I'm not a happy bunny. I've spent years working towards a career in ecology and conservation and it's going to be impossible to get a job unless I own a car. I'm learning to drive because I know that realistically I won't get a job without a license. However there are several fantastic jobs going in my local area which I would be great for but I can't go for any of them unless I am actually in possession of my own car (which is 'essential' in the person specifications). Not only do I not really want a car but I can't afford one. You'd think that the environmental sector would be more encouraging of more environmentally friendly modes of transport and would be discouraging their staff to use their own cars, not demanding that they do! Now I could understand if it was for a field surveyor or similar but some of these are for jobs that are office based. Oh I'm so frustrated. I've worked so hard for almost seven years and it's like more barriers go up each time I over come one. Sorry for the rant, has anyone else encountered anything similar?
England is not a Free People, till the Poor that have no Land, have a free allowance to dig and labour the Commons.
yes i have. when i worked for the paper my boss kept getting annoyed that i couldnt stay late cos i had a bus to catch. the last one went past at about 10 mins after my normal sign off time, great if i got to leave on time. a bugger if i didnt.
he recommended i get a fricking moped if i couldnt get a driving license!!! hell no!
he was much happier when i moved nearer so if i missed the bus i could walk home. 1/2 an hour. in the dark. through a woodland footpath (otherwise the walk was an hour going by roads). on my own. a 4ft 8 woman.... humpf.
i would have expected the office ones not to care though, it could be a general thing they have put on their proforma. the only way you will know is to apply. give it a go!
oh how I love my tea, tea in the afternoon. I can't do without it, and I think I'll have another cup very
ve-he-he-he-heryyyyyyy soooooooooooon!!!!
pretty much every job I've seen advertised in the conservation sector requires you to have a driving licence. Never seen one that requires you to have your own transport tho. Always makes me wonder how they'd cope without oil tho. At work the first instinct seems to be to get a oil based solution to a problem (i.e. a tractor or a chainsaw). Still, that's pretty much what the industry is like.
Hypocrite slayer for hire. So many hypocrites, so little time.
It might be worth looking into the legalities of this.
As drug workers, all our posts were "essential car users". But we discovered it's discrimination to make a post open only to drivers. If they are equal opportunites employers then they can't discriminate!
Maggie
Never doubt that you can change history. You already have. Marge Piercy
Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage. Anais Nin
What if i couldnt drive for medical or other reasons?
I never thought about looking into the legality of whether they can advertise for drivers only....then again, its not such a good interview technique - asking them why theyre discriminating,...
What if i couldnt drive for medical or other reasons?
I never thought about looking into the legality of whether they can advertise for drivers only....then again, its not such a good interview technique - asking them why theyre discriminating,...
then they'd say that you were unable to perform the job. Many jobs have a physical requirement, the ability to drive is an absolute requirement for conservation work.
Hypocrite slayer for hire. So many hypocrites, so little time.
Mrsfibble, I might have a go, even if it's just for practice. How did you get home if you missed that bus?! Had the same problem in college and I had to get three other busses.
MikeM, are you working in conservation? Sweet! Some places do ask for your own car, I think it's for when they can't give you one to use. Likes of the RSPB and National Trust will often give you use of a vehicle, the jobs going with local council seems to ask fro you to have your own though. Hmmm.
Green aura, never really thought about that. They must have some sort of get out clause. Probably don't make it past the selection for interview stage so not sure how you'd go about getting it out of them.
Anyway, with luck I'll have a license by summer time.
England is not a Free People, till the Poor that have no Land, have a free allowance to dig and labour the Commons.
If jim was off or on nights it was fine, I'd just phone him. when he was on days I'd wait til he got back to wickford to come pick me up. meant i'd not get home til about 9pm but it was cheaper than forking out for a taxi.
oh how I love my tea, tea in the afternoon. I can't do without it, and I think I'll have another cup very
ve-he-he-he-heryyyyyyy soooooooooooon!!!!
I'm unemployed at the moment and the people at the jobcentre look at me like I've grown a second head when I say I can't drive.
I can't drive for health reasons (have seizures occasionaly), but to be honest I don't want to learn to drive, I've managed the last 27 years without driving. The problem is all the jobs around here seem to be at the industrial estates in the middle of nowhere, where the bus service only runs for the rotating shifts, it's starting to look like I might have to consider getting to the industrial estate for 6am and wait around until 9am to start, then finish at 5pm and wait around until 10pm to get home again just to get a (much needed) job.
I REALLY ADMIRE YOU STICKING TO YOUR ETHICS. YOU MAY HAVE TO GET A CAR BUT AT LEAST IT IS ONLY FOR WORK. MOST PEOPLE DONT EVEN CONSIDER THE NO CAR OPTION SO WELL DONE YOU . I ADMIRE YOU FOR IT BECAUSE I DIDNT HAVE A CAR FOR SIX MONTHS AND FOUND ( WHERE I LIVE) IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO LIVE WITHOUT ONE .
WE HAVE NO PUBLIC TRANSPORT AT ALL , TAXIS WONT COME OUT TOME AS WE ARE TOO FAR IN THE STICKS . IT MADE SHOPPING REALLY REALLY DIFFICULT . A TRIP TO THE DOCTORS OR THE CHEMIST BECAME A NIGHTMARE. TO GET A TRAIN WAS A LOGISTICAL NIGHTMARE. I WONT BORE YOU BUT YOU GET THE POINT.
IT MADE ME SO VERY VERY AWARE OF WHAT A CAR CULTURE WE ARE, I HAD NEVER REALLY APPRECIATED IT UNTIL THEN, SO I FULLY UNDERSTAND HOW DIFFICULT IT IS TO STICK TO YOUR GUNS AND LIVE IN A CAR FREE CULTURE. I LOOK AT IT THAT HAVING HAD THE EXPERIENCE I WILL USE MY CAR ONLY FOR ESSENTIAL JOURNEYS AND MAYBE EVEN IF YOU HAVE TO USE ON FOR WORK AT LEAST THAT IS ALL THAT YOU WILL HAVE TO USE IT FOR. WELL DONE FOR WORKING SO HARD FOR WHAT YOU BELIEVE,
I've spent years working towards a career in ecology and conservation and it's going to be impossible to get a job unless I own a car. I'm learning to drive because I know that realistically I won't get a job without a license. However there are several fantastic jobs going in my local area which I would be great for but I can't go for any of them unless I am actually in possession of my own car (which is 'essential' in the person specifications). Not only do I not really want a car but I can't afford one. You'd think that the environmental sector would be more encouraging of more environmentally friendly modes of transport and would be discouraging their staff to use their own cars, not demanding that they do! Now I could understand if it was for a field surveyor or similar but some of these are for jobs that are office based. Oh I'm so frustrated. I've worked so hard for almost seven years and it's like more barriers go up each time I over come one. Sorry for the rant, has anyone else encountered anything similar? 
