MONEY MORAL DILEMMA. Should Lofty hold out for his dream job?

clio2008

After taking into consideration the anti social hours involved in stacking shelves (one of my many jobs whilst in gap year be4 proceeding to uni) I think Lofty should do the job on a part-time basis, if that is possible. This is so that he can have some whole days off to focus on finding something close to his dream job atleast.

Going on the dole is like taking the easy route (in my opinion). If someone has a severe disability, has lost a job or is looking extremely hard to find a next one but its not happening and debtors start callin or such like, then going on the dole is the next best thing.
One thing I love about the UK is that there are sooooo many jobs out here, unlike many third world countries..and many do not require a degree, as experience appears to be most important as it enables one to 'work their way up the ladder'. As long as one is able bodied and willing to work hard there is soo much out there for em. One might have to do jobs they might have never considered, but in the end they will find that the work experience and life experience gained will be invaluable in the future. Many famous and/or rich people have done cruddy jobs. Its not where u are now, its about where you want to go.

Taffybiker

I would respect Lofty a great deal more if he shows he is prepared to work for a living rather than expect the taxpayer to keep him. In these times he should consider himself lucky to be offered a job at all! Besides, think of all the great deals and staff discount he can get from working in a supermarket.
As for anti-social hours - nah! There is no such thing any more.

terry2

He should take the job. prospective employers look more favourable on people in a job rather than on benefits (sad but true). Also people who have been on benefits for some time tend to appear at interview as tired and lack-lustre.

If he doesn't want to take the job, then he should do some voluntary work. It will show some initiative, and give him an interest in life; which will show.

Voyager2002

smiley941 wrote: »

I tried to explain I was happy with the wage and to be back in work but they refused to offer me anything due to my degree!! They said it would be a waste training someone and then losing them. Training to stack shelves?? Anyway, my point is this.... Always go for whatever work you can, swallow the pride and think positive, but, when you fill in application for this work, DO NOT admit to having a degree!!!! I know it's dishonest, but not necessarily a big lie when all you want is work again!!!!! (my first post, hope I didn't waffle too much)

It is not generally a good idea to lie on application forms. Remember the case of the lavatory cleaner who was dismissed for this, concealing the fact that s/he had a degree? I believe that it established some important legal principles, but the bottom line was that a graduate lost a job for pretending to be a non-graduate.

catenorfolk

"why doesnt he sign on and work up to 16 hours!"

Why doesnt he just work full time at a job that pays his way, apply for all his dream jobs that comes his way, when he gets his 'dream' job then leave his 'mundane boring' job and someone else with aspirations can take it!

catenorfolk

you dont have to hide anything, just tell the company that you would like to work your way up through the company!! who is to know that you would leave.

lovemystudentloan

I can understand what wishface is saying and think we all wish it were a freer world but as many others say, we all do what we have to. I think lofty should work simply because I had to sign on years ago and found it absolutely soul destroying. Every time I entered the Job Centre and explained I hadn't found work yet I just wanted to die. I felt like my life was over and as terry2 said, this must have reflected in interviews. Working will allow lofty to retain his self esteem and may open up other avenues for him. Also if he isn't tied down, perhaps he could apply for jobs elsewhere? Better opportunities may be available in a different part of the country. I moved away from home and simply being in a different place opened my eyes to all sorts of opportunities that just didn't seem open to me at home, and I think maybe we make our own luck sometimes when we decide we can make something happen.

chriswatts

MrsBartolozzi wrote: »

It is for this reason - considerating a supermarket type job as a temporary stop gap til the right job comes along- that employers are not keen to take on graduates in jobs that don't use the degree/ are considered less aspirational.
I have had prospective employers openly wince, after having a nice positive chat about me applying for the job, when I mention I have degree. They say oh, well, you'll only be wanting the job til you get something better etc.Even when I assure them that's not the case I can tell it's a lost battle, the atmosphere of the conversation has changed. Sure enough on handing in the CV/ application form I don't even get invited for interview.
It's not just me, I know others who are in the same boat, and I've read stories like this online too.
I'm not sure how this applies to the fictional OP, but I do think that the attitude of "take any job and look for better ones in the mean time" is making getting "any" job much harder.

This isn't correct, it sounds like your looking for employment in all the wrong places! If your applying for permanent employment in a menial job with a degree what do you expect when they say your over qualified! What you should do and it's what I did, is to register with a few agencies and explain what work your ideally looking for, but that your willing to take on any work in the mean time. I don't know about the present situation with the recession but there use to be a lot of short term well paid menial jobs that didn't get filled due to people looking for more permanent work.

Quite a few jobs if not temporarily filled by a graduate, would end up filled by school leavers. Although there probably are some 16-18 year old's who have a good work ethic, I have known some not to last even a week. One new recruit said they were just going to the toilet and that was the last time they were seen. Although one thing to note here is that although by filling menial jobs with graduates your reducing unemployment in graduates, your probably making more school leavers unemployed.

mrp45 wrote: »

I would tell lofty to hold off as long as he can. recruitment 'consultants' are notoriously unimaginative and not particularly bright so they can rarely see underlying skills or imagine you doing anything that's not identical to the last job you held. so if he can afford to wait, wait.

Another one that's not quite true, recruitment 'consultants' often get paid on a percentage commission of what the employees paid. Thus most recruitment companies will try and get you the best possible pay. Although the same can't be said of a few managers of companies, as I mentioned previously one manager I worked for wouldn't think twice in offering someone lower pay for any sign of what I would describe as weakness. Whether that be previously working in a menial job for lower pay, being made redundant, unemployed or just left the army. I could only imaging that he considered these people more desperate, if they were willing to work for less or happy to live on unemployment benefit they would thus more willing to accept lower pay for the same post. Thankfully he's now retired.

Baalmaiden

I took seven years to get a science degree in the 90's with the OU while working, and have never earned more than 18K. It has helped me get a job though, and I enjoyed the study. A lot of the people I work with down here in Cornwall are over qualified for the jobs they do, but they prefer to stay in a nicer place despite the low pay.
I think that being a MATURE student may be his biggest problem. If you are over 45 it doesn't seem to matter what qualifications you have, a younger person will be preferred. My income has gone down over the last 5 years as it has been harder and harder to find work. Basically, the world does not owe you a living. Look at all the highly qualified people from eastern Europe who are doing unskilled work in Britain.

what

The whole university dream is a con, I went to my sons college talk on applying to uni, never once was the prospect of doing a course that has a chance of a job at the end mentioned.

80,000 courses 350 universities.

"If you cant find a course you want, try something different, like American Studies"... lots of jobs in the paper this week for that one!!

History, Greek, Philosophy, Media, Photography, Art, Why???

Medicine, Law, Science, maybe. The rest of the developing world isnt doing crap subjects that have no use in the modern workplace.

They mention that unis will send you prospectus' that are sales pitches, youre not kidding, probably 90% of uni courses are irrelevant in the job place, some I know do business plans... how can that be when there is no work in that profession?

Add to all this a potential £30k cost, then its all just a way of keeping the ignorant masses in education because there are no jobs available.

If youre lucky enough to earn less then £25k then no fees, if you earn over £50k joint income, its assumed that you have the spare £10k pa? Not with 4 kids, 2 cars and a morgage you dont!

I have interviewed so many graduates this year, applying for an 18-22 y/o assistants job on £12k, some who have 2 degrees at the age of 30 and never had a full time job!!! Wake up UK!!

I tire of 30+ perpetual students who have never had a full time job

I have one young man working with me who has a masters in psychology and is on minimum wage!

One girl I know did a teaching degree and applied for a job with 180 others!

3 years at uni or 3 years working? £30k debt or £30k+ earned?

Think before you wast your money, get that job now!