Jobcentre experiences
Most of my job centre experiences have been pretty impersonal, like they want you out the door the minute you walk in. Walk in, tell them about your job search, sign a piece of paper, walk out.
I've actually found this to be more of a problem, as I don't think everyone who attends a job centre is 'scummy' or idle, or not wanting to work.
I think the civil service needs more discussion with people, and compassion.
What do you think?
What are your views and experience of the job centre?
I've actually found this to be more of a problem, as I don't think everyone who attends a job centre is 'scummy' or idle, or not wanting to work.
I think the civil service needs more discussion with people, and compassion.
What do you think?
What are your views and experience of the job centre?
It's the best it's been in 20 years, they had to U turn after all that sanction target/torturing people scandal, so they're a lot more compassionate now, ie: they don't ask stupid questions and generally don't bring you into the office for the annoyance of it.
Like I'm excused from all jobsearch activity because i do some caring for my mum, in previous years I'd have had to fight through years of hearings and reports to get that basic right. now i just had to tick a few boxes, and they even helped.
Like I'm excused from all jobsearch activity because i do some caring for my mum, in previous years I'd have had to fight through years of hearings and reports to get that basic right. now i just had to tick a few boxes, and they even helped.
I went to the Jobcentre about 5 years ago when I was between admin jobs, they offered me unpaid work experience at Poundland 
You dont go to the Jobcentre to get a job. You go to the Jobcentre to claim benefits.
The entire name is a lie. You would think the Jobcentre would have a load of local connecitons to get people employed but nope. Just sign the paper to say you are looking. If that fails then they may ask have you tried looking on a website called 'indeed.co.uk.'
Box ticking bureaucracy at its finest.
The entire name is a lie. You would think the Jobcentre would have a load of local connecitons to get people employed but nope. Just sign the paper to say you are looking. If that fails then they may ask have you tried looking on a website called 'indeed.co.uk.'
Box ticking bureaucracy at its finest.
Original post by adam271
You dont go to the Jobcentre to get a job. You go to the Jobcentre to claim benefits.
The entire name is a lie. You would think the Jobcentre would have a load of local connecitons to get people employed but nope. Just sign the paper to say you are looking. If that fails then they may ask have you tried looking on a website called 'indeed.co.uk.'
Box ticking bureaucracy at its finest.
The entire name is a lie. You would think the Jobcentre would have a load of local connecitons to get people employed but nope. Just sign the paper to say you are looking. If that fails then they may ask have you tried looking on a website called 'indeed.co.uk.'
Box ticking bureaucracy at its finest.
Yeah I think thats the biggest scandal about it.
Exactly, you'd think they'd have more local connections, and proper professional networking (seen as it is a government agency). I literally just had to show I was job hunting, (which I have been), but they didn't even want to see my evidence. I willingly told them, I had screenshots of my email inbox. She didn't even push me to see it.
It isn't like I'm not looking for work, but there is no care in it, no 'how is your day?', 'can I help you in any way?'.
Just, sign this bit of paper, and be on your way.
I have found it varies between different regions though. In my last place of residence, in Greater Manchester, they were more attentive, and had a discussion with me. I really liked that guy a lot - my work-coach, just a genuine person. The last conversation he had he said to me: "Keep positive, [name]". He was just a decent person.
In this job centre in my hometown, there is none of that. It is a small town though. Whereas before it was just outside Manchester.
But you are right, no support beyond:
"Do you know how to search for a job?"
"Do you know how to go on indeed?".
"Can you use LinkedIn?".
Yes, I can do all those things. I'm a millennial, with a tech degree, I'm not daft, and even so I've been doing those things for years.
I was once told by my Mum that she dragged my younger Brother (27) into a job centre, as he became unemployed, and she told him "Your going to find a job!". A security guard piped up: "You don't come here to find a job love...I bet you'd whinge if you didn't get your benefits as well wouldn't you...".
My mum visibly confused and shocked, having never been out of work her entire life (late 50s), she didn't know the system, and had assumed this was the place you came for work.
Sadly it is far from the truth. The genuine people that want work sadly know of this through lack of support, and those that actually cheat the system know so.
Original post by DiddyDecAlt
I went to the Jobcentre about 5 years ago when I was between admin jobs, they offered me unpaid work experience at Poundland
Yes, thats why I try to avoid having too much dialogue or disagreeing. No way I'm working at Poundland for free. No way.
Original post by adam271
The Jobcentre used to be called the Labour exchange.
You would literally go there to find a job.
Sometimes you would wait around until an employer came in stating he needed a few people for a weeks work etc.
It was all very literal back then.
You would literally go there to find a job.
Sometimes you would wait around until an employer came in stating he needed a few people for a weeks work etc.
It was all very literal back then.
Maybe that is what the service needs more of.
I think thats what the National Careers Service needs, as well as careers departments in schools, colleges, and universities. Instead of this arbitrary focus on absolutely pointless box ticking. It seems to be happening everywhere. Nobody is doing the actual work, just ticking boxes.
Original post by adam271
The Jobcentre used to be called the Labour exchange.
You would literally go there to find a job.
Sometimes you would wait around until an employer came in stating he needed a few people for a weeks work etc.
It was all very literal back then.
You would literally go there to find a job.
Sometimes you would wait around until an employer came in stating he needed a few people for a weeks work etc.
It was all very literal back then.
Or maybe not as literal, as it sounds exploitative. I think people should have a choice about the kind of work they do, but, they must be given more pragmatic help.
Original post by Anonymous
Most of my job centre experiences have been pretty impersonal, like they want you out the door the minute you walk in. Walk in, tell them about your job search, sign a piece of paper, walk out.
I've actually found this to be more of a problem, as I don't think everyone who attends a job centre is 'scummy' or idle, or not wanting to work.
I've actually found this to be more of a problem, as I don't think everyone who attends a job centre is 'scummy' or idle, or not wanting to work.
How do you get to sentence 2 from sentence 1?
I think the civil service needs more discussion with people, and compassion.
What do you think?
What do you think?
https://www.civilservicejobs.service.gov.uk
Original post by Anonymous
Or maybe not as literal, as it sounds exploitative. I think people should have a choice about the kind of work they do, but, they must be given more pragmatic help.
Possibly but it was different back then. There was no bureaucracy. You did not go there for benefits you went there to find a job.
Where I am from (London) you see this happening again. Loads of usually eastern europeans forming outside of B&Q or Toolstation seeking work.
Original post by Anonymous
Yes, thats why I try to avoid having too much dialogue or disagreeing. No way I'm working at Poundland for free. No way.
I actually asked if they were joking... they were not
It was at that moment I knew they weren't there to help me find new employment.
IMO Jobcenter+ lost a lot of it's commercial links about 10-12 years ago when they brought in all that hostile environment crap. You ended up with claimants being pushed to apply to 30..40...50....60...80..100 ect... jobs a week and provide evidence of it. So pretty quick claimants start to run out of appropriate local jobs to apply for and end up having to apply for any old stuff, including jobs they have no realistic chance of getting. The result is employers getting swamped with absolute dross time wasting applications, how many lackluster interviews must have ended with "And what attracts you to this role?"...."Nothing, The jobcentre made me apply". Employers will have got sick of that level of quality pretty fast.
Their Universal Jobmatch service didn't help...rapidly became a total mess of spam and fraud due to hands off moderation, one of the final straws was the DWP insisting they had no responsibility for anything that happened on the service, at all...so you have a situation where claimants are contractually obligated to hand over their personal info to known scammers by the DWP...who claim to have no responsibility for the consequences...fail. That didn't do much for employer links anyway. the service was quietly killed after a few years despite being a flagship launch.
10-15 years ago they essentially liked to outsource the jobseeking/skills bit to semi private companies with varying results. But he trouble was most of these places were only viable with extra funding help/grants from government and councils, so in the 10 years of public cuts most of these things have wrapped up one way or another without much to take their place, this is when they tried their phase of 'So how would you like you work for free?' jobseeking, which went down about as well as you'd expect.
Their Universal Jobmatch service didn't help...rapidly became a total mess of spam and fraud due to hands off moderation, one of the final straws was the DWP insisting they had no responsibility for anything that happened on the service, at all...so you have a situation where claimants are contractually obligated to hand over their personal info to known scammers by the DWP...who claim to have no responsibility for the consequences...fail. That didn't do much for employer links anyway. the service was quietly killed after a few years despite being a flagship launch.
10-15 years ago they essentially liked to outsource the jobseeking/skills bit to semi private companies with varying results. But he trouble was most of these places were only viable with extra funding help/grants from government and councils, so in the 10 years of public cuts most of these things have wrapped up one way or another without much to take their place, this is when they tried their phase of 'So how would you like you work for free?' jobseeking, which went down about as well as you'd expect.
A complete waste of time and money, for all involved. Job seekers, employers who have to deal with applicants who don't want it, stupid job coaches who only recommend unpaid work and indeed.
Honestly all the local job centres should be shut down and the staff sacked. The DWP should be centralised, and it should be illegal for a government agency to pass people on to unpaid work experience that's just dishonest getting around minimum wage, harming fair competition and subsidising corporate welfare.
Sack the dwp nurses too. Sick assessment should be made by a qualified GP who can give proper information to the DWP directly.
Honestly all the local job centres should be shut down and the staff sacked. The DWP should be centralised, and it should be illegal for a government agency to pass people on to unpaid work experience that's just dishonest getting around minimum wage, harming fair competition and subsidising corporate welfare.
Sack the dwp nurses too. Sick assessment should be made by a qualified GP who can give proper information to the DWP directly.
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