was young, I was trying to dodge my fare when I offered him what I had always paid on that route (I had left home a month or two earlier and the fares, unbeknown to me, had gone up since then.) I was bloddy furious!

I do agree though that handing in a CV at shops isn't enough. I've always found that the best way to getting a job is to be there actually doing the job and impress them with your work ethic. I am fortunate that freelance workers are commonplace in my profession and I've got several jobs that way (including my current one.) At age 16 I was also offered a full-time job at an up-market department store after working the Christmas period on a temporary contract.

I'm always keen on turning a negative into a positive in any given situation, as a recovered anorexic why not volunteer in some capacity to help others with the same illness? What a difference 'I am a recovered anorexic and now use my experience to help others by volunteering at xxxxxxx, I find it a very rewarding experience and it has allowed me to blah, blah, blah' would make to your CV.

Good luck

redpete · 7 January 2011 at 2:17PM

red_devil wrote: »

jsa is a right if you are unemployed. You are by law entitled to money to live on otherwise there would be chaos and lots more stealing etc. If prisoners can be fed andwatered them im damn sure law abiding citizens should be entitled to money.

jsa is a right if you are unemployed and seeking work.

Other benefits or help are available if you don't qualify for this (but maybe difficult to get if you are unemployed and can't be bothered to try to get a job - even then no-one needs to be left destitute and homeless).

lexilex · 7 January 2011 at 2:33PM

Some of the replies to this topic are unbelievable.

I graduated with a good degree in July last year, and have been out of work since October, when my temp job as a cleaner ended.Since then I have been claiming JSA.

Every single day I get up at 7am, and spend all day until 6pm looking for work, refreshing all the job sites, applying for whatever I can, sending off my CV, sending speculative letters, contacting companies. In the three months I have been out of work I have had 1 interview for a job I did not get it.

Unless you are looking for work, you have no idea how hard it is at the moment. I honestly thought I would be able to get some job, I wasn't expecting to be able to get the perfect job doing what I want to do, but I thought I would get something. I am applying for anything and everything, I just want to work.

There is a ridiculous amount of people applying for everything. A while ago there were bin men jobs going here, they received 1200 applications.

I have actually found the staff at the job centre to be suprisingly nice. Out of the three I have met, two have been really helpful. The other, who is the man that signs me on is completely useless. In the three months I have been signing on not once has anybody printed off any jobs for me.

I'm not sure if this is the case but the last month or so has been worse than ever for jobs, whether it's linked to the weather or christmas I'm not sure, but in the weeks leading up to christmas I was lucky if there were 5 jobs advertised here a day.

Sorry for maybe going a little off topic, but I wish people would understand just how difficult it is at the moment. I am so ashamed to be out of work, I am so ashamed to be on JSA.

SilverFoxe · 7 January 2011 at 3:11PM

lexilex wrote: »

I am so ashamed to be out of work, I am so ashamed to be on JSA.

Why? If you are are doing your best there is no reason to feel this way.

Uncertain · 7 January 2011 at 3:27PM

I've only had to visit a JobCentre once and that was not as a result of unemployment.

I have to say it was an utterly depressing experience.

I am lucky to live in a fairly prosperous town with relatively low unemployment. I walk past the place quite often and it is without doubt the most run down looking building in the area. There are usually a number of people hanging around outside, being watched over by a "bouncer". To be blunt it is hard to imagine anybody employing them.

I had the misfortune to be off work long term sick. My company had an excellent sick pay scheme but one of the conditions was that I had to claim incapacity benefit / ESA after 26 weeks. Whatever I got from this was deducted from my company sick pay.

A requirement of ESA is that you attend so called "work focused interviews". The fact that I had a job open for me to return to if my condition improved was irrelevant. The system says you have to attend or the ESA will be stopped! The exercise was therefore a total waste of both my time and and the JobCentre's resources. Having been off sick for nine months at that point it was the very last thing I needed.

I was kept waiting over an hour for a timed appointment, the individual I saw was barely pleasant although even he agreed the whole matter was stupid.

Fortunately my other monthly appointments were "privatised" out to a trust. Here at least I simply had to have a chat over a cup of coffee with a very nice lady who went through the motions. However, she and I both agreed that it was tragic that her time was being wasted when others could have benefited.

What a total shambles......

GEEGEE8 · 7 January 2011 at 4:05PM

Hey,

Hope you are feeling better today?

Mistreated at job centre - filing a complaint.

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