Losing jobs.

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

Moderator: Moderator Team

Post Reply
SwervingCentaur
Regular Poster
Posts: 88
Joined: Wed Feb 14, 2018 10:10 pm

Losing jobs.

Post by SwervingCentaur »

Hello, I'm new to the site, and I was diagnosed with Dyspraxia in around Year 5, most of my jobs I have lost due to my learning difficulty and feel like it's worthless applying for jobs, as I go to interviews and I basically waste my time, as soon as I explain what my learning diffculty is, they haven't got a clue what I'm talking about, or thinking that I am making it up. I recently went to a job interview last year, passed the assessment with flying colours, told that I was very confident, can work well in a team, able to hit deadlines, which I have in my other jobs. I went to the second stage of the interview, explained about Dyspraxia, I was no longer suited for the role, no longer confident, no longer a successful candidate in the space of two days. I lose jobs because I can't keep up with the speed of the work and I feel like it's worthless. I only enjoyed two of my jobs, and both of them were short-term contract.
Tom fod
Administrator
Posts: 2947
Joined: Thu May 12, 2011 9:05 pm
Location: SW UK

Re: Losing jobs.

Post by Tom fod »

Hi Swerving Centaur and welcome
The problem of how and when to disclose troubles many of us. Having to adapt to a new employer, role and colleagues is likely to be disproportionately difficult for many of us

I find selling myself really difficult but have managed to improve a bit. I fell at the interviw hurdle more than a few times, before I learned about my Dyspraxia. I find that I have a compulsion to be honest but I think it's possible to overload a prospective employer with details of what you struggle with and all the adjustments required it becomes a self fulfilling prophecy of failure?

This is further complicated by the fact that there is no legal obligation to disclose, yet we fear by not disclosing we may land ourselves in hot water at a later date for not having done so. What sectors of work are you applying for jobs in?

Where you've enjoyed and faired well at jobs what were your coping/winning strategies? Did you infom these employers and your new colleagies about your condition and if yes how did you tell them?
Tom
Moderator/Administrator

With a foot full of bullets I tried to run faster but I just hobbled on to the next disaster.
(from Peter and the Test Tube Babies, Foot Full of Bullets)
SwervingCentaur
Regular Poster
Posts: 88
Joined: Wed Feb 14, 2018 10:10 pm

Re: Losing jobs.

Post by SwervingCentaur »

I got one of the jobs due to my learning difficulty, as it was a charity that looks after people with disabilities and learning difficulties. And the other job, was because I actually do it, I was allowed to get the correct training and I was allowed to listen to my music. I was better than those that had done it before, reaching targets daily and becoming on the leaderboards, but the job only lasted a couple of weeks, as it was a temporary Christmas job. It's gotten to the point that I don't tell them that I have a learning difficulty, as it's pointless, as it's just holding me back. I've haven't had a job that lasted longer than a year. I've spent most of my time in terrible factory roles, where the training is minimal. I mention to the agency about my learning difficulty, and they refuse or forget to inform the company about my situation, and then I've got to explain myself all over again, and then most of the people don't know what I'm talking about.
Tom fod
Administrator
Posts: 2947
Joined: Thu May 12, 2011 9:05 pm
Location: SW UK

Re: Losing jobs.

Post by Tom fod »

Hi again.

I don't think I'd last long in a factory job. Personally I'm not a fan of employment agencies. I think quite a few employers just use them to fill short term posts and I feel like, why should there be a middleman taking a cut from my hourly rate. They're mainly seeking to get people in jobs at their clients' businesses and if the person doesn't work out they send someone else. I appreciate this may be an oversimplified and over cynical view of how agencies operate to make a profit.

Creating a Disclosure document might be useful as you could use it to outline where your strengths lie as well as providing information about Reasonable Adjustments and how an employer can/should best support and train you to get the best from you. Having a mentor or buddy and access to clear instructions are examples. Going by your posts, I'm assuming you probably struggle from some degree of anxiety? A lot of us do and it can really undermine our efforts to appear and be competent in a role. I find too much uncertainty and a lack of structure is really not good for my performance as I tend to worry and be all over the place.

Have you tried the Shaw Trust (appreciate they're not everyone's cup of tea) or sought/received assistance from any other organisations?

I struggled to find work for a couple of years after leaving full-time education. My first full time job was as a Research Assistant at a charity where I"d done an NVQ and who helped train people with various disabilities for work. That lasted only a couple of years as unfortunately the company became insolvent and ceased trading in 1999. Before that, the only properly paid work I'd done amounted to 6 days over 4 weeks part-time fixed contract in a Local Authority office , but due to the fact I was not at it 5 days a week it was over before I every really got to learn the job and know what it entailed.

Hope this is useful / helpful?
Tom
Moderator/Administrator

With a foot full of bullets I tried to run faster but I just hobbled on to the next disaster.
(from Peter and the Test Tube Babies, Foot Full of Bullets)
SwervingCentaur
Regular Poster
Posts: 88
Joined: Wed Feb 14, 2018 10:10 pm

Re: Losing jobs.

Post by SwervingCentaur »

Shaw Trust is actually who I worked for and really enjoyed the time being there. I used to suffer from panic attacks when I was younger, which I thought had gone, but they come back when I'm put in a group of unknown people or get frustrated with the job.
Tom fod
Administrator
Posts: 2947
Joined: Thu May 12, 2011 9:05 pm
Location: SW UK

Re: Losing jobs.

Post by Tom fod »

SwervingCentaur wrote:Shaw Trust is actually who I worked for and really enjoyed the time being there. I used to suffer from panic attacks when I was younger, which I thought had gone, but they come back when I'm put in a group of unknown people or get frustrated with the job.
I can relate to that. My experience is that some of us are fortunate and learn to cope with the effects of Dyspraxia, to an extent. However some situations can pull the rug out from under us and plunge us back into uncertainty.

Getting a handle on the anxiety is the difficult part.
Tom
Moderator/Administrator

With a foot full of bullets I tried to run faster but I just hobbled on to the next disaster.
(from Peter and the Test Tube Babies, Foot Full of Bullets)
allesandro
Power poster
Posts: 279
Joined: Sun Jan 14, 2018 7:38 pm

Re: Losing jobs.

Post by allesandro »

Well, I recently went through something similar with a part time job I've had for the past six months. Because of slow processing and a high level of computer errors(I don't have an IT job, but documentation is heavy and done via computer) I became completely devalued within a couple of months and since then I've been dying a slow death at this job, one cut at a time. I finally stood up for myself a few days ago which led to a show down, and I resigned. But during the show down, my supervisor sort of implied that I should tell her what my issue was( I had never disclosed the dyspraxia), well at that time I certainly wasn't going to disclose because it has been clear to me for quite some time that there is nothing I can do to repair the damage that has been done. I also firmly believe that had I disclosed initially it would not have made any difference, and at this time it would only have served to satisfy her curiosity so I did not disclose. Disclosure is a very personal thing, and it's not easy to know if or when to disclose.
Tom fod
Administrator
Posts: 2947
Joined: Thu May 12, 2011 9:05 pm
Location: SW UK

Re: Losing jobs.

Post by Tom fod »

Allesandro

Not sure it would have blindest bit of difference with the boss you had anyway. She sounds like a right dragon.

I'm conscious there are likely some protectons for people with disabilities/cognitive prosessing difference. How well do they work? We have the Equality Act, though I think some would prefer not to have their case go to an Industrial Tribunal for fear of losing. Whilst I strongly believe bad employers should be held to account/made an example of many employees would probably prefer just to leave and find an employer who will value them and be supportive. In the UK the burden is in proving what is 'reasonable'

If anyone has any thoughts feel free to chip in. Please however do not discuss or divulge details of current active Tribunal cases.
Tom
Moderator/Administrator

With a foot full of bullets I tried to run faster but I just hobbled on to the next disaster.
(from Peter and the Test Tube Babies, Foot Full of Bullets)
Philip
Power poster
Posts: 236
Joined: Mon Feb 06, 2006 12:20 pm
Contact:

Re: Losing jobs.

Post by Philip »

All the jobs I have had so far have been via employment agencies, I had a 30 day work prep which my Disability job centre advisor arranged at a company but a spell with one of the government schemes (new deal) which the charity had too many people sent to them and he just kept sending us home.

I lasted three days at one company via an employment agency (well known bank) and was throw right in the deep end, little help, even though it was typing job descriptions it had to set out in a certain way. One job I loved lasted 9 days and the reason why it only lasted this long the company hired about 50 temps (and we could pick mornings or afternoon shift - I picked afternoon 2pm-8pm, every hour we were allowed a 5 minute break to go on the Internet) to keep up our accurate and attention span

I have told the employment agencies about my dyspraxia some advisors have been great, some not so great.
SwervingCentaur
Regular Poster
Posts: 88
Joined: Wed Feb 14, 2018 10:10 pm

Re: Losing jobs.

Post by SwervingCentaur »

I had an interview today, was a group one, went rather well, wait until later until I find out if I've got the job. I don't think I will be explaining about my condition.
Post Reply