Out of work after 10 years.

snodgrass

I am moving back to the West Midlands,where i am originally from.I have lived in North Wales since i was 18,20 years.In all that time i had 3 jobs,2 years as a piano restorer/french polisher,my first job,laid off,7-8 years as a chalet maid at Pontins,ill health meant i had to pack it in for a lighter job.Then 10 years in a care home first 5-6 years as a cleaner and laundry assistant,then 4-5 years there as a night care assistant.I am 40 this year.

I have never been out of work and never had time off,except 3 months for a hysterectomy(too much info,i know,but).

Anyroads,i am dreading signing on in the new place,i am dreading have to start all over again,finding a job,knowing more than likely there are none.20 years of never being out of work,i dread not finding a job for months,or even longer,knowing i will only get £64 a week.I live with my pensioner mother,i moved back in after the death of my father,5 years ago to help her out financially,half and half with all the bills etc,i have no kids,so living on such a pittance(JSA) for god knows how long,we would not manage household expenses.

Can anybody offer any light at this dark tunnel i seem to see in front of us for a bit.

santacruz_2

There are always care jobs where ever you go, is it something you want to do again?

snodgrass

Well,to tell you the truth no,i did the job because in North Wales jobs are few and far between,so any job is/was better than none,so next thing you know,years pass,you just stay put for fear of being out of work,better the devil you know etc.But i must of been ok at my last employment,they would not of kept me on for so long.
I would like to retrain for something else,but,in the next breath i need a regular wage,in order to retrain to better yourself, you have less money.I do not even think you can retrain can you while claiming benefits,i know absolutely nothing about benefits and rights and entitlements,never needed to,till now.

santacruz_2

Yeah you can get free training whilst on job seekers, best thing to do is to speak to them next time you go and sign on. The most difficult thing is thinking of the kind of jobs you'd like to do. With some job fields you can train whilst working in that field.

snodgrass

You may think i have high expectations,but when i originally moved to Wales i had my 8 O-levels and 2 A-levels,history and law,i wanted something in the legal profession then.But needs must and i needed money there and then,so one thing led to another and you take any job just to pay the bills etc,and that is what i have been doing all these 20 years,i feel like i have wasted 20 years of my life,just for the sake of earning a regular wage.
Now because all i have done is cleaning and caring,you feel like you will be tarred with that brush for ever,you will be expected to carry on doing the job you really do not want to do.

Proc

Unfortunately with your lack of qualifications and skills you're going to have to go back into something pretty low-grade like you did before.

If you want a career, I'd suggest getting into retail with one of the larger retailers and then working your way up from there. Getting in is easy, moving up is the only real challenge - but with a bit of hard graft, determination, brains and a little brown-nosing you'll soon work your way up to a decent management role.

You're still fairly young (I'm guessing just turned 30?) so it's not as though you're "past it". Don't sit around on JSA for too long though, or you'll become a depressed moaner with big gaps in their CV and will certainly never see light at the end of the tunnel.

snodgrass

I am 40 this year,i seem to have lost all my drive and motivation also,because i am just stuck on this treadmill you cannot get off.I want to better myself,but i think the system will not let you.I sound a right moaner,i know,never used to be.

Js_Other_Half

snodgrass wrote: »

.
i had my 8 O-levels and 2 A-levels,history and law,i wanted something in the legal profession

18 years ago that would have secured you a place in university to do a lot of things. Is that something you have considered ?

Proc

snodgrass wrote: »

,but i think the system will not let you.

!!!!!! are you talking about?

"The system"?

If, by the system you mean where companies are bothered about their profits, a relatively free market, with countless employee protections, and companies willing to prioritise staff that ultimately help make them money, then the reason you wouldn't succeed in such a "system" is because of you, and nothing to do with the system itself.

snodgrass

The system that i was referring to,was the job centre etc,do not think above your station and all that.

Proc

What does the job center have to do with anything? Simply don't use them.