To hate the phrase 'Just get a job at Tesco.'

[LemonSherbetFancies]

Aimed at unemployed people?
As if it's that straightforward and easy to just walk in, ask for a job and start the next day.

I agree! Especially when there are so many people competing for the same role. I was halfway through my degree when I applied for a part time job at Tesco, I got to the interview stage and I didn’t get it.

@wellthatsunusual

I hate this too. Although I do hate the attitude of not applying for something because you think it is beneath you, I also recognise that applying for a job at Tesco is not in any way the same as being successful as applying for a job at Tesco. Tesco are a decent employer, there is a lot of competition to work there.

There is still care work available.....

@MistressoftheDarkSide

A few years ago I failed the beginning of the Primark online application. I have years of retail experience but they'd never know that because of the screening.

Am painfully aware that my only value now, at 52, would be in the care industry, which I have only personal experience of and would not be suited to professionally.

Please God let our council give my shop some sort of assistance as we are non-essential, or I can see the rest of my working life being quite challenging....

Some retailers prefer older workers....B&Q do

It's only ever said by people who've not been unemployed.

@DumpedWife I don't want to derail the thread but you would do well if you applied for high end receptionist jobs. I work for a huge law firm and they and many other firms specifically look for ex cabin crew due to the skillset and ability to deal with awkward clients.

www.cabincrewexit.com/job-opportunities/ex-cabin-crew-jobs-uk/

There is still care work available.....

WitchesGlove you posted this in response to me regarding my comment about how applying for a job at Tesco isn't a guarantee of being successful in your application. But I don't understand what you mean by it? Applying for a job as a carer doesn't mean you'll be successful in that application either.

These sorts of things are usually trotted out by people who have never been out of work.

They are, and people who have been in the same job for a long time and have no idea how difficult it can be to find work. I've worked in admin/customer service for decades, but can't get an interview in a supermarket!

I have applied for a job as a care assistant.
I didn’t get any of those jobs either

I got an interview at Tesco and didn’t progress any further.

@DumpedWife I’m ex cabin crew too. I’ve worked in a building society and now am a school secretary in a Prep school. I was at the BS for three years and at my current job I’m coming up to my fourth year. Handy for school holidays. Neither job is paid minimum wage, but I like my secretary job because of the holidays.

There’s always care work...

While there is a lot of care work it’s not for everyone-I say this as a nurse. I have worked with some absolutely amazing carers who are worth their weight in gold and worth far more than the NMW they get (slightly more in the NHS). I have also worked with carers who are there because it’s a job and they just aren’t the sort of people I would want caring for my family. Care work is delicate and can often be embarrassing for patients it needs people handling it that want to do it and genuinely care-this comes through and I would feel very uncomfortable having personal care from someone who is just doing it for a job. It’s a shame in society we don’t place more value on this and the people that provide it.

@Buttercupcup

There’s always care work...

While there is a lot of care work it’s not for everyone-I say this as a nurse. I have worked with some absolutely amazing carers who are worth their weight in gold and worth far more than the NMW they get (slightly more in the NHS). I have also worked with carers who are there because it’s a job and they just aren’t the sort of people I would want caring for my family. Care work is delicate and can often be embarrassing for patients it needs people handling it that want to do it and genuinely care-this comes through and I would feel very uncomfortable having personal care from someone who is just doing it for a job. It’s a shame in society we don’t place more value on this and the people that provide it.

I agree. In fact it makes me quite angry that it is valued so poorly that some people see it as the last resort of the otherwise unemployable.

When my elderly father was drying, most of his carers were amazing. Lovely lovely caring people. Some of them were arseholes. One reduced him to tears. She didn't know that I was in the house and could hear the way she spoke to him. Several others were similar, totally different behaviour when they knew they were being watched but cruel when they thought there was just them and a vulnerable person and no witnesses.

Care work could do with being a bit harder to get into, not easier.

wellthatsunusual I agree. I would support care workers being on a register like nurses are and able to be struck off if they are abusive etc. At the moment, unless they are and guilty of abuse in court, if they are sacked they can just join another agency or something.
I believe this is the system in the USA and some other places. Making them reach minimal standards of basic training and competence.

I've just realised that I wrote my father was drying, not that he was dying. He was in fact dying. Although ironically the carer who I heard be so awful to him was accusing him, amongst other things, of being too lazy to try to wash himself, so I suppose in a way he was drying too!

@TakeTheCuntOutOfScunthorpe

I think the phrase "just get a job a Tesco" is more aimed at those who are being picky about which roles they apply for. Anyone who is not completely out of touch with reality will know you can't just walk into a supermarket and come out with a job - applications are harder than that.

The phrase more means "apply for a job that anyone can do, but most people don't actually want to do because they feel it is beneath them. You need a job and you can't afford to be picky - apply for everything even if it's just a supermarket job." (Which is a lot more long winded.)

Yes, but it also implies that it's easy to get a job at Tesco for a person who used to have a different career. If Tesco get hundreds of applicants, they'll choose the ones with supermarket experience, won't they? It's not really about being picky. Also, the concept of 'being picky' or a 'job snob' is quite a recent one I think. In some other European countries, jobseekers can't be forced to apply for jobs they're overqualified for, and sometimes there are rules against giving them those jobs anyway.

@wellthatsunusual I’m sorry you had a bad experience it is a privilege to care for people at the end of their lives and should be dealt with as such. There should definitely be more control and accountability but while it is low paid and largely low respected work (‘there is always care work’) there will be little time or money spent on regulating and monitoring it which is a crying shame.

"Care work could do with being a bit harder to get into, not easier."

Well, this would happen if it was better paid.

DD was trying to apply for a weekend job at a supermarket/fast food place etc. So far, nearly everywhere either has no jobs or they’ve turned her down. She’s just waiting to hear back from Asda but the psychological testing thing was so intense!

What is with all this testing though? No disrespect to supermarket staff but I can't see that the standard of staff has improved.

I had a Saturday job at M&S. I literally walked in, asked if they had any jobs, got an application form (one side of A4), submitted it, got an invite to interview, had a chat with the manager and got the job. The staff were bloody awesome back then and there lots of them many of whom had been with the store for years. Now you're bloody lucky if you can spot a member of staff.

Where has it all gone so wrong?!

I’ve worked at McDonald’s before and there was a load of questions with ‘true or false’ options, one was ‘i have never told a lie in my life’ 😂

What is with all this testing though? No disrespect to supermarket staff but I can't see that the standard of staff has improved

This applies to alot of places really. I'm probably covered in my own comment but certainly despite the very long winded and random recruiting processes you don't get the expertise at all any more.

You used to be able to walk into a shop and ask about a product and staff would know all about it and part witg all the info you'd need to know.

Now as you say you cant even fund a staff member most the time. And no one knows the answer to any questions. I dont blame blame staff , but I do question why a recruitment process would include free trials and psychology tests the actual employment lacks enough training to be able to do their jobs as well as they hope they should be able to.

All this e- learning stuff may look the part but it lacks the face to face interaction and discussions that would lead to follow up questions etc

If you are going to place your staff in a position where they will be verbally abused and possibly even threatened or assaulted ( retail is no picnic let's face it.) Then the least u can do is provide in depth training beyond a few FAQ u could find on the website and how to use to use the tills.

[quote Buttercupcup]@wellthatsunusual I’m sorry you had a bad experience it is a privilege to care for people at the end of their lives and should be dealt with as such. There should definitely be more control and accountability but while it is low paid and largely low respected work (‘there is always care work’) there will be little time or money spent on regulating and monitoring it which is a crying shame.[/quote]
Thank you. I do have to stress that the majority of them were wonderful. I'll always remember the two staff who arrived shortly after he died. They burst into tears then hugged us all and told us it had been their pleasure to look after him as he was so gentle and cheerful even when in great pain. Those words meant a lot.

I had an interesting group interview with a bank. There was six of us and we were asked a question. One girl gave an in depth answer. I disagred with here and said the opposite. Between the two of us we had pretty much covered all possibilities so the other four didn't have much to say.
Myself and the girl who spoke up both made it through to the next stage of the interview despite the fact that one of our answers must have been wrong. The people who said very little didn't make it to the next round of interviews.