Four months have passed since Arras People was awarded by the DWP with the opportunity to provide newly unemployed project & programme management professionals with career services and advice, more commonly known as the JobSearch Support Service for Newly Unemployed Professionals. And yet, even as we work in concert with local JobCentre Plus branches nationwide with referred candidates, we’ve often found some sort of confusion on the part of parties: How do you get the process started, for instance?
Today we’ll cut through the clutter in a quick FAQ blog post that aims to get all sides involved. And remember that you cannot access this service unless you are unemployed and are in receipt of Job Seekers Allowance.
Q: How do you get the process started?
A: Simple. Speak to your dedicated advisor at your local branch of JobCentre Plus. If you take the following reference with you (BOY / 20668 / Arras People), you can speed up the process.
Q: My JobCentre Plus Advisor has not heard about this service. What do I do now?
A: This has happened with us before. How do we know? Proactive candidates, that’s how! They heard about the service, called us directly, and explained how eager they were to undertake the JobSearch service with us.
The information on here will help you access the JobSearch Support Services even quicker.
To those who want to get the ball rolling, the reference number in the previous question comes in very handy in such a situation. JCP Advisors can plug the reference into their database, and find it exactly what Arras People provides. The image to the right is a good example of the type of information you should take with you before you meet with your advisor – you’ll be prepared in case your advisor isn’t sure what you’re talking about.
Q: You don’t have an office near where I live, and my advisor won’t refer me because of it. What should I do now?
A: It’s a phone service, so travel is not an issue. The service itself is offered nationwide, but to avoid the hassle of expenses and travel, our project management consultants are ready for an intensive day of breaking down where you are, where you want to go, and what you’ll need from us to get there over the telephone. Such experience through our critically acclaimed Project Management Careers Clinics have prepared us well for these consultations.
Q: You mentioned being pro-active. Why is this so important?
A: Several reasons, one being that too often JobCentre advisors nationwide have been caught unaware of the service upon mention. With so many things to handle in a day’s work, who can blame them? Going to them informed will make their job easier and speed up the process.
But here’s a bigger reason you may not have considered: pro-active people are the people who get hired most often. I’ve seen lightbulbs turn on above our consultants’ heads when a prospective candidate showed their pro-active skills. OK, maybe not, but suffice it to say that an eager candidate’s actions caught the consultants’ attention. This does not suggest that we would necessarily put you forward for a role we have going at the moment. But there’s nothing better than planting a seed in the back of their mind. In essence, you’re showing off a valuable skill before we’ve even spoken with you.
