I need a new job...

[alicej]

You don't need to be unemployed to use the Jobcentre, maybe that'd be worth doing? Although some of their staff are better than others, they should be able to arrange a careers advice session with you to help you figure out what's out there by way of training, funding for training, and maybe even jobs you haven't thought of yet but which might suit you.

They should also be able to tell you things like when and where your nearest NHS open day is (I think these are big halls full of people with info on different NHS jobs), what training exactly you'd need to do to become a paramedic,* and what funding the NHS might provide for you to train.

Also, I've thought that if I end up losing my job due to funding cuts then I might try applying to work at Timpsons, the key cutting place. I chatted to one of their workers once and they seemed to like their job, they're given a fair bit of autonomy and you don't necessarily need any prior experience as they train you to cut keys, do engraving, fit watch batteries and straps, repair shoes etc. Wonder if that might appeal to you? http://www.timpson.co.uk/about/30/careers-at-timpson

*Beware that there are no jobs available for newly trained paramedics in many areas!

[Vorpal]

Sometimes charities will sponsor people doing retraining. The mental health charities seem to have more of that sort of thing than others.

[Si]

Well, another one here in a similar boat - because the work I do is seasonal they re-employ the staff at the start of each year. this means that they can change terms and conditions every time. Somewhat alarming to find that the salary has been reduced by almost half and the holidays by over half for this year! As has been said, time to look for a new job.

[karlt]

Well, another one here in a similar boat - because the work I do is seasonal they re-employ the staff at the start of each year. this means that they can change terms and conditions every time. Somewhat alarming to find that the salary has been reduced by almost half and the holidays by over half for this year! As has been said, time to look for a new job.

Welcome to Britain under the Condems. Please leave your self-respect and any expectation whatsoever of being treated fairly at the door. We hope you don't enjoy the ride, unless you're rich and therefore worthy.

[J.Y.Kelly]

Welcome to Britain under the Condems. Please leave your self-respect and any expectation whatsoever of being treated fairly at the door. We hope you don't enjoy the ride, unless you're rich and therefore worthy.[/quote]

Well said Sir!
Kelly.

[JohnW]

............unless you're rich and therefore worthy.

Surely a contradiction in terms - considering how today's neuveau riche have become neuveau riche.

[531colin]

Have you asked in your LBS? No point starting a new business yourself if there's a perfectly good one already which might employ you!

You've got retail experience and can fix bikes, so you might well find they need someone to help cover Saturdays or whatever, and if you did that for a bit then you'd be top of the list if a more full time vacancy came up.

This is excellent advice.
To take it a stage further, if there is anywhere you fancy working, write to the boss and volunteer to go work for them for nothing for a few days. Neither party has anything to lose (apart from a few days' leave) both parties might have something to gain. So much better than the usual nonsense, advertised job vacancy, interview, CV lies, etc..

[MarkF]

I burnt my bridges in 1999, you've got to if you really mean it. Haven't been able to rely on a regular salary since but am 100% stress free, my legs haven't fallen off or anything..........

You want "money" so I can't see the bike stuff getting it for you, can see it getting the same as the MW and IMO that'd be a nice life if it paid the bills. At least 2 guys local to me have van based bike repair businesses. I am sure a paramedic has targets and associated stresses in today's world,think carefully.

Whatever you do, leave the MW life, asap, it traps you on a default MW treadmill, forever. Think about doing something for yourself, don't believe all the bollox about what/how you need to be to run a business, many of us do it simply to avoid "proper" work and having a "boss".

[karlt]

............unless you're rich and therefore worthy.

Surely a contradiction in terms - considering how today's neuveau riche have become neuveau riche.

That was rather my point. But it's how some of our new reptilian overlords think.

[AlanD]

At a recent internal seminar, the speaker introducing his team saying that they had a vacancy. Well I could not see the said vacancy posted, so sent him my CV anyway. Next thing I know an interview invite comes my way. At the start I did say that I could not find the advertised vacancy and so i did not even have a job-spec. "Ah well" comes the reply "That's because the date for applications had already closed and so we removed the posting, but then your CV came in and we had to see you". "This sounds good " I thought. The interview went well, they asked nothing difficult and I have a lot of transferrable skills.
Yesterday, I got the rejection I have now asked for feedback and am waiting a response.
Yes I do appreciate that the interviewer wants the best he can get. However.... I'm already in the door. It's getting really soul distroying that someone won't give me a chance. Having a chat with my boss soon, think I'll ask him why HR cannot just place me in a role to see how I'll do.
I have now come to the conclusion that there are so many people looking for work, that the only candidates likely to be successful are those already doing that work. It's the old situation of cannot have the job without the experience, but how do you get the experience!!!!!!!! The rest of us just don't stand a chance.

Alan (throughly fed-up and going to waste.)

[Si]

It's the old situation of cannot have the job without the experience, but how do you get the experience!!!!!!!!

Yup, and in many areas (such as archaeology which I dabble in) when a large part of the present work force retires (or rather breaks down and goes off to find an office job because field work has made 40 year old bodies behave like 70 year old ones) there won't be anyone to replace them on account of no one taking on trainees fresh out of uni anymore.

[cycle cat]

Update. I'm still looking.
Nothing so far but I definitely need to get something soon.
I keep getting more work and responsibility heaped onto me.
I'm not paid enough and I'm not respected enough!

Yesterday I came into work to be shouted at for something I hadn't
completed. There were only two of us in the department.

My boss is on holiday, so a supervisor is acting manager.
She yelled at me in front of staff and customers.
I know there will be repercussions when my boss gets back.
I need to be ready to go. This is not the first time this woman has
acted like that. It won't be the last.
I doubt they'll read this so I'm ok on that front.

[JohnW]

................supervisor is acting manager.
She yelled at me in front of staff and customers.
I know there will be repercussions when my boss gets back.
...................

This seems to me to be harassment and bullying. Do you have a Union?

Is the woman who did the telling completely sane?

[AlanD]

She yelled at me in front of staff and customers.

Sorry to hear that Cycle cat. Do you have a HR dept?

[MarkF]

Sounds like an oppotunity to return some hassle, what the woman did was very wrong, make sure that you report it, in detail, ask to be kept aware of developments.