Universal Jobmatch

[osdset]

..see what they say to me; I haven't got much hair! As my plan to become Amish is no good, I could tell them that 'Technology is the invention of Lucifer and will lead to Armageddon and chaos and plague will rule the cosmos'.

 

...nah, they'd just say 'Make sure you include the cosmos in your jobsearch area'.

 

I do believe you have hit on something there! Become Amish or Shaker even, renounce technology in all it's forms and insist on having nothing to do with any activity that does not include agriculture or making circular boxes from thin pieces of Cherry.

[jasta11]

One establishment I used to frequent introduced a "dress code" one day - No leather jackets - There's me standing there in a one piece leather suit and got asked to remove it... Bearing in mind, this was a hot summer day and I'd just finished a long day riding a motorcycle... Proceeded to disrobe as requested and stood there in the middle of the room naked (apart from a fetching jockstrap). Dress code was very quickly revoked

 

..that opening 'Talk to the hand!' bar room scene from Terminator 3 suddenly springs to mind...

 

It would have gone down well in the jobcentre..

 

'My JC adviser named Kay

Watched me dropping my pants, with dismay

She had a quick peek

Then said with some cheek

'You're not claiming for hardship today'

[estellyn]

I do believe you have hit on something there! Become Amish or Shaker even, renounce technology in all it's forms and insist on having nothing to do with any activity that does not include agriculture or making circular boxes from thin pieces of Cherry.

 

But they wouldn't be able to use the phone for the initial claim, also no horse and buggy parking near the jobcentre - and 90 minutes by horse would be limiting the jobsearch area a lot.

[dyfed]

You mean they're going to tell me to dye my hair just because they don't like white ???

 

Ive told my fiance that when I am unfairly pushed out of the support group, whenever that will be, I am going to change my name by depol to Spider Man. I will add to my CV hobbies include climbing buildings and reading crime novels.

 

or I could call myself Merlin Ambrosius. Hobbies include magic tricks and I could put curses on JCP staff and drones

Edited June 30, 2013 by citizenB

[jasta11]

Well, 'Jedi' is an accepted religion now; I recall reading ages ago that a jc clerk had to apologise to a client who they reported for refusing to take his hood down during an interview as he claimed it was against his Jedi religion. If the world is going mad then we may as well exploit it fully.

 

Actually, 'Universal Jobmatch' does sound like something Darth Vader would use!

 

*cue heavy breathing* 'Join me, Luke and we will rule the galaxy together as father and son..but not on Thursdays, that's when I sign on'

[joeski]

over £14 million for a website that is as mis-leading as our deluded work and pensions secretary

 

 

http://www.publicservice.co.uk/news_story.asp?id=22816

[sadone]

What they don't say is that IDS hopes that such massive outlay will be offset by the large amount of claimants it will trick into being sanctioned and thus saving them money by stopping their payments payments over and over again.

 

As to getting anyone a job? Yeah right.....

[Bakatcha]

over £14 million for a website that is as mis-leading as our deluded work and pensions secretary

 

 

http://www.publicservice.co.uk/news_story.asp?id=22816

£14m! We could bury a Prime Minister with full military honours for that. What do you mean "Camoron's not dead yet"? He's dead from the neck up, that's good enough for me.

[san_d]

I am pretty sure that it was more than £16M.

[Chester6]

Is UJ going to be compulsory soon? A lady WHo was very nice at jobcentre thinks so

Mind you - she said they weren't told about it before it started

[Mr.P]

A JCP adviser can mandate you to set up a UJ account is he/she thinks it is appropriate to your needs and circumstances - It then becomes compulsory, however, there is no legal authority to mandate you to tick the "allow access by JCP staff" box.

 

As long as you can demonstrate you are meeting the terms of your JSag and the JCP adviser isn't a jobsworth, you should be safe.

[RebeccaPidgeon]

A JCP adviser can mandate you to set up a UJ account is he/she thinks it is appropriate to your needs and circumstances - It then becomes compulsory, however, there is no legal authority to mandate you to tick the "allow access by JCP staff" box.

 

As long as you can demonstrate you are meeting the terms of your JSag and the JCP adviser isn't a jobsworth, you should be safe.

Even if you come into access to a Jobsworth, whether at the time of signing on or other intervention, you can still negotiate your case, and more than likely required to attend another meeting with another Front Line Advisor, where you will be asked to explain your position.

 

Although you may be then issued with a Job Seekers Direction which will mandate you to Create an Account, Create a Profile, Upload a CV and Make that CV Searchable, this may not necessarily be the case.... and if you are not mandated to create an account, a note will be made on the system accordingly.

Edited May 2, 2013 by RebeccaPidgeon
Grammar erros

[snowy101]

A friend of mine has recently signed on for JSA & nothing was mentioned until this week, the advisor asked him if he had signed up for a UJM account & that it was mandatory, he said it was not & she huffed & puffed a bit but then dropped the conversation completely. He has had interviews & applies for at least one job a day but is the wrong side 50. He fills out his book in detail but as he said " watch this space" , he thinks they will return to it at some point .

[Mr.P]

Advise your friend to read the DWP "terms and conditions" page associated with the UJM site. Print out a copy of it and highlight any sections that he finds objectionable. For example:

8.2 We can’t accept any responsibility for any loss, disruption or damage to your data or your computer system which may occur whilst using material derived from this website.

 

Looks like it doesn't want me to log in...

[ATTACH=CONFIG]43562[/ATTACH]

[Bakatcha]

Just returned from signing on - no mention at all of UJM. Whether or not this is pushed, and how hard seems to be at the discretion of individual JCP managers.

[snowy101]

Advise your friend to read the DWP "terms and conditions" page associated with the UJM site. Print out a copy of it and highlight any sections that he finds objectionable. For example:

 

 

Looks like it doesn't want me to log in...

[ATTACH=CONFIG]43562[/ATTACH]

 

I have told him about this web site & this particular thread , it seems he is going to inform some of the people he meets on his signing on days about UJM .

[LongHairedLily]

I signed on at mid day today, different advisor and was grilling the previous client for a few minutes. I arrived at his desk and he said I must use Universal jobmatch as per my job agreement. I said I do use everyday! He said I cannot see it (the job tracker is an Ingesu and only logs applications not bliddy searching history) he said I can't see Universal Jobmatch on her (there were two applications on there-clearly didn't look properly) I have gone over and above the four job applications per week I di 21! Applicaions form loads of different sites. if there's no jobs on UJM that I can apply for that suit my skill set then nothing I can do. So I have gone to see my Ingeus advisor got her to sign my tracker and note on my file she has seen the UJM entries and also signed the booking book stating reason why I saw her. I asked himif everything was ok, he yes , so hoping my money goes in on Tuesday. Do you think I've done enough of a paper trail to back myself up if a doubt arises. Never ever happened with the other advisor! So now am spending the entire weekend worrying !

[jasta11]

If your JC advisor has said it's okay then that should be fine..ever get the feeling none of them really know what they're talking about?. I signed today too and my advisor mentioned I should register with UJ (but it wasn't a formal, written jobseekers direction and my JSAG wasn't modified to include this, so I won't).

 

Some very contradicting statements were made; I reminded her I didn't have to sign the 'give DWP access' box and she said yes she knew that and that nobody from the JC would be looking at anything personal (which I don't believe for one second - the sole purpose of the damn site is to spy on you). If I was the DWP setting up UJ, the first thing I'd want is to be able to see exactly which jobs people even looked at, even if they didn't apply. It's all stuff that can be used against you.

 

Best way is not to log in, find jobs you definitely want to apply for, then log in properly and apply. That way it will appear that you've applied for every single job you looked at, like a good little boy or girl.

 

I got her to photocopy my job logs for me too, as now the advisors can keep them rather than just handing them back to you. She readily admitted it was to stop people filling in the same jobs every week. Fair enough, but if a query arises later regarding your job search efforts it means they have all the paperwork and you have nothing. Totally unacceptable; I want my own copies of my jobsearch so that I can refer to them if I'm ever accused of 'not doing enough'.

 

I'd recommend everyone keep copies of ALL their jobsearch too, in case it's needed.

[LongHairedLily]

If your JC advisor has said it's okay then that should be fine..ever get the feeling none of them really know what they're talking about?. I signed today too and my advisor mentioned I should register with UJ (but it wasn't a formal, written jobseekers direction and my JSAG wasn't modified to include this, so I won't).

 

Some very contradicting statements were made; I reminded her I didn't have to sign the 'give DWP access' box and she said yes she knew that and that nobody from the JC would be looking at anything personal (which I don't believe for one second - the sole purpose of the damn site is to spy on you). If I was the DWP setting up UJ, the first thing I'd want is to be able to see exactly which jobs people even looked at, even if they didn't apply. It's all stuff that can be used against you.

 

Best way is not to log in, find jobs you definitely want to apply for, then log in properly and apply. That way it will appear that you've applied for every single job you looked at, like a good little boy or girl.

 

I got her to photocopy my job logs for me too, as now the advisors can keep them rather than just handing them back to you. She readily admitted it was to stop people filling in the same jobs every week. Fair enough, but if a query arises later regarding your job search efforts it means they have all the paperwork and you have nothing. Totally unacceptable; I want my own copies of my jobsearch so that I can refer to them if I'm ever accused of 'not doing enough'.

 

I'd recommend everyone keep copies of ALL their jobsearch too, in case it's needed.

 

Hi Jasta

 

I still don't believe him when he said it was ok. I always view the jobsite without loggin in, I told him I have requested feedback on my applications when applying through the site. I also raised the issue of the site not allowing covering letter. I said the covering letter is one of the most important elements of selling yourself-he looked flumuxed whe i said that! The other lady advisor across from my dimwit advisor nodded in agreement! I wouldn't mind how can he not see I had not used the UJM site to apply they were written down. Jesus I could do his job blindfolded and one hand tied behind my back. I told him I had applied for voluntary work and he said well if you get a paid job come in for a form-told him I already had one in my War Chest for when I got a job- again he looked puzzled...

[Chester6]

I have raised the covering letter issue with the site creators and they said it's not something they are bothered about

The pimps advise to create a covering letter with Cv and upload it every time

I thought the claim was the site was to help but this and many other issues shows that's all lies as no covering letter is a massive hindrance

[Mr.P]

Universal Jobmatch Toolkit, as of 22nd March 2013. Chapter 3 is worth noting:

45. You will need to explain, that because the claimant does not wish to allow DWP access to their account (and this is their decision not ours so you cannot issue a Jobseeker's Direction to gain access) when they next attend they will need to bring a copy of their public CV. This may take the form of:

 

• Prints of their CV screens/pages from their Universal Jobmatch account. However, this will not be possible for claimants who do not have access to a printer or cannot afford to print out copies; or
  
• CV screens/pages from their Universal Jobmatch account if they have access to the internet on a smartphone[...]

82. We cannot specify to a JSA claimant how they provide us with records of their jobsearch activity and Universal Jobmatch will not change that.

86. You will look at any number or all of the following screens/pages from the claimant's Universal Jobmatch account:

 

• Activity History.
  
• Application History.
  
• Alerts.
  
• Messages.
  
• Saved Jobs.
  
• Recommended Jobs.
  
• Saved Searches.
  

 

87. You may ask claimants to show:

 

• prints of any number or all of the screens/pages detailed in the paragraph 86 from their Universal Jobmatch account. However, this will not be possible for claimants who do not have access to a printer or cannot afford to print out copies of these pages.[...]

Bottom line: If a JCP adviser demands printouts of your UJ activity, refer them to the above paragraphs from their manual - If you can't afford the paper & ink, it is their problem, not yours.

[impecunious]

When I signed on today, I was given a photocopy of a letter advising that UJM activity should be recorded on an ES4 (greybooklet) or recording it on UJM under Activity History.

 

NO mention of providing any other supporting evidence, such as screen prints from pc or mobile.

 

Seems like one rule for some, one for others!

 

Imp

[jasta11]

I signed on today and while discussing UJ with my advisor, she said that people should record ALL job-searching activities on UJ - including vacancies looked at on other sites, spec letters sent out, reading the newspapers, talking to friends, etc; basically everything you'd put in a jobseekers diary. She said it would save 'looking through loads of paperwork each week'. I pointed out that my 2 weeks worth of jobseach is recorded on ONE double-sided sheet so it was hardly 'loads of paperwork'.

 

By the time they've logged into your UJ account and found the pages, they could have looked at your written jobsearch much faster.

 

I still haven't been mandated to register, but I'm wondering about the following questions - maybe Flumps or Rebecca could shed some light. If you granted the DWP access to your UJ account, can they;

 

1. See the date and time(s) you logged in and how long you were logged in for?

 

2. See a record of ALL pages you've looked at - especially vacancies?

 

3. Add or modify anything you've written there as jobsearch?

 

I'm not bothered about them seeing my jobsearch activity - I always give more than my JSAG requires so I'm covered there, I'm just curious as to what 'hidden' (and therefore potentially sanctionable) info they can get from someone's account.

[impecunious]

Blimey O'Reilly!!! I just discussed vegetables and my allotment with my adviser this morning!!! Then told him that, of course, because I was going self-employed properly that my job search for the last fortnight was just "going through the motions" -- cos it was irrelevant now -- he didn't say a dickie-bird.

 

Imp

[RebeccaPidgeon]

I signed on today and while discussing UJ with my advisor, she said that people should record ALL job-searching activities on UJ - including vacancies looked at on other sites, spec letters sent out, reading the newspapers, talking to friends, etc; basically everything you'd put in a jobseekers diary. She said it would save 'looking through loads of paperwork each week'. I pointed out that my 2 weeks worth of jobseach is recorded on ONE double-sided sheet so it was hardly 'loads of paperwork'.

 

By the time they've logged into your UJ account and found the pages, they could have looked at your written jobsearch much faster.

 

I still haven't been mandated to register, but I'm wondering about the following questions - maybe Flumps or Rebecca could shed some light. If you granted the DWP access to your UJ account, can they;

 

1. See the date and time(s) you logged in and how long you were logged in for?

 

2. See a record of ALL pages you've looked at - especially vacancies?

 

3. Add or modify anything you've written there as jobsearch?

 

I'm not bothered about them seeing my jobsearch activity - I always give more than my JSAG requires so I'm covered there, I'm just curious as to what 'hidden' (and therefore potentially sanctionable) info they can get from someone's account.

Theoretically, were you to grant access to Universal Job Match, the use of cookies could provide comprehensive information on your engagement with the system, the vacancies that you have looked at, the vacancies that you have applied for.

 

However, at the moment, a claimant cannot be mandated to provide access to their Universal Job Match Account.... and, if mandation arises, would simply require the candidate to i) Create a UJM Account, ii) Create a Profile, iii) Upload a CV, iv) Make the CV Searchable. However, when candidates create a UJM Account, they accept that the Monster Corporation (operating as a Data Processor) may distribute data contained in their account to any party deemed authorised by the Minister of State.