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The Why Don't You Get a Job Thread


kendal mint cake

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There's a lot of people willing to do the most menial of jobs, and are applying for the most menial of jobs, but are still unemployed because they're competing with so many other people who are willing to do the most menial of jobs.

 

Unfortunatly, that is correct. Out of the 60 people I have on my caseload, around 30 of them have "Cleaner" as the main job goal. It is roughly the same for my colleagues, so if we get one cleaning job come through, we are putting over 150 people forward for it. For the poorly skilled it is a nightmare.

 

It's supposed to be a more intensive system of support for long term jobseekers. When they have been out of work for 12 months, they are referred to one of the work program providers. These providers are supposed to then find out why whatever we have done has not worked, and get people on more courses, retraining etc.

 

Some providers are better than others. To be honest I have not heard wonderful things about it both from colleagues and people who have been on them.

 

This is all correct but there are also certain categories of people - under 25's and ex-offenders who can be voluntarily or mandated onto the Work Programme.

 

The providers do for the most part do a good job, but they also do get stuck with the hardcore of people who have been on JSA for literally years with no intention of ever coming off it...

 

They do indeed, although I tend to try and keep the younger ones and the more vunerable ones back so they don't get lost in the shuffle.

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Just watched them discussing workfare on Question Time. Some Lib Dem woman called Susan Kramer, a baroness of all things, was lecturing about how, if she found herself out of work and down on her luck, she wouldn't hesitate to do the most menial of jobs for the most meagre of wages. Amazing the hypothetical work ethic some people develop when they know there's no chance they'll ever be unfortunate enough to find themselves in that position. Reminds me of those middle-aged blokes who've never seen a day of action in their lives, but think teenagers should be forced to do national service.

 

Question Time is totally depressing these days but that almost got a laugh out of me still though she was much less irritating than the Tory they had on there who was just plain useless.

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It's supposed to be a more intensive system of support for long term jobseekers. When they have been out of work for 12 months, they are referred to one of the work program providers. These providers are supposed to then find out why whatever we have done has not worked, and get people on more courses, retraining etc.

 

Some providers are better than others. To be honest I have not heard wonderful things about it both from colleagues and people who have been on them.

 

To continue claiming JSA do you have to partake in the scheme if asked?

 

I ask because the job centre seem to put everything to you like you don't have a choice when sometimes you do.

 

I was told signing up to the Universal Jobsearch was a must but now find out that isn't the case.

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It's supposed to be a more intensive system of support for long term jobseekers. When they have been out of work for 12 months, they are referred to one of the work program providers. These providers are supposed to then find out why whatever we have done has not worked, and get people on more courses, retraining etc.

 

Some providers are better than others. To be honest I have not heard wonderful things about it both from colleagues and people who have been on them.

 

To continue claiming JSA do you have to partake in the scheme if asked?

 

I ask because the job centre seem to put everything to you like you don't have a choice when sometimes you do.

 

I was told signing up to the Universal Jobsearch was a must but now find out that isn't the case.

 

You have to go on it if you are still signing on after 12 months. You are with them for 2 years, then you come back to the loving arms of the JC+.

 

As for being put forward for things, some are mandatory. It is usually things like going to a CV workshop if your CV is shit, jobsearch courses if your search for jobs is not good enough or interviews with the National Careers Service if we can't get any sense out of you. I only really send people on things if I honestly think it will help them in the long run. Apart from a couple of stroppy bastards, most have come back to me saying what they have been on will help them in te long run, which is what it's all about really.

 

As an aside, I was ready to send 4 people for sanctions today for doing absolutely fuck all to try and get a job. I'd warned them all last week and took the time to go through exactly why I would have to do it and what they need to do to prevent it. All 4 showed up and had completely done what I had asked them to do, scuppering my evil intentions. Amazing what you can do when you speak to people with a modicum of respect and are completelyu straigt with them.

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Oh shit. I think I hate my career and have wasted my life.

 

At the very least I hate my current job and have wasted large portions of my life.

 

 

I've had an inkling this job has sucked for a little while now but it's all becoming clear how irreparably fucked this place is and that this project is just not going to get done.

 

To date, I keep having these occasional alright days where it seems like things could be fine but they're just a horrible mirage something like Khemical and his stupid Batman quote.

 

Need to decide whether to stick it out until June (current contract end date, but they've already spoken to me about extending) or jack it in now.. I'll start having a look what's out there; can't hurt.

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That's great to hear/read that post above Matrix. Good on you. And Chest, it's never too late. I often feel and have moments feeling of regret that I wasted a massive chunk of my life aimlessly going nowhere, knowing I wasn't where I needed to be and that I was underestimating myself, not living up to my full potential. I finally took the plunge one day and completely changed my career. There's been struggles and still is plenty but its one of the best decisions I ever made. And although I sometimes feel there's many years I've wasted I only feel like that for a moment because really those years made me better in the long run, molded who I am now and made me appreciate things more, work harder at what I do and just all round better for it. There's still many things I want to do and know I need to take action on. Don't dwell on it for too long and live in regret or 'what could of happened ifs'. It's all about taking action.

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That's great to hear/read that post above Matrix. Good on you. And Chest, it's never too late. I often feel and have moments feeling of regret that I wasted a massive chunk of my life aimlessly going nowhere, knowing I wasn't where I needed to be and that I was underestimating myself, not living up to my full potential. I finally took the plunge one day and completely changed my career. There's been struggles and still is plenty but its one of the best decisions I ever made. And although I sometimes feel there's many years I've wasted I only feel like that for a moment because really those years made me better in the long run, molded who I am now and made me appreciate things more, work harder at what I do and just all round better for it. There's still many things I want to do and know I need to take action on. Don't dwell on it for too long and live in regret or 'what could of happened ifs'. It's all about taking action.

 

 

I feel you. If I knew of something else that I actually want to do for a living that would be sound advice. Facing an uphill struggle getting into something else I don't give a shit about just because it will be temporarily interesting and different just seems silly though.

 

Feels kinda like that bit in Seinfeld where George is sitting at Jerry's after he loses his job and keeps suggesting ridiculous ideas for what jobs he could do.

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Chest, what do you do at the moment and ideally what would you like to be doing? Do you have any ideas?

Much as SOC said, nothing is a waste, everything you do teaches you skills and helps you develop even if you don't realise it. Don't be so hard on yourself, I get the impression that you are the kind of person who has more to their life than just work, there isamore to you than your job, you haven't wasted your life

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If I knew of something else that I actually want to do for a living that would be sound advice

 

That's the killer right there. I felt the same way last year & was having a bit of a moan in the pub about work & a mate asked me 'What would you choose to do if you weren't in purchasing?' Aside from joining Cypress Hill there was little I could think of that given my age & experience would be a feasible alternative.

If you can afford to quit, retrain & start from scratch doing something completely different you think you'll enjoy then that's a different beast altogether, but (in my experience) people working actually their dream jobs are few & far between. As Deathrey mentioned it's what you're doing outside of work that maintains the balance.

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Chest - this is going to remind you of the Seinfeld scenario again but don't limit yourself by convincing yourself some things are outlandish and unreachable. You say you don't know what you really want to do, I don't believe that. I felt like that for a long time too, but deep down I always knew. It just took me a while to realise it and find myself, despite the fact it was always there. I'm going to sound corny with a lot of this, but I'll say it anyway - listen to your heart. It always knows what's best for you and I believe everyone knows deep in their heart what truly makes them happy and what they want to be doing and what they love. Ask yourself this - eliminate the distractions of issues that cloud your judgment and your dreams, ask yourself and be completely honest with yourself about it - what would you do, what would you want to do if money wasn't an issue, if money wasn't a problem, if it wasn't about making money at all but just about making yourself happy? Because I bet there is something you could honestly answer to that. You feel there isn't an obvious answer to something else you could do at this moment because you are being realistic. And being realistic is the most commonly traveled road to misery and mediocrity.

 

Often to create true happiness in your life it is about being able at any moment to sacrifice who you are now for what you could become.

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When you quit your former career & re-started SOC what did you do? Were you living at home or did you do an OU course at night whilst still working in the job you didn't like? Did you just quit one day & never look back?

 

As inspiring as your post is I can't help but feel it's mostly theoretical rather than practical. Obviously your advice in the Xmas weight loss thread was helpful to many & the fact you're in great shape is testament to the fact you know what you're talking about in regards to diet & fitness. I'm just wondering how you did that above, I know several people who quit their day job to start up their own businesses & all but 1 of them are back at a day job now & in a worse position than they were before (the one who isn't got bankrolled by his parents).

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