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

Good luck with everything, Bel. You could always do freelance stuff where no qualifications are expected. Volkshochschulen don't ask for written qualifications. You could teach English for beginners or German as a foreign language.

My experience of the Arbeitsamt was that they were only interested in giving you money and giving you all the forms to fill in to make sure you got all you were entitled to. You had to be very careful to remember to tell them if you were going away, even if it was only for a couple of days, as this could jeopardise your entitlements.

Finding jobs for people was a side line, not taken very seriously and done very half-heartedly. You had to do all the work yourself, and find suitable jobs on their websites.

Good luck with all that, Bel- I hope you will find a new position which pays well enough to be worthwhile. It's good that training is available to help you and other people who don't have the little pieces of paper that employers always want (though sometimes I can't figure out what for).

I sympathize with your situation a lot; K was let go from his job this Monday (after months of 14-hour days and weekends, handling two workloads). And of course it was the day after we submited a purchase agreement for a house we found and really liked.

Bel, I wish you the very best and I'll bring some info that my work have provided me with, which includes interview techniques etc.

I hope you get something suitable soon. Keep sending the updates.



MMF

The very best of Bel, you never know what's round the corner and you have more skills than many out of work people. I am sure someone will recognise what a treasure they could employ

Certainly the translation idea sounds brilliant. Perhaps there are freelance opportunities in it?



Websailor

Dear..I wish I could provide you with a bit of helpful advice..some kind of wisdom that could turn the tide you're in.

Alas..I think perhaps all I can do is offer my best wishes for something resembling a humane outcome for your troubles, and great strength for searching for such an outcome...

look on the bright side....if you don't get a job you could always become a social leach and suck the life out of the country,......have you considered politics

Good luck, you

Good luck with all this.

Many years ago, I was out of work and looked into retraining via the Ontario Manpower office (the Unemployment Office). They said "Oh, we have thousands of jobs we will retrain you for! Just have a look through this book and pick a few jobs you'd like to retrain for and we'll set you up!"

I was directed to this huge volume chock-a-block full of jobs. Basically, it was a list of the top 1000 jobs for which they were unable to find workers to fill. 998 of the jobs were either stevedore, high-steel welder, or long-distance truck driver. Since I had no interest working on the docks and have a troublesome back, stevedore was out. I am terrified of heights so high-steel ANYTHING was out. I had no license and didn't like the idea of long-haul driving.

That left two jobs which I really should have demanded they train me for.... Ballet dancer and opera singer.... I SWEAR!

Since I was somewhat avoir du poids and can't sing a note, I can just imagine the reaction if I DEMANDED training in either one of the jobs!

What really irritated me was that there were plenty of jobs advertised which if I had training I would have really enjoyed but Manpower would only train for the really "in demand" jobs. So, it didn't matter that someone in town would have hired me as a pastry cook because I have the desire, aptitude, and love to cook and only needed some specialized training, Mnapower wouldn't train me.

Now that's quite a tale!!
Next time I'm not getting enouh work, I"ll try asking to be trained as a ballerina.

Hey, B'El.

Good luck Bel! I'm glad they're being helpful.

Once upon a time, an employment service tried to refer me to a job that required:

Willingness to travel (but of course)
Ability to speak Mandarin (well, I used to be able to do this, but it's a bit rusty now) and...
Five years' experience in preparing shark fin soup.

Two out of three ain't bad, I suppose.

not back reading all, but just to wish you well for future prospects Bel

Thanks, everybody.

I've just gone to the job website of the job office, and one of the positions advertised here reqires:

§ 34a Sachkundeprüfung

I have no idea what that is. I'll have to google to find out.

Goes without saying but I'll say it anyway, with the job hunting and/or retraining.

Bel:
As for applications - ask the Arbeitsamt to pay a course for that....

As for Translator - try with the VHS (same as Adult Education Center), and try to get into their final class (in Düsseldorf they offer a course that leads to the translation exam at the IHK...

Thanks, matodemi. I don't think I'd want to be a translator. That was a dream of my youth.

oh, I do understand that. But what could be of advantage: try to get someone giving you a reference about your English (something official looking). A lot of companies ask for good English, and rely on papers instead of simply testing it during the interview (in that case you needn't worry, only that your English might be better than that of the tester....)

Good thinking there, Tina.

My son has taken my PC into work to investigate why it is so slow.

I'm currently at his PC, and he just checked in. He can access his PC from wherever else he is on a PC. For a second, I wondered why the arrow suddenly went all over the screen, then I realised. I told him to bring some pizza when he comes home.

"You all know that I've been made redundant..."

Err... no, I didn't. Sorry to hear that and good luck, Bel

Now you kmnow.

Thanks, Alex.