In the army

Discussions relating to jobs and working, including finding work, interviews, the work place etc.

Moderator: Moderator Team

Andrew_S_Hatton
Power poster
Posts: 213
Joined: Wed Jun 28, 2017 11:15 pm
Location: Maldon District, Essex, UK
Contact:

Re: In the army

Post by Andrew_S_Hatton »

YES- I too do not do particularly well in interviews but my life experiences mean I am fairly confident & I ended up in a career; probation/social work where interviewing others became a well established practice, as did giving an account of myself in court and such like - it just gets easier the more one does it.

I was also fortunate in job hunting - as when I needed a job there was also a need for folk to do the jobs and not much competition.

As a child in 1965 - I had the qualifications & was sufficently personable to get taken on by a major bank who took on new recruits every year. I had been active in scouting and youth clubs where leadership roles came my way and so one thing followed another.

Then when I change jobs to another bank when I was 18 - they were looking to expand and I had the qualifications and three years experience - so again - it just followed through.

When I decided to seek training to be a probation officer - I was simply fortunate that the the University of Liverpool's, Institute of Extension Studies - Social Work Course was staffed by ex social workers who particularly sought candidates without higher education qualifications who had potential and aptitude - in hindsight I realised they were special people who went to some lengths to give me a chance to demonstrate my suitability; including an entrance examination to assess academic potential

- I was shocked to discover I was among about 750 folk who sat that aptitude test - but obviuosly I did well enough on paper to get through the written part and then had a two stage interview process - the first one very gentle - exploring me - in the manner of a social worker (such as I learned to do) the second one a nasty harsh panel where they persisted in riling me until I cracked and showed myself - but they were testing me to stand up to cross examination in the highest courts in the land - which later I found one of the most fulfilling aspects of a very diverse job - even when being tricked by leading Barristers -.

So having been taken on for professional training - there were always jobs available when I needed them - the one I did not get was for promotion - but I did not really want it - and completely messed up because of the difficulty in staying on track in interview due to the working memory problems - it was always a struggle when I was doing the interviewing but as my interviews - especially those for enquiries for court had a very definite purpose - I managed to get what I needed out of them - mostly.

The other thing was my motivation to be self supporting and independent. I was ferociously driven and on a couple of occasions I was between jobs I would literally have done almost anything and just went in places until something suitable turned up - one time I was a rubbish porter in a department store - another time - I got a driving job working for a temporary agency - I had a driving licence they had the bookings to fill - and once I got those jobs - I just got on with it.

My son is the same - not dyspraxic - my daughter less - my wife the same - fortunately I now have no need to work.

If I needed a job today - I would simply go to where money changes hands and say have you got any work that needs doing - eventually I would find somewhere where they had stuff that needed to be done and once I was working other opportunities would arise - Fortunately I live in an area where there is unpicked fruit going rotten, for example - I would not be very good, but better than no one. Sadly that is not always the case for some as there are places where there are more workers than jobs, or a person is so disabled that an employer will not take a chance with them.

I was working part-time as a thirteen year old delivering groceries on a bike and got the work habit and was VERY fortunate.

I figured the worst that could happen is I would be rejected but I would be no worse than before I had a go for the particular job.
Post Reply