Does JobCentrePlus harvest job ads?

Savvy_Sue

Might sound like an odd question, but we are recruiting atm, and we don't specifically advertise at the Job Centre (bad experiences in the past). However today I've had an application on a 'standard' JCP application form from someone who hasn't asked for one of our job packs, but it has a reference number on it which certainly didn't come from us!

I can't quickly find our job on their site, but then I don't know what category it would come under because it's a fairly difficult role to define.

And of course there's no easy way to contact them.

All the places where I have advertised state clearly that you need to ask for a Job Pack and apply on OUR application form. I'm used to people saying they've seen our adverts in places I haven't advertised, but at least they do seem to have seen 'our' advert and therefore asked for the job pack!

I've now sent this person the job pack with our application form, because although I can put their form forward for consideration, they won't get very far as they haven't given enough information.

concerned43

the JCP has many 'job clubs' so it could be one saw the ad and was told a client to apply via JCP. You're job would not be on their site unless you dealt with JCP to do so.

Savvy_Sue

Thanks. Still wondering where they got this reference number from then.

The application form that's been sent in is pretty dire, in terms of what we want to know, as it happens!

Newbiesw

Hello Sue,
You didn’t say whether the reference number on the JCP was the same as the number you had allocated?
If not, it would not surprise me if they had trawled through the adverts as one of their “Box-Ticking“ exercises, entering jobs on their Site which may have generated one of their own unique format reference numbers, to keep up the appearance of being a popular, much in demand , therefore much needed service to justify their existence.
Rightly or wrongly, the latter view of them was quickly formed by me this week after having to sign on for JSA for the very first time.
I am seeking work and as far as I see it, they are not giving me money to do this, they are just re-paying me a tiny, minute, paltry fraction from my (National) Insurance Policy out of the hundreds of thousands of pounds which I have paid to them via my tax & National Insurance contributions for longer than my JCP Interviewer had been born.
In order to get this minimal sum of £60 per week I have paid for, I have to play their Box-Ticking games and jump through their hoops otherwise it will not be paid just so’s they can sit back smugly and say:
“Oooh! we have all these job vacancies” - (Yeah, nicked from other sources)
“And we have all these claimants busily applying for jobs” - (Yeah, financially blackmailed into running around applying for unsuitable, underpaid jobs they don’t want or are not going to get due to being over/under qualified just for £60 per week)
“So now we can tick all our boxes, aren’t the unemployed lucky and fortunate that we, the JCP exist?”

I have to apply for at least 3 jobs per week (Have the people who make these Rules actually been unemployed?)
What if there aren’t 3 suitable jobs in a week, do I go for jobs I don’t want ?
What if I get that job I didn’t want and its minimum wage and I can’t afford my bills, do I then claim Income Support?
What if I get that underpaid job I don’t want but a great job comes up the following week, how do I start asking my new employer for time off for interviews?
I have to write down all the jobs I have applied for on a form and take it to the JCP each week otherwise my £60 is stopped (but at least they’ve given me my very own special, free little plastic see-through wallet to put it in. - Whooppee ! :j)
My Interviewer asked me if I would like her to search for any jobs whilst I was there, “Oh yes please!”, (thinking she may have the equivalent of the JCP “under the Counter” lists of jobs), she had ONE which I had already seen a week earlier. I pointed out to her that although it was my area (Payroll) it was for the CIS industry of which I have no experience. I would be happy to try if there were only a few applicants, but the job-market being as it is, with probably 100 applicants experienced in CIS, I wouldn’t really stand a chance.
The “Job Club” which Concerned43 mentioned was also spoken of, it was at this point I was thinking “Look, I don’t want to join your Club, I don’t want to fill in your forms or your free plastic wallet, I don’t want you to find jobs I’d already found and assessed a week earlier. I don’t want to play your games or jump though your hoops just to make you feel better, I just want a job.
Now that I have no income, just give me the £60 to pay for my suit to be dry-cleaned for interviews, to pay for the phone calls and postage for jobs, the transport to interviews and I WILL find a suitable job, but it will be through no help of the JCP whatsoever.

Sorry Sue , being new and sensitive to unemployment, I went slightly off-topic BIG-TIME.
No doubt after time, the system will wear me down and I will be washing dishes at night in a seedy restaurant for minimum wage without a grumble.

Newbiesw

Savvy_Sue

Thanks for that! yes, I do suspect they have seen it somewhere else, I don't give jobs reference numbers.

Can I just ask, are you able to search their site by reference number? Wondering whether if I gave you the ref, you'd be able to 'see' it for me? It's not in your area of expertise, I'm afraid!

BTW, your feelings about the process are shared by many!

Tigsteroonie

You certainly used to be able to search the JCP online by reference number (it's generally of the form XXX/number). Not sure if, now they've switched to the direct.gov site, whether you can still do this.

Savvy_Sue

It's just a number, and whether if I'd logged in I could have done that I don't know. As I don't have an ID for that, I didn't!

Newbiesw

Savvy_Sue wrote: »

Thanks for that! yes, I do suspect they have seen it somewhere else, I don't give jobs reference numbers.
Can I just ask, are you able to search their site by reference number? Wondering whether if I gave you the ref, you'd be able to 'see' it for me? It's not in your area of expertise, I'm afraid!
BTW, your feelings about the process are shared by many!

Hello Sue,
Now I know you don't really mean "Thanks" for my marathon rant but I certainly do feel much better now !
If you want me to try the search, I'm happy to do so, I've b* all else to do although I've never actually logged in but happy to try a few variations/combinations ?

Newbiesw

Newbiesw

Sorry Sue, couldn't wait for you, too slow !;)

Just looked at any vacancy, took the reference down, typed it in the Search and it came up immediately, didn't even have to Register or Log on.

Newbiesw

Savvy_Sue

Well, I tried putting the reference in on Friday (all numbers, btw), and it said it couldn't find anything.

So I suppose that may mean it's NOT on the JCP site!

Next question, do jobs on the JCP site indicate how you're supposed to apply? eg send CV / standard application form or ask for employer's pack and application form?

Newbiesw

Savvy_Sue wrote: »

Well, I tried putting the reference in on Friday (all numbers, btw), and it said it couldn't find anything.
So I suppose that may mean it's NOT on the JCP site!

Sounds like it, maybe it's a "knock up" job, but why anyone would want to do that ?

Savvy_Sue wrote: »

Next question, do jobs on the JCP site indicate how you're supposed to apply? eg send CV / standard application form or ask for employer's pack and application form?

Yes, it's a mixture of various options.
I tried for that ONE job after my rant.
It stated to email CV to either of the address' but there was only ONE email address ending .co.uk.
I thought it unusual to end email address with "." so omitted it, my email undelivered. Tried a second time including the ".", email undelivered once again. Have printed them off to take to my next JSA interview.
I see this job-seeking is going to be fun !:wall:

Newbiesw