35 hour a week work search is becoming difficult. How to not get sanctioned?

donnajunkie

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

But the point being made is there simply aren't enough jobs out there to be able to spend 35 hours a week applying for them.

Back when I was unemployed I would be very surprised if there was more than say 10 jobs a week to apply for that I actually could do/would have been suitable for me. Now that was the 1980s (not the even worse 2010's) and I lived in a city and it was in England (not some part of the country where some employers might be demanding Welsh, Gaelic, etc, etc on top of the necessary "qualifications and experience" to actually do the job - and thus ensuring I couldnt even ask for the job in the first place even if I had the necessary "qualifications and experience" for it). The other choice might or might not be available - ie of lying and saying I was going to learn Welsh/Gaelic/etc and wondering how long I'd have the job before they found out I wasn't using my own time and my own money to do so and then sacked me.

If anyone expected me to apply for jobs now - in the 2010's and living in Welsh-speaking part of Wales and in a town = I know I would go from one month to the next and not see a single job I could ask for. Reason - because a noticeable number of the jobs are part-time and I'm full-time. Add on "that sentence" that is often there in job adverts in this area or hanging in the air unsaid that goes "Welsh speaker essential or preferred" and that has certainly ruled out the very odd few jobs I've seen that I might have applied for.

What we have is an assumption that all without exception are workshy. This results in a desire to hit people harder and harder. That is what the 35 hours is about. Its not based on anything intelligent. For example it doesnt exempt people from job seeking on xmas day. How many new jobs get posted on xmas day? If you find a job on xmas day when are they going to see your application? The 27th at the earliest. In alot of cases january.

miriamac

donnajunkie wrote: »

You cant apply job like conditionality unless you pay a wage and give employment rights. You can be off sick in a job and not lose it so long as you dont do it too often. You get holidays in a job. On uc you work 365 days a year.
It is nothing like a job. Making it 35 hours and saying many jobs are 35 hours does not make them the same.

Well, how much time do you think you should spend on trying to get a job?

donnajunkie

gomer wrote: »

Conveniently ignore all the valid points I've made because they didn't fit your negative agenda. Lol

You are a terrible advert for anyone wanting to genuinely improve their chances. Are you stupid or something? Jesus christ almighty. I think I would know if I was in part time training or not. I give up.

I WAS NOT IN PART TIME TRAINING and even if it was part time (which it wasn't) is that still not better than not gaining qualifications?

Seriously oh. My. God. Its like taking to a brick wall. Talk about thick. like I said, I dispair.


Honestly Donna, just carry on doing what you're doing. I'm sure people will be crying out to hire you lol

I dont know how you did a full time college course and no jobseeking and still got jsa because everything i have ever been told by jobcentre staff says that you can only do part time, plus you must be willing to give it up immediately for a job. To say anyone who doesnt do a college course is work shy is silly. Some could think doing a full time course instead of jobseeking is because of a desire to avoid work. If you could really do as you say dont you think many who dont want to work would just find some college course to mess about on to avoid looking for work and avoid signing on.

donnajunkie

marmite1979 wrote: »

No coach is going to time your activities to the dot, you need to show that you are looking for work
1. Consider how long you can take to search for jobs, then if available the methods of applying, you like the job so research the candidate profile requires, then apply your skills onto the CV or form to each job individually. Ask your Work Coach whats the recommended time for filling an application properly is, include the time you've asked for advice. 2-3 hours minimum for each vacancy would show the employer you are serious even if you've got multiple with the same company. Some know that Job Seekers will fill an online form to get the email notification proof to show the Job Centre. Three applications equals six hours.
2. If you live in a populated area you should easily find two companies per day to send speculative letters to. One hour each gives you two hours of activity.
3. If you live a an hour or Ninety Mins away from potential employers include the travel time within your time walking around business go by bus/train and you can claim back for the travel -and they prove you went- if you get invited to interview, phone agencies to arrange an interview include the time you were there. One trip a week should give you ten hours.

Add talking to mates about work with them even at the Pub get a receipt to prove you were there and inquired while there.

Finally most Employers will not give out information on who's applied to anyone. And consider this you put twenty a week down along with all the others who meet your coach, how can they check them all?

Just to add to this i believe they are very keen on seeing that you are applying for jobs on websites. I dont think they would be happy if you focused on spec applications.

miriamac

donnajunkie wrote: »

Just to add to this i believe they are very keen on seeing that you are applying for jobs on websites. I dont think they would be happy if you focused on spec applications.

Well, in the past couple of weeks what kind of things have you done in your 35 hours of jobseeking?

donnajunkie

miriamac wrote: »

Well, how much time do you think you should spend on trying to get a job?

I do think there should be a minimum but only to prevent people from doing virtually nothing. Some people would do that if allowed. However the minimum should be set alot lower. Perhaps 2 hours per day, 5 days a week. That does not mean i think people shouldnt do more than that. The purpose is just as i said to prevent people from doing virtually nothing. I would make the time for applying for jobs only. I wouldnt allow filling the time with other activities. And of course the jobcentre could refer people to training which would be in addition to it.
I would allow exemption periods, sundays, holiday periods like xmas day.

donnajunkie

miriamac wrote: »

Well, in the past couple of weeks what kind of things have you done in your 35 hours of jobseeking?

I do not claim uc.

miriamac

donnajunkie wrote: »

I do think there should be a minimum but only to prevent people from doing virtually nothing. Some people would do that if allowed. However the minimum should be set alot lower. Perhaps 2 hours per day, 5 days a week. That does not mean i think people shouldnt do more than that. The purpose is just as i said to prevent people from doing virtually nothing. I would make the time for applying for jobs only. I wouldnt allow filling the time with other activities. And of course the jobcentre could refer people to training which would be in addition to it.
I would allow exemption periods, sundays, holiday periods like xmas day.

donnajunkie wrote: »

I do not claim uc.

10 hours a week to find a job? While unemployed. That does seem low. I know people who spend a lot longer than that to find a different job, while in full-time employment.

If you are currently in employment, or have previously been in employment, what kind of things did you do to find a job and how much time did you spend on that task? How quickly did you find a job?

Those are the kind of real-life examples which could help others.

Farmer_Johnson

donnajunkie wrote: »

You cant apply job like conditionality unless you pay a wage and give employment rights. You can be off sick in a job and not lose it so long as you dont do it too often. You get holidays in a job. On uc you work 365 days a year.
It is nothing like a job. Making it 35 hours and saying many jobs are 35 hours does not make them the same.

You are wrong, the government can, and they do.

Where do you get the idea from that this is not allowed? The government can set any conditions they want on receiving state benefits.

moneyistooshorttomention

Actually, whilst I was having periods of unemployment before I got to retirement age (thankfully! whew!) I was probably spending about 10 hours a week on job-hunting (reading job adverts/going to the Jobcentre and studying the boards/any interviews I had) and that was about all it took - as there simply weren't more jobs than that to ask for (and I was living in a city at the time and no "language stuff" going on).

So - realistically - I think 10 hours a week would be more like it.

I'm only too thankful that that sort of provision didn't apply back in the 1980's (ie when I had those periods of unemployment) - though I certainly wasn't "sitting on my backside" in between asking for jobs. I was out there doing many hours of voluntary work a week - that I had chosen for myself and it was genuinely voluntary.