How to find a job ASAP, what other options are there to find work fast?!

Hedylogos

HappyMJ wrote: »

Maybe it's you.

I've always found the staff at the jobcentre to be friendly. They don't do much to help you get a job that's not their job. Their job is to ensure you are doing as much as you can to find work by asking you what you are doing every time you sign on. If that is enough they tick a box and you get your fortnightly benefit payment. That is all they do. I've found the friendlier you are with them the less frustrating they are. If they feel you haven't done enough then they'll put you forward for inappropriate jobs. They can't read your mind and find the jobs you really want. They have jobs on the computer and will suggest anything even if it's something you can't get to or are not qualified to do. You just have to say "that's nice" and leave them to it.

I am always polite to them, but that isn't the issue. It is that they're just useless and no help at all. I understand i am the one who has to do the job searching, but they don't even provide info on any free available courses/qualifications or even just giving a heads up on any opportunities they think would interest me. I always thought the jobcentre work advisors were supposed to provide some kind of help/advice, but they are not much use at all. like i said, they are nice enough and i've rarely come across a rude advisor, but i am unsure what their job should be if they cannot at least lend some help for jobseekers.

BigAunty

Are you cutting your nose off to spite your face? The opinion on whether DWP work coaches have attitude problems have been discussed on this forum, so, too, whether the role of the JC is to get the person into work or get the person to get themselves into work.

Not claiming unemployment benefit will not necessarily speed you into employment - you have quite a few barriers. Stopping yourself from getting £70 odd quid per week has just merely stopped you from receiving money. It doesn't make you more employable.

Have you really thought this through?

Hedylogos

Candyapple wrote: »

I fear you may have shot yourself in the foot by cancelling your JSA claim OP. You have also put yourself in the unenviable position of sink or swim – albeit with no safety net as your back-up plan.

I know everyone always says about getting a job at supermarkets, bar staff etc. and I’m not trying to be negative but remember, that you’ve been out of work for a few years now, no qualifications and from your own words suffer from anxiety and being around people. You are at an all-time disadvantage in the job market compared to everyone else who would be competing for these type of jobs (e.g. students, school leavers) not to mention because of your age it is considerably cheaper for big companies such as supermarkets to hire younger people due to the difference in National Minimum Wage (£3.87 for under 18’s, £5.30 for 18-20 year olds vs £6.70 for 21 and over).

You have been given lots of good advice in your previous numerous threads about the same issue. Did you apply for any volunteering positions? Did you ask the Jobcentre for a referral to the Shaw Trust?

I think you have probably made things worse for yourself because what happens if in 2 weeks’ time you are still unemployed despite your best efforts? Your self-esteem will be even lower than it is now and on top of that you will have no money coming in, even if it was only JSA.

I’ll give you a real life example, my brother-in-law is aged 30. He went to uni for 1 year in his late 20s and found it wasn’t for him. He was out of work for a period of 3 years (27-30) thankfully he had savings from when he worked prior to this which tided him over. When he was looking for work he applied for everything, and I mean everything because he lived with me and my partner for a bit and jobseeking in itself became his daily job. He would send off his CV to 20+ jobs per day. No-one would give him a second glance. Agencies would call him back and query his long work absence and then he’d hear nothing further. He was jobseeking for 8 months whilst he lived with us and 4 months at his previous address. At this time we lived in London so again no shortage of jobs to apply for. In that time period he managed to get 2 interviews. One he got as far as being offered the job - unfortunately the salary offered was too low to cover his travel costs getting there/back again, rent, bills etc. Second one was at a well-known supermarket and he got to the final callback stage but they gave the job to the other (considerably younger) person. Eventually he moved back to his parents near Brighton and found a job locally in a call centre, however this was on the back of his dad having put in a good word and having worked at the company for over a decade. It’s hard out there being older and with next to no qualifications / long absence of work history.

Fair enough. I have worked with family member/s, but due to receiving cash in hand i can't put them down as a reference. The thing is, it's pointless being on JSA just to receive money because i am not getting any help. Like you said, it's difficult because even call centre work they ask for experience in call centre, so how do you get experience without ever having worked for a place like that?

I do have anxiety, but i feel i could cope around people. It isn't like i will freeze up around people. I have just been out of employment for a long while so haven't been around work colleagues in a long time. Why would i need qualifications for jobs anybody can do, though? This is where it's ridiculous and opportunities for people are limited even for jobs that shouldn't require qualifications.

What kind of jobs are there for people like myself then?

BigAunty

Hedylogos wrote: »

I understand i am the one who has to do the job searching, but they don't even provide info on any free available courses/qualifications or even just giving a heads up on any opportunities they think would interest me. .

Why isn't this also your job?

You've been advised about MOOCs, I believe (I haven't checked back on your EDIT posting history), there's nothing that stops you from doing personal development/lifelong learning on teh internet, nor looking up evening/distance/local learning courses that may be free or cheap for the unemployed.

You can also look up jobs that interest you.

I think these DWP job coaches only have a few minutes per claimant, don't they, and it seems they focus on whether the claimant is meeting conditions for receiving the benefits? You've got all day to do this kind of research.

I don't want to come across as harsh as I know that unemployment is making you suffer and you are keen to get a job, your ethic is strong. I hope I don't hurt your feelings.

Hedylogos

BigAunty wrote: »

Are you cutting your nose off to spite your face? The opinion on whether DWP work coaches have attitude problems have been discussed on this forum, so, too, whether the role of the JC is to get the person into work or get the person to get themselves into work.

Not claiming unemployment benefit will not necessarily speed you into employment - you have quite a few barriers. Stopping yourself from getting £70 odd quid per week has just merely stopped you from receiving money. It doesn't make you more employable.

Have you really thought this through?

It isn't a big deal as i have some money saved up to tide me over for a short while, but i am just fed up with going there and it being the same old, same old with no hint of useful advice even. I honestly don't know any other, similar companies with advisors who could provide the advice i am looking for because they all seem equally useless.

elsien

Hedylogos wrote: »

The thing is, it's pointless being on JSA just to receive money because i am not getting any help.

That's exactly the point of JSA, to have money to live on while you job hunt. Unless someone other sources of income, or savings, or famy who can support them, they tend to be a bit stuffed otherwise.

Flyonthewall

Hedylogos wrote: »

I am always polite to them, but that isn't the issue. It is that they're just useless and no help at all. I understand i am the one who has to do the job searching, but they don't even provide info on any free available courses/qualifications or even just giving a heads up on any opportunities they think would interest me. I always thought the jobcentre work advisors were supposed to provide some kind of help/advice, but they are not much use at all. like i said, they are nice enough and i've rarely come across a rude advisor, but i am unsure what their job should be if they cannot at least lend some help for jobseekers.

Then find them yourself!

Vision2learn for example offer some free courses. You get a qualification and you can do it all from home.

You could also check out your local college. Being on JSA you could have done some courses free, but they'll cost you now.

They should let you know of job fairs but if not look in your local newspaper and community facebook pages, they should have an advert when ones comes up. If you have any other community flyers or newsletters check them out too.

You can ask on here for any help and advice too in finding courses, events and so on.

The Job Centre are not there to help. They're there to check you are searching for jobs. Nothing more. Signing off because they're not helping is silly, you're the only one who loses out and it's simply because you're expecting them to do something they don't.

Sometimes the job centres hold job fairs, in which case they should let you know them as they're usually mandatory. However, as you're not signing on they won't be informing you of that now.

Did you ever ask the advisor about free courses or events?

Hedylogos wrote: »

Fair enough. I have worked with family member/s, but due to receiving cash in hand i can't put them down as a reference.

Why? Unless it's dodgy and you haven't declared it or been working legally. In which case you'd best hope HMRC don't come after you!

If it was all above board you can use them as a reference. How you're paid doesn't matter.

The thing is, it's pointless being on JSA just to receive money because i am not getting any help.

That's the whole point of JSA. It's an allowance, not a help centre.

I do have anxiety, but i feel i could cope around people. It isn't like i will freeze up around people. I have just been out of employment for a long while so haven't been around work colleagues in a long time.

Yeah, but being out of employment for a long time may well make you feel really anxious when you do get a job. You may not freeze up around people, but that doesn't mean you won't experience other things regarding anxiety.

Hedylogos

BigAunty wrote: »

Why isn't this also your job?

You've been advised about MOOCs, I believe (I haven't checked back on your work history), there's nothing that stops you from doing personal development/lifelong learning on teh internet, nor looking up evening/distance/local learning courses that may be free or cheap for the unemployed.

You can also look up jobs that interest you.

I think these DWP job coaches only have a few minutes per claimant, don't they, and it seems they focus on whether the claimant is meeting conditions for receiving the benefits? You've got all day to do this kind of research.

I don't want to come across as harsh as I know that unemployment is making you suffer and you are keen to get a job, your ethic is strong. I hope I don't hurt your feelings.

fair enough, but that's all i can do lol. I can look at these jobs, but i wouldn't dare apply as it would be a miracle for me to get a job like those with my lack of experience or even qualifications in those areas.

Honestly, i have been out of work so long that i'm craving to get back to work and earn my own money. I don't know how people claim benefits for so long, it's horrible.

ohreally

What quals do you hold and what job would you like?

Hedylogos

elsien wrote: »

That's exactly the point of JSA, to have money to live on while you job hunt. Unless someone other sources of income, or savings, or famy who can support them, they tend to be a bit stuffed otherwise.

I get that, but surely the job centre should provide help for job seekers as well as allowing you to claim benefits. Surely it would be more beneficial to help people into work rather than allowing them to claim benefits for long periods. I am certainly not happy to claim benefits, in fact i feel embarrassed about it and whenever i would walk into the job centre i felt a sense of embarrassment because it's not nice having to claim benefits all the time. Some people have no scruples at all about claiming benefits, but i don't feel like that, i feel embarrassed about it. I never wanted to be mentally ill and experience long term unemployment, so the quicker i can return to the work place the better for me. All the social skills, self esteem, motivation and confidence i used to have when i was in employment has been crushed almost entirely since being out of work.