Needy?!

Firstly let me just say that I have had a lovely Christmas with my two nephews and niece. 

Nephew no 1 is 21 years old, nephew no 2 is 20 years old and niece is 17 years old.  So none of them are exactly babies???

And my rant today is going to be........................ why do none of them act like 'normal teenagers'???  Or even normal young people ('cos the boys aren't actually teenagers any more).

I have a lot of friends who have children of a similar age and every time I meet up with them I have to listen to the latest stories of what their children have done.  Now, I don't like to boast but I would probably call myself a 'middle class' ranting middle aged spinster??  I'm certainly not up there in the top 20% of earners but I am most certainly not down there in the realms of people who go on the 'Jeremy Kyle' show.  Ditto my friends.  We are 'middle class' people who own our own home, have studied at further education and have held down so called 'professional' jobs.

And so all my friends who have children, are a similar age to my sister, and a  'similar' social standing to my sister,  OK probably not - my sister is probably financially a lot better off than everyone else I know, and all my friends kids are of a similar age to my nephews and niece.  .......................And there the similarities end???

My nephews and niece are sooooo, sooooo, soooooo needy on their parents.  OK on their mother, not their father.  And by that I don't mean that they haven't got the life skills to look after themselves.  ......................Actually I do mean that.  They can all cook fabulous meals from scratch, so at least they won't starve?  My sister is a brilliant cook and has taught them well.  Unfortunately she hasn't taught them how to put a wash on, clean a house or iron a few clothes???  Today my sister told my niece to put all her wet clothes in the dryer and she put them in the washing machine?!!  Surely a 17 year old should know the difference between a washing machine and a tumble dryer???Today we went out for a walk and nephew no. 2 said, 'mum, which coat should I wear?'  Seriously - does a 20 year old really have to ask his mummy which coat to wear?

I don't actually think that any of my nephews or niece have actually stripped their own bed at home and washed their bedding themselves.  I don't think any of them have actually looked in the wash basket and thought, 'this is full, I'd better put a wash on.'  I'm not even sure if any of them know where to get a clean towel from?  They certainly don't just take clean towels out of the airing cupboard every time they have a shower like most of the teenagers I know? 

My nephews and niece are not like any other kids that I know and I honestly can't decide whether this is a good or a bad thing???  They're like the 'Waltons'???  And for any of you who don't know who the Waltons are....................  It was a TV programme from years back.  Google it.  I'm not clever enough to put in links.

It's nice that they're all so family orientated, which I believe stems from the fact that my sister has been lucky enough to be  a 'stay at home' mum for more than 20 years.  On the other hand the kids have never, ever, had to 'fend for themselves', ie go to childminders or after school or breakfast clubs.  Their mummy has always been there for them to ferry them to swimming classes and brownies and scouts or wherever else they wanted to go so they've never actually learned how to be independent.  They've never had to come home by themselves or get tea for themselves or do a supermarket shop.

The thing that will always stick out in my mind is.................  when my niece was in the last year at primary school, my sister went down to the village bakery at lunchtime and bought her a hot sausage roll and took it into school for her.  Personally I didn't understand why she couldn't just have the same packed lunch that her brothers had apparently she didn't want a chicken wrap??  But when I told my best friend who had kids of a similar age and who worked full time, her exact words were, ' Oh how lovely.  I wish I could do that for my children.' 

...............Well she was working full time so she couldn't and ten years on..................  my bestie's kids may not have had their mummy bringing them hot sausage rolls at lunchtime and their mummy might not always have been around before and after school; but her three kids have got a much greater understanding of life, they are far more independent and they have all worked from an early age and understand the value of money.  They pay their own phone bills, they sort out their own uni overdrafts, they pay for their own driving lessons and cars......................  and they never, ever sit all evening in the living room with their parents watching TV?? 

My bestie's kids spend their whole life in their bedroom watching their own TVs or laptops, talking to their mates, going out with their mates, doing stuff with people their age.  They don't do their homework at the kitchen table and they don't consult their mummy on every little thing they do.

When I asked nephew no 1 want he wanted for Christmas; his response was, 'Ask mum'.

I guess there are two ways of looking at this:

1)  He's really needy and needs his mummy to approve everything.
2)  He's really organised and has given his Christmas list to his mum because he knows that she is even more organised and just will do everything for him.

Who knows???

However having just spent 3 days with my nephews and niece over Christmas..................  I cannot believe how much time they actually want to spend with their parents?

As a middle aged ranting spinster...............  I have had such a lovely Christmas with my sister and husband and my nephews and nieces.  But I just cannot understand why they want to spend time with their parents and an aging Auntie instead of going out with their own friends???

Why would any kids want to do that?

When I think back to my teenage years of the 1970's when we were actually just expected to sit in the living room with our parents and watch whatever they wanted to watch on TV.  All of us............ on a brown sofa with an orange carpet and God only knows what colour the wallpaper was?

The highlight of my TV viewing was watching 'Crossroads' around 5.30pm-ish and then my Dad would come home from work and switch it over to the BBC news before I'd seen the final bit.

It's not the 1970s.  Life moves on.

.................And yet life in my sisters home is like the 1970s.  #justcallthemthewaltons The family all sit down together for meals.  My sister cooks really scrumptious meals from scratch.  I love staying at my sisters. 

They are not 'normal teenagers'.  They appear for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  Duh!  How many teenagers do that?

However, having said that - times change and these days people lead very busy lives and 'snacking on the go', is the norm.

When I left my sisters yesterday, after having the most fabulous Christmas, with the most fabulous home cooked food for three days.................... she was trying to persuade my niece, who was just off to do a bit of charity bag packing at a well known supermarket, for 5 hours to take a packed lunch with her?  Sister tried to tell niece that as she was working for 5 hours she would need a lunch break. 
Niece tried to tell sister that it was a voluntary thing and lunch breaks probably wouldn't happen.
Sister said, 'You're a child and you need a break.'

................A child????  She's 17 years old.  She could get married, drive a car, have a job, have a baby, set up home,  and in another few more months vote for the leader of this country.  Scary stuff???'

Needless to say I haven't actually heard what the outcome of the 'charity bag packing' was.

....................But I still think that my nephews and niece are very needy???!!!

Why does everything have to be done 'on-line'?

I'm still trying to get a new job.  I have a job but it's a job that I really don't want to be doing for very much longer.  May be I will have a rant about my present job.  Who knows?!

Anyway, while trying to find a job - any job, a minimum wage job, a part-time job, a temporary job, a full time job, any sort of job.......................... I have come to the conclusion that; a) no body wants to employ a 57 year old, and b) if they do want to employ a 57 year old one has to first apply on line.  Grrrrrrrr......................

These days it is impossible to apply for any jobs in a 'chain' without applying on line and going through an on line screening process.  Quite often I have 'failed' these on line screening processing tests because I have been using my common sense.  It would appear that common sense is non existent these days. And to prove that theory, I've just applied to work for a 'well known' supermarket chain and (because I failed the 'on line screening at another well know supermarket chain) I answered every single question with the customer in mind.  And whoopee doooo....................... I passed the on line screening test.  Yay!

The only trouble is?............................  Are the health & safety officials going to be happy with this?

Ie, if I stop cleaning up spilled yogurt (which is a H&S issue) and trek to the other side of the store to show a customer where the baked beans are.........................  and then someone slips on the spilled yogurt and breaks a leg or worse........................ is that still going to be OK?  As far as I'm concerned the majority of customers would be perfectly OK if I was cleaning up spilled yogurt, they asked where the baked beans were and I told them to go to aisle 10???  But oh no.................. The customer always has to be given the best experience in store which means assuming they are not capable of locating aisle 10 by themselves actually physically taking them there!

Anyway now that I have worked out exactly what answers supermarkets want in their on line screening process I have passed the test to work in one.  Yay!

...............That's the good news?!

The bad news is.......................  There's 6 stages to the on line application and the 3rd stage is some sort of clearing check to make sure that I'm actually legally entitled to work in the UK?  When I clicked on the link to take me to an 'external site', the screen just popped up with a message saying that the link was broken???  Duh!  What on earth does that mean?  So being the very techie person that I am, I went back and clicked on the 'save and continue later' button.

...........And now it's later................... and when I've tried to continue with my application all it pops up with is my profile page and I can't get any further.

I'm not able to phone for help because there is no phone number.  I'm not able to attach my own CV to the job application because they don't accept personal CVs.  I am not able to email anyone because all questions should be answered in the FAQ section.

Unfortunately my question cannot be answered in the FAQ section so what do I do?

This well known supermarket that I have applied to work in..................... as a checkout operator for 9.5 hours per week (so not exactly rocket science) seem to want their staff to pander to every single whim of their customers and yet the 'powers that be' don't appear to value their staff, or people applying to be their staff, as anything more than a statistic. 

And all the blurb on the application  said that the contracted hours were 9.5 per week but if one reached the interview stage, one would probably be asked if one were happy to do extras hours????  Grrrrrr........................   NO - I'm applying for this job because I want a part time job; not because I want to be employed for 9.5 hours per week, but be expected to work at least double that????

But does any of this actually matter because I can't progress my application any further anyway and due to my potential employers not respecting their future employees, and actually providing a real life person for them to talk to..............................  do I actually want to work for a company like this???

Probably not!!!

Ordering on-line

On Wednesday I ordered a Christmas Tree online.  I ordered this from a well known store.  I didn't opt to have it delivered to my home because I'm never sure when I will be in, so I chose the option, 'deliver to store' within two days.  I was pretty sure that I would have time to pick up my Christmas Tree either yesterday or today.

This isn't a real Christmas Tree - it's a very lovely 'arty, farty, white, twiggy type Christmas Tree' which was half price.  Bargain!

It is now Friday evening and I DO NOT HAVE MY CHRISTMAS TREE.

To say I am annoyed is an understatement!   Grrrrrrrr..........................

When I went onto the shop website to track where my Christmas tree was; it popped up with a message saying it was in the warehouse waiting to be delivered to the store and then another message popped up saying that the shop was experiencing a very high level of on-line orders so I could expect to get my Christmas tree within 3-5 days???

3-5 days is not 'within 2 days'???

It's Christmas.  It's a Christmas Tree.  Of course the shop is going to be experiencing a very high level of on line orders.  The first rule of 'customer service' is; 'under promise and over deliver.'  Duh!  Ie, if the shop had told me I wouldn't get my Christmas Tree for 3-5 days I wouldn't have ordered it would have known what to expect.

And even if I do get a message in the next few hours saying that my Christmas Tree is available to be picked up over the weekend I cannot do this due to other commitments.

I have friends coming round for dinner tomorrow night and I wanted my home to look all festive and Christmassy.  That's not going to happen now is it?  Seriously not happy.  This is not good enough.  Or am I being over demanding?

This isn't some weeny, teeny, little corner shop.  This is a HUGE company that has stores all over the UK. 

So what do I do?  Do I name and shame them on this blog and link it to FB and twitter and Instagram and every other social media platform that I can think of?  Do I just accept that it is Christmas and the shop is experiencing high levels of on-line orders and resign myself to the fact that my Christmas Tree will arrive in store whenever?  Do I cancel my order and demand my money back straight away?  Do I tell them they've not delivered what they promised and demand compensation?

What would you do?

I'm just really upset that I wanted my house to look perfect for tomorrow night.  And now it won't!!!

Applying for a job

I have never ever had a problem finding a job in my life.  My attitude is......................  if you want work, you will find work.  It may not be the job that you want but as far as I am concerned there is work around for anyone who wants it.  I sit every morning watching 'Jeremy Kyle' (because I'm working in the evenings at the moment) thinking, 'why don't these people just accept whatever job they can get?'.

However, I'm now beginning to think that finding a job may not be as easy as it once was.  I'm looking for a part time job.  Maximum 20 hours a week.  I have hand delivered my CV to 20 cafes/shops in my local area.  I have applied for at least 20 more jobs.  I have applied to work in well known supermarkets and department stores.

Nobody seems to want me.

And yet...................  I don't know why?  ................I look at some of the people (OK a lot of the people) that work in the places that I've applied to and think.................. how come you've managed to get a job here and I can't?  Fat, rude, stains all over their clothes/uniforms, greasy hair, dirty nails (and this was in a Bakers shop).

I'm applying for 'minimum wage' jobs.  Minimum wage jobs are not 'rocket science.'  But these days it would appear that minimum wage jobs have their workers over a barrel so to speak.  The actual job might only be for 12 hours a week but one has to be 'flexible' as to when one can work.  Ie, the last job I applied for; I had to be available 6 days a week between the hours of 8.30am and 6pm so my 12 hours a week could be any time within those hours???  Duh?!!!  Some of us actually have a life!!!  But I didn't even manage to get an interview anyway because no one seems to want a middle age woman with loads of life experience.

BUT................... what is annoying me more than anything is the fact that hardly any employers bother to reply to applicants that they're not interested in. Most of the jobs that I have applied for have been on the 'Indeed' job site or the 'Gumtree' job site.  They post these adverts that are all nicey, nicey, saying such stuff as, 'Send us your CV and someone will be in touch.'  It is sooo, soooo, soooo, misleading.  They should just say, 'Send us your CV, we won't look at it and we won't bother acknowledging it and if we do actually invite you for an interview it will because your covering letter sounded OK,'

Well, as far as I'm concerned anyone can make a covering letter sound wonderful but if employers ask for a CV then why don't they actually bother to read it so that they have some idea of who they're actually interviewing?

Take my latest interview for example - receptionist in a hairdressers.  Applied for via Gumtree.  Got an email asking if I could attend an interview.  I replied asking if I should bring anything with me.  Hairdresser said to bring my CV (which I'd already attached to the application form).  Arrived at the said place and time 5 mins prior to interview.  Very young colleague told interviewer I was there (she was blow drying someone's hair at the time) so I was given a coffee and told she was running a bit late.  Personally I think she just took one look at me and thought, 'OMG, we don't want a middle aged woman working here.'

I was kept waiting for half an hour.  Actually I do have a life and have other things to do. 

And then the interview lasted all of 5 mins.  Probably not even that long!

It wasn't even an interview.  In less than 5 mins the interviewer managed to say 7 times; 'this job isn't for everyone, you'll be on your feet all day.'  She didn't ask me one single question about the position I was applying for or any previous experience I had or anything?????

I really felt like saying, 'You don't want someone my age do you?'  Even though I thought I looked quite respectable.  I'd done my hair, done my make-up, shaved everywhere, & had staggered to the interview in heels and smart clothes.  Obviously I didn't because I was trying to be the 'bigger person'.  But seriously?  If she'd bothered to read my CV in the first place then she could have worked out that I was old and not invited me to an interview in the first place.

She said she had other people to interview two days later and would text me.  Have I had a text or any other form of communication from her?  Of course I haven't.....................

..............But actually, I don't care because I really wouldn't want to work for anyone who didn't have the politeness or decency to do what they say they're going to do.

To me................... it's only politeness to let someone know that they haven't got a job that they have applied for and have been 'interviewed' for. 

Obviously these days........................  some people have absolutely no manners at all??!!

Applying for a supermarket job

I am a 'ranting middle aged spinster'.

I am 57 years old and have a lot of 'life experience' in the job industry.  The jobs that I have had over the last 45 years have ranged from delivering newspapers (when I was 13 years old) to being a primary school teacher, being a manager of a hotel, inspecting holiday let properties to ensure they were up to 'Visit Britain' standards, being an office administrator/PA and a whole host of other stuff.

Over the years I've done various other jobs - barmaid, shop assistant, waitress, usherette, catering assistant.  I've done a lot of different jobs during the 57 years of my life.

What I haven't done................ is work in a supermarket.  But honestly how hard can it be?  In my experience 'supermarket staff' aren't interested in the customer at all.  When I go to my local supermarket no one is available to help me, and if I do actually ask for help; I just get told - 'go to customer services.'

Mmmmmmm....................... applying for a 10 hour a week , temporary job in a well known supermarket is not easy.

I have just spent well over an hour applying for this job.  Couldn't just attach my very fabulous CV('because we only accept applications via our application form') so had to plough through loads of stuff.  Haven't a clue about the exact date that I started work in 1981 and actually does it really matter.  What the f***???  What is actually relevant?  What do employers want?  For Gods sake - It's 10 hrs a week refilling a few shelves.  How hard can it be?

BUT.......................  I've been rejected..................

As soon as I'd spent 'forever' filling in an online application form for a proxy little job in 'a well known supermarket', I immediately got a reply saying, 'You have not met the minimum criteria in our screening process.'  Seriously?????  Maybe I shouldn't have said that I'd clean up spilt yogurt -  Obviously that would require a H&S professional with rubber gloves and a few H&S boards set up via the spilt yogurt area.

This whole trying to get a job thing is a joke.

What the f*** is 'minimum criteria' on a screening process?

Aims, objectives, targets, goals??

OK, I might be 'old' but actually I have got a lot of 'life experience'.  All I want is a interesting little job for a max of 20 hours a week.

.................Without all the aims, objective, targets, goals...................

It's a supermarket - The job is either being a check out person or being a stocking shelves person.  For Gods sake supermarkets, get real.................. 

Whatever happened to good old fashioned common sense???