Support Each Other In Looking For Work?

grumpyoldwoman41

Moneywastingexpert wrote: »

as an ex-JCP employee i can promise there are some real passionate, dedicated and actually quite cheerful advisors around........honest:money:

Where?????????

Please, do tell

grumpyoldwoman41

katkim wrote: »

I find that recuriters are more interested in getting you placed (which can be good, especially in this climate) but sometimes you really need to be forceful where because that comes second most of the time to ensure you're getting some benefit from this arrangement too.

TBH some of the recruiters havent got a clue either and would do pretty well at JC as advisers

A while ago, while I had my CV on line with few recruiters, they would call me and sing praises of one vacancy or another blah blah blah but change the tone when I asked about the pay... Mostly those jobs were offering half of evel less of what I was on then..

I absolutely hate seeing jobs advertised when the salary is not stated. Why do I want to waste my time if not suitable?

I may be unemployed now and have to live on peanuts but while at work my expenses go right up (that includes a dog walker at £200 per month :P) so need to know that the job I am applying for will meet my personal needs and financial commitments....

Rambling mode off.....sorry...:o

Got an interview on the 3rd February - long notice but.. Interview is HALF DAY LONG :eek::eek::eek:

Hope they won't get us to sumo wresstle as part of "show us what a team player you are".....

And no, I have no idea what the salary is.....sigh....

red_devil

orangeboy1988 wrote: »

I signed back onto JSA yesterday and I found it to be very patronising. I left angry and quite upset.

When I finally got seen to, the women asked for my ID, I handed over my passport which is 8 years old. She accused me of not being who I say I am and said my signature looked 'completely different'. I then gave her my driving licence, she said the same thing! They were taken when I was 16 and the signature wasn't hugely different in that one would suspect given her reaction. She then patronised me saying I must be consistent with my signatures...well from what I have signed (around four pieces of paper), the signatures looked the same to me. Plus, I have a quite unique second name and according to Facebook, there is my family and another family in the US with the same second name and that is it.... we move on.

She then demanded I tell her three areas that I want to work in, I said entry-jobs for one.... she said what do I mean? What does she think I mean? Jobs that do not require any skills on taking on the role, she put data entry down. The others were retail and customer service, I was fine with them. Right.

Then I told her I want to move to another city with a friend so I will be looking at jobs there, primarily. I have been living in a living room for 7 months and I do not have a bed so I want to find a house with my friend (it'll be cheaper for me with another person). She looked at me like an idiot.... I didn't tell her about the sleeping arrangements of course, but I just told her I wanted to move to another city. She still put down that I applied for 4 jobs a week in the area I signed on.... even though I do not want to stay there! :mad:

Throughout this she was speaking to me very condescendingly and rude.

We got to the part of qualifications, I told her I had a degree etc.... she asked me what the hell was I doing there, in the first place. Tough job market, I replied.

I put on the sheet that I have a jaw operation in February or March, she completely ignored that.

Then we got down to the infamous jobsearch..... we looked at jobs in the city I currently live despite telling her I don't want to reside here.
She asked me to apply for a job as a car salesman. I said I know absolutely nothing about cars, she replied saying the advert doesn't say I need to know anything about cars.... I said well it is selling cars so it might be best if I did know something about cars, plus the salary was a respectable £25k. I have never applied for a job that much and the level of expertise needed there would be huge. She then conceded saying OK, we'll leave that one this time..... she then made me look at some jobs and choose one.... but they were all 7 or 8 hours and all in my bloody city! She then decided we would leave it there. She then booked me in for the back to work session in 4 weeks time.

OH, she also said I should of signed on, on Monday! She spoke to me aggressively yet again. How the hell was I supposed to know that? I got told to come in Tuesday, end of story.

Finally, I got out of that !!!! hole.

God I do !!!!ing hate it in there, it really de-motivates me. they are very unhelpful and make you feel small and pathetic. That is NOT the way you treat people who have no jobs but want to work - I find it extremely demoralising that I haven't got a job and feel sick about it every living day. I do not need them making it ten times worse for me. I know there are some nice people that work in the JC but there are also some absolute retards too, just speak to people in a respectful manner, we're not all scum bags.

make a complaint. I totally agree with you alot of the time there is no sympathy. Chin up.

Stew68

I do wonder sometimes if the genuine job seekers (like those on this board) are outnumbered by the 'layabouts'. This might make the advisors so jaded that they fail to recognise the genuine ones. I mean can you imagine having to sit there all day dealing with some of the people you see going in there?

So far going by Drea's and my own experiences, South Wales seems to have the nicest advisors.

shikoku

I think more people should complain; I've got to the point where I intend to ask for a complaint form whenever something inappropriate is said to me or if someone's attitude makes me feel uncomfortable.

It is a training issue, don't make the complaint a personal whine be a concerned citizen and don't just complain to the job centre copy in local councillors, your MP, etc and make it clear you have done this. The last thing your job centre wants is these people crawling all over their work practices.

Essentially don't play the victim, we are all worthy of respect.

katkim

JC workers are demoralised at the moment since they're also facing huge cuts and redundancy prospects.

On one hand, karma. I'll like to see how they like it on the other side of the desk, on the other hand I wouldn't wish it on anyone who is genuinely looking for employment.

red_devil

katkim wrote: »

JC workers are demoralised at the moment since they're also facing huge cuts and redundancy prospects.

On one hand, karma. I'll like to see how they like it on the other side of the desk, on the other hand I wouldn't wish it on anyone who is genuinely looking for employment.

just ask them how they would like to be spoken to badly?

Drea

elfieb wrote: »

I've been looking for work for 8 months :-(
My major hurdle is a gap on my CV due to ill health......getting employers, agencies or whoever to take a second look at me after telling them that is hard work. I even had one guy from an agency last week, who when I told him about my illness, put the phone down on me!!
My self confidence is taking a major battering.....I have applied for 82 jobs since December, and if I have heard back from 2 that has been it......beginning to think I am stuck in a huge rut :-(

Trick with this one (apparently) is to try and bring it around to being a positive. Tell them how it show you have the confidence to battle back from it, etc. Easier said that done though, I know.

first78 wrote: »

Wow Drea, an amployee at the job centre who doesn't look down their nose at you...I'm impressed!! I hated signing on as I felt I was being judged everytime I went in there!! I did some temping over Xmas but that seems to have dried up now and there is no way I'm going back into the job centre here, it did nothing for my confidence, they can keep their JSA.

I'm just going to keep looking and do my best to keep positive, hopefully with the help of people here.

Hang in there everyone, it can only get better!!

I was very impressed! Any time I've been before I've come out feeling miserable so it was a nice change, it's a shame it won't be him doing my signings.

grumpyoldwoman41 wrote: »

TBH some of the recruiters havent got a clue either and would do pretty well at JC as advisers

A while ago, while I had my CV on line with few recruiters, they would call me and sing praises of one vacancy or another blah blah blah but change the tone when I asked about the pay... Mostly those jobs were offering half of evel less of what I was on then..

I absolutely hate seeing jobs advertised when the salary is not stated. Why do I want to waste my time if not suitable?

I may be unemployed now and have to live on peanuts but while at work my expenses go right up (that includes a dog walker at £200 per month :P) so need to know that the job I am applying for will meet my personal needs and financial commitments....

Rambling mode off.....sorry...:o

Got an interview on the 3rd February - long notice but.. Interview is HALF DAY LONG :eek::eek::eek:

Hope they won't get us to sumo wresstle as part of "show us what a team player you are".....

And no, I have no idea what the salary is.....sigh....

I know what you mean, I did have one agency speak to me about a job that pays £10,500. While I understand that people think we should look for any employment, I'd end up in debt and struggling because it just wouldn't cover my bills and I'd get no help with it.

Drea

Stew68 wrote: »

I do wonder sometimes if the genuine job seekers (like those on this board) are outnumbered by the 'layabouts'. This might make the advisors so jaded that they fail to recognise the genuine ones. I mean can you imagine having to sit there all day dealing with some of the people you see going in there?

So far going by Drea's and my own experiences, South Wales seems to have the nicest advisors.

Looks like going to write that letter today to sing his praises!

---

And while writing this, I just got a phone call from the company I went for the interview for. It's a no.

Although apparently I was a strong candidate and it was between me and another person but she had more relevant experience in a similar role.

katkim

Drea wrote: »

And while writing this, I just got a phone call from the company I went for the interview for. It's a no.

Although apparently I was a strong candidate and it was between me and another person but she had more relevant experience in a similar role.

Sorry to hear that Drea, but at least you got positive feedback

I got an interview today, I'm not really prepared! Going to read up on their company now.