Economic Problems Afloat

[DaveP]

I can see what went wrong

I know it's hard for you to answer this question, how many applicants were genuine?

 

I suspect they were all genuine - merely rather further from a close match than one would expect or like. If your JCP advisor tells you to apply for that job, you do - or face possible sanctions...

[Laurie Booth]

I suspect they were all genuine - merely rather further from a close match than one would expect or like. If your JCP advisor tells you to apply for that job, you do - or face possible sanctions...

I'm sure most of them wanted a job but what I meant was, how many were suitable for the job. Must admit I hated being pushed about at the job centre.

[Yellowback]

We had over 1000 for one vacancy.

 

Firesprite

 

In Stockholm Sweden

 

 

I hope you helped reduce the chances of the company interviewing and hiring unlucky people by splitting the stack of applications into four, then throwing three of the stacks into the waste bin.

[carlt]

I hope you helped reduce the chances of the company interviewing and hiring unlucky people by splitting the stack of applications into four, then throwing three of the stacks into the waste bin.

My Mum was secretary to a Company Director in the 80s and she would have to go through thousands of applications for just one job.

 

After she had weeded out all the ones that were completely unsuitable, lack of qualifications/experience and so on, she was still left with a huge pile of applications from suitable candidates, which she put on her boss' desk.

 

He then took the pile of applications and threw them all in the air and any that landed on the desk got an interview, the rest went in the bin.

[Laurie Booth]

My Mum was secretary to a Company Director in the 80s and she would have to go through thousands of applications for just one job.

 

After she had weeded out all the ones that were completely unsuitable, lack of qualifications/experience and so on, she was still left with a huge pile of applications from suitable candidates, which she put on her boss' desk.

 

He then took the pile of applications and threw them all in the air and any that landed on the desk got an interview, the rest went in the bin.

I assume the company has now closed down.

[carlt]

I assume the company has now closed down.

No it is now one of the biggest family owned companies in the UK.

 

If there are 1000 job applicants, all with the necessary qualifications and experience, and only time to interview a handful then there has to be an element of random selection.

 

Perhaps if the boss had spent all of his time reading every single application form, instead of running his company, they may well have closed down, by now.

[Laurie Booth]

No it is now one of the biggest family owned companies in the UK.

 

If there are 1000 job applicants, all with the necessary qualifications and experience, and only time to interview a handful then there has to be an element of random selection.

 

Perhaps if the boss had spent all of his time reading every single application form, instead of running his company, they may well have closed down, by now.

Fair comment

[FORTUNATA]

Don't get me started on that one. It appears the current Government has been forced to admit many jobseekers have been tricked into sanctions to meet so-called targets and save money. They are now passing the blame to certain jobcentres they say "got the wrong idea". I heard from one woman who received a written letter of notification for a job interview the day after her interview was scheduled. Thus she couldn't make it. She went to her jobcentre but apparently couldn't prove her position and was sanctioned. Her friend then took up her case and was pretty much incandescent. This is one of hundreds of cases apparently since jobcentres were competing for numbers of sanctions registered to meet targets and so on.

I don't personally believe the Government could be so stupid as not to predict this sort of thing could spiral out of control. It smacks of the poll tax when Labour Councils upped the rates to upset voters so they wouldn't vote Tory again.

Not good at all.

 

I'm sure most of them wanted a job but what I meant was, how many were suitable for the job. Must admit I hated being pushed about at the job centre.

Edited October 20, 2011 by FORTUNATA

[sueb]

Maybe not in the spirit of the thing but there are plenty of saleable goods on freecycle and you can sell on gumtree. We have found a 'handyman' who is worth his weight in gold and willing to tackle most jobs. His first words were I'm not qualified so I said neither was I and I had been doing the diy for years.

Sue

[nbfiresprite]

I'm sure most of them wanted a job but what I meant was, how many were suitable for the job. Must admit I hated being pushed about at the job centre.

 

From the Job Centre applicants, less than 5% had the minimum A+ certification required. Its as if these so called Job 'advisers' had just picked jobs at random. And said to the poor Job seeker the 'Government requires you to apply' even if you don't match any of the job requirements. So the poor job seeker get branded by a company as a 'time waster', Wrecking any chance of working for the company in another position.

 

Having been there myself, I known what its like. One of the Job Centre favorite crimes is 'Talking your way out of a Job', Which they tried on me a number of times. Simply for telling the truth about my background and Job history at the interview or even on the CV. Every time they tried a give me a sanction. I won by simply quoting that to comply with the Job Centre requirements would mean requiring me to commit a crime under sections 2/3 of the Fraud Act 2002.

 

As for sorting the applications, We a bit more high tech, And sort the emailed CV's by software. As it is the Job went to a person who applied through one of the Job Boards.

 

Firesprite

 

Back in Fens, It was warmer in Stockholm

Edited October 20, 2011 by nbfiresprite

[sueb]

It's not only job centres that send unsuitable applicants for jobs, agencies do it as well.

Sue

[FORTUNATA]

I have a blog on all this political stuff now. It may actually become popular, unlike my first blog that failed miserably. Talk about Obama and socialism and American posters certainly make their comments known.

I believe the current unemployment strategy is a public manipulation, sorry to be so blunt. In the past, all one had to do was visit the jobcenre and sign as willing and able to work. In some unfortunate cases it was a lie, accepted with a nod and a wink. In most cases it was authentic.

We still have essentially the same system but what the Governments did was try to play a lot with words and formalities and legalities. Essentially each jobseeker today still does the same thing as jobseekers in the past - visit the jobcentre and attest he (or she) is willing to work.

However, now the jobcentre requires proof that this is the case, requiring jobseekers to try and prove they're sincere. Which due to economic woes, most genuinely are, even if under-trained. Not only that but the idea is somehow to try and prove the jobseeker is actually bogus. If you can somehow trap a jobseeker into appearing to refuse a job, you've nailed him (or her) and can stop payments. On the face of it, it's legal (or appears to be legal). It saves the government money as well.

It boils down to word against word. One party seeks to prove a jobseeker is bogus. Another party claims a letter simply didn't arrive or mistake simply made.

I discovered the sanctions regime saves the government billion in revenue, even while cases are being challenged.

 

 

From the Job Centre applicants, less than 5% had the minimum A+ certification required. Its as if these so called Job 'advisers' had just picked jobs at random. And said to the poor Job seeker the 'Government requires you to apply' even if you don't match any of the job requirements. So the poor job seeker get branded by a company as a 'time waster', Wrecking any chance of working for the company in another position.

 

Having been there myself, I known what its like. One of the Job Centre favorite crimes is 'Talking your way out of a Job', Which they tried on me a number of times. Simply for telling the truth about my background and Job history at the interview or even on the CV. Every time they tried a give me a sanction. I won by simply quoting that to comply with the Job Centre requirements would mean requiring me to commit a crime under sections 2/3 of the Fraud Act 2002.

 

As for sorting the applications, We a bit more high tech, And sort the emailed CV's by software. As it is the Job went to a person who applied through one of the Job Boards.

 

Firesprite

 

Back in Fens, It was warmer in Stockholm

[DaveG]

A lot of what is being said here seems to be borne out in my local community. In a similar manner to the NHS, many of the Social Security/Benefit reforms are being implemented even though the appropriate legislation has not been passed. The Jobcentre in nearby Corby is already implementing the "90 minute" rule, which means someone from here has to apply for jobs as far afield as Ipswich, London, Wolverhampton and Derby, which may well be minimum wage jobs involving a 200 mile per day round trip. At the same time the Leader of the county council has claimed £51,000 in expenses over the last 12 months stating it is unreasonable to expect anyone to drive 20 miles to work and fund it themselves. It is this double standard rather than the economic state itself which angers people, certainly around here where the only jobs which seem to be being created are in petrol stations and fast food outlets. The list of MPs who claim taxpayer funded cash to buy second homes when they already have a first home which is easily commutable to Whitehall does not make happy reading. Frances Maude's first and second homes are in the same appartment block! Two of Corby's employment agencies will only take Eastern Europeans onto their books....which is ironic considering that Ladyline, one of the major employers here, recently moved a great chunk of its luxury boat building manufacturing to Poland.

[FORTUNATA]

There's a lot of anger. Check out the BBC's flood of angry comments when it was first discovered jobcentres were working by targets. I know this is true. Jobcentre staff were under pressure to suspend payments at random. One common method was to stress a particular job the claimant didn't want to do as opposed to jobs that were preferred. Someone doesn't want to work nights so night shift work is stressed. And so on. Yet the whole idea is supposed to be to help people find work, not try and save cash for the public purse.

As far as I know Citizens Advice is dealing with thousands of cases. At some point it may bounce back in successfull legal challenges.

I'm also certain Labour Councils have been over-cutting facilities in order to anger voters so they won't vote for the Tories. They did this back in the poll-tax era. Labour councils raised property taxes to the maximum so it would backfire on the Tories.

 

A lot of what is being said here seems to be borne out in my local community. In a similar manner to the NHS, many of the Social Security/Benefit reforms are being implemented even though the appropriate legislation has not been passed. The Jobcentre in nearby Corby is already implementing the "90 minute" rule, which means someone from here has to apply for jobs as far afield as Ipswich, London, Wolverhampton and Derby, which may well be minimum wage jobs involving a 200 mile per day round trip. At the same time the Leader of the county council has claimed £51,000 in expenses over the last 12 months stating it is unreasonable to expect anyone to drive 20 miles to work and fund it themselves. It is this double standard rather than the economic state itself which angers people, certainly around here where the only jobs which seem to be being created are in petrol stations and fast food outlets. The list of MPs who claim taxpayer funded cash to buy second homes when they already have a first home which is easily commutable to Whitehall does not make happy reading. Frances Maude's first and second homes are in the same appartment block! Two of Corby's employment agencies will only take Eastern Europeans onto their books....which is ironic considering that Ladyline, one of the major employers here, recently moved a great chunk of its luxury boat building manufacturing to Poland.

[sebrof]

There is little doubt that a lot of benefit fraud does go on. It's a pity it wasn't sorted out during the boom times, when it was easy enough to get a job, rather than now, when it isn't. A lot of genuine claimants are going to have a hard time thanks to the activities of the non-genuine.

[Laurie Booth]

There is little doubt that a lot of benefit fraud does go on. It's a pity it wasn't sorted out during the boom times, when it was easy enough to get a job, rather than now, when it isn't. A lot of genuine claimants are going to have a hard time thanks to the activities of the non-genuine.

Sadly the £60 a week Job Seekers Allowance isn't enough to live on. So someone on the £60 has to resort to other forms of income.

[tillergirl]

Have a look at http://www.reed.co.uk/. I know its only an agency but at least you can see how many people have applied for a job you may be interested in.

 

Good luck!

[FORTUNATA]

O.K. I made some decisions and have had some success. I'm going to be pretty into bikes as I've always had an interest in cycling and bikes are something that can be bought and sold. In fact, I just sold a bike to a Welsh time trialist and he went away very happy with his racer. I will be selling other things apart from bikes and most of this is online.

Obviously it's going to be really hard to make a stable income from buying and selling but it is a tried and proven means to increase income. Look at the cash converter shops that are booming in my area. People want quick money, bring in unwanted items to the shop and the shop then sells the same items at a profit.

Another thing I'm into is DVD's. However, to make money with DVD's you have to sell a lot of them and the profit margin isn't so big. One really good firm is CEX who do all second hand films stored on shelves. On each film they must make maybe 2 pounds or less but sell hundreds each day.

This may turn out to be quite time consuming work for not much more money than I'd get on jobseekers but anything is better than being ordered around by such people for a pittance.

By the way I just joined Gumtree, heard of it before but only just tried it. Is it any good?

[bargemast]

O.K. I made some decisions and have had some success. I'm going to be pretty into bikes as I've always had an interest in cycling and bikes are something that can be bought and sold. In fact, I just sold a bike to a Welsh time trialist and he went away very happy with his racer. I will be selling other things apart from bikes and most of this is online.

Obviously it's going to be really hard to make a stable income from buying and selling but it is a tried and proven means to increase income. Look at the cash converter shops that are booming in my area. People want quick money, bring in unwanted items to the shop and the shop then sells the same items at a profit.

Another thing I'm into is DVD's. However, to make money with DVD's you have to sell a lot of them and the profit margin isn't so big. One really good firm is CEX who do all second hand films stored on shelves. On each film they must make maybe 2 pounds or less but sell hundreds each day.

This may turn out to be quite time consuming work for not much more money than I'd get on jobseekers but anything is better than being ordered around by such people for a pittance.

By the way I just joined Gumtree, heard of it before but only just tried it. Is it any good?

 

 

I wish you the best of luck FORTUNATA, it should be possible to earn a few £££ with that wheeling and dealing, if others manage, so can you.

 

Cheers,

 

Peter.

[FORTUNATA]

I've made a bit. Shows it's possible. First bike I got had something very wrong with the chain. So the dealer took less. Later I found the chain had simply been threaded wrong through the rear derailleur so I redid it and then all was well. However, I ended up keeping the bike for myself as it's a very basic MTB but comfortable to ride and robust.

Guess what else I came across? One of those double key electronic organs that were once so popular. What a machine! Lots of different beats and scores of tabs for each instrument sound. They were once used in pubs for entertainment and cost close to 1,500. Now they're dirt cheap as I think the fashion just went away. I'd have bought that too but I'd never get it on my boat.

 

I wish you the best of luck FORTUNATA, it should be possible to earn a few £££ with that wheeling and dealing, if others manage, so can you.

 

Cheers,

 

Peter.

[dor]

Maybe not in the spirit of the thing but there are plenty of saleable goods on freecycle and you can sell on gumtree.

 

I stopped putting stuff up on Freecycle as it became obvious that the majority of so-called deserving recipients were just collecting stuff to flog on ebay etc.

 

That's not what Freecycle is about and is bordering on fraud - it's certainly conning people.

 

So now I either sell it myself or bin it.

[carlt]

They were once used in pubs for entertainment and cost close to 1,500. Now they're dirt cheap as I think the fashion just went away. I'd have bought that too but I'd never get it on my boat.

I've just sold a Wurlitzer organ with three keyboards, bass pedals and in mint condition...for 99p on Ebay.

 

Sounds amazing...worth nowt.

[Pykebird]

Glad things are looking up for your fortuta, keep up the good work! I have found that forum members are keen and willing to give a good price for items without arguing! I travelled over 150 mniles for a job, which although I struggled for 3 months, was not as advertised! I was torn between keeping it and probably making myself ill in the process(over 72 hours at much less than min wage), or believe in myself and look for better.

It took a couple of weeks, but I went all around the local area(quite like it here) and talked to EVERYONE, some thought I was bonkers, but it got me a chance to offer to do a couple of hours as a chance to 'prove' myself. I now have a great job doing what I love and am paid a suitable wage, so don't give up

[FORTUNATA]

At the moment I'm not happy with Gumtree. I put a bike up for sale at 160.00 and the advertisement was displaying £1.00! Either someone hacked into my advertisement to play a prank or (more likely) the digit imput box can't display more than one digit. Obviously people were mailing me with a view to buying a bike for one pound although they had a feeling it had to be a mistake. What a cock-up of a system, is all I can say! I may mail them and ask what on earth is going on but it smacks of bad data processing. I did try editing the post but it kept coming up at £1.00. Never had this problem on ebay.

 

I stopped putting stuff up on Freecycle as it became obvious that the majority of so-called deserving recipients were just collecting stuff to flog on ebay etc.

 

That's not what Freecycle is about and is bordering on fraud - it's certainly conning people.

 

So now I either sell it myself or bin it.

 

You'd have to be good to make a living doing online trading. It's possible but not easy.

 

Glad things are looking up for your fortuta, keep up the good work! I have found that forum members are keen and willing to give a good price for items without arguing! I travelled over 150 mniles for a job, which although I struggled for 3 months, was not as advertised! I was torn between keeping it and probably making myself ill in the process(over 72 hours at much less than min wage), or believe in myself and look for better.

It took a couple of weeks, but I went all around the local area(quite like it here) and talked to EVERYONE, some thought I was bonkers, but it got me a chance to offer to do a couple of hours as a chance to 'prove' myself. I now have a great job doing what I love and am paid a suitable wage, so don't give up

[jeddy11]

What bike are you selling for £1 ?

 

james

 

 

At the moment I'm not happy with Gumtree. I put a bike up for sale at 160.00 and the advertisement was displaying £1.00! Either someone hacked into my advertisement to play a prank or (more likely) the digit imput box can't display more than one digit. Obviously people were mailing me with a view to buying a bike for one pound although they had a feeling it had to be a mistake. What a cock-up of a system, is all I can say! I may mail them and ask what on earth is going on but it smacks of bad data processing. I did try editing the post but it kept coming up at £1.00. Never had this problem on ebay.

 

 

 

You'd have to be good to make a living doing online trading. It's possible but not easy.