The Diary Room

[a_person]

Even in smaller companies, jobs far from best, but still a job is a job, go to people who know people... Nevermind the complete lack of experience and the childish attitude.

This doesn't just happen in top jobs - it happens even more in the public sector. The numerous imbeciles I have had to work with in my time in the public sector has left me very demotivated. I love the work I do, even more that I make a difference in people's live through the work I do but it is the work ethics that has driven me out and makes me want to move. Recently, in our restructure, two of four managers were given job not based on performance but who they know. Their salary had also increased to represent the change in job description yet they are underperforming and management overlook it because it's their friend. Even worse was when someone told that a few sidekicks were given positions even though they miserably failed the interview. It's just ridiculous really. You shouldn't be in a job you can't and will never learn to do. Incompetency is something that always makes my blood boil.

[zildjian]

I think that is a common fault which runs throughout the public sector. Which is partly why outsourcing to other companys may be beneficial.

[a_person]

Me too! All my life I have worked in blue chip companies and when recruiting, who do they offer the jobs to - people from Oxbridge mainly, I see all the CVs that comes in. There is a definitely them and us divide when it comes to the top jobs!

Most civil servants are oxbridge students - that's because they couldn't get into big companies. Only the lucky few who did got in because of their contacts. A very few civil servants that are educated get in from others. Look up faststream and check their statistics on who the majority of their students are. 90% + are oxbridge students. Even the likes of Imperial, LSE, UCL don't get in easily!

[a_person]

If you new someone who offered you a job because they new you, but had other applicants, you would turn it down or demand a fair job interview for everyone? I would imagine not.

Actually you're wrong - firstly I NEVER want to work with people I know on a personal basis, moreso if I dislike their work ethics, it ruins the relationship I have with them.

I have turned down previous job offers because of this reason - I do not like working with people I know personally. If you want to go down that route, good for you but I like to take credit for my own work and achievements since I work very hard for them, not because daddy put me there.

[a_person]

I think that is a common fault which runs throughout the public sector. Which is partly why outsourcing to other companys may be beneficial.

Outsourcing is a terrible idea, especially in the public sector. Outsourcing causes numerous problems, I'd rather have the local idiot then have someone in another part of the country dealing with an issue. It's hard enough to ever get anything done in the public sector due to the numerous imbeciles you have to deal with, including an outsourced company means it will NEVER get done. Also, you shouldn't use public money for outsourcing. Just make sure you employ the correct people in the first instance and there won't be as many issues. I have often thought that perhaps if the public sector took a more private sector approach in terms of whipping people up, there'd be less of this mother-son-nephew relationships that we often see and we'd see less of bums around. I have worked in both public and private sector and the bit I did like about the private sector was the majority of people worked real hard. I often look at my work colleagues and how "hard" they work - only two out of eighteen of them would survive in a private sector environment. The others would be sacked within a month.

[weliveandbreathewords]

Trying to diagnose myself(as you do) the most plausible options to me are hypoglycemia and TGA(Transient Global Amnesia)
both reflect the symptoms i had, TGA reflecting more so the event AND the slow regaining of memory afterwards
:o
only problem is TGA is common with 50 years+! Im not that old am I? lmao

[aruif]

Ms Thrifty, I agree that's a great way to get a qualification. it wasn't for me though as I detested my job and my degree and current work experience is the polar opposite career wise. so i'd say it's a great thing but only if you're happy to pretty much work in that area long term.

Tilly i don't think having a degree has to be relevant to your job at all. i mean sure it can be if you want it to be, but some jobs you can't apply for at all without a degree in anything. you still have to have the same skills in order to gain that level of qualification whatever it is your're studying and the university you get your degree from can also be more important than the subject you do it in.

[raj101]

Trying to diagnose myself(as you do) the most plausible options to me are hypoglycemia and TGA(Transient Global Amnesia)
both reflect the symptoms i had, TGA reflecting more so the event AND the slow regaining of memory afterwards
:o
only problem is TGA is common with 50 years+! Im not that old am I? lmao

a couple of other things.

were you visibly unconscious to your friends when it happened ie were your eyes closed? if you werent, if your eyes remained open or you didnt collapse, became rigid, it might be some kind of mild seizure. your doctor would need to prescribe medication for it.

If you have low blood pressure, and you actually visibly lost consciousness, it might by simply a syncope - a reduction in blood getting to the head. Drinking more water can help to keep blood pressure higher as well as attention to diet.

Obv i'm just a med student, you want to talk to your doctor rather than me about it.

one moe thing, i dont think amnesia is the problem unless you were drinking heavily, or taking drugs. If you were suffering an amnesiac disease I'm pretty sure would have someone would have noticed by now you being 19-20 now. Possibly it was just a byproduct of your passing out and your brain losing its oxygen supply for too long. Obvously, something you want to avoid too lol

[zildjian]

If you new someone who offered you a job because they new you, but had other applicants, you would turn it down or demand a fair job interview for everyone? I would imagine not.

Actually you're wrong - firstly I NEVER want to work with people I know on a personal basis, moreso if I dislike their work ethics, it ruins the relationship I have with them.

I have turned down previous job offers because of this reason - I do not like working with people I know personally. If you want to go down that route, good for you but I like to take credit for my own work and achievements since I work very hard for them, not because daddy put me there.

You have immediatley jumped the gun by assuming its a "personal basis".

What if someone at a previous place of employment offered you a role? They may only know you from your work and not as the "personal basis" you mention.

[a_person]

You have immediatley jumped the gun by assuming its a "personal basis".

What if someone at a previous place of employment offered you a role? They may only know you from your work and not as the "personal basis" you mention.

Actually the content of the conversation here was people being given jobs unfairly based on people they know personally, not based on their work performance which is why imbeciles end up where they are.

And to answer your question, no I still wouldn't take it. When I look for new employees, even if I know someone whose perfect for the job, I only tell them of the opportunity. And in that case, I remove myself from the interview process to allow them to perform on their own merits. I also don't tell the panel that I know them or anything like that and do not allow to be put down as a referee. In some cases, the people haven't got through. And in my opinion, there's nothing I can do and it was just fair and square. It just means that someone else has outperformed you (or the panel had someone in mind! ).

There's nothing to stop people doing that and offering jobs to ex-employees if the person is good is at the job then I guess that it isn't so bad since it is still performance based (although I still do strongly believe do it's an unfair process and you should interview others too). Even then, it is still good practice to interview an ex-employee, no matter how good they were when you knew them. People change over time and they may not be as good as they were when you knew them. Then you'll kick yourself on the head for not interviewing them.