So poor I can't even pay attention

MatyMoo

Piquant wrote: »

The surprise of a giant horse putting his head over their shoulder has shocked many a person into stopping crying immediately and turn round for the offered hug!

Piq

Awwwww, it is soooo long since I had a hug like that, it is a wonderful feeling.

MatyMoo

Piquant wrote: »

I have survived to tell the tale, so here it is...

I think I must be a very shallow person indeed as I decided to dress for the occasion. I put on a black pencil skirt, white tee-shirt, black pumps and black opaque tights. To make myself feel special I put on my black leather trench-coat, it has the most wonderful swish to it.

It is not shallow at all.

I swished into the job centre, was greeted by a lad who must have been on work experience, he was so young!

They seem to employ people from either end of the spectrum - or those with special needs!

Maty was right, they went line by line through the form I'd filled in online - painful. I kept smiling...

Boring isn't it

Then I was shunted on to someone else who wanted to know if I'd tried to get a job and how I'd gone about it. Then he said he had to see my CV so he could advise me on it....He handed it straight back saying it seemed very thorough but he didn't understand a word of it!

They just don't understand anything that involves professional work.

All in all, it was quite as bad as I thought it would be, yes I felt patronised, and was spoken to as if I was taking up their very valuable time. But I didn't have to stand next to anyone smelly!

Patronising - each visit Smelly people - each visit from now on.

I have to go back next week to see a careers advisor who is going to help me back to work and I have to have another interview for something or an other, can't remember what on the 13th March.

Who will probably have no sensible advice so get used to wasting your time once a fortnight (or if you are lucky like I was, monthly!)

I bought myself a £1 bunch of daffodils, I deserved them

Piq

Daffodils are very VERY well deserved after that ordeal!

Did they give you your book, where you have to fill in what you have done each week to try and get a job? At least three things per week? Apparently looking on Reeds Website, the local papers and the job centre's website is enough!

Or give you the lecture that you now work for them and your work is to find yourself employment and that is what they are paying you to do?

Has anyone checked if the money they pay you is national minimum wage?

Piquant_2

You're wonderful Maty, you make me laugh, thank you!:T

Yes, I got the cheap and nasty little book.Complete with the instruction to write down everything I look at, I asked for another book as it wasn't going to be big enough. I said I'd take down a printout of all the jobs I look at in a plastic folder, that has all the details required and more. Then the chap can keep himself busy photocopying them for his records.

I don't use Reed, it's a principle thing. They won't talk to you if you come in off the street, even though they have jobs in the window! And you're told this by another 12 year old, who can't spell global in his own email address and had to go and look it up when I told him he'd made a spelling mistake! Apparently, you have to apply online for local jobs through the global site. Why have premises then? Then you can't apply online unless you give your date-of-birth (mandatory field). I thought they weren't allowed to ask, ageism and all that

Oh look everyone, I've had a rant:eek:

Glass of wine time.....

Piq

MatyMoo

Ah yes but on the Reed site you can upload your cv and make it visible to others. I have not yet been approached by Reed for one vacancy but have found a couple of real gems of local agencies who can help my cause!

Piquant_2

I haven't had any luck with local agencies unfortunately. I've been meaning to ask, what is Mike's mob?

Piq

MatyMoo

If you have a spare week this thread will tell you all about Mike's Mob

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/2280981

I found a couple of agencies that I had never heard of and would never have found otherwise, really specialist and niche. They have both got me good quality interviews. Just really mad with myself for c*cking one up this week :mad: At least I have a contract to see me through to June and maybe beyond.

Piquant_2

I feel I should add something to my diary if only to keep myself on track. I've managed my first NSD of the month and have put a fair amount of change into the sealed jar. It's not sealed at all, it's a humungous whiskey bottle, unfortunately, empty of whiskey....

Tonight I cooked dinner for the man pet. I made a smoked salmon, chilli and cream cheese pate for a starter, using up the smoked salmon that man pet had bought for the Bear. Who buys a cat smoked salmon? And a veggie shepherds pie without shepherd for the main course, using the Captain's carrots. I feel very thrifty! I also feel he's on an even standing with the rest of my tiny zoo.

Poor man pet has a bad back and has gone home to try to sleep it off, luckily for me he left the wine for me to finish....

Piq

Itsadogslife_2

Hi Piq,

Your starter sounds posh

Bless man pet for leaving you the wine, so considerate of him.

:T on the NSD. I am sure the Captain would not have minded you having some of his carrots

Hope the job hunting is going well.

Piquant_2

Itsadogslife wrote: »

Hi Piq,

Your starter sounds posh

Bless man pet for leaving you the wine, so considerate of him.

:T on the NSD. I am sure the Captain would not have minded you having some of his carrots

Hope the job hunting is going well.

Hiya itsadogslife!

Easiest starter in the world, a tub of @ldi cream cheese, couple of pinches of chilli powder and chopped up smoked salmon beaten together. I put a slice of lemon on the top to make it look pretty and served it with toast. Even though I say it myself, it was really lovely and looked good.

There is enough of the cat's smoked salmon left to have with a cream and white wine sauce (about a tablespoon of wine left in the bottom of the bottle, how did I miss that?) that's dinner for tonight sorted out. I will allow the Bear a morsel of smoked salmon, I don't think it's good for him though!

I'll be looking for jobs first thing tomorrow morning with renewed enthusiasm, I need a job just so I don't have to go to the job centre!

Piq

MatyMoo

Piquant wrote: »

I'll be looking for jobs first thing tomorrow morning with renewed enthusiasm, I need a job just so I don't have to go to the job centre!

Piq

I am sure that is why they make it so degrading!

The numpties that work there can carry on with their form filling & box ticking while you do the difficult bit of finding a job :rotfl:

Did you get the end bit of your project sorted?