I am not a Number

After my last visit I was expecting a really hard time today, although I was able to demonstrate just how many efforts I had made.

Instead I was in and out again within 5 minutes. I do wonder if they try to play Good Cop, Bad Cop with People to stir them up, not that I need any stirring.

Tenancy Fraud

I listened to a Webinair today about Tenancy Fraud. This is a much bigger issue than many are aware and something that needs time, money and task forces to reduce. Existing frontline Housing Teams are already pushed to the limit with workload. What is needed here are dedicated staff ring fenced to this and also Tenancy Audit Checking.

I am not just saying this as I am in need of a new job and would love to get my teeth into this area but because there are many out there who are in need of Social Housing yet can’t access it as it is in short supply.

Some of the homes are left empty whilst absentee tenants travel the globe for lengthy periods or establish themselves in new homes elsewhere , others are illegally sub let with the tenant of the flat creaming off a profit on the rent charged to the often unsuspecting sub let tenant.

There also needs to be more support for those who have been taken in by tenants and could not have possibly known they were sub letting from a tenant and not the Landlord. These people are often quite willing to talk.

Glass Houses

There’s an old saying that people in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones. So why then do people they can improve professions such as the Police Service without actually spending anytime experiencing what it’s actually like for front line Officers protecting people.

The Winsor report seems to suggest that Officers need to do more for less, nothing new here as almost every other profession has been through the mill but unlike other professions the Police don’t have the options to openly criticize the recommendations or rank and file to make representations against it.

Isn’t it about time that instead of paying external consultants to take the lead in efficiency and performance improvements that those who are on the front line of services are listened to and given a voice to be part of any such proposals?

Onwards & Upwards

A welcome call from an old friend tonight has got my mind and confidence back on track. There’s an old saying “Don’t let the bastards grind you down”.

I have no intention of letting this happen and will continue to stay positive and crack on with my search for work.

Today’s Visit

I wasn’t looking forward to today’s visit for several reasons and my feelings were proved right. I already knew that I would be questioned on my efforts and had the evidence to support them.

However I was told that I should now be open to taking anything. I am still not happy with this and unwilling to commit career suicide. I was advised to look into obtaining Carers Allowance as I am also a full-time Carer. However on doing this I discovered that the person I care for would most likely lose some of their benefits should we go down that route and no matter how it was worked out will end up worse off.

So , the short answer seems to be that I find something in my field within the next 13 weeks and apply for everything else that I am capable of as if I am still looking after that, with my savings I won’t be able to claim a penny.

I have worked hard for over 20 years to put money away for use in the future. I understand that there have to be levels but why do hard working people who are in this predicament through no fault of their own have to suffer. I can’t even claim Council Tax so am paying that each month too, then there are the bank charges alluded to in an earlier post.

Am I wrong to hold out for something I want to do?  At what point do you stop following your career path and  take something entirely different just to prove you really are willing to work?

Having thought about the six month cut off from contribution based JSA a little further, if you are unable to claim because you have more than the £6000 savings , does this mean you no longer are included in the number of unemployed in the Country?

I have spent the afternoon considering other roles that I could do and have applied for some of them. I wasn’t able to get across the matter of affordability today either , in that if I pursue a low paid position in town I will have season ticket costs of just under £1000 to consider too.

Maybe I am being unduly negative here after a particularly bad day or maybe I really should start minicabbing instead?

 

Feedback

Every Post that I apply for I make sure that my submission is tailored to the role. I also tailor my covering letter as well. The submissions are always acknowledged but lately the acknowledgement also includes words to the effect that if you aren’t successful in being shortlisted don’t expect to hear from us again.

This is really a lazy way out, I understand that Employers are busy and HR Teams have never been busier however what has happened to the politeness of advising candidates why they were not deemed suitable or how the role has now been filled.

I am trying to remain positive and upbeat as I have a structure to my searches, see earlier post, yet some days even this is a tough call although I refuse to give up and become one of the many who are doing as little as possible to gain employment. I am still just as determined to find something that my skill set can be applied to although I have now widened my search areas for roles considerably.

Change

I have managed all of my Teams through periods of Change. I believe it is something that I am good at. I don’t have a “Change” Qualification though that many Employers seem to want as standard.

It’s an area that I would love to do more in as the current routes into Housing Management Manager Roles are somewhat restricted in my experience of searching.

The question is where do I start?

Internal v External

When I was working I wondered why Jobs that were advertised internally also were advertised externally when it was highly likely the internal candidates would be successful.

Now I am no longer an internal candidate I fully understand that it is a method to test the market and see who is out there and what the calibre is against the internal applicants.

Twice now I have been unsuccessful in obtaining employment as the position has been filled internally. It is very frustrating in that even with the experience that I have there isn’t a way in.

I also have been applying for more Facilities Management Jobs as there are more of these around and as I have the experience, although many of these also seem to be Recruiters either looking for applicants or again testing the water as to the level of expertise available.

I knew it was going to be tough, I also knew I had made the best decision in not going off around the world, spending my pay out like many others did. I have now been officially looking for 9 weeks. In that time I have seen very few core jobs that are suitable and that I have the mandatory requirements for and have only been selected for the 2 interviews.

I am still filling my days, spending as little as possible and staying positive. I refuse to get complacent or negative and intend to grow stronger from this process as a lesson of life. Hopefully one day soon someone else will see my potential and give me another chance to prove myself worth to them too.