Today I encountered everyone’s favourite stereotype of a jobseeker. The stereotype being that Jobseekers are lazy, couldn’t care less about finding a job, and admit they enjoy living off benefits. I do wonder why people confide in me or just randomly start talking to me on a bus. Is it something about my face? Do I look like the sort of person others can just start talking to? I don’t mind in a way, it’s nice but sometimes there are things strangers say to me I’d rather not hear.
I was sitting on the ‘oh so lovely’ sofas (if you would call them that) at the jobcentre, waiting to see my advisor (I hate that word as they don’t advise anything, but instead just spew negativity) when the woman sitting next to me started mumbling. I tried to think nothing of it but she then turned to me and said “This place is a joke” I had to agree with her and said “Yep, they never seem to be able to see you on time” Which is what I find most annoying about going to jobcentre. They go on and on about “Don’t be late or I won’t see you” I turn up very early as there is always a queue for the one evaluator as the other one is always out-of-order. There was about five security guards gesturing to the stairs…I’m on the sixth floor and I’m pregnant. I think I will be ok waiting for the lift. Yes you have permission to call me lazy because of that. But I allow time for this, even the waiting once I get to the sixth floor, yet they still have a dig about time. As I was saying, the woman next to me started talking to me, she started pointing out advisors who were alright and others who she hated like one woman’s voice reminded her of someone strangling a cat. She then openly admitted to me that she doesn’t actively seek work and has been on benefits for years. I wanted to shout “Dear god why would you want to put yourself through this for so long?” It’s my third week and I already hate it. She noticed that I was clutching my jobseekers work book which is were I record jobs I have applied to in. You can do it online through their site but I’m a writer and prefer to do it on paper, I do a bit online but not all of it. She asked if I actually used it and I replied “Yeah, don’t you?” she laughed and thought I was funny, she said she’s never used hers. How the hell is she getting money for not looking for work? I actually do look for work every day, what else do I have to do? I go online, go on the job sites, and apply to the jobs I like or can do and hope for the best. I take about an hour a day to do it, sometimes more depending on the job and what they want in order for me to apply. But I do work to earn my jobseekers, you may not see it as work but that’s your opinion. I tailor every cover letter, make sure my CV is perfect and keep positive which is exhausting. I couldn’t believe that I had someone sitting next to me, telling me that they don’t do any of this… And the cheeky cow still gets money! The system is so messed up. It’s not going to stop me though, I am still going to look for work, I refuse to give up and become a stereotypical jobseeker. Why do strangers tell me things I don’t want to know or hear? I should just walk around with my panda earmuffs on to avoid this.
Wow that got me really angry; I’m going to watch some cute cat videos on Youtube to calm me down. Here’s a photo of a cat for you to enjoy if you’re as mad as me right now.
Bunny’s Pause 