Interview tomorrow, and other things

Well I'm thinking of going to bed soon as I have a busy day tomorrow.I need to go to my daughter's school to sort out what her English teacher is playing at. As a parent of a teenager in her GCSE year I am more then aware that her aspergers will be pushed to the limit and we will be spending a lot of time managing her stress levels.History teacher reminds them that tomorrow is the deadline for some course work. No worries, she is well organised and predicts she can have it done in two hours. English teacher tells students those over due on one piece of coursework have to hand it in tomorrow, then says anyone who has started on the second assignment has to hand it in tomorrow as well.Okay, experiences with my daughter tells me that she has probably misunderstood something, but rather than stressing her out over it I let her go to her room to get on with it all. Four hours later my wife goes up and she is practically in tears. She has spent four hours on planning her assignment, needs the first one back so that comments can be fed into the current assignment, and she has no time to do a little more research.One highly stressed out, upset teenager who sees things in black and white and unable to step back and see the bigger picture. So time for Daddy's secret destress formula. So 9pm I am cooking beefburgers and buns, grating cheese, getting out bbq sauce, tomato sauce, mayonaise and strawberry jam. Ten minutes later I'm calling her down, she looks at the strawberry jam and laughs. Gets a teaspoon and is eating beefburgers and lump of strawberry out of the jam while dad does his stroppy teenager acting moaning about teachers, schools and unsympathetic fathers.With a promise that I would go into school with her the next day and sort it out she agreed to finish her history work.Kids are just great. Walking around the estate I was taking photos of the many snowman who had suddenly decided to come and visit us. Just standing their eerily staring and watching what we were doing. As I walked along one of the residents was out with her young children and one was throwing snowballs at her. She told her to stop so I could walk by. I duly moaned about parents spoiling all the fun, before stopping in front of the child, bending over and telling her 'I bet you can't even throw straight'. Well no matter how young they are you cannot ditch on kids and expect to get away with it. So she gathered up some snow and threw it at me, and missed. Staying as I was I told her she couldn't throw straight. It was then that she reminded me I was only wearing a jumper, with the zip down, and by bending down I was presenting an object way too big to miss. I've got to say I'm non too pleased with todays parents. I stood up with a snowfull of jumper and mum was laughing :sAnyway back to the blog. Three years of unemployment and I have an interview tomorrow. Only two of us so 50/50 chance of getting it. The post is primarily admin/pa for a manager in a company which works to help people get back to work. Having worked hard for the last three years on the TMO building up a range of new skills I look forward to the potential challenge and in consolidating these skills. It would be nice if I was going to get paid, but no - the opportunity is for more voluntary work, four weeks 9.30 to 5.00pm. But needs must and if it helps to eventually get paid work then it will be worth it. It is just that it gets frustrating at times when you know you are good and can do a job, but most of the opportunities being offered to you are either voluntary or very short term contracts - the last one as pa to a business manager in a primary school.More than one person has asked me why I'm bothering if I'm not getting paid. In truth for several reasons, the main one is dignity. I may not be financially better off, but knowing I am doing something for the money I get out of your taxes and other hard working people helps me to hold my head high. But also over the years it is hard to keep the discipline of getting up each day when there is nothing to fill your time. Nor is it without some trepidation I wonder if I will cope having to formerly work for a full week. I have always known I can get by doing manual labour, something I'm no longer able to do. My work with the TMO, while extensive, is done when I feel like doing it most of the time. Dead lines and such help, but when you can do your work just as well at 9am, 1.30pm or even 2am in the morning it is not the same. The last pa position was only four days a week, and mornings only - so not quite the same.Tackling worklessness is a big political issue at the moment. Trying to encourage people who have been on long term unemployment back to work. I am more fortunate than most, I have been able to keep busy and to develop skills, I have never accepted that I would not work again, but never expected it to be unemployed so long.I suspect like many who have been helped by adult work placements the opportunity to properly test a work environment and type of work I have not really been involved with before I am just grateful there are companies willing to give me the opportunity to test and prove myself. There are risks for all I'm sure, but with experienced workers looking to match suitable candidates with opportunities Sadly not all areas are running such schemes.When Stacey was in primary school she joined one of the tag rugby teams. Watching one of her team matches she ran hard and tried hard. Her skills were poor, and in one move she raised her arms above her head to catch the ball, and in one fluid movement realised the ball was heading towards her and so put her hands on her head and ducked. Even I had to wonder the wisdom of playing her on the team, but as her coach said, she was always on time, and gave 110%, if those with more tallent put in as much effort as she did they would have a winning team. I guess it is because others have had confidence in her, even when she was not as good as other, that she has so much confidence in herself now and has gone on to do things later on to warrant that confidence early on.If you have the opportunity to show confidence in someone who has been unemployed for awhile, even though you may not benefit a great deal from the experience, you may be responsible for returning someones dignity and helping them to one day do much better in life. On the other hand if your in SE London, or know someone who is, and are happy to actually pay for an administrator I know someone you could make very happy ;)

To some extent I can understand their point of view. Much of the work was basic, photocopying, data entry, answering phones etc.

I have turned round the governance of my own organisation and inspect other organisations, I supervise the estate manager and work with him on finding succesful solutions for difficult problems, I have overseen the board going from white mainly leaseholders to a board which represents its community, including over 25% BME members in two years, I took the lead in developing our business plan and even co-hosted a workshop on business planning in my own market. There is a job description which has been built around my skillset for a position to be created through five different TMOs as a community worker. Doing anything from revitalising a board and mentoring new board members, to organising social activities. We were one of the first to get the good governance kitemark, and will be leading the way this year in participatory budgetting outside of local councils.

The simple truth is I know what I am looking for is below my skillset, but outside of opportunities above, which uses a national scheme to take on active residents in housing jobs - sadly this years uptake has been put back to September due to lack of interest nationally, I lack the experience for positions which require far less, and I have only given a small example of what I've done and currently involvled in.

My details have been passed on, and I did get a phone call today to speak to someone else tomorrow about trying to get a work placement more suited to my needs and what I would like to do.

I do understand why they felt as they did, but it still does not stop me being frustrated and a little angry. I refused to go on incapacity benefit because I wasn't ready to take the step of accepting I might not be fit for work again. I want to work, and give 110%. I'm fed up of hearing that voluntary work can help you get back into work, and be in the position where it seems to have made me even more unemployable.

Sorry for the rant. I know it is only a matter of time, and hopefully if nothing else then the above opportunity will materialise. I was bought up to believe that working was not a right or privelage but the responsibility of a man to work. I want to be able to set a good example of work ethics for my daughter, yet have hardly 'worked' in the last three years. I am trying very hard to not look at this latest set back as not even being able to interest empolyees even though I'm offering to work for free. Anyway enough of the self pity, there are plenty of people in a worse position.

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Comments

PRO

Phil Voice February 13, 2009 at 6:57am

George

All the best today and good luck with your interview.

Kind regards

Phil
dgeorgea February 13, 2009 at 2:00pm

Thanks Phil. The person I was supposed to see was not there, but had a chat with a co-worker. I will be called to go back in on Monday.
dgeorgea February 16, 2009 at 3:13pm

Oh well, didn't get the position. It was felt that I was overqualified and would quickly lose interest.
Graeme @ BGS February 16, 2009 at 4:53pm

Unlucky. Can't understand why companies think people are overqualified when they could clearly make full use of all your skills.

Hope something turns up soon for you.
dgeorgea February 16, 2009 at 5:55pm

To some extent I can understand their point of view. Much of the work was basic, photocopying, data entry, answering phones etc.

I have turned round the governance of my own organisation and inspect other organisations, I supervise the estate manager and work with him on finding succesful solutions for difficult problems, I have overseen the board going from white mainly leaseholders to a board which represents its community, including over 25% BME members in two years, I took the lead in developing our business plan and even co-hosted a workshop on business planning in my own market. There is a job description which has been built around my skillset for a position to be created through five different TMOs as a community worker. Doing anything from revitalising a board and mentoring new board members, to organising social activities. We were one of the first to get the good governance kitemark, and will be leading the way this year in participatory budgetting outside of local councils.

The simple truth is I know what I am looking for is below my skillset, but outside of opportunities above, which uses a national scheme to take on active residents in housing jobs - sadly this years uptake has been put back to September due to lack of interest nationally, I lack the experience for positions which require far less, and I have only given a small example of what I've done and currently involvled in.

My details have been passed on, and I did get a phone call today to speak to someone else tomorrow about trying to get a work placement more suited to my needs and what I would like to do.

I do understand why they felt as they did, but it still does not stop me being frustrated and a little angry. I refused to go on incapacity benefit because I wasn't ready to take the step of accepting I might not be fit for work again. I want to work, and give 110%. I'm fed up of hearing that voluntary work can help you get back into work, and be in the position where it seems to have made me even more unemployable.

Sorry for the rant. I know it is only a matter of time, and hopefully if nothing else then the above opportunity will materialise. I was bought up to believe that working was not a right or privelage but the responsibility of a man to work. I want to be able to set a good example of work ethics for my daughter, yet have hardly 'worked' in the last three years. I am trying very hard to not look at this latest set back as not even being able to interest empolyees even though I'm offering to work for free. Anyway enough of the self pity, there are plenty of people in a worse position.
dgeorgea February 19, 2009 at 2:16pm

Quick update, yesterday I got a phone call. A housing association is looking for cover for their tenant participation co-ordinator and I was asked if I would be interested in putting my name forward. The post is not being advertised, well not yet.

The job description and person spec are practically perfect for me, so I am very hopeful. It means that I would get paid for doing exactly what I do for free at the moment.