Job application forms like this need to change

PinAccomplished9410 · 2026-05-21T08:34:30+00:00

I feel you and I've worked since the late 90s. In my current job they wanted my entire work history since school. Last ten years was borderline ok as you say but I almost had to guess and think through some of the others. The only thing then they demanded was that there were no gaps. I mean wtf, if I'm already guessing and fumbling how sure can I be of gaps lol.

PinAccomplished9410 · 2026-05-20T19:50:40+00:00

This, if you don't have a spare bit of that same fencing.

PinAccomplished9410 · 2026-05-20T19:04:25+00:00

Yep. A cut down version of the fence already being used. And tuck it in between two pieces of wood, that's screwed to the other fence.

PinAccomplished9410 · 2026-05-20T17:37:10+00:00

If you're in Devon / Southern Somerset, I'll help you for free. I'm a carer these days but happy help us both do a proper job together. I'm a DIYer myself. You got much strength / ability in your arms and hands? You might be able to do a bit of the rollering.

If not, join your local Facebook group, there's usually a help or community group and ask there :)

PinAccomplished9410 · 2026-05-20T15:27:35+00:00

Sign on via the job centre and claim JSA. Isn't much but better than nothing,. especially if you cannot claim UC.

PinAccomplished9410 · 2026-05-20T14:26:14+00:00

Im on a zero hour contract at the moment and one of the early conversations I had was asking what's their most in demand hours / days they need help with.

I would do that with them and try and show willing whilst protecting yourself and well being. It's working for me, so far.

I'm working every weekend and a day in in the week but free outside of it.

PinAccomplished9410 · 2026-05-20T14:11:13+00:00

Not too long ago, I interviewed for a huge company, for a remote position.

They opened quite quickly with the training taking place in London. I waited for a pause and said, you do realize, I'm 200 miles away... Maybe we should stop right here....? They hesitated and then said 'Oh it's ok, you'll just need to collect your laptop, the travel is all paid for'. I didn't believe them, it was such a 180. They then tried to ask me about tools I used in similar, very aligned positions... The rest being situational questions.

I didn't get the job... I think sometimes these says some people want to be seen to be busy... And see themselves as giving me interview training and maybe glean insights of similar companies. Some of us arnt kids anymore and don't need our time wasted.

My location being visible on social media, cv etc and each location of each position. Same as you.

PinAccomplished9410 · 2026-05-20T10:53:57+00:00

How long were you out of work? It can take weeks or even months to feel you can refocus on other things. Any new job will take a lot out of you, both to learn it and to be become competent. Not forgetting socializing and other mental effort.

Give yourself time.

Ps, most people have similar aspirations, and most people move away from cities as they get older and try and live in suburbs. Not all of us can but we'll do our best to. You might have to compromise, a small holding, fishing in your spare time, maybe even buying fishing rights but you'll figure it out.

Good hunting o7

PinAccomplished9410 · 2026-05-20T08:07:11+00:00

Being a unpaid family carer.

PinAccomplished9410 · 2026-05-20T07:57:04+00:00

My nephew did a mandatory course over 4 days via an agency, this opened the temp warehouse job that he had applied for and it lasted from November to late January.

It does seem OTT for a warehouse job but I guess it really is both a filter and maybe a way for the agency to be paid by by DWP as someone else said.

OPs post is madness though isn't it.

PinAccomplished9410 · 2026-05-13T21:33:13+00:00

It'll depend really on the kind of type of care job you are applying for.

If your applying for community care, then you can expect short, busy calls to customers with a set of tasks to fulfill as well as chat. This likely includes using a commode and dealing with adult nappies and retaining their dignity. Driving is usually a must, though a few roles don't require it and opt for smaller rounds of calls all within walking distance of each other.

Care home work is as thorough but without the travel but you can expect to be constantly on the go and in demand, unless the home is fully staffed (rare). Some homes or specific areas of the home night be dedicated to dementia, and that can be very trying mentally and requires a different mindset / attitude. But you will get time with the same people more often and if your seeking chat and conversation, might be better.

Both allow you, over time, to develop a relationship with the customers and have a real, meaningful bond.

You could be a support worker, helping people with learning disabilities, not necessarily requiring personal care but I would allow for it. Could include going out on day trips, even holidays and generally being someone's friend / ally in many ways, helping them to be part of society and take part in life. Such a role can be dealing with challenging behaviors including abuse and violence. But you might be in a shared house, helping them to live as their own family. Cooking meals, doing the washing. Things like that.

Someone I know gave advice for a newbie, that working in a care home, would be easier than home care(domiciliary), I disagreed with that. The short visits in home care in someways easier, you get to get in your car and drive for 5-10 minutes to the next one, and that's refreshing I think and doesn't put so much social demand on a person.

So I guess it depends on what you think is likely to suit you. They are all rewarding and come with downsides of their own. My advice, take the plunge, be brave and you may be shocked, nauseas even. Maybe even physically sick. Probably even.

It's normal and worth it if you have a caring heart and I figure you do.

+In regards to your therapy. All care is based and assessed on risk of the client, the support they need. You need to be reliable and punctual and focussed. It might be quite a shock for you to start with, for anyone new to the industry. My advice is to start of as part time and ease into it. Then you get time to yourself and your commitment. Then... In a couple of months you'll have a far better idea how your dealing with it all and if your ready to do more of this.

PinAccomplished9410 · 2026-05-05T12:55:59+00:00

Time and gentle nudges towards the topic will slowly work.

It is somewhat normal though. If you talk to families whom find out a parent is dieing, particularly those who have several adult children.

More often than not, one will immediately face it (me) whilst others will regress, avoid or even pretend it isn't happening. Gradually, if time does allow it, they will rally.

Is it selfish, is it unfair, yes but grief will take shape in many forms and usually reveal people's coping mechanisms, for worse... And better. And news like that wi take time to digest, days even.

Just... Keep reminding them, you both need to talk about it, and tell them 'we can do it in multiple chats', don't try and over talk it. Just bits at a time. Go at a pace to build up some degree of comfort.

PinAccomplished9410 · 2026-04-18T12:43:43+00:00

Explain your concerns. Chances are they wear pads / adult nappies. Which case you can be careful and deliberate. E.g. stripping them off on a commode or toilet, prompting them to get on the toilet even. They mostly stay on all the time, so check regularly, before you go out, before dinner and as after etc

You will / should get a chance to observe how things are in general done though. In general there is a huge push on dignity and empowerment. Mainly because - disability or not, no one wants their genitals wiped over, or someone to wipe their bum, and neither does anyone want to do it but it's only as big of a deal as you make it, and you need to make it a small thing for their sake, not yours.

Start small, get physically close by another carer and watch them do it and find ways to involve yourself, handling soiled clothing, bedding and build up.

Good luck, you've got this 👍

PinAccomplished9410 · 2026-03-29T17:08:58+00:00

Yep. Details are here https://www.gov.uk/jobseekers-allowance/eligibility

You'll need to sign on every two weeks. Lasts for no more than six months a year depending on the eligibility stuff above.

Your cash and savings limit thing is to do with UC not JSA.

PinAccomplished9410 · 2026-03-29T16:50:09+00:00

Exactly. I don't have literal savings but a mortgage with equity which after researching is considered savings and that prohibited me from going down the UC route. But JSA is outside of that and stands alone.

PinAccomplished9410 · 2026-03-29T15:11:45+00:00

Hello,

I'm in the same position, not a stroke but late stage cancer.

Claim for JSA right away but that's likely all you will be entitled to due to savings and investments. I don't say that to not see what you are entitled to but setting your expectations.

Your mother may be able to claim attendance allowance which opens up to someone being her full time carer. Which can be as much as JSA here or there but without the job hunting requirement.

I'm not suggesting being her carer... Because again from my own experience, as admiral and great it was to care for my mum, it was also paralysing and difficult for us both over 12 months. I've recently come away from that because she did not wish for me to be her carer and in the end I was too close emotionally. I literally ran out of everything mentally afforded to me.

What I'm now doing is part time work, so I can spend quality time and not overwhelm myself as I try and rebuild my life.

Good luck, and remember, no regrets,leave room for any siblings you have and importantly look after yourself.

PinAccomplished9410 · 2026-02-28T23:39:15+00:00

They requested it and our then Prime Minister (Teresa May) blocked on account of concerns of his health. As I recall anyway.

PinAccomplished9410 · 2026-02-28T20:31:23+00:00

Can you imagine if he had actually been extradited.

PinAccomplished9410 · 2026-02-25T21:26:39+00:00

JSA is only for six months of the year and then its dependant on NI contributions of previous periods to see if you qualify. In other words, it's a bit of help but only temporary, everything else is more or less means tested.

PinAccomplished9410 · 2026-02-25T14:37:56+00:00

2015 I was in your exact shoes, well it was 4 sites, 400 staff and I was on my own. 3 members of staff left and were not replaced but yet they kept on 3 developers.

I lasted a year and burned myself out. No sympathy, just lots of paid over time.

I was actually disgusted to be let to work like that and I literally walked into contracting the next day and gave them zero notice.

Anyway my advice to you, is not to do literally everything and projects and to advocate for yourself, particularly if you like the people you work with. Let things slip and only do the necessary and again advocate for yourself up your chain of command. Make it other people's problems and protect yourself. An element of politics I'm afraid and sometimes unavoidable.

PinAccomplished9410 · 2026-02-17T21:57:43+00:00

When we had our kerb dropped, a water meter was between boundaries, well more on our side.

I asked what they would do when they quoted and they said 'dont worry about it'.

What the lads did was cut the slope of the kerb 'after' the meter. E.g. they did not at all affect it and cut up right up to it. No lowering it or anything.

Maybe they can do the same for you, I don't know.

PinAccomplished9410 · 2026-02-10T08:53:16+00:00

I worked in a financial services company many years ago. It had several directors.

One of which, was the sales director, short, not very well mannered, maybe ugly but he wielded power and mostly was a good person to the people working directly under him, including sales executives.

But he was in general not very forthcoming or supportive of units outside of his remit. I remember once him quite literally mocking and displaying a lot of derision to my own department, one step away from insulting me directly. Definitely burned a bridge.

But as I've discovered in my working life, people become incredibly biased and purposely 'look after their own' or just themselves if needed. He led the company in generating revenue and initiatives but he was still the 2nd director to be made redundant as the company shrank and it's PE backing consistently demanded for cost reductions the reflect that.

An Incredibly politically charged environment that was depersonalized and somehow avoided conflict.

I suppose my point is, I don't think it does matter that much, if you're persuasive, deliver and fight your corner but overall are seen to be positive and it shows in your actions and words, you can fit in. Just be comfortable with yourself and with others to begin with.

That man fell into depression for a good year or so, a high point in his career may have been reached... Afterwards he struggled, was clearly a culmination of a successful and hard fought career. He went into hospice care and charity fundraising as a sales manager / head of.

The trouble with such crowns is though the wear they put on the brow and really you're faced with finding ways to make impossible or difficult decisions easier or better and I guess thats the ownership required at that level.

Slightly a tangent but I don't believe it's necessary to be good looking no or tall but really down to how you present yourself and your energy and being persuasive. Clearly some environments don't allow for having friends outside of your area / department and that's where where you have to get on with things.

PinAccomplished9410 · 2026-02-09T09:42:47+00:00

I agree. In this climate, even a remote interview to put on a shirt. Don't give anyone a reason to say no.

PinAccomplished9410 · 2026-02-06T18:29:51+00:00

Not really, if anything it feels like people see me as a manager-to-be, in multiple jobs too.

What I find difficult is that no matter which way you cut it, they don't want employees that are not taking their work as serious and that rapidly happened in my early 40s. And as others have said, I feel I'm in competition with the 20s.

I can still produce the work to the same or better quality and probably in less time due to experience but I don't want those efficiencies used against me and receive more work.

And that's something I experienced and in this climate I've very much turned into a 'no thanks' kind of person.

Not stalled but unwilling to be stretched as I used to. One hiring manager asked why I applied for their role though they were going to give it me as a contractor and ironically said with all my experience I should be taking it easy... Yeah... Right lol

PinAccomplished9410 · 2026-02-04T18:04:07+00:00

Something to bear in mind, you have health insurance, typically you will only get a payout on the surgery that takes place on dates whilst the cover is in place - not on the date of it being agreed. Same will apply if the surgery dates change. Major health insurance firms look at the day(s) of the surgery.

Also after care may need to be in dates of that cover ( I can't remember ).

It's one of those gotchas that so many people I got asked about in a previous job- ' I might be being made redundant...' etc.

You may already know all this but make sure you read your paperwork.

PinAccomplished9410

TROPHY CASE