What not to do at the Benefits office...

The Job Centre is possibly one of life's most depressing places. You walk into this dingy, dirty, luminous green building through a fuge of unemployed, dirty smokers. You then report here, to be sent there, to then sit and wait until someone who I am definitely better educated than calls you forward for the most patronising 30 minutes of your life.

As I sit waiting, I look and see Random Man and Random Woman, both in their joggers, tucked into their socks and checked shirts and puffa jackets. I have to hold back the urge to shout "This is essentially a job interview, dress better," as I sit there in my suit, freshly straightened hair and notebook containing all essential documents.

Eventually, after some time spent staring desperately around this hole of disappointment, I am called forward by a chippy gentleman named Chris. Chris seems to target his particular pitch at the most stupid, least driven. He was just awful and patronising. I shouted. Do not shout at the Job centre man. He will look at you funny yet will continue with his epically patronising JSA approach. I hate Chris. Chris is the most awful part about being unemployed. What did not help this whole situation was Chris' long monologue about what the world has come to when lawyers are signing on for Job Seekers' Allowance. 

The only upside to my shouting was that he sped up every so slightly and I managed to escape after 35 minutes rather than 45. Small compensation!

Achieving little things...

So, I am another week into unemployment, and how is it going? Well, I don't have a job and I completely looped out at church last night with panic but, ya know, could be worse!

Last week, I wrote a list of resolutions/things to do and looking at it, it has been reasonably achieved...

1. Finish unpacking - DONE! Well almost done. I have a bag of all my DVDs/CDs and nowhere to store them so said bag is neatly placed under a coffee table in the livingroom.

2. Apply for 5 jobs - DONE! Pah, 5 jobs? 25 jobs more like! Already been rejected but surely such volume means I will get one eventually.

3. Update my LinkedIn profile - Doneish. I have started to update it but it is still a work in progress.

4. Buy and build a bookcase to house my 130 odd books - Not done but alternative achieved. I had a complete bookcase fail and have instead unpacked my books into a little cupboard in my room. It is effective if completely lacking on alphabetising!

5. Stop falling in love with boy who has a girlfriend: Completely not done. Completely disasterously failed! Must try harder!

I am now considering the list for this week. At least unpacking will be off the list, at last! I think this week's list will look a little bit like this:

1. Apply for some more jobs.

2. Finish updating LinkedIn Profile.

3. Do some more soicalising

4. Get back to exercising

5. Accept that you are in love with boy with girlfriend and move on!

The first three are completely achievable. Firstly, I am a job applying fiend and I can certainly apply that sort of action to getting the bloody LinkedIn Profile sorted. Socialising is already in hand, thanks to joining church music group and generally putting myself out there and arranging meeting up with people. Already had breakfast with one friend this morning and have another for coffee this afternoon. Exercising, well that presents a bit more of a challenge. Pre-Christmas/New Year ill health, I was a gym fiend...then I was barred. **FAIL** Need to get my motivation back up and balance that with not passing out.

THe last one poses the greatest challenge. To quote one of my dearest friends - "WISE UP, MIN!" Time to pull myself together!

The time has come...

I have just submitted my Jobseekers Allowance claim. Well now I feel rubbish. I know it is the sensible and clever thing to do. It establishes a tax record and all that nonsense but it is no fun. Clicking through all the pages makes me realise how far I have fallen from my fancy lawyer tree. No longer living at a nice address, saving virtually depleted, last job not a legal job, back to being single...oh the middleclassgirl problems are mind blowing!

After spending the last couple of days completely unspooling all over the floor at the state of my life, which I understand that in the grand scheme of things are not so bad, I need to get a grip and decide what I want from my life. First step is being sensible with money which is something I have never been. Don't get me wrong, rent and such has always been paid but I would quite like to go on holiday at some stage and maybe own a house so a more sensible approach is required. Beyond that, I need to think about what I want and probably more importantly, who I am...