To think that six months is too long to be waiting for a job to start?

[DeliciousIrony]

I am newly qualified in my field. Recently moved to a new city as my DP got a job here.

I was thrilled to get a job soon after we moved, after several months of unsuccessful hunting - I applied about 7/8 months ago, and had a successful interview nearly 6 months ago. Since then I have been endlessly waiting...waiting to receive an official confirmation letter (a month for one to be emailed), waiting to be called in to fill in paperwork (2 and a half months after interview), waiting for the DBS check to be sent off (3 months after interview), waiting for the DBS check to come back (2 months after being sent off, admittedly not the job's fault).

They are really uncommunicative, I have had to chase up every bit of scant information that I've received. The only explanation I have had for the long wait is that they've recruited a whole batch of recruits across different departments, and wanted to wait until everyone had been appointed before doing all the paperwork.

Despite having my passport and other documents photocopied twice by them (once at my interview, once in December), 6 weeks ago I was asked to send in a scan of part of my passport that they'd forgotten. I did so, and heard nothing else.

Since my DBS has come back, I have had to ask twice when I might hear about a start date. On the second time, I had a response - "HR need copies of the covers of your passport, not the inner pages that you sent before". So why didn't anyone tell me this 6 weeks ago, when I emailed the wrong thing?

I realise I've made mistakes with this - it's my first 'proper' job, so I've been unsure of what normal timelines are. I've perhaps not been as assertive as I could have been when chasing up details, but nobody ever seemed to know the answers or get back to me.
I also completely forgot to ask about start dates at the timeline, which is entirely my fault, but I was given no indication that it would be this long.

I have NO MONEY left, I am relying on my partner and parents to keep my head above water as all of my savings are now gone. I am going stir crazy and can't believe that I've wasted 6 months of my life - if I'd known, I could have found temporary work, done volunteering, something meaningful. As it is, I've been constantly thinking "Oh, it can't be long now, they're desperate for [my job], it would be silly to start something else and have to leave straightaway".

I didn't mind waiting a few weeks to start a new job, I enjoyed the break after working and studying for so long, it gave me time to sort out things for our new flat, and try getting fit, etc. However, now I am going stir crazy and feel so unmotivated to do anything. I don't know many people here, and DP has to work very long hours so I don't even see him much during the week.

I have applied for casual work in the last few months, to keep receiving my JSA, but have had no responses. I feel like this job is treating me badly, but I have no choice but to keep waiting as it will be advantageous in a lot of ways. And I have nothing else to turn to.

I realise this is long and boring, but I don't really have anywhere else to vent. I feel like an idiot for waiting so long, but perhaps this isn't atypical when it comes to Local Authorities?

Wow this is going to be a fun company to work for, cant organise a piss up in a brewery.

Start looking for a new job now, you have the perfect excuse for leaving.

If its nhs then this is depressingly normal. Alternataviely crapita is running the hr?
I have had this issue and it was crapita running the hr for nhs(crapita has now been given the boot due to incompetence in our area). I found that getting in touch with new manaager was helpful in speeding the process up and reassuring to hear the job still existed!

I think they're deliberately stalling. Possibly budget issues in that they've recruited you and can't afford to pay you. If they haven't offered you a start date soon for after 6 April which will be their new financial year then I do'm think they will at all. Sorry.

Start looking for a new job. If this one comes around great but at least you will have something if it doesn't.

I was thinking local authority before I read your last line. Sadly this is typical in my albeit limited experience.
Who have you spoken to in HR ? Given the time span is it possible that the person who was originally dealing with your recruitment has moved on and you've fallen thru the cracks ? Do you have the name of the manager you will be working to ? Might be worth giving them a ring. Avoid email - easier to fob you off. Just ask when you will be given a start date and then ring daily until you get one - push yourself up the pile of things to do.

Agree with Nell nhs is absolutely terrible for this. Average if 6 months

I wondered if it might be waiting for the new financial year, but that seems ridiculous seeing as they advertised this job last July/August?

It's Local Authority rather than NHS but based in a medical setting. Not sure if it's Capita doing the HR.

I will start looking again, I guess!

I'm in the process of starting a job with a LA. I interviewed in November, signed my contract last week, no start date yet. No idea when I might earn any money. You have my sympathy.

Oh well, at least I'm not the only one. Although at least you've signed a contract

It's a zero hours one if it makes you less green

This sounds seriously dodgy. Why go to all the expense of recruiting only to wait so long that there's a good chance the successful candidates will give up and take jobs elsewhere? And the fact that they're doing a lot of new recruiting is ringing some alarm bells.

In my experience this is a dead end

Very typical of Local Authority sadly. You need to contact HR and find out what is holding up your start date.

With me it took 6 months from successful interview to starting job as HR were waiting on a reference. I only found out when I contacted them asking what the hold up was. I then sorted it out with a phone call to my lovely previous boss (forgotten to fill in form as has head like sieve ), and started 3 weeks later. Why HR didn't contact him or me in the first place is beyond my comprehension.

if its for an LA then it will most likely be capita doing the HR, my friend was offered a job in November, she started last week, but that's capita for you!

I've been given a start date today, for the end of this month, hurray. Although it will be in a different setting than originally promised due to bloody restructuring...but suppose I can't complain at this point, can I...

That's great ! Hope it all goes well

Good luck with the job

6 months - that's nothing. I waited 18 months for a start date for the civil service

I work for an LA. I made it clear that I wanted I start ASAP after qualifying and rang the team I was joining several times after my DBS came back in order to ask them for a start date. I did worry that I was being annoying but I only ended up with a 2 week wait. I have been there 9 months now
Glad you finally have a start date. Good luck for your first few days! One thing that i asked about and luckily got in just in time was the pay dates (there was nothing mentioned about this at all) and they got my pay set up to start at the end of the month I started rather than getting paid a month and a chunk of a month at the end of the second month. Hope that makes sense!

Best of luck DeliciousIrony.