What Is Your Opinion of the Unemployed

Sues48

Well, I work for the Jobcentre and see all sides of the unemployed. I deal exclusively with the 18-24 year age group and have to tell you that it is very difficult to not become jaded when every day I am confronted with young people who are clearly not interested, who sit texting whilst I'm talking and repeatedly miss appointments or turn up several hours late. I hasten to add that not all are like this, but a significant majority are, every now and then i come across someone who is really motivated and keen and like a breath of fresh air.

I do try and be sympathetic and encouraging, as I know that a lot of these youngsters haven't had the education or advantages that my own two children have had, but it is very difficult sometimes when it is clear that what I am saying is going in one ear and out of the other:(

The lack of respect is a two way thing, as before I was moved onto the 18-24 caseload and I was dealing with older customers, some of the rudest people I had to deal with were highly educated, professional people, who clearly thought that they were demeaning themselves by having to attend a Jobcentre.

flashnazia

CannotFindHelp wrote: »

The hardest thing was that everywhere I went I heard the same thing - that unemployed people are useless, lazy, dole sucking scum, benefit fraudsters and just generally robbing !!!!!!!s who want to do as little as possible for as much as possible. They're the reason we are in a recession. They are the reason we can't afford our little luxuries at the end of the week and they're the reason why it's become harder in the workplace.

You obviously don't fit above descriptions so I wouldn't worry.

The above descriptions are usually reserved for those that have never worked and never wish to. Those that think its their right to get money from a system they have never contributed to.

Congrats on finding a job btw.

sexki11en

Vader123 wrote: »

My controversial and often disliked opinion is that anyone who is "long term" unemployed (say over 9 months) is doing something very wrong with their job hunting.

They are either being to restrictive in what they want to do, the hours they want to work, have a crappy CV/interview skills/application form , and/or don't want to work.

I own my own company with 134 FT employees spread over 4 UK locations.

I have dealt personally with the DWP and unemployment and unemployed people are a big part of my business.

Vader

I would have to agree with this. I'm a recruiter and today alone (and it's only lunchtime!) I have had 2 no shows by people who were booked in for roles that they had applied for and would have (by the look of their CV) been very good for. Unfortunately, this is the norm at the moment. We can almost garantee that as many as 50% of booked interviews will not attend, nor will they let us know they aren't attending. Tell me they want to work?

SK x

silkyuk9

It all depends on the 'unemployed' there are people out there who cant get a job for a number of reasons so each has to be opinioned on there situations.

Now, my brother is a lazy Tw.. and is 38, never worked in his life and does not intend to, he has a (in my opinion) ficticious illness which keeps him on the dole and boosts up his unemloyment benefits. Not sure what he gets but he has no rent to pay, no council tax to pay and sits about on his lap top and doing FA. Now there is an example of a parasite in our society and is no use to anyone, in my view i would make people like him do jobs in the community either picking up litter or painting fences!

Now there are another section who are scared of work because of financial reasons, these are generally young families with a couple of kids who cant get jobs that pay more than the combined benefits they receive, these are trapped in a circle and its no fault of there own.

sunday_girl

sexki11en wrote: »

I would have to agree with this. I'm a recruiter and today alone (and it's only lunchtime!) I have had 2 no shows by people who were booked in for roles that they had applied for and would have (by the look of their CV) been very good for. Unfortunately, this is the norm at the moment. We can almost garantee that as many as 50% of booked interviews will not attend, nor will they let us know they aren't attending. Tell me they want to work?

SK x

Curious as to why you think this happens? From a new job-seekers POV (after a period as a SAHM) I am interested as everything I read seems to point to competition being extremely fierce and the chance of securing a job tiny! This actually gives me some hope that people who are really keen might stand a chance (doesn't help you though, sorry!)

santacruz_2

I think after being unemployed for a certain amount of time you must lose your confidence, not to mention the gap in employment. This might
come across in interviews or applications you write. After no luck, especially no interviews its obviously time to change your CV.

I've been unemployed on and off for 2/3 years because of the economic state and I feel for the unemployed out there, I know what its like. I know finding a really suitable job after days, weeks of nothing and thinking 'I have one chance to get this right' and then hearing nothing is so dejecting.

There are ALWAYS people who don't really want to work and put no effort in but I think unemployment has become so common in these past few years that blinkered people can't just generalise the unemployed as much as they used to.

santacruz_2

sexki11en wrote: »

I would have to agree with this. I'm a recruiter and today alone (and it's only lunchtime!) I have had 2 no shows by people who were booked in for roles that they had applied for and would have (by the look of their CV) been very good for. Unfortunately, this is the norm at the moment. We can almost garantee that as many as 50% of booked interviews will not attend, nor will they let us know they aren't attending. Tell me they want to work?

SK x

I work in retail in a town I know has plenty of unemployed people. We are advertising on the jobcentre for a sales assistant, it's not a scary advert (something which has put me off applying for places in the past!) just a straightforward advert.

We have had about 6 people apply. 2 of which were Polish.
I find that quite strange and frankly annoying when I know there are lots of people signing on each week.

I don't want to work in a shop i hate, but I'd rather work and get a wage than be on the dole with my confidence getting worse and worse each week.

DVardysShadow

viktory wrote: »

This needs to be moved to DT

It is fine where it is. This is about personal experiences related to Jobseeking [the topic of this section of the forums] and is absolutely on topic here. It should not be mixed in with the general argy bargy about non personal matters in Discussion Time.

Odette

When I went to uni I thought getting a job after would be the easiest thing in the world, it wasn't and I went on the dole. From the moment I walked into the dole office, IMHO it was obvious to see who wanted to work and who didn't. And the sad thing is the people who obviously were taking it seriously were the smaller percentage. I think that's the difference. Why? Who knows, but I do believe its very easy to become disengaged and disenfranchised on the dole when all you have to do is make up some guff about applying to jobs.

JAYk_2

I believe everybody's situation is different. It's obvious that not all benefit seekers are scroungers, greedy and lazy people unwilling to work. However I don't think alot of the unemployed or even the employed (in 'dead-end jobs') think of other ways to earn a living. All the blame is put on the government to give them some money. The attitude of most of the British seems to be that if they cannot find a job life ends there. Or it's the immigrants fault that there are not enough jobs around. Maybe so, but whatever happened to self-employment? There are many ways of earning money.

Did anyone see Dragon's Den last night? Mum with her baby boy working 2 jobs and still managed to set up her own business! She's serious.

It's interesting. A family member of mine walked along the high street in wood green, london and noticed how most of the shops were owned by Asians/Indians - their own businesses and the betting shops were filled with Black and White people! I think we're all responsible for our failures and victories...