Something for the weekend ...free online courses

In the constant endless attempt to get a job , or trying to make money, of course just now and then, though I feel not as much as I used to, I manage to be current, and prick up my eyes and ears from the computer screen at something on TV which catches my attention. This week it was mention on TV of The Khan Academy  when its founder Salman Khan was interviewed, about how and why he created the remarkable Khan Academy, a carefully structured series of educational videos offering complete curricula in math and, now, other subjects..

Now, I remember when at school in the 70's a room full of booths and tape recorder type machines with earphones called The Language Lab  , where I had french lessons was like something out of Star Trek...as for inter active whiteboards and video classes....well....

However, I am certainly not saying I am against such methods of learning. Children learn differently today and are raised in a visual world, as long as they know their tables and why 2x2=4 without a visual screen to tell them, then I think anything that makes children more likely to want to learn can only be good. Much as I love my books, the touch and feel of a much loved book in my hands, the autographed copy of my one time Iraqi  childhood friends story since we last met..Talking About Jane Austen In Baghdad.
 

The classics of English Literature which my much loved Sunday school teacher Grace gave to me on my 21st birthday, saying wisely 'It is in books that I would wish you to remember me on your 21st birthday' nobody is as much of a fan of the Kindle Ereader as I am . I cannot afford to buy one, but I use the free  Kindle reader on my PC and catch up with those ..so many free classics I didn't get the chance or time to read and loads of free books I wouldn't normally think to read.. Some children need much more encouragement to read than perhaps we did years ago when I was first reading in the 60's. There was something secret and adventurous about thinking my mum didn't know I was reading Enid Blyton St. Clare's  and Malory Towers
under the blankets and quilt  (remember those ??} with a torch. .
Reading encouraged healthy competition too,...I always wanted to  be the one who had read as many Enid Blyton books if not more than Susan, Barbara, Maxine, Gillian etc etc....
Children and indeed young adults do read and learn differently and if the lure of wanting a Kindle or some other tablet encourages reading, it can only be good.

Any means to making education more accessible for adults as well as children is vital. I was so reminded of this, at the job centre recently when I really felt for an Indian lady who was having her signing. She was clearly doing what she could to make herself more employable, she was going to English lessons at a local college. When she mentioned this to the adviser, his ears immediately pricked up and he was on to her., wanting to know how many days and hours she was at college.  I know enough about the jobcentre rules to recognise that he was trying to see if she could be considered unable to be meeting her Job seekers agreement to look for work., because she was studying...even though she was studying English to help her get a job !!!!.I wish I knew what happened to her, she was told that next time she went to sign on she was to take her learning agreement from college to show how long she spent there...

Some time ago on the blog I published a series of posts about free online courses 
and perhaps it is time for taking a fresh look at what is out there and available.....especially with not just the UK Job centres giving people trying to study to improve their job prospects a hard time,  but also that funding for people to retrain and do courses at adult education level. is much reduced from what it was

For starters..Vision2learn  offers free online level2 courses in :

• NewCoaching Sport

  NCFE Level 2 Certificate in the Principles and Preparations for Coaching Sport

• Equality and Diversity NCFE Level 2 Certificate in Equality and Diversity

• Business and Administration Level 2 Certificate in Principles of Business and Administration

• Customer ServiceLevel 2 Certificate in Customer Service

• Essential IT Skills level 2 ITQ Certificate in IT User skills (QCF)

• Essential IT SkillsLevel 1 ITQ Award/Certificate in IT User Skills (QCF)

I have taken the Equality and Diversity course and can highly recommend this system of learning.

 Another online resource gaining in recognition and that I hear more and more about  is Alison....huge range of courses and known to be some of the best online learning on the web

BBC Learning seems to have cut its budget in this area, unless I cannot find the new link. There is a page which the BBC states is no longer updated, but some of the links to online courses still work and appear to be useful ..

Learn Direct is not always free ...course fees depend on what level of qualifications, in any subject, not necessary related to what you already have, ie...if you already have a level 2 qualification in any subject you may not get a free course in another ..but it seems to vary so is worth a look,

Lastly...and one of the very best resources is Open Learn .from the Open University, a good taster and introduction if you think of going on to Open University degree study.As it happens and a little off track but very interesting this site has a link at the moment to Owen Jones on the language of poverty, the demonisation of the working classes and the strivers versus skivers debate...don't miss it !!! Also OU on the BBC: Living with Poverty

Decisions, decisions...

photo credit: AntoineMeu via photopin cc


Yesterday at the job centre, and also on previous occasions when speaking  with advisers, I have mentioned that since people are going to be working well into their mid sixties and even later due to pension changes, and factors such as spells of unemployment meaning that they have to work later to build up a financial safety net, the job centres should have specialist advisers for older people, in the same way as they have disability advisers.since they will be signing enough of them for Job seekers allowance. Yesterday, the adviser I  saw agreed it was a good idea since she herself was increasingly experiencing signing claimants who were  not far off 67 years old and having to look for work.Another adviser remembers the days when they did indeed have such specialist advisers at the job centres..but those days are long  gone....

Perhaps the government and department of work and pensions, did not see ahead to the situation they would create, when although some do indeed choose to work longer, many are forced into it and desperate to get unavailable and non existent job openings, at best rarely available for older job seekers, due to situations such as the increasingly familiar losing sickness and disability benefits. Much has been heard and much has been done, although many claim not enough to help young people into work, there are plenty of work and training schemes for them, although how many translate into jobs is of variable opinion, however from my experience job centre advisers seem unprepared for the challenges of helping people who once would have been pensioners into jobs, and what is more..jobs that physically they can do.

This point of the need for jobs that older people can do if they are going to be forced to work is very valid. I am 53, with significant health conditions, including a heart problem, hypertension, arthritis, a severe vitamin deficiency affecting my bones and a tendency to fractures,  and partial sight., in icy winter weather I am housebound....but being forced to claim Job seekers allowance.  The very fact that I am writing this blog shows that I can do something....write. However, at the moment any money the blog earns I have to declare, since my only regular income is Job seekers allowance, and all I get to keep is £5 . I cannot yet afford to give up the Job seekers allowance and so must meet the Job seekers agreement and apply for jobs. I have repeatedly asked for help to become self employed, but this is treated as if I am really using it as an excuse to not have to go to work. One adviser told me 'You are on Job seekers allowance, and you have to do as you are told:'....look for a job .One thing we know I cannot do is the one job that I still frequently get offered, even though I have not done it for over ten years and do all I can to have my CV show my transferable skills is nursery nursing.

When I was  still working, my nursery colleagues and I used to often discuss the implications of the picture that sprung to mind of nursery nurses on zimmer frames. Something the government forgot when raising the pension age was the issue of the huge numbers of women who would be affected by these changes since it is largely  women who are in the care professions and may not be fit enough to continue to do the only job they have ever done...and they have few if any current transferable skills. You cannot quickly turn a nursery nurse into  a secretary at threat of sanctioning her benefits because she is taking too long to get a job.

Decisions, decisions, many older people find themselves at a crossroads. Do they as one in his time quite famous politician Norman Tebbit  said 'get on your bike to find work' after all The former Conservative minister repeated advice he gave 30 years ago saying people in the UK should follow the examples of Poland, Hungary and Lithuania.   He clearly now aged over 80, still has some considerable influence on his successors in the coalition.. However, should people in what forced to work or not is later life when people can become more vulnerable, be forced to move away from areas they know and may have connections and family...

What about the options of trying to become self employed ? Well, as many of my readers know I have repeatedly asked the Job centre for help with this, as it seems the ideal solution for me. One adviser admitted that they have to say there is money and help to do so because the government have for so long claimed that there is such help, but the reality is that the money is held by private providers..who do not want to pay it out.Also, unless you have your own skills and talents that you can use to make money and therefore know that you can get paid for what you do or make, do you run the risk of the self employed scams, companies who CLAIM their employees are self-employed but who in reality are not.
Labour's John Cryer described it as "a fairly straightforward sort of scam" that was rife in construction and "spreading to other industries" such as hospitality, catering and retail.

Decisions, decisions... as we know it is difficult but far from impossible to find a job when you are over 50, or indeed just 'older' but there is a wealth of help and advice and the opportunity for mutual support out there on the web.....my advice would be to research, research, research and if indeed you have skills  or hobbies which you can use to freelance and earn some money  then give it a go .

Tales from the Job centre

photo credit: gradders52 via photopin cc

Had I not already known from the media that unemployment figures are up, I might have guessed when on my last visit to sign on, I was told that next time I came I would be seeing a different adviser as the one I was seeing that day was already full up for the day of my next signing in two weeks time.  In an earlier post I wrote of how claimants on the work programme are now in effect being monitored  twice to be sure that they are applying for jobs. It used to be that those on the work programme only went to the jobcentre to hand in their job search sheet, but did not have to see an adviser, this is no longer so. However, in my case, and I suspect many others, in fact I am still only being seen once since I never hear or see anything of the work programme, suggesting that where I am concerned, and many others, the work programme isn't working.


So, I now have to sign on at the jobcentre each week and keep a job search book, familiar to most Job seeker allowance claimants. before being put on the work programme, I had...eventually, been allocated to a disability employment adviser, known as a  DLA. This should have happened far earlier than the nine months it took, considering that I have sight, mobility and heart and blood pressure problems, but like so many in my situation and with far worse effects of health problems am being made to look for a job. However, DLA's themselves are telling claimants that they are angry about how long it is taking before they see disabled claimants forced to claim Job seekers allowance. .

At my local Jobcentre, all general advisers and signings are upstairs, a steep and not well lit staircase, that I find it harder to come down even than I do to go up. . Disability employment advisers, on the other hand are downstairs...but everything is done to prevent people with disabilities who have been declared fit for work from seeing one...perhaps because in fact once the Department of Work And Pensions declares you fit for work, miracles happen....you are now fit and well and there is nothing wrong with you !!..heart conditions, mobility limitations, even cancer..they are all cured by ATOS and the Department of Work And Pensions.

There are no equal opportunities for people with mobility limitations...the lift is really only for staff and when the Jobcentre was first opened all advisers and signing on was downstairs. Now, even very sick and disabled claimants are expected to go upstairs and if they can't use the stairs a member of staff has to be made available  to open and close the lift, as it is beyond the normal access to the public and needs a security pass. Because I do not look disabled, my request for the lift to be available does not go down well at all.

Since being made to sign on again instead of just handing over my job search record at the door, I have not seen a DLA, and no record that I ever did so seems to be recognised or even in existence. Today, I discussed with the adviser I saw that I felt I should be seeing a DLA...downstairs. I was amazed when it was suggested to me ...kindly I will add, and this was from an adviser I have known and trusted for a long time, that it might be a good idea to hang on for the moment...'While I am only having to go to sign on once a fortnight !!! I asked curiously, ' Are there more changes coming then, do some people have to come more often ? 'Oh yes !!! replied the adviser, 'some people have to come every week, even twice a week, once to see an adviser and another day to do job searches, implying that at some future date, in the not too distant future, this will be happening for me....

I then mentioned the case of the double lung and heart transplant patient who  passed away a week after her benefits were stopped...

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2332038/Double-lung-heart-transplant-patient-died-days-benefits-stopped-declared-fit-work.html#ixzz2UibaXRvH
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

The adviser told me that they had a similar case amongst their own claimants...I found it very moving and disturbing that a very similar scenario had happened to someone who signed on at my own local jobcentre. This is not something that happens rarely to other unknown people in the newspaper....the adviser admitted ' We don't agree with it but we  work here, and the policies and decisions are made by the department of Work and pensions and we have to do as we are told.....

....I wonder what would happen .....if all of them refused to send more people to their deaths .....



photo credit: xJason.Rogersx via photopin cc

Sign here !!

Anything that helps with the process of completing job application forms can only be good and at worst is worth a look. Many if not most of the job applications I and many others complete are online and this means that the application is of course typed. A problem this produces is missing out on the personal touch eg being able to sign an online application in the same way as one would a letter or printed application. A  good move to at least partially get around this problem and give an emailed application and of course cover letters, a more personal appearance is to use a digital signature..

It is indeed true that almost anything at all that you need can be found on the web, and here are some digital signature generators.This one which I used today and was very impressed with claims to be The Best, Easiest and Faster Online Signature Generator

Others which appear simple to use and do not involve much if any signing up and registering  are Signature Generator and  My Free signature Maker. A round up of Best 5 Free Online Signature Makers can be found at http://freenuts.com/best-5-free-online-signature-makers/

Lazy Sunday Afternoon..Downtown

 We are certainly not on my Lazy Sunday Afternoon spot saying Never On Sunday to the much loved and still singing at the age of 80...Petula Clark

 This Is Incredible: 80-Year-Old "Downtown" Singer Petula Clark Has a Brilliantly Modern New Song Out: Obsessed: glamour.com

Anyone in their fifties or over, looking for a job, or indeed just my fans and so reading my blog are likely to remember Petula Clark... She also has amongst an amazing amount of Google references for a singer now aged 80, a site largely targeted for her British fans.



As she releases her new album, Petula Clark, 80, recalls the love affairs, the loneliness and the one lasting regret of her lifetime of fame. 
Petula Clark was a star at the age of 11. She starred in the music halls and on BBC radio singing for the troops during WWII. She was a child star in a series of British films from the end of WWII through to the early 1950s.

Petula Clark began as a singing child prodigy. Promoted and tutored by an enthusiastic father, she had started singing professionally at the age of seven and she became a familiar singing voice on wartime radio. By the end of the 1940s she was an established singing artist
 I am not really a reminiscing type person,” says Petula Clark. “I am not nostalgic at all.”, 
and so perhaps it was not so surprising when during the making of her new album  Lost In You, she initially refused to sing Downtown, feeling that 'everything had been done to it'. However, when on her return from working in Paris, she heard the proposed version she loved it.

It is indeed s different tempo from the younger, original version and possibly more suited to the voice of an 80 year old, but Petula has no regrets and I recently heard her point out in an interview that actually it is a very serious song with a social message, as indeed I feel several of her songs have been including 
Don't Sleep In The Subway.
For a career that has spanned nine decades, many people are still  deservedly crazy about her and feel never enough ,  even paying homage to her in poetry....

When you're alone  and life is making you lonely,...    get your tickets......  Petula announces her UK tour 
Tickets available at Ticketmaster

Bank Holiday for the Jobhunter

Rather like a lot of the jokes which appear on Facebook about Monday morning blues and the anticipated joys of Friday and the weekend, do job hunters have Bank Holidays ?? Its very easy to feel guilty about being tempted to be in the holiday mode when you are not working, but actually to take a bit of distraction is very important. I have often written about the importance of staying in contact and circulation, indeed only yesterday I wrote about staying in the loop. It is indeed very difficult on an extremely limited income, which is why I have often posted on the subject of free or cheap ways to have fun. However, staying in touch with the outside world, other than sitting on front of a computer 24/7 sending off your CV can actually help you to get a job by making and keeping contacts to whom at the right moment , you can mention your job search....so, if you get invited and can afford any associated expenses, do go to that barbeque.

 
     photo credit: Chynne Sue Photography via photopin cc

 On the other hand, if you have indeed as is so easy to do when living on a very limited income, got a bit out of touch ,  and the psychological effects of unemployment are well documented, it is very beneficial to make and keep friends, the very fact that you are reading my blog just now suggests that you may have your own PC and therefore have unlimited access to the web. There are a million and one free online ways to widen your horizons and make new friends ...or discover unknown links with the friends you think you know !! Again, to have contacts and interests and have your interests known can help in the job search, but  it is also important for yourself to be able to talk about other things than the Job centre. Not only do you come across as a much more interesting person, but to be able to talk and share with others...and indeed to listen, shows that you still care about other people. They have interests and concerns too and nobody wants to hear about your job search and financial problems at every opportunity you think you get

Some of my favorite web discoveries that I share with friends, both those I know personally and those I have yet to meet  but with whom I have shared a lot of thoughts and experiences and who have enriched my life so much  are  Spotify, where you can listen to loads of music tracks for free that you just might not be able to afford to buy at the moment, and discover also what your friends are listening to. Also of course is the classic original and much loved Youtube.

                                              photo credit: Blixt A. via photopin cc

Another very useful free discovery is free Ebooks.. Although there have been other formats and cheaper Ereaders on the market recently, Kindle still is the most popular, quite possibly because it has the largest market of free books via Amazon. I have downloaded loads of free books on subjects as diverse as writing prompts, blogging, starting a business, freelance writing and .....to change the subject from making a living....novels to read including classics I have missed reading or favorites I read years ago,  new authors and genres I would not have normally noticed.. If it turns out that you are good at writing book reviews you can earn some money doing so.On sites such as Goodreads you can share your reading lists with friends old and new..

                                          photo credit: goXunuReviews via photopin cc

Another site I have mentioned as being great fun, useful and also great for networking and finding people with whom you will share interests is Pinterest   Consider too. Pinterest and your job search  and the surprising ways of how Pinterest can help your job search

                                        photo credit: cambodia4kidsorg via photopin cc

Maybe  take some time over the long weekend to go through your emails and  job alerts and perhaps work on your CV, but don't feel guilty about having a good time ....all work and no play and all that as the saying goes but also that play can actually help your job search.

Staying in the loop ....Top 10 Blogs To Stay Up-to-Date

Top 10 Blogs To Stay Up-to-Date

  One of the difficulties of the Internet is that what starts out with your first computer as a bit of web surfing and finding some surprisingly interesting facts you then want to explore further is that it can only too quickly lead to information overload, especially when you are working or indeed have another full time job...that is looking for a job. This is when a round up of sites which help to keep you  in the loop and aware of developments can be very useful ..I came across Top 10 Blogs To Stay Up-to-Date.

Of course what drew me to the site was the mention of job search and career lists, and I was not disappointed...start with Sites and Blogs  for advice, help and news about job hunting.Hannah Morgan then writes about a few of her favorite things   Top 11 Blogs For Job Search 2012 and  The Best Job Search Websites of 2011  Still very relevant links in 2013.

 Then I found what perhaps will be my favourite 95 People to Follow On Twitter 2013

Not so long ago I wouldn't have thought of Twitter as being a job search resource, let alone the brilliant one it is. Not generally thought of as a woman of few words, I struggled with the image of commentating on anything and everything  in the form of tweets....actually it is brilliant for making indeed brief comments which can then open up further contact with people you connect with..

Hannah then lists herTop 10 Blogs To Stay Up-to-Date.
TedX  took me to a very interesting series of articles What makes us happy? (9 talks)
Keith Ferrazzi ..well it would be a very long list indeed if I mentioned everything he appears to write about, do take a look at the list on his site...Transforming a Negative Relationship initially caught my eye. Not to do with job hunting ?...well, having been in one I do know a lot about the effects a negative relationship can have on your career. On Lifehacker I found the really useful Five Best To-Do List Managers, great for keeping on top of things during your job searching days.

There is lots more too...and a big thank you to Hannah Morgan for putting this together.

Top 10 Blogs To Stay Up-to-Date

by Hannah Morgan on May 12, 2013

Changing your approach..when you keep applying for jobs and nothing happens

The 5 Changes You MUST Make When Recruiters Aren’t Calling

 Job seekers increasingly speak of  sending applications for loads of jobs, amounting to hundreds...and they hear nothing in response. Quite a few of the job boards use software that shows how many applicants there have been for a job when you apply. I have seen this system in use on jobs that I have applied for and 436 applicants is not at all unusual. It can be especially frustrating when you are for financial reasons, desperate to get a job, perhaps to prevent losing your home. ..or indeed you have the government job centre checking your job search record to be sure that you are fulfilling the legal requirement to get unemployment benefit..ie to apply for jobs.A job centre adviser admitted to me recently that for every job I apply for there are hundreds ahead of me.You are applying for job after job but never get an interview.Your search for work isn't working....So what else can you do ? Time to try something else.... 

Here are five changes you must make when recruiters just aren’t calling…

 About the Author: Hannah Morgan is a career sherpa, guiding new job seekers through the treacherous terrain of job search. If you are looking for no-nonsense advice, check out her site Career Sherpa, and follow Hannah on Twitter for the latest job search news and trends!
 


From The Savvy Intern .....not just for interns !!!

99 Top Twitter Resume, Job Search and Career Experts to Follow Now

99 Top Twitter Resume, Job Search and Career Experts to Follow Now

Twitter doesn't always come to m ind as  a job hunting resource..LinkedIn is certainly a professional
community, Facebook can be very much so but is really used more for keeping up with your friends and sharing pictures of your cats, although do not be deceived as to the benefits of Facebook for the job hunter, but Twitter is about commenting in few words on every thought  and what we do through the day !!...or so we think....but  reader do not be deceived.

Never realized the gold mine of resume, job search and career information you can find on Twitter? 

I signed up to follow almost all of the professionals listed and was amazed at how much help and advice is on Twitter for the job hunter ...and how many follows and messages I got from professionals in recruitment and CV writers etc. There are a wealth of  tips and  resources on CV's and resumes., job search social media, and other means of  traditional networking, and interview skills. Sign up and you will make many helpful contacts for your job hunt.

A big thank you to Lisa Rangel of Chameleon Resumes for this excellent site no matter where in the world you live and are conducting your job search.

 

"I'm now too old to do what I've done my whole life."Mary Sironen

"I'm now too old to do what I've done my whole life."Mary Sironen

 Over 50 and Out of Work is an online multimedia project that documents the stories of Americans, age 50-plus, who lost their jobs due to the Great Recession. The project evolved into the award-winning documentary Set for Life.

Underemployment: A no-win struggle for older workers

Underemployment: A no-win struggle for older workers

This is a link to the project Over 50 and Out of Work    an online multimedia project that documents the stories of Americans, age 50-plus, who lost their jobs due to the Great Recession. The project evolved into the award-winning documentary Set for Life. Of coursed, this is an American study however, so  many of the points raised, thoughts expressed and experiences shared are common to all those over 50 and unemployed but needing to get a job wherever they are.

Lazy Sunday Afternoon Eurovision Flavour

The annual Eurovision Song Contest has taken place in Malmo, Sweden, and the UK has once again failed to get anywhere near the top of the leaderboard.....so What next for the UK in Eurovision? 

 Meanwhile....a trip through the years of Eurovision...





And just one opinion.

...


or another..

...


Googling Eurovision winners on Youtube leads to a trip down memory lane through Eurovision both good and.....grim. When I first planned this blog post I imagined a post of my own favorites and then actually discovered that there were far more than I initially remembered and especially in earlier years it has been far from grim, but the songs that seem to stick in peoples mind are unfortunately more to do with effect than talent, and the show is now known to be overshadowed by political allegiances in the voting. Eurovision has become a bit of a joke but this is far from all it is or has been.....

Some good may....can come...my first charity appeal

Just before I set to work on producing another edition of Lazy Sunday Afternoon  this time with a Eurovision song contest theme and which last week was devoted to The Seekers and Judith Durham, now all approaching seventy and celebrating fifty years in show business, who were on tour in their homeland Australia, and planning to come to the UK in the autumn, many of my blog and Facebook readers will know of the sad news that Judith suffered a brain hemorrhage after a concert in Melbourne this week and remains in hospital recovering under the care of her doctors and having tests. The group hope to resume the tour and planned visit to the UK when Judith is recovered. She is reported as being amazed by the  good wishes, prayers and love being sent to  her by her fans.Remembering as I do and have often commented on , her kind message when I set up the blog and featured her as an older person still working and keeping her career in touch with the current generation and updating her skills, although her talent is indeed timeless...see Judith singing her famous hit Georgy Girl, but this time with INXS. I am not the least bit surprised. She also it seems has a sharp wit ,...certainly she is a very modest lady....in fact its both....she thanked me for the attention I had drawn to her career !!!



Judith actually does a great deal of charity work, actively supporting many charities and I suspect is a great believer in trying to bring about any good that can come from a situation. The thousands of messages and the warmth  in them on both her personal and The Seekers Facebook pages show how much her fans  love and are praying for her and to inspire that much love in the world we live in today is a wonderful thing in itself....

I know that I have readers who enjoy my fledgeling blog and are aware that in very difficult circumstances against the odds, I set aside the money to buy a ticket for the concert in Brighton, this and the whole UK tour now of course will have to be reassessed according to Judith's health....I now have my first favour to ask my readers..Judith was reported as having said that she felt she had let her fans down as the tour is postponed and of course the truth is that none of her fans feel that at all. She clearly as  I discovered has a huge depth of kindness and I wondered if my readers who are able to do so and feel moved to do it, might make a donation, no matter how small to suitable charities in their localities which help and support people who have suffered from brain hemorrhage ?. For example in the UK there is  Headway and here is a link to their donations page.

It looks like it is very easy to donate, we can even do it by text. ...I do wish to emphasize that this is a personal appeal and not in any way  at all formally linked to Judith's office, its just my idea. I 'm sure that her staff have quite enough to do at the moment, but I just thought it might be nice for Judith as she works her way through her messages to eventually know that my blog she so kindly encouraged did this for her, and I will let her admin know.  If anyone does donate, maybe they can let me know and I can be sure Judith gets to hear of it eventually.

Thank you so much..and as it is Sunday....here is a little late Sunday afternoon inspiration from Judith...

All change at the Job centre...back to the drawing board ?

The blog has been quiet this week....as my regular followers know this suggests my fortnightly trip to the jobcentre is looming and since they won't give me any financial help to enable me to become self employed and treat the endeavour as a way to avoid getting a job, I have to apply for jobs I have a very good chance of not getting and apply for enough of them to meet my job seekers allowance rules and get job seekers allowance....as an adviser once told me :You are on Job seekers allowance and you have to do as you are told'. Since I was a very well behaved girl I was never spoken to like that at school.

At my last visit two weeks previously I discovered that it is all change at the Job centre and things have come full circle. If like me, you are registered on the Work programme, which usually happens to job seekers allowance claimants after a year , it used to be that you didn't sign on as such every fortnight but had to go to the Job centre between 10am and no later than 3pm and hand in your job search sheet. The sheet went to an office and if it was approved then you got your money the following Monday, as my day to go was Wednesday. However, the last time I went, assuming I just had to pop in and hand over my sheet, I was greeted with 'That has to go upstairs now !!” Well, the form may have to go upstairs but I can only take it with some considerable palaver since I cannot manage the jobcentre stairs and the lift cannot be used by clients unaccompanied, for one thing it is beyond the staff security doors and needs a pass. Before I was put on the work programme and had to sign on in the normal way, the staff firstly, as I could tell with considerable resentment, made a member of staff available to take me upstairs. Eventually I got a disability adviser, and they are on the ground floor.

This sort of situation will affect thousands of people, not just myself, since so many disabled people have been forced by the government to claim Job seekers allowance after losing their sickness and disability benefits and they have to sign on as being available for work. Now of course I am back to square one. The Work programme clearly isn't working and people on it like myself have to sign on as they used to before being put on the programme. However, the Job centre have kept no record of my disabilities, including a heart condition, high blood pressure, arthritis, an ankle held together with pins and a metal plate and partial sight, so I am fit and well and they don't see why I can't go upstairs.

It used to be that when I had to go upstairs I had to have a member of staff go with me as clients were not allowed in the lift on their own, now things have changed and staff members are not allowed under any circumstances to go in the lift with the public in case they are accused I suppose of rape !! So I now have to be put in the lift downstairs and met by another member of staff upstairs. If users of the work programme are now also having to use two lots of resources and sign on as well at the Job centre, it suggests that the work programme isn't working in fact Only 3.5% of people referred to Work Programme find long-term jobs

photo credit: HelenCobain via photopin cc

Telesales Executive

Telesales Executive: Click the link provided to see the complete job description.

 

Writer: Job description | Prospects.ac.uk

Writer: Job description | Prospects.ac.uk


Writer: Job descriptions...a guide to what being a writer can involve and the activities it might encompass...ways to
be a writer...

Trainee Sales Executive Job in Croydon - jobstoday

Trainee Sales Executive Job in Croydon - jobstoday

 Position: Trainee Sales Executive
Location: Croydon, London
Salary: Excellent Basic + Commission

About the Job
Trainee Broker/Junior Sales Executive
Our client is a very well established alternative investment company based in the heart of Croydon. Due to the success of their company and expansion of the business, they are looking for confident, motivated and very target driven individuals to join their team.

Successful candidates will undergo 3 days of intense training, product knowledge and sales skills that will set you apart from leading competitors. You will be speaking with a very high net worth of clientele on a daily basis, introducing the product and not only selling the company and the product but yourself as an individual.

This role requires someone who is looking for a new challenge and to build a successful career within the alternative investment industry. There are many opportunities to grow within the company starting from junior broking moving into senior broking, recruitment, training and team management.

We have positions available for both entry level broking and experienced brokers. 

TELEMARKETER / APPOINTMENT SETTER - HOME BASED Job in South East England

TELEMARKETER / APPOINTMENT SETTER - HOME BASED Job in South East England

 TELEMARKETER / APPOINTMENT SETTER - HOME BASED
PAYING £17K BASIC PLUS COMMISSION £20K OTE UNCAPPED
BASED FROM HOME, UK. NEED OWN PC AND INTERNET CONNECTION AND LANDLINE PHONE ALL CALLS PAID FOR.

ARE YOU A SUCCESSFUL TELEMARKETER / APPOINTMENT SETTER / TELECANVASSER?

DO YOU HAVE AT LEAST 1 YEAR EXPERIENCE IN SETTING APPOINTMENTS FOR FIELD SALES EXECUTIVES?

IF YOU CAN ANSWER YES TO ALL OF THE ABOVE QUESTIONS THEN PLEASE READ ON......

Lazy Sunday Afternoon....Job hunting over 50?: Feeling your age ?? Judith Durham talks about age

Lazy Sunday Afternoon

Job hunting over 50?: Feeling your age ?? Judith Durham talks about age: The wonderful and very inspirational Judith Durham, pianist, jazz singer .... one time front singer with the Seekers , then a solo career and  still  singing at 69 while coping with a lung condition, a legacy  of childhood measles....speaks about age.....saying that she always tells people her age !!..

Some of my blog readers may recall that this link is to an earlier posting in the early days of the blog when I featured Judith Durham of the sixties group The Seekers .Judith has enjoyed a very successful solo career but the group reform quite regularly such as for the 25th anniversary...they are now celebrating 50 years as a group still with their original line up. Currently on tour in their homeland Australia, they will be in the UK between September and October...

 OMG!!! I really almost died, because my heart stopped beating. They are really coming to Europe???

 Oh My,
Maybe there is hope they would do a few cities in the US.






Judith has a fantastic Facebook page and has just posted a lovely message for her fans...have a read ....

 https://www.facebook.com/judithdurhamofficial?ref=stream&hc_location=stream

And lets not leave out the guys too... https://www.facebook.com/TheSeekersOfficial?fref=ts




The lengths fans will go to !!!

The 11 May concert at Newcastle was incredible. I had to keep pinching myself to make sure I was not dreaming. Totally worth flying halfway around the world to see.
I am from Seattle and it was totally worth flying down to see them perform. Judith was fabulous. Still has that incredible voice. I am thinking I will attend one of the Melbourne concerts before flying back stateside.

 I will be attending the concerts on the 22nd and 23rd in Melbourne, the focal point of my first journey to Australia. To say that I am excited is quite an understatement!
Best wishes to all!
USA


...and the second half was even better with a stomping trio version of Louisiana Man, and a stunning solo by Keith on Guarding angel guiding light. The concert mixed performance with big screen video from the past




Last night's Seekers concert was a true delight.

The venue, the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, has a maximum seating capacity of 4000 and give or take a seat, last night's show was sold to capacity.

The show opened with a video montage of clips set to In My Life (which wasn't sung live in the show).  Their opening song was my absolute favourite, Come The Day and that was backed up in very quick succession with World of our Own and I'll Never Find Another You.  There was a beautiful version of When the Stars Begin to Fall and the Water is Wide.  Silver Threads & Golden Needles was done deliciously.  The end of the first act came with a rousing rendition of I Am Australian (plus a reprise) which drove the audience wild.



Judith lifted the roof with a stirring rendition of Olive Tree and Keith took us to the stars and back with a solo version of Guardian Angel/Guiding Light.  You're My Spirit got a look-in, as did Someday Oneday, Walk With Me, Colours of My Life and When Will the Good Apples Fall.  Red Rubber Ball was there, as well as Keep a Dream in Your Pocket, Georgy Girl and Carnival is Over.  Love is Kind, Love is Wine and Myra were performed as well.









The Seekers were absolutely inspirational.  Without wishing to sound ageist I hope, when I'm a septuagenarian, that I have the sort of energy and vitality that we saw last night.  Their voices were clear and crisp, they reached their notes and made us all feel so joyous and happy. 

If you are going along, you'll love the night.  If you are thinking of going, but haven't made up your mind, do not delay. 

 The Seekers UK Tour Dates are as follows

Mon September 16th 2013 - Gateshead, Sage
Wed September 18th 2013 - Royal Concert Hall, Glasgow
Fri September 20th 2013 - Bridgewater Hall, Manchester
Mon September 23rd 2013 - Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool
Wed September 25th 2013 - Royal Centre, Nottingham
Fri September 27th 2013 - BIC, Bournemouth
Sun September 29th 2013 - Royal Albert Hall, London
Tue October 1st 2013 - Centre, Brighton
Fri October 4th 2013 - Symphony Hall, Birmingham
Sun October 6th 2013 - St Davids Hall, Cardiff
Tue October 8th 2013 - Waterfront, Belfast

 http://www.stereoboard.com/the-seekers-tickets

It's intermission in Brisbane and let me tell you folks, this is a superb show. The Seekers are in brilliant voice


I've just had a look at Judith's revamped website. What a great showcase for her!

Judith does indeed have a new website..in fact it had so many hits it was down for a few days as it run out of bandwidth !!!..Take a tour if its open !! http://judithdurham.com/

Dear Valerie,

Judith thanks you so much for everything you have done to draw attention to her career.  It means a lot to her and she admires your attitude of getting up there and really doing something.  Congratulations!  She sends you her love.

With kind regards,
Michele Morris
for Judith Durham
www.judithdurham.com

Dear Judith, I hardly expect you to remember when you are so busy but I was so touched and grateful when you were so encouraging about my blog for helping people like myself ( and you ) who are older and with disabilities and health problems but who are adapting their careers and still working or indeed like so many since the cuts to welfare in the UK having to look for work..I featured you on my blog !! My friends were amazed when having had to put off the chance to see you at every opportunity over the years due to finances, a very difficult marriage etc etc...I announced that I was going and had booked the best and cheapest ticket I could find ..in Brighton !!! I like so many others always felt as a child and growing up that Georgy Girl was me from the days when I was a dowdy over protected girl with an artificial eye having lost an eye to cancer as a small child...it reminded me of all I could be...the past years have been clouded with the effects of domestic violence and going to Brighton to see you all will be the first time I have been there since the day after my wedding when I already knew I had made the biggest mistake of my life...once again your music will be healing and inspiration...I like so many others am a real life Georgy Girl. ..though these days I also lay claim to Red Rubber ball !!! Take care, have a wonderful tour and thank you so so much for deciding to make the journey to the UK...see you in Brighton !! Valerie

Something for the weekend..free or cheap ways to have fun

29 Ways to Stay Creative infographic

Career Advice: 10 important Twitter career resources

Career Advice: 10 important Twitter career resources
 This article is reproduced from an excellent blog, part of a series written by Benta who has put together several career related blogs.
 http://www.blogger.com/profile/02610592951726664698

•  Work Place  Contains information and valuable tips about work place issues.

• Resume Monster  This blog contain tips and guidelines about how to write a resume and cover letter.

• Jobs Monster  Looking for a new job Get advice or search over millions of jobs at internet., Set alerts to be first in line and have new jobs emailed to you!

•  Career Advice..This blog, Career Advice,  is about tips and advice on how to get job, how to prepare for interview questions and many more..

  Other articles which stand out are...How to use your friends to get a job

 Ten Things That Scream Don't Hire Me ! 

6 Red Flags Employers See in Your Job History

6 Career Moves for Older Workers

 Benta's other sites include Resume Monster and  Jobs Monster

 and  for work place issues when you have a job at last go toWork Place

 Benta's sites are a wonderful one stop shop for all things career related !!!

Copyright (c) 123RF Stock Photos

                                                    

 

Doctor's Warn of The Hidden Costs of Welfare Reform

Doctor's Warn of The Hidden Costs of Welfare Reform

A letter written by Scottish Ministers to Iain Duncan Smith reveals one of the often overlooked consequences of the savage cuts to social security.

Disabled To Lose £3,000 In Benefits

Disabled To Lose £3,000 In Benefits

Disabled To Lose £3,000 In Benefits

May 7th, 2013 | By wns_admin | Category: All, Featured, Morning Star

Home >> Disabled To Lose £3,000 In Benefits

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This article written by Rory MacKinnon was first published by the Morning Star on 7 May 2013.