People on the dole

A question about : People on the dole

Okay, I am gonna come clean. This came up on a different thread, but instead of hijacking (again ) I thought i'd start a new one- I'm scared, but here goes.
I'm on the dole.
I'm sorry, really, really sorry.
There are no jobs.
I have no qualifications.
I do everything I can- honestly I do. (well, lets put it this way, I have never lied to the jobcentre, I am in fact doing more than they ask)
Someone on the other thread said about people hanging around pubs all day, but this is not me. Seriously, the only pub that I can afford to visit is this one! Those people are almost definitely scamming, because no-one will even give me a credit card, so it's not on credit!
It's not a nice life if it helps- hardly any money and a whole lot of prejudice. I have actually have people who I really liked and seemed to be getting on well with stop talking to me after the question so, what is it that you do? Trainee sports psychologist is such a tempting answer specially as it isn't entirely untrue but honesty is my downfall.
I just wanted to see what people thought of the genuines.

Best answers:

• How long have you been unemployed? What previous jobs have you done? Do you get many interviews from job applications?
• Look TD, I know which thread you mean, and I think what was said was a generalisation specifically to counter some contentious posts. The fact is that there ARE some people who take the mickey and prefer to be on the dole. They are those who give a bad name to the decent ones who are out of work for legitimate reasons.
  I have met both kinds, in my years working at solicitors, and I know it cannot be a very easy life particularly if you try to get work and keep drawing a blank. It must be disheartening, but I'm sure persistence pays.
  Keep your chin up and keep trying, and leave the detractors to their own prejudices.
• theres plenty of jobs out there, are you aiming too high or are you prepared to do anything?
• Hi
  Don't get disheartened. My eldest has a degree and some experience and it still took him over 6 months to get another job.
  My experience (and his ) is that you will never get a job if you are just looking in papers and at the jobcentre. He went through the phone book and got in touch with companies that weren't even looking for staff and saw agencies (in short he made a nuisance of himself) and eventually it paid off.
  I hope this helps.
• If you are genuinely seeking work, then I wouldn't worry as you're doing nothing wrong.
  Good luck with finding work.
  Lin
• Turkish Delight, I agree with what you said on the other thread about it not being easy to get a job.
  It isn't. Especially if you are already unemployed, and especially if you want a full-time job..
  My son tried for three years. he wasn't well for part of that time, but for most of it he was looking for a job.
  He got taken on and then a week later the company went bankrupt.
  he got taken on, told at the end of the trial period they were not keeping him (and was never paid for the work he had done).
  He sent endless CVs and application forms and didn't even get an acknowledgement, despite having qualifications and retail and computer technician experience.
  Someone I know who used to recruit for a company told me she automatically shredded any applications from the Jobcentre without even looking at them. She won't be the only one who does this.
  It's NOT easy, and anyone who thinks otherwise has not ben there.
  The way my son got a job in the end was the Jobcentre sent him to a trainiing centre and while he was there asked them to fix him up with a work placement at Matalan (where he had applied twice before and got no comeback). They did this and he worked for them for two weeks whist still claiming his JSA. At the end of two weeks they took him on (relief!) and he has now been there seven months and enjoying it.
  However......Matalan do not employ most staff fulltime and therefore his hours are variable part-time. He does not want to change his job yet because he thinks any future employer will think he has no stickability. So he is working the part-time oours on minimum wage.
  Could the Jobcentre fix you up with a work placement? If you can show what you can do you may be offered a position.
  I hope you get a job soon.
• OP, as long as you aren't a complete basket case.
  Travel up mto the Lake District, start knocking on the doors of each businees that you come across and I'll guarantee that you'll have a choice of full time jobs by lunchtime.***
  assumes that your criteria is full time work, you have a driving licence, you are prepared to work for the pay on offer and you aren't a 'job snob'.
• After 18 months on the dole why do you not have any qualifications? What do you do all day long? When I was made redundant, I made a list of 200 local employers and sent them all my CV, and signed up for a computer course.
  Are you really rejecting jobs in difficult to get to places? My best job offer was in the middle of nowhere with a 6am start, so I got a provisional license and cheap motorbike.
  With 1,000,000 unemployed, how did 1,000,000 Poles find work so quickly?
• Have you tried signing on to agencies? Lot's of the big companies only on take on people via agencies
• It must be really hard to find work if you don't drive and live out in the sticks. Moving to a town or learning to drive is, in theory, an option but requires a fair amount of cash for lessons/rent etc. Could you try getting a job with accommodation provided (like hotel or holiday camp work) next season so you could get a bit of experience and some cash behind you?
• You don;t really say what your skills are, your preferred line of work and what your availability is for work. Obviously being on a chatboard you know how to use a computer but can you make full use of Word Processors, Spreadsheets, databases etc.? there are plenty of free online courses avaialble for these and th4e government used to run one called 'CLaIT'
  Even our universities are churning out people with what are effectively 'worthless' degrees ... people need to think about what sort of job they want to do and find something that fits in with what the job market is seeking. Surely your job market or an agency will be able to tell you what sort of jobs they are placing and maybe you can work towards that field?
  ivan
• I dont have any qualifications, not even one GCSE. i have found many jobs, but unable to take many of them up because i have a child and have to sort out childcare.
  I've just gone back to work as a homecare worker after 2 months off for back problems.
  If you have been uneployed looking for 18 months, you could have gone to college or something in that time, Why are the jobcentre not helping you more to get a job?
  Are there really NO jobs? or is it just no jobs that you want to do?
• From what I understand from someone who manages a temp agency, there is always work there.
  However, if you really would like to be a sports psychologist, then why not start at the bottom, go back to college to do some qualifications and start your training. Even if you weren't successful with study when you were at school, often it comes easier as an adult and if there is something getting in the way of your learning (like dyslexia) there is so much help available to support you with this.
  Increase your desirability as an employee by doing as much voluntary work as you can too.
  Have you thought about the care industry? They are often looking for people with life experience and good interpersonal skills and so look beyond qualifications on paper.
  If you were living in my area then I would say there is no reason for you to be unemployed but I know little about other areas.
  Good luck with your search and future career.