My Redundancy Diary

Andyboy

ElusiveLucy wrote: »

Gosh, I've had a busy week this week! Sadly mainly because I found a leak in my downstairs ..... on Friday - interested to see how much it will be for!I might have to frame the payslip as the largest one I have ever had!

Enjoy your spare time but don't forget to grab any opportunities that fit your new lifestyle. Is it time to be a bit more picky and have a better work life balance?

I am off to an hour long [STRIKE]grilling[/STRIKE] interview at the jobcentre this morning. Summer hols almost over so i now need to start planning my return to work in the next 6 months......hope I can stretch the money that far!

Good luck to you all and keep the posts coming

daisyf_2

I think I must have taken the other stance and decided to take all the work offers whilst I can I really enjoy my new found freedom and working in the evenings/weekends doing something you enjoy is lovely - but going to take some time off this weekend I'm not sure how long this is going to last so taking the money whilst I can xx

Andyboy

daisyf wrote: »

I think I must have taken the other stance and decided to take all the work offers whilst I can I really enjoy my new found freedom and working in the evenings/weekends doing something you enjoy is lovely - but going to take some time off this weekend I'm not sure how long this is going to last so taking the money whilst I can xx

As they say daisyf, find a job doing something you really enjoy and you will never have to work again.

My interview at JCP was fine and will just continue to consider options. Not everyone can be away from work for as long as i have and still be quite happy about it. My secret is I never get bored. Lucky me!

i still think i would like to set up my own business especially when I see the paltry pay that they are offering for the jobs I have looked at....just need to decide what i would be able to offer that people will pay for?:)

ponymad_3

Been away from the forum enjoying my summer off... Applied for a job but got nowhere and registered with a couple of agencies...
Good to catch up with peoples news.

I Have just about started some voluntary work for the Alzheimers Society... Had to have 2 interviews and they are checking out my references. Found the placement via the JCP suggestion of Do it. org. They seem a nice bunch of people.

I have started my (funded) ECDL course and on track to complete first module - did Powerpoint for presentations, as not completely new but useful to get quicker at it and guess it will be useful for CV.

Have interview on 12th Sept with JCP.... this is the 3 rd interview. Had initial, then roughly 4 week I signed on 10th July... is this more in depth and what can I expect.

I was a Senior Manager with a bank for my sins and there are limited jobs at my level. Will JC try to push me to do much lower jobs.. I was fortunate to get a very good lump sum and want to take around 6 mths to decide on my options. I will only get JSA for the 6 mths....Of course I will be lliable to 40% tax in due course on this and I am starting to feel there s not much point being on it...

Just a little worried as when I signed on last week it was suggested I look at a work placement with the hospital in their admin department... when the woman called me it is at a very junior clerical level and I explained to her I thought I would be taking up an opportunity for aomeone who wanted to work in that role. As jobs come up they offer you an interview . Its a 6 mth placement for up to 30 hours per week - seems like cheap labour to me and could nt quite see what I would get out of it.

If I was to come off JSA.... say for 3 mths... could I go back onto it in the new year or even later. Could I say I just needed time off to support my elderly parents(well my Dad is due to have a hip replacement)

I do have 2 holidays planned so will need to sign off for these and I am now wishing I had nt signed on when I did.

Andyboy

Ponymad

sorry to hear of your predicament. The problem with the jobs youdescribe is they may not even take you due to your previous level of work. Not sure if you come off benefit you can just go back on it, but expect there is a period after which you could possibly get income based dependent on savings etc.

At least you have a course to do. i am thinking of self funding for one but am still dragging out my free time. Son only just back at school.

Good luck to you.

MissMuppet

Ooooh shame this thread hasn't been updated recently, I think people would find it really helpful.

Just an update from me... I came back from my holiday in France, and more recently a dentist trip to Budapest and now I am moving to France permanently on 23 October! My Mum has organised an apartment out there for me, cheaper and bigger than my current one in the UK. I am busy packing and sorting out my finances/business... once settled in France I will be trying to build up my business!

Good luck everyone!

MightyMythop

Update from me also...here's what I've done since redundancy in mid-July.....spent all Summer Holidays with my son (and wife), pointed the outside of my house, refitted a bathroom, plastered 5 peoples lounges, bathrooms etc, repointed a friends house, spent a week in Cornwall and a long weekend in Brighton:beer:, applied for several jobs none of which appealed to me but I had to show willing as I'm claiming JSA!

However, just last week I got accepted for a job which I think is just up my street! I'm going to start a 3 month contract as a postman! I always wanted to get away from office work and I think this could be the right job for me. However, if it's not then so be it, I'll have "dipped my toe in" and seen what it's all about, however I'm looking forward to it and hope that I do well and there's something permanent at the end of it.:)

One other thing I've arranged is a charity bike ride with 2 friends, we're cycling from Blackpool to Middlesbrough in aid of Gary Parkinson who was a football coach at Blackpool FC before being struck down with a stroke last September and he's currently in a "locked in syndrome" read more at https://www.garyparky.co.uk but so far we've raised over £1000 and I feel very proud to have raised so much....the rise is in November so I hope the wind stays calm!!! :eek:

SlopingBird

MissMuppet wrote: »

Ooooh shame this thread hasn't been updated recently, I think people would find it really helpful.

Just an update from me... I came back from my holiday in France, and more recently a dentist trip to Budapest and now I am moving to France permanently on 23 October! My Mum has organised an apartment out there for me, cheaper and bigger than my current one in the UK. I am busy packing and sorting out my finances/business... once settled in France I will be trying to build up my business!

Good luck everyone!

MissMuppet, how exciting (and how envious I am). We're hoping to move to Europe in about three years but have to get youngest to university first (other two are in their mid twenties and have careers/homes). Keep in touch and let us all know how you're getting on, won't you?

SlopingBird

Quick update from me too. I've thoroughly enjoyed my four months off work and just wish I was in the position of never having to work again. Unfortunately, a large mortgage and badly-paid OH means that's not an option. While I've been off work I've enjoyed running, hiking, holidays, babysitting, writing, DIY and just generally enjoying life. I've also started a multi-skills construction course (evening) which is something I've always wanted to do.

The political rhetoric suggests that no-one can be fulfilled unless they are working, which in my opinion, simply isn't the case. I've never been more bored than in my last job and only stayed so long because it was so flexible in terms of hours. I don't understand how spending your days doing exactly what you want to do can be boring?

Anyway, needs must and I'm back at work next Tuesday covering someone's maternity leave for five months on a four-day a week basis. I've also set up a small business with my partner but we were a bit slow to get our website up and running and I've so only just organised advertising, business cards, etc so timing isn't great. Hope to maintain my momentum with the other things when I'm back at work - I remember only too well that horrible drained feeling that I had every evening. Nope - work definitely isn't all it's cracked up to be!

daisyf_2

that is great news so pleased for everyone - update from me - didn't take much time off and decided to jump right into my own business and also part time charity chief exec job. It's going great - for the charity we had some great events organised which went really well. The one thing that is really surprised me is how my freelance work has taken off - I've got two contracts for six months - one for two days a week and the other one day a week, i've also got a one day contract which has been extended for another two months and then I've had 11 other different contracts in a space of three months I'm not sure how this is going to last so have taken everything and not turned down anything I've not even advertised my business - this is from word and mouth and the good reputation i had in my last job - which the last job didn't realise I had...:) I found that even though I am working evenings and a bit of weekends it doesn't seem that I am - I enjoy what I do for a business... I have also learnt that if I don't like a client I can do a bit of work but not accept anymore - its my time and I don't want to waste it

I really enjoy being my own boss and the charity job is working at home too. The best thing is that once I walked out the door of my own place I haven't missed it for one moment and realised how bad it was. You have to get through that huddle of being made redundant and then it is the best thing that has ever happened xx