Monday 2 November 2009

One of Millions

Well, I have now applied for over 50 jobs and had a massive 3 interviews. Wa hoo! The first was for the wrong job (they got my CV mixed up in the wrong pile), the second was a waste of time as they had basically given the job to someone who already did it (even though it said they were not bothered about experience), and the third job, for which I got a second interview, changed job role half way through so I was no longer 'qualified'.
I do appreciate that the previous paragraph shows that I don't deserve a job due to my lack of literary ability, but I blame it on frustration and annoyance! It's ok to have an excuse, as long as it is well thought out! I think that I am maybe just a little annoyed at checking 5 websites a day and hunting through hundreds of jobs on each just to see the same jobs re-advertised day after day. I wonder if I am trapped in a bubble with a groundhog due to the repetitiveness of my days. It also doesn't help that half of the jobs are cleverly crafted cons, that some poor unsuspecting joyless jobseeker will end up sacrificing their redundancy insurance for; what is the world coming to?!
Oh well, I suppose I could take a career change as I appear to be too over/under experienced for another job as Customer Service Manager, or any other manager at that. However, I appear to have a degree that qualifies me to do naff all, and experience that is most definitely limited to the running of a Customer Service Department at Barratt Homes. Maybe if I could afford to give up paying the bills I could train to be a hairdresser (as 'helpfully' suggested by the mother-in-law), or maybe even start at the bottom of the ladder in retail as a bag packer (as 'helpfully' suggested by the mother-in-law). Though I have been reassured by my boyfriend that I shouldn't worry too much at the moment, and I can start "properly" looking for a job after Christmas. Is it any wonder that I am turning into a self-doubting depressive who was very tempted to apply to MacDonalds until I realised I wasn't qualified?
Look, I need to chill out, I am sure that by this time next week I will have applied for another ten jobs and might even be lucky enough to receive one rejection letter kindly informing me that I 'do not meet the criteria'. I wonder if there are any jobs out there that I meet the criteria for?!

Monday 19 October 2009

All quiet on the Misty front

Well, I have had a few days away from my blog and not much has happened to me personally worth much comment.

On the plus side I have finally, after 48 job applications, been asked for an interview! On the negative side the company sounds a bit dodgy and is probably some kind of tax con. Its not that I am being pessimistic, but there are so many so-called wonderful opportunities, and it appears that most of them are not quite what they seem. When looking at the current job market there are so many adverts for positions that, quite cleverly, offer a reasonable salary with good chances of promotion. That obviously sounds wonderful until you google the companies to find that the 'Marketing Executives' are actually bussed to housing estates in Stoke to sell cutlery sets door-to-door. What is even worse about this is that this (yes worse than going to Stoke) is they make the 'employee' pay for their own return bus fair otherwise they are stuck. I think it is an absolute disgrace that businesses are allowed to run like this, and take advantage of the millions of depressed and dejected unemployed.

Many of these people, like myself, had decent jobs before the market crashed, and now we are left to rot in the black hole of unemployment, with no one to help us but ourselves. It obviously doesn't help that the Job Centre system is not equipped to deal with people who have had a job, and only offer help to those who need basic skills. I hope I don't sound harsh as those people who slipped through the education system desperately deserve help from somebody, but the Job Centre needs to expand its view on what the landscape of unemployment is currently like. Lets be honest about this, asking your next door neighbour if they know of any jobs going is fine if you have just left school, but for those poor men and women who have studied for years to become accountants/engineers/architects its not exactly practical.

I suppose at this point of the rant I should go on to berate the government, but that isn't going to happen. I don't think placing blame is of any use, but maybe we ought to preach a little understanding:
1. Being unemployed is not a lifestyle choice for most people,
2. It is not helpful to suggest that a qualified, educated, person take on a job sweeping hair off the floor of a Salon within a few months of redundancy,
3. It should not be allowed that unknowing people are taking jobs that don't actually exist from vampiric people who like to make the best out of other peoples misfortune.

Anyway, enough of yet another depressing and moaning blog from me, I'm off to find job application 49!

Tuesday 13 October 2009

Couch Worm

After yesterdays melancholy I feel that a bit of a list session is in order. I'm more of a book worm than a couch potato, but I still watch TV, and thinking about it I actually watch quite a lot...probably something to do with not going to work! Please be assured I generally only watch in the day when I'm having my lunch or tea, and strangely spend my evenings in the bath reading a book!

Current 'TV Choice'
X Factor - sad I know, but I like to sing along to the music and give my own opinion (to my boyfriend or my mum!)
In Plain Sight - I wish Mary was my friend!
Flash forward - visions of 6 months in the future...scary idea
Medium - I wish Allison Dubois was my boss, going to work would never be boring
Reno 911 - Hilarious, more Police Officers should be like this
Harper's Island - slightly loosing interest, but still entertaining
Lie To Me - Only just getting into it, but unusual concept
True Blood - Only watched one, but I think I might be comparing it to Buffy, and it is never going to be better than that.

Monday 12 October 2009

The Future is Here!

Well, what a weekend, poor Stephen Gately! I was such a fan of Boyzone - despite being more of an indie chick that a pop princess, I even went to see them in concert. It is so sad when anyone dies, and I think the death of a young person in the public eye brings it home to everyone that life is a thing to be treasured not trashed. One thing I can't understand is that people these days seem to be so full of hate. It seems that in the past hate and prejudice were displayed with pride, and now people just hide it. The other day in the pub I actually left when people on the table next to me started a massive (and loud) racist rant. In a way I felt guilty for not saying anything, but then as a girl on your own what can you say to a group of 5/6 larger men and women. The strange thing is that as I walked away I began to question who is worse them or me?! They say what they think and I just keep my trap shut. Don't get me wrong, when I am in groups of people I know I always say what I think and these people now know that I do not find fascist racists jokes amusing, and make vile comments about people from other countries is not something that I will let pass. However, I sometimes think that I am in a minority; surely we should all get by in life and accept that everyone is different. Maybe it is me who is mad, but I like to think that it is everyone else.

Ooh, Im being a bit deep today, maybe it is because the winter is setting in and the world is getting dark (physically, not metaphorically). Having said that I need to make a conscious effort to not be as miserable as the rest of them, so I will run the bath, have a coffee, and read about a serial killer (fiction, not fact)...that should cheer me up!

Friday 9 October 2009

Cat Attack!!!!

Two posts in one day - I must be bored today!? No, just annoyed, and where better than to vent my anger than a page that only I will ever read!

Tiger Two, the stray cat who has recently been evicted from the outhouse by a hedgehog, is in very very bad books! I just went upstairs to see where the cats were, and to check what they were doing, only to find T2 in a very serious predicament. It appears than when he woke up from his long slumber on the chair he found himself 'caught short'. Obviously, it is ridiculous of me to think that he would go to the door to cry to go out, NO that would be silly. Instead, he took it upon himself to park his hairy derriere in the bath tub and proceed with the biggest wee known to cat world! I didn't know what to say...so just filmed him on my camera phone when i realised he was mid-stream and not stopping for anyone.

Sorry this is a bit gross, but to be honest I am probably just killing time while the disinfectant kicks in....though I suppose I should maybe advertise him in the classifieds as 'very clean' instead?!

I've fallen through the cracks and its black, black, black!

Well, it was that day of the week again - a visit to the lovely sum centre...that's the job centre for those who aren't in the know! I do appreciate that to someone without a job taking a half hour out of the day, once a fortnight, is not a lot to ask. At this point I would like to say "I don't get benefits"...I'm even thinking of having a sandwich board made for the fortnightly walk of shame! What is even more hilarious is that I have to attend a "Why haven't you got a job yet?!" meeting; I feel like inviting them to a "Why do you care when you don't pay me anything anyway?!" meeting! Unfortunately, I do not this that will go down well!

Anyway, in the interests of saving money I have had two great finds today, so that's a bit of a bonus really. The Donny Osmond autobiography for £1.50 for my mum's birthday; it seems slightly sad that such a legend should have his story available at such a low low price, but I suppose it is all the better for me! Secondly, a lovely satin-eke throw (brand new by the way - I'm not that poor) to save me having to wear two coats when we can't afford the fire being on (maybe I am that poor?).

Anyway, despite the positivity of the last point, I do wish to end on a more negative note. Sorry, but the blackness reflects my post scum-centre-syndrome; Why do people wait at a road crossing and NOT press the button to make the green man appear??? What is the world coming too????

Thursday 8 October 2009

Another Day with the Parasites

Its not that I don't like animals, but I do seem to be being over-run!
- The Hedgehog in the outhouse, who seems to think it is acceptable to poo everywhere!
- My own cat, Chunky, who is sleeping on the pile of nice clean washing that I stupidly left on the bed...it would seem cruel to move him now;
- The irrepressible Tiger Two crying at my feet for MORE food;
- The sneaky Bobbette (child of Bob) from next door who keeps running in the kitchen and trying to steal food;
- Evil Jess, from god-knows-where hissing at me every time I go to the washing line;
- And finally, The Godfather, the king of cats, jumping on my head when I go to the shed.
Due to this maniacal menagerie I have decided it would be safer to sit at the laptop with a nice cup of tea and surf the net for something to take me away from this general limbo and stop me being a computer geek who writes the story of my boring life to give me something to do! (Phew, long sentence needs punctuation, but I feel it has helped me vent so I will let it slide!)