I should of known

Young Blood

I should of known the informality of the interview was a dead giveaway. I waited almost a week in exciting anticipation that this might be the job that will be the big pay off and then I could start living!

I got a call last week from an Accountancy firm in Dublin. I had applied for a good few Accountancy traineeships and this was the first call I got. When I got to the interview I was expecting perhaps three interviewees so I was all spruced up.

When I arrived the lady greeted me and we went into a room. It was a box sized room, one which you couldn't even swing a cat. We were practically sitting shoulder to shoulder and I thought to myself how informal it was.

The lady told me that some interns they had 'just up and left' recently and I thought that odd considering a job like this would pay so well. She gave the impression that these people were very ungrateful.

So when I got to discussing the contract and pay I discovered it was of course JOBBRIDGE.
I couldn't believe that this woman dragged me out of f@@king bed to an interview which neither had a trainee contract or even met the standard minimum wage.

She assumed I knew it was jobbridge and perhaps I should of, considering she was so informal and straight forward. I honestly didn't go to college and work three 12 hour shifts a week on top of my studies to work for some scumbag who doesn't have the decency to pay a salary which was clearly a well off company.

The lady was a little embarrassed when she discovered I didn't know and I thought rightly so. How dare she insult my intelligence. I have a thing called 'integrity' something this person clearly had not. I wouldn't lower myself to a 'Jobbridge' and I would consider it an insult to be considered for one. No wonder the other interns just 'up and left'. Where is the incentive to work when your not even getting paid. What a joke.

The cheek.

marizpan

I have had firms ring me for interview, also accountancy firms, I asked for clarity that the position was a paid position. Every time to be told that it was job bridge.
And everytime I tell that I will not work for free!! Much to there embarrassment. I am not on sw, so the check of them!!
They were prepared to waste my time to go for an interview when no real job existed.

Young Blood

marizpan wrote: »

I have had firms ring me for interview, also accountancy firms, I asked for clarity that the position was a paid position. Every time to be told that it was job bridge.
And everytime I tell that I will not work for free!! Much to there embarrassment. I am not on sw, so the check of them!!
They were prepared to waste my time to go for an interview when no real job existed.

It was clear on my CV that there were no breaks in my employment so how could I possibly qualify for the scheme? I would work in a minimum job before I would work for scum like that. At least you could pull in over 1200 euros a month on a minimum job and maybe more if you did overtime. Where is the sense working for free? You would have to be a total moron not to see that this is legally sanctioned exploitation.

I'm living in a friends apartment in Dublin after returning from abroad. My friend works a minimum wage job and is paid in the region of 1200 euro a month. Her rent is 500 euro a month which doesn't include transport to work or expenses.

How is anyone suppose to survive on less than that. Have they seen the price of rents recently? The employers and politicians in this country are totally out of touch with reality.

blindsider

Young Blood wrote: »

I'm living in a friends apartment in Dublin after returning from abroad. My friend works a minimum wage job and is paid in the region of 1200 euro a month. Her rent is 500 euro a month which doesn't include transport to work or expenses.

How is anyone suppose to survive on less than that. Have they seen the price of rents recently? The employers and politicians in this country are totally out of touch with reality.

YB - I understand your POV but unfortunately, Ireland is not abroad - and we still have a major unemployment problem at 12%. (At best, it will fall 2% p.a.)That means that companies will try the JB thing and will probably have some success.

The stark reality is that there are not too many jobs out there, but lots of people looking for them.

IMO if you have a good degree (2:1 or better) in Accountancy, you may find something. Training contracts are fairly scarce - companies don't need many trainees at the mo.

Otherwise, I'd suggest saving for another flight.

As for politicians - don't make me laugh....:mad:

Tarzana

Young Blood wrote: »

IThe lady told me that some interns they had 'just up and left' recently

My heart bleeds for her. :pac:

Was just saying in another thread that every entry-level type accounts assistant position I've seen advertised in the last few weeks is Jobbridge. So basically, I'd need to leave my job and go sign on to just be in with a chance of getting one - no guarantees even. There's something slightly messed up about that.

I'm not even against internships. But traditionally they were shorter and often were part-time hours so that you could do another job simultaneously. But with Jobbridge, you need to dole it up.

I don't even understand how accounting traineeships end up on job bridge considering your average training contract is 3.5 years.

redcortina

The milk round opens in September for all major accounting firms in Ireland, its the guts of about 700 -800 training contracts annually.

You should have a better chance getting a contract here starting with a basic salary of about €22k. With this increasing every year.

ryan101

Job bridge ? Welcome to the future of employment in Ireland. Just bring in new free plebs every 9 (soon to be 18) months before they get to know too much.

Young Blood

blindsider wrote: »

YB - I understand your POV but unfortunately, Ireland is not abroad - and we still have a major unemployment problem at 12%. (At best, it will fall 2% p.a.)That means that companies will try the JB thing and will probably have some success.

I was in Spain with an unemployment rate twice that of Ireland. I had no problem securing employment over there in either teaching or sales but that's Spain. After living there almost a year, I would've thought Ireland, having half the unemployment rate of Spain, would have at least a trickle of jobs fro graduates. But that's not the case because jobbridge has destroyed that opportunity for an entire generation of young people.

I really recent the older generations in this country. They honestly have no idea what we're going through.

Tarzana wrote: »

My heart bleeds for her. :pac:
So basically, I'd need to leave my job and go sign on to just be in with a chance of getting one - no guarantees even. There's something slightly messed up about that.

I did exactly that this time last year. It was the biggest mistake of my life. I waited on the dole for three months, gained over a stone in weight and finally secured an internship (not in accountancy). After two days of getting coffee and running errands around the city I walked off the job. It's the biggest scam ever. What's worse is that I destroyed whatever work ethic I had developed in college while sitting on the dole to avail of this fantastic opportunity which it clearly is not.

Tarzana wrote: »

I don't even understand how accounting traineeships end up on job bridge considering your average training contract is 3.5 years.

Either do I!

NZ_2014

Did the job spec say it was a JobBridge?

Companies are taking advantage, no doubt, greed and human nature etc etc.

Should have.

I wouldn't employ anyone who says "should of" either. What do they teach kids these days?

TimeToShine

Deleted User wrote: »

Should have.

I wouldn't employ anyone who says "should of" either. What do they teach kids these days?

He's an accountant for Christ's sake. Grow up.

OP I hope you walked straight out, although judging by the fact that she was a little embarrassed I wouldn't attribute the hiring policy to malice - it was probably just stupidity on their part.

As said above there's a big milk round of graduates being taken on come September so start applying and you should be ok. Good luck.

Tarzana

Deleted User wrote: »

Should have.

I wouldn't employ anyone who says "should of" either.

Well, it kinda rolls into one word so it's highly unlikely you'd even notice.

Tarzana

OP, what I'm wondering is, considering accountancy training contracts are ~3.5years, were they planning on keeping whoever they chose on after the 9 months were up? If not, what happens to your training? You'd barely be through the first brace of exams at that stage.

miss no stars

Tarzana wrote: »

Well, it kinda rolls into one world so it's highly unlikely you'd even notice.

No, it's clearly two words. It's right up there with people who "done that" and the OP says he/she "recent(s)" the interviewer?!

60% of employers are put off by bad grammar on interviewee's social media pages... Go think about whether "should of" should have been "should have".

vitani

Young Blood wrote: »

I really recent the older generations in this country. They honestly have no idea what we're going through.

Seriously? You think the older generation have had it easy? This recession is nothing compared to what the older generation went through in the 1980s.

Matt_Trakker

This is a troll thread yea?
Or are the constant mistakes for real?

Tarzana

miss no stars wrote: »

No, it's clearly two words.

Yes, it's a contraction. I never said it wasn't two words. But the whole thing about contractions is that they roll into one. So, no, you wouldn't know from the verbalisation how someone would spell it.

Grammar Nazism taken to nonsensical, even more tedious new heights! (or more accurately, nadirs)

Tarzana

vitani wrote: »

Seriously? You think the older generation have had it easy? This recession is nothing compared to what the older generation went through in the 1980s.

Actually this one is more far-reaching, having lived through two. I'm only 30 but I remember very clearly how bad the first one was. This one is as bad, if not worse.

Barely There

vitani wrote: »

Seriously? You think the older generation have had it easy? This recession is nothing compared to what the older generation went through in the 1980s.

And the Bubonic Plague in the 14th century.

Valetta

With the attitude of the OP, the accountancy firm had a lucky escape.

ryan101

Tarzana wrote: »

Actually this one is more far-reaching, having lived through two. I'm only 30 but I remember very clearly how bad the first one was. This one is as bad, if not worse.

They are both a bit different. This time there is massive, massive debt, but interest rates are very small (for now). Also this time the government has gone out of their way to ensure only ordinary people experience any austerity and the wealthy remain protected at all costs.
The worst factor of all, that both share, is the chronic lack of any employment in 3/4 of Ireland. This kills the local economies completely.
Also the corruption then, which was as widespread then as it is now, was much less sophisticated and more up front, which actually made it feel more honest.

Mrs OBumble

Valetta wrote: »

With the attitude of the OP, the accountancy firm had a lucky escape.

Lads - enough. No more grammar-nitpicking, no more rudeness.

Fine to discuss the topic (and I have a lot of sympathy for the OP), but keep it civil or I'll be getting the yellow/red hammer out (and that makes me cross).

Dixie Chick

A lot of trainees take jobsbridge so that they have some more hands on experience when applying for actual trainee positions.

I think if the interview pulled you from bed, then basically you could br working there and gaining experience and always looking for a trainee position while there.

And its not free is €50 onto your JSB.

I wouldn't like to be in the position of no job myself but you can be damn sure I wouldn't pass up over 200pw and experience on principal

ETA: my first years trainee wage was 200pw so I don't really sympathise at all

3DataModem

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Should have.

I wouldn't employ anyone who says "should of" either. What do they teach kids these days?

They can say it, but not type it three times.

Tarzana

Dixie Chick wrote: »

I wouldn't like to be in the position of no job myself but you can be damn sure I wouldn't pass up over 200pw and experience on principal

For under 25s (or 24s?) it's far lower than that. And that 50 could be gobbled up in general work expenses (transport, clothes etc.)

And was your 200pw punts or euro? Big distinction.

Dixie Chick

Tarzana wrote: »

For under 25s (or 24s?) it's far lower than that. And that 50 could be gobbled up in general work expenses (transport, clothes etc.)

Indeed it could. I still wouldn't stay in bed everyday until the milkrounds though

ryan101

Dixie Chick wrote: »

A lot of trainees take jobsbridge so that they have some more hands on experience when applying for actual trainee positions.

I think if the interview pulled you from bed, then basically you could br working there and gaining experience and always looking for a trainee position while there.

And its not free is €50 onto your JSB.

I wouldn't like to be in the position of no job myself but you can be damn sure I wouldn't pass up over 200pw and experience on principal

ETA: my first years trainee wage was 200pw so I don't really sympathise at all

You will when you are replaced with an intern.

Dixie Chick

ryan101 wrote: »

You will when you are replaced with an intern.

What? I am no longer a trainee

Im not saying that I would want to be in a position like that myself, of course I wouldn't. But it bugged me , especially the line of getting up for the interview, when there are many people not qualified that long would have been on that wage anyway just to get in the door.

secman

Two of my friends are accountants, very successful and very good accountants, both were really bad at spelling, the number of times they would do a spell check with me in the office was unbelievable. They both would admit and laugh at their poor spelling, but when it comes to numbers etc both are top guys.

Getting back to topic, no doubt about it, the job bridge scheme is being abused on a large scale. I suspect the "job created" figures spewed out by the politicians contain some manipulation based on job bridge placements ....... bound to be.

Secman

yawhat!

OP Do you expect to be on a 40K role after leaving college or something? Do you think work is going to fall into your Lap. Suck it up do the internship and build up some experience. You can still apply for jobs while on Jobridge.

greendom

yawhat! wrote: »

OP Do you expect to be on a 40K role after leaving college or something? Do you think work is going to fall into your Lap. Suck it up do the internship and build up some experience. You can still apply for jobs while on Jobridge.

You are ineligible for job-bridge if you have not been on jobseeker's benefit for a set period of time. I think that is what has caused the anger. He could never have taken the position even if he'd wanted to.

chompdown

The sense of entitlement coming from the OP is a bit of a shock.

To those shouting "exploitation", nobody is forcing anyone do do anything. The OP turned them down. If they need work done badly enough they will simply have to pay for it.

I sense the OP needs the experience more than the company needs his/her labour.

And to those moaning about companies only offering JB, how many people do you employ?

yawhat!

greendom wrote: »

You are ineligible for job-bridge if you have not been on jobseeker's benefit for a set period of time. I think that is what has caused the anger. He could never have taken the position even if he'd wanted to.

Once you are signing you can do a jobbridge. The six month wait was scrapped.

Its just shocking the OP's sense of entitlement

When will it stop.

I attended 2 interviews, done an hour practical in a lad with measuring devices, for an aerospace, Medical device Company. Was offered an Internship for 9 months, to realise i had more experience and Qualifications than my "Mentor".

Lasted a month,

Employers are just taking advantage, because the Government allow them to.

Pay Peanuts poeple....get monkeys.....we all know.

Internships and CE Schemes......
Before you would get paid for "Work Experience", then hopefully get offered a Job. An honest way of getting the people you want, to work for you.

P.S. Do you think their is a Jobbridge Program, in the Dail..expenses alone there would suffice!!!!!

When will it stop.

Lab people ........Lab

greendom

yawhat! wrote: »

Once you are signing you can do a jobbridge. The six month wait was scrapped.

Its just shocking the OP's sense of entitlement

In that case I agree. The OP has stated that they had already started on one job-bridge scheme that had nothing to do with accountancy. As long as the firm was reputable and the position one in which he could learn and gain experience he could well profit from it in the long run.

Tarzana

Dixie Chick wrote: »

Indeed it could. I still wouldn't stay in bed everyday until the milkrounds though

Was it punts or euro? You never said.

Sunny Dayz

OP - while it may have been a shock to find out that the position you were being interviewed for was actually unpaid, it would have stood to you to stick out the interview and give it your best shot. Get the bit of practice of being interviewed which always helps. This lady was a member of staff/HR in the company and you should have been trying to make your best impression with her, not burning your bridges.

Would you not have considered the internship? Even a few weeks of experience in the practice over the summer would be good on your CV, you would get some hands on experience and it may even lead to a paid position in the business. During the summer months the trainees on contracts are on study leave and some practices do take on unpaid staff to fill the void - I did it one summer and it stood to me cos I got to make some useful contacts in the practice and got called for interviews at the milk rounds. It would have given you a flavour of the type of work that they do before you enter the milk rounds and the prospect of being tied into a 3/ 3.5 year contract.

FURET

My first professional job started as a four-month, unpaid internship with IBM. I was a bit disappointed that it was unpaid, but I was still delighted to get the opportunity. Four months later, I had a job paying in the mid-30s with IBM; two years after that, I'm pulling in a lot more. Sometimes unpaid work experience proves to be an excellent investment.

Tarzana

FURET wrote: »

My first professional job started as a four-month, unpaid internship with IBM. I was a bit disappointed that it was unpaid, but I was still delighted to get the opportunity. Four months later, I had a job paying in the mid-30s with IBM; two years after that, I'm pulling in a lot more. Sometimes unpaid work experience proves to be an excellent investment.

Yeah, traditional internships are grand. Four months is fine.

FURET

Is there a restriction on taking up a job bridge internship and then jumping ship after 3 or 4 months if you get a better offer along the way?
I don't know much about job bridge other than that it is exploited by many employers, but I'd imagine there'd be no problem with applying for real jobs on a constant basis while doing the internship.

NZ_2014

yawhat! wrote: »

Once you are signing you can do a jobbridge. The six month wait was scrapped.

Its just shocking the OP's sense of entitlement

No you still have to wait, its three months; maybe it was six previously.

http://www.jobbridge.ie/toolkit/faqintern.pdf

December2012

Young Blood wrote: »

So when I got to discussing the contract and pay I discovered it was of course JOBBRIDGE.
I couldn't believe that this woman dragged me out of f@@king bed to an interview which neither had a trainee contract or even met the standard minimum wage.

She assumed I knew it was jobbridge and perhaps I should of, considering she was so informal and straight forward. I honestly didn't go to college and work three 12 hour shifts a week on top of my studies to work for some scumbag who doesn't have the decency to pay a salary which was clearly a well off company.

The lady was a little embarrassed when she discovered I didn't know and I thought rightly so. How dare she insult my intelligence. I have a thing called 'integrity' something this person clearly had not. I wouldn't lower myself to a 'Jobbridge' and I would consider it an insult to be considered for one. No wonder the other interns just 'up and left'. Where is the incentive to work when your not even getting paid. What a joke.

The cheek.

Did you go to college, work three 12 hour shifts on top of your studies so you could stay in bed?

Are you getting paid to stay in bed? Why do you do that?

Integrity?

Your post suggests you have a bad attitude and smug sense if entitlement, as well as being rude.

Jim2007

Young Blood wrote: »

I really recent the older generations in this country. They honestly have no idea what we're going through.

Really! I grew up in an Ireland where you did not ask people what they did, because the answer was always the same - unemployed....

where only a few hundred in each county qualified for a means tested 'scholarship' of a few hundred pounds for college, so very few of us got to go...

where you got sod all in benefits unless you'd paid in before hand...

When you left school you either joined the family business/farm, got to go to college if you were luck or took the boat. Hanging around was not even an option...

I remember we used to go hill walking weekends, 'cause that was all we could afford => 50p bus fare and a ₤1.50 for the overnight stay at a youth hostel. By the Sunday, some of the gang would be out of food, so we share what we had and leave behind what we could spare for those staying on at the hostel. They stayed on not because of they wanted to but because it was cheap and with a bit of luck they might get a day's labour on a local far for food not money!

I remember farm markets, where the sellers could not even give their animals away because there were no buyers that could afford to pay for the feedstuff even if they got the animals for free..

I remember farmers, grown men, crying because they found not afford to feed their livestock and were having to but them down.

I remember doing economics for the leaving cert and the kind of the stats we had to learn were inflation 20%, unemployment 15%, high tax rate 60%

and much more...

Believe me we know all about hardship!

eurokev

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

NZ_2014

yawhat! wrote: »

OP Do you expect to be on a 40K role after leaving college or something? Do you think work is going to fall into your Lap. Suck it up do the internship and build up some experience. You can still apply for jobs while on Jobridge.

Where did he say anything like 40k? I`m sure he would be happy to take 20 or even 18k for the training period.

NZ_2014

FURET wrote: »

Is there a restriction on taking up a job bridge internship and then jumping ship after 3 or 4 months if you get a better offer along the way?
I don't know much about job bridge other than that it is exploited by many employers, but I'd imagine there'd be no problem with applying for real jobs on a constant basis while doing the internship.

No, you can leave with one weeks notice, (or just leave straight away although there is the risk of not getting your last weeks dole/a reference from the company) and you take time off for interviews whenever they arise.

Mrs OBumble

yawhat! wrote: »

Once you are signing you can do a jobbridge. The six month wait was scrapped.

Its just shocking the OP's sense of entitlement

In fairness, the OP should be entitled to minimum wage for work done. I don't see them as asking for anything unreasonable.

yawhat!

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

In fairness, the OP should be entitled to minimum wage for work done. I don't see them as asking for anything unreasonable.

We're in a recession, its good experience. If they can't get work in Accountancy then try and find a job anywhere like in Supermarkets or something. Its a joke of a scheme but what can ya do in todays climate.

ryan101

yawhat! wrote: »

We're in a recession, its good experience. If they can't get work in Accountancy then try and find a job anywhere like in Supermarkets or something. Its a joke of a scheme but what can ya do in todays climate.

What is the point of having any minimum wage legislation then ? And what is protecting your job from being replaced by a free intern ?

Jim2007

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

In fairness, the OP should be entitled to minimum wage for work done. I don't see them as asking for anything unreasonable.

It really depends on what the OPs objective was and if they could have managed it economically. If they could and the objective is to land a training contract, the it is a missed opportunity:

- failed to establish a good relationship with HR
- failed get some experience on the resume
- missed reference from an accounting firm
- missed networking opportunity to hook up with people in the firm

I'd consider the networking opportunity the most valuable of the three. Even if this firm could not offer the OP a training position, there is always the chance they could provide introductions to other firms that could...