h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Well the Job Centre are still being awkward about me being an h2g2 Sub-ed. Now I've got some forms to fill in as to how many hours and minutes I do each day. Trouble is they were backdated three weeks and I had to tell them I have no idea which days I did stuff. So I've written out a thing saying that I definitely didn't do more than 6 hours a week (the limit's 16).

What's annoyed me is that the woman I spoke to last week wrote on the computer that I was "vague" about whether or not I got paid, which is a total lie - I'm sure you all know that we Subs do it for the fun of it and because we want to help make the guide better. She shouted over to the guy I who was dealing with me this week to tell him not to read stuff out loud like that.

Anyway, in happier news I found an employment agency that might actually be helpful - I registered online, and it told me to go into the office, where they gave me some tests to do (an improvement on most agencies, who seem to take my CV and sound unenthusiastic). They've put me forward for two jobs and they'll let me know tomorrow.

with that.

*swallows immediate reaction*

No such thing as a helpful employment agency. You're best off striking out alone.

B

Good luck with the job hunt. I'm keeping my fingers crossed and would cross my toes if I could manage it.

I managed to get my toes crossed for a minute there, so I think we have you covered.

If you are filling in a back dated form about work that you weren't paid for, are they going to be able to check it? Why not just make something up on the spot, and don't blurt out that you can't remember three weeks ago.

Really, sometimes I can't remember yesterday, I don't know what I'd do if someone came up to me and required my alibi for three weeks ago. For sure I'd be the main suspect for the murder.

Urgh. Bagpuss, some people really are ridiculous, and I think you've found a particularly extreme example there. Good luck with getting them to realise that we really don't get paid to do this stuff, and that the endless form-filling is surely costing them money...

Baggers, my place are looking for graduates; all sorts of graduates in all sorts of areas. Email me and I'll get some stuff together for you tomorrow about it. I can't do it today because I'm away from my PC today.

B

Bless you Ben

Bagpuss - I am remembering something similar which occurred when my second daughter was still at home. She was on job-seekers allowance but took a Sunday job at the driving school shop on the next block. For 8 hours she was offered a driving lesson voucher - worth £13. When she declared this at her next interview, they docked her dole money by £13, backdated to when she started the job, even though when I found out I complained.

This forced her to give up the job, because she couldn't afford to live.

It's true there's no way they can check on me subbing. Even if the Beeb keep records, which I doubt, they'd only show when things were updated, they wouldn't show whether I'd spent the half hour between updates reading through the entry or watching the Simpsons. Still, I wouldn't want to put down stuff that's not true and then sign it.

MB - I don't rely on agencies myself, generally I've found them to be a bit of a pain for no gain, but these guys seem to have got me something. I have to go see the company I'd be working for on Monday for a quick interview - as the agency says this is unusual, but I gather that unless I really put them off they'll take me.

I've also got a letter through today inviting me to another interview to be a library shelving assistant. I'll see what happens on Monday before responding.

Ben - You're in banking aren't you? This is kind of you, but my aim is to get into publishing. The temping stuff should count as good experience.

GB - That's a pain. You'd think they'd be able to differentiate between the big companies that dodge taxes by paying staff bonuses in wine and a business that wants to help out young people by paying in kind.

Ben's a teacher - or at least that's the last I've heard.
I'll keep my fingers crossed for you

Bagpuss, I would think that a job that involves writing and editing would be a good start even if it isn't strictly in publishing.

Have you considered applying at the local newspapers or regional magazines?

Am I getting Ben mixed up with someone else?

Hyp - I've watched out for posts advertised, but I've only contacted book publishers on my own initiative. You're right, that would be good experience, but so is admin work, since that's a large part of what an Editorial Assistant would do.

I've just realised I said backdated three weeks. Actually it was three fortnights, that being how often I sign on.

No, my bad - I mixed her up with Ben (MB)- sorry fo´r the confusion.

Don't worry about it; I'm just glad it's not me going crazy for once.

B'El, you know why Master B doesn't have 'Ben' in his nickname? It is because a girl called Ben got there first

Bagpuss, have fun with the temping. I learned an important lesson when temping - don't work too hard. I rocked up to a job that was supposed to be two days long. They gave me a task and I worked out the most efficient way to do it, and got it finished by lunchtime on the first day, at which point they sent me home. As the agency thought I wouldn't be available the next day they hadn't got anything for me so I lost out on a day and a half's pay Expand work to fill the time available

Poor Kelli. You'd think they'd have been impressed by your work rate and asked you back. Anyhow, that shouldn't happen to me because the job's meant to last months.

Wait... can we backtrack? I'm confused about something.

What has subbing for h2g2 to do with the Job Centre and/or an unemployment claim? Why is it any of their business and why would it have been mentioned to them, it being something one does in one's spare time, when one has any, as a volunteer and for no remuneration?

That is a very good question. Why tell them at all, if it is volunteer? Unless you were using it as experience

>>Unless you were using it as experience<< I guess that's exactly the point, using it as reference to what he has done for quite some time now, because most bosses will ask for experience in the field.

I will cross my roads and my purposes and my stitches to help you, Bagpuss.