Going to be a grumpy summer

Myranda

Thankfully I've paid my phone bill till the end of the month, so at least calling agencies and emailing my CV should still be possible at least till July.

If I'd known the exact date I'd be back I might have been able to arrange work at my former employer (and I'll still try speaking to them)... I think that's the bit I'm grumpiest about... had I a firm date I could have been arranging work for quite some time... would be much less worried about the coming weeks

Sambostar

Go gardening or something if you are desperate, unless you aren't man enough.

Myranda

So.

I'm back at home. Internet is in deed cut off. Mother doing her best to avoid all conversations that involve the £300 she hasn't paid me.

Spoke to me old employer and they said they'd be happy for me to come back, so all I need do was sign up with the employment agency and they'd see me soon.

Signed up with them... they then took a week to tell me that someone at HR at the previous employer had veto'd my coming back - found out on Friday afternoon, too late to make up for the week of not looking for work.

This weekend my mobile bill came due and by mobile phone cut off.

Now I have virtually no money, no internet at home, no mobile internet/phone and no job yet.

How do I find a job without the basic communication that is expected in the modern world? I'm restricted to jobs I can walk to as I can't afford public transport for even the minimum amount of time I'd need to work before being paid, I can't phone agencies to arrange appointments, and when the library isn't open (like Sunday's) I have to loiter somewhere with wifi - in this case a pub with some expensive lemonade I'm drinking very slowly.

Oh, and because I'm a full time student I'm not allowed to get ANY form of benefits while I search for work that could go to paying the phone bill (£45!) or train fare for a couple of weeks... 

I was right - this will be a VERY grumpy summer

Myranda

Addendum - I probably shouldn't have picked a pub to get free WiFi from... so many nice food smells, I could currently eat two horses...

Iamnobody

I think you need to have a chat with your Mum about the £300...

Myranda

Iamnobody said:

I think you need to have a chat with your Mum about the £300...

It would be an idea - but she's been walking around with an abscess the size of a tennis ball in her mouth for more than a week because she can't afford to see a dentist...  

If pain wont compel her to pay the £40ish for a dentist I think I'm out of luck on that one

digitalscream

On the travel issue...why not see if anyone you know can lend you a pushbike? Or have a look at Freecycle in your area and see if anybody's chucking one out?

It doesn't solve all your problems, but it will at least extend your practical range a bit in terms of finding work.

Just remember - take plenty of anti-perspirant with you. Don't be that person.

Babones

Alice Cooper says, look for a girl with a job and a car.

guitargeek62

Where are you based? I have a bike that's not getting used.

speshul91

As do I. Lets get myranda mobile guys.

RobDavies

Myranda said:

Where do you live that a bus costs £8 a week?! The shortest cheapest trip a bus locally can do that's worth getting a bus for and not walking is £20 a week as a saver. And that's to a village with virtually nothing in it, let alone somewhere to work. Train to the next town is £35 a week.

I live in Southampton and the weekly bus pass is £14.00.   Seriously, where are you in the country because I'm sure there are people that will help if you let them know where you're based...?

What reason did your employer give for the HR 'u-turn'?

joeyowen

If it helps at all, my first job after Uni was a 40 minute walk to the bus, and 60 mins on the bus!  All for shite work and minimum pay.  A few years down the line, I'm doing alright, but I had to get the shit stuff out of the way first!

You are allowed to be a whiney fucker right now, and don't listen to people bitching about your bitching. But, don't let it get in the way, find some solutions not problems (easier said than done )

Myranda

RobDavies said:

Myranda said:

Where do you live that a bus costs £8 a week?! The shortest cheapest trip a bus locally can do that's worth getting a bus for and not walking is £20 a week as a saver. And that's to a village with virtually nothing in it, let alone somewhere to work. Train to the next town is £35 a week.

I live in Southampton and the weekly bus pass is £14.00.   Seriously, where are you in the country because I'm sure there are people that will help if you let them know where you're based...?

What reason did your employer give for the HR 'u-turn'?

I live in Sussex. The bus to nearby villages is about £15 I think but I'm yet to see a single job advertised at the places those busses go to (will keep looking, and every day I pop to the library)

HR gave no reason - have asked the agency to pester them when they're next in, and asked my old line manager to ask and possibly encourage them to change their minds... people who I never worked with have veto'd my return after managers I worked for directly were all happy for me to return, which feels odd... so lets see if nagging can get me some answers.

joeyowen said:

If it helps at all, my first job after Uni was a 40 minute walk to the bus, and 60 mins on the bus!  All for shite work and minimum pay.  A few years down the line, I'm doing alright, but I had to get the shit stuff out of the way first!

You are allowed to be a whiney fucker right now, and don't listen to people bitching about your bitching. But, don't let it get in the way, find some solutions not problems (easier said than done )

Thankfully the uni has some very close ties with a handful of the sort of employers who have been demanding universities offer the course I'm on... so fingers crossed, when I get my degree I should have fewer problems... maybe

Myranda

digitalscream said:

On the travel issue...why not see if anyone you know can lend you a pushbike? Or have a look at Freecycle in your area and see if anybody's chucking one out?

It doesn't solve all your problems, but it will at least extend your practical range a bit in terms of finding work.

Just remember - take plenty of anti-perspirant with you. Don't be that person.

I may have a line on a bike - a friend that hardly uses theirs... (is covered in dust!) then I just need to make sure the bargain toiletries shop has something that doesn't smell like paint stripper and I'm sorted for some journeys. 

Babones said:

Alice Cooper says, look for a girl with a job and a car.

... and a house. With cable.

Myranda

Well, it's not going to pay for a holiday in the Bahamas, but, I've got a day's work. 15:00 to 23:00 kitchen porting... nothing fancy, but £57.60 before tax means I should be able to pay my phone bill pretty soon... which should make getting more work easier.

Alnico

You won't pay tax on that amount.

Well done.

blueskunk

Real world. Welcome.

speshul91

I've had a couple of job offers from similar situations one being my current job fingers crossed for you.

Jalapeno

Myranda said:

Well, it's not going to pay for a holiday in the Bahamas, but, I've got a day's work. 15:00 to 23:00 kitchen porting... nothing fancy, but £57.60 before tax means I should be able to pay my phone bill pretty soon... which should make getting more work easier.

Grafting ! Go Girl !  Let's hear no more whingeing comments.

Myranda

Fudging fudge fudgers!!! KP work in a kitchen with no air con is horridly horrid from horridsville. Pretty sure I melted and died... twice. Also my hair decided to take all the humidity it could find to go *poof*

blueskunk said:

Real world. Welcome.

Psst. Unlike a lot of uni students I've done the real world already - why do you think I left for uni?!