I am attending a meeting on Friday about possibly joining a "Job Club"

[Mr Allen]

Topic.

I'm not that fussed about doing it but I've been sent from the Job Centre so I'm kind of obliged to go, thing is I've kind of done the whole "Job Club" thing before when I was in my late teens/early 20s and it never lead to anything meaningful work wise so I'm loath to try again now that I'm in my 40s.

Oh well, I'll see what they say and make an informed decision.

Anyone else in a similar position as an unemployed Aspie?

 

[Southern Discomfort]

What I did about a year ago might have been a bit similar. It wasn't through the job centre though, I forget who organised it. But it covered a range of things for jobs, interviews, disability discrimination, health and safety - which was treated as a big joke, as it does. It was a positive experience. I've yet to use any of it in practice since I still can't work. It did get me thinking about what I would do in terms of disclosing my mental health and disabilities. If I decided to disclose I would definitely now write a page long description on them and put a positive spin on it.

I still have some paper work on it which I would have a look at it again but I can't say I remember a lot of it now.

Not sure if that's even vaguely similar to a 'job club'.

 

[Mr Allen]

What I did about a year ago might have been a bit similar. It wasn't through the job centre though, I forget who organised it. But it covered a range of things for jobs, interviews, disability discrimination, health and safety - which was treated as a big joke, as it does. It was a positive experience. I've yet to use any of it in practice since I still can't work. It did get me thinking about what I would do in terms of disclosing my mental health and disabilities. If I decided to disclose I would definitely now write a page long description on them and put a positive spin on it.

I still have some paper work on it which I would have a look at it again but I can't say I remember a lot of it now.

Not sure if that's even vaguely similar to a 'job club'.

I think that's kind of the thing they're doing on Friday, CVs and that.

As for disability discrimination, that's a BIG part of the reason I can't get a job IMO, it's supposed to be illegal to openly discriminate, but I've been saying for years that current anti-discrimination laws are a joke cos the government doesn't enforce them and probably never will.

 

[Southern Discomfort]

government doesn't enforce them and probably never will.

Well I don't think they really can. An employer could easily say they're dismissing you as a potential employee for a completely different reason to avoid discrimination. Unless they openly say, "We're not hiring you because of your disability" on paper or you catch them with a Dictaphone hidden in your pocket of something, there's not a lot of ground you have to stand on. It's difficult. But we all know that disclosing a disability is in quite a few cases is the reason why people don't get the job in question.

 

[xudo]

An employer could easily say they're dismissing you as a potential employee for a completely different reason to avoid discrimination

This has happened to my husband because of his eyesight. Thankfully Sainsbury's didn't see it as a problem.

 

[nagibator]

Okay, so what exactly is the problem here?
You want a job but can't get it or you are forced to get a job but don't want to or you have given up on getting a job, because you think you are going to be disqualified anyway?

If it is the latter then maybe find out what you are good at (probably finding patterns) and then work somewhere in quality control.

FYI, that's where I happen to work at.

 

[Mr Allen]

Okay, so what exactly is the problem here?
You want a job but can't get it or you are forced to get a job but don't want to or you have given up on getting a job, because you think you are going to be disqualified anyway?

If it is the latter then maybe find out what you are good at (probably finding patterns) and then work somewhere in quality control.

FYI, that's where I happen to work at.

The meeting was today, I just got back from it.

They basically said it's a 12 week course 2 days per week doing stuff like updating my CV, job searches, interview technique, telephone manner, mock interviews, that sort of thing.

All with a view to eventually getting into part time paid work.

You see contrary to the rantings of the Daily Fail readers on Sheffield Forum and some people on Facebook, I actually WANT to work, but the system won't let me beyond all the voluntary work I've done over the last nearly 25 years.

 

[nagibator]

The meeting was today, I just got back from it.

They basically said it's a 12 week course 2 days per week doing stuff like updating my CV, job searches, interview technique, telephone manner, mock interviews, that sort of thing.

All with a view to eventually getting into part time paid work.

You see contrary to the rantings of the Daily Fail readers on Sheffield Forum and some people on Facebook, I actually WANT to work, but the system won't let me beyond all the voluntary work I've done over the last nearly 25 years.

To me that sounds a lot like you want to be like everybody else. I'd say voluntary work is the best work on the planet, because you actually volunteered to do it.

If you are good at what you are doing getting more jobs should not be an issue. I guess the issue for you is with the being paid for your work directly instead of indirectly by the state.