The Full Monty Dance Troup

rosered1963

Hi everyone!

Lucfgirl - you are doing so well - good luck with everything. So exciting about your OH and the trip

Medini - I agree about those tests - strongly agree etc - awful aren't they. Scrooge is right I think - they are trying to get to the bottom of whether you are the sort of person they want. I went to an interview last year exepcting a straight forward interview. They sat me down and I was given a test based on the Minnesota Multiphasic . They told me I wasn't the kind of person they were looking for. It was a rather basic admin role that I was only going for out of desperation, so I was surpirsed at them going to all that trouble. It has made me wary at interviews now - you never knnow what they are going to throw at you when you get there.

Sackcloth! Oh no - we can't have our up-beat girl crumbling! I know how you feel though - I haven't even paid my council tax yet - very bad I know - juggliing bills all over the place. There just isn't the money there. I rang up for a manager job in a new charity bookshop today - no answer so I left a message - I really hope they get back to me as it looked good (but not well paid obviously) We just have to keep plugging on. I hope you feel better soon

Scrooge - I live in a lovely area as well - -oooops about the mcDs though!

Must try and do some hard core jobhunting / research on business start-up today. Living out in the country without a car is becoming a serious drawback.

RR

Louise22

Hello everyone!

Well, just got a rejection phone call from the NHS job I was after. The lady on the phone said that I was a lovely girl and that I answered all of the questions fantastically, so I felt like saying "If I am that lovely and I did that well, why didn't I get offered the job?!" Its ok because I have a job to go to in September (if my referencing goes ok) but what makes me angry is that I have been to so many interviews where I got the feeling they already had someone lined up for the job, but obviously still had to advertise it. My boyfriends mum used to work for the NHS and said that used to happen all the time. It just makes me so annoyed - you go to all that effort, and its always for nothing in these situations.

Do you ever get the feeling you have no chance? haha!

Hope you are all well.

scrooge2008

rosered that charity bookshop job sounds lovely, sending postive vibes to you. I love reading.

Sackcloth, you are allowed a wobble, it's completely normal. . But, you still managed to make me laugh. Virtual hug.

Louise, as for stitched up jobs in NHS, so frustrating, but is often the case, especially in today's climate. Still nice to get such positive feedback.

Mizzbizz, I would be interested if there was any help with suits for interviews too. I have heard of someone who got £150.00 for a suit when they got a job with the scottish executive, as Sackcloth mentioned, but not of anyone getting a suit for the interview, which actually would make a lot more sense, but we are talking job centres here. Loved the comment 'I'd rather shear off my own hair with a rusty breadknife'. Hope is doesn't come to that. :eek:

Louise22

Thanks Scrooge, although I would rather have had some negative feedback as then I would at least understand why I didn't get offered it!

scrooge2008

Morning all,

On the topic of hair cuts, I have used the Hair Care Group, free hair cut promotions a couple of times and got an excellent cut both times. You fill in a coupon in a magazine, send it off to them, and chase them up for an appointment. They have affiliated salons all over the country, and often they are the more up market ones.

If you ring 0844 8844 000 (option 1) they will tell you what promotions are on. I believe there is one for hair and beauty in Prima magazine this month (which I think i'll go for), and another for hair in Practical Parenting magazine.

Also found this interesting link to a charity called dressforsucess, that appears to kit people out for interviews, in second hand suits. http://www.dressforsuccess.org/affiliate.aspx?pageid=1&sisid=37. Not sure i'd go down this route, but I have bought most of my clothes off ebay this last year, for very little money and with varying degrees of success.

medini

I did an all singing all dancing interview for bt/manpower yesterday. It took three hours! we had to fill in lots of forms, then had around an hour of more strange tests, then a half hour normal interview and half hour sat listening to calls to see what we thought about them. I know i did well on the interview, the lady who interviewed me said I gave some good answers, but I have no idea how i did on the personality profile, spelling etc. I find out on friday.

I was woke up a 4.30 this morning by my kitten bouncing around the bed and seemily very excited about something. I picked him up and went to shut him in the kitchen so I could get to sleep, only to find my big cat had killed a baby bird and left bits of it allover the kitchen. Yuck!

medini

Good news! I've been offered the job with mapower/bt on condition all my references check out. The start date isn't until 3rd August so have a little wait to go, but everything should be back to normal again soon :j

sackcloth

Dear Friends and fellow Jobseekers!!

Well, it's finally happened and Sackcloth is a happy girlie indeed. The job I was offered is not now moving away and I'm starting at the end of the month!!! :j I can't tell you what a relief it is - although you probably all know what I'm feeling. Money will be coming in, and we'll be able to live again rather than survive.

RR: council tax - pah!! What can they do? Did you apply for council tax relief from your local authority? If not, get down there on Monday and fill out the forms. Life is not about begging these days but you should get what you are entitled to! Even if you're the only one out of work, you will get a concession. And what are you waiting for on the job set up? If I can help - being very good at marketing, websites and general pepping up advice, let me know!! I'm determined that you lot are coming with me on this new big journey...!!! :eek: And that's whether you want to or not...

Scrooge: glad you got a laugh out of the haircut story and I saw one of the vouchers on this very website for that company. Might be able to actually go and see my own salon though, in the meantime the hair do is taking longer to quaff (??) so I'm getting creative! As for dressforsuccess - I'll have a look and see what they have. I love charity shops (RR: I'm going to be relying on you for advice here if you get the job) and second hand or "pre-loved" clothes are not an issue

Medini - that's two of us in gainful employment, now we just have to get a third for this week and then 3 again next week... so get your superhero pants on!!! We've got a thread-buddy to save...

Louise: you can't win them all and yes, sometimes you go for jobs that you haven't got a chance before you even turn up. I've lost count of the times that really reputable companies have called me in and then appointed someone "internally" afterwards. It wastes my time and it's not fair. So I don't want to work for companies like that. In your case, it's their loss and you'll get something soon.

Everyone: things are actually picking up. Even my OH has had a bit of news about courses and stuff, so we are feeling quite positive. It's been a bit of a year all told and we're still not quite out of the woods yet but I have decided that this is going to be a life change for us all. Scrooge hit the nail on the head when you said that things will never be the same. I am certainly going to cut my spending and watch who I do business with in future. Okay, so I may not be completely ethical but I will be careful about where I choose to spend my money. Power to the People indeed!!!! :eek:

Finally, I promise not to abandon you. You've all been such a wonderful support to me that I don't want to leave you in the lurch and I promise to help each and everyone one of you get a job if I can.

Positive vibes washing over you all and fairy dust is blowing your way...
Sackcloth.

:grouphug:

scrooge2008

I'm so pleased for you Sackcloth and medini. It couldn't happen to nicer people! Onwards and upwards ....

Well, things are not too bad here either. Just received another letter from the council, and Lollypop people, are actually going to get a significant pay increase, and no changes to working arrangements, in line with the modernising pay initiative, that has been going on. I still have a lot of sympathy for council staff who are losing jobs and pay though.

I did my accounts yesterday and all the work streams brought in over £1,000 last month. Not a lot by many people's standards, but still it surprised me.

I like the flexible way I am working, but I am going to start being a lot more strategic and organised, and develop the profitable areas. Work smarter not harder.

And hasn't the weather been amazing. I have just had lunch in the garden. We have such a huge variety of fruit and vegetables growing, that I will need to purchase very little over the next few months. I would never have experienced the pleasure of growing/cooking and eating your own food, or the joys of MSE, if it hadn't been for unemployment. Like you said Sackcloth, I don't want to lose the lessons that i've learnt.

Thanks for the positive vibes Sackcloth. I've got a strong feeling that things are going to work out really well for you to Rosered, soon. Hang in there!

Louise22

Good news, great to see some positive news! I will find out by the middle of next week if my referencing has went ok, and then it'll be WOO!