At my last visit to sign on I asked whether they provided interview skills.  “No” was the answer.  Ok, so do you know who can then I persisted.  “Not sure, but we can’t”.  Hmm, this is a bit like pulling teeth (not that I’ve actually pulled teeth before.  But I imagine it would be this difficult).  Ok, so I continued my little game.  “There must be someone who can; do you have any details here?”  “I’ll ask my colleague”.  Action at last!  It turned out that there was a company who did this for the great unwashed (unemployed to you and me).

Today was the day.  I arranged by phone to meet Ewan at the Benn Hall.  I turned up at the Town Hall at 9.25am as arranged only to be told that I should be at the Benn Hall and that “lots of people make that mistake”.  How stupid did I feel?  Benn Hall as you know is only next door.  So I rushed round and was not late but just on time.  Met Ewan, looked like he was just out of school.  A wise head on young shoulders.  We went through an induction process where he told me what they could do in terms of CV writing and interview skills and job searching.  Some of it sounded like I was still at school being lectured but in reality it was sound stuff.  I had to complete a literacy and numeracy test.  Got 49 out of 50 on the numeracy and 80 out of 80 on the literacy.  Not too difficult.  The numeracy one I got wrong was about converting a 24 hour clock time to 12 hour time.  Ok I rushed it because it really was not difficult.  A two day old baby could have got it right.

Ok said Ewan from here you have to attend two weekly sessions for 4 hours each.  I was a little shocked as I only wanted some interview skills training and I didn’t think it would take all that long.  But actually Ewan explained that I could use their computers to search and apply for jobs, use their paper, envelopes and stamps for letters, use their resources for acquiring interview skills, search for possible training courses which they would fund and, above all, drink their tea and coffee.  I was going to ask if they do biscuits or cakes as well, but I chose not to as they seemed quite generous already. 

This was a bit like the old Job Club that used to exist in the 70’s and 80’s, just like in the Full Monty.  But with my physique I am unlikely to end up stripping so I hope it’s not compulsory.   Actually it was probably exactly like the old job clubs but updated for the new millennium ie computers instead of newspapers.  I looked around to see what other people were there as most had drifted in well after I arrived.  They were not exactly at the upper end of the job searching market!  One or two looked like they had forgotten to wash this morning.  A couple of the men must have left their supermarket trolleys outside and one woman was wider than she was tall and she was almost 6’ tall (she would be good in the Full Monty!!).  Several were sitting around doing crosswords and other word puzzles.  Some were actually using the computers although I could not see what they were looking at.  I guessed that if the computers had sound then we would probably be listening to lots of panting and cries of ecstasy!  Ewan explained that they were all networking.  So that’s networking I thought, now I know!   A little unfair.  There was a meeting at the end of the room with a leader extolling the virtues of a good CV and how it should be constructed.  So something useful was going on.

Ewan explained that because of my requirements and level of job search that I would be seen on a one to one basis.  Thank god I thought!  Again, a little unfair of me.  These people (or some of them at least) must have been as serious as me about finding a suitable job otherwise they wouldn’t be here surely.

On the way home I convinced myself that this club thing would be good.  At least it would get me out of the house doing what I am doing when I am here.