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Add page to: Add page to: Let me state that by the time I finally decided I had to get this down, I've been unemployed for just over two weeks. It's the first time in over 10 years that I've had to become an unemployment statistic and I've gotta say, it's not really a lot of fun.
It started off ok... the friendly receptionist, the woman doing the survey of customers in the CentreLink office and the friendly consultant who does the first of three initial interviews. The Job Network people, they were nice too. The secoond interview over the phone, raised a few issues for me but none that pertained to the interviewer - the issues were to do with the system.
Then it happened, interview 3. This is where they start you off on a payment. Hah! Now they're giving you money they no longer bother about putting you in touch with the nice friendly professional staff of interview 1 and 2. Uh uh. They put you in touch with Ms Condescending, yes-of-course-i-think-you're-stupid-and-lazy. And isn't that a lovely experience? No. No it's not. Suddenly you feel totally demoralised.
And all that talk about lion taming. *sigh*. I understood the context but bloody hell, I acknowledge the point and she still continued on with the lion taming job analogy. Did she think I was stupid or something. Probably.
I commented that the experience was quite demoralising and that I didn't understand how the long term employed could last so long in the system... then I realised, the system strips them of all self respect and dignity... so they are left with no choice but to be unemployed.
Labels: Career - Job - Work, Employment, Unemployment
Posted by grudknows : Monday, March 06, 2006
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The funny thing about Centrelink is I don't believe it is actually structured to assist. Around 4-5 years ago, I found myself out of Uni and suffering from the mid-year malaise of the Hospitality Industry. It was getting to the point where my savings were depleting. So, I approached Centrelink to get some assistance while I searched for greener pastures. I jumped through their hoops, signed on dotted lines, attended meetings and councillors, filled out my Job Search Diary with the 8 employers contaceted each week.
I was starting to get a bit depressed living off the two shifts a week I was able to scrounge and all this entertainment I provided the Public Service and I still wasn't getting paid. Because I had a limited employ I was not elligible for 13 weeks. Not knowing how long it would take for me to get back to the full time employment I used to know so well, I continued with them. In the end I got a job and started working 40-60 hours a week when I got the letter saying I was approved and could now submit of form for payment. I filled out their form and handed it in. I was scoffed at by the clerk for wasting his time when he saw that I was decalring my employment on the first form and that my pay was greater than he'd see in a fortnight. I have since refused to even look in their direction prefering to go the temp agency route. Seems to work for me as there is a high desire for male receptionists.
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Chade, Friday, March 10, 2006
The hard thing to comprehend, is that Centrelink - the system - is not designed to find anyone a job. Their whole purpose is to keep YOU LOOKING for a job. That keeps the entire Bureaucracy in work, including the job 'training' industry, the consultants etc etc.
With the full force of the law on their side, they are very sucessful at keeping us occupied, and themselves in paid employ. Remember the show -Yes Minister?
As a person who had been in the workforce for about 30 years to be told by Centrelink and my contracted Job Network Member employment agency that I needed to learn how to right a resume, present for interviews, etc...I felt I was on a bureaucratic merry-go-round. If I could I would like to sue these clowns for wasting my time! The employment agency wasn't much help either...if you refused the job they had found for you (no matter how inappropriate for your qualifications) they told Centrelink and your were breached!
Isn't Centrelink in breach of their charter i.e. to find appropriate employment for the unemployed?
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