To think that nobody goes to the job centre to get a job?

[Whyhaveidonethis]

Do they? Surely they should change the name back to the benefits service. The last place anyone who actually wanted a decent job would go to find one is the bloody job centre? I mean they can call it what they want, but I don't know a single person who has ended up finding a job in the jobcentre, feels a bit like false advertising, only people I've met that go there go for benefits!!

Or AIBU and everyone who goes there gets a job?

[fiveleftfeet]

25 years ago I got my first pub job from the job centre. My new boss gave me the choice of whether she should tell the job centre I got the job (and then sign off) or just not tell them.

I thought that was impressively cheeky of her!

[Thymejuice]

I don't know what jobs are advertised at jobcentres nowadays but I think the old system with separate dss offices was much better. Not everyone claiming benefits is jobseeking and likewise not everyone looking for a job is claiming benefits.

I remember years ago when I was turning 16. The school took our year group to the jobcentre. It was part of showing us our options for the future. You found a job you liked the look of, took the card to the desk, and they rang up and arranged an interview on the spot!

[OneHanded]

No you’re right. I have a job, but ssp is exhausted so have to get universal credit there and hate the feeling.

[Mintjulia]

YAnbu. I was out of work for 9 months after having ds in 2009.
The girl at the Leamington Spa job centre just made a list of the interviews I’d been to in the previous two weeks and told me I was the only one bothering

She was very young,

[TiggerOfThigh]

One handed, I’m having to go because I’m only getting SSP. I understand your pain!!

[MarchionessOfCholmondeley]

Earlier this evening I was reliving in my mind the horror of having to go to a job centre in north london to sign on many years ago.

There was a Muslim women in tears in front of me being told she had to apply for a job in a meat factory handling pork products.

I was stunned when I was told they would only ask me to sign on once a month, rather than the standard fortnight as they were short staffed! They weren't happy when I pointed out they had a room full of potential new recruits all desperate for a job. I could have done that job with at least some degree of sensitivity to the clients.

So no, on the one occasion I needed it, the job centre was not a great place to look for work.

This was 5 years into the Blait administration, so I dread to think what it could be like now

[HelenaDove]

That would be the New Deal years.

[PerspicaciaTick]

Having volunteered with people looking for work, it seems that you look on the internet for jobs in your own time (or with the help of voluntary organisations) and you just go to the job centre so they can check up on you and issue sanctions.

[RebootYourEngine]

Completely agree. You go there to sign on. There is no help available for those looking for a job. It definitely needs a change of name.

[isabellerossignol]

It is, thankfully, many years since I ever was forced to attend the job centre (late 90s). But I was desperate for work and I remember taking my cards over to the lady and her starting to look stuff up on the computer when her phone rang. She answered it and it was obviously an employer asking for advice. He had a job, had someone he wanted to employ but he wanted to keep himself right with the law. She explained that of course he was obliged to advertise the job but that was OK because placing an ad in the job centre counted as advertising and it was free. She then told him that most of the jobs they advertise don't really exist as they are already filled and it was just to keep everything right and not to worry about it, they could send a few people for interview and he could just reject them. She said all this in front of me, then wondered why I was sitting crying by the time she finished her phone call.

They were utterly heartless in that place.

[Eledamorena]

YANBU. I've signed on twice in my life - once in 2008 and once in 2017. Both experiences were miserable. The first time I was willing to do anything but the job centre looked at my CV, told me I was overqualified for everything (even 2 week temp jobs, where there was no risk of me leaving them in the lurch as it was a fixed term). They said I had to 'prove' I had searched for a job but this could mean just saying I'd looked online. The people who dealt with me were ok but not exactly supportive. I spent 8 hours a day searching and applying for jobs. They said I didn't need to do that. I eventually got a job through a friend freelancing and that became a career through another friend. The job centre would have happily continued to just pay me my measley pennies (I was 24 so the amount was less than if I'd been 4 months older, despite my circumstances being the same!!)

The last time I had one child and was expecting a second, had been pushed out of my job due to pregnancy and had moved back to my hometown. They told me there was no point me getting a job as I'm married, so my husband could claim on my behalf but nothing would go directly to me. I don't remember the ins and outs but I remember sitting on the steps of the job centre crying!

They did have machines in the centres that you could search for jobs on but nobody used them and they weren't as good as any old job seeking website, so what was the point???

[WaterSheep]

I completely agree. It's been a few years since I was unlucky enough to have to sign on, but they were much more interested in trying to force me on pointless courses than helping me to find a job.

A PP mentioned being under staffed, and I experienced this as well. I sat listening to them moan about how they had a million and one jobs to get done, and why couldn't people just look for a job online rather than bothering them.

I know not all of their staff are heartless and rude, but there's definitely a superiority culture. Almost as though they see those without jobs as beneath them.

[Grasspigeons]

I got my first job in the job centre. Then 15 years later went back and they were less helpful and less jobs advertised and i found my job elsewhere.

[Troels]

I got a job through the walk in job centre that used to be near us 27 years ago . Back when it was all boards with jobs on cards posted everywhere. Find the board with your area of expertise and have look. Take the card to the desk, they then looked it up, called the company and got you set up for an interview. It worked fine, not sure why they needed to cock it all up. Many low income and new to the area haven't got internet set up, or need to take kids everywhere with them and can't go to the library to use the internet if there is one nowdays
Signing on was in another part of the building through a different entrance all together.

[isseywithcats]

seven years ago i was in the position of having to go to the job centre to look for work and funnily enough i got a really good advisor who got me an interview for the job i got and still have, but ive been told that our local one does not still have the monitors where you could check out available jobs, you have to go online to do this, so i presume our local one is just for signing on for benefits, and have heard from people i know that they will sanction for the slightest reason so no nowadays they are not there to help you get a job they are there to manipulate the figures for government because if your sanctioned you come off the numbers of unemployed

[Duchessgummybuns]

I went to the job centre because I was going mad as a full time mum and hoped they could give me advice, point me in a direction with regards to getting back into the workplace after a career break...

No. The woman looked at me like I had two heads, and said they could help me with benefits if that’s what I needed but couldn’t help me find a job.

[MissCharleyP]

A couple of people I know got jobs through them; one lady stayed in her job for around 15 years. A man I know attended a ‘recruitment event’, where large-ish local employers (usually supermarkets) would attend and speak to people and potentially offer them jobs. Not sure if they still do this?

They don’t seem to do a lot of what they used to do and generally speaking aren’t geared up to assist people with qualifications higher than GCSEs. Some of my friends signed on when they originally graduated and were asked why as they had a degree; they (the JC) just seemed to think it meant that you walked into a professional job the minute you left uni.

I dread to think what they are like now; there are barely any jobs round here anyway, apart from low-paid, no progression roles. I thank my lucky stars that I won’t have to use them again (husband could support me if needed).

[Camomila]

I don't know about career jobs, but when I finished 6th form our tutor advised us all to go to the job centre to get summer/gap year jobs. I think everyone got one within a matter of weeks. (over a decade ago!)

[RushianDisney]

When I first had to sign on for jobseekers the very helpful lady handling my claim told me that I couldn't do any of the jobs they had, not childcare where I had years of experience or even cleaning work . She also told me my A levels were 'useless' and that I didn't have enough GCSEs (I have 9) despite them all being A* and A grades. When I was on UC they also told me that I didn't 'need' to work as I had DD and they couldn't suggest anything for me other than to keep coming to pointless 'work review' meetings. I honestly think they are designed to demoralise poor people even further.

[MissTicPizza]

Twenty odd years ago I used to manage recruitment for a retailer that was going through a rapid expansion plan. We used to work closely with the job centres in the towns we were opening in. They would promote our adverts, talk to job seekers about us and book people in for interviews. We then held the interviews at the job centre. It has to be said they did put forward some totally unsuitable candidates but we also got some fabulous staff by going down this route. I've no idea whether this is something they do now. I think most people look for jobs online now.

[MummytoCSJH]

I had my son at 16 whilst doing my gcses and went on to do a-levels. At 18 once I'd finished at sixth form, I was told by a member of staff (appointments were running behind and we were just chatting, they didn't know much about my situation, just that I was a young mum) that I'd be better off just claiming income support till my baby was 5 and told not to bother actively looking for work as it could affect whether I was priority for a council house. I was there because I'd secured an apprenticeship and was coming off income support, they wanted proof of it all for working tax credits and childcare costs etc. I couldn't believe that a work coach would actually say 'don't bother' to someone who wanted to better themselves!

[EEmother]

We are advertising some of open positions (upper professional rungs, STEM related) through the jobcentre to meet the market labour test before we are allowed to apply for a visa to bring an overseas candidate in. It is a travesty, to be honest.

[Urskeks]

I went to the Bracknell JC+ a year ago to see the disabilities advisor because I'm desperate to work but have so many barriers and have hated having to live off benefits which don't afford you much.

They did nothing for me at all, I went away and cried at home and I'm still in the same position except now having moved in with my partner, I'm not on benefits so I really don't have anything now and can't afford a damned thing.

[GrimalkinsCrone]

Job centres are a waste of space and exist to make claimants and seekers feel as worthless, lazy and insecure as possible.
I’d be happy to see them replaced by automated services. Retina/fingerprint scan, input jobs applied for, push whatever buttons required and leave without having to speak to any of the unpleasant staff.

[Disquieted1]

A good news story about job centres.
A few years ago I had an interview for a job at a company's head office on the other side of the country but I couldn't afford the train fare to get there. I went to the job centre and showed them the interview letter and they couldn't have been more helpful. They found out the price of a ticket and made an immediate transfer of money to cover the cost of the fare. I bought the ticket, attended the interview, got the job and signed off.
Win-win for me and the taxpayer.