Charlotte_24 Posted February 13, 2009 Share Posted February 13, 2009 Oh my.. the system gets crazier and crazier! How much notice would you need to give doing voluntary work if a paid one came up, i would have thought you'd be able to start pretty much right away anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ms Macbeth Posted February 13, 2009 Share Posted February 13, 2009 Crazy innit. However, it's not because you're supposed to spend your time looking for work, its because you have to be available to work. Voluntary work is rarely full time and can be described as getting necessary experience. If paid work is offered then the voluntary work might have to stop or at leas reduce. Lots of people in paid jobs do both. Possibly worth checking out at the Jobcentre. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SallyLaLaLa Posted February 14, 2009 Share Posted February 14, 2009 I strongly object to being asked 'what have you been doing to look for work over the last two weeks?' They make me feel as though I'm on the dole through choice. Why do you object to being asked what you did in the last two weeks to look for work? I have been unemployed very briefly in the past and all I did was look for other work so I wouldn't be troubled being asked to account for it. But then I've never been unemployed for more than a month in the last fifteen years. Maybe that's why I'm employed and you're not. And yes one period was within this recession. Are you also suggesting that anybody who is unemployed should be allowed to stay that way without question even if they are shirking just to save you being annoyed at being asked. And let me guess...you're a graduate who expects the world to fall at your feet and you can't understand why it hasn't? Welcome to the real world sweetheart. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SallyLaLaLa Posted February 14, 2009 Share Posted February 14, 2009 Well thats what job agencies are for. You'd think that the government could act as an employment agency, but NOOOO, that would be 'interfering with the private sector' Actually the Job Centre does everything recruitment agencies do and more. Also you are likely to get a job which is appropriate for you rather than being shoehorned into which ever job will make an unscrupulous recruitment consultant their £100 commission that month. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ruby79 Posted February 14, 2009 Share Posted February 14, 2009 Actually the Job Centre does everything recruitment agencies do and more. Also you are likely to get a job which is appropriate for you rather than being shoehorned into which ever job will make an unscrupulous recruitment consultant their £100 commission that month. I think Denandinnit was commenting that he/she possibly felt a little patronised as anyone with a brain wants to work , and felt that he didnt need to be asked the question. I found the Job centre to be the biggest bunch of c*** ever. Alledgedly they only had 3 jobs that matched what i was looking for within Leeds , Manc and Sheffield( in my brief 4 weeks of unemployment) !!! Not sure how i managed to get 8 different interviews then ! Leave it to the job centre and you will remain unemployed for a VERY long time. I work in HR and every person bar 1 who i have interviewed in the last 3 weeks has been made redundant, it is exceptionally tough at the moment , as the people who i have seen have all been fantastic , but unfortunately there couldnt be jobs for them all. Don't stereotype graduates as I am one ( albeit a bit ago) and i worked damn hard to get where i am. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lyndsayx Posted February 15, 2009 Share Posted February 15, 2009 I'll second that, when i was briefly using the job centre services they were useless. I wouldn't trust them to find me a job, there may be a few decent vacancies on the website but i wouldn't rely on the weekly visits as they were never actually that helpful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deerobe Posted February 15, 2009 Share Posted February 15, 2009 Actually the Job Centre does everything recruitment agencies do and more. Also you are likely to get a job which is appropriate for you rather than being shoehorned into which ever job will make an unscrupulous recruitment consultant their £100 commission that month. This is not my experience of Agencies. My experience is that agencies will only put your forward for a job if they think there is any chance of you getting the job. Employers are being very careful about who they employ and make sure they have the discrimination areas covered. I have managed to be put forward for 5 jobs out of 300 applications made to agencies. I have had 2 interviews the result of which were that I was too experienced (this is having passed short listing tests and the company telling the agency I did a good interview). I am still waiting to hear back from the other three jobs that I applied for four weeks ago. Companies now put jobs out to about 4 agencies and agencies that send inappropriate CVs are discarded so there is no shoehorning of people into jobs. The next crisis for this government comes when all the people who were made redundant around Christmas and who cannot afford their mortgage/utility bills/council tax have to turn to the state or face bankruptcy. To be honest I don't know what I am going to do if I cannot find a job. Problem is I am in my fifties and if I go for an interview at a lower level the chances are that I will be more experienced than the people managing me. I have not signed on because I am in receipt of a pension (which unfortunately does not cover all my outgoings) which I pay tax and NI on. This will buy me a little more time than others. As I am still contributing to NI and as far as the government is concerned I am not unemployed because I receive a pension I have not had the delights to be enjoyed at the job centre. However I am glad of this. The other thing I would add is that I work in a specialist area and the sort of job I do is never advertised through a job centre. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bawdyed Posted February 16, 2009 Share Posted February 16, 2009 This link is to some home business scheme. Thousands of people from the UK, Ireland, Holland and Germany have taken control of their lives with this £600 Million British FTSE 250 company through a very simple home based business... not jobs that can be applied for. To find out about the opportunity,just fill in your name and email address and we will get in touch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DenadaInnit Posted February 16, 2009 Author Share Posted February 16, 2009 Why do you object to being asked what you did in the last two weeks to look for work? I have been unemployed very briefly in the past and all I did was look for other work so I wouldn't be troubled being asked to account for it. But then I've never been unemployed for more than a month in the last fifteen years. Maybe that's why I'm employed and you're not. And yes one period was within this recession. Are you also suggesting that anybody who is unemployed should be allowed to stay that way without question even if they are shirking just to save you being annoyed at being asked. And let me guess...you're a graduate who expects the world to fall at your feet and you can't understand why it hasn't? Welcome to the real world sweetheart. Hi, many thanks for responding to my OP. As a customer of the Job Centre Plus it would be nice to gain some support from them instead of going through the motions of 'what have you been doing for work'. All I want is for a cheery voice to greet me, give me a bit of support, and to say I'm doing well getting interviews etc and to tell me it will be just a matter of time, just keep going. Re the graduate snide, I think that a little harsh. Yes I'm a graduate, but I got my qualifications when I was about 35. It's very hard for everybody at the moment and hats off to everybody who does not have to go through the unemployment claiming business for a long time. Finally, there are a number of people who do not want to work in this country and I object being treated as if I were one of them. The system is geared towards the former category and needs to be revised. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomarse Posted February 16, 2009 Share Posted February 16, 2009 it's horrible Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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