Never had a job at 23; what will the JSA people say?

I have my interview for JSA tomorrow. I am a little nervous though. I am 23 years of age, left university in june last year with a 3rd class in economics. I have never had a job in my life. This is not down to laziness. It is down to two reasons: 1) I have never had much of a life and not needed much money, plus I make a bit on the side from a hobby of mine, so never needed a job; 2) I have still always wanted a job, but the main reason I have never had one is that I have always been too shy. I believe I have Social Anxiety Disorder or something similar.

Since leaving university I have not applied for one job. My main reason now is that who is going to employ a 23 year old with no work experience and a 3rd class degree? I had no chance of a graduate type job. I did not want to apply for a normal / non graduate job. My standards were just too high. I just do not know the exact reason though why I did not apply for a job yet. I feel embarrassed. What will the interview guy tomorrow say when he finds out I have never even bothered to apply for a job yet? It is Job Seekers Allowance. Will I even get it? Should I lie and say I have applied for some jobs but got no responses? I do not like to lie, I am not a very good liar; do not have the confidence to pull of a lie.

My original interview was for Tuesday but I called and cancelled because then nerves got the better of me. I can not cancel again. All I do is sit in all day doing nothing, watching my life waste away. I need to do something. I need a job. I have huge ambition and huge potential but it is being wasted. Every 10,000 mile journey begins with that very first step. My first step is going the dole place tomorrow.

You wasted 3 years at university... just to make yourself less employable...

You're nervous about going to a JSA interview? An interview that is - deliberately - made ridiculously simple and basic so that the people who escaped school without GCSEs can understand...?

You need to control your nerves a hell of a lot better, how the hell will you manage when you actually get a job interview?!


MTFU, seriously.

My standards were just too high. I just do not know the exact reason though why I did not apply for a job yet. I feel embarrassed. What will the interview guy tomorrow say when he finds out I have never even bothered to apply for a job yet? It is Job Seekers Allowance. Will I even get it? Should I lie and say I have applied for some jobs but got no responses? I do not like to lie, I am not a very good liar; do not have the confidence to pull of a lie.

My original interview was for Tuesday but I called and cancelled because then nerves got the better of me. I can not cancel again. All I do is sit in all day doing nothing, watching my life waste away. I need to do something. I need a job. I have huge ambition and huge potential but it is being wasted. Every 10,000 mile journey begins with that very first step. My first step is going the dole place tomorrow.

I think I am in two minds whether to lie or not lie.

In terms of not applying for jobs pre-JSA that doesn't matter and won't stop you claiming. Once you have started your claim though you have to do at least 3 things a week to look for work, if you don't you'll have your money stopped.

Just so you know you can't just cancel signing on one week because of nerves. If you don't turn up at a specific time and date your claim can be closed unless you have a very good reason (nerves isn't one btw). Also, don't lie. JCP staff hear lies every day and are excellent lie detectors. It won't do you any good and will just annoy them that you think you can lie and get away with it.

You're also going to have to lower your job prospects for now. Someone with no experience can't expect to limit their job search to certain types of job. You'll have to start at the bottom and work your way up.

What does that mean?

You've got sod all to lie about [assuming you are legally entitled to JSA, you're a British citizen and all that jazz, yes?]. So you've not been looking for work... You were under no obligation to, you've not yet been on JSA... And in 2 weeks when you go back to sign on you can say what you like, they don't really care, they'll have seen people far worse.