Interview Chatter

Community Employment Scheme?

by Darlene McDaniel on August 29th, 2007

What is a Community Employment Scheme? I had no idea. I was visiting JibberJobber tonight, Communicating With An Interviewer After You Are Rejected and there was a comment asking about Community Employment Scheme.

Here is the comment from Ailish:

I was just wondering, how would I answer the ‘Why did you leave your job’ question when the job was a Community Employment Scheme and the maximum time allowed to work on them is four years. Is it appropriate to state that you did a CE Scheme or do you make something else up as to why you left. I heard somebody say that you shouldn’t say in an interview that your last job was a CE scheme because it is not looked upon as a real job.

Here is my answer:

I did some research on your question because I have never heard of a Community Employment Scheme. So, let me define it as my research showed and them answer your question. A Community Employment Scheme is designed to help people who are long-term unemployed and other disadvantaged people to get back to work by offering part-time and temporary placement in jobs based withing local communities… After the placement, partcipants are encouraged to seek permanent part-time and full-time jobs elsewhere based on the experience and new skills they have gained while in the Community Employment Scheme.

My answer to your question:
Don’t make up a false answer for why you left your job. I don’t see any reason you can’t tell the truth about the Community Employment Scheme. I would recommend that if you use the terminology “Community Employment Scheme”, it would be very important to explain what it is and what you did or accomplished as a part of the program.

As far as the advise you were given about sharing the CE Scheme as your last job, I believe that it is important to rehearse how you will present information about the CE Scheme job. In other words, if you present the job at the CE Scheme as a low end job, than you are already starting behind in the interview. “My last job was working for a Community Employment Scheme. I had the opportunity to learn, xyz skills. I had the opportunity to …. The things I learned that will help me in position are…

Lastly, at all cost be honest about your past. Dishonesty will cost you the opportunity to get a good job. Good Luck

Source for Community Scheme: http://www.citizensinformation.ie/categories/employment/unemployment-and-redundancy/employment-support-schemes/community_employment_scheme

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