First time "signing on" at Job Centre,what happens

metoyoubear

My friend has one child and is looking to going back to work,however she's never signed on before and she's not sure what to do.

She has seen an advisor at the Jobcentre and she has to go there tomorrow to sign on and show what jobs shes been looking for etc.

However she's unsure of what happens at this first appointment of signing on,do they go through the jobs you have listed you've looked/applied for and ask you about them etc

Just looking for advice from anyone whose done this before and what to expect when she gets there?

She said to me last night,what do i say when i get there "[EMAIL="I@ve come to sign on"]I've come to sign on[/EMAIL]" she was joking about it,but i think she's actually quite nervous about what to expect.

Any advice from anyone whose been in this position please?

HappyMJ

They tell you that what you have filled in is not up to their high standards of diary keeping and tell you how they expect it to be done. Just listen and take it on board. It aint that bad.

Linda32

Hi,

This is what happens at mine. Your friend will have been given a little wallet with some forms in. There will be a book (although she might not have this as yet) Its black and Grey and headed "Looking for Work" this is what is known as a Log Book.

You log your job searches in this book.

So when you go to the job centre, tell them you are here to sign on at xxxx time. They will take the wallet of you and you take a seat and wait.

Eventually someone at a desk in the same room calls out your name and you go to their desk.

They will read the searches you have made to look for a job, this is where the Job Seeking Allowance comes into place, an allowance for seeking a job IYSWIM

They might ask you, what happend when you went to the Widget Company for a job. etc. But its nothing to worry about, they are just asking

Then they will give you a small form where you sign, this is the "signing on"

They will ask you if you have any questions etc, and if so point you in the right direction.

Every few sessions you will have a more indepth interview, don't worry about these, they are there to help you, not an interigation.

ohdamnit

I was going to be facetious, but I think it depends on the person. Mine have never looked at my job applications or even asked for them, though i am on Contributions based JSA.

When she turns up, she just says I have a JSA appointment at x o'clock. Then they take your booklet and you wait for them to call.

Mine usually ask me if I am ok, what am I doing, do i need help. Alll of which are pretty unnecessary in my case, and it seems they think so too. Now they subject me to a weekly interview, but again I am usually there 5 mins, they seem to accept my jobseeking is likely better than what they can find me.

Sharon87

Has she already been to job centre to start her claim and had her job seekers agreement? If not tell her to go there and say she's got a new claim.

If she's done that, and its her first signing on date, make sure she's filled in her little job search book and ask someone where to sign on

wild666

On my last visit(s) with the JC+ they just took the booklet and asked me to look at the jobs at the job points, I never actually looked because the majority of jobs on display are already taken (IMHO) or they want labour from job agencies who they can use as and when needed.
You may or may not be asked what you have applied for in the last weeks, I was asked only once in nearly 2 years, but then again I I was getting the disability premium on top of the basic. They just sent me from once course to another to keep the jobless figures down.

dalc87

I would honestly say that she is much better off trying to get a job by searching online, looking through the local papers, approaching local businesses directly, registering with agencies and recruitment consultancies.

The job centre is the most soul destroying place on the earth. Most of the advisers couldn't care less if you get a job or not. Their 'advice' is bunkum and is mostly unhelpful. Their CV writing courses are rubbish, the CVs look awful and the interview preparation course is crap also, everybody does 'really well'. You are much better off doing it for yourself or using an agency because the agency will try their best to get you a job if they think they can make money off of getting you a job so are more likely to try harder than the job centre lot.

Good websites for jobs are:
jobsite
jobserve
reed
totaljobs

dibuzz

Good advice dalc87
My son was struggling to find work and had to sign on. They kept sending him on daft courses, one was a basic IT course. He has a degree in computer science and kept telling the instructor he was talking rubbish and told him better ways to do things. His normal advisor agreed it was ridiculous to send him but she had to.

metoyoubear

Linda32 wrote: »

Hi,

This is what happens at mine. Your friend will have been given a little wallet with some forms in. There will be a book (although she might not have this as yet) Its black and Grey and headed "Looking for Work" this is what is known as a Log Book.

You log your job searches in this book.

So when you go to the job centre, tell them you are here to sign on at xxxx time. They will take the wallet of you and you take a seat and wait.

Eventually someone at a desk in the same room calls out your name and you go to their desk.

They will read the searches you have made to look for a job, this is where the Job Seeking Allowance comes into place, an allowance for seeking a job IYSWIM

They might ask you, what happend when you went to the Widget Company for a job. etc. But its nothing to worry about, they are just asking

Then they will give you a small form where you sign, this is the "signing on"

They will ask you if you have any questions etc, and if so point you in the right direction.

Every few sessions you will have a more indepth interview, don't worry about these, they are there to help you, not an interigation.

Thank you for taking the time to post everyone,she did mention something about filling in the jobs she'd applied for on a form,but i'm assuming it's the log book you mention above.

shikoku

If she has the facility it is easier to create a spread sheet on a computer and record your job hunting activities that way; then print it out once a fortnight to take with you when you sign on.

The booklet they provide is badly designed with restricted space and needless repetition.

It can realistically be pared down to two columns with the headers: 'What I did' and 'Date' and then you can write down as little or as much as is appropriate for each entry.

Linda32

#10

I agree with shikoku, the book is carp in the layout. Headings like "What I Did", "What Happened", "What I will do next" you get the idea.



I ignore that and just write down the date and continue along the same line, stating what I'd done, for example, copied from mine



Looked on Job Centre Plus and This is Leicester 3.2.11 Sent CV to Joe Bloggs for Office Admin Position



Looked on Job Centre Plus and This is Leicester 4.2.11 Nothing available



I've never been questioned before on my searches, apart from being asked if I'd heard anything.



The Job Centre isn't that bad, its just an office where people work. Lets face it, once your in work, work can be pretty boring sometimes and living for the weekend etc. So maybe thats why the staff seem not bothered, there at work after all.



Sitting on this side of the desk, I'd gladly swop with them tomorrow.