re: Does it pay to work? - Workfare
 

it is understandable and a cv should be an honest reflection of a persons capability so I wasn't pleased when the bloke at the dole told me to have a second cv that didn't include my qualifications so that I could lie at interviews for unqualified work.
I told him that both my cv and any questions answered at an interview would be as honest as i could make them, after all if you lie at an interview that gives the employer grounds for dismissal if your found out.
He wasn't pleased with me.

re: Does it pay to work? - Workfare
 

Hmmm...this is an urban myth, although I have no doubt that the morons working at the job centre believe it is fact and advise people accordingly.

Think about it....

In big multi-nationals employment is handled by the HR dept and they put those with relevant qualifications at the top of the pile, why wouldn't they? Their jobs aren't threatened.

Medium sized companies are the ones that have an eye on expansion, makes sense that they employ people who could slot into higher positions if necessary. Employing a numpty is extemely short sighted.

In small companies it's usually the owner who interviews, why would he/she care about employing someone with better qualifications, ain't like he/she is gonna lose the company to the applicant. Employing a numpty could be disastrous to them.

There are always exceptions to the rule, (e.g. where a jobsworth gets a position of power), but these are a rarity, unfortunately these are the ones that get published in the mainstream media...Those who get jobs based on qualifications do not post or complain..silent majority

re: Does it pay to work? - Workfare
 

For fear of lengthening the above post... (it got deleted, no surprise)

I worked in the computer industry for 5.5 years. I then went on to spend time working in charity abroad for 2 years where natural disasters/wars had struck, completely voluntary, all expenses mine. I sat and slept on the floor with insects and cockroaches, just to be clear. I then returned to the UK and had been offered work in KSA within a month, was meant to leave any day, but in Feb 2010, randomness struck.

That all took 2 years for the multiple ops and recoveries, and so on. 2 years wasted and again no income, no benefits.

Now, since being fit enough to walk/speak, been hunting for work since Jan 2012. What do I get?

You may ask the lethargic Job Centre how shocked they were at the proof I supplied them of the applications I've sent and so forth. The whole JC floor was shocked. I applied to 1873 jobs inside 3 months there, I phoned many more and I walked in to and asked every firm I could find upto the outskirts of Blackburn in addition. I felt like a piece of scrap. I couldn't believe what was happening. I said to each and every, "any basic job, minimum wage or not, any hours you want me to do". Yes, I walked it from Richmond Road to the Whitebirk Industrial Estate area's and Shadsworth/Roman Road Industrial area's (Blackburn) and back, begging for work, four times. My old friends and paternal uncles drove past sneering and jeering. I registered with 13 agencies as far as Stockport and Warrington. I applied for jobs as far as Bradford, Warrington and Liverpool. I didn't apply for any specialist field expect computer related and accountancy, since I had work experience and knowledge of these. I applied for every general work that I can do without lying. 99.9% of them never phoned/replied back (most were online/email).

I wasted +£120 just phoning these firms, and on phone interviews, and so forth.

I'm not illiterate. I went to a grammar on scholarship and have A-Levels and finished one year of BSc Optometry. But that was near a decade back. I've worked in an Accountancy, an Optician, a few warehouses, a call center, a takeaway/restaurant, ran my own I.T. business and self-employed on contract hire in the computer industry. And what do I hear repeatedly (they lie blank faced, and never give a reason, except the odd one or two)?

Over qualified
Too far away
You'll leave if you find better
Jobs too low for you

FFS. Any training I asked for, even saying they can deduct costs after I find work in the trained field later, was turned down. Sham courses which very few employers care about were shoved in my face, all costly, all I could not afford. Duh.

I left back to abroad because the idiots there robbed some land and property that belongs to us. Now, every penny I had is gone fighting flawed cases, and I'm supposed to be returning any day but dreading it. 4 months back, I had savings to drip on. Not anymore.

Just my car insurance would be minimum £3000, hence why it's sleeping in the garage. I've never claimed or done fraud/theft of any kind in my life. This is what honesty gets you in the UK.

re: Does it pay to work? - Workfare
 

Well, you have had a rough couple of years, I know exactly what you mean so far as results of your job searching. Unfortunately the Jobcentre don't give out brownie points to people that try hard to find work, in fact I sometimes feel that they like triers far less than the people that can't be bothered, I had one once threaten disciplinary action because non of the jobs on my spreadsheet where from their web site, he claimed jobs from other agencies were only a bonus and in future I should concentrate on the jobs they the jobcentre offer, so now I make sure the paper is filled with their jobs and agency jobs I keep to myself, much better than being told off by someone stupid.
:o

re: Does it pay to work? - Workfare
 

LOL I agree with you mate.

I realised about the JC mentality very quickly... I couldn't care less about them. I run around for myself and my family. It was the worst time to become jobless for me :(

The job situation was so terrible in Accy, I wouldn't be surprised if the population decreases from people moving away to near cities.

re: Does it pay to work? - Workfare
 

See things haven't changed much. Well, Apart from the JC having a website. Thankfully I haven't been out of work for 12 years. I could've taken voluntary redundancy a few years back. I am glad a didn't. Not the best paid job in the world, but it's a job, and A lower paid job that you like doing is better than A higher paid job you hate with a passion. Sure I complain about my job, but that is just one of those things :)

It seems to me that the JC only recruit staff that have megalomaniac tendencies. Who the hell are they to tell you what jobs you can and cannot apply for. Could anybody with any basic human traits like kindness, understanding and humility; imagine working there and having to say stuff like that to people on a daily basis. Especially to someone that is a lot older and has worked most of their life? and in these times where jobs are scarce; I used to find them insulting and offhand and I haven't been on JCA since I was 19 or 20 years old. I am now 34. See things haven't changed... where do they get these people from?

re: Does it pay to work? - Workfare
 

Less, similar thing told to me haha

They told me to delete any education I had when applying for low end jobs, and any work experience I had in the better fields.

That left my CV basically empty. Any employer would think "What the heck have you been doing all those years?!?"

An Express Gifts Clayton recruitment manager and two 8-9 year workers also said the same thing to me before I applied. And no kidding... to act dumb at the interview.

They rejected me, and a TL told me the interviewer said over confident

What a pathetic excuse (I've worked there before in '03 and in the Church warehouse in '01).

At the same time, they put a guy on who is part mentally-disabled. Me and him both sat the written test together. He went to Broadfield and not be funny, but he can barely speak three words together. Just because a CM was his relative.

I can name them, I know them well. The lad and CM told me himself, along with a TM and a TL. :enough:

re: Does it pay to work? - Workfare
 

I find their website to be one of the worst I have had the misfortune to use, if I do a job search on my PC then go to sign on I can do the same job search on their fancy machines and get a completely different result.
Also when using their machines to do a search
e.g. Electronics Engineer and local how come my results include Gas fitter London? Different trade different safety qualifications required so it's of no use me even considering applying If I put the same search into professional agency sites I get the results expected and required.

re: Does it pay to work? - Workfare
 

Got told the good news today that ive got the job, i start my induction training on saturday, starting my job the following week on friday.Really happy now.

re: Does it pay to work? - Workfare
 

Great news. Good luck with the new job.

re: Does it pay to work? - Workfare
 

Congratulations and good luck!

re: Does it pay to work? - Workfare
 

It is bad, but doesn't shock me unfortunately :(
Makes sense. I was only able to interview for jobs lower than my level, undestandably which meant the people applying ideally would make a subservient workforce who were capable of little more than doing the job they were being interviewed for. Also, the staff turnover for said jobs was very high, the company preferring to re-train than to deal with any issues or problems.
I must add, some of these jobs were not easy and required a lot of thinking and computer skills. I did the same level before I was promoted and *I* didn't find it easy, and I am post-grad level.
In this climate it is difficult to get a job and you do find people going for jobs not necessarily in their field, I for one have only ever done one job related to my field of qualification, and I was made redundant after just under six months, this was just before I got the job I mentioned above.
It did make me sad when I was made to sit alongside somebody whilst he told the interviewee 'Well it's not that you're unsuitable for the job as such , Mr XYZ, it's just that we feel you would be more suited to elsewhere at the moment, we will keep your CV on file blah blah blah'

And then sometimes I was the one having to say the same. It did not sit right with me, I was dismissed following a period of sickness, work-related stress I was signed off with. (Unrelated to the above I must add).
Best of luck :)

re: Does it pay to work? - Workfare
 

Great news Rob :mosher:

re: Does it pay to work? - Workfare
 

Well done, mate. Hope it goes well for you. :)

re: Does it pay to work? - Workfare
 

Thankyou everyone for your best wishes, im so pleased as they have had over 2000 applicants so i must be doing something right.Im just so happy to be working again.