robinsky
29-11-16, 19:24
Hi All,
I had a bit of a nasty experience at the Job Centre today. I just wanted some advice really to try and quell any anxieties I had.
It was implied by the Job Centre that I wasn't doing enough to find work - you need to do 35 hours a week doing a job search and for me, that just isn't feasible because of my circumstances and when I gave an example, e.g., I don't have access to a vehicle, I was told this was not an excuse. I mean, even if I did, for example, giving out mail shot CV, you can only do this on a rare occasion before you've exhausted this. In essence, to do 35 hours job search a week is ludicrous.
I did apologise as I begun to become a bit rattled and said as such and also said 35 hours a week for searching is not feasible for me because my best hopes of finding a job are applying online, as I do anyway and have virtually exhausted all the admin/data entry roles, I have checked my CV matches the jobs I go for and always do this when I apply for roles and have applied for well over 600 jobs in the past year and a bit.
All I can do is go around to agencies and see if anything else is available but the agency jobs available are going to be online for the most part, anyway.
The system has been known to cause extreme stress and anxiety to people and I don't want to lose my benefit - my adviser said I wouldn't but I was honest and perhaps I shouldn't have been, to say that I just can't do 35 hours a week. Its just not possible, even when you've been around companies and done mail shot work. You are then left going round town or applying online and there is only so much you can do around town, handing in CV etc. and also the lack of jobs means that to complete 35 hours a week isn't possible, even if some weeks it might be able to be completed, albeit under challenging circumstances.
I was very disheartened going into the JC today and I am frightened to go in for my next appointment, in case there is another backlash and I appreciate I might not have endeared myself by becoming dismissive and argumentative today but my adviser was not sympathetic - its hard enough looking for a job without being subjected to those type of situations. In the last fortnight, I have done at least 30 applications and I always check my CV to make sure it matches the job applications. I can't do any more.
Can anyone give me some advice because I am tempted to go to the doctors and explain my story to them and see what they say because this system is just more stress than its worth, quite frankly. I have decided to just continue to apply for jobs as I am, e.g. online and if the JC don't like it, there's not a great deal more I can do. I mean, I could do a mail shot but once that's done, there really is no more I can do since I am already registered with all the local agencies, who are beyond rubbish.
Thank you for any advice. I am already feeling vulnerable because of the job searching and its beginning to impact on my mental health and wellbeing.
I had a bit of a nasty experience at the Job Centre today. I just wanted some advice really to try and quell any anxieties I had.
It was implied by the Job Centre that I wasn't doing enough to find work - you need to do 35 hours a week doing a job search and for me, that just isn't feasible because of my circumstances and when I gave an example, e.g., I don't have access to a vehicle, I was told this was not an excuse. I mean, even if I did, for example, giving out mail shot CV, you can only do this on a rare occasion before you've exhausted this. In essence, to do 35 hours job search a week is ludicrous.
I did apologise as I begun to become a bit rattled and said as such and also said 35 hours a week for searching is not feasible for me because my best hopes of finding a job are applying online, as I do anyway and have virtually exhausted all the admin/data entry roles, I have checked my CV matches the jobs I go for and always do this when I apply for roles and have applied for well over 600 jobs in the past year and a bit.
All I can do is go around to agencies and see if anything else is available but the agency jobs available are going to be online for the most part, anyway.
The system has been known to cause extreme stress and anxiety to people and I don't want to lose my benefit - my adviser said I wouldn't but I was honest and perhaps I shouldn't have been, to say that I just can't do 35 hours a week. Its just not possible, even when you've been around companies and done mail shot work. You are then left going round town or applying online and there is only so much you can do around town, handing in CV etc. and also the lack of jobs means that to complete 35 hours a week isn't possible, even if some weeks it might be able to be completed, albeit under challenging circumstances.
I was very disheartened going into the JC today and I am frightened to go in for my next appointment, in case there is another backlash and I appreciate I might not have endeared myself by becoming dismissive and argumentative today but my adviser was not sympathetic - its hard enough looking for a job without being subjected to those type of situations. In the last fortnight, I have done at least 30 applications and I always check my CV to make sure it matches the job applications. I can't do any more.
Can anyone give me some advice because I am tempted to go to the doctors and explain my story to them and see what they say because this system is just more stress than its worth, quite frankly. I have decided to just continue to apply for jobs as I am, e.g. online and if the JC don't like it, there's not a great deal more I can do. I mean, I could do a mail shot but once that's done, there really is no more I can do since I am already registered with all the local agencies, who are beyond rubbish.
Thank you for any advice. I am already feeling vulnerable because of the job searching and its beginning to impact on my mental health and wellbeing.