Time For A Change

[Kenickie]

What would you be retraining to do, Skips? Would an OU course work/help?

[Hamm]

Oh. I will admit I don't like the short sightedness of it. To effectively keep people at minimum wage for their working lives not only reduces their quality of life now but increases reliance on the state, including health, later and reduces the retraining pool which I do think is very important, particularly in teaching, nursing etc where life experience going in has been proven to be beneficial and reduce turnover. Nobody wins.

I know I'm ranting, none of this helps you. But I do find it absolutely ridiculous.

[Skips]

I've always wanted to get into Teaching or Law. I don't have any kind of degree at the moment so I would be starting from scratch. The OU is something I would consider (especially as they have courses to wean you in if you haven't studied for a while, it's been over 20 years for me!)

[Edith Bacon]

I really rate the OU - the reason I didn’t stick with their course was entirely down to my personal situation and I would go back to study with them in a heartbeat.


Go for the interview, Beena. Given how long it’s been since you last interviewed, the experience will be helpful if nothing else.

[Skips]

I'm going to give them a call, it looks like I would be eligible for a free access course, which would a) determine if I could do it and b) start me off studying again. I could start in October and go from there.

[Lily]

That's awful you're having to turn down a job because of the stupid universal credit system. I'm so sorry. Congratulations on getting offered it though.

This. I have just caught up with the thread, and am so sorry you had to turn the job down, Skips. I love that service station and it sounded likea great place to work. Weekly pay is just :bomb: and it's ridiculous that you're having to turn it down because of your benefit situation. I used to be paid weekly when I first started work and found it impossible to budget or live with.

Did they explain why they do weekly pay? Although I suppose it's a moot point now.

[Chicky]

I would imagine you could claim your interview expenses back Beena? Both the plane and a taxi from the airport (to save J getting you).

[Beena]

I didn't ask, Chicky. It's a temp contract with the council so I don't imagine they'd bother. It gave me the excuse to spend Js birthday with him, so I'm happy.

Interview was yesterday and they've been interviewing again today so I don't expect to hear until tomorrow at the earliest. I'm not holding my breath. I fell ill on Sunday night and haven't managed a full meal since. Not sure if it was a bug or something I ate, but it was all kinds of grim. My poor husband. What a way to spend your birthday :lol:

I don't quite know how I stayed upright for the interview, let alone answered any of the questions, but with hindsight my replies were shocking. It's done and best forgotten.

I'm desperate to hand my notice in though. A shitty email from an office junior this afternoon has tipped me over the edge. He accused me of discrepancies in my timekeeping - for not recording today as annual leave on my personal leave card. Personal as in for my use only, if I want to use it. Not the official record, not my public calendar. He's been into my account and checked my own records. I booked it late, I haven't been into the office since. I will be having words tomorrow.

[mischief]

I would report that as a gdpr infringement just to really frighten them

[Beena]

I didn't get the job.

I think I'd have been less upset if they'd rolled out the standard 'lots of strong candidates, more relevant experience' line, but instead I was told it had been uncomfortably close. Maybe they're blowing hot air up my bum, but I've been asked to apply for any future vacancies (in any of their departments) and basically it came down to the successful candidate being more confident with the competency-based interview process.

I'm gutted really. It's not like I hadn't prepped. J spent his birthday asking me questions so I could practice rolling out answers following their exact format, but the questions on the day came out of left field and I felt so ropey I didn't have it in me to do the mental gymnastics needed to rejig my examples to fit the question, and make sure my answer pressed all their buttons precisely, and stay natural, and not throw up. I missed bits in some of my answers.

Bollocks. Having met the team, I would have genuinely loved the job.

[Pippedydeadeye]

That’s really positive though. They didn’t have to say it was that close.

[Leap]

Yes, I know it’s gutting - one of my friends went through something like 5 or 6 knockbacks in a row for jobs she really, really wanted, most with two stage interview processes only to be told she’d *just* missed out due to one other candidate being very slightly ahead in arbitrary points scoring/a tiny bit more experience/the moon rising in Saturn basically. I’ve never seen someone so worn down because she was giving her all at those interviews and also getting a really good vibe, so she knew it wasn’t just something they were saying.

BUT. You could only do what you did on the day and you can’t change that, and even at a slightly lower ebb you clearly performed incredibly well. It was the tool that let you down, not your knowledge/prep so you should be really proud of yourself. Sorry Will you keep an eye on jobs coming up there?

[Beena]

Your poor friend, Leap. Has she found something now?

I don't really have much choice than to keep an eye out. There's a limited number of potential employers unless I want to change direction entirely. That's an option too, I guess.

I don't know. I can see the feedback was really positive, but I'm struggling to feel it. I'm struggling full stop, to be honest. Work is just eating away at my confidence. It's so toxic. The amount of energy that has to go into pushing back against it is wearing me out. Everything, even the most innocuous comment, feels like a criticism.

I think I should just take a break for a few weeks while Bambs does her exams. She needs me to be her mum for a little while. Get the sale to a certain point, hand my notice in, find somewhere to rent and then worry about finding work.

[Skips]

I had a conversation about another role today, it was all going well, they pay monthly! Except it's not pro-rata over 12 months so some months are 5 week pay months. FFS. I really wish we hadn't made the move away from London.

[Ella]

What is wrong with these people, FFS?

[Annabella]

Skips - as a finance person (which I think you are too) I find that pay structure ridiculous

[Skips]

Yes, I am, albeit the invoicing side. It makes no sense to me, even before i started claiming UC, I liked that I knew how much I had coming in each month.

[Kenickie]

I'm completely staggered that any place would do variable monthly pay for someone working the same hours each month!

[Skips]

I did say i was surprised, and I was told they have a lot of part time workers so you're paid for the hours you work. Why they don't just do weekly pay boggles my mind.

I would like to point out that I'm only getting interviews with less favourable companies (services, call centre) so I don't know if those kind of industries do just pay for what you do. I'm sure something will eventually come up, I just wish I hadn't turned down the other job i was offered, yes it was a paycut, yes it was a longer commute but it was permanent and I took a risk here that backfired, I think.

[Skips]

I have an interview on Saturday for an administration position in a carpet shop on Saturday. Full time, permanent and monthly pay!