What planet are the Job Centre Advisers on?

Scrootum

What is wrong with a call centre job?

Jennifer_Jane

monkeychops wrote: »

My post was because I think my adviser is a joke not about what job I can do.

I was a secretary for over 20 years but for the last 15 years I have worked in retail. I am mainly looking for retail although with so many shops closing down that is not exactly an easy job to find plus most shops want staff younger than me.

I am also looking at jobs like receptionist but as I haven't worked in an office for over 15 years I don't have knowledge of up to date switchboards, computer systems etc.

monkeychops, don't worry about office/admin work and your experience. I don't know about switchboards, but am sure they are greatly improved from the old days (!), but as for admin work, I hadn't done any office work and didn't own a computer when I returned to Britain from abroad. I had to get a job temping within my first week here as I was not entitled to benefits (non-residency). I knew nothing about e-mails or the internet (which you do), and had to ask someone how the printer got switched on and off! It was a good lead in to a permanent job.

Caroline_a

monkeychops wrote: »

I am going to apply but it just seems so pointless and a waste of my time and the company's time.



I really don't want to give her access but she is very pushy and I am not good at sticking up for myself. What reason can I give her not to give access? I am actually dreading my next appointment with her.

I do want to find work - I have worked continuously since I was 17 so certainly not workshy but she obviously doesn't seem to think I am seriously looking.

I wouldn't mind be a train driver - what qualifications do they need and would my age be a problem?

So in your head you've failed this job before you've even applied! When you get older you have to make the extra effort. The phrase is 'can-do' which I hate, but sums up what your attitude needs to change to.

Forget about whether you like the JobCentre people or not, this is about you getting a job. Make that your job. Get your skills up to date - ask in some of the agencies if they have online courses you could do, or in-house ones. That will have a two-fold effect - it will get your skills up, plus it will introduce you to the agency and they will see what you are like. You are then on-hand for any roles that they think are suitable for you.

I'm sorry but I get really cross with people saying that they are over 50, etc, so there are no jobs there for them. You have to be pro-active and make yourself desirable as an employee to an employer! Experience counts for a lot, and employers often prefer more mature workers.

Last year I was made redundant 3 times in 18 months - I was never out of work because I refused to give in. I worked at getting a job, at upping my skillset, and have now been in my current role for over 12 months. And I'm nearly 60 too.

John1993_2

Caroline_a wrote: »

Last year I was made redundant 3 times in 18 months - I was never out of work because I refused to give in. I worked at getting a job, at upping my skillset, and have now been in my current role for over 12 months. And I'm nearly 60 too.

I know that this thread is not about you, but I wanted to say well done. People with an attitude such as yours should be an inspiration to the OP, and I hope that he is able to take it as such.

Biggsy6845

You are basically in the same club as me. I have all but given up on my job centre and last time I was there ended up nearly losing my temper with them, which is a waste of time because when you end up in a heated argument with them they only call the police.

Unfortunately they have access to my job search account, reason being is because it is easier for me to do than fill out that booklet they give you. When I first signed up for JSA I told them I could do 10 things a week (apply and look for jobs) which I did. I would look on their site and others every day (Monday - Friday) for work and if there was any jobs I would apply. When I went last week he told me I wasn't doing enough to look for work and he would stop my money if it didn't improve. My job search has now been changed to 14 things to do every week and he told me if I didn't log in at the weekend they would stop my money.

They have also told me I have to look for work which is up to 90 minutes from home, I can travel to Blackpool from here in less than that and it's 75 miles from where I live. I did have something similar happen a few years ago when I was out of work. I had gone for my work focus interview, which they have now stopped, and the woman I saw recommended a job in Leeds! I live just south of Stockport. I told there was no way I could travel that far for work and would end up paying out more for petrol and it wasn't financially viable. Her reply was to move! I told yeah I will move if they pay all the money to help me to move.

The other thing which really grinds my gears is that I want to go back driving buses but can't because all drivers now need a CPC card (driver qualification card) which I haven't got, you would have a driving license was enough. I have asked them to fund my training for this card, costs £250 and they are refusing. That amount of money is nothing to them if it gets me back to work.

John1993_2

Biggsy6845 wrote: »

The other thing which really grinds my gears is that I want to go back driving buses but can't because all drivers now need a CPC card (driver qualification card) which I haven't got, you would have a driving license was enough. I have asked them to fund my training for this card, costs £250 and they are refusing. That amount of money is nothing to them if it gets me back to work.

You need to fund it yourself, then. If it's going to get you back into work, it's worth it. If you drink, give that up completely, if you smoke, give that up. Sell anything you can live without, and do whatever it takes to get your £250.

You need to stop demanding that others do it for you. Getting into work is YOUR responsibility, no-one else's.

monkeychops

jacques_chirac wrote: »

If you're looking for office/ receptionist work then you need to get up to date on relevant systems. There are countless resources online to help you with this - Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel, Powerpoint), (basic) Sage etc. Don't worry about switchboards, they are much less common now and where they do exist they are very simple to use.

If your experience is in retail and office work then you seem an ideal fit for call centre work. I wouldn't write it off, and once you have been claiming for thirteen weeks you will have no choice.

The point of my original post is that you need to be telling them what you can do, where your interests lie etc, rather than them having to suggest things to you. Perhaps not a train driver, but what skills do they use that you think you would be good at, and what other roles utilise the same skills?

I asked the careers advisor if I could do a computer course and she said she would find out about them and yes it should be ok. That was at our first meeting. At the next two I asked again and she fobbed me off and started suggesting I do literacy and numeracy courses which I don't really see the point of.

I have made it clear to them what I feel my skills are and what work I feel I could do but they ignore that.

The reason I don't really want call centre work is that all the jobs advertised for call centres near me for a start are self employed and secondly all seem to be wanting people to sell which I don't think I would be any good at. An actual call centre (i.e. advising customers) I would be happy to work at.

Elvisia wrote: »

Can you audio type? I know there are well paid jobs doing audio typing for people, ie lawyers, doctors, financial types etc, and that would only required basic keyboard skills. Fast basic keyboard skills!

I can audio type but my speed is not that good any more. I used to have 80 words a minute and am trying to speed up but I do have some problems with my hands so not sure I can even be particularly fast any more.

Caroline_a wrote: »

So in your head you've failed this job before you've even applied! When you get older you have to make the extra effort. The phrase is 'can-do' which I hate, but sums up what your attitude needs to change to.

Forget about whether you like the JobCentre people or not, this is about you getting a job. Make that your job. Get your skills up to date - ask in some of the agencies if they have online courses you could do, or in-house ones. That will have a two-fold effect - it will get your skills up, plus it will introduce you to the agency and they will see what you are like. You are then on-hand for any roles that they think are suitable for you.

I'm sorry but I get really cross with people saying that they are over 50, etc, so there are no jobs there for them. You have to be pro-active and make yourself desirable as an employee to an employer! Experience counts for a lot, and employers often prefer more mature workers.

Last year I was made redundant 3 times in 18 months - I was never out of work because I refused to give in. I worked at getting a job, at upping my skillset, and have now been in my current role for over 12 months. And I'm nearly 60 too.

I haven't failed the job in my head before I have even applied. I have no payroll experience and my maths is absolutely diabolical. I am being realistic. It is highly unlikely the company would even interview me as they would see from my CV that I have no experience. In the unlikely event they did interview me I am fairly certain I would not get offered the job and, to be honest, if I did get offered the job I would not want it as I know I would dread going into work every day. I hate maths and would never want to do a job that involved it to a great extent even if they offered me £100 a day.

I am not saying there are no jobs for me because of my age but it is harder to get a job at my age. Lots of shops employ young people because they can pay them less and also they know most of them will accept the crap you get working in most shops. In the shops I have worked in the average age of the staff was about 20.

monkeychops

patman99 wrote: »

OP, if you have been out of work for over 6 months then you should be chasing them to find-out what they can do for you with regards to courses to help you back into work.

You also might want to find-out at which age you can start claiming Pension Tax Credit. Once you are old-enough to claim PTC, then switch. At least then you won't have to sign-on anymore.

I haven't been out of work for over 6 months.

I can't claim pension or pension credit until 2020!!!

Firetastic

What about going for a numeracy course? You say your maths is diabolical so what about trying to improve it?

John1993_2

monkeychops wrote: »

Lots of shops employ young people because they can pay them less and also they know most of them will accept the crap you get working in most shops. In the shops I have worked in the average age of the staff was about 20.

Well, it could also be because they have more of a "can-do" attitude as opposed to an "I'm not going to try and do that" one.

Oh, and they can't pay someone in their 20s less than you, you bot hhave the same minimum wage. A pertinent question would be why do you think that you are worth more than these younger workers?