Jobcentre Plus

Unfortunately I have found myself attending this Job centre regularly recently during this tough job climate. I was less than pleased to have to go here every two weeks as you have that vision in you head that it is going to be hideous. It wasn’t really that bad.
i had an early morning slot, so the room was empty and many names kept getting called out with no response, finally it was my turn. The man who dealt with me was always really pleasant and offering me leaflets on job fayres and the such.
The job centre itself is quite large and now they have these new fangled machines that you can browse and print off the jobs that you are interested in. Nothing like the olden day bits of card on a wall.
It’s not really somewhere you want to go, but you have to, the security guards make you feel safe and I think that is pretty important with some of the characters around these days.

A visit to the job centre doesn’t exactly promise uplifting joy, but it can certainly be made easier. You tend to be greeted at the door by security guards asking why you’re there. Rather than offering up some sarcasm due to the obviousness of the question it is best to simply say ‘looking for work’ in which case they will direct you towards the machines that offer you hope of finding work. For those more familiar with the centre you may be claiming money of some kind, in which case they will direct you elsewhere.
The machines are a great way to concentrate on simply looking for jobs for an extended period of time. I find this to be particularly true as no matter how long I dedicate to job searching at home the internet has far too many distractions for my concentration to be held for too long on filling out application forms. They don’t necessarily offer anything more than the job centre website, but there is a certain satisfaction in leaving with a wad of receipts you’ve printed out of phone numbers and contact details you can get be in touch with over the next few days.

I feel terribly sorry for the people who have to work here. Day after day they’re inundated by people who are angry at being unemployed. Angry or uninspired to help themselves, are the two main customers trends, I would guess.
Last time I was here there was a man effing and blinding away with the best of them and he had to be removed by the security guards. Actually, I think it’s the security guards who were the most pleasant people to me when I briefly visited (just once thankfully). They pointed me in the right direction with a cheery smile. Possibly because they had a job and I didn’t.
Although this pace is difficult to navigate your way through, they do appear to have made some significant changes, such as the computer systems and the help desk upon arrival which make matters run a little bit smoother. It still needs a whole lot of work though.
I’d be surprised if this place ever got a good review though, no matter how much hey pulled up their socks. There is something in the human psyche that wants to avoid this place at all costs, and I can certainly understand that.

I have to admit that if this place doesn’t make you want to get a job nothing will. Its what I can only describe as a massive hole that makes me feel very, very nervous.
Its no longer my local so I will luckily never have to return (please no). Its a such a busy place that you can understand why the staff don’t seem to care very much about you.

This would be a very quick review if I just said the following. Charles street is full of useless jobworths who constantly cocked up my payments leaving without money weeks at a time showing no care in leaving me in such dire problems as not having enough to eat.
I’ve had some laughs here I must admit. One great instance was when a jobworth said he could not speak to the woman on the phone who requested his assistance as health and safety would not allow him to do so. And yes I did spend the next 10 minutes taking the mickey out of him. Seriously though, nothing is connected here and for the 2 – 3 months I was there I only signed on properly once, that was how many problems I had.
Another time saw a woman who was offering me jobs in the North of Wales, wondering why I was saying no to them and then had the cheek to say she was having a bad day in her job. Her job that she was lucky enough to have after a recession and all. I was utterly sickened by this. She also gave me wrong advice on getting a driving license that I was only told upon leaving I was entitled too.
However the woman I did get in the end was incredibly helpful and really did seem to care. She did everything she could for me before I left and really appreciated that there was at least one person that understood what it was like to sit on the other side of that table.