Job centre sending me for jobs....

Scoflo

Webbie wrote:

My local jobcentre are not remotely interested in giving me any help. I have been out of work now for 8 months and I have no help/support from them.

The only contact I have is signing on ever 2 weeks (not for any benefits payments, but for national insurance contributions). I wish they would suggest jobs or put me forward for interviews. I have asked for help/support, but I have been told there is nothing available to me.

Very frustrating!!!!

Did you not have a jobseekers agreement stating some states you would take to find work? This would be signed by you both. You can have this changed also, on request at an interview.

13 week interview? 6 month interview? If they are missing these things out I would say you have a joint responsibility to ask for help where you see you need it. There is help out there. My experience is some people either appear very capable/have specialist jobs and I couldn't myself help them or they were so difficult to deal with attitude wise I did as little as possible.

I don't mean to sound I think you are difficult but if youare, for example, a draughtsman, I know they are almost never advertised in the JC. They are professional who have their own contacts. If you are admin I could offer screeds of jobs, agencies, training courses to update your skills etc.

I am quite concerned that 8 months down the line you are still out of work (as i am sure you are) so it is time to get firm and bruatally honest. If your local office has transient staff (as many do) ask to see a team leader and explain your situation. Even if this is a walk in off the street have a copy of your CV and your last few weeks jobsearch with you and ask them for help. 6 week matching, resource centre, external training provider.

I have to go now or I will be late for my work. Hope this helps.

Webbie_2

Thanks for the advice scottishflower2000. My reviews/interviews have not provided to be of any use so far (no advice or support).

I have registered with several employment agencies, as I believe the area of working I am looking for (training and development) does not really come up in jobcentres. It is upsetting that I am keen to find work, but seem to be struggling to find a role.

I have asked about further training/support at the jobcentre only to be told that there is nothing available to me. The town I live in has several areas of high unemployment, so I think the focus is on them.

I will keep on searching!!!!

jenpoptab

I know in this area, the training courses available through JCP have been drastically cut along with staffing levels in most JCP. Not sure if I'll even have a job @ JCP where I usually work, when i return off maternity leave.

With regards lack of help, Scottish flower is right, you should be having regular reviews, also here they do weekly signing for 6 wks once you have been signing 13 wks and 6 mths,

researcher

I came back from living abroad a few years ago. Penniless and entitled to no benefit. (Long story). Anyway, I took any work I could find, no matter what was paid. I had no car and had to rely on public transport (in a rural area this is TOUGH). I walked a lot.

But..within a few months I was being contacted and offered work of all sorts. I quickly got a name for being reliable, honest and 'can-do'. I was able to buy a cheap car.

Today I drive a nice car, I earn a good living and I recently returned from a paid working project in Australia. I'm no-where near rich, but I'm far from poor!

People say to me 'aren't you lucky'? Well if luck means hard work, whenever and where-ever, determination and doing it all with good grace and a smile on my face, well yes, I am very lucky.

The bottom line was that I relied on myself and no-one else, I didn't except any help but when it was offered I accepted it gratefully.

It can be done.
:j

lush_walrus

catford wrote:

hey!Lush walrus--benefits-lucrative and easy?? which planet are you on pal?? take a day off!

No need to be rude at an opinion!

What is difficult about claiming benefit out of curiousity? Is it a 37.5 hour weeks worth of work or 40 plus? If someone can advise that it is not worth taking a 12,000 job as this will be achievable on benefits and therefore make them worse off, then Im sorry but it is (for some) an easier option than working. Otherwise this thread would be full of people telling the OP to grab hold of that job, try their hardest at the interview and there really wouldnt be a debate.

But the fact is there is a debate about which should be the right move forward, to work or not to work, so why would anyone consider the more stressful option of claiming benefits if they had the option of finding a job.

Catford, read the thread and see what the majority of people out there are advising, then tell me which option appears to be the majority vote on the easier and more lucrative!

lush_walrus

researcher wrote:

I came back from living abroad a few years ago. Penniless and entitled to no benefit. (Long story). Anyway, I took any work I could find, no matter what was paid. I had no car and had to rely on public transport (in a rural area this is TOUGH). I walked a lot.

But..within a few months I was being contacted and offered work of all sorts. I quickly got a name for being reliable, honest and 'can-do'. I was able to buy a cheap car.

Today I drive a nice car, I earn a good living and I recently returned from a paid working project in Australia. I'm no-where near rich, but I'm far from poor!

People say to me 'aren't you lucky'? Well if luck means hard work, whenever and where-ever, determination and doing it all with good grace and a smile on my face, well yes, I am very lucky.

The bottom line was that I relied on myself and no-one else, I didn't except any help but when it was offered I accepted it gratefully.

It can be done.
:j

A simular thing happened to a friend of mine who came back from living in South Africa for 8 years. Just like you, she had the right attitude and drive and took any work going. But now 10yrs on, she now owns a few language schools and is doing really well.

Hard work is the only way to go if you want a future independant of the state. Well done for all you have acheived, you deserve it.

soon2bjobless

Thank you all for posting replies - especially Lush walrus - your post really made me think.

I have only been out of work for 3 months and find I think I am beginning to lose my confidence a wee bit already.

I take the point about the fact the job may be not much at first but as was said, who knows what it may lead to money wise....

(also I live in a small town with no large employers)

I have done loads of jobs in the past while the kids were wee - bar work, hotel chambermaid, dinner lady - even worked on an egg farm and cleaned public loos at one stage!!!!

Then I started doing computing at night school and managed to get my office job which lead to me being a secretary and bookeeper - when the job centre sent me details of that job it as if all my hard work to better myself and my job prospects was a waste of time.

A bit of a blow to my self-esteem - but hey, having self-esteem dont put pies on the tea table!!! lol!!!

So if I do get asked for an interview I will go and do my best and suss out future prospects - its always easier to get another job when you have one already.

Thanks again to everyone who replied......

girleight@

I don't reckon the job centre put that much thought into sending you that job so I wouldn't worry too hard about it. They probably just typed in "admin" and printed it off!
Also, while you're unemployed you could also try for some jobs that you might think are a bit out of your reach because its no loss if you don't get them but you never know.

lush_walrus

soon2bjobless wrote:

Thank you all for posting replies - especially Lush walrus - your post really made me think.

I have only been out of work for 3 months and find I think I am beginning to lose my confidence a wee bit already.

I take the point about the fact the job may be not much at first but as was said, who knows what it may lead to money wise....

(also I live in a small town with no large employers)

I have done loads of jobs in the past while the kids were wee - bar work, hotel chambermaid, dinner lady - even worked on an egg farm and cleaned public loos at one stage!!!!

Then I started doing computing at night school and managed to get my office job which lead to me being a secretary and bookeeper - when the job centre sent me details of that job it as if all my hard work to better myself and my job prospects was a waste of time.

A bit of a blow to my self-esteem - but hey, having self-esteem dont put pies on the tea table!!! lol!!!

So if I do get asked for an interview I will go and do my best and suss out future prospects - its always easier to get another job when you have one already.

Thanks again to everyone who replied......

Please don't loose your confidence, you have done lots in the past and KNOW that you are very capable of any future job. You are as capable today as you was 3 months ago, and in another few years you will be even more capable than ever imagined Im sure, thats exactly why it is admirable to push on and see what you can get from any company that wants you to work with them. Remember jobs are for you to take from them as much as it is for them to take from you.

It is definately easier to get a job when you have one, but redundancy is such a common thing that people are understanding that it takes a bit of time to find an opening.

There is no harm in wanting to stick to the general area you want to work, buteven with that the strangest things happen. My mum was a solicitor before we were born, but like you adapted to all manor of jobs when we were young, but the one thing that I took from my mums life experience was you just never know what will come out of nothing. She had an interview for a warehouse packing job (as it fitted with our school times) went for an interview and the lady interviewing her told her that they did not bring her in for the job that was advertised but wanted to meet her to see if she fitted another unadvertised job, she did and started working there weeks later and stayed throughout our younger years.

Keep all doors and options open and you have a good chance of lady luck finding you. x

Scoflo

Try the voluntary sector when struggling to find work. As a volunteer of course, showing good use of time, carrying responsibility, reliability etc never goes wrong.

There are many jobs which are paid also, the link I often pass on is

http://www.goodmoves.org.uk/home/home.asp
(perhaps someone can do the fancy thing & hide it). T

This is purely Scotland but there is links thro Big Issue etc which will take you to similar sites. If you have previous convictions, recovering from any addictions, homelessness etc the voluntary sector are very willing to work with that and the barriers you have overcome.

For training & development you can't go wrong.