That's what I did when applying for jobs after uni. They'll understand that you haven't yet been in a salaried job.

I was on seekers for a month when focus shut down a couple of years ago, I agree that the online job terminals are a waste of time and energy, have to input your preferred job and what skills you have then will sometime come up with the most random suggestions, kid you not I was suggested to be a wig maker even though I had no experience of any type of manufacturing or even textile work.

Think if I remember correctly I was told to get my allowance which was £100 for the whole month, I had to prove that I had applied for a certain number of jobs, now they never mentions I had to have a cats hope in hell of getting the job just that I had applied so I'm pretty sure some of those who go there apply for what ever comes up even if they can't do that job and if they get a an interview don't plan for it and maybe don't even try to get the job.

The dregs who went into the centre near my house, and they wondered why they couldn't get a job, I think I applied for what ever I could that I had experience in (mainly customer service roles, and labouring jobs) got a reply from one even though I am a uni graduate with a fairly decent degree, had two meetings with my "advisor" who when I arrived late for one meeting (I was at a job interview before and it took me a while to get back) wasn't best pleased I was be leaving job seekers, as I was given that job. Hated having to go there made me feel like I had failed when I took me a while to get a job so I blanket cv'd the retail parks and any shop I could find.

The role of the Jo Centre + has changed over the last 4 years. Their main aim was always to find you a job. Now their aim is to trick people and sanction as many as possible to hit "targets" and manipulate unemployment figures:- www.theguardian.com/politics/201 ... stleblower

The role of the Jo Centre + has changed over the last 4 years. Their main aim was always to find you a job. Now their aim is to trick people and sanction as many as possible to hit "targets" and manipulate unemployment figures:- www.theguardian.com/politics/201 ... stleblower

more utter bollox from RLFans left wing = shock

the sooner people accept that nobody owes anyone anything, you get what you WORK for, the better

That includes the tax cheats who sit on their collective backsides drinking champagne etc. reaping the rewards of hard working people who ACTUALLY CREATE THE WEALTH so it can be stolen by these lazy layabouts who do SFA.
That is who you are talking about.

Rather a strange comment to throw into a thread about someone trying hard to find work and asking for advice on how to go about that aim.

If its anything like the old days, you simply think of a salary that you would like to realistically earn for the job you are applying for, and knock £500-£1000 off it - Put this figure in the box where they are asking your present/last job salary and then if you impress enough in the interview, you will inevitably be offered that original figure you thought of.

Worked for me on several occasions....

I was out of work for 8 months recently and had to do the Jobcentre/directgov shizzle.....someone i know who works for another local Government department told me the reason they dont always put the company name and hours etc is to stop people going directly to that company rather than via the agency who want paying for setting you on.

That's what I'd assumed, it still doesn't encourage people or give them confidence to apply when you don't even know who for or where you'll be working. Especially those who either can't drive or don't own a car.

That, and often the company in question don't actually want candidates coming directly, and prefer to pay agencies to vet candidates before sending them for interview, rather than spending god knows how long sorting out advertising, sifting through CVs, arranging and conducting interviews, etc. You will pretty much always find out the name of the company before going to interview - you have to, otherwise how will you find them?! The same is also generally true when applying via any recruitment agency.

Some recruitment agencies are great at finding high quality candidates while others will send anyone in the hope of gaining commission. Of course it also depends on the role up for grabs.

I had a couple of months doing the jobcentre bit last year when a new job I took fell through (nearly launched the MD through the window before leaving). Found the process a fairly harmless experience. The Directgov universal jobmatch site is actually not bad, seems to act as a 'job supermarket', sourcing from several good commercial sites.

One observation is that they actually did very little for me apart from directing me to universal jobmatch. That could be because I've got a strong CV and was already attending 2nd/3rd stage interviews for several vacancies, but 30 seconds a fortnight to sign on was all it came down to. They were efficient and friendly enough.

I had to do this as part of an Assessment Day with the law firm I'm working at now.

The job centre are useless. I had to sign on for a few months when I was made redundant from my last job and my 'advisor' (who never actually advised me on anything) was one of the most useless people I've come across. A lot of the people sat on the other side of the desk from him on a daily basis would probably have done a better job than he did.

One time when I told him about an interview I had lined up, in his usual professional manner, he said 'They don't give a monkey's what job you get, they just want you off benefits'. Another time I arrived early for my usual 2-weekly meeting and got a call outside the door, offering me an interview. I walked in 3 minutes late and had to show my call history and a confirmation email I'd received as proof, otherwise I probably would have been sanctioned.