Oh so just signing on today.
Horrible isn't it.
Status report Page 3,955
Yup. There isn't a job centre where I live so to start its a twenty minute drive. I have no idea what you do if you only had access to public transport. The job centre is in a grotty building in a nasty part of the town. I think they do it on purpose to underline that you are now entering the realm of those who have lost hope. I'd registered on line but again that's not an option open to everyone.
But its the process that is ridiculous. My line of work is university lecturer. I know the job sites to look at and August is not a good time to be doing this as its vacation and then clearing. My job seeker's agreement, which I did point out wasn't going to work but the advisor wouldn't redo it, states that I must write to at least one employer a week. (How if they haven't advertised any jobs?); I must phone at least one employer a week (same problem); search jobseekers.direct at least once a week (really? Unis will really be advertising on there and not the trade journals/papers?); ask family (I'm the only one in this line of work); friends (none of whom work in the same field) and people I have worked with before (I've just left because they made me ill). I also need to complete ES4. I have no idea what ES4 is. And best of all I had the choice of whether to look only for my type of work for the first three months. I was given no option as to future appointments. Hopefully if this goes beyond a few weeks I can post the stuff instead.
But I really wonder how people can break out of the system. I will because I've got a lot of transferable skills but what do you do if you don't have those skills in the first place. And that is what depressed me. That I can't do anything it. That the politicians won't.
It's designed for the thickest of all thick people, so doesn't really work for normals.
I went on the jobseekers thingy for a couple of months a few years ago. It was pure hell, and I would never do it again. The people (the ones who worked at the job centre I used, and the ones who went in there) were HORRIBLE.
Ah. zooo thinks I'm a normal.
Quote: zooo @ August 4 2011, 12:55 PM BSTIt's designed for the thickest of all thick people, so doesn't really work for normals. I went on the jobseekers thingy for a couple of months a few years ago. It was pure hell, and I would never do it again. The people (the ones who worked at the job centre I used, and the ones who went in there) were HORRIBLE.
What do you do for money, zooo? Curiosities eating me alive!
Plenty of people get so pissed off with the system they don't claim.
As it is take lemons and make lemonade. The system is designed to tick a box that you are atleast vaguely looking for work.
So do what they ask, between signing on and the job hunting bit you can do it in 2 hours tops.
Seriously though don't get in a sweat on it. Write one proforma letter and send it to a diferent uni's HR Dept each week.
Mind you after 3 months they start making you go to silly courses and stuff which is annoying.
If you left work through ill health, have you thought of claiming incap? Same money but less signing and no expectation of looking for work (before the govnt scrubs it).
Quote: zooo @ August 4 2011, 12:55 PM BSTIt's designed for the thickest of all thick people, so doesn't really work for normals.
I went on the jobseekers thingy for a couple of months a few years ago. It was pure hell, and I would never do it again. The people (the ones who worked at the job centre I used, and the ones who went in there) were HORRIBLE.
Under how to apply for a job that I found whilst at my local job centre it saya to send a Cv/written application to (a specified) email address USING A COMPUTER WITH INTERNET ACCESS. (Emphasis added).
On that basis I may be more normal than I suspect. 
You can take the piss, but it's actually quite sad. When I was out of work, there were a lot of people who couldn't fill the most basic forms due to illiteracy.
The ill health was stress caused by the stupid working practices so no point claiming incap but the formal reason was voluntary severance so still wouldn't qualify.
Oh, just noticed a typo or three in the job advert. I wonder if it's deliberate?
Quote: sootyj @ August 4 2011, 1:08 PM BSTYou can take the piss, but it's actually quite sad. When I was out of work, there were a lot of people who couldn't fill the most basic forms due to illiteracy.
I know. I was listening to R5 on the way and the announcement of the 'five a day' for parents. Now that was patronising beyond belief and one of the few times I've heard a politician talking more sense than the advisers.
Quote: sootyj @ August 4 2011, 1:08 PM BSTYou can take the piss, but it's actually quite sad. When I was out of work, there were a lot of people who couldn't fill the most basic forms due to illiteracy.
It's sad with some - dyslexics who were never identified as such, other people who are illiterate due to reasons they can't help. But a lot of them should have just paid more bloody attention in school. Or shown up in the first place.
Hard to learn when your parents are illiterate, there's no books in the house and you get the piss taken for studying.
Yes, those I will allow under my first umbrella of 'reasons they can't help'.
(Although they could have told their family to f**k off, and gone to a library.)
Quote: sootyj @ August 4 2011, 1:30 PM BSTHard to learn when your parents are illiterate, there's no books in the house and you get the piss taken for studying.
I think it's unfair to single out Chip like that. Bad form.
Reminds me of the Bill Hicks routine, "What are you reading for?".
Somebody should sue these folk under the Trades Description Act, or whatever, for calling it a 'Job Centre' - they seem to make precious little effort to find anybody a job. I have a young relative with 3 degrees (including a doctorate) and no job. Between his second and third degrees he went through the process of signing on, and you're right zooo, they just don't know how to deal with somebody like that. He was treated like a child and felt so humiliated he didn't go back after a couple of times. Wasn't even due money as he'd savings, yet they still thought they'd the right to treat him like some thicko with an IQ of 25.