Hi there, Dear Readers! Yes, I have a lot on my mind today... Here is my second update of the day... THE DWP/JCP STEPFORD WIFE If you have been following my updates you will know that I have been assigned a new work coach. You will also know that I have assigned male and female work coaches are code names that represent their characters i.e. Tricky Vicky, Aggravating Kevin, Dim Tim, Callous Karen, Keep It Simple Susan and Rock Steady Eddie. Not familiar with those characters? Here are the articles/updates that I have written which tell you about my experiences at JCP Enfield; there is serious study behind the characterizations and they aren't childish as they might appear: The Reasoning Behind the Terminology 01 https://www.change.org/p/theresa-may-mp-cease-welfare-assistance-sanctions/u/18968348 The Reasoning Behind the Terminology 02 https://www.change.org/p/theresa-may-mp-cease-welfare-assistance-sanctions/u/18978254 I am sure you will find them a good read and, who knows, those characterizations may mirror your own experience at your JCP! And we are back! Yes, Thursday 12th & Friday 13th January, my new work coach said some really interesting things... Her behaviour on Friday 13th was really weird... Being Friday the 13th 'n' all, it figures, right? I was telling my new work coach that the consecutive undue sanctions had hit me hard and it has impacted upon my search for work. I have to figure out how to keep the electricity, gas, broadband and phone from being cut off! Her reply was comical, "Well, I have had a car accident, I have to sort out a complimentary car and insurance, all the while I am getting these annoying phone calls asking if I was involved in a car accident and I have to go to work. You still should be doing your work activity every day..." What could I say to that? My new work coach is completely oblivious to the fact that I have to keep my debtors informed of payment delays because I have the most part of half a grand, £500, missing from my finances. So, I had to go home and do some work activity and come in the next day with proof! LMAO! Well, I was grateful that I was given the opportunity to do some more work activity as she was talking "doubts," "concerns," and bloody "sanctions"... I'm thinking to myself, 'For crying out loud! I have to survive on the barest minimum of cash! You are in a paid job! Try sorting out a complimentary car and your insurance without money! What's wrong with you?' FRIDAY 13TH Come Friday the 13th my new work coach started off being her usual pleasant and reasonably jovial self. I showed her that I have applied to over 50 or more jobs and she was happy with that for the most part... Then... "Well, if after a while you don't get phone interviews, get told that you are being considered for positions and face to face interviews then we have to look at the type of work you are applying for..." Duh! I will explain in a bit... She went on... "Some people play the game of applying for work that they stand no chance of getting..." Well, she's had my CV update for a few days and if she could be bothered to look, she'd see that I am verily applying to jobs that are in line with my CV. Yes, some people might play that game (of applying knowingly to jobs that are out of their reach for the purpose of dodging work) but I genuinely do not see the point in playing such games as I would much prefer to be in work. My new work coach continues... "You are well spoken, educated and fit... You should have no problem finding work..." Hmm... Hang on, I will reveal all in a bit... Bear with me some... She continues... "You could get a job doing customer services... Or reception..." Right! Let's stop right there! I am going to tell you why I can apply to over 50 jobs a week - if not more - and not be in work... For the last 15 years my area of work is IT, Graphic & Multimedia Design related. Once you come out of that circle it is quite hard to get back in. It's not an impossibility but it freaking hard work locating an employer who would take you on once you have been out in the field - so to speak. 01. Age is a problem! If employers did not practise age discrimination then there wouldn't be a law against it. The fact is that age discrimination plays a part in 99% of job applications quite simply because the employer can pay younger people a lower wage and therefore it keeps the costs of running the business down. The government is doing absolutely nothing about it. They think that having a written legislation on Age Discrimination as well as other forms of prejudice is enough. It is not. 02. Yes, I get regular phone calls to let me know that I am being considered for a post and that I have had some phone interviews already. When I told this to my former work coach she behaved as though I was making things up. She is the one that made me make an official complaint as my former work coach overstepped the mark with regards to my age. One minute she's talking to me as though I am a child who is prone to telling lies and the next she's suggesting that I am too old to work in IT. She couldn't have it both ways! So, she had to go! Plus, in an unprecedented move, she stopped me from including work on my portfolio to get work as a Graphic & Multimedia Designer. That's like putting me in the ring with Anthony Joshua and both my arms are broken! Well, that's my former work coach for you! Thankfully, I have a number of IT skills such as: Social Media Marketing Digital Content Creator Website Content Manager Video Editor Copywriter I apply to such job ads practically every day! 03. Why on Earth does my new work coach, along with my former, think that I will easily find work in customer service or reception? I think these work coaches believe that employers are expecting young folk to do other things - creative, energetic things! Well, that is not true. Today, if you go anywhere that has a reception desk you will see young people - especially women - in front of house positions. My local gym is a prime example. If any establishment has an older male or female you will find that they are managers or supervisors. So, I am not going to step into the role of a manager on reception any time soon! I also think that these "work coaches" are mistaking customer service for "telesales". I can tell you right now that telesales jobs are far and few between these days. I worked for a number of telesales companies and, first of all, I must apologise for disturbing your morning, afternoon and evening, telesales work is practically dead now! I say, good freaking riddance! If you haven't worked in telesales I can tell you of my experiences... The pay is crap! Even when you get commissions you can be happy if the young management team likes you enough to put your commissions through and not give it to themselves or their friends. I used to joke in minor seriousness when opening up my wage packet, "Where's the freaking razor blade?" I would work from 09:00 to 21:00 for 6 days a week and I had nothing to show for it. Yes, you will find that a telesales company will take on anybody - and I mean anybody - who wants to do that line of work. Young people do telesales in-between studying and mature people do it because they have found themselves needing an extra job in the evening to help make ends meet, they are often elderly and therefore vulnerable and they can also find themselves on the scrapheap of life - especially if they have mental health issues. Oh, yes! Try working with someone who sprays antiseptic solution in the air every 20 minutes! Oh, a lot of housewives do telesales too (presumably to pay for stuff they've taken out in various catalogues)! I have seen young people walk out as they were hopeless in talking to people on the phone - they couldn't deal with the abuse. I have seen adults cry over being paid incorrectly and I have seen people with serious health conditions literally hanging on for dear life: they are sitting at the computer terminal and staring into space. I wonder what they are doing now... Funnily enough, I wanted to move from the telesales division into customer care services... Do you think they'd let me do so? Hell, no! These days, customer care work is farmed out to countries like India and I am not prepared to move that far to find work! DUMBSTRUCK Another thing that my new work coach said that left me dumbstruck is this, "I think you are not getting work because you are too busy with your self-employment work..." Gosh! She's pretty but pretty stupid sometimes! Even though my new work coach is well spoken and quite attractive - come on... I am human after all; I am allowed to appreciate aesthetics! My new work coach does come up with some bizarre stuff! Anyhoo! My new work coach is taking a similar line to Tricky Vicky in that she cannot make the correlation employment and self-employment. It seems that work coaches can only understand and be satisfied if you are only looking for work through an employer only. I think this is very incoherent to put "stupid" mildly. I used to make notes in my Universal Jobmatch account of things I did to help me get work such the possibility of taking over someone's Social Media accounts by handing out business cards to that effect and asking some folk they are in need of small scale web, print or PowerPoint design. I am now told that I can't enter such details in my Universal Jokematch. I can only enter jobs that I have applied to. Great! But the example sheet of what I can put down as work activity isn't that specific! If that is not enough, if I were to earn some money from doing self-employed work - even if it was for one day - I must declare it. Are you getting this? I can't include the efforts that I make to find work for myself as part of my work activity yet I must declare my earnings should I have earned some money from my efforts in finding my own work! Whoever wrote the rules for Universal Credit must be an idiot! Sorry, there's no other word I can use to describe that person! Both my current and former work coaches haven't twigged that the reason why I am looking vehemently into self-employment is because no employer has offered me work! I don't think these work coaches understand just how demoralising it is to apply to over 50 or more jobs each week and not get much in return. One thing is for sure is that they do not understand me at all! I am the kind of man who would sign off welfare assistance tomorrow if I found an idea that I think could give me an income with; but, as with every business startup, it takes a lot of working for next to nothing. I would need some financial assistance and that is the purpose of Universal Credit. I have understood that it is supposed to replace Working Tax Credit for those who want to be self-employed who can prove that they are working towards making a profit. I found such an idea at the end of 2013 and, at the time, I signed off Job Seekers Allowance (at the end of November 2013) - seemingly to the surprise of some. I mean what I say. I could tell you how I was unfairly sanctioned back in 2013; another time! THE NATIONAL CAREERS SERVICE = NCS Another funny thing with my new work coach is that, although I have absolutely no experience in customer service, she has entertained my idea to see if I can create a CV aimed in that direction. So, she's booked me an appointment to see someone in the NCS a couple of floors above or is it one floor? Anyhoo! This should be an eye opener! My new work coach tells me of the Wizard in the NCS, "He'll know the keywords to use on your CV that should get you a job..." This I have got to see! My CV is entirely Graphic & Multimedia Design and Social Media Marketing based; I am curious if he can turn my current CV into one that represents Customer Services. I guess I will be able to take the time spent on this CV as work activity! But, I have to ask the question: If my currently work coach wants me to in customer services so badly then why wasn't it her idea to see if I can get a CV made for that purpose (with the NCS)? Why did it have to come from me? Why does she ignore what I have told her I am going to be? I am going to be a... VEGAN CHEF What is so freaking annoying is that I have told my last and present work coach that I want to change my vocation and be a Vegan Chef/Cook. Yes, back in September of 2016 I made the decision to get fit and to become a Born Again Vegan! I am so, so very glad that I did as I felt that I was knocking on Death's Door! I was badly overweight, my feet felt like they were made from broken cookies (I love using Americanisms) and it hurt to walk... I was a gelatinous mess! After seeing The Light I now want to work in the Vegan Food Industry. I was fortunate enough be employed way back in the beginning of the 90s as a Salad Chef for a, now defunct, restaurant affiliated to Greenpeace. My girlfriend, at the time, was into eating healthy and the ecology and it was she who got me the job. I loved it! At the very least I have one job whereby I can say that I have cooked as a Vegan - even though there wasn't much cooking involved when making salads. Today, I cook Vegan meals. I enjoyed a thoroughly Vegan Winter Holidays, December 2016! Beautiful vegetables and fruit! I even managed to make a Vegan Xmas Pudding! I can cook! My skills may be rustic but I am cogent (most of the time) and I can follow instruction and recipes. I do not see any reason why I won't be in a job as a Vegan Chef by March or April the latest! Oh, I have now obtained my certificate in Food Safety! This means I can, once I have made my presentation, apply for work as a Vegan Chef! Freaking A! A ROUND PEG IN A SQUARE HOLE Without my legal entitlement to welfare, I am unable to create the presentation that I told my current work coach and her line manager about that I know will get me my dream job! I don't understand, for the life of me, why my current work coach is trying to funnel me into an area where I have absolutely no experience in. WHY??? My work coach behaves as though she is running off a program. Her operating system is DWP/JCP 2017. She's trying to put a round peg (that's me) in a square hole and she's having trouble in understanding why it doesn't fit. I have to laugh at her sometimes... I hope that my amusement isn't obvious as I do not want to offend her. She flits between a Keep It Simple Susan to Stephanie Stepford. Towards the end of our meeting, her behaviour was quite odd; it was like a switch went on and she became very robotic. Perhaps it was something to do with the fact that she had assisted me in getting some material that should exonerate me on both sanctions. Maybe she realised that, perhaps, she shouldn't be making things easy for me in refuting those undue sanctions and instead should be concentrating on getting me back to work. Oh, well... Whatever her problem is I am very appreciative that my Keep It Simple Susan come Stephanie Stepford is playing fair - for now! The last thing I need is for her to turn into Dirty Harriet! LMAO! IN CLOSING The consecutive sanctions against me do not make any sense. I am so very tired of talking to brainwashed work coaches who actually believe that they are assisting me in getting back into work. Uh-uh, Babe! It is all me! You, like my former work coach, are just getting in my way. Again, I do appreciate that my new work coach is of a better calibre (than the last) but I need her to clear the runway because I want to take off! I am tired of getting these people to understand that I am capable of helping myself and do not need their kind of help. I ask for something very specific and I get the opposite from them, JCP Enfield. Let 2017 be one of change! I am going to keep fighting the good fight!