Tea? (Part 1)

[Night Train]

I need tea to aliviate the frustration of completing stupid on line forms.

The form asks the question:

Do you work for a further education college, sixth form college....blah blah
OR
Do you teach on a LSC (learning skills council) funded....blah blah
Check boxes for: Yes/No

How am I supposed to answer that? The next page says I can be prosecuted if I answer falsely!

 

[Speicher]

I have had a similarly confusing day trying to find out more about I post that has been advertised. Student Support Assistant. The job advert said that relevant qualifications were necessary.

When I enquired (eventually finding someone to enquire about it), they said something like, well there aren't any qualifications relevant to the post. The good news is that I have the relevant experience, of working with people with learning disabilities. I am hoping that in this instance experience, and maturity, and common sense, will be what counts. It is at a local college of F.E. , term time only, ie 35 weeks a year, and part-time and reasonably well paid. fingers crossed?

 

[Night Train]

Sometimes standard forms are used even when it isn't suitable nd that makes things difficult. Good luck with it Speicher.

I have to complete mine some how as it is necessary for my job (why?) and no one has returned my calls for clarification.

 

[Speicher]

I think the "prosecution" bit refers to if you "knowlingly" provide false information, rather than if you were confused by the wording of the questions. Could you state the Course Title and Course Code if there is one?

I take it that you have tried the Personnel dept of the College, rather than someone in that particular department. When does the form need to be returned by?

You are right about standardising things, it was the Job Advert that was standardised with the Teaching Posts that might require a degree or similar. I am applying to assist students, not actually teach them.

 

[Night Train]

Apparently I have to be registered with the insitiute for learning for OFSTED when they come. The form is horrible to complete and designed by someone who probably hasn't done much learning, or perhaps not much form filling.

I could answer the question once someone at college tells me which it is but the question demands a yes/no answer and that is the bit that is the problem.

It is a bit like trying to answer yes/no to the question of Are you drinking tea or coffee now?

 

[Amanda P]

If you assume the "or" is an inclusive one, rather than exclusive, the question is easy to answer: in your example, it's always yes. (At least in this thread).

If you can't talk to anyone, I'd return the form that way and let them come to you for clarification if they need it. If there's a free-text bit anywhere, you could try to answer the question properly there?

 

[marinyork]

Well best of luck with completing the forms, I wouldn't fret too much, as Uncle Phil says and let them come back to you. It's what I always do and usually they aren't bothered as HR or someone else has written it.

 

[Speicher]

It is somewhat ironic, that these days, with advanced systems of communication, mobile phones with cameras etc, that the devising of understandable questions is beyond some people. And that paperwork associated with doing a job can be more complex than the job itself.



I may have spent too long in Mornington Crescent, must get some tea, a shower etc. Good luck with the rest of the form.

 

[Night Train]

That's what I thought at first so I answered 'yes' in that I do indeed do one or the other. However, the question related to how something was to be funded hence the risk of prosecution for giving false infomation if I answered 'yes' incorrectly. If I answered 'no' incorrectly then I would probably get a bill for something I shouldn't have to pay.

Also no one is answering the switchboard phone at college!

 

[Amanda P]

Perhaps the person who set up the form also forgot to set it so that "yes" and "no" are mutually exclusive? So can you answer both "yes" and "no"?

 

[Night Train]

The yes/no are set as hyperlink buttons to the next appropriate page depending on which I click on. I am going to give up on it and do it another time. I have wasted too much time on this this afternoon and I want to get on with my essay writing. I will find out from the college which answer I need and then ask them how to answer with a yes/no.

Thanks for the rant space.

 

[Amanda P]

The yes/no are set as hyperlink buttons to the next appropriate page depending on which I click on.

Ah.

Thanks for the rant space.

You're welcome. Good luck with the essay. Not about the uselessness of personnel staff, is it...?

 

[Arch]

Forms and polls are very easy to make badly I think, and hard for some people to do well. I earn a few pence at a time filling in polls for YouGov and OnePoll, and the Onepoll ones are often awful (they mostly seem to be the sort of thing you see reported in women's weekly type magazines - you know, 92% of women said they once accidentally injured their dog with curling tongs). There are often questions to which you can't answer none, even though it's a possibility.

I just make my answers up half the time! Hmm, better go see what new polls there are....

 

[Chuffy]

Forms and polls are very easy to make badly I think, and hard for some people to do well. I earn a few pence at a time filling in polls for YouGov and OnePoll, and the Onepoll ones are often awful (they mostly seem to be the sort of thing you see reported in women's weekly type magazines - you know, 92% of women said they once accidentally injured their dog with curling tongs). There are often questions to which you can't answer none, even though it's a possibility.

I just make my answers up half the time! Hmm, better go see what new polls there are....

Yup. I should know, part of my job is designing them.
I also get to groan over the rubbish ones that people bring to me. Here's a great sample question that I once saw. It came with a range of tickbox locations and only one response was possible.
Q - Where do you live and work?
Spot the fatal flaw.....

 

[Arch]

Hee hee, I just earned 5p for answering two questions on the X factor. I've never watched the X factor, so I made up the answers...

Last week there was on one YouGov, and it said "answer these questins, and if you don't know, or aren't bothered, choose the one nearest to your answer". Er, ig you don't know, how do you know what's nearest...? Also, it was things like "Who do you think will win the grand prix championship?", and you can't really say one answer is 'nearer' another on that, can you?

So I made those up as well...