You've not claimed JSA for a week yet and already you're making excuses for your potential uphill battle of finding and securing a job.

We've all got some social/mental/physical/magical illness but why not resolve it instead of making excuses?

I think that's a little unfair. Social anxiety is not just when speaking to people but can affect you up to it and after it too. I know as I too have social anxiety issues. Just the thought of speaking to people can be debilitating. I have worried days before having to go and speak to someone. And then I can spend days/weeks after still worrying and doubting myself. Panic attacks are not uncommon either. And this is worse when starting something brand new and never experienced.

I had to do a presentation, standing in front of a group of people recently. It was scary as hell and I almost balked at it. But I managed to do it. Still ended up bursting into tears afterwards. Then I did my first ever interview in years and years. It did not turn out good and I spent a few restless uncomfortable nights worrying about it.
Found out today I didn't get the position as I expected. Feedback was I was a nice person but I would probably be too stressed out by the job and interactions of the public. I was disappointed of course but I got the experience and plucked up the nerve.

I'm sure with some time and getting used to the system Owly will calm down a bit and start to get some confidence. The unknown is extra scary for social phobics. Once you are into the swing then you can prepare yourself better. It also helps with nice people backing you up and understanding. I would never have gone through any of the above if someone told me to just get over it.

I was on 3 until a few weeks ago, when they suddenly changed it to 20.

It's only 20 activities and they do not have to be different types. I do far more than the minimum required, it would be hard not to if you're serious about finding a job.

on this form that u are given is it required or told by JC adisor 3 or more activities that you are looking for work are they expecting you to look more rather than online all the time

why is the system so complicated why cant you say you just apply online only

regiatration takes place tommorrow at a hotel in town once i can confirm my details and hand in the forms (hopefully i get the shift i want) then i will get it as most royal mail xmas jobs what i heard anyway most will get it

i have emailed my name to CAB and today i got an application form to volunteer for CAB which i will fill in and get it sent away

So you have a degree in management (managing what?) yet you're planning to go to Japan and teach English, work for Royal Mail and volunteer at the CAB? You're going to be busy, and lets just say the travel bills will be horrendous. I'll bite.

You do realise that with the JET programme there is no guarantee that you will be accepted (assuming you have this vague degree), and unless 日本語が少し話せるからね you're unlikely to get far (forget any hope of getting office work). Teaching English (or any language) to a person who doesn't understand it is also extremely difficult. We can use several words for the same thing, and we can also mean several things with one phrase depending on how it's said (let's take my wife's favourite phrase "That's fine": Me = "All is well." - wife = "you are about to die.").

Japan is also not a place a lot of people can adjust to. One of my mates was a massive fan of Japan, but when he came back from a holiday there he said there was no way he could live there at all. There is a massive cultural difference between Japan and the UK, especially when it comes to work. Japanese bosses can be extremely difficult to please and can be quite team based. It's also not uncommon for a position to be advertised as x hours, and you'll end up working more (and the overtime is unpaid too).

The cost of moving anywhere, even short term, can be horrendous, both financially and emotionally. I was working on a 12 month contract in Amsterdam, and it actually worked out cheaper to stay in nice-ish hotel (although I had agreed a discount as it was long term use) than rent over there. I'd have otherwise had to put down a deposit, get utilities, pay bills twice as my wife (now ex) at the time was looking after the kids so wasn't working. I also spent a lot of time flying to the UK and back of a weekend, although that was because of the kids.

Emotionally it's also difficult because all your friends and family will be at home. A lot of people really underestimate that part. My relationship with my wife really suffered, and was a large contributing factor to us splitting up. Also, when I'd had a really crap day I had no one I could whinge to, or even get a hug off. Yes, I used to ring my wife, but it's not the same as being able to sit on the couch with her and have a rant while I give her a foot massage. I also "lost touch" with quite a few friends because I didn't speak to them that much, apart from the odd e-mail or text message. I also missed certain family events to, purely because I couldn't get home and back in time.

Maybe a few things to think about if you're not a WUM.
Last edited by Iqoniq : 03-10-2013 at 22:55

I meant there's no obligation for him to sign on; not that he wasn't entitled to. But I see things have moved on.

He might have paid taxes if he was working part time whilst doing his degree in Management however, I wouldn't have thought he would have paid enough national insurance to qualify for contribution based JSA. His parents talking about paying their taxes and therefore entitling him to claim is whole different discussion.

It seems you are assuming lots of things here.
You are assuming you will get a job with RM and you are assuming you will get straight into CAB.
You may have to undergo a DBS check which takes weeks to come through.


Do you know how many will be applying for royal a mail? If it was that easy to get a temp Christmas job with them there would be nobody on JSA over Christmas!

Just because you have sent an email to CAB doesn't mean they will be taking on volunteers in your area. Or that you have the skills / experience they will want.
I would keep calling it CAB too if I were you, if you spell it the way you did previously they will laugh you out of Town......and no! you can't blame auto correct.

From what people say on DS I think you will be in for a wake up call when you go to the Jobcentre............of course that's if you're not a WUM.

I got told that if you volunteer for so many hours that the employer could feasibly create a paid position for the same work, then the Jobcentre would need to be informed (presumably because you either: A) could enquire about getting taken on as a paid employee at the place you volunteer or B) you could be spending that time looking for alternative paid work.

Comparatively little time-consuming volunteering is fine though.


I hate having the feeling you cocked up an interview, yet you have to wait what feels like an eternity for the inevitable "on this ocassion, you were unsuccessful...". I can empathise!

expect to be treated in a condescending manner by dwp staff who have no earthy idea of what it's like to stumble on hard times. Some of them defy belief, and will talk to you like a parent talks to a child. Of course you can not reason or argue a point with them as they will deem this as agressive behaviour!

It isn't complicated at all.

You apply online, get given an appointment, the online site also tells you what you need to bring to your appointment. You see a clerk who will photocopy the relevant documents. This bit is just crossing the Ts at their end, you won't need to do or say much, if anything.

You then see an advisor who will go through the processes you agree to in order to find a job. There are some mandatory processes - for example, 20 activities per week* - but you are at liberty to refuse or adjust requirements if they are not suitable. I only have a landline and no spare money for travel, so said no to visiting or phoning potential employers. However, I did agree to visit the job section of potential employer websites regularly - I recommend you sign up to the NHS and Civil Service websites, as you can easily cover 20 activities between these two sites alone.

Keep a record of everything you do. You will be given a paper spread sheet, but I recorded everything into an excel spreadsheet, which allowed me to post a link to the job description of any job I applied for. This is handy if you need a memo prior to interview. It can be hard to keep track of which job is which when you apply for so many. Each fortnight, I printed off the spread sheet (minus the links column) and took it with me to the Job Centre.

NOTE: I was under no obligation to apply for a minimum number of jobs per week. They either got rid of that rule during the time I signed on, or I fall into a demographic to which it doesn't apply.

*20 activities is not hard. Everything you do counts as one activity and often more than one. For example:
1. Visit NHS website and register an account.
2. Look for NHS jobs in your area - 5 suitable.
3-7 click into each job and read description. 3 not suitable (make a note of why on your spread sheet), 2 suitable.
8, 9 Apply for the two roles that were suitable.
10. If any were not suitable because they were outside the reasonable travel area, use online resources to determine this and record as a separate activity.

Any idea if you where on the work program then get yourself a job how long do you stay on their books for as I have heard they keep in contact with you for x amount of time.

I've had to claim it in the past when even part time bits of work was hard to come by. It's an absolutely degrading experience. The first person you will see on entering is a security guard who immediately stares at you like a prisoner. The advisors automatically treat you like a scumbag and are utter jobsworths who won't bend over one bit to help you. You a talked down to and not treated like a human being. Basically your rights to respect have been taken away. They are not interested in finding you the right job or indeed helping you rewrite your CV. I've been on cv writing days and training days etc and half the time even the person taking the course can't even show an interest in trying to genuinely help you. It's all a front to make them appear to be doing something when in reality they couldn't give a toss about you. All they want is to get you off Jobseekers and they don't care where you go or what you do after. Once they sent me for a job interview that on arrival was told had already been filled and I wasn't able to reclaim my travelling expenses due to their own incompetence.

Their job boards are a total waste as they contain all crappy agency jobs which don't actually exist when you come to phone up about them. They expect you to fill in a jobsearch form to say what you've been doing but they don't even check it. You may as well write down 'been to Noddyland'.

Best thing I did when I found out I was entitled to claim tax credits jointly with my partner was to jack in JSA and get them off my back. If you can get a few nights work in a bar or restaurant or even sweeping up or cleaning it's better than JSA.

It was my first one in forever so I'm not quite jaded yet on getting a response. So far in three months I have not had any other interview offers. But this thread reminds me to ask something in the advice forum.

That`s about right. I`ve been told to only use the Jobcentre
computers for Job searches,printing out CVs etc. Fair enough,but I like to use them to print out company details,google maps,application forms etc and this is expressly forbid. I was talked down so much by one guy I expected him to give me a light tap on the wrist as I sat at the computer--checking out a very dubious company I had been sacked from--on a placement set up by--the Jobcentre!
Instead of telling people whose English isn`t perfect to use Google translate (which I think is,yes,forbidden on their computers) or something,they will sit NEXT TO THEM and talk them through things in VERY LOUD VOICE.
Mind you the computers are usually broken down...

BIB, At least prisoners have jobs! Best post.

The Work Programme company receives most of their funding when you get a job, and the longer you keep that job the more they get, so yes they do try and keep track of you when you find a job. It is generally for two years.

But there are ways to stop them if you feel they don't deserve it. If they actually did help you gain employment then it's only fair I guess that they get paid, but if you got the job entirely through your own efforts you can stop them keeping track and being able to claim those payments.

If when you joined, you signed the Data Protection Waiver forms you only need to withdraw consent and don't inform them or the DWP of your new job.

When you have a firm job offer write to the WP company, state that you are withdrawing your consent to share data with third parties as you are allowed to do under the Data Protection Act. Do the same to the Job Centre.

Don't tell the WP company, nor the job centre anything about your job or who it is with. Simply sign off JSA the Friday before you start work, although they will ask you are under no obligation to inform them of any reason for you signing off, nor to tell them who you are working for.

The WP company may try and contact you to find out, just ignore any calls or texts and letters. These may continue for a while though, but you could change your mobile number with a new sim card if that isn't too disruptive.

Don't mean to sound rude, but is the OP related to 'RickyBarby?'

I'm calling them lunchtime on my first day I made the mistake of telling them too early once and the job got put on hold, I literally had to reclaim next day- the system didn't like that!

Hmm

<strokes chin>

Nah, Ricky hasn't got a degree in 'management', has he?

being abroad doesnt bother me as been to malaysia/singapore and thailand and stayed with relatives over the pst summers since 2005 so know a bit of asia
Also i have stayed on my own for a while when i was doing stuff in france
I no stranger to foregin countries thing is i am fed up with the UK and dont like the system and need a change

For missing friends or family well all my firends (mostly girls) and boys have all lost in contact with me and my closed friends are all doctors and becoming a degree in science sports so basically have all forgotten me so not bothered about that
I know or can speak a little japanese as i am pat of my local japanese society at uni

I can adjust to a new country easily and always wanted to move to a new country in aisa so make it japan why not

as for life i have nothing going for me so this move to japan couldnt come at a better time as all i have is parents so wouldnt miss at all just to need to adjust outside of my comfort zone thats all

thanks for that also what i hear job centre staff will treat u like crap and dont do anything but to sign your card

also they hate people who claim JSA and want people to stop claiming and get a job yourself

Meh, just go. You'll enjoy the experience. Their sofas are very comfortable (even if they are covered in suspicious looking stains).