Jobless

Not altogether unexpectedly, the company I work for has just decided to close completely, effective from 1.12.2005, leaving me unemployed just in time for Christmas

Am trying to stay positive and not get panicky thinking what-the-f**k-am-I-going-to-do-now

So I got up nice and early this morning to start browsing online job site, which is where I found a job ad for a (clothes) shop assistant in which it states the following:

This is explained further:

Now, I can quite see that if someone totally "ungeplegt" shows up they're not going to give them the job, but surely actually putting your clothes size in the job ad is illegal???
And what happens if when you get the job you're a size 36, and then get fat? Can they fire you??

I can see this is going to be a very depressing experience.

Hi Lillac,

sorry to hear about the situation with your company and your job. Reading your posting I thought the point you would be making was going to be about the age limit specified in the ad - not about the clothing size of the applicant!

There are some professions who specify physical appearance as a requirement: eg onboard airline personnel who are required to keep below and maintain a specific height-weight ratio, or firemen or policemen who have to have a minimum height.

But for a retail sales person, that seems a little odd to me. People are buying clothes to fit themselves, not to fit the sales rep.

In general I think there is far too much bull in the personnel recruitment sector, personnel bosses are the worst of all with their out of touch and fixed views of the world. Ive had to listen to no end of bull from personnel chiefs when applying for fixed employment many times in the past. Both in England as well as in Germany, where they have their own specific view of the world and the universe as it exists and applies on this little particular patch of the planet. But you also encounter odd attitudes in the freelancing and contracting sectors as well.

The thing is you cant "belehren" them, not at the interview at any rate, you wont get the job if you do that. You just have to sit and swallow it all, whether its true, just, relevant or not.

Sometimes I think a good hefty dose of unemployment would do personnel bosses good. Would maybe bring them down to earth and into touch with reality.

Yes, the age thing too - the whole ad I just found really obnoxious.

Obviously they can employ whoever they want, but they could be missing out on a really classy, customer-orientated 48-year-old size-44 salesperson who would be perfect for the job.

It's depressing that on top of the whole exact-qualification thing here, I'm now faced with age, weight and appearance discrimination before I've even started! (Not that I'm saying I'm old, fat and ugly )

Sorry to hear about that Lilac Hope something turns up soon for you.

dont get all stressed out bab
treat it as a little paid holiday if your firm has had to close then its not your fault and you should be entitled to all the unemployment benifits .

if i were in your boat ide not even look for another job until the spring take a little time out for yourself read some good books take up yoga or something and when you get bored with all that

look for a better job than the one you had

Sorry to hear about your job Lilac, sure everything will work out ok in the end...

on the plus side (?) you'll now be able to make quiz night with the rest of the Stutty rabble

good advice yamster

oh yeh about the advert
there are also shops that cater for the more mature woman with a fuller figure
maybe you are just what they have been looking for only kiddin like

youve started me thinking now enigma cos ive never had to look for a job here i dont even know where the arbiets ampt is let me know how you get on eh

Thanks guys, it's really nice to read encouraging stuff!

I've also just had to find out where my local Arbeitsamt - sorry, Agentur für Arbeit - is and how to go about signing on. I've never been unemployed in my life, and though this has happened through no fault of my own, I'm feeling a bit crap.

@yamyam
Yes, that's what I think I'll be doing, for a couple of months at least (though I will be looking). They say December is the worst month for finding a new job. And given that I'm very unlikely to find anything with my qualifications, I think they're going to have to retrain me anyway.

Absolutely on the plus side is of course that I will no longer have to get up at 5.30am every day, so yes, I suspect I will be able to join the other Stuttgarters for the quiz now...you have been warned!

So true what you say, it's such a pain in the arse how personel bosses put those ads together you have to have at least 10 years experience but musn't be 20 if possible, i am quite surprised to see that they now even tell what size you must be. No wonder that it goes downhill with the employment rate.

Best of luck to you lilac i hope you get it sorted it sucks being without a job especially when chistmas is coming up.

@ yam yam you can find your arbeitsamt in the yellow pages if i am not wrong, it is normaly the one in your district you have to go to but i hope you will never have to of course

Also sorry to hear about that l_e. Rubbish time of year but as the others say make the most of it, you can turn it into a positive experience! What area/type of work do you do, just in case someone else hears of an opportunity?

Sorry to hear about job lilac that is a bit of a bummer!!!

Hmmm I find the ad a bit odd but whatever bext eh! They will probably only want overweight people to work at McDonalds???

Hope you find something soon!

probably not, Muffin, cuz this could suggest that the food has loads of calories. Mac is about to "prove" and suggest that their food was healthy actually

Good luck anyway lilac

Thanks guys

Am trying to stay positive and look in this as an opportunity to do something else.
And in the mean time, will indeed be taking the time to read lots and probably post lots on the BB