I am still steadily applying for jobs, filling in applications and so on. Maybe it is my own paranoia but I wonder if I am employable? Forever languishing on the dole. Is my name on a list somewhere saying, “Don’t employ EVER”…?!!!! But of course there’s an economic crisis and thousands of people are chasing too few jobs where employers can be fussy and inflexible. I mean, some of the job descriptions for some jobs are literally…how shall I phrase this? Taking the piss. Employers now people are desperate for a wage so I am sure they are increasing tasks at a lousy rate of pay. And don’t start me on the person specification… one organisation (who will remain anonymous though they claim to champion of the rights of people labelled with mental distress) had one surreal question I couldn’t make head nor tail of (asked others who too couldn’t make head nor tail of it either) and what was funny (ha ha) is the question above asked:
Excellent communication skills – verbal and written
Shame about the author of the person spec where conveying easy-to-understand and unvarnished language must have been an arduous task so “management speak” was written instead. ‘Afraid it doesn’t exist in my lexicon.
Another thing I mull over while reading these job descriptions/person specs is a lot of this “management speak” hides a multitude of sins. And I certainly wonder whether I should be choosy as it gets depressing jumping into one job out of sheer desperation and discovering the painful realities. Frankly potential employees should be able to create their own job applications passing them onto potential employers (“How people have left your department in the last year”? “What’s the interaction between staff like”? “What’s your bullying policy”? “Do you recognise trade unions”? How many industrial tribunals have you had”? “How many claims re discrimination and bullying”… Oh, and Mr/Ms Boss NO lying on the forms).
What I also ponder about is whether there is such a thing as a good manager? I don’t think I have experienced one over the last 20-odd years. Do they exist? Or have I been very unlucky? Or are they rare as hens teeth? So I have devised a quick poll (see below). It closes in a week. If you have experienced a good boss then well done and if you haven’t….then join me in commiserations.
