to expect people NOT to be blantantly rude to me when I am offering myself as a volunteer for them?

[hereidrawtheline]

This is my first foray into AIBU as I cant stand a flaming! But I am really wanting to ask this question.

I am applying at all the vets I can commute to as a student nurse as I want to train to become a qualified veterinary nurse. Its really hard to get a job as a student nurse at the moment so I have (to date) had 7 very kind letters saying "no positions available but will keep your letter on file and best of luck etc"

I am joining the BVNA to help in my search, at a cost of £35 which I am more than happy to do - I am just saying this to point out I am just trying everything I can think of to get into this career.

Anyway I got the idea to phone the people who sent me these nice letters and say in a totally friendly no-pressure way that I appreciate they havent got any staff vacancies, but could they do with using me as a volunteer? This is just so I can get experience "working" in a surgery and have something to put on my CV and start to make contacts in the animal world. And in return I am happy to clean out shit, feed, walk, mop, sweep, file, you name it I will do it if it is at a vets!

So much to my surprise 3 people I have phoned today have been blatantly rude - one even almost hanging up on me, talking over me saying "no thank you we arent interested" when I had only got to the point of saying "I am just phoning regarding a letter she sent me" (from asking for this person from the receptionist) All I had done was ask for the Head Nurse by name and give my name when asked who was calling. What the fuck? And by the way I dont bloody sound like I am coming from a calling centre!

The other 2 people were just very very rude and saying "no we HAVENT any jobs available at the moment" totally not listening that I wasnt asking for a job I was asking to mop their floors for nothing. I would never be so rude as to phone a job up and pester them if they had sent me a letter saying there were no vacancies!! When I clarified saying (again) I wasnt after a job but wanted to volunteer they just sounded angry still and said "well no we dont need you" and then instantly got off the phone.

Now before you go thinking its all me and I smell or something, I am a perfectly normal friendly person who gets on with almost everyone! I really just dont get it.

Saying no to a volunteer is fine! but surely you can do it nicely and not shout someone down before they have even finished speaking? It isnt as if I expect gratitude I bloody dont but common courtesy, yes I must admit I did expect that.

YANBU, and I challenge anyone else to disagree.

How shitty for you (I am a volunteer and the charity I work for is LOVELY to me).

Good luck!

Perhaps you should have written to them, like you did when you asked for a student job?

Then they would have had all the facts, and could have sent you a polite response.

It probably isn't really the 'done thing' to phone people up to ask for work, paid or unpaid.

YANBU - no rudeness required.

BUT receptionists are usually very busy and under pressure to keep the phone lines.

although they wouldn't have to pay you, taking on a volunteer (if you are not set up to do it) is hard work

Someone would have to take time to show you what to do etc, they would always be having to find things to give you to do.

I think if you had already had a reply saying no, they wouldn't be expecting you to phone. Might have been an idea to say in your original letter that you would also be interested in doing voluntary work.

Why don't you try a pet charity or dog home?

keep the phone lines clear

really MorrisZapp? you dont think it would be appreciated that someone phoned you up and said "hey I appreciate you havent got a job could you do with a free dogsbody?" (worded better than that!)

I would have thought after an exchange of letters a quick phone call was appropriate.

Either way there are ways of saying no and then there are rude ways of saying no?? Surely not sending a letter offering myself as a volunteer is not grounds to be so rude? A phone call isnt so offensive really is it?

yeah I know... I mean I was a receptionist for years. But it still seems normal to me. Anyway when I sent out the letters I hadnt thought of the option to volunteer yet so that is why I didnt include it in the letters.

I am trying RSPCA and shelters & homes too

YANBU in any way, shape or form. You have just been unfortunate to have come in to contact with such rude people.

Outrageous. I would try and speak to the vet as it is their practice.

What about a vet school, if there's one nearby?

hereIdrawtheline I used to be a receptionist too, and was never rude (to people who didn't deserve it ).

If you phone up, you will get the receptionist, who is unlikely to know what the position is with hiring a volunteer.

He or she will have to ask somebody more senior, who will most likely be with a client/ patient (whatever you call a sick animal at the vets).

I don't think you have made some terrible faux paw (sorry ), and I agree it wasn't nice to cut you off as you were speaking.

But I wouldn't apply for any job with a speculative phone call. I'd do it by letter or indeed email or similar.

I used to volunteer at a gallery (public, very well known) in London and on more than one occasion was treated appallingly badly. Spoken to as if I was idiot when the instruction left a lot to be desired. I was committed and reliable and wasn't even being reimbursed for travel costs.

I can only assume that as something isn't paid for it isn't valued as much. There is also a kind of negativity towards students etc which might have some bearing. Could also be that the art world is a lot like that in some quarters.

Having said that I have had some lovely experiences too and have my career to show for it. Perhaps write a letter instead of phone as then at least you will shield yourself from this kind of thing.

Sorry to hear that you were treated that way! My DF and DB are both vets, and they usually jump at the chance of enthusiastic volunteers. There really is no excuse for rudeness, so I'm sorry that you've been on the receiving end of that, and wish you all the best in finding some work.

YANBU we love volunteers at the practice I work at

Thanks. I should say as well I spoke to a lady who works for the BVNA (British Veterinary Nursing Assoc) yesterday and she thought it was a great idea. And she is a Qualified Nurse who has worked in surgeries and now works for BVNA. She didnt say anything about doing it in writing either.

I am still trying at charities/rescues etc! Going to make a round of (ahem) phone calls I think after playing with DS for a while.

I'm always getting asked if we need volunteers where I work. I always fob them off as they do little of use and get in the way. There also isn't enough work for them to do so it is a real pain trying to occupy them. Having said that I don't know what it is like at a vet's surgery, I work in a gallery.

I'm not rude, I just say no. But I would be annoyed at someone coming back to me after I'd already said we've got no vacancies.

Have you thought of the fact that by offering to dogsbody for free, you may be undermining the job of someone who is getting paid there to dogsbody?

its a pretty good/well known way of getting experience in the field. And most people I think appreciate it.

It's a fair point though. Offering services for free does rather undermine paid staff.

I hadn't thought of that aspect. Hmmm.

Wizzka I don't know about galleries, but in the charity field, I give as much as I get out of the experience, and I save the charity the money it would have to spend on employing temps.

while I understand the point you are driving at Wizzka I think it is in this case overly cynical and not applicable either. There are a lot of volunteers needed in the animal care world. And they are much appreciated. Remember they cant necessarily afford to pay all the staff they would like, especially in this climate.

I must admit, my first reaction on reading the OP was that the paid staff must feel their jobs were under threat. They are probably on minimum wage anyway and someone coming along offering to take even that away and do it for nothing would seriously piss them off I would imagine.

hmm... well there you go. you cant please all the people all the time I guess.

The thing I think you arent understanding is that a lot of these places are not able to pay staff they badly need. Hence volunteering.

Anyway at the moment I am going through the RSPCA route. But I should say again the BVNA think this idea is a good one, and so I doubt it bothers them at all.

The galleries I have worked in have all been non-profit (I now work in a museum) and there is always plenty to do.

In the Heritage sector it is a tried and tested path into the profession. The best placement I had was for one day a week for a year. The woman I worked for set out the boundaries at the beginning. The task she wanted me to do, that she expected me to treat it as a paid job etc and I was willing to take it on as it provided great experience. She more than upheld her part of the bargain by trying to involve me in other events going on.

I would love to take on some volunteers where I currently work as there is enough work to go round but I am put off by the amount of hoops HR make us jump through. I would not see it as undermining a paid post as we would never get approval to employ the number of people we actually need (budget doesn't allow) and so we are snowed under. Plus I would love to give someone else an opportunity in the same way I was given an opportunity.

I did have to be very persistent and as I said above had some awful experiences too but it is worth persevering - good luck!

Thanks fizzpops