How to Deal With Stress During Unemployment and a Job Search | Interns Over 40

How to Deal With Stress During Unemployment and a Job Search | Interns Over 40

You can get through this tough time by taking care of yourself, reaching out to others, and focusing on your goals. Losing your job can also be an opportunity to take stock of your life, rethink your career goals, and rediscover what truly makes you happy


Losing a job is stressful

Our jobs are much more than just the way we make a living. They influence how we see ourselves, as well as the way others see us. Our jobs give us structure, purpose, and meaning. That’s why job loss and unemployment is one of the most stressful things you can experience.


Interns over 40

Jobseekers' finances and prospects crippled by 'transport poverty' and high fuel costs - Transport - News - London Evening Standard

Jobseekers' finances and prospects crippled by 'transport poverty' and high fuel costs - Transport - News - London Evening Standard

12 September 2012

Millions of people risk being plunged into debt because of the high cost of travel which is worsening the work prospects of the unemployed, according to a report.

                                              photo credit: Sou'wester via photopin cc

Valerie Hedges : Blog Writer & Article Writer

Valerie Hedges : Blog Writer & Article Writer


See my profile..and hire me on Freelanced !!!

100 Tips & Tools For Job-Hunters Over 45 | Interns Over 40

100 Tips & Tools For Job-Hunters Over 45 | Interns Over 40

Finding a job isn’t easy for anyone these days, but older workers may face some special challenges when it comes to finding new employment. While illegal, ageism isn’t uncommon in hiring and many older job seekers may find that their age and experience can actually work against them when searching for work. 

This doesn’t have to be the case, however, as age can be just as much an asset at youth. 

From the brilliant InternsOver40 site..not just for Interns !!

Getting started

Many of my more experienced readers will be aware that I learnt a  useful lesson , but learnt the heard way. While trying to be accepted for writing opportunities. I think I assumed that because I knew I could do it, this meant I could apply for freelance writing jobs..and would have a reasonable chance of getting work. I didn't expect to be successful with every job I applied for, any more than I just assume I will get any other type of job but for some reason, it never entered my head to view applying for freelance opportunities in the same way and with the same attitude as any other job application. ..gain experience and build a CV / portfolio which shows evidence of it.

Like most desperate job hunters I have applied for many jobs that I had little actual experience of, but knew I could do....but, as I have been known to state previously, I go to church but that doesn't make me a Vicar !!..I know a fair bit about politics but I am not experienced to be an MP. In fact, even after over more than ten years out of the field, the only work I reliably get headhunted for is the work I now physically cannot do..Nursery  Nursing, so, obviously my record of experience there is still impressive...showing the value of experience.

For many, voluntary work is very useful, but my financial situation is such that I cannot give time to work for nothing, when I so urgently need to find earning opportunities.  The situation with writing is that like so many other jobs, I can do it, but have no experience of paid writing , and made the mistake of jumping in too quickly and applying for paid jobs, which had exactly the same result as applying for any other paid job that I could perhaps do, but had no experience of..I wasn't successful.

One way to gain exposure as a writer is again similar to the opportunities available to help get any other job. In the world of writing and journalism you will find many jobs asking you to work for free, similar to  an internship and often advertised as such, although this may not seem  so appropriate to the older applicant. However, if you can be successful in getting such work, you often benefit from exposure and publicity for your work..and a reference from the company..

Another way to gain experience and have a chance of albeit gradually building up paid work is to register and set up a portfolio on the many bidding sites such as Freelancer, Peopleperhour, Odesk and others.


photo credit: DancingOnThePedals.net via photopin cc

Can anybody spare a crust ?

Alternative title...the price of a loaf when you are on Job seekers Allowance !!!

Well, my elation imagining that I was on my way to coming off benefits may be a bit premature. True, I was awarded a bid for some freelance work and got paid...£15.00. However, £15.00 won't replace my Job seekers allowance. I have, I assure my readers , lived on far less than £15.00 a week, but the problem when coming off benefits and starting work, employed or self employed, but perhaps just at the start not earning much, is not so much replacing the amount you are allowed for living expenses, it doesn't take much work to replace that, but rather the other things such as Council tax benefit and help with mortgage or rent and free prescriptions for the considerable list of medication I take.

What ideally I would like to do is come off benefits, claim working tax credit as being on a low income to start off working for myself and then build up my work. However, Working tax credits will not entitle me to claim mortgage interest relief, it doesn't pay all of my mortgage, in the same way as rent would be paid if I was renting, but it is the difference between keeping my home or losing it.I admit I am becoming increasingly tempted by the possibility of selling up and moving to a cheaper part of the country, where I could buy a cheap flat outright and fulfil my dream and potential as a writer. I know that I accepted being cast as the guilty party in a divorce from an abusive marriage , in order to keep the home I had owned before meeting my husband who was threatening to take it , should I try to get the annulment I was entitled to, but selling up in these new circumstances will protect me from feeling that he took my home from me in the same way as he took my health, wealth, employment and many friends who felt they had to side with him and protect him because he was mentally vulnerable....and that I should have suffered in silence to protect him... ....

Last weeks snow and ice had a big impact on my heart condition, ( a legacy along with high blood pressure of the divorce and resulting events ), both indoors as well as out, since with pre payment gas and electricity meters I not only have to limit what I put in them, but couldn't get out to get more money, or to top them up at the pay point.. Since being forced on to Job seekers allowance and therefore classed as fit, I have noticed a drop in the number of calls I get to enquire if I am OK and coping in such weather.....I guess it is no longer necessary..like by magic this coalition government cures people like Jesus with Lazarus !!!.

The effect of the weather on my health and ability to get out, resulted in my being unable to get to the Jobcentre to sign on....the result of course was an ominous zero balance when I rang telephone banking on Monday morning, when my JSA should have gone in. I had telephoned the Jobcentre, Department of work and pensions to advise them of my situation , that I couldn't get to the Jobcentre, and also that although it was still in holding and not in my bank account, I had done a job and earned £15.00, which I had to declare.The DWP, insisted that I had to speak to my local jobcentre. Most attempts to get through to them resulted in the engaged tone, or if I got as far as the music....I then got cut off. If I did get as far as an adviser answering the phone, they said I had to speak to a manager, who would call me back....of course the Jobcentre insist the return calls were made, that they tried to call me more than once. There is no sign of such a call on my land line phone or mobile....and because the Jobcentres opinion is that they could not get in touch with me, and I could not get to speak to the manager who wanted to talk to me..I got no money.....

Yet again I tried the main DWP number and this time was given two more numbers for the jobcentre. Eventually I got through and at the appointment with an adviser yesterday afternoon, I had to show my job search declaration, and yes, apart from trying to build up the freelance work that my health can cope with, I am fulfilling my JSA agreement, by applying for local jobs if physically it is one I might be able to sustain...bearing in mind that last week I couldn't leave the house. ....and not many employers will want someone who can't come to work when its icy...Bad winters have been a regular pattern in the UK for the past years....

Next I had to complete a form called an Ill on JSA form....to say why I wasn't well and couldn't go out and how the weather affects my disabilities, THEN next came a declaration for the £15 I earned saying how much I earned and how many hours work it was...only to be advised that I stay on JSA !!! They might , probably will deduct it from my next benefits, but if you work under 16 hours, you can stay on JSA. This is probably for me just as well since I need the mortgage relief and council tax benefit. However, it is odd that the government want people off benefits, but won't give people like myself who can see a means to be able to eventually support herself ,help to do so.

Meanwhile it was going to be cornflakes for lunch !! I didn't even have the price of a value loaf. I was however, promised that the payment would be released for immediate clearance and would be in my bank account this morning.....On anxiously calling telephone banking this morning, no payment had been received in my account. I managed this time, on one of the other numbers I had been given, to get through to the Jobcentre. The jobcentre explained that they were very sorry but had realised this morning that the payment had been put through in the normal system, which would take five days to clear, and this was because I hadn't come to sign on as I should have. This suggests that what happened to me is a policy of punishing those like myself with disabilities, forced to claim JSA, for any occasions when they cannot due to their health or the effect weather has on them and their health, get to the jobcentre to sign on.I was very unsure about the wisdom of believing any assurances, b ut I was told that the payment which had not arrived had been recalled and another one issued which would clear as soon as it got to my bank.....the payment eventually after much anxiety on my part arrived and I was able to buy bread !!

By the way...an interesting contrast to the recent reports of the drop in the number of people unemployed...the Jobcentre was packed....

photo credit: revedavion.com via photopin cc

Looking for a New Career, Here's a Start.

Looking for a New Career, Here’s a Start. (via blog.resumebear.com)

Money. It’s a topic that’s inspired countless songs about its correlation to happiness and health, from the Beatles classic “Can’t Buy Me Love” to the ’90s hit “Mo Money, Mo Problems” by Notorious B.I.G. While the universal message of these songs is that making tons of money won’t…

Too late for new year resolutions ??

Not for your career goals !!

New year not off to a great start ? Feeling like a deflated balloon ? New year resolutions forgotten or abandoned already ?? Its certainly not too late to give yourself some career goals for 2013....we still have 51 weeks to go !!!

It's very easy to make resolutions, under the influence of the glow of Christmas and new year and a few drinks but back to the icy reality of the weather we are having just now and trying to pay bills, and the future does not look so rosy !!

It does help if the goals and plans have been realistic to start with so try breaking them down into immediate, short and longer term goals. Some examples might be that you can start a diet today, just don't expect to lose 2stone in a week.  Hopefully  while looking for a job, or instead of one, you can start building up a self employed income to give yourself work and come off state benefits , you can start this immediately and build it up, but if you want a holiday, the first one for years, that may be a longer term goal as buying a house is likely to be. I remember when I went to a course for budding entrepreneurs, being taught to look at short, medium and long term goals for building a business. We were encouraged not to hang about though...a quick goal was to start bringing in money !!! ***

Short-term objectives are points that may be accomplished in the next couple of weeks or maybe subsequent couple of months...like having a clear out and de cluttering. Such plans may be carried out in stages, e.g. one room at a time in the case of a de clutter..Working through the stages completes the goal. In the case of job hunting, an example could be, to complete firstly a generic CV, then build up a collection of job specific CV's for the roles you are going to apply for. Gaining a qualification begins with finding and enrolling on a course !!

Long-term goals often call for a number of steps and don't happen overnight. A good example was my realisation that I could use my way with words to write and make an income,,the process is very akin to applying for more 'normal' jobs...I apply and some I get and some I don't. I won't have a good income, tomorrow but it can and will be possible.

Of course you will have listed your resolutions /goals somewhere, even if just in your head, but career goals tend to be recorded more formally. This is often because you are part of a government employment programme and have to record your job search activities. I have written previously about the importance of doing this, and some systems to use.

Keep a record of your objectives. And use some of the brilliant on line ideas to help you to do so. Although probably intended more for personal goals, Bucket lists are very much the in term these days. I started a bucket list and shared it in an earlier blog entry. However, finances and Job centre rules meant that I didn't have much time for it, but I do hope to enjoy developing it and seeing me tick off achieved aims.....try this download...http://www.myspreadsheetlab.com/2013/01/free-excel-template-bucket-list-template/

Of course for many of us we have no choice but for professional goals to take precedence over personal ones, so you may well have to be prepared to adapt and don't be too hard on yourself if something doesn't work out.....celebrate your achievements !!

*** You won't get rich quickly but if you have indeed set up a website or blog, get it up and running, regularly put content on it and monetise it with e.g. affiliate programmes, i.e. selling based on your niche...children, computers, weddings etc. etc.....much more about this in the months to follow....

Building A Brand..being Unique

Every writer, every blog owner, every worker likes to think that they are an expert, the best in their field. If you need a tradesman and pick up your local directory to find e.g. a washing machine repair man , or look in the newspaper classified ads, and these days of course the online equivalents, you will see loads of ads, almost all, at least by those who can afford it, written to stand out and convince you that they are the best. If a business owner can't write their own catchy, attention grabbing ads they pay others a lot of money to do it...but that kind of writing job is a specialist field and not for those without proof of training and experience in advertising, and or marketing.

Freelance writers and blog owners are a little different though...Of course there is competitiveness, writers, website and blog owners watch their stats and position on Google like hawks. There is bitching, I had an experience when I set up a fan page for my blog on Facebook, and very quickly a page owner who wrote in a similar field to mine was posting sarcastic comments directed at what must have seemed my immediate popularity and number of likes, when he realised it was only 6, the page was further ridiculed. However, a characteristic of the blogging industry is its mutual support. Blog owners are seen less than they used to be as websites poor relations, or the common man’s website, and blogging is a community very much based around mutual support for each blogger to survive.

Blog owners are encouraged to follow each other and interact as part of building their web presence. Of course, it doesn't matter whether you blog about it or not, and for many blogging is at least initially an outlet for a problem or situation they are in, as indeed was my blog, everyone thinks they are unique . This tends to be born of feeling alone, like you are the only person in the world in your situation, like a mum with a crying baby !!!

Just as there is for everything, there are a million and one sites telling you how to blog, and one of the main pieces of advice that comes up is to see what other people are blogging about, how they do it..and who reads it. This doesn't mean copying them, there are strict no no rules about plagiarism in the blogging industry as there is the academic writing field, but especially for the novice blogger it helps you get the hang of how it is done..and how not to do it. Bloggers are grateful for the hits to their site, translating as page views and to leave a comment on another blog is one of the best ways to get hits to yours. Most blogging platforms such as Blogger have a Blog role add on, or widget which enables you to list the blogs you are following, and of course blog owners are very appreciative of being listed. All of this will quickly teach you that your blog is not the only one in its field by a long way !!! I should not have been surprised to discover loads of blogs like mine devoted to the issues facing older people looking for jobs.....I'm not the only person in my situation by a long way.

So, what makes mine special ? Why are my stats pretty good for a beginner to the technicalities of blogging ? Am I unique ? I don't know about being unique but I do know that my b log has its own style. I suspect it is largely read by my friends, and friends of friends, and its readership has grown from my linking the posts to Facebook etc...but I still have some way to go before I can claim to be an expert in social networking..which again is a career in itself. I am known to have a way with words..what I don't yet have us a way with SEO techniques...although I was surprised recently when I slipped in a phrase that the search engines trawl and then noticed I had done it. There isn't a glossy smart professional photo of me at the top in the headings all big hair and whitened teeth and size 8...there is an old photo on the blog, but I haven't lived a life in recent years that has left me fit to photograph....events have taken their toll. My blog clearly is not part of a company media profile..my attempts to set up a business and how it was constantly thwarted by my need to claim benefits and so do as the benefit office told me and look for a job are well documented.

Perhaps what makes my blog special is that it was born out of desperation and I am not an expert blogger. For ages it had the basic templates supplied as part of my blogging platform. I started off with flying birds...a sort of emotional link perhaps to people over 50, with disabilities looking for work, then when I fancied something more professional I ended up with a header of the Houses Of Parliament......well, it was London.....but a touch ironic since it is in that great pile that the decisions have been taken to remove sickness benefit from people like myself and declare even the terminally ill fit for work. Eventually after a few false starts and scares that I had lost the blog all together I got the hang of being able to downland and install the many lovely..and at least for the moment adequate free templates for blogger to be found on the net and so finally it is my blog. ..

Well to be precise it is Bloggers blog, since I cannot afford my own hosting and domain name and it is not essential at the moment in any case,.but it certainly is a reflection of me and my experiences

My blog was, is and always will be the desperate attempts of a woman over 50 and not in good health to make herself an income with what few resources she had and help others in the same situation as herself while she found ways to do so....as a brand it certainly may not be unique in the blogging industry but it is special....

photo credit: Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com via photopin cc

Creative Blog Writters Wanted in Manchester | Editorial, Writing & Journalism Jobs | Gumtree.com

Creative Blog Writters Wanted in Manchester | Editorial, Writing & Journalism Jobs | Gumtree.com

No experience required, just the want to to learn how to create quality content on your blog

Which way from here ?

 Well, I eventually proved what I believed, that I could get paid to write ( note my SEO usage improving and beginning to slip into my articles too !!! ) . However, there is a long way to go before I make it a career. As so many of my earlier articles have detailed, the Job centre have deterred me from any help that they claim is available to people who become self employed, and because I needed the Job Seekers Allowance, I did indeed have to as an adviser said, Do as I was told. I was on Job Seekers Allowance and I had to apply for jobs. I was also told ' You have been found fit for work ' To this I pointed out that actually I had not, and the doctor was writing certificates to state that I was not fit to work at all, not even if as the new medical certificates say ( now called fit notes, not sick notes ) changes were made to my work and working arrangements.

What actually happened was that the government cut the rate at which help with mortgage interest relief was paid, it was one of the very first cuts they made, but the cut that got the media attention and sympathy was the cut to housing benefit, which helps people to pay their rent, and in many cases pays the whole amount. People with mortgages are assumed to be well off, or they can always sell up !!!

I was receiving Incapacity benefit, and did not even have to attend medicals to keep my benefit. However, it was clear that I was going to have to try to get some sort of work, that I might be able to do, in a building that I could access, and a journey on a travel route that I could manage. Nursery nursing, which had been my career was now physically out of the question, and I had no experience of anything else. Of course, I was told to go and do voluntary work to get experience, and normally I am very much an advocate of the mutual benefits to the volunteer and to society of voluntary work, but actually my financial situation was so dire, that I could not afford the time to work for nothing, even for experience. Domestic violence had left me with a suspended possession order on the home I had owned before setting eyes on my husband, and pre-pay meters for gas and electricity. If I had no money, I had no gas, no electricity and....no home. I needed to replace the lost benefits... with a job...like yesterday. Nobody was more surprised than I when I did manage to get a job, with a mini cab firm who hoped to get further contracts for their special educational needs transport division. This involved taking children to school in cabs, for local authority contracts, when the children cannot go to school by normal means. The job was one of the rapidly growing self employed employment scams, when the employee is asked to be employed on a self employed basis and pay their own tax and insurance. Of course, there is no contract and nothing else legally binding either. I, like many others had no choice but to take it....

After two weeks, and the cuts to council budgets really starting to bite, the mini cab firm owner decided that he was not going to get more of these contracts, in fact he was losing them. Possibly, not helped by losing two special needs children in a week, who escaped from the cars and their escort and legged it with the police in pursuit. I by the way, had nothing to do in my capacity with the actual drivers and escorts . On my third Monday, I went in to work as usual and before lunch  was taken into a separate office , where I was told that the post had been reconsidered and I was no longer needed. I had been attending Pathways to Work, the successor to the New Deal programme, to try to get people with disabilities into jobs, so on arriving home and calling a couple of friends, to tell them that they were to stop celebrating my employed status, ..two down and more to go and for me to disappoint ,I called the pathways to work office, to speak to my adviser.

Pathways to work advised me that I was to contact the Department of Work and pensions, tell them what had happened and make what was called a rapid reclaim for my benefits. I actually pointed out to her that this might not be so, since I had in fact worked, even if the firm did have to rebuild the staircase for me to even start the job. My fears were proven right and after a lengthy process it turned out that I would have been wise to not take the job , or for that matter any job at all. My Incapacity benefit, would have been safe until my name came up for medicals and reconsideration as the coalition migrated claimants to the new Employment and Support Allowance , but in the meantime, they had quietly and with no warning to claimants closed the rapid reclaim facility for Incapacity benefit. This meant that with the new benefit having a different qualifying criteria, I and many in my position would be forced to claim JSA, which is paid at a much lower rate than sickness benefits. Also, On JSA..( Job seekers allowance ) you are considered fit, so you look for work, any work..not work you can do..and you compete with able bodied people. ..You do as you are told !!!

For a brief period I protested, yes I had worked but had needed support to get work, and adaptations made to the building, and my health had not improved by magic because I had worked..I pointed out that I had been forced to work by the cuts...I saw a couple of benefit advisers, who on listing my sight problems, joint problems, high blood pressure, heart condition and anxiety and depression felt that I should be exempt from work and claiming Disability Living allowance. When I pointed out that I had gone through six unsuccessful claims for that, I was left to get on with it on JSA, and the trying to cope on a cut of over £40 a week to the benefit I had been on did no good at all for my blood pressure and heart condition, and so my health deteriorated further. The GP wrote certificates, The Job centre insisted that if I submitted them, no claim for sickness benefit would be accepted and once I came up for medical, I would be put back on to JSA, as in the words of the Jobs centre I was 'Highly employable' .and they admitted that these days it is ATOS, who decide if you can work or not, and not your GP.....

And so came the idea of self employment as I wrote the blog about my experiences being an older person with health issues, looking for work. Regular readers will be well aware of the outcome of my attempts to be self employed and get support to help me do so.

My original vision had been to turn the blog into a consultancy for people in the same position as myself and so to start a business. However, it is possible that I may have to accept I have started an opportunity to make money for myself, and indeed become self employed, but it is not going to be a business, therefore I won't be claiming any grants etc. that would have covered my lost benefits while I set up the business... The factor which makes me suspect this is the case, is that very little attention or support is given to the issues of older people with disabilities forced to seek work perhaps, it isn't as emotive as the plight of young people needing work ? After all a young graduate looks far more appealing than a pensioner ! Job centres used to have age advisers, in the same way as they have disability employment advisers, but this role has been cut . It is a known and too easily accepted fact that employers do not want to employ older people, however, something must be done to change this as people are being forced to work to a later and later age, often in poor health. Meanwhile what activity there is in the field of trying to help older people in this situation is done by providers such as Wise Owls, an organisation set up to assist older people looking for work. On an enterprise course I attended for a while believing I did have a viable business, I remember being told how important it is in these days of limited funding, to ask yourself what is your competition, and who will you be up against. Many people with charitable aims are encouraged rather than starting up on their own, to offer their services to the bigger fish in the sea and join forces with them.

Although I am yet to be paid, in theory I made £15 for the work I had accepted  on a bid for jobs site obviously I have to declare this to the DWP. Of the £15, I am only allowed to keep £5, the rest will be deducted from my benefits. If I was getting sickness benefits, I would be allowed to earn considerably more than this as permitted work, which is encouraged b the DWP to encourage sick and disabled people to try paid work...I of course am neither sick or disabled !!!..and as the Job centre lady said I have been found fit for work....Once I declare the blogging activity, even though it has only so far earned £15, which I have not yet got, the DWP, will say I am working, and so have got a job and must give up my benefit. As a self employed person, I can, just as if I was employed claim Working tax credits, ..the princely sum of £52 per week approx, which would have doubled had I been on sickness benefits before making a claim....Because Working tax credit is not considered a means tested benefit in the way that Income based Job seekers allowance is..I will lose the mortgage interest relief..had I been renting however, and on a low income, I would have got my rent paid..OK, the rent for one of my two bedrooms since the conception of the bedroom tax !!!! before anyone suggests I take a lodger, it isn't really a good idea with threadbare carpets, no insurance if a lodger trips and the occasional visit from bailiffs !!!!

The effect of this is that although yes, I may have finally earned some money as a writer, the only way I can afford to give myself this chance is to write around the clock, since all I will be entitled to claim is the minimum rate of working tax credit. ...welcome to the world of the fit and well self employed !!!!

Valerie Hedges

Where am I ???

..An update. My original intention had been to have a separate page on my blog on which I would post regular news letter style updates, especially when I went to the Job centre. A newsletter is highly recommend for blogs so I gather. However, although I certainly didn't want to give up on my blog, the reluctance of the Job centre staff to help me to become self employed, and my need to claim Job seekers allowance while I was looking for work meant that I did indeed, have to do as the Job centre said ' You are on Job seekers allowance and you have to do as you are told.' as an adviser told me when I was trying to discuss self employment, I.e. meet the legal requirement of job seekers allowance and look for a job. It got worse when recently I was placed on the Work programme, since you are in effect being policed twice. If you fail to comply with the work Programmes demands, they inform the Department of Work and Pensions , who sanction your benefits

I was also reluctant to do a newsletter, even if time had permitted, since it would, indeed could only have been a rehash of the dire, grim circumstances described regularly in general posts on the site. How a 52, then 53 year old woman with partial sight, a heart condition, high blood pressure, and bone and joint problems, was in the position she was. So the blog did not post newsletters, and indeed did not take off to the standard I knew it was capable of. I was too busy trying to look for a job that physically I might have felt able to handle, even though in this weather, I don't go out of the house, since I live alone with the legacy of a tumble down my stairs... six metal pins and a plate in my ankle. It is a little difficult to imagine saying to an employer 'Oh by the way, if it snows I don't come to work. In the 80's and 90's I recall walking to church on Christmas day, taking my coat off, these days I am very sceptical about global warming and have a strong suspicion it was designed by the energy companies to get more of my pittance in benefits into the pre pay meters they forced me to have, even knowing I was not in good health and lived alone. I say I don't go out in the sort of weather through which I sit writing this post Actually I stand corrected..I have no choice but to go out in all weathers if I cannot avoid the need for it by topping up the meters before the snow and ice, because I am waiting for my benefits to be paid. The fear does my blood pressure and heart problems no good at all....This is the third winter in succession of such weather, and I have no belief in global warming .

I have spent much of today wondering how many claimants of Job seekers allowance will die as a result of this weather. ..at least it will help the unemployment figures and the coalition will claim a feather in their caps. There will be many Job seekers allowance claimants who die because the figures and logic show this is bound to be the case. Many previous claimants of sickness benefit have had their benefits taken away by the government and forced on to Job Seekers Allowance, paid at a much lower rate than their sickness benefit had been paid at.. Claimants of Incapacity benefit or its successor Employment and Support Allowance, receive a cold weather payment if the temperature in their area drops below freezing for seven days ..this is not paid to claimants of Job seekers allowance. I know it is a very emotive subject, but I confess to being in favour of means testing the winter fuel benefits paid automatically to all pensioners whether or not they financially  need it. ….e.g. The prime ministers mother is entitled to it !!! Mind you, I do believe that morals regarding such payments might change if our circumstances change, I remember a time when I would never have supported means testing for pensioners benefits when they had worked all their lives. Maybe a comment like that said in front of a member of the coalition would lead to giving them the idea to take it away from pensioners who had been claiming benefits at the time of retirement, since they clearly have a political agenda to punish all benefit claimants as deliberate scroungers.

Ideally, I was looking for work I could do from home, and to develop the blog to the point of self employment seemed the perfect solution. Not to the Job centre though, who at .each of my fortnightly visits promised me an appointment with an enterprise adviser, and then would cancel it and pass me to another Job centre adviser who would know nothing about it and force my attention back to job adverts. It then came out that the money set aside for new enterprise is actually in the ownership not of the government but private providers, who don't want to part with it, and the Job centre advisers are trained to deter hopeful applicants, who have no choice but to indeed do as they are told if the only income they have is Job seekers allowance. In the meantime you dread snow and ice because if you can't get to sign on....you get no money.

Looking for self employment is not so unlike looking for a job, some opportunities are good, and others not. Many openings that at one time would have been jobs, are now freelance opportunities dressed up as jobs so that the person who wants the work can advertise at the Job centre. i.e., there is no actual wage, the vacancy is commission only with no contract. Such employers in the current economic situation can hardly be blamed. By only using staff on a self employed basis, they avoid office costs, and the costs they are now forced by law to cover such as pensions. Such jobs are frequently advertised as suggesting that the minimum wage can be reached, e.g. telephone calling from home, known as telemarketing and other similar terms. I tried this, and after accepting that I would make 45 calls and nobody would want what I was selling, in this case wills, not that I mean to attack the will writing industry generally , it was obviously not going to be a going concern...I made the sum of £0.00 ...hardly making a living...to slip in a little touch of a pun.

Of course, if you have a blog, you need to write content for it. I do occasionally post material from other sources, it’s something different and breaks up entries written by myself, and of course it can be a great time saver, but generally my readers like to hear from me, these I notice in my stats are the posts with the highest readership. There are loads of websites that suggest you can make an income from writing and blogging, and just as many job boards offering this type of work. However, like any job, you need experience and evidence that you can do it...it is after all a job. I made the initial mistake of applying for writing jobs, no doubt influenced by financial desperation , the mortgage having gone up recently but not job seekers allowance to help to cover it. Yes, I have a blog, but writing as a job is a different matter. Rather like going to church doesn't make you a vicar, a bit of knowledge from the Internet does not make you a doctor, and paying your party membership does not make you an MP. I was devastated when I didn't get a writing job for which I knew I had done an excellent test piece, and followed the referencing etc. rules to the letter. However, in effect it was an interview, and I didn't get the job. However, I then remembered a comment I had picked up on in my desperate search for work, but not yet got round to acting on, and this was to join bidding sites, where you have to bid for jobs, and see if your bid will be the one accepted. If you do get bids accepted, and then gain a reputation for good work, done on time at a good price, it has the same effect as references.....I joined, my first of such sites, set a realistic price as I am an unknown entity and won my first ever bid at the first attempt....Where am I ???...I'm on my way !!!!

Its all in the presentation !!!

Interview coming up ? … Already working and feel a lack of confidence in your presentation skills ?

"petrified" ... "very nervous" ... "anxiety attacks" ...
"throat dries up" ... "avoid it at all costs" ... "afraid" ...
"get panic attacks" ... " shake like a leaf" ... "voice goes" ...
"mind goes blank" ... " feel physically sick" ... "totally stressed" ...
"feel like an idiot" ..."face goes red" ... "heart is pounding" ...
"can hardly breathe"

Does this sound familiar ?? let Skillstudio at www.skillstudio.co.uk help you to overcome nerves give a presentation with confidence..!

Every role, no matter if it is on the factory floor or in the boardroom requires presentation skills. Such skills are not just about 'Doing a presentation' , the very mention of which has many of us quaking in our boots. How we look, body language,voice tone and projection, the way we present ourselves and information are all presentation skills and one of the scariest tests of all for those skills is at the job interview.

 

All interviews, whatever the format, face to face, or telephone are a test of our presentation skills, and it has been common for many years to be asked to do a presentation during an interview..It can all seem very daunting, especially to an older applicant who may have been out of the workforce for some time, or is changing to a different career in later life.

…                .....But Skillstudio can help you !!........

The Skillstudio training concept was established early in 2000 by Liz Banks and Martin MacLeod . It was very clear to both of them that even in this computer age, strong and effective personal communication skills were still vital for success in business and help us in all aspects of life.

 

Helping you to go from From "petrified" to "empowered" in just one day !!!

People who are often terrified in front of a crowd, end up feel ''empowered" by the Skillstudio workshops with additional self-assurance, a whole range of newly discovered skills and the prospect of being much more effective both in the workplace and personally with skills

that feel as if they are second nature.

 

What does Skillstudio offer ?

First Level Presentation Skills / Public Speaking Training for people who have little or no experience of presenting or speaking in public and who need to take the plunge.
Intermediate Level Presentation Skills / Public Speaking Training for people with some experience who now want to improve their confidence and delivery skills.
Advanced Level Presentation Skills / Public Speaking Training for those with more experience who want to fine tune their delivery style and speak with more power & conviction.
Effective Communications Skills Training for people who want to make more of an personal impact at work.
One to One Coaching in presentation skills; communication skills; interview technique, vocal skills, elocution and accent softening.



.... public and in house training and one to one coaching......

Skillstudio uses training methods that have been proven to work .The company vision is that everyone who attends a training has the opportunity to discover their potential through building self – confidence and learning empowering techniques.

…passionate about helping you exceed your expectations....

Would you like a taster ? Everyone loves a freebie and Skillstudio offer a FREE presentation skills ecourse on their website www.skillstudio.co.uk . Not quite the same as attending one of the courses but the ecourse can help you take better control of your nerves and make your presentations more successful.

Training throughout the UK and in Europe too

From the company's original base in London, the public workshops now run regularly in London, Birmingham, Manchester, Glasgow & Edinburgh and in-company workshops take place throughout the UK and Europe. In addition, Skillstudio offer one to one coaching in public speaking, voice coaching, presentation skills, communication skills and interview technique.



...And... after your training Skillstudio doesn't just leave you to get on with it ...The training comes with a FREE Follow up Service.



That's not all !!! Skillstudio has a special Facebook offer !!!..Skillstudio have set themselves a goal to reach over 5,000 Facebook followers and to achieve this they are saying a big 'Thank you' with a £2.000 training give away !!! I winner for every 1000 followers !!!

 

Read their testimonials on their website ...

“Excellent opportunity to develop and perfect presentation style and skills in a safe supportive environment. Excellent training course especially the use of videoing of the presentations and feedback.”Manj Kalar, DCLG,

“Absolutely fantastic day!So useful to me personally in gaining confidence to deliver a presentation. Sandra was so encouraging in a truthful and professional way.  Very worthwhile.  Everyone would benefit from this.”Kerry Jordon, HMRC, 

 

Writer with Life / Career Coaching Freelance Job - Details - Online Writing Jobs

Writer with Life / Career Coaching Freelance Job - Details - Online Writing Jobs

An example of the freelance work available on http://www.online-writing-jobs.com/ This is a  Canadian based company but often it is worth enquiring if you really like the sound of a job, because of course the web can overcome geographic restrictions !!!

FREELANCE BLOGGING AS A PART-TIME OR FULL-TIME JOB by Brian Scott

FREELANCE BLOGGING AS A PART-TIME OR FULL-TIME JOB by Brian Scott

Blogging is a continually expanding profession that offers lots of freelance possibilities.

An example of freelance writing job descriptions..in this case a Blogger, from the http://www.online-writing-jobs.com/ site

LEARN ABOUT FREELANCE WRITING JOBS

LEARN ABOUT FREELANCE WRITING JOBS

Here are articles which are very helpful to explain the meanings of terms for jobs for freelance writers, helping to explain the differences between bloggers, copywriters etc...from the http://www.online-writing-jobs.com/ site.

ONLINE WRITING JOBS - Freelance Writing Jobs

ONLINE WRITING JOBS - Freelance Writing Jobs

Search 100s of Writing Jobs for Freelance Writers!

This is a good, very comprehensive list of freelance writing jobs, and well worth adding to your Portfolio and taking a regular look. There are many postings taken from Craig's list, some of which are genuine and good quality offers, but there are scam trick postings eg. I applied for what was posted as a Market Research Job in London, and market research is something I have some experience of. The Job turned out to be an affiliate signing people up to his down line with the survey company Global Test Marketing. There are like all lists of freelance and home working opportunities, scams that you have to weed through, but this is generally a good site, There are also links to Virtual Assistant and Data Entry opportunities.

Keeping a job search log

I have mentioned recently the wisdom of keeping a job search record or log of some sort, and while new year resolutions are still in mind for many of us, and we may still be making an effort to be more organised, it seems a good idea to elaborate on this a little more. I have written about how a Google search 'Free job search log' will throw out several suggestions, obviously personal taste about which system you will like best and what works for one does not work so well for another will make a difference regarding which system you use,but there are several to choose from and any of them will give you a feel good factor for how much effort you have put into making job applications, when you see them listed.

If you are in the UK and on job seekers allowance ( JSA) you will be given a book, in which to record your job applications and other work related activity. There is not a lot of room in the sections, so you might still want to keep a record. If you get put on the work programme, then you may not actually sign on at the Job Centre, but instead, go there every fortnight, with a sheet, which you will be given to write your job hunt activities on, and that has even less room than the book Another reason for there being a good idea to keep an on line version of your job hunt is that you may have telephone interviews with your advisers and an on line job search record, enables you to email it easily to an adviser if asked to do so.

So, this explains the significance of keeping a job search log. trying to keep an archive of the action you take is essential.

I have previously mentioned my preference for the Google system, which is a Google Drive document. You can change the privacy, according to who you want your record to be visible to, and easily share it. Being that it is stored on line ,but can be downloaded, there is no risk of losing it if your computer crashes, and you can access it from any computer, e.g. at your job club, if you attend one.

Another benefit of keeping such a record is that it helps you to keep track of details such as deadlines for applications. When applying for lots of jobs it is very easy to lose track of deadline dates,interview dates and any follow up action that you take in relation to a job application, such as feedback from an application, or interview.

100 Reasons/Benefits Of Hiring An Older Worker | Interns Over 40

100 Reasons/Benefits Of Hiring An Older Worker | Interns Over 40

100 Reasons/Benefits Of Hiring An Older Worker. What Would You Add To This List?

It seems every day we are attempting to make the case that older employees are good business decisions...

 

Especially today when in the UK, thousands of older workers are denied pensions and disability benefits

Interns over 40 is perhaps a misleading title ..this site is one of the very best, packed with useful tips and advice for older workers, not just interns, a term that in the UK at least, we associate with students...

 

PS...we get to help to complete the list.... !!!

Admin Person.....Best Admin jobs

Admin Person

Job Title: Admin Person Company: Employment Plus Ltd Job Ref: 22396426 Hours: Full-time Location: Surrey, Mitcham Working Term: Permanent Salary: £16,000 - £17,000 per annum

Description

My friendly growing client based in Mitcham is looking to recruit a new member of their team. This role boasts great potential to grow Key skills Good telephone manner Comfortable around excel and word The ability to manage a number of tasks Methodical Comfortable speaking with customers Team player Taking client briefs Producing quotes Hours 9-6pm

Bilingual Market Research Interviewers Job in Putney - jobstoday

New feature...not many job ads can be posted directly to a blog to be shared with readers, but I will be posting some opportunities when possible to share them. It also gives readers an idea of the sort of jobs I am applying for as an older person with disabilities.....


Bilingual Market Research Interviewers Job in Putney - jobstoday

My client a large Market Research Company are currently looking for experienced bilingual telephone Market Researchers that have outbound call centre experience.

Candidates must speak fluently in the following languages:

Danish
Norwegian
Swedish
Chinese

Responsibilities will include conducting surveys on behalf of the companies and organisations following a scripted survey. Candidates will be required to ask details and probing questions and then record all information onto the internal system known as Cati.

Candidates must have a professional telephone manner, articulate and available Monday-Friday.

Blue Arrow is one of the UK`s largest recruitment businesses, dedicated to providing bespoke staffing solutions through a network of specialist branches and on-site locations. For over 50 years, our priority has been to work in partnership with our clients and candidates to secure long-term relationships.

Blue Arrow provides an extended range of permanent and temporary recruitment services to a variety of public and private sector clients in the following areas:

- Catering and Hospitality
- Secretarial and Admin
- Driving
- Industrial and Manufacturing
- Distribution and Warehousing

UK employment: Over the hill at 50 years old, part1/2 (04Apr11)

Police State Britain - The Jobcentre "Advisor"

Free Job Applicant Tracking Log Template to Organize Your Job Search

Free Job Applicant Tracking Log Template to Organize Your Job Search

There are several reasons why it’s a good idea to keep track of the jobs you apply for...

Tracking Your Job Search: Get Help with a Free Excel Template

Job hunting can be downright frustrating, no matter what state the economy is in. Put an Excel workbook to work for you so that you can keep track of your job search efforts

Career Get job wish list through Cardiff jobs - Amazines.com Article Search Engine

Career Get job wish list through Cardiff jobs - Amazines.com Article Search Engine

A little spotlight on the principality !!! I have strong and fond connections to the City of Cardiff...

Cardiff is the centre for business and financial services offering employment opportunities for qualified applicants in various fields. Recent economic growth can be attributed to the educational, public administration, and financial sectors. Jobs in Cardiff analyze management information reports, ensure that no job applicant is treated unfavorably urably on the grounds of religion, sexuality, class, income, caring responsibilities, age, home locality or any other factor that can form the basis of discriminatory behavior. They provide one-to-one and group-based careers information and guidance to adults over across the world and take a range of measures to help them achieve their aim.

photo credit: joncandy via photopin cc

Submit your CV to 3000 job agencies instantly for only £12.99 - Get job interviews quickly and get a job! 01904 789810

Submit your CV to 3000 job agencies instantly for only £12.99 - Get job interviews quickly and get a job! 01904 789810

Blast out your CV to 3000 UK Recruitment Agencies...

In just five minutes your CV can be on its way to our huge database of personal contacts at all the major job agencies in the UK.

Career Does Your Resume Have The Three Criteria All Winning Resumes Share? - Amazines.com Article Search Engine

Career Does Your Resume Have The Three Criteria All Winning Resumes Share? - Amazines.com Article Search Engine

Does Your Resume Have The Three Criteria All Winning Resumes Share? by CAROLINE CENIZA-LEVINE
Does your resume have the three criteria all winning resumes share? As a former recruiter and now career coach I have seen thousands of resumes over my career. For each career level, from student intern to rainmaking partner, there are specific nuances that make winning resumes stick out. However, at all levels, winning resumes always demonstrate these three criteria:

Career Common Resume Mistakes That Must be Avoided - Amazines.com Article Search Engine

Career Common Resume Mistakes That Must be Avoided - Amazines.com Article Search Engine

Common Resume Mistakes That Must be Avoided by MIKE KELLEY
Having gone through hundreds of resume, I have noticed certain patterns and mistakes that most people make while preparing their resume. In this article, we will discuss some mistakes that we have come across most often

The frustrated writer...clearing your overdraft

  "I warn you, Sir! The discourtesy of this bank is beyond all limits. One word more and I—I withdraw my overdraft."

To everyone who was wishing me well for the writing test, I was not accepted. However, I think the article was so good that my readers can enjoy and maybe benefit from it instead....

New year resolution ??...pay off your overdraft

(http://www.money.co.uk/article/1004255-how-to-pay-off-your-overdraft.htm}

Unfair overdraft fees cost Americans $24 billion a year,

Banks now have to obtain your consent ( referred to as an opt-in ) before they are able to add debit card overdraft protection to your account. Previously, customers were often signed up without their knowledge and paid dearly ...usually around $35 per overdraft

Bankers launched a heavy marketing campaign amounting to scare tactics to force people into feeling they had to say 'yes' when asked to agree to signing up for protection..When the bank pitched credit card overdraft protection they often gave the impression that not opting in could cause disruptions when using accounts. This included using emotional scare tactics such as there could be problems when making medical and health care purchases.
Account holders then opted in to the overdraft service, afraid of such things as a fee if their debit card was declined. The truth is that a declined debit card does not incur a fee, the customer simply does not get to buy the goods they want. There was also a lot of confusion over what the protection would actually cover. Many customers said that they wanted to avoid bouncing cheques, but the protection does not cover cheques, only point of sale debit card purchases and ATM transactions. Some banks are more up front about how they treat customers, Citibank for example, simply does not authorise debit card overdrafts.If the money isn't there to cover a purchase or ATM withdrawal, you don't get it..simple as that.Bank of America, now follows a similar policy with point of sale purchases.Oddly though, customers can still take money from an ATM, even when they don't have it, but at a price..they must agree twice to pay the fee of $35
There is no limit to the overdraft fees you can be charged and no law to say that they have to be reasonable and in proportion to the costs of the bank administering your overdraft.

2013 opens with the UK government in a mood of optimism, even if misplaced. Unemployment is down and according to the government, the Bank Of England thoroughly approves the savage cuts that have in many cases devastated the lives of the sick and and unemployed, by cutting their already low incomes and says that the government is on the right track in cutting the deficit and must not backtrack. On January 4^Th , it was reported in the Eurasia Review. that the . US economy gains 155,000 jobs. However, worldwide there is still a generally gloomy outlook, and for many people, unemployment , rising living costs and expenditure very close to or actually greater than income looks likely to be the situation for some time to come.

We have a very complex relationship with money, perhaps because of the very fact that ever since man (or possibly woman) discovered, way back in the caves, that they could supply something that someone else wanted , it cannot be avoided. Even too much of it, when given to the wrong people can cause huge problems eg in family disputes over wills, 'Money isn't everything but it sure keeps you in touch with your children' said J Paul Getty. However, the lack of an adequate cash flow and resulting debt is known to have serious effects, not just the practical inability to make ends meet, but in effects on mental and physical health. The Emotional Effects of Debt gives a very profound insight into the effects of living with debt including the fear and panic. This description is familiar on a daily basis to thousands throughout the world.....

The phone rings, and you don’t want to answer it because it could be a creditor. You won’t open your mail because it may contain a late bill notice. Regardless of who knocks on your door, you’re never home. You fear that you will never get out from under your financial obligations. You shun social contact, as your constant apprehension and paranoia cloud your relationships with your family, friends and co-workers. All aspects of your daily life become infected with anxiety.

Money is a factor in almost every aspect of our lives, not just paying the household bills but also in our relationships and ability to interact with family and friends.Debt is frequently described as a spiral , and it it does indeed go round and round in circles. Being in debt costs money, at a time when you can least afford it, one of the most well known examples of this are bank overdraft fees, the fee charged by banks and building societies for transactions on your account when you are not in credit ie overdrawn.Also, when you are in debt, utility services cost more at a time when you can least afford it, an example being that it is difficult and can be impossible to get a contract cell phone and are limited to expensive pre pay services.Certainly in the UK, many are forced to pay higher rates for essential gas and electricity through pre-pay meters. If y0u have no money,perhaps because you are waiting for benefit day, then if the meter has run out, you have no gas and electricity.

However, an overdraft can be one of the easier debts to clear, gradually leaving you with an increased income and making it easier to come to arrangements to clear any other debts as you organise your cash flow..If you are still thinking about some new year resolutions a good one is to end the year with your overdraft cleared

Action Plan:

The first thing to do is to face up to the problem and work out which ways you will use to solve it, since it certainly won't just go away .And like all good goals, to reach it, a plan is needed

There are now fewer options for ways to clear an overdraft, or the options available are open to fewer people and it is harder to qualify. Until recently, there were solutions such as moving to an interest free overdraft, by e.g. changing the type of bank account you have, putting the overdraft balance on to a % interest credit card, or quite often the bank would transfer the overdraft to a loan at a lower interest rate and you paid the loan rather than trying to clear the overdraft. These days such solutions in the financial markets are fewer and far more difficult to qualify for. Increasingly we are having to return to old fashioned remedies such as not spending more than we have coming in. Like in the song Do Re mi from the Sound of Music, a very good place to start is at the beginning, facing the fact that more money is being spent than we have. On the Internet can be found many excellent budget, or income and expenditure sheets..Google free budget planner and have a look through the links, you will be sure to find a format that you can work with. Be prepared for a nasty shock, if that is you are honest as you fill it in . It can be a real eye opener to see in print that what you have going out exceeds what is coming in !!!

In the UK, state benefits and the endless cuts to entitlement is in the press every day, but it is still worthwhile wherever you live, to check with your welfare offices, if you are on a low income, that there might be something you are entitled to but are not claiming. The next step is to look for ways to maximise your income

Putting your skills to good use:

If you are unemployed, even if you are not claiming and entitled to any state help, there is a wealth of help and information on the Internet to help you get a job. The first thing to do, is take a look at your skills and experience and put together a resume or CV., then post it to job boards.Register for emails for the type of work you are looking for, and network network, network. !!! If you are not using social networking sites ...Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, set up your profiles and follow possible employment related leads and posts.
Even if you do have a job, many are finding now that the salary just does not stretch far enough. Take a look at skills which maybe you could use in a freelance capacity eg babysitting.Even if you don't feel very confident, and debt can certainly have that effect, everyone knows something about some subject or other....even if it is sharing ways that you have coped with difficulties. Set up a blog, you don't have to pay hosting fees and other costs, there are plenty of free blogging and website platforms.Place ads on your site via joining affiliate schemes and make a little money. You won't get rich overnight but it can build up. Write about things you know about and Google get paid to write articles,or get paid to blog. The Internet is full of suggestions of ways to make a little money from home, and maybe eventually a business.


Getting into good habits
It is very likely that while clearing an overdraft, you will have to maintain the overdraft facility on your account. However, once it is cleared, close the overdraft or risk starting allover again and getting back into debt.. Clearing overdrafts and other debts, involves a rethink on how we spend money, only buying what is absolutely necessary, and going without things we don't need. Indeed we have to reconsider what we actually need.
Get into the habit of making small savings, not just economising wherever possible, eg buying cheaper brands of staples, but give yourself a feel good factor and start to see small amounts of savings building up by keeping a jar where you put your small change, and let it grow until you have enough to take to the bank.Make this the year you at least make a start to get your finances in good shape. It will do your health as much good as any diet.


Valerie Hedges



This image comes from the Project Gutenberg archives. This is an image that has come from a book or document for which the American copyright has expired and this image is in the public domain in the United States and possibly other countries.