Jobseeker's Agreement & Phoning Employers

Truegho

I came away from the jobcentre the other day feeling very angry and upset. Why? Well, the person who signed me on and checked my jobsearch record questioned why I had failed to phone any employers this week. This was despite the fact that I had made NUMEROUS job applications - both direct and spectulative - by email AND paid postage. This did not seem to cut any ice with the advisor, and I thought to myself that just because I hadn't made ONE phone call, I was being unfairly reprimanded.

Have any of you unemployed encountered this sort of attitude? If so, have you complained about the advisor in question? And in regard to this Jobseeker's Agreement, how many phone calls do they expect YOU to make to employers per week?

God, how I wish I could get off the dole - even start my own business - just to avoid being spoken to like this and treated as if I wasn't really trying for work. That is the most annoying thing about it all: I have been trying EVERYTHING to get a job, and just because I failed to make one phone call this week, I was spoken to like this!

dickydonkin

You would be wasting your time complaining about jobcentre staff -I tried that and they just close ranks.

Yes - they tend to look down their noses at genuine claimants, but somehow the tattooed chav wearing the obligatory baseball cap and white tracksuit bottoms never seemed to be questioned.

By far - and without question the most humiliating aspect of when I was made redundant. I found JCP a completely useless 'service' to the unemployed.

Tigsteroonie

Yes, we have encountered this attitude. Both Marley and I were signing on simultaneously a couple of years ago. We were both given six work-seeking tasks to complete each week: two speculative calls or letters, two job-searches in the media, and two applications.

My advisors were flexible, they didn't seem worried if I didn't stick to the above format so long as I had at least six activities listed per week - I invariably had more, as I was firing off a large number of applications each week.

Marley's advisor treated him like a benefit scrounger (I was witness to this), they definitely had less respect for him. Although he, too, had at least six work-seeking activities, they would berate him if that didn't include any speculative calls or letters - they expected him to stick to the format.

We came to the conclusion that this was either (a) because he was male, or (b) because he was seeking more manual labour compared to my administrative background.

After a couple of months, our son arrived early and the JSA money stopped to be replaced by Maternity Allowance. Marley was offered the option to continue signing on, no money but he'd get NI credits. In return for the fortnightly ritual humiliation? No thank you.

Truegho

I can certainly empathise with that person. They should not pressurise you like this when the jobs market is as bad as it is. Granted, if there were plenty of jobs and nobody had good reason to be out of work, then okay, their stance would be perfectly justified.

Going this fortnightly signing-on ritual is one I would give the world to be free from - either through paid employment or through staring my own business. Of course, neither prospects are easy, in these difficult times. The misery goes on . . .

Tigsteroonie wrote: »

Yes, we have encountered this attitude. Both Marley and I were signing on simultaneously a couple of years ago. We were both given six work-seeking tasks to complete each week: two speculative calls or letters, two job-searches in the media, and two applications.

My advisors were flexible, they didn't seem worried if I didn't stick to the above format so long as I had at least six activities listed per week - I invariably had more, as I was firing off a large number of applications each week.

Marley's advisor treated him like a benefit scrounger (I was witness to this), they definitely had less respect for him. Although he, too, had at least six work-seeking activities, they would berate him if that didn't include any speculative calls or letters - they expected him to stick to the format.

We came to the conclusion that this was either (a) because he was male, or (b) because he was seeking more manual labour compared to my administrative background.

After a couple of months, our son arrived early and the JSA money stopped to be replaced by Maternity Allowance. Marley was offered the option to continue signing on, no money but he'd get NI credits. In return for the fortnightly ritual humiliation? No thank you.

jojo30

I had this the other day, bearing in mind i had done 8 (if not more she never gave me back my book.)things which i was told to do, i complained about her and she somehow got a hold of my complaint letter and continued to humiliate me by talking really loudly and insinuating that I sit at home all day doing nothing.

Most companies don't want you to phone them and they more often than not say "please do not phone"

:mad:

starrybee

Mine have never mentioned lack of phone calls (although it was put on my agreement), so I guess I'm lucky.

But what a ridiculous attitude for them to have. I have never once even seen a job advertisment that offered a phone number to call, they almost always want an email application. So long as you are applying to the right number of jobs, what does it matter which method you use to apply!?

Maybe the staff at your centre are completely clueless as to what job apps are like these days!

dickydonkin

starrybee wrote: »

Mine have never mentioned lack of phone calls (although it was put on my agreement), so I guess I'm lucky.

But what a ridiculous attitude for them to have. I have never once even seen a job advertisment that offered a phone number to call, they almost always want an email application. So long as you are applying to the right number of jobs, what does it matter which method you use to apply!?

Maybe the staff at your centre are completely clueless as to what job apps are like these days!

Something else to consider as well is when a job advertisement SPECIFICALLY asks for applications by letter or email, then you go and phone them.............!

That may suggest to a recruiter that the applicant cannot follow simple instructions and would not likely be considered.

Truegho

The whole experience of being spoken to like this - especially when I have been trying like mad to get a job - has left me feeling extremely depressed and upset. I want to get off JSA and into work. Somebody please tell me what I can do?

LadyMissA

Truegho wrote: »

I came away from the jobcentre the other day feeling very angry and upset. Why? Well, the person who signed me on and checked my jobsearch record questioned why I had failed to phone any employers this week. This was despite the fact that I had made NUMEROUS job applications - both direct and spectulative - by email AND paid postage. This did not seem to cut any ice with the advisor, and I thought to myself that just because I hadn't made ONE phone call, I was being unfairly reprimanded.

Have any of you unemployed encountered this sort of attitude? If so, have you complained about the advisor in question? And in regard to this Jobseeker's Agreement, how many phone calls do they expect YOU to make to employers per week?

God, how I wish I could get off the dole - even start my own business - just to avoid being spoken to like this and treated as if I wasn't really trying for work. That is the most annoying thing about it all: I have been trying EVERYTHING to get a job, and just because I failed to make one phone call this week, I was spoken to like this!

You should ask them how many companies really like cold calling? How many companies will even talk to you? Probablly NONE!

At my last company you would not even get past switchboard as they would try to put the call through and we in accounts would say we are 'busy' take a message and that would be it.

I have on mine that I have to call (I think 2) but have never called anyone.

I also have on mine that I have to visit companies. How many companies do you know that you can visit with no appointment and get past security, up in the lift and to their reception? The JC do not pay for your travel so why should any of us do that?

They live in a dream world

LadyMissA

starrybee wrote: »

Mine have never mentioned lack of phone calls (although it was put on my agreement), so I guess I'm lucky.

But what a ridiculous attitude for them to have. I have never once even seen a job advertisment that offered a phone number to call, they almost always want an email application. So long as you are applying to the right number of jobs, what does it matter which method you use to apply!?

Maybe the staff at your centre are completely clueless as to what job apps are like these days!

No the agreement is to COLD CALL employers speculatively. Not a good thing to do at all IMO

November5th

LadyMissA wrote: »

No the agreement is to COLD CALL employers speculatively. Not a good thing to do at all IMO

The JC do seem really hung up on this and turning up at a companies reception. I think they know there are computer systems that talk to each other, but maybe don't know about the 'internet'.

They should go on a course.