Off Topic Facing uncertainty

[The Omega Man]

A couple of times recently, I wanted to reply to a thread with some observations from life that surround work and seeking work.

The objective of this post is for readers to understand my views on facing the prospects of redundancy and possible unemployment.

Let me state right from the start that I make money from businesses that fail. I have and will be involved with many workers who lose their jobs.

Last week, I spent an hour talking to someone setting out on his own after 25 years of secure employment and this is the spark for this thread.

Firstly redundancy, I have been made redundant 5 times and never have had a penny from it. Now the government provides cover for those workers who qualify and who will not receive a payment from the employers. It is a very good scheme and although capped it does at least compensate for the loss. I believe personally that redundancy should not be feared, it should be embraced and seen as a means of moving forward. Coming out of secure employment and routine is never easy, but a positive mindset will get you through the tough times.

Waking up every morning without a job to go to, may seen as a really hard thing to face, but years of running businesses has taught me that it serves no purpose to worry about it. I have one job for next week, 3 hours work. I do not let this get me down, I simply never get desperate anymore and nor should the unemployed.

There is no secret recipe to finding work or employment. What is important is that people who have work or jobs know that you are there. The more who know about you, the greater the chance of someone making you an offer or giving you a chance. I also very very rarely say “No” to work. If I can do it, I will. If it is beyond my skill set I will say so, but add, that if they still want me to do it, I will. I never stop learning new skills or adapting what I already do.

In summary:

Don’t get desperate
Tell everyone and anyone you are looking for work.
Be willing to adapt or change.
Adopt a positive attitude.
Ask for help if you need it.

I am not trying to preach or say I know better than anyone else, but COVID-19 business support is covering over the cracks of mass unemployment and business failures, once it stops many will face an uncertain future. If my words help just one person...

 

[Trumpton Tiger.]

I left a secure decent paid job with a local company. Had worked for them for just short of 20 years, loved the job, but wanted more. Finished the night shift one morning and on a whim after hearing talk the firm were looking for voluntary redundancies I rang the personal officer, offered to go and twenty minutes later he rang me back, offered me a package and I was gone. I didn't even get the chance to go back and clear my locker.
I **** myself on the first morning when I realised what I had done, honestly I was shaking. Three kids and a mortgage and no job, just six weeks wages in hand, a bit on top for volunteering and my holiday money. WTF had I done !
Job centre was next, a first for me, and it was totally soul destroying. 'You want a job ?' Join the queue.
Next a job agency. I filled in a form about twenty foot long, listed all the courses I had taken at my last firm, a list of my O levels etc and the interviewer glanced at it and wrote down.....labourer.
The 'job'; they offered me was very vague. 'Be outside ABC at 6 tonight, bring your packing up and you will get picked up, be prepared to work all night'
They wouldn't tell me where, who for or what the wage was, just where to get picked up.
I didn't turn up.
By the end of the week I was self employed and have been for over 30 years now.
Never under estimate the shock of leaving a steady well paid job to throw your self on the job market. Be prepared to join a world you never dreamt existed.
But the satisfaction of going it alone is not to be under estimated either and you can do it. . But there are no short cuts and no golden tickets to anywhere. Just hard work. And its all down to you.

 

[Noggin The Nog]

My thoughts go out to those losing their jobs due to no fault of their own. I've been there and know what it's like.
Hang on in there. I know these are just words, and sound patronising but believe me stay focused.

 

[Phinius T Bookbinder]

I left a secure decent paid job with a local company. Had worked for them for just short of 20 years, loved the job, but wanted more. Finished the night shift one morning and on a whim after hearing talk the firm were looking for voluntary redundancies I rang the personal officer, offered to go and twenty minutes later he rang me back, offered me a package and I was gone. I didn't even get the chance to go back and clear my locker.
I **** myself on the first morning when I realised what I had done, honestly I was shaking. Three kids and a mortgage and no job, just six weeks wages in hand, a bit on top for volunteering and my holiday money. WTF had I done !
Job centre was next, a first for me, and it was totally soul destroying. 'You want a job ?' Join the queue.
Next a job agency. I filled in a form about twenty foot long, listed all the courses I had taken at my last firm, a list of my O levels etc and the interviewer glanced at it and wrote down.....labourer.
The 'job'; they offered me was very vague. 'Be outside ABC at 6 tonight, bring your packing up and you will get picked up, be prepared to work all night'
They wouldn't tell me where, who for or what the wage was, just where to get picked up.
I didn't turn up.
By the end of the week I was self employed and have been for over 30 years now.
Never under estimate the shock of leaving a steady well paid job to throw your self on the job market. Be prepared to join a world you never dreamt existed.
But the satisfaction of going it alone is not to be under estimated either and you can do it. . But there are no short cuts and no golden tickets to anywhere. Just hard work. And its all down to you.

Brave shout. Often think about doing it if redundancy came up. Approx what year was it you made the jump. Just wondering re unemployment levels?

 

[TIGERSCAVE]

I left a secure decent paid job with a local company. Had worked for them for just short of 20 years, loved the job, but wanted more. Finished the night shift one morning and on a whim after hearing talk the firm were looking for voluntary redundancies I rang the personal officer, offered to go and twenty minutes later he rang me back, offered me a package and I was gone. I didn't even get the chance to go back and clear my locker.
I **** myself on the first morning when I realised what I had done, honestly I was shaking. Three kids and a mortgage and no job, just six weeks wages in hand, a bit on top for volunteering and my holiday money. WTF had I done !
Job centre was next, a first for me, and it was totally soul destroying. 'You want a job ?' Join the queue.
Next a job agency. I filled in a form about twenty foot long, listed all the courses I had taken at my last firm, a list of my O levels etc and the interviewer glanced at it and wrote down.....labourer.
The 'job'; they offered me was very vague. 'Be outside ABC at 6 tonight, bring your packing up and you will get picked up, be prepared to work all night'
They wouldn't tell me where, who for or what the wage was, just where to get picked up.
I didn't turn up.
By the end of the week I was self employed and have been for over 30 years now.
Never under estimate the shock of leaving a steady well paid job to throw your self on the job market. Be prepared to join a world you never dreamt existed.
But the satisfaction of going it alone is not to be under estimated either and you can do it. . But there are no short cuts and no golden tickets to anywhere. Just hard work. And its all down to you.

Excellent....

 

[Trumpton Tiger.]

Brave shout. Often think about doing it if redundancy came up. Approx what year was it you made the jump. Just wondering re unemployment levels?

Early 80's. Looking back I must have been mad but I'm pleased I did it. I walked into what I thought was the job centre down Lowgate near King Billy and was jumped on by the doorman, doormen in a job centre ! I hadn't booked an appointment having not known you had too, and I was at the 'wrong' one. Mine was Britannia House apparently. That was a shock to the system, I actually thought a job centre was where you went to find a job, no chance, after much persuasion and the computer telling me I was entitled to no benefits they did find me three jobs to apply for and all three were six months out of date. I came out of there feeling as though I'd made the biggest mistake in my life.
It was a soul destroying experience for someone not used to the system. You become a number, not a person.
There were no jobs, only seasonal work at a fish factory.

 

[GlassHalfHull]

I took a leap 20 years ago after 11 years in a job I loved, went back to college and spent a year without a wage, thinking it would do wonders for my career...
Next, after four jobs in 8 years across three different industries - and with a stretch of depressing unemployment thrown in, I was kindly re-employed by an old friend and threw myself back into the industry I'd started in. After starting as temp cover I'm still there after 12 years and have learned a lot of lessons on the way. The main ones being not to burn bridges, and always appreciate a good thing when you have it! There are good years and bad, and constant change in the world (even without Brexit and covid), so make sure you are known for what you can do, and you keep your chin up while you're doing it! Tough times ahead, so best of luck to anyone going through it. You're not alone and you MUST make sure you look after yourself.

 

[The Omega Man]

I have to add that I am probably the least academically qualified person who posts on this forum.

I do not have a single educational qualification. Not one OLevel, GCSE or anything from my schooling.

 

[Phinius T Bookbinder]

Early 80's. Looking back I must have been mad but I'm pleased I did it. I walked into what I thought was the job centre down Lowgate near King Billy and was jumped on by the doorman, doormen in a job centre ! I hadn't booked an appointment having not known you had too, and I was at the 'wrong' one. Mine was Britannia House apparently. That was a shock to the system, I actually thought a job centre was where you went to find a job, no chance, after much persuasion and the computer telling me I was entitled to no benefits they did find me three jobs to apply for and all three were six months out of date. I came out of there feeling as though I'd made the biggest mistake in my life.
It was a soul destroying experience for someone not used to the system. You become a number, not a person.
There were no jobs, only seasonal work at a fish factory.

Cheers for that insight. Kind of thought it might be 80,s so braver still. I think sometimes redundancy needs to be available to give you the push forward.

 

[Trumpton Tiger.]

Cheers for that insight. Kind of thought it might be 80,s so braver still. I think sometimes redundancy needs to be available to give you the push forward.

Spot on, although I loved the place I worked my best memories and times were of the earlier days and the firm ( or those running it) wanted more and more for less and less. So for me the chance of getting a few bob in front for the first time in my life through volunteering for redundancy was the spur otherwise I wouldn't have done it. I used every penny of that money to buy myself a little tool business in the old indoor market, another huge gamble.

 

[Noggin The Nog]

Early 80's. Looking back I must have been mad but I'm pleased I did it. I walked into what I thought was the job centre down Lowgate near King Billy and was jumped on by the doorman, doormen in a job centre ! I hadn't booked an appointment having not known you had too, and I was at the 'wrong' one. Mine was Britannia House apparently. That was a shock to the system, I actually thought a job centre was where you went to find a job, no chance, after much persuasion and the computer telling me I was entitled to no benefits they did find me three jobs to apply for and all three were six months out of date. I came out of there feeling as though I'd made the biggest mistake in my life.
It was a soul destroying experience for someone not used to the system. You become a number, not a person.
There were no jobs, only seasonal work at a fish factory.

Snap. I came out of the place on Spring bank feeling suicidal. Lucky for me I got fixed up soon after. I didn't want to go back in there ever again. Your a number not a human being. Soul destroying.

 

[Barchullona]

I have to add that I am probably the least academically qualified person who posts on this forum.

I do not have a single educational qualification. Not one OLevel, GCSE or anything from my schooling.

A lot of very successful people are. I know of two of my age who left school with no academic qualifications who are now millionaires. One was at Grammar School in my year and bought himself out ( in those days you had to pay for the exams you were entered for and it wasn't that cheap) and left without taking his GCES.
As Bill Shankly said "I didn't get an education so I have had to use my brain".

 

[Mr Hatem]

left with taking his GCES.

?????

 

[Barchullona]

?????

69u altering my posts?

 

[Ric Glasgow]

69u altering my posts?

Yes,it appears the phantom post alterer has struck again

 

[Phinius T Bookbinder]

Spot on, although I loved the place I worked my best memories and times were of the earlier days and the firm ( or those running it) wanted more and more for less and less. So for me the chance of getting a few bob in front for the first time in my life through volunteering for redundancy was the spur otherwise I wouldn't have done it. I used every penny of that money to buy myself a little tool business in the old indoor market, another huge gamble.

Love it. With young kids too. Keep trading...

 

[Mr Hatem]

69u altering my posts?

No you corrected your post after I posted, but you still got "GCES" wrong.

 

[Barchullona]

No you corrected your post after I posted, but you still got "GCES" wrong.

After I left some typos in as well...

 

[Chazz Rheinhold]

The Tigers Trust are offering young people job opportunities as part of the government’s Kickstart scheme.

Across the EFL network, 500 young people will have the opportunity to work in an EFL Club or Club Community Organisation.

The Tigers Trust will be offering five work placement job roles to people aged 16 to 24 who are claiming Universal Credit. The scheme is designed to help build skills in the workplace and gain experience to improve chances of finding long-term work.


Each six-month placement will cover a variety of roles which support the Trust's programmes and facilities team.

The scheme targets young people who have been hit especially hard by Coronavirus and Kickstart focuses on giving them the best possible chance of getting a job.

Tigers Trust CEO, Catherine Bishop, said: “The Tigers Trust Team are proud to have been able to play a role in supporting our communities throughout the pandemic. We have seen first-hand the devastation this has caused to many people on many levels. We are therefore delighted to be part of EFL Trust Kickstart Programme and support young people by offering opportunities for them to gain some meaningful experience and insight into the world of work whilst also helping us re-focus our organisation as we move forward post-covid, working with our partners both in and outside the football world.”

Under the scheme, the EFL Trust, the charitable arm of the EFL, will be acting as a Gateway provider, bringing together a network of Football Clubs, Community Organisations and other partners, to provide a wealth of opportunities across the country for out-of-work youngsters.

Mike Evans, CEO, EFL Trust said: “This impact of COVID-19 on our young people is clearly very significant and we are delighted to be able to offer opportunities to young people in our communities through the Kickstart programme. A key part of our strategy at the EFL Trust is to raise aspirations and realise the potential within our communities and a scheme like Kickstart enables us to have a significant impact on the young people who need out support most right now.”

The positions will be available through the Job Centre, then applicants will contact Tigers Trust to formally apply. Timings of recruitment and selection will be dependent on local restrictions moving forward.

 

[The Omega Man]

I have just signed up on X-Forces Hub as a mentor to help ex service personnel transition into self employment or business development.