Comments on Panorama: Britain on the Sick

[mossgrove]

i'm not questioning the effort put in by NVQ students, i'm saying that since i already have 3 A levels and very nearly a degree (6 months and counting ) its going backwards for me. i'm not about to do my GCSEs again either (got 13 of them already)

 

granted if i had no knowledge/experience of the area i can understand i'd need training but i already have the knowledge and more experience than i want at times! seems strange i'm categorically denied a chance at even an interview for the job because i dont have paper proving what i know. i'm also not keen on spending money on learning something i already know when i've just racked up �20,000 in loans for a degree thats now not worth the paper it'll be written on

 

One thing that applies to anyone in the job market (not just people with AS) is that you sometimes have top go backward to go forwards. When you have been without a job for some time it is especially hard to get a job that does full justice to the qualifications you may have. It is always worth considering jobs that you may not wish to do over the longer term as it is much easier to get a better job when you already have one than it is to get a job when you don't.

 

One other thing top consider is doing an unpaid placement somewhere or seeing if there is any voluntary work you could do. While it is true that you will get no financial reward for your efforts it does help to populate the CV. When I used to be involved in interviewing people the hardest thing of all was finding anything to talk about when someone had little or no work experience and hadn't said anything on their CV about hobbies.Even a small amount of voluntary work enables the interviewer to have something to start a converation about. Remember in many cases the person doing the interview will feel just as awkward as you!

 

Simon

[warrenpenalver]

Shhhhhhh

 

If you share this information with the wrong people, I shall have to kill you

Excellant!! MUWHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!

 

The funny thing is i used to live in a dream world in my head for most of my childhood and I thought i could live that out in the real world when i joined the Navy.

 

 

Simon I can see your point about voluntary work etc once you get to the interview stage. Ive been told in the current economic crisis having voluntary stuff padding your CV wont make any difference until you are past the sifting phase. Ive had to remove most of my professional qualifications from my CV as its just too much apparently.

[pearl]

Warren, are you in contact with the British Legion? There was an item on You & Yours (radio 4) this lunchtime about how they help ex service peeps with grants to set up businesses etc. Might be worth a try. One bloke had gone from being a trained killing machine to selling wool

[warrenpenalver]

Ive not got in contact with any ex-service charitys as I dont feel i deserve thier help. I feel guilty as it is when theres people i served with who dont have legs etc who dont get much more pension than me. I guess i dont yet accept that there is anything wrong with me, and i lack the assertiveness to go to such organisations and ask for help. In that respect im typical male by leaving things until crisis before seeking help.

[pearl]

I got the impression it was more of a service they offered than a charity. The wool selling bloke wasnt disabled or anything I think, just a former serviceman.

 

Btw whats the medal on your avvy?

[chris54]

The British Legion do all sorts of thing for ex service personal and their families. They recently provided my mum with a mobility scooter, she qualified because my dad was in the army in WW2.

Edited November 6, 2008 by chris54

[warrenpenalver]

Btw whats the medal on your avvy?

Its the "General Service Medal" 1962 with the clasp "Air Operations Iraq" which ive earned through operations in the Persian Gulf region on 2 ocasions. (but you only get awarded the medal the once ). They stopped awarding it just prior to the "official" hostilities for the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

[pearl]

Its the "General Service Medal" 1962 with the clasp "Air Operations Iraq" which ive earned through operations in the Persian Gulf region on 2 ocasions. (but you only get awarded the medal the once ). They stopped awarding it just prior to the "official" hostilities for the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

 

 

[warrenpenalver]

Aww thanks! Im embarrased now, I was just doing my job really!

 

Ironically for a sailor i was better at doing soldiering than driving ships and submarines!!!